I was there... here’s my take: “We keep on rocking in the free world” is the phrase that could briefly describe the evening. Yes, because what Pearl Jam offers us on the warm night of September 17 is nothing but rock, pure and absolutely sincere. Not that I had doubts about the radical nature of the band's attitude, but a concert like the one in Assago is certainly the best way to eliminate any lingering doubts.
It’s hard to express the philosophy of Rock n’ Roll better; the PJ make us dance, they make us sing, they move us, and they aren’t shy about provocations. The band, showing great regard for the audience, has no qualms about launching political messages, provoking, and often disappointing their fans.
First and foremost, a shout-out to Vedder, who tackles a drawling Italian (and a bit cheesy) to demonstrate how important Italy is to the group (the singer himself reveals that he met his wife in Milan); this fact becomes quite evident when considering the five Italian dates in a twelve-date European tour.
Beyond the special connection between artists and audience, the performance is utterly exceptional; as mentioned, the attitude is truly radical. The imposing volume of the scratchy guitars perfectly complements the deep pulse of the drums, leaving the task of drawing melodic circles, on which the songs travel, to Eddie's voice, here splendid and charismatic like never before.
Songs that take your breath away in an intense sequence of relentless tracks; no frills, no pauses, the PJ line up their fiercest pieces and hurl them at us without the slightest remorse. The ballads are extremely rare. After the introduction taken from “Once,” they take off madly with “Go,” “Last Exit,” “Save You,” the recent “World Wide Suicide,” and “Corduroy”; there’s no time to catch a breath, the distorted charge of the guitars resonates amidst the beautiful vocalizations. The sound is tight, the rhythms are relentless, and the atmosphere is dreamlike. The enveloping ambiance is due not only to the band but also to the audience, which is always engaged and orderly. In this sense, the old classics stand out; “Even Flow” has an sped-up chorus, sung at the top of their lungs by over ten thousand spectators, making it one of the most captivating moments; Vedder could well have kept silent during the refrain of “Alive,” considering that no one in the crowd missed the chance to sing along. The PJ's songs are perfect for concerts, the epic choruses definitely stimulate the fans, who lend support to the already excellent performance of the singer. The unattainable peak remains “Black,” played with the strings of the soul, which in the final crescendo sublimates the bond between musicians and audience in pursuit of emotional apotheosis. It’s hard to imagine anything better to ask from a live performance; endless emotions.
Other particular moments include the cover of “Another Brick In The Wall” with the final phrase “Bush leaves your swords alone,” “Picture In A Frame” (a Tom Waits cover), and “Rockin' In The Free World,” which is truly overwhelming.
That the PJ are not swayed by anything or anyone is well known, but perhaps reaching the end of such a beautiful concert without hearing classics like “Jeremy,” “Better Man,” and “Nothingman” leaves a certain bitterness. Nevertheless, a performance like this leaves no doubt about the band's sincere value, the last true worthy representative of rock without any compromises or experimental ambitions. Healthy music for enjoyment, while still remembering to think. Many label them as reactionary; I see them as simply the last true testimony of Rock, made by ordinary people for ordinary people. It’s refreshing to see that there are still some who put passion into music in these coldly electronic years.
