"Bruce Springsteen would never say something like that," he moaned. "That's why he's the Boss and I'm just the employee."
Vedder's set list was carefully organized, with Pearl Jam favorites such as "I Am Mine" leading into selections from his soundtrack for "Into the Wild," some sweet songs for ukulele, a long block of covers, and a bit more Pearl Jam.
Unlike his elders Springsteen and Ray Davies, who staged breakthrough solo tours a decade ago, Vedder didn't resort to a specific narrative or a highly crafted persona. He aimed for an arguably more daring goal: to present himself as himself, unconstructed, turning inward before reaching out to the audience.
He let himself make mistakes too. Flubbing the first chords of the intricate "No Ceiling," Vedder first muttered his discontent, then joked, "If I'm going to play this properly -- it's a very difficult song -- I need complete and utter silence." Playing electric ukulele on "Brokenhearted," he stopped himself, saying, "Let me just check the second chord on this song." Integrating such small missteps into the night's story, Vedder added to the sense of emotional openness.
That's where Vedder's charisma lives -- in the moment when feeling finds its way forward, growing more articulate as it is shared. His songs have a different quality than the usual pop revelations. They show instead of telling, putting listeners inside the consciousness of his characters. The covers Vedder performed, including James Taylor's "Millworker," Springsteen's "Growin' Up," "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" by the Beatles and "Trouble" by Cat Stevens, served to highlight the uniqueness of his own talent.
Vedder doesn't want to stand apart from the lineage of big, singalong pop; his zealous take on Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down" further asserted that connection. This tour is a way for him to consider what new paths he's forged alongside the ones he follows. His ruminative mood may change as he travels through California this month, but he's sure to only refine what he's learning -- and sharing -- about his place in the world.
When Vedder considers his legacy, he'd surely be happy to include Liam Finn among his proteges. The son of singer-songwriter (and Ed's pal) Neil Finn, this shaggy 24-year-old New Zealander is making an impression with his fiery, slightly psychedelic solo debut "I'll Be Lightning." Performing an opening set in collaboration with Australian singer-songwriter Eliza Jane Barnes, Finn moved between guitar and drums, and was best at his loudest and most unbound. He has a knack for poppy songcraft, but spending this tour with Vedder might turn Finn a little wilder, and that would be a fine development.
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ann.powers@latimes.com
