Pearl Jam - Vote for Change? 2004

Non-Phish General
#1

http://www.pearljam.com/news/index.php?what=News#283

I know that a lot of you could care less but i also know that I’m not the only Pearl Jam fan around here.

Apparently there was a documentary made about the 2004 Vote for Change tour which I, Jawbone, was lucky enough to sneak onto the floor of in Kissimmee, FL (PJ’s last stop) and it was undoubtedly one of the best shows i’ve ever atttended. One of the only times i’ve ever heard a lead singer say during the show “Well we’ve gotta release this one as a live album”. Well it turned into one of the few PJ shows this decade that WASN’T released on SBD.

But then here’s this documentary that was shelved after Bush got re-elected. And now it is being unearthed and released digitally [size=200]FOR FREE[/size] by way of PearlJam.com (see the link above).

A film synopsis by directors Rick Charnoski and Coan Nichols

[i]In April of 2004 we were deep in the San Bernadino, CA skating a few of the dozens of pools left empty by the fires that swept through the area a few months earlier. Jeff Ament, bass player for Pearl Jam, had come along to take advantage of this opportunity. Jeff has been a fan of our skate films (Fruit of the Vine, Northwest, Tent City, etc.) for a few years and asked if we would be interested in doing something with Pearl Jam. He mentioned that they were planning a “Vote For Change” tour right before the election and maybe we could come along and make a film.

We worked it out and ended up in Seattle in the beginning of October 2004 in time to shoot some rehearsals and meet the other band members. We didn’t really have much of a plan and we hadn’t shot much live music before, but we figured we’d just wing it and see what we got. We brought a few Super 8 movie cameras, a video camera and loads of film and just started shooting.

We flew from Seattle to New York, then followed the tour in a van to Reading PA, Toledo OH, Grand Rapids MI, St Louis MO, Asheville NC and ended up in Kissimee FL. Along the way we met with and spoke to hundreds of fans and just ordinary people about voting, democracy and politics in general. We cut the interviews into the live performances from each city, along with a few exclusive interviews with each band member. It is the first rock and roll tour film that WE know of shot entirely in super 8mm film with an amazing sound track recorded live and mixed by Brett Eliason.

We got home and cut the film, but never showed it to anyone. The enthusiasm for the project dwindled due to the outcome of the election. Ironically, we feel like Bush’s reelection may have made the film even more important/ valid and we think now is a great time to dig it out and remind people why it is so important to vote. We love this film, it’s like nothing we have ever done before and we are stoked to finally have the chance to show it.

Coan Nichols/ Rick Charnoski- Six Stair
September 2008[/i]

#2

What drives me crazy is that Obama represents less of a change than McCain when you really think past the rhetoric. He’s more connected to the Washington graft and corruption machine than McCain proved himself not to be.

Vedders biggest problem is that he thinks he knows better than everyone else. He could take some advice from Phish in this way and write lyrics that lead you to the water, but allow you to decide for yourself whether or not to drink. Vedder thinks it’s his job to pour the fcking water down your throat because you can’t be as cool as he is. Too bad because I like the music part of PJ.

#3

^true.

a lot of times he hits the nail right on the head and it gets everybody fired up and its actually kind of cool but a lot of times he goes a little overboard and it kind of loses me.

most of the best Vedder songs in the PJ catalog are the non-political ones for sure.

But nonetheless, the Vote for Change shows was some wicked live Pearl Jam and i’m psyched about reliving it…for free.

#4

Felt bad after ranting in this way, and I apologize Brady. Wasn’t the time or place.

It’s just that I’m real sensitive about artists mixing art and politics or art and religion, or art and opinion in general. I view art as something transcendant, beyond the mundane, something that if it really connects with the creative fountain, is timeless, infinite in its expression. Bashing an unpopular politician, supporting some popular movement, making fun of people for their beliefs in the name of art, just isn’t my cup of tea.

Because someone can sing a song, or act in a movie, or write the great American novel, doesn’t automatically give them any more insight or understanding into political or religious precepts than what you or I understand. The fact that Vedder attaches his opionions to catchy tunes and Oliver Stone presents his as near documentary style movies bothers me a lot because they attempt to sell it as artistic truth.

If I want political art, I can turn to any of a dozen cartoonists who express their opions in an art form that is up front and honest. And it’s my choice to open that newspaper. When I go to hear music, I’m not looking for opinion or anger or angst for a screwed up society. I listening for higher ideals, like hope, love, and how these get us beyond the quagmire of the greed and selfishness around us.

It’s one of the main reasons I love Phish so much because the music, the raw power and emotion of the sound is what is important. Message in the music, when it occurs, is almost always secondary to the spirit in the music.

#5

I know exactly what you’re talking about and i agree for the most part. And let me state for the record that although i’m a huge Pearl Jam fan, Vedder does cross the line into the “really preachy just shut up and play some more music” zone more than often.

But I think there is a time and place in art for social opinions as well. Art in its raw form is an artist presenting his view of the world for everybody else to take into consideration. I think a lot of people do it as attention whores when really they could care less and they just want to sell records and that’s lame. When people’s brains are overloaded they let things out in song and writing and painting and anything else expressive. And when that’s the case no matter what is on the collective mindset be it magic or tragic love drama, personal freedom, a spiritual journey or something aggravating that was in the newspaper this morning- as long as its coming from a sincere place it creates an energy that pulls everybody into it and soon enough pulls them above and beyond it…if its done right.

I was listening to “4 Way Street” by CSNY the other day. One of my favorite albums with a number of political statements just painted all over it (“Ohio”, “Chicago”, “Find the Cost”- all written for THAT time and place) and particularly on side 2 when Steven Stills goes on his wild revival tangent during “For What Its Worth” about how “we’re all just groovin’ on Richard Nixon” and this is the “Home of the brave…oh children don’t you KNOW we gotta be brave.” And every time i hear that (or the other songs mentioned) i think “wow, Nixon’s been dead for almost 15 years. And this was recorded almost 40 years ago but why is this so awesome?”

It’s because when something, anything is sincere in art it creates an energy that taps right into people’s emotions. And with this particular subject - politics, it has always been outrageous to people who spend their lives creating art based around love and hope (like Stephen Stills or Eddie Vedder) and likewise it is outrageous for people that appreciate that art. And when you know that side of things to come to grips with the idea that a large factor of the world is run on greed and hatred, the opposites and that there’s millions of people in the world that can be killed or mangled at any minute by that greed and hatred that has nothing to do with them personally, its angering.

It makes people angry.

And anger is arguably one of the most important emotions to instill in art. People need that release. When you’re filled with love and you can’t get it out in song, you just love someone and that’s alright. When you’re filled with anger and you can’t get it out in song, you punch someone in the face. And that’s not cool. So to have a bunch of people at a Pearl Jam show throwing their fists in the air in empowerment of anger- to me- is a lot better than a bunch of people throwing their fists at each other’s faces and then putting on a love song and pretending everything’s okay.

So politics in art can stand as timeless, as well as good insight into history ("wow, Stephen Sitlls in 1970 sounds a lot like Eddie Vedder in 2008) and what we can do as a society to not keep turning into the same ditch. Either way its all a release and even when phrased right songs that were written decades ago about political struggles can be as relevant right now as they were when they were written, such as “Masters of War” by Dylan or “Career Opportunities” by the Clash. The Clash, good lord. What a great example. There’s approximately 3 love songs in the Clash catalog and all those albums are still incredibly insightful and filled with that raw power and emotion you were talking about.

But the Clash never endorsed a presidential candidate. They stood for the people’s struggle. I will say that it DOES bother me when musicians and artists try and sway your opinion like that. That’s why this “Vote for Change” tour initially bothered me. And i didn’t buy a ticket from the Kerry campaign or anything because i thought Kerry was a dildo. I got miracled in the parking lot and snuck onto the floor because i just love Pearl Jam shows and I knew, while there was no doubt going to be some politics I would have to stomach (not nearly as much as anticipated), there would also be a lot of great music, untouchable singalongs and lots of memorable interactions between the crowd and the band. And I was right.

To the best of my recollection I don’t remember Vedder saying anything about John Kerry by name at that show. He said some things about Bush and Cheney but on that night he probably said more about one of our mutual heroes Johnny Ramone. The show was on what would have been his birthday if he hadn’t of died a few weeks earlier. There were covers and references and memorial speeches several times in the night and Eddie was wearing a Johnny Ramone T-shirt. Johnny Ramone, a die hard republican stubborn inside leader of the Ramones who shared a band with ultra liberal Joey Ramone who once wrote a song called “Bonzo Goes To Bitburg” bashing Johnny’s hero Ronald Regan. And while Johnny disagreed with the song so much out of immediate reaction he wanted it shelved, he let Joey sing it knowing that the Ramones’ art was for everybody, and everybody includes people that get pissed off about politics.

#6

Excellent points, Jwbn, but you can’t use Stills in this argument with me because he’s even more than a dbag than Vedder. So is Nash. Crosby and Young were the only competent people in that group. Matter of fact Garcia once referred to Stills as a “dude”, and that’s probably as insulting as Garcia ever got about another musician. Zappa didn’t have any use for CSN&Y either, so I don’t think I could buy your argument based on their example.

But I did give this thought, and to a certain level I can agree with what you’re saying. But if you want my example of a timeless anti-war song, take a look at the Crosby/Slick/Kanter composition, Wooden Ships. There’s an expression about the futility and pathos of war in that song that is not a hardened condemnation, as much as it is a lament that war has to exist at all.

It doesn’t draw that line as most of Vedder’s, Stills et al songs do, creating just another thing to fight about. They kind of perpetuate the same conditions in defining the differences between us, instead of relating to the similarities, as Wooden Ships does.

Too bad we’re not post graduate music majors. This would be a helluva topic for a thesis.

#7

[flash=350,287]http://www.youtube.com/v/mI4XLhY10VA&hl=en&fs=1[/flash]

#8

not trying to debate with this post just asking questions based on the records i have.

first of all, YOU DON’T LIKE STEPHEN STILLS?!?!
what? Sure, his gifts never really got out of that era but when he was in his prime, hot damn. The groups should have been YSNC.

but that’s all opinion.

the question is, on my copy of the first CSN record it credits “Wooden Ships” to Stills/Crosby. And on Wikipedia it credits it to Stills/Crosby/Kanter (uncredited).

just sayin.

Vedder/Stills forever!

right after Neil Young and Jeff Ament.

#9

Have or would you go see them live, then?

I’m reminded of a co-worker, a casual PJ fan, who earlier this year was thinking of going to Bonnaroo. He’d heard something about the AT&T webcast ‘censoring’ of Eddie’s rant at Lollapalooza and asked me something along the lines of, “Isn’t Pearl Jam pretty liberal?”

I told him to expect a quick blurb about voting in the upcoming election and perhaps a jab at Bush. He then responded negatively to the band, plus decided against going to Bonnaroo. Now, the consumer can decide what he/she buys, but that reaction seemed rash – to dismiss the entire band and thier (amazing) catalog of songs, or a chance to see them perform, just because of the lead singer’s beliefs.

Eddie played a Nader rally in 2000. That’s the only open presidential candidate endorsement I can recall. He is about activism, but this has been true been since the beginning of Pearl Jam. In the end, the rally shall always be:

“Fuck the talking, let’s start rocking.”

#10

^ I had tickets twice to see them when they were local and had to sell them off because of some shit that was happening. A good friend has supplied me with a bunch of shows and they are really great in concert.

^^ I used to love Stills, spent hours with Buffalo Springfield. 4WayStreet is one of the landmark live albums of the early 70s. Saw him at a solo show at MSG during that same period where he was drunk on stage and fell off his stool during Black Queen. But as my musical tastes matured, I found myself agreeing with Jerry and Frank. There’s something about him and his music that doesn’t stick for long, a kind of shallowness. I put him in the same category as Steve Miller. Good performer, adequate guitarist, adequate composer.

#11

^i can see that.

Anything I’ve heard of his beyond the 60’s and (very) early 70’s kind of sucks. But those few albums from that era (4 Way Street, Deja Vu, the first CSN album and his first solo album and Buffalo Springfield of course) I just can’t get enough of. But I’ve only been really getting into that stuff in the past couple years, so we’ll see how i feel about it a a few decades from now.

and let it be said that any rants and raves about politics/music are entirely welcome in this thread. It is after all a thread about music and politics after all, more specifically about a band fronted by a musician notorious for ranting and raving about politics. So for anybody shy to join in, just think of this as the “Be Your Own Vedder Thread”

Sound Off!

#12

Wow…I’m not sure what this converation turned into, but Stills >>>>>>> Vedder. Black Queen ftw!