It’s been almost a week since the concert, but I still smile whenever I think of it.  And I think of it often.  The show rocked in an unbelievable way. I say that about all of the Pearl Jam concerts I’ve been to, of course, but I think this might have had the highest energy of any Pearl Jam concert I’ve been to. It was stunning.

In an effort to get good seats for the first time, I joined the fan club a couple of months ago.  Unfortunately I found out that the show would be General Admission.  Fan club members would be able to enter fifteen minutes early, but the line would start forming at noon.  Six hours before the door opened.  I toyed with the idea of spending my day in line, but I figured I might get claustrophobic if I spent too much time in line before the concert. As it turned out, it didn’t matter too much - I could have stood on the floor and been nearish the stage, but wouldn’t have been able to see much over the rest of the audience since I’m so short. So Tom and I decided to sit up on the balcony. I also do better in seats than in a crowd, mental status wise - there seems to be more space between myself and the next person that way. We got seats facing center stage and while they were a bit high up, we could still see everything. Even if I had been in the front of the floor people, there was space between the stage and the crowd (enforced by security guards) so I wouldn’t have been able to get very close. I also dorked out and didn’t stay late to see the band leave (and try to get an autograph) but that worked out too, since no one stopped to chat with fans.

Okay - concert recap and I’ll try to keep it short, since I have a tendency to run off at the mouth when Pearl Jam is involved. Tom and I met up at home since I was leaving late (I’d lost my house key, which almost made me lose my mind.) and took the Muni down the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. (Gotta love Muni, with the huge, irate black guys yelling into their cell phones and the Eau de Unwashed Masses). We stopped at Burger King so Tom could get a healthy vegetarian dinner and then got in line.  A very long line, separate from the main line and across the street from the venue, oddly enough. I spent several minutes musing aloud on the possibility that they’d sold too many tickets and we wouldn’t be able to get in at all.

I’d been thinking maybe we should claim seats then head out to a real restaurant for dinner, but ended up deciding it would be too difficult to hold our seats without being there. It’s a good thing we did because Ed Vedder opened the concert even before Sonic Youth. Fortunately Tom had purchased water for me, so I didn’t dehydrate from all of the drooling.  Ed sat alone on a stool, blue light shone over him, and he played an accoustic version of one of my favorite songs, “I am Mine” from Riot Act. It started the concert off with a rush. Even though it was a softer song, he sang with an intensity that resonated in my body.  Goosebumps rose all along my arms and a shiver went down my spine and all through me.

I discovered that Sonic Youth isn’t my thing. They’re a bit dissonant and use a lot of feedback. A journalist called it ’soundscaping’. Tom and I spent their set fiddling around with our cellphones. I borrowed his to send an email to Mel; I figured it would be cool to get a message from the midst of a concert.  I would have called her, but the time difference screwed that idea.
Then Pearl Jam came on. They opened with another of my favorites, “Release” from their first album (Ten). Considering the  fact that the whole Dad-thing has been up for me lately this song fit right in with my mood.   I sang along, finding a catharsis I’ve been longing for.  I’m hoping for more of the release I found at that moment.  They played several favorites, “Crazy Mary”, “Yellow Ledbetter”, “Alive”, “Why Go”, “Man of the Hour” “In Hiding” and “Light Years”. They also played one I’ve never heard them do live, “Present Tense”. They blasted through their sets, playing for over two hours.

The energy was so intense. I think part of it was because the venue was indoors. I’ve only seen them at outdoor venues before. In my (rather wowie-california) opinion, the energy disperses more in an open setting. Inside it flows from the band to the crowd and back and there’s nowhere for it to go.  It just builds and builds until everyone is flying.