Our long national nightmare is over, Jay Leno has relinquished his vice grip on comedic mediocrity (for a few months), it is now Conan’s turn to bring some class and laffs to the venerable institution of late night television that is The Tonight Show. Videogum is all over the show itself; we’re on the choice of musical guest. And the choice of music guest for a debut show can be more than just a contribution to the annals of rock trivia: For his maiden Late Night telecast, O’Brien booked Radiohead. It was an exciting and symbolic choice, a barrier-crossing band for what was, ultimately, a similarly ambitious and inventive show. So what does booking Pearl Jam represent? They’re probably our most elegantly aged major rock band, so there is the class, the reverence for the past … but what about the relevance to the now? Well thanks to Cameron Crowe, Target, and some aggressive information control from their NYC lawyers, Pearl Jam’s Google News index spiked just in time to make their performance as Conan’s first musical guest on his debut as the Tonight Show host independently zeitgeisty. (Oh, and they played a new song, too.) The set looks great. The new set’s sound is another issue.
A little muddier and more poorly mixed than the 30 Rock days. But we can let that slide for a night. That tune, titled “Get Some,” will appear on Pearl Jam’s Backspacer LP: PJ’s forthcoming, independently released album which will be available via Target along with a “consortium” of other partners. Details on the release strategy at Billboard.
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Not as bad as I though it would be…
Eddie Vedder is always singing like he’s constipated.
Pearl Jam is a horrible band.
And their fans are simpletons.
This is a fact.
-Farmer Ted
Since you’re a farmer, Ted, you’ll appreciate this: I plowed your mom last night.
Typical Pearl Jam Fan…
Simpelton humor…
Lacking maturity…
Liking a band whose name means “male cum.”
-Farmer Ted
Typical Internet loser..
One who makes bad comments about a band on the internet..
Calls people imature when he’s the one calling Pearl Jam fans simpletons
Needs to find something better to do than slamming pearl jam on a message board.
Also, that isn’t AT ALL what Pearl Jam means. Check your facts!
-SimpLEton
Dude. Read a book.
Pearl Jam is slang for good old white jizz….
That’s what it means,
Pearl Jam fans don’t read I guess.
Lollercoasters, I’d love to know which classic literary works I could have discovered this in. Apparently I have been missing out on some of the world’s best novels.
http://www.wisegeek.com/why-is-the-music-group-pearl-jam-named-pearl-jam.htm
heh. mookie blaylock.
god, this band is terrible. when was the last time they put out a record that anyone cared about? 1997? dreadful.
Not that Eddie nor Pear Jam needs defending, but you need to get your head out of your ass… PJ is baddass.
Whatever…
Brah…
Pearl Jam sucks and always has.
Go back to your frat house, do a keg stand, and talk about how awesome it was for the rest of your life.
On a side note:
That band, Chicken Feet…
Caught them on Friday night on Conan.
They reminded me a lot of Pearl Jam, only better…
Eddie Vedder is a Sammy Hagar wanna be.
Sammy Hagar is still bringing it!!!!!
Also:
It was good to see Anthony Michales is still alive.
I thought he was dead or hooked on heroine or Coors Light or something…that could be the only excuse he was not included in the VH reunion tour. TRAVISTY!!!!!!!
Best back up vocalist of all time.
Pearl Jam < Chicken Feet
-Farmer Ted
God, you’re so hurtful. You don’t know Eddie Vedder or Pearl Jam personally so don’t be cruel.
You may not like their music but a lot of people do in the world and their music is very important to me. You don’t have to like it, no one is making you but you don’t have to be mean.
It’s nice that you have a passion, too bad it’s shit talking music.
better than World Wide Suicide, that’s for sure.
EV can’t keep with the rest of the band. let’s go, EV.
Not as good as I thought it would be.
Devo called and wants their song “Gut Feeling” back.
I was just about to say that. That’s all I could hear during the chorus.
so, I went to imeem (great service, btw) and called up Gut Feeling… first I was gonna be all defensive towards PJ and point out that’s not exactly an uncommon chord progression, but yeah, Eddie probably heard this… myself, I never heard it before and think that the Pearl Jam version works just fine…
also I must be getting even lazier about how I listen to music, I thought the band sounded fine… they probably still need to tune the studio a bit, but uhm…
yeah, watching TV on the internet here, don’t really expect or require the best sound ever. Hey, maybe wait for the CD or go see the band when they come around? And as for Jimmy Fallon having the best sound – he is an insipid shyte, but from my channel flipping it seems like they have a full many hundred to a thousand outdoor venue set up permanently… so yeah, perhaps the sound is a bit better.
I was hoping Conan’s stage would have better sound. Whether you love him, hate him or don’t give two craps about him, you have to admit Late Night with Jimmy Fallon has the best sound in late night tv.
Agreed.
Fallon’s studio actually made the Cold War Kids sound good. Insanity.
best pj song i’ve heard since brain of j
I’m willing to bet that they haven’t tested the sound on a rock band in that studio to much avail. The Tonight Show Band (the Weinberg 7 + bongos!) sounded pretty crap too. That or NBC just reeeeeaaaaaally hates modern audio technology.
Lean and hooky – very promising on first listen, I’m sure the recorded version will be more forgiving. I like how they percieved right now as a ‘classic’ band of 5 older white guys, and they come out of the box with this, which sounds like it may be competitive w/ alot of the great music I’m listening to right now.
Aside from the audio quality in the studio, IMHO it sounded great. Great guitar and driving bass on the track. EV’s vocals will sound a lot better in a better equiped room.
Very promising glimpse at the new record.
I switched to Letterman to watch Melody’s late night television debut. So… I win.
“Laughs”, not “laffs”.
I’d like to see a close-up of the album art Conan is holding up in that picture.
http://thismodernworld.com/4774
man, its a good thing Matt has that tall drum riser. I nearly fell out of bed laughing when i saw lil eddie jump up there to greet conan.
After the taping Pearl Jam played an encore in the studio (“Rockin’ in the Free World”) that sounded 4,000 times better than “Get Some” sounded in the studio. I don’t know if they plugged in more amps or stopped piping it through the TV feed, but it was loud and perfect.
It wasn’t bad, but it sounded like something that could’ve shown up on their last album – which was solid but not great. Promising start but hopefully they’ll be reaching a bit more on the record.
When Conan was shaking everybody’s hands, Eddie stood on the riser so he didn’t look so short. Ha.
Your attempt to demean Eddie’s height is as amusing as your attempt to mask the fact that you lack stature in size and confidence… hence “Thunderfuck”
Isn’t Conan 6′ 6′? Alot of men would be short next to him. How tall is Eddie?
Honestly, can’t place any other song in their catalogue that sound like this new one. Maybe Green Disease? But it’s a nice little change up, and the hooks and groove make it work.
It’s always tempting to respond to the inevitable cracks that some people will go out of their way to make. Best to ignore, so they don’t feel so special about getting a reaction. I’m sure those people have such diverse and unequaled musical tastes that we couldn’t possibly fathom.
As for the performance, my objective opinion as a PJ fan was that the song got me tapping my feet, whoopdee-doo if it sounds like ‘Gut Feeling’ (at least it doesn’t sound like ‘Someday’, which sounds like ‘How You Remind Me’, which sounds like ‘insert your own Nickelback joke here’), the sound was atrocious, Eddie strained at times (I know it will sound better live later, as well as on record) but was fine, and the crowd loved it. Meanwhile, the world keeps turning and there are other, more important things I must go deal with now.
It did sound like “Gut Feeling” and that’s all we were saying. I’m not a Pearl Jam fan and didn’t enjoy it, but that’s my opinion.
Conan, Good Show, PJ Cool song, Liked it!
Conan, Good Show, PJ Cool song, Liked it!
Pearl Jam-bashing is soooo 1991
So was liking Pearl Jam.
Given they recorded their best material after 1991 that statement couldn’t be more false.
HOLY HELL that tram shit was fuckin hilarious.
I don’t know what 11:35 show to choose.
It sounded like a rough draft. It has potential and so does the new album. Mike’s hair looks great dark. Stone’s hair looks great long. Eddie is a sex machine. Matt never ages.
Hell yeah, Conan!
Did the beginning remind anyone else of the opening of Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart’s Club Band?
Obviously Sgt Peppers is more plodding but the guitar riffs are similar.
The performance was terrible. They are going to lose fans over this Target ad. Even some of their cult like followers will see the blatant self serving hypocrisy here. Just look at this guys picture, he is the face of NPD. Vedder is a mentally ill?, self righteous, narcissist whose anger and contempt for everyone is only thinly disguised.
I really hate Target, I would not buy my toilet paper there, but is a staple of the Lazy American Shopping experience…
Watching the clip of Pearl Jam on Conan, I can only say they ROCK, I think they are too classy for that shit hole of a store.
Target ROCKS.
I don’t see the difference between the band selling the record at Target or selling the record at Apple. I seriously doubt the advertisement is gonna be about great savings and sale items – its gonna be about Pearl Jam’s record being available at Target. U2 and Paul McCartney both did ads for itunes/Apple.
I don’t see the difference.
yeah the vocals were a tad too low…but they’ll prolly fix that…THOUGH SNL still hasn’t gotten THEIR shit down the past few years…happens on letterman now n then too.
Pearl Jam is back! Song rocks but the sound from Conan’s performance blows.
I’ve noticed a pattern on these boards, and all other music blog boards for that matter. Any band that has been around for more than a decade seems to dismissed as irrelevant. Irrelevant to what though? There are new bands like ‘Deerhunter’ who are making songs that sound directly out of the early 90′s but people love them (me included). A band is only irrelevant to those who believe relevance means new. A band I like is relevant to me, I honestly don’t care what Pitchfork say or what some music snob will quip when he looks at my Ipod and sees the new Pearl Jam album in there. So what? It will be right next to Veckatimist, or MPP. What will he do then? Is it possible to like old and new? Is it possible to appreciate music for no other reason than that it is good music? Is it possible to judge music on it’s own terms, as opposed to all of these exterior influences? Granted, this song is probably not the best song to make this argument on but I find it funny that all of these bands you seem to despise are always on the highest comment zone. That is because these band illicit a response, they evoke passion in people because more often than not, their music is bombastic and over the top. Guess what though, that is why people love these mega bands. They take human emotion, write a melody that fits it, pump their fists in the air, wear their heart on their sleeves and make no apologies for it. New Internet age bands are so self aware these days that they second guess every move they make. They are so aware of what is ‘in’ with blog fans and what is ‘out’ that they end up thinking about things way to much. We end up with music that is trying desperately to be ironic, and we lose the bombast of legends like Springsteen and PJ who just go out there and write what they want to write. I believe modern bands have to get their heads out of it and put their hearts in to it. This is why bands like The Killers get so many comments on this blog. You all profess to hate them, yet they evoke something in you that will illicit a response. That response may be one of dislike, but the gap between love & hate is very small. The Killers write anthemic, bombastic, cinematic music that all of you cynics will dismiss for trying too hard, but others who can get their heads out of their asses for a few moments and let themselves get carried away with the music will appreciate the grandiosity of such a gesture. I see it in Pitchfork and Stereogum all the time. They want to like a band, read PF’s review of the new Coldplay album, it effectively says this music moves masses of people and is brilliant at what it does but we’re only going to give it 6.5 because liking Coldplay will have us banished from the Internet forever. I know for a fact that there will be many of you on these boards who will be the first to rubbish a Coldplay or Killers update, yet you own copies of both their latest albums. That is the nature of what is ‘cool’ and what is not. If you care so much you end up hiding a part of your soul that just wants to stick a big shiny pop record in your car and blast it all the way to Reno (or whatever your destination may be). Some of you may even deny that you have such an inclination and stick to the albums that are deemed innovative, or somehow superior to everything else. Do you always enjoy these albums? Are there times when you get sick of MPP and just want to blast something openly commercial out into the world? I’m not saying there is anything wrong with these albums (I own lots of records some of you may not have ever heard of), but there is something wrong with dismissing every single band that reaches people on a massive scale just because it isn’t as self-conscious as you would prefer it to be.
Are you compensated per syllable?
You are not the first to point this out. Unfortunately, the post solves nothing.
I bought Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix without reading anything about it and thought it was just meh(save for 1901, Liszt,Love L.A.S. Pt 2). I got on Pitchfork and read that it got an 8.5 and all their reasons why it deserved such a respectable rating. The next morning in the car, *BAM!* great cd all the way through. Maybe I’m shallow, but I’m just saying Pitchfork(and the rest of the interwebs) give me a different perspective on things. Call it what you want.
Well, there isn’t necessarily anything wrong with that. Sometimes I will listen to an album and not think much of it, then hear someone else talk about it who reveals aspects I hadn’t previously considered. However, if you decide to like the album because Pitchfork has given it there approval, you need to grow a backbone. Unfortunately, there is a lot of great music out there that people wont give a chance because it has been dismissed by blog sites such as this. Don’t get me wrong though, I think Pitchfork are often spot-on with their reviews. Just not of bands that apply some shiny pop sensibilities or a healthy dose of bombast.
Yeah dude, you’re possibly shallow. You use the word ‘meh’ instead of average, and yep, according to your own story, it’s possible a Ptichfork review alone brought an album you thought was a six up to a 8.5 or something…
it’s also possible that some albums take more than a no-attention-span ipod scan for the hooks and obvious singles to really appreciate, and maybe your first listen simply acclimated you to the music and sound and the 2nd listen actually let things sink in. Not busting on you personally because I have a friend who readily admits he dismisses an album after a listen then after 2 more listens realizes it’s genius or whatever.
Might I recommend you stop reading reviews and just listen to whatever’s playing at the party, bar, in the car of your friend, etc. then maybe check reviews of the band to see what the highest rated album is?
i didn’t read it, can you sum it up in one word? maybe?
There’s no pattern in online music criticism. There is only good music and bad music. You can’t expect older bands to make great albums forever (really, one amazing album is more than enough). Still, there are some bands who can do it, such as Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth. It just so happens that a lot of new bands have fresh ideas and sounds, so we gravitate to them more. There’s also a lot of terrible new bands. Powerful, emotional music has its place just like experimental music does, but this music is subject to being criticized just as much as anything else. Go ahead and like Coldplay, but don’t expect them to be immune from criticism. Everything is subject to criticism.
I thought since Pearl Jam has been irrelevant for quite some time now they’d pull out all the stops and do their old stuff.I was all excited to hear “Better Man,” I was bitterly disappointed; their new song was terrible, and in the absence of a discernible melody all it did was call attention to Eddie Vedder’s shortcomings as a singer.
My blog: http://www.indichik.com. Books and music from an incendiary writer and lazy punk.
So I took your advice and visited your blog. Major disappointment. There I was hoping to read some insightful and relevant musings on music and books and all I got was your shallow and uninteresting ramblings. I did notice that your highest rating topic was self-promotion but that works only if promoting something useful.
Go away and come back when you have something of interest to write.
I really enjoyed this tree of comments.
‘Fans of Pearl Jam are Simpletons” …hilarious : D
I’m gonna think of this and laugh for a couple of years now.
Walter Disney nailed it. Who gives a crap what’s popular or not? I’ve followed Pearl Jam since 91 after seeing the Alive video on MTV (when they showed music videos and not the Hills and all that other bull shit) and will continue to follow them. For those people who want them to put out an album of material like Ten or Vs.- it’s not going to happen. They’ve already written those songs and it’s interesting to see what they’ll come up with next. Some are hits, some are misses, but that’s how songwriting goes. Those of you with your high and mighty opinions need to go pick up a real instrument, get off RockBand or Guitar Hero, and give it a shot like some of the rest of us.
yeah, but Pearl Jam were terrible in the 90s. If Pavement were still around, I’d be defending their asses to the grave, but fukkin’ PEARL JAM. Come on, the 90s were shit. Accept it. There were like 10 good bands for the whole decade.
The best part about this show was when Conan talked about his hair. That’s what everyone really cares about.
do not defend this, it was horrible and ruined conan’s debut
Come on, the 90s were shit. Accept it. There were like 10 good bands for the whole decade.
That’s what I’ve been saying about the 80s forever. Unless of course you meant to say “the” shit. But that’s neither here nor there. It was an average song by a band that’s been largely irrelevant after their first two alb8ums.
Indie Hipster, you know secretly you love this band, you need this band!
When Wavves, TV on the Radio, Grizzly Bear, and Animal Collective let you down, and you need a REAL band to rock out to, a band that can actually perform live and draw a crowd, and evoke passion, you willl enjoy it, you know you will.
Backspacer comes out 9/22
This song was awful and so was the playing. I just can’t get over it… ruined the end of the show.
Whether or not you like Pearl Jam or this performance, Conan was clearly excited to have them on the show. It’s his show, he can pick whoever he wants to play his debut.
Any band featured on Stereogum that is big enough to get onto Target’s shelves has a spot in there. Can anybody who claims PJ is selling out name 1 band that is refusing to get their music sold at Target?
That will pretty much settle the argument.
FYI, the mix was “overseen” by Brendan O’Brien so you shouldn’t judge the new studio or audio crew based on Monday’s show.
Conan’s musical guests this week are so mainstream. Pearl Jam, Green Day, Sheryl Crow, John Mayer and Chickenfoot(???) Let’s hope it’s just an introductory week for the Leno audience.
Song was meh but the mix was off.
You can tell it’s not a great live song.
Ed far too low in the mix. The beginning was butchered and you can tell Ed is still feeling out this song live. This was a pretty poor performance for him longtime fans will understand it’s an anomaly. The song sounds like it will absolutely blister in studio and I can see it becoming a live staple as well.
It does sound a lot like Gut Feeling. And Given to Fly sounds like Going to California and Spin the Black Circle sounds like Beyond The Threshold. If you observe modern pop music, you’ll see this type of thing isn’t unique to Pearl Jam, but feel free to prattle on about it.
Great song. Looking forward to the album and the next tour.
This was an awesome performance. They are as strong as ever!! Here is another bit from the first Conan show: http://tinyurl.com/q2nf64
I starting reading these posts just to laugh at the typical asshole comments (i.e. generalizing PJ fans as “simpletons,” ugh) and was pleasently surprised with how many people stuck up for the band. Whether you love them or hate them you have to respect their career, how great they (usually) are live, and their apparent ability to keep making relevent music (if this is any indication of rest of the new LP). While My Morning Jacket is in the running to one day surpass them, I’m proud to admit that PJ is my favorite ROCK band of all time. Because that is what they are… a ROCK band. Beirut, Grizzly Bear, AC etc. are genius but in a completely different category.
Yeah, I can’t wait until he has Mighty Mighty Bosstones on…
I have loved Pearl Jam since Ten first came out. I honestly think their last great album was Yeild, and No Code is pure genius. This song is not that great, though it sounds as if they are getting better. The Avocado album was damn near a total waste.
Yield is awesome. The Avacado/ Life Wasted album is not my favourite, but we can’t be everything to everyone. The more I hear “Get some” the more I can’t wait to get the album.
not soooo bad. actually pretty good bass. sounds way punkier. reminds me of Vs. stuff but without as much lame, dated guitar work. btw, if pearl jam could get their guitarists to sound a little more modern, then they’d sound wayyy better
Pearl Jam…. as usual…. the best fucking live band in the world….. Get Some….
You said it brother, they are all that and a bag of chips!
I don’t know… It just doesn’t sound enough like Mighty Mighty Bosstones.
When nobody laughs at your unfunny, inane joke the first time, it’s probably a sign not to try another one. Especially when it’s only six comments down from the original.
@Jesse: Mighty Mighty ZINGtone!
hello everyone at stereogum! great to be here tonight! holy crap. pearl jam. i like ‘em. i like conan o’brien. i like the internet. my fav band at the moment is phoenix. i am listening to them a lot right now. visit my blog. check my facebook. look at my myspace. check this twitter: what are you doing right now? illin’. lunchpost.com: what didyouhave/areyouhaving for lunch today? hummus with roasted pine nuts. turkey avocado wrap on a spinach tortilla. utz salt and cracked pepper chips. diet dr. pepper lets get this thing going. big ups to pearl jam. big ups to the prez obama. big ups to brooklyn. big ups to sex with women. big ups to the checkers song still going strong. big ups to the weather channel.
the eagles would record this song for one of their reunion albums in a hot MINUTE. get some? seriously? dadrock.
haha. i can’t believe some people here are trying to throw tips out to the lead guitarist, he could be good if he did this……? seriously?
that guitarist is mike mccready and he wails. this might not be the greatest song in the world, although i enjoyed it, but unless you are familiar with pearl jam’s music beyond this song you shouldn’t be commenting on them, you sound ignorant. pearl jam is respected among the music community, and is considered by many to be one of the greatest bands of all time. these bands that you guys drool over probably looked up to pearl jam a great deal. hating on these guys doesn’t make you hip, it makes you ignorant.
Guys, it’s just a song. Chill out.
I think it’s a song like “World Wide Suicide” that will sound better on record.
I have an MP3 of the performance, and it actually sounds pretty good with headphones. Just a solid hard rocker. I don’t think it’s going to be the single, though. It looks like that will be “The Fixer”.
Hey Farmer Ted – I ploughed your mom last night too and I love VH…guess you can call me daddy!