Subject: Earlpay Amjay Eviewray Date: Tue, 8 Aug 2000 13:30:46 -0400 Does it suck? Yes. But you try filing a story on a borrowed, fucked-up laptop after standing in the rain for three hours in a pair of pants soaked with the contents of some bumbling frat boy's spilled Miller. I've covered three hurricanes, and believe me, it wasn't nearly as much of a pain in the arse. I had 10, count 'em, 10 minutes to write this. I'm just glad I spelled everyone's names right. --C THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Copyright (c) 2000, Landmark Communications, Inc. DATE: Friday, August 4, 2000 BYLINE: BY CHRIS GRIER, STAFF WRITER SONIC YOUTH ROCKS DURING SOMBER PEARL JAM CONCERT In its first appearance since nine fans died at a June festival in Copenhagen, Pearl Jam opened its U.S. tour at the GTE Virginia Beach Amphitheater on Thursday night with a show that seemed at times more like a wake than a rock concert. Singer Eddie Vedder briefly and quietly mentioned the incident several times during the show. Eight men died June 30 at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark when the crowd surged toward the stage. A ninth man died later from injuries. Before the band revved up later in the show, Pearl Jam started out playing with their chins tucked in their chests, looking at their guitar necks more than the crowd. Vedder, rubbing his forearm, at one point muttered thanks to the road crew and the band's opener, legendary art punks Sonic Youth. Lousy acoustics and mumbling kept him from being heard clearly. The throng of thousands didn't seem to care though, pumping their fists, shrieking and flicking their lighters. The band played most of its radio hits, from their first album, 1991's ``Ten,'' to their latest, this year's ``Binaural.'' Despite the rain and the somber mood, Sonic Youth seized the moment. As the sky drizzled on the crowd, the band started the night's proceedings with a feedback deluge in F sharp, before launching into ``Tom Violence,'' the first song from their 1986 LP ``EVOL.'' Sonic Youth played the amphitheater like another instrument, ripping out a minutes-long feed back jam that rang the iron rafters. ``We're going to be playing stuff from all our albums, a lot of old stuff,'' guitarist Lee Ranaldo said a week before the tour. They did, playing the opener of their landmark 1989 LP, ``Daydream Nation'' and ``Brother James,'' a 1981 B-side in which bassist Kim Gordon howled her guts out in a performance both chilling and beautiful. The 45-minute set only allowed for nine songs, including three from their newest LP ``NYC Ghost & Flowers.'' Former Gastr Del Sol member and noted producer Jim O'Rourke joined the band on bass and guitar, playing his parts from the new record and making the old songs denser. This is the first tour in their nearly 20-year history that the band has toured with a fifth member. More love from Pearl Jam fans ... A few leitmotifs have emerged from the 287 e-mails I have so far received on my review of the PJ show last week: 1.)I was obviously not at the same concert 2.)I must hate Pearl Jam 3.)Most ampitheater habitues - at least in rural Virginia - aren't quite hip to Kim Gordon's vocal stylings, 4.)nor feedback. 5.)I suck, 6.)can't write for shit and should be 7.)fired posthaste. I mean, I don't hate Pearl Jam or anything, and didn't say so in the review. Come on! Their hearts are in the right place, and they play catchy rock music with electric guitars! What's not to like? Granted, I didn't write that it was the most thrilling show in the world, but all I said was that they seemed "somber" and that the sound in the ampitheater blew monkeys. And now I have rural Virginians with gun-racks and pick-ups warning me never to show my face at the ampitheater again. Enjoy! Or weep for our future, either one. -CG Sent: Friday, August 04, 2000 4:33 PM To: 'cgrier@pilotonline.com' Subject: Cgrier: I just read your review in the Pilot Online. Sonic Youth rocked?HA! Pearl Jam was everything I expected them to be on stage and I totally enjoyed the show. What concert were you at? Heather A. Mellott Consulting Services Assistant Dataline, Inc. From: Chris Grier Sent: Friday, August 04, 2000 4:56 PM To: 'Heather Mellott' Subject: RE: Heather, I'm sorry the review wasn't to your liking. Unfortunately, the substance of my review wasn't about what the crowd thought. It was about the performance. A careful re-reading will show that I did mention that the audience seemed to be enjoying themselves. As strange as it may seem to you, it is indeed possible for a large number of people to enjoy something while, in fact, it stinks. This seeming paradox explains such diverse phenomena as Big Macs, the New Beetle and Limp Bizkit. Still, I'm glad you took the time to write. Just to show that there are no hard feelings, I will personally refund you the 50 cents you spent on today's paper. Just give me a mailing address and I'll send you two shiny new quarters or a personal check, your choice. Thanks for the feedback. Here's hoping that next time you'll enjoy my review and I'll get a nice e-mail. Take care, Chris. From: Heather Mellott Sent: Friday, August 04, 2000 5:12 PM To: 'Chris Grier' Subject: RE: Send me a whole dollar and I'll forgive you for your stinky review! :) -heather From: Chris Grier Sent: Friday, August 04, 2000 5:33 PM To: 'Heather Mellott' Subject: RE: Heather, Sounds fair. One dollar, then. Just send me a mailing address. Your pal, Chris. From: Heather Mellott You know, you are all the buzz around town. I went out to eat at Aberdeen on Saturday night with a date. The waitress just happen to ask if we went to the Pearl Jam concert (I guess we looked young and hip!). Then she went on to ask if we read your review! Writing a review that the whole town disagrees with is one way of getting your name out there! You certainly succeeded in that aspect! I guess YOU are the only one who knows good music! ha ha Pals, Heather p.s. I hope you don't think I'm serious about the money...totally playing. And now, folks, buckle up, 'cause from here on down it gets nasty: Chris "Iron Ear" Grier, Im not sure what planet that you were hatched from, or how you became qualified to review concerts, but you obviously have no understanding of what a great performance you missed out on last night. You devoted your energy wasting readers time and pissing away good paper praising the most pitiful "band" that I have ever seen in my life. You artsy/fartsy critics who judge talent by how few records a band sells are afraid to be labeled "mainstream music lovers." Half the people walked out of Sonic Youths set with full beers complaining of the headache they were getting from an untalented feedback extravaganza. It took me four Advil to get rid of my ear piercing migraine, from a band I could out play with my acoustic guitar. The only truth to the Pearl Jam review was the lousy acoustics in between songs, and the audiences fist pumping excitement to a truly awesome rock and roll show. Not all bands have to physically jump up and down to entertain there audience. The songs are alive and speak for themselves. Bob Holcomb I personally think it would be funny as hell for someone from Sonic Youth to call this guy at home and dare him to "outplay them" by having him open up for them. Not really GIVE him a gig, just offer it to him and make it sound serious enough that he defecates in his mall-bought cargo pants. But that would never happen, would it! Ha! (757-463-6158) As for this next one, I love it when folks threaten me and then helpfully include their name and address at the bottom. Ballsy! Mr. Grier, I must say that I am not sure that you were even in attendance at the same concert that I was present at last night. I found your review this morning to be unfair and unjust, not to mention completely inaccurate. True, the acoustics could have been much better, but Pearl Jam, popular as they are, overcame that problem to entertain a crowd of over 16,000. Sonic Youth, however, was only cheered on at the end because they were leaving. You forgot to mention in your article that the "beautifully voiced" Kim Gordon, whose "howl" sounded more of that of a dying cat, thought she was in West Virginia. Maybe the fact that SHE, and not Eddie Vedder, was muttering, made you miss that one predominant statement. Also, it is unfair to assume that Pearl Jam is the equivolent of every other rock band. The fact that they did not jump around the stage like idiots seemed to draw your attention. Perhaps they were just interested in playing good music, which they were successful at, than entertaining critics such as yourself. I find it remarkable and I highly respect a band that is clearly interested in playing good music, and not making lude comments or gestures. Not once did I hear a crude comment or cuss word come from the mouth of Vedder, which is more than I can say for other rock bands that are more interested in entertainment than in good music. I think it would be wise for your employers to find a critic more interested in stating the truth, rather than biased ones such as yourself. Until you learn what good music is and how to be and unbiased writer, I suggest you keep a safe distance from the GTE Virginia Beach Ampitheater and any concert which should occur there for the remainder of the season. Sincerely, Heidi Schmitt Chesapeake, Virginia Actually, it's 112 Chickasaw Rd., Chesapeake. Which will save the process server from looking it up himself when he goes to serve her with the restraining order. Take out "Pearl Jam" and put in, like, "Dokken" in the next letter and see if that super-radical typography doesn't make ten times more sense. hey thanks for writting back. i dont want a refund or anything on the paper, i just think we had differnces in opinions on the show, thats all. i just felt pearl jam wasnt given enough credit for the show they put on, i guess cause there my favorite band and all. but with the 11:00 deadline u didnt cathch the whole show but wiht all that youo were up against i can see why you wrote hte article the way you did. its really no big deal, i just wanted to give u my opinion, sorry if i offended you say the article was "horrible, and "2 thumbs down" ill keep reading your paper and hope to read more of your articles. This next writer was compelled to call me after I didn't respond to his e-mail quickly enough. He was a grown man. He also insisted he was "an interested party," but declined to explain why. Chris, Sonic Youth was awful. Nobody got into their music, and I looked around hard trying to find someone who did. They were easily the worst band at the Amphitheater this year, and I've seen nearly every act. Pearl Jam was very well recieved, and the atmosphere looked anything but sombre, based on fan reactions. regards, Tom a Rock & Roll Fan A variation of the ol' Getcher Head Outta Yer Ass theme. Bonus points for using "betwixt.": Dear Mr. Grier, In response to your rather inaccurate and negative portrayal of the performance by Pearl Jam on August 3rd, may i offer this piece of advice to you... often one can hear and see better if they first remove their head from betwixt the cheeks of their ass. if you had done the aforementioned, you may have noticed the otherwise great concert. thank you for your time, J.W. no response necessary I read your review of the Pearl Jam concert with absolute disbelief! Were you really there?! If you don't appreciate Pearl Jam's music, your review should have at least been objective enough to say "I don't personally get it, but it was obviously a great show based on the response of Pearl Jam fans. "Not for You" from the "Vitalogy" album - this song definitely IS for you! dear chris grier, i think that pearl jam put on a very good concert and sonic youth SUCKED!!!i don't think sonic youth was good at all & thier feedback was AWFUL!!!i know it was just an opinoinized paragraph but it was very upsetting and many people agree!!! One question, how come you are the only person that has bashed the band out of all the reviews I've read? Give the band some credit for at least continuing the tour after the nine people died. Hello Chris I awoke this morning to: "Hey, you really need to read the review for the concert last night," uttered in a negative tone by my significant other. Even before I looked at the article, I knew exactly who wrote it. Chris Grier How did I know this? A couple of days previously, you had also written the same type of article before the show. In regards to some of your points in your review... 1) A wake? Are you kidding? I think this comment is a sad way to describe the show, trying to relate it to Roskilde. I am sure you have probably experienced 9 people dying at a concert of yours, so you would know how to act at your first concert back. I though the concert went EXTREMELY well considering the circumtances. We are lucky (obviously not you, you seem to have a complete bias against the band) they decided to even play. 2) "The band played with their chins tucked in their chest looking at their guitar necks more than the crowd." Obviously you have not experienced Pearl Jam live before. 3) I will give you the lousy acoustics comment, though. The amphitheater is pretty crappy for good sound...But, you also have to admit Sonic Youth's acoustics weren't great either. It seems you have some kind of grudge against Pearl Jam and a "they are my favorite band in the world!!" for Sonic Youth. That wasn't hard to figure in your first article. There is no question that Sonic Youth are both pioneers and geniuses of indie rock, but your extremely obvious hard on for the band was a little thick It disgusts me that after coming back to my home town, I have found that the Pilot uses you for concert reviews. You seem to have a hard time giving an objective account. By the way, nice writing skills. Where did you go to school? Were you a biology major? I can't imagine any school would allow you to pass with those writing skills. Next time anyone in the Pilot decides to write an article about Pearl Jam, try to cover the subject at hand and not beat a dead horse (Roskilde). Thank you Your article could not be any further from the truth than it is. Sonic Youth made a bunch of noise and that is it. Pearl Jam put on a great show and it would of been obvious to anyone with at least half a brain that they did. I never felt somber nor did I see anyone that looked somber. I did not feel somber till I read your sorry article. What did you expect Pearl Jam to do, spend the first 30 min. talking about the death of 9 people that they watched die as they tried to save them. You should evaluate yourself because it sounds to me like you have something against them and really you should leave that out of your article. i didnt like your review of the concert and i doubt did anyone of the thousands of people who are reading it on the official pearl jam website, i dont think it was very accurate at all where you said "Lousy acoustics and mumbling kept the band from being heard clearly" that really pissed me off man, i dont know who you are and what music you like but the band put 100% into this concert and you act as if they were outdone by sonic youth who really sucked. so get a life man