The Black Keys and Pearl Jam rock MSG

I'm a few days late with this posting, but I'd still love to share the magic that was experiencing The Black Keys and Pearl Jam at MSG last Thursday night. In 2008, my friends Ang, Nick, Korn and I got tickets to my first Pearl Jam show at The Garden. Our seats were behind the stage, which was surprisingly incredible. You were able to get an especially candid view of the band in btwn songs. (They have a way of making the people behind the stage feel as important as those a few rows from the front.) I did notice something particularly different from that last show, when, during the really heavy songs like Porch and Spin the Black Circle, you actually felt the whole stadium shaking beneath your feet. It was awesome, I think there must be something about the seats behind the stage that is less stable than other sections? Maybe its just me, but thanks Nick for that observation.

I'd never seen The Black Keys live, but over the past year Pandora, before they cut you off after 40 hours a month, opened me up to a new world of music, The Black Keys included. They are a 2 piece band, Dan Auerbach on electric guitar/vocals and Patrick Karney on drums. Their minimalistic presence and the rawness of their sound reminds me of The White Stripes. I recently bought their 2008 album Attack & Release - I highly recommend a listen to the song Strange Times. They have an incredible bluesy southern rock feel and for 2 people on stage they have a huge sound. They brought out 2 friends to back them on a few songs, which was great. Brothers, their latest album, just came out this past Tuesday. I still haven't gotten it, but after seeing them, I can't wait.


picture courtesy of The Brooklyn Vegan

The Main Event:

Pearl Jam played 33 songs at this show. It's what fans love about them, the fact that they play such a long set including 2 encores. This is just a side note, but when I go to a concert I usually like to have a beer or two, and in MSG's case the beers are these huge 22oz cups, so I always end up having to pee so bad! At the last show I remember holding as long as I could, but after I thought I would bust, I made a dash for the bathroom and barely made it back to my seat as everyone was belting out "I just want to scream Hello!" from Elderly Woman ... I was so pissed at myself for missing the song. Thankfully this time around I was able to hold out to hear it in it's entirety. They played a few songs in the first set from the latest album Backspacer, including The Fixer, Force of Nature and Unthought Known. That song has such an amazing build, by the time Eddie screams, "Feel the sky blanket you, with gems and rhinestones," the entire place is under his spell. This song is really inspirational, and the lyrics are true, "dream the dreams of other men, you'll be no ones rival."


picture courtesy of The Brooklyn Vegan

I love this picture because it gives a glimpse into Eddie's performance traditions. *Please see wine bottles by his feet. This 45 year old has more energy than most his age. Singing, playing the guitar (and tambourine) and rocking out all over the place, is only intensified by his penchant for enjoying fine wines onstage, I'd love to know what he prefers? I'd venture to guess a nice Merlot or Chianti. He also takes a few smoke breaks, the only bastard allowed to smoke in the whole place! I love it. He is such a wonder to behold on stage, telling funny stories in btwn songs and giving a lucky few some sips of his wine. I couldn't help but think, "take this cup and drink from it," bc I'm sure those fans were having a religious experience! A really lucky fan even left with Stone Gossard's sweaty t-shirt. They ended the first set with Do the Evolution, a song whose lyrics should really be taught to school kids as a sort of "look back on the history of man, and where he's fucked up and what he deems important," really, such a smart song. The first encore included Love Reign O'er Me, a cover of The Who classic, dedicated to Mr. Pete Townshend on his birthday. They ended with Porch, and, during a jam break, Eddie performed another tradition, taking his guitar and holding it above his head like a sacrificial object, which reflected the spotlight onto every corner of the audience. Talk about religious experiences ... when that beam, directly from him, comes your way, you feel like your the only one getting bathed in light. Just Breathe during the first encore, was truly beautiful and only made better with string musicians onstage to flesh out the song. They opened the last encore with Jeremy, which was just perfect. Crazy Mary and Alive also made the last encore, and just when you think there is no energy left, Indifference ends the night on such a great note. It's almost like having a great workout, your heartbeat is up, your all sweaty, and then you have a great stretch and cool down. They do a body right.

Check out the full set list here:
http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/pearl-jam/2010/madison-square-garden-new-york-ny-23d4d083.html