Eddie Vedder @ Civic Theatre, Newcastle – March 16, 2011

I’ve got a fairly crowded concert calendar, but the show I was most excited about was Eddie Vedder at Newcastle’s Civic Theatre. The chance to see one of my childhood heroes, the lead singer of Pearl Jam, at such a small, intimate venue was just too thrilling to pass up.

But before the man himself stepped onto the stage we got to see what expats Evil J & Saint Cecilia, otherwise known as Eliza Jane Barnes and Ceci Herbert had to offer. As my dinner ran overtime I missed about half of their set, but sadly I don’t think I missed too much. The songs seemed to run together into one dreary, dull tune. The talent was definitely there. Their voices were sweet and harmonized beautifully, and they could certainly play, but I think their songs let them down. I’m interested to see how they develop though; there’s definitely potential there.

I certainly lifted once Eddie took the stage though. He kept the house lights on as he treated us to an acoustic rendition of one of my favourite Pearl Jam tracks, “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town.” Those lines “I just want to scream hello, my god it’s been so long, never dreamed you’d return,” definitely had increased poignancy as I looked at this man who’d created so many songs that got me through those difficult teenage years.

He treated me to many of them last night, but this certainly wasn’t a Pearl Jam concert. Instead it was an opportunity for us to appreciate the full depth and breadth of Eddie Vedder’s career, including his notable contributions to film soundtracks and collaborations with other artists. You’d have to be a dedicated fan to know all the songs he played, but Eddie is the kind of performer whose tunes can really stand alone. You don’t need to sing along; you just need to experience them. And experience them we did up close and personal, stripped back and played with single instruments: acoustic and electric guitars, a mandolin, a ukulele. This music doesn’t need a lot of frills, and in this raw intimate mode we really got to the heart of it.

It wasn’t a perfect show by any means. Eddie forgot his lyrics several times, although his earnest apologies certainly made me forgive those mistakes. A few bad apples in the crowd also spoilt things in a few places. Honestly folks, you don’t need to yell out everything that pops into your head. When an artist has to chastise you because he’s trying to talk, it’s well past time to pipe down. Just because the man tells you he’s created the set list around requests doesn’t mean he wants to hear every one of yours. That goes double for the twit who wanted to hear Neil Young. I’m also all for people standing up and dancing around, so long as everyone else is. If you’re the only person grooving, and you ignore the pleas from people behind you, you’re also a jerk.

But those minor annoyances certainly faded as we all stood up to revel in the final song, “Hard Sun.” Eddie was joined by local legend and friend Mark Richards, and his support act Evil J & Saint Cecilia, for those final celebratory moments. That exultation and atmosphere is what live music is all about. It wasn’t perfect Eddie, but I hope we do it all again real soon.

Image source: Metal Chris @ Wikimedia Commons

Eddie Vedder Goes Solo for Aussie Tour

Those killer concert announcements are coming through so quickly we’re all going to be broke before Christmas. The latest one is Eddie Vedder, who’s leaving his Pearl Jam band mates behind for a solo tour of Oz.

There are three big draw cards for me, beyond the obvious brilliance of Mr Vedder. Firstly there are those venues. The reason I’ve stayed away from Pearl Jam shows so long has been the ever-increasing size of the concert spots. After spending one night staring at dots on a stage I swore I’d never do it again. This time around though, Eddie’s keeping things small and intimate with shows at some of the country’s best concert halls and theatres.

Then there is Eddie’s incredibly body of solo work that we’ve never been treated to live. Think of the soundtracks for Dead Man Walking and Into The Wild amongst others, and all those delicious rarities. I’m sure we’ll get our fair share of Pearl Jam material, but it’s those other solo songs that are going to set these gigs apart from your average Pearl Jam gig.

And finally we’ve got Evil J & Saint Cecilia on support, an American based folk-pop outfit featuring our own Eliza Jane Barnes and Ceci Herbert. I’ve heard great things about these girls, and what better time to see what they’re all about?

Needless to say, I’m psyched. If you are too make sure you grab your tickets when they go on sale on December 10. They’re not going to last long!

LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 25: Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam performs during day 1 of the Hard Rock Calling festival held in Hyde Park on June 25, 2010 in London, England. (Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)


10 & 12 March 2011 – QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane
15 March 2011 – Royal Theatre, Canberra
16 March 2011 – Civic Theatre, Newcastle
18 & 19 March 2011 – State Theatre, Sydney
24 & 25 March 2011 – Palais Theatre, Melbourne
27 March 2011 – The Barton Theatre, Adelaide