Setlist: Eddie Vedder and Mike McCready: Corduroy, Yellow Ledbetter, Rockin' In The Free World. Eddie and Mike also did Long Road with Michael Stipe and Mike Mills of R.E.M

Second Annual Tibetan Freedom Concert
by: oy9@columbia.edu

"Back again for some more", I thought to myself as I arrived to Randall's Island in New York City for the second day of the Second Annual Tibetan Freedom Concert. The previous day was phenomenal, and I expected just as much today. The purpose of the concert was aimed at educating people about the unfair and violent oppression of the Tibetan people by the Chinese government which invaded Tibet in 1949 and has been occupied ever since.

Two large stages were set up, the "Red Stage" on the left and the "Blue Stage" on the right. The day began with a performance by a group of Tibetan Buddhist monks and nuns on the Blue Stage, after which I made my way over to the Red Stage, just a couple people back from the barricade in front. And then that's when I had my mind blown.

Eddie Vedder and Mike McCready came out! They were unannounced, surprise guests. I was taken by complete surprise and totally stoked when I saw them; I couldn't believe they were actually there. Mike, his hair blonde and short, had on a black leather jacket and some shades. At first, I didn't even recognize Eddie because his hair was shaggy and dyed black and he had a beard going, so it took a second for me to figure out it was him. Anyway, it was just the two of them, seated next to each other with Eddie on the left and Mike on the right, each with an electric guitar. Most of the people there didn't even realize that two-fifths of Pearl Jam were on stage; it was so cool.

They started by playing the new version of "Corduroy". Needless to say, they sounded great. Next was "Yellow Ledbetter," with only Mike playing and Eddie singing. Mike sounded fantastic, especially his intro and outro for "Yellow Ledbetter." Their third and (seemingly) final song was Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World", which was especially fitting for the theme of this concert. In the middle of "Rockin' in the Free World," Eddie tells the crowd he needs to ask a favor: he needs someone to lend him $5, saying he's "good for it" and he'd pay the person back. A guy right near me gets chosen, goes over the barricade, up to the foot of the stage and gives Eddie the money. It turns out the guy gave Eddie a $20 bill, and Eddie laughs saying that he won't be seen again the rest of the day now that he's got this much money. Then, Eddie asks the rest of the audience for a favor also; he says he wants our autographs on the three petitions going around to help in the cause for Tibet. So cool. They then finish "Rockin' in the Free World" and leave the stage, and I think to myself, "What an awesome way to start the concert".

But, wait, there's more! Later on in the day, during the set by Michael Stipe and Mike Mills of R.E.M, Eddie and Mike came out to do a song together! Here was half (well, almost) of Pearl Jam and half of R.E.M together on one stage! So the 3 Mike's and the Ed performed "Long Road" together, with Stipe and Eddie on vocals, Mills and McCready on guitar, and Tony Shanahan (of Patti Smith's band) on bass. It was quite incredible. After "Long Road", Eddie left the stage, and Mike McCready stayed to do two more songs with them, both of which were covers, the first was Suicide's "Ghost Rider" and second was Iggy Pop's "The Passenger". During "Ghost Rider", Mike Diamond of Beastie Boys came out and sat behind the drum kit, without playing; but he then played drums on "The Passenger", the last song of this mega-musical-talent ensemble. It was all so awesome, I felt I had just witnessed a little piece of music history.