Pearl Jam - Nijmegen, Holland

Just a hop, skip and a jump away from the hippiest place on earth, Amsterdam, myself and my fearless crew of touring friends invaded Nijmegen, Holland. This one-day festival, billed as "Pearl Jam in the Park," also featured Satellite Party (Perry Ferrell’s new band), Kings of Leon, and Incubus. Rain had dumped down for the past few days, but just hours before the start of the show the clouds parted, and mixed just right with the aromatic cloud formations that loomed above the crowd, created the most beautiful setting for a night of rock n’ roll.

The surprise of this night came from Satellite Party. I didn’t even know these guys were playing. Who wouldn’t like to hear some Jane's Addiction songs to start off the night. The new stuff wasn't too shabby either. Also very impressive were the Kings of Leon. They came out with a lot of energy, and the crowds ate them up. At the end of their set, Eddie Vedder joined them for "Slow Night, So Long," where he demonstrated his masterful skill of annihilating tambourines.

The previous two Pearl Jam shows I attended in Düsseldorf and Copenhagen were “Ten Club shows,” meaning the band’s fan club (Ten Club) offers members tickets to shows, allowing early entry to the venue, ensuring the best spots in the house. These shows draw many long time, devout Pearl Jam freaks, and it seems the band is more inclined to dig deeper into the vault rather than stick to the hits. However this was a festival show, so many people assumed it would be a radio-friendly set. They were very wrong.

"Release" opened the set, with 50,000 people screaming “release me” at the top of their lungs, letting the band know from the start that everyone was ready to see something special. It was indeed the start to yet another amazing night. Looking rested and relaxed, with a day off and a stop in Amsterdam under their belts, Vedder mentioned the spectacular cloudscape sunset happening in the distance and how they “could play all night.” The band was on top of their game, ripping through hell raisers like “Go,” “Whipping,” “Leash” and “Blood” with savage aggression and no hints of losing their edge. Countered with rare gems like “Nothingman” and an extended version of Daughter, with snippets of W.M.A. and "Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. II" added to the jam, the band did not disappoint even with a shorter than normal set. By the end of the night, after the closing set of Alive, Rockin' in the Free World (Neil Young), and Yellow Ledbetter, all there was left to do was go on a quest to find munchies and relive another night of musical bliss.

One more show remains for the European tour, Rock Werchter, in Belgium. I’ll be there. I don’t have a place to stay tonight, so I’ll be sleeping at the front gate. See you there.

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