Pearl Jam Concert Review
October 6, 2009,
Gibson Amphitheatre
By Ryan Colditz

As I watched a show I have seen a million times before, it all felt fresh. Real. New. Unknown. No longer was I watching a show, but I was feeling a performance. No longer consumed by thought. No analyzing. All I was left with was the energy rushing through my veins like a torrential flood that I had no control over. Tonight reminded me of who I was, who I have become and who I wanted to be. I felt free. I felt me.

As thousands of random bodies united as one commanding voice, the energy of the crowd projected onto the band a focused energy that couldn't be scripted or planned. The connection was made which transformed what is normally a great show into an amazing performance, and then again it compounded as if the roof shattered above us as it grew into an epic tale. To talk about the songs they played would be a bit trite as it wasn’t’ the songs so much as the feelings. The energy. The passion. The raw emotion.

For me, I was set free and as my body rocked and my head banged. As my hair flew and my feet danced uncontrollably, this euphoric sense of freedom rattled something loose inside. A shift. I cleared out. Centered. I could feel the ground beneath me and the sounds that rattled my ears. I could feel all my thoughts and fears fall to the floor with each note that rang out. I was part of a larger connection. With whom I can’t be certain, but I felt like nothing could penetrate the bubble around me. Around us. It is only when this sense of being happens that anything can even begin to make sense. If you weren’t there, you won’t understand, but if you were, you felt it too.

(OK, I take that back. It was a lot about the songs. As the band pulled out a obscure track from albums more than ten years ago and NOT OFF TEN, Eddie Vedder noted that he could tell this was going to be a good night. No one but the guys on stage knew what was coming, as behind the scenes a Soundgraren reunion was underway in the dressing room, Chris Cornell was preparing to sing "Hunger Strike" for only the 2nd time in more than 15 years and to top everything off Jerry Cantrell was practicing his best "Alive" guitar solo that he would later join that band for. It by all accounts was a legendary Pearl Jam show, as most are. This one was just a little bit more special because of the cast of characters on stage. If my night was not going to get any better, I was pointed out by Vedder while he was dancing around during "Alive" and he tossed me his Tambourine. Life stood still as that tambourine glided in the air and I reached up and grabbed it. The connection was made.)

LA WEEKLY
While at LA WEEKLY, I took the opportunity to use paper for writing words rather than create images to illustrate what I experienced on my journey through Los Angeles. It started when I met a record shop owner named Kelly Benway and wanted to write an article about her. Writing about music is like a bulemic puking. It comes out easy. I have a deep appreciation for music, so I began writing album reviews and live concert recaps.

Concerts are a unique experience for every person in attendance. Each review I write is about the show I experienced. Do not take them as anything more than that.