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Pearl Jam still rules – Looking back at the band’s set from Voodoo Fest

Last Friday night at Voodoo Fest in New Orleans, Eddie Vedder, the 48-year-old leader of the 23-year-old Pearl Jam, plowed through a furious set of rock ‘n’ roll, which was compiled and introduced by the great Steve Gleason.

The show started with the band’s latest hit “Sirens” then went to “In My Tree” from No Code and “Save You” from Riot Act before going into fan favorite territory—“Corduroy,” “Rearview Mirror,” “Jeremy,” and “State of Love and Trust.”

My neck still hasn’t fully realigned. It’s an experience I can tell my nephew about in the future, and as we listen to “Present Tense,” I’ll grin, divulging my story about seeing the band play that deep cut in 2013.

During a short break after 12 songs, Vedder told the crowd, “We’ve got a few more,” as if to say “I’m just gettin’ fired up” like Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman. Later, the band would charge through “Do the Evolution,” and I told myself, “I can die a happy man.”

In his introduction, Gleason made sure the crowd realized Pearl Jam is one of the greatest American rock ‘n’ roll bands. It’s hard to disagree with the New Orleans Saint.

I had been waiting years to see Pearl Jam, and the band didn’t disappoint. The band’s rock physically drained me. The following morning, I had an unrelenting crick in my neck from head-banging to “Mind Your Manners.” My vocal chords were cracked from singing along to “Even Flow” and “Daughter.”

Even as I took a breather from rocking to watch Vedder, my jaw never closed. Watching Pearl Jam last Friday was like watching Michael Jordan school O.J. Mayo. I knew I was witnessing greatness when I saw Pearl Jam, just like those kids who saw Jordan at his camp take on a trash-talking Mayo, who was a flash in the pan in high school and is currently still trying to find a place on the Milwaukee Bucks.

If Pearl Jam is the Jordan-esque figure in this analogy, the festival placeholder Macklemore and Ryan Lewis would be Mayo.

When you put someone like Macklemore up before Pearl Jam, the sight of current music is depressing. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis played a grand total of seven songs. When Macklemore wasn’t rapping inaudibly over buzzing subwoofers, he was talking about skinny-dipping or letting inhibitions go.

The songs were even worse—anthems about being politically correct and being in the moment.

Dude, we’re at war everyday. The world is dying. The government was just shut down. The best the next generation can do is a motivational speaker with gold chains?

If anything, Pearl Jam reaffirmed my belief in guitar rock. Sure, the band is well in its victory lap phase. Yet, Vedder can still write a convincing like “Go to heaven, that’s swell, how you like it, living in hell?” The young guys and gals seem content to talk about pimping out their closets with the latest threads from the “Thrift Shop.”

Woof.

It’s depressing, but I can’t be too angry. Years from now, you’ll be hard-pressed to find those people talking about Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ live set. No, you’ll hear about Steve Gleason introducing one of the greatest American rock ‘n’ roll bands.

That alone is reason to celebrate.

Check out 225‘s photo gallery from Voodoo Fest.