November 9, 2024

Pearl Jam + Pixies – Go Media Stadium: November 8, 2024 (13th Floor Concert Review)

Pearl Jam brought their Dark Matter Tour to Auckland’s Go Media (Mt Smart) Stadium and we brought superfan Luke Grbin, guitarist and songwriter for Bird Machine, in from Hamilton to witness the first of two shows. We also sent award-winning 13th Floor photographer Brenna Jo Gotje for good measure.

How did I reach the age of thirty-three without seeing Pearl Jam live? I know every vocal nuance and guitar lick off by heart, I’ve watched legendary performances like Pinkpop ‘92 on YouTube, and analysed podcasts that analyse the band’s cultural influence on society. But in 2010, I didn’t think I was able to afford the $80 ticket to see them in Melbourne. I’m not sure you can even buy concert tickets for $80 anymore!

But all that waiting certainly paid off last night, when the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers gifted Auckland a nearly two-and-a-half hour set of old and new favourites.

Liam Finn

The show started with Liam Finn, son of celebrated Kiwi musician Neil (Split Enz, Crowded House). A lively effort that entertained, seeing Liam juggling between vocals, guitar, and drums with the aid of a looper. His erratic shouts combined with fervent melodies made him a good precursor to Pixies, but his set could have been helped by a full backing band; the headset mic and looping lessened the clarity and fidelity of his sound. I felt it unfortunately did not do his excellent songs full justice in the live setting.

Pixies

Pixies were welcome guests with a taut performance that kicked off with Gouge Away. They mostly paid attention to their own instruments and while the frontman probably looked the most at the audience, the crowd was met with the blank gaze of Black Francis’ black sunglasses. But this nonchalance adds to the band’s mystique. They look completely serious when singing “I was at the Pizza Hut / in Needles, California”. The performance was authentic Pixies, with an 80’s-sounding snare drum, manic dynamics, weird guitar effects, and buzzy acoustic guitar feedback, set to a backdrop of vintage guitar amplifiers. Black Francis’ voice is as clear and fearless as it ever was, and I appreciated his playfulness with rhythm, melody, and spontaneous shifts in timbre. My only criticism is that they could have played more upbeat numbers from their oeuvre; I really missed Debaser. But plenty of classics including Wave of Mutilation and of course Where is my Mind?, combined with a cover of Neil Young’s Winterlong for the finale made for an awesome set.

Pearl Jam

The anticipation for Pearl Jam was by now at its peak. Especially so for me, for I had been waiting since the age of fifteen. The sun had disappeared and all the ticket holders had arrived. A couple of words of greeting from Eddie into the mic was all it took to get the crowd roaring, even before busting into the familiar Given to Fly. And all at once, I felt right at home. It was familiar, yet with a layer of something new overtop of the well-worn Pearl Jam songs. It was the live energy that I’d always seen on the screen and craved to experience in person. It was the way the band gelled so effortlessly, producing high-fidelity sound (with a beautifully separated mix) in real time, right in front of you. Pearl Jam records often sound live, and the live presence is one of the band’s strengths.

The distinct lack of flannelette was, frankly, disappointing. But it is honestly the only criticism I can come up with (besides not playing Black or Yellow Ledbetter, but I can’t have everything I want). And besides, I made up for it by showing up in Doc Martens, cut off shorts, and my own op-shop flannel.

The production crew behind the show did an excellent job sonically, as I mentioned, but also visually. The big screens depicted the group from multiple angles at once, with cool visuals and overlays that were orchestrated cohesively with the songs. The physical energy was there, albeit not as physically demanding as the jumps, stage climbs and dives of the past (understandably). But there was plenty of mic-stand leaning, jogging, turning and flailing to make it look like the music still moves the members of the band as meaningfully as it ever did. Eddie was adept in gaining the audience’s participation, lighting them up, inciting call and response, reading their signs and taking their requests. This, combined with Pearl Jam’s big hooks, big chords, and ensemble of guitars (more guitars = more power), makes them kings of arena rock. True to their name, many songs extended into jam sessions that culminated in epic guitar solos by Mike McCready. These also featured playful insertions of other artists’ material, from Pixies to Pink Floyd, with a searing Eruption/Voodoo Child hybrid guitar solo by Mike.

Pearl Jam

Eddie was sure to talk about what’s important to him over the course of the night, from inclusivity to the U.S election to climate change. What really stood out was his obvious appreciation for his audience and feeling of unity with them. Here’s a quote from near the beginning of the show:

“It wasn’t feeling alright not that long ago…right now it feels alright.” …”To be under this beautiful sky and this perfect weather, and see everybody joined together, it’s such an honour to play music for you tonight and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”

Perhaps conscious to not disappoint, PJ didn’t shy away from the hits of the past. At the same time they injected a healthy dose of new material from their latest release, Dark Matter. And with the second Neil Young number of the night (Rockin’ in the Free World, which also turned into an extended jam session) the show was complete. You could say that I’m a little bit more complete, too. But that might be gushing too much.

Luke Grbin

Click on any image to view a photo gallery by Brenna Jo Gotje

Pearl Jam: