Copley Symphony Hall

San Diego, CA With Glen Hansard July 5, 2011 Eddie Vedder, San Diego Copley Symphony Hall


Fans expecting Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder’s San Diego homecoming to be the feel-good concert of the summer were abruptly disabused of that notion three songs into his Tuesday night set when he lambasted a fan for texting during a song. Vedder first demanded to know whom the man was texting before growling, “[i]t better be important,” and then “[g]et the f%&# out of here!” Despite his surliness, Vedder proceeded to deliver a thoroughly entertaining 30-song set that continued to blaze long after the house lights went on.

Vedder, who spent much of his pre-Pearl Jam life in San Diego, took his solo tour to the Copley Symphony Hall on July 5, where a reverent and attentive audience was treated to over two hours of selections from his new solo album, Ukulele Songs, as well as songs from the Vedder-penned Into the Wild soundtrack, some Pearl Jam crowd-pleasers, and a handful of lively covers. Text offenders aside, Vedder genially bantered with the audience between songs, remarking how much he enjoyed being back in San Diego, lamenting the small surf and sharing personal stories about his family and friends such as Into the Wild director Sean Penn, who was in attendance.  

A special highlight was the story he told of his first ukulele, which he found at a yard sale as a young boy. The instrument went unsold and it became his, although he recalled “I think I had to pull some weeds for it.” With his mother and two daughters in the audience, he described a family dinner the night before, where he found that very ukulele in his mother’s house. When he held the tiny plastic toy up to the crowd, the walls shook from the applause.

One thing was clear from the show’s outset- Vedder has evolved into a formidable musician in his own right. While he has played guitar for many years, his role as Pearl Jam’s frontman sees him mainly instrument-free during performances. This is due in no small part to Pearl Jam’s explosive guitarists, Stone Gossard and Mike McCready. Behind their groove, there is no need for additional guitars, though Vedder does contribute periodically.

On his own, Vedder frequently switched between ukuleles, guitars and even a mandolin, displaying smooth proficiency in his finger picking, strumming and rhythm playing. That being said, some rough patches saw Vedder having to re-start songs like “Broken Heart,” after faltering in the song’s opening. The crowd didn’t care when he slipped- they only cheered louder.

These were, after all, Eddie’s people. Attentive and well-behaved, the crowd remained seated and quiet during the performance. Vedder praised their restraint, noting “the last time I played [here], everyone was loud and obnoxious,” before good-naturedly inviting them to make a little more noise between songs. The intimacy of the venue was ideal for Vedder’s smoky baritone, which sounded rich and powerful all night long.

The beginning of the set consisted mainly of ukulele numbers from his new album, including “Can’t Keep,” “Sleeping by Myself,” and “Longing to Belong.”

“Loveboat Captain” began ominously with its haunting melody, eventually building up into a ferocious climax of angry, powerful strumming that brought the house to its feet. The audience then grew quiet as he broke out a mini acoustic guitar and began a slow, sparing riff that no one seemed to recognize until he sang the first line of “Betterman,” which elicited roars of approval.

Acknowledging Penn for giving him the opportunity to score Into the Wild, Vedder then ran through “Long Nights,” “Far Behind,” “No Ceiling,” “Guaranteed,” and “Rise,” which he actually abandoned after stumbling halfway through. A testament to his fan’s devotion, they only cheered louder when Vedder muttered an expletive and cut the song short.

The final song, “The End,” felt more like a half-way point, as it was then followed by eleven encores, including Pearl Jam anthems “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter In a Small Town” and the closer “Porch.” In between he covered the band X (“Fourth of July”), songwriter Jerry Hannan (“Society” from Into the Wild) and Bruce Springsteen’s “Open All Night,” which saw the crowd erupt into a dancing frenzy. Irishman Glen Hansard, who opened with a powerful half hour acoustic set, accompanied Vedder on a number of encores, most notably Hansard’s award-winning ballad “Falling Slowly.” When Vedder sang the song’s female parts, the already blissed-out crowd practically melted.

Vedder closed the set with a blistering version of “Hard Sun,” ending with the house lights on, the audience dancing in the aisles, and Vedder prowling, snarling, and kicking mic stands as if he were entertaining an arena. In that moment, that’s exactly how it felt.

 

Photo Credit: Steve Sherman, 2011