|
|
|
Apples in Stereo The
Holmes Brothers |
Pearl Jam / 06.23.2006
Anyways, day of, and I’m finally listening to the new album and really digging it. Our pre-show plans got a little messed up as I work right next to the arena and never left because I had my bike and it was raining and then there was the thing with the baby falling off the couch and hitting his head on the coffee table right as Wifey was about to leave the kids with the babysitter. But we got everything together and had some beers at Café Fifth Ave. with a bunch of friends. I didn’t bring my camera because I didn’t want to deal with sneaking it in but it turns out that the extent of the search at the entrance was a tap on the belly. And I was awkwardly trying to hide my flask within my flimsy dress sock all this time. We of course missed Robert Pollard and walking through the hallways I see on one of those little round tables set up against the wall and two full beers are sitting there and no one is tending to them. I announce my intentions but Wifey wasn’t so fond on the idea. So I stood back and grabbed one out of eyesight. So now I’m already up $7. Pearl Jam starts and opens with “Release” and I’m wondering if I can get into an arena concert anymore. Everything just seemed so distant and I like to be up in “the shit” when I'm seeing a band. But as the show went on it was obvious that Vedder and the boys were into rocking and I just figured I’d hang back, party like the Friday that it was, and enjoy myself. New songs, “Life Wasted” and “Severed Hand” sounded great and even though those sitting in my immediate vicinity were somewhat subdued most of the crowd were having a great time. When my beer emptied, I was about to buy a Coke and start emptying the flask but then I remembered that other beer that I had left alone on that small round, lonely table. So I headed down the ramp, out of my way, and lo and behold it’s still there, just a little warmer. Another $7. At one point Vedder mentions that Pittsburgh isn’t his favorite place and I totally miss the football reference until the crowd begins the “Here We Go Stillers” chant. Eddie amends his statement by saying “But I was going to say it’s one of our favorite places to play.” He relegated his political speech to imploring the audience to vote Jason Bay into the All-Star Game. And then he says something about it being a shame that they’ll be tearing the arena down in a few years. “Dissident,” “Even Flow,” “Better Man,” and “Daughter” all had the crowd singing along but it wasn’t until “I Got Id” that I really was able to get into it with everybody singing at the top of their lungs, “Oh, I walked the line….” A nice arena sized moment. They ended the set with one of my fav’s “Porch”, stretching it into a rollicking ten minute jam. The first encore featured the Stones classic “Waiting on a Friend” then packed a three song wallop of “Elderly Lady”, a moving “Black” and then “Alive.” This one sent the crowd into a tizzy. At sometime during this encore Vedder pulled a cool stunt of taking the reflection of the spot light and projecting it around the arena with his guitar. The second encore featured “Rockin’ in the Free World” and then whether it was that the band really wanted to keep playing or that Eddie wasn’t ready to put his second bottle of red down, the band played “Yellow Ledbetter” with the house lights on to the delight of the crowd. And thank God no one was leaving early to beat the traffic. So we head out to our car which is parked in the garage below the building I work in and hit a wall of traffic getting out of it. Wifey, realizing that an impatient me is worse than no me at all agrees to let me jump out and just ride my bike, which is locked onto a rack, home. So I jump out and in my drunken state can’t figure out what level my damn bike is on. I wander around the garage for what seems like forever and then reluctantly take the one exit I keep running into but requires that I walk all the way around the building to get to where I know my bike it. I end up getting home just after Wifey does and it’s only midnight but we’re beat and call it a night. |
