Seattle Rockers Playing In The Political Arena Pearl Jam Headlines A Concert To Benefit Voters For Choice
The deeper we get into the ‘90s, the more Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder is looking like someone who can stand proudly alongside the best of the ‘60s rock stars. We’re not dealing with recycled sounds but renewed idealism and conscience.
For years, most young performers with punk or alternative-rock roots were too cynical or disillusioned to align themselves strongly with social or political issues - aside from occasional activity involving everything from Amnesty International to the homeless. There was even disdain in some quarters for how ‘60s musicians and fans - their parents’ generation - failed to live up to their lofty ideals.
But a new spirit is emerging in contemporary rock - and that spirit filled historic Constitution Hall for five hours Saturday as Pearl Jam headlined a concert to benefit Voters for Choice, the Washington-based political-action committee that supports abortion-rights issues.
In its first full-length concert in nearly a year, the Seattle band played with intensity and joy. Bassist Jeff Ament hopped about frequently with the bounding vitality of a frisky kangaroo.
As the band moved from the tenacious “Corduroy” to the delicate “Immortality,” there was little question that Pearl Jam now stands as the essential American band in ‘90s rock.
Vedder said fans as young as 12 and 13 have written him about their concern over such issues as violence in school and abortion rights, and he urged them to learn about the political process.
“I care about pro-choice matters and it’s good to have someone speaking out on the issue,” said Janis Montgomery, 23. “I think a lot of people in this country would rather see Eddie Vedder on TV than Newt Gingrich.”
Rachel McMullin, 15, agreed.
“People my age need a voice … someone they can connect with,” she said. “We need to know we’re not alone in believing in these issues. Until recently, there hasn’t really been anyone in music that you could connect with on that level. But people like Kurt Cobain and Pearl Jam have changed all that.”
Neil Young, just two days after his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, delivered an hour of music that connected most with the young crowd when he sang, “My, My, Hey, Hey (Out of the Blue),” which contains the line cited in Kurt Cobain’s suicide note: “It’s better to burn out than to fade away.”
By the time Pearl Jam took the stage it was nearly midnight and the audience gave the group a thunderous ovation. Not only were these fans seeing the band return to action, but they had also overcome tremendous odds to get the $25 tickets. The band will do more shows in the United States in June and August, following a February tour of Japan and Australia.