Pearl Jam at Wrigley Field 8/18/18
Pearl Jam took the stage at The Friendly Confines for the first time since the Chicago Cubs 2016 World Series victory on Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018 and they were greeted with deafening roars of cheers as fans were at a fever pitch of excitement in anticipation of witnessing Cubs superfan Eddie Vedder and company commence a soon-to-be iconic performance. From deep cuts and rarely performed tracks to iconic rock covers to hits, hits and more hits, the epic 32-song set proved to be nothing short of a grand slam.
Love of Chicago, Wrigley Field and The Cubs were ongoing themes throughout the night, most notably when Vedder invited Cubs chairman and owner Tom Ricketts to the stage along with the 2016 World Series Trophy at the start of the second encore. A replay of David Bote’s recent grand slam flashed across the screens and Pearl Jam subsequently surprised everyone with a live debut of David Bowie’s Diamond Dogs hit “Rebel Rebel.” Earlier in the evening another Chicago sports legend took the spotlight as Dennis Rodman served as a celebrity stagehand bringing Vedder a ukulele, which he used to play a sweet and solemn rendition of “Sleeping By Myself.”
Pearl Jam at Wrigley Field 8/18/18
Whereas the Bowie tribute was an all-out celebration, an earlier performance of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ “Won’t Back Down” – which Vedder strummed on a guitar given to him by Petty himself – represented a touching eulogy not only to the unforgettable songwriter and musician that was Tom Petty, but also to local legends including Ernie Banks, Walter Payton, Stan Mikita, Ron Santo, and, of course, Harry Caray. “Let’s get Tom to come back and visit,” said Vedder requesting that the sold-out crowd shine a light in remembrance of the eternal rocker.
With time, Vedder’s vocals have only gotten more emotive and versatile. The complex timbre of his melodies caused tears to swell upon hearing the multidimensional lyrics of “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town” while his growling rage on “Do the Evolution” had every soul in attendance joining him in a defiant cry of “hallelujah.” The show-closer, “Yellow Ledbetter,” was the perfect amalgamation of the passion Vedder displayed in each proceeding song and was absolutely beautiful in its sonic representation of humanity.
Pearl Jam at Wrigley Field 8/18/18
Vedder has no problem fighting his own battles, but he recruited the catastrophic talent of Mike McCready to deal with an offensive fan whose derogatory sign caught the front-man’s eye shortly after making a heartfelt plea for mutual respect, women’s rights and simply being a decent person. Following a few choice words of his own, Vedder declared, “Mike McCready rip his head off with some guitar.” The savage opening riff of “Even Flow” quickly gushed from stage right, but McCready couldn’t be contained as he soon ventured into the pit and up on the front rail to discharge one of about a million immaculately riotous solos that found him assailing every inch of his instrument.
Though the mood was mostly reflective and joyous, Vedder got serious when making a plea for everyone to turn out to vote in the upcoming elections. “It’s more important now than ever,” he said further emphasizing the urgency of his “public service announcement” with a staunch cover of The Clash’s “Know Your Rights.” Pearl Jam’s latest protest song, “Can’t Deny Me,” was also anchored in resistance thanks in part to Matt Cameron’s unflinching and exact cadence. Elsewhere, Jeff Ament’s unconventional bassline and Stone Gossard’s rhythmic guitar cut through a wall of sound on the eclectic No Code track “Present Tense.”
Pearl Jam at Wrigley Field 8/18/18
“Getaway” and “Breath” – a pair of lesser played songs in the Pearl Jam canon – added interest to an already sprawling setlist as did a salute to the deep talent of Chris Cornell in the form of the late Soundgarden front-man’s solo tune “Missing.”
Pearl Jam is all about the fans and along with playing audience favorites like “Hail, Hail,” “Animal,” “Rearviewmirror,” “Corduroy” and so many others, Vedder made sure the crowd had the time of their lives by repeatedly abandoning the stage to be one with the masses. During the set one closer, “Porch,” he even handed off his Anthony Rizzo jersey to a fan and later – in the first encore – Vedder connected with the youngest Pearl Jam fans through high fives and up-close serenades.
Pearl Jam at Wrigley Field 8/18/18
The second and final encore included monumental versions of “Better Man,” Alive” and “Rockin’ in the Free World” – bookended by the previously mentioned “Rebel Rebel” and “Yellow Ledbetter” – yet fans were still calling for another three-hours of live music from Pearl Jam as the lights went up. Good thing the band returns to Wrigley Field for a second sold-out show on Monday, Aug. 20.
Check out a gallery of photos from night one of Pearl Jam at Wrigley Field below and head over to PearlJam.com for more information about the group’s upcoming tour dates.
(Photos by Laurie Fanelli)
