Pearl Jam
Live at the Garden

THE REVIEW

jfm.jfm.jfm.jfm.jfm.jfm.jfm.jfm.jfm.jfm.jfm.jfm.jfm.jfm.jfm.jfm.jfm.jfm.jfm.

Just Fucking Music

Gentlemen, we must start from the conclusions: this DOUBLE DVD is a must-have.

Complete recording of the concert held in New York on August 7th of this year, it's what you need to convince doubters that this band is already in the history of music: 30 songs, almost 3 hours of concert, minimal set design because what matters is the MUSIC.
Direct contact with the audience (even if the Americans are a bit cooler than us Europeans) throughout the entire performance, incredible band chemistry, a memorable and unique setlist: yes, because I challenge you to find two identical setlists, even years apart... every night surprises, improvisations, surprise guests...
Here we have Ben Harper dueting with Eddie on the notes of Daughter and Indifference, plus the Buzzcocks (supporting band) playing in "Sonic Reducer" and the Who's "Baba O'Riley"...
And in the end, lights of Madison Square Garden all on for the final farewell on the notes of "Yellow Ledbetter", spine-tingling...

And if this exceptional performance is not enough for you, check out the extras: "Throw Your Arms Around Me" with Marc Seymour, "Dead Man" from the Dead Man Walking soundtrack, "Fortunate Son" (another cover), and a patchwork of images on the notes of "Bu$hleaguer", a protest song, as is easily understood from the title.

More?
Ok, "Down" plays in the background as it shows images of the band during their off moments on tour: fundamentally useless, but nice, to show they are people like us, not automatons, not money-making machines.

Finished?
No, there's also another collage of images (on the notes of "All those Yesterdays"), this time showing the crew, all that goes behind a concert and to which we usually do not even give a thought: warehouse workers, stagehands, stage assistants, everyone!
Honestly, how many bands do something like this?

I was forgetting one thing: the "Matt cam".
What role is usually the most unnoticed (in terms of visibility) during a concert? The drummer's. I think for someone playing this instrument, they would like to "better" see the drummers while they play, right? Well, among the special inserts there are also three or four songs you can watch from a micro camera aimed at the drum set, to see Matt Cameron's acrobatics.

Well? Are you still here? Go buy it!