Wednesday, April 23, 2003
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Wednesday, April 23, 2003 |
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A Tale of Two Concerts: Eddie versus Eddie By MICHAEL
BOYLAN
I attended two concerts this weekend: Eddie Money at the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater on Friday and Pearl Jam at HiFi Buys Amphitheater (Lakewood) on Saturday. They were two entirely different shows, but both enjoyable in their own way. I appreciated Eddie Money more for his kitsch value than for his hits from the 70s and 80s, while Pearl Jam rocked and seemed to be at the top of their game. Watching Pearl Jam a night after the Eddie Money show got me thinking though. I started wondering how long it would take, if ever, for Pearl Jam to play "The Fred" and what that show would be like. I am tempted to say that Pearl Jam would never play a venue like the amphitheater, simply because they would still attract too large a fan base. If they stay together, they could be a group like The Who or The Rolling Stones. You never know, though. Eddie Vedder, Pearl Jam's frontman, could leave the band at some point and be replaced by the guy from Nickelback. The Eddie Money show was musically sound. Money came out playing a saxophone on the first song then switched to harmonica a song or two later. His voice sounded smoky, but fit with the heavily blues tinged numbers. I did not know many of the songs he played in the first part of his set but it was still entertaining to watch him dance around the stage and perform acts of wonder with a tambourine. Money got the crowd into the show, encouraging them to sing along with his "yeah-yeah-yeahs" and "hey,hey,heys". By the time he got to the final 20 minutes of the show and trotted out his big hits, the crowd was pumped, dancing and singing along. Pearl Jam was incredible. They performed songs from each one of their albums, as well as a number of cover songs that they rarely perform. Each member of the band shone on his particular instrument and blended together perfectly with each other. The band even performed with local producer Brendan O'Brien on a number of songs, which may have accounted for what was an exceptional choice of songs. What struck me most about the show though was how they did not perform a number of their big hits and the set still felt complete. That is something that an Eddie Money can't get away with. Both crowds were energetic and ready to be entertained but I did notice some major differences in the crowds' behavior. The main difference is that the crowd at "The Fred" is a clapping crowd, clapping during most songs. I started giggling at the Pearl Jam show, thinking of crowds clapping along with every song. The Eddie Money crowd sat for the majority of the show, while the Pearl Jam crowd stood up for most of the show. I must admit it would have been nice to sit more at Pearl Jam. There were a few people dancing in the dancing section of the Eddie Money show, but Pearl Jam did not have a dancing section, nor do they really play songs appropriate to dance with a partner to. Pearl Jam isn't as popular as they once were. Their first three albums sold millions of copies in record time and their recent releases sell well but have considerably slowed down. Their concerts however continue to sell out, so they are still viable for their record companies. Eddie Money is an enjoyable act that draws a good crowd, but one wonders how an Eddie Money concert in Atlanta would sell if it weren't attached to a successful summer concert series. I realize that the shows at "The Fred" are geared towards older audiences and as I get older I know more of the music that is played there. It does give me a shiver though to think of the summer concert series in 20 years when Foo Fighters, Alanis Morrisette and Linkin Park take the stage and I am clapping along to every song.
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