Pearl Jam 20 – Film Review

Having spent my high school years in the Seattle area during the early 90′s I was in the heart of the beast when Pearl Jam exploded. Cameron Crowes PJ20 is everything I was hoping it to be and more. I was not sure if he was going to include any Mother Love Bone/Andy Wood footage I was pleasantry surprised when this was incorporated. What Crowe really captured was the transformation of Eddie Vedder from shy new guy on the scene to the man who overnight became the face of the scene. It clears up misconceptions about the Ticket Master incident and provides a glimpse into what it takes to maintain a band for so long with integrity, showcasing that not everything is going to be loved (the crowd booing during bushleaguer), but if done the right way, can still stand the test of time. The only thing that was lacking was a pivotal concert that Pearl Jam did to repay there fans called “A Drop in the Park” (of which I am proud to say I attended) it was a free outdoor concert opened by Cypress Hill and MC‘d by Jim Rose from the Jim Rose Circus Sideshow. They showed maybe 5 seconds of the show in a montage of Vedder climbing the venue rafters but this was a huge deal in Seattle. The biggest band in the world at the time doing a completely free show, was and is simply unheard of. What starts out as Jeff Ament and Stone Gossards band, raised from the ashes of Mother Lobe Bone, evolves into something of a much larger scale than anyone could have thought possible, while the shift in scope of the band changes so does the power of the band, no longer Stone and Jeff running the show it morphs into an entity where Vedder Calls the shots. One thing that is pointed out that many might forget in the bands longevity is the incredible musicianship and artistic sensibilities, constantly evolving and changing much like the bands set list. Overall Crowe delivers a gift to the fans of Pearl Jam.

Grade- 93