Set List: Trouble, Dead Man, Long Road, Face of Love; Encore with all: Innocent When You Dream

Dan Kunka (kunka@usc.edu)
The Dead Man Walking soundtrack had a great collaboration of artists, and the concert benefiting Murder Families' Victims Reconciliation was truly awesome. Hosted by Tim Robbins and Sister Helen Prejean, the concert was full of great performances, and even better, didn't lose focus on why all the great artists where there.

First on stage at the Shrine was Steve Earle, whose Ellis Unit One really stuck out on the soundtrack. His performance was heartfelt and really got the mood started. Michelle Shocked then came on and finished with a great a cappella song sung by the whole band. Lyle Lovett ended the first half with another strong performance.

Then the party really got started when Tom Waits came on stage. Although Eddie and Jeff were really awesome, Tom truly stole the show. His set was powerful and fun, and even included him doing lyrics through a megaphone. His piano playing and just amazing voice led the Shrine crowd to give him a standing ovation. He was the only artist to go back for an encore.

Then Sister Helen came on stage to talk about the foundation and how the soundtrack and concert were really spiritual. She even had a funny comment about Pearl Jam, saying she didn't even know they were rock 'n' roll. She thought people meant something like Smucker's Jam when they said Pearl Jam. Ani DiFranco came on next and did a great set, but she was just filling time before Eddie and Jeff came on.

As the crew was setting up a special stage, the crowd was getting restless. One fan from the balcony shouted "Eddie Vedder sucks!!" This made the crowd even more restless. Finally Tim Robbins introduced Eddie, and he came out solo carrying an acoustic guitar. He had on a white shirt over a black t-shirt with black jeans and boots. He smiled as he sat down on a cushion set up on a rug. The stage was set to fit in with Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan who was going to come out later. There were bongos and cushions for everyone.

People cheered and the first thing Eddie said was, "I though you said I sucked." He then went right into Cat Stevens' Trouble. Although it was played in Australia and I've heard it on bootlegs, it was nothing to how Eddie played it here. He really got into the song, belting out the words, at times closing his eyes, and playing a really great guitar.

After that, Jeff came out with his stand-up bass and bow. Eddie talked about how Tim (Robbins) sent him a copy of the film and they had talked about it. He said right after that, in the very same room, he wrote a song called Dead Man Walking. He called up Tim, and Tim was like, "Ahh, I've already got a song called Dead Man Walking. And it's by Bruce Springsteen." Eddie said that Tim used that version because of "a seniority thing." But, he said, at least they got a B-side out of it.

Dead Man is one of my favorite songs, and live it was just unbelievable. Eddie's voice was so on, and the song just filled the building. It was truly amazing. People were kind of looking at me funny cause I was singing along, and most of them had never heard it before.

After they finished up to boisterous applause, John Densmore of the Doors came out with Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Dildar Hussein. David Robbins, Tim's brother, played guitar in the background. Eddie dedicated the Long Road to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Rahat's father and the one who sings with Eddie on the soundtrack. The Long Road was just absolutely amazing. It's the way it's supposed to be played. It was an extended jam, with Eddie and Rahat exchanging verses. And Rahat was just amazing. He did things that made Eddie just look at him with disbelief. More than once, Eddie was caught on the big screen just closing his eyes and really feeling the music. I was totally lost in the music--it was absolutely incredible. And when Rahat and Eddie sang together during the last verse, it really made the show.

And then it was on to Face of Love, a song never performed by Pearl Jam, but just as incredible as the Long Road. And again, Rahat's vocals with Eddie's really made it incredible. It was full of life and feeling and it just filled the arena with a sense of spiritual being. You think I'm just bullsh*tting you, but it really happened. If you weren't there, you just don't know how incredible it was.

After another long jam, Eddie led in the cheers for Rahat, and left the stage to a standing ovation. All the performers came back on stage, including Tim Robbins, to sing an encore led by Tom Waits. Eddie seemed to be lost in the moment, really not singing along with the group. During the last verse, Ani DiFranco had to pull him back to the mic as he had taken a step back and just stared at Tom Waits in disbelief. He was like a little kid going to see his favorite performer. It was really great to see him react the way so many of the fans had during Tom's set.

And after it was all done, Eddie picked up the cushions from the stage and chucked them into the crowd. Really cool.

And so the concert was truly amazing. Eddie singing with Rahat will be a Pearl Jam highlight all my life. For those of you who didn't hear the version of the Long Road, either live or on the soundtrack, you don't know what you're missing. It's ten times better than when it's just PJ--and even then it's one of their best songs! And the Face of Love, well, it was just absolutely incredible.