I haven’t been part of the MTV generation for quite some time, but while walking down the West Side Highway this afternoon, I happened upon MTV’s Band in a Bubble. The premise is interesting, if not terribly original: the band Cartel spends 20 days in a “bubble,” recording an album, and at the end of 20 days, performs the album for enthusiastic onlookers. So today I spent about 45 minutes enjoying the sun and listening to the band debate if the people outside the bubble could actually hear them. It was an interesting setup, with snacks and beverages available and a volleyball net set up. Even though I am far outside the demographic, I will watch this show once and we’ll see how it goes.

It’s been a few days, but I should certainly note the passing of one of my favorite musicians, Brad Delp, most prominently known as the lead singer of the band Boston. Though they released only five albums (and three by 1986), the band is a staple on classic rock radio. Here are my top five favorite Boston songs:

1. More Than A Feeling
2. Amanda
3. Let Me Take You Home Tonight
4. Don’t Look Back
5. Something About You

I always knew In Bloom didn’t make any sense forwards. So here it is backwards. I have to say – the words make just about as much sense as they do the other way.

I really enjoy watching the ESPN NASCAR commercial that features AC/DC’s (For Those About To Rock) We Salute You. It really gives you a feeling that something big is looming just on the horizon, and when it starts, you’ll want to be watching. Of course, that next big thing is NASCAR, so it might not have the final result you might expect.

The point here is that an AC/DC song has influenced the way we think about something. This isn’t the first time it’s happened. At the end of San Diego Padres games, you can often hear Hells Bells playing as Trevor Hoffman comes in for the save. And I always knew if I became a professional wrestler, Back In Black would be my theme song. Even the Simpsons ended a Treehouse of Horror episode with Highway To Hell, as the Simpson family walks down a large chasm.

Most people know You Shook Me All Night Long – it’s one of the most popular songs of all time. But AC/DC has an extensive catalog, with so many inspiring tunes. Their music has permeated pop culture and become part of our lives. This morning, I listened to the album Who Made Who, featuring the title track, as well as one of my favorite lesser-known AC/DC songs, Ride On.

If a song in a commercial can get me excited for NASCAR, you know the band is quite good. There is an AC/DC tribute band (along with an Alice In Chains tribute band), playing at B.B. Kings in New York on March 2nd. Might be worth seeing.

Pearl Jam is headed to Europe in June, 2007. Here are the scheduled dates, from the email sent to Ten Club members:

June 8 LISBON, PORTUGAL / PASSEIO MARITIMO ALGES
June 9 MADRID, SPAIN / FESTIMAD
June 12 MUNICH, GERMANY / OLYMPICHALLE
June 13 KATOWICE, POLAND / CHORZOW STADION SLASKI
June 15 ITALY / TBA
June 16 VIENNA, AUSTRIA / NOVA ROCK FESTIVAL
June 18 LONDON, ENGLAND / WEMBLEY ARENA
June 21 DUSSELDORF, GERMANY / LTU ARENA
June 23 TUTTLINGEN, GERMANY / SOUTHSIDE FESITVAL
June 24 SCHEEBEL, GERMANY / HURRICANE FESTIVAL
June 26 COPENHAGEN, DENMARK / FORUM
June 28 NIJMEGEN, HOLLAND / GOEFFERT PARK
June 29 WERCHTER, BELGIUM / WERCHTER FESTIVAL

I finally heard the full studio version of Love Reign O’er Me (thanks blog-o-sphere!) and it ROCKS. This song was made for Eddie Vedder’s vocals and it does not disappoint. We knew Eddie could do it; he did sing Blood, after all. But it’s good to finally hear it. Even though rock radio is dying a slow, painful death, I think this song will get a ton of airplay. Or maybe you’ll just have to hear it on your iPod.

Tonight, I saw Ten, a Pearl Jam tribute band, at B.B. Kings in New York. This is the third Pearl Jam tribute band I’ve seen, and I think they were the best of the bunch. Nick, the lead singer, did an excellent impression of Eddie Vedder, and they didn’t just stick to the basics. Among the songs played were Breath, Smile (!), Sad, Crazy Mary and Comatose. That’s clearly a tribute band willing to go beyond the basics.

Sure, they played Better Man, but at least they added the Save It For Later tag at the end. Some day, I’d love to see a Pearl Jam tribute band NOT play Better Man, but I don’t think it’ll ever happen.

B.B. Kings does a great job of bringing in tribute bands and cover bands for Saturday night shows at midnight. I’ve seen several other tribute bands, including Van Halen and Guns ‘n’ Roses, but seeing such a great Pearl Jam tribute band there was a real treat.

Pearl Jam announced the songs for the 2006 Christmas single, which is due out in February. The A-side will be the studio version of Love Reign O’er Me, a Who cover that will be featured in Adam Sandler’s movie Reign Over Me in March. The B-side will be the live version of Rockin’ In The Free World from Australia with Bono and The Edge from U2 helping out. As usual, this will be released as a vinyl record and sent out to all Pearl Jam Ten Club members.

Selected previous Ten Club Holiday Single songs:
- Last Kiss
- Drifting
- Olympic Platinum
- Sometimes At Christmas
- Let Me Sleep (It’s Christmas Time)

I’ve said it before, but I don’t think I can possibly say it enough: The Pearl Jam Ten Club does a fantastic job taking care of its members. For a mere $20 a year, the Ten Club sends you several newsletters a year, the annual Christmas single, and excellent seats at concerts. There are also some other perks, like the members-only concert at Irving Plaza last May.

It’s rare for a band to take care of its fans like that. For example, the Britney Spears fan club is five dollars more, and doesn’t seem to offer quite as much. Pearl Jam has a devoted following, and as a Ten Club member since 1995, I can attest that the band does plenty to keep those fans around. Every year, I pay up without a second thought.

Love Reign O’er Me sounds great from what I have heard, and I can’t wait to hear the new version.

In Keith Law’s ESPN.com chat today, the following conversation occurred:

trevor: soundgarden over pearl jam?

Keith Law: Without a doubt. Pearl Jam is Joe Carter – perennially overrated because of something they did in the early 90s.

Naturally, as the world’s foremost expert on the unique science of Seattle music meshed with baseball, I felt compelled to speak on the topic. Here’s the email I sent Keith:

Joe Carter is about as Soundgarden as it gets. Started in the 80s with loads of talent but never got his due because of his obscure location. Right at the end of the 80s, he/they started getting noticed as one of the more underrated players/bands of that era. Then, one big hit in the early 90s, followed by a few years of being quite overrated before flaming out and retiring in the late 90s. It’s interesting to note that Joe Carter’s career arc almost exactly matches Soundgarden’s, down to the peaks, valleys, and timelines.

Pearl Jam is more of a Frank Thomas. Started with a bang and peaked in 1993-94, but definitely continued to produce more and more good stuff, even into the next millennium. In fact, 2006 was something of a comeback year. Pearl Jam is one of those bands that puts out a great performance every couple years and leaves the casual fan thinking “Where have they been recently?” Sound familiar?

Now, I can’t quite figure out how to fit Matt Cameron, who drummed for both bands, into the equation. But you get the point.

Clearly, I missed my mark by quite a bit. We all know that Soundgarden is Gehrig to Pearl Jam’s Babe Ruth. If only Joe Carter had been a little better (Jim Thome?), the comparison would be a little better. But seriously, given the dates at which each started, peaked, and ended, Carter and Thomas match up quite closely with Seattle’s best music.

I don’t remember where I was on February 11, 1990, but I sure wish I’d been in San Diego. Here is a clip of Eddie Vedder’s first band, Bad Radio, performing the song Believe You Me.

There is also a clip with the band performing What The Funk Is Up and what I feel is their best song, Answer. Incidentally, there are bootlegs floating around with all of these songs, plus Bad Radio’s biggest hit (albeit years after the band broke up), Better Man. Enjoy.