Review, Photos & Videos: Pearl Jam Takes It To Madison Square Garden

Images by: Andrew Blackstein

Words by: Scott Bernstein

Pearl Jam :: 5.1.16 :: Madison Square Garden :: NYC, NY

You don’t have to be a die-hard Pearl Jam to enjoy the incredible relationship the band has with its fans, which was on full display last night at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Pearl Jam crowd is one that sings along with every song the band plays no matter how rare and the group returns the favor by making each concert a singular event filled with memorable, fan-pleasing moments.

The Seattle rockers thrilled a capacity crowd for just under three hours on Sunday night at their first MSG show since 2010 and tenth overall at the venue. Eddie Vedder battled throat issues throughout the night, but didn’t let that stop him from singing some of the group’s most vocally challenging material. Thankfully the audience was always ready, able and willing to lend a hand in shouting lyrics when needed. As usual, Eddie was in a chatty mood and filled a number of gaps between songs with banter ranging from a remembrance of PJ’s first gig in New York City (The Marquee in 1991 a few days before they played Wetlands) to the area’s local sports teams to the work his wife does to battle an autoimmune disease.

It’s really a sight to behold how Pearl Jam does what they can do to provide a great experience for fans. Every seat at MSG was sold which included the areas behind the stage. PJ recognized these fans at the beginning of the second encore by performing “Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town” at the back of the stage. Even drummer Matt Cameron had a small rig setup behind the stage so he could join his mates in playing at least one song where those behind the stage had the best view. Guitarist Mike McCready was Pearl Jam’s hype man as his energetic stage presence sent the crowd into a frenzy at multiple points in the evening including during “Alive” where he moved beyond the stage and into the audience during his solo. Eddie Vedder was so aware of the fans and their enjoyment that he asked one person to move to allow a wheelchair-bound fan a better view of the action before his solo acoustic rendition of “The End,” the night’s biggest bust out.

“The End,” which started the first of two lengthy encores, was one of three tour debuts performed by Pearl Jam on Sunday night. The second was the evening’s biggest surprise as Pearl Jam debuted a non-ironic cover of The Doobie Brothers’ “Takin’ It To The Streets.” Before starting the yacht rock era classic, Vedder explained that a longtime friend and fan of his made a “big request.” Eddie told the friend “hey, we’re playing the Garden, this isn’t a time to fuck around.” But after the fan said Vedder isn’t as good as a singer as “this guy” (in this case, Michael McDonald) Pearl Jam took the bait and performed most of The Doobie Brothers’ 1976 hit. The band followed it up with the evening’s third and final tour debut, “Whipping.”

Pearl Jam’s stage set design is minimalist, yet really accentuates the music. Screens were set up on each side of the stage that displayed hi-def black-and-white footage during the main set and color footage during the encores. Kudos to the director and cinematographer as the images captured were beautiful and set the scene just perfectly for what was happening on stage. If Eddie was interacting with a crowd member, a camera would be there to capture said crowd member’s reaction. One amazing moment came during “Even Flow” when Eddie threw his microphone to a fan towards the front of the crowd. The fan, who were learned was named Kenneth, did an admirable job of barking the lyrics. Another highlight came seven songs into the night with a stirring rendition of “Release” that turned MSG into a church-like setting.

All night long the audience was incredibly engaged with the band and vice versa. It’s no wonder Pearl Jam is still going strong 25 years into the career. The band returns to Madison Square Garden tonight.

Photos (by Andrew Blackstein)

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”252″ gal_title=”20160501 Pearl Jam New York City Andrew Blackstein”]

Videos (Captured by mfc172)

[Takin’ It To The Streets > Whipping]

[Chloe Dancer/Crown Of Thorns]

[Footsteps]

[Rats]

[In Hiding]

[Release]