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Friday, April 25, 2003

By Scott Mervis, Post-Gazette Weekend Editor

April Fools' Day in Denver was an eventful one for Pearl Jam, who kicked off its "Riot Act" tour with the kind of act that could start a riot in front of the wrong crowd.

	Concert Preview: Pearl Jam WITH: Sparta. WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday. WHERE: Mellon Arena. TICKETS: $35; 412-323-1919. Local Scene VAUDEVILLIAN Squonk Opera and Hearts & Science host a local-music showcase tonight and Saturday at Mr. Small's Theatre. Millvale Vaudeville features both bands both nights with openers Kevin Finn and Local Honey tonight and Mark Dignam and The Last Town Chorus Saturday. Both shows start at 8. And if you'd heard that Sugar Daddy and the Big-Boned Girls were on the bill Saturday, they were, but bandleader Mark Snyder is unable to attend, recovering as he is from emergency surgery after driving himself to the hospital when his appendix burst. Tickets are $10 in advance (800-594-TIXX); $12 at door (including beer). PUNK DESTROYERS For something louder, faster and more likely to include a mohawk, Destroy Everything -- perhaps the first Chicago band in history to post that they're thinking of moving to Pittsburgh 'cause this town is such an "idyllic punk stop" -- returns to the 31st Street Pub with Pittsburgh's Motorpsychos and the Science Fiction Idols Saturday at 10. ZAPRUDER MUSIC Frequently compared to Jackson Browne, Michael Zapruder checks into the Quiet Storm Saturday at 10 p.m. in support of a haunting collection of understated pop tunes called "This is a Beautiful Town," the piano tracks of which were recording on Neil Young's piano at his Broken Arrow Ranch in California. We should all have such a brush with greatness. LONESOME SONGS Meanwhile, at Howlers in Bloomfield, Lonesome Bob has assembled an all-star band since relocating here to Pittsburgh with two Deliberate Strangers -- Tom Moran on guitar and Jon Manning on drums -- and bassist Erin Snyder fleshing out the songs of his acclaimed "Things Change," an album the Austin Chronicle praised as one of last year's best. BYE, BACKWARD Also tomorrow, Backward on Forward is closing after one last bash. It starts at 8 with "Bash," a play, then continues with rawk from the newly re-energized Mood Swingers. -- Ed Masley Post-Gazette Pop Music Critic

Frontman Eddie Vedder, who backed the Green Party in the last election, seized the opportunity to wear a Bush mask and then impale it on his mike stand during "Bushleaguer," a song that describes the prez as "born on third base ... and thought he hit a triple."

The news wires reported that fans booed and shouted and that dozens walked out of the show in protest. Pearl Jam countered by saying that "It's possible two dozen left during encore, but it was not noticeable amongst the 11,976 who were loudly applauding and enjoying the evening's music. It just made a better headline to report otherwise." The band added that not mentioned in the news accounts was that Vedder's comments from the stage came in the context of him talking about freedom of speech and also wanting to bring the troops home safely.

Three weeks and two shows in Texas later, things have calmed down on the "Riot Act" tour.

"The first week or so was eventful in not a great way, but the rest has been eventful in a positive way," says bassist Jeff Ament. "We're trying to concentrate on playing great shows and making great music. That's why we're out here."

The dialogue about Bush's policies and the state of the world, however, continues among the members of this politically outspoken band and between Vedder and the fans.

"At a time like this, everyone should be talking and not be afraid to have an opinion," Ament says. "And still be open to people who might disagree with you. [The band members] all come from different backgrounds, so we all have different takes on it. But I think Ed represents us pretty well."

Looking out at the crowd, Ament says, "Occasionally, you get your guy staring you down in the Bush-Cheney T-shirt, and all you can do is smile and give as much love back to those people as you can, because we're not out here to [tick] people off."

Certainly, Pearl Jam has done plenty to please its fans. The Seattle band, which helped launch the grunge movement at the turn of the '90s, has evolved from being multiplatinum MTV megastars to a classic rock band with modest sales and a devoted following.

The band members have been among rock's biggest ambassadors, helping out with all sorts of charities, battling Ticketmaster over concert prices and bridging the gap between the generations, whether by working with Neil Young or making induction speeches at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The New York Times recently called them "the quintessential grown-up rock band."

"I guess I'd have to read the rest of the article and see what the context was," Ament says, "but it seems like a good thing. We're in a business where the fans and the general public want to see you acting young and a little irresponsible. They want to see headlines and see you acting like [an idiot], whatever. Chances are you sell more records. I feel good to be in a band that's maybe breaking some of those rules. It feels good to be letting the music do the talking and standing up for some of the things we believe in."

If the music is doing the talking, it's not talking very loudly these days. The once-ferocious quintet has settled into a sound on "Riot Act" that Rolling Stone accurately described as "purposefully tired." The biggest change is the mellowing of Vedder, whose trademark roar has been copied so much that Ament admits the first couple of records sound almost like a grunge "parody."

Comparing Pearl Jam in 2003 to the band that raged so hard in 1992, he says, "I think there was a lot of energy in those early days, which was great. But I think now there's equal amounts of energy and musicianship. That's made it more fun for us. The other thing is that we can communicate with each other emotionally. It really does make it more fun to be playing and be part of a band where you can trust everyone and really care about one another."

Ament's connection to his bandmates goes back to 1984, when he formed the post-punk band Green River with Stone Gossard and two guys who would form Mudhoney. After they split in '87, Ament and Gossard went on to Mother Love Bone, a band that ended after a little more than two years when frontman Andy Wood died of a heroin overdose (leading to the recruitment of Vedder). Since then, Ament, who just turned 40, has seen most of the bands from his old scene, notably Alice in Chains and Nirvana, self-destruct. To what does he attribute the survivor instinct in Pearl Jam?

"When you see enough people screw themselves up on drugs or get caught up in the whole lifestyle or burn out, you start to understand the picture a little bit," he says. "You get enough examples where you say, 'Whoa, I don't want to go down that road.' That whole part of it overtakes the musical and creative part of it, and that, to me, has always been the most important. You go, 'If I go out and get screwed up tonight, tomorrow I'm going to be a waste and I'm not going to be able to pick up my guitar, I'm not going to be able to paint or be creative in any way.' After a certain amount of time, you realize that life is too short to waste too many days like that."

Although Pearl Jam's record sales have dropped from the staggering 11 million for the debut "Ten" to about 1 million for the last couple, Ament thinks the band is as strong as it ever was.

"I don't think anyone wants to go back to the time when we were selling 10 million records. That was such an unhealthy time, such a chaotic time," he says. "We'd love to sell a few more records. I think you'd always like to sell more. Last record, we felt really good about the record, and we thought we had a chance to sell a few more this time. But when you go out and tour and 10, 20,000 people show up and are singing to every song, you go, 'Wow, this is insane.' In some ways, it feels as big or bigger than ever."