Pearl Jam Announces Major COVID-19 Relief Concert Featuring Dave Matthews Band, Ciara AND Russell Wilson, Sir-Mix-a-Lot, and More
Seattle Times - "All In WA", a coalition of public officials, nonprofits and philanthropic organizations and business leaders, has announced a stacked virtual concert to raise money for relief work across the state.
The lineup includes Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews, Brandi Carlile, Macklemore, Ciara and Russell Wilson, Wilson’s Motown-loving coach Pete Carroll, Death Cab for Cutie’s lord of the livestream Ben Gibbard, Sir Mix-A-Lot, comedian Joel McHale, blue-eyed soul singer Allen Stone, Mary Lambert and blues-rockers The Black Tones, with others to be announced later.
The Amazon-backed concert will broadcast on Amazon Music’s Twitch channel and local NBC affiliates KING 5 and KONG at 7 p.m. June 10. A recording of the concert will be available on Amazon Prime after the initial airing.
All In WA has already raised $20 million of its $65 million goal, with the coalition’s advisory board determining how to distribute the funds, which will be given as grants to nonprofit groups across Washington.
So as to not upset the mouthbreathers that love to jump in with a TLDR comment 7 seconds after a blog is published, I'll keep what should otherwise be a pretty awesome and extensive blog covering some phenomenal artists short and sweet.
Just when you think Eddie Vedder can't get any fuckin cooler he goes and does something like this.
Putting together a relief concert benefitting his home city along with u̶l̶t̶r̶a̶ ̶v̶i̶l̶l̶a̶i̶n̶ humanitarian Jeff Bezos. (Yes I know Vedder is from Evanston, but he calls Seattle home now). Seattle was the first major area hit by Covid in the United States and it was rocked. So this benefit concert doesn't just bring them financial relief but it will also go a long way lifting people's spirits. Just an all around great cause.
The $20 million in commitments includes donations by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Microsoft Corporation, the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, the Ballmer Group, Howard & Sheri Schultz, Nick & Leslie Hanauer, Jim and Jan Sinegal and the Perigee Fund, according to a statement from All in WA.
Additionally, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos has pledged to match individual donations under $1 million to the group’s causes, up to $25 million total.
Leave it to Vedder to tap into the uber-wealthy tech community around town to really get this thing rolling too. This baby should easily come close to if not surpass $75 million raised when all is said and done.
Now let's talk entertainment.
Anytime you've got Pearl Jam in the mix it's guaranteed to be an amazing show. So them alone makes this worth watching.
But there's more.
Throw in Dave Matthews Band
then add Brandi Carlile
then drop in the pride of Seattle Russell Wilson and his dime piece wife Ciara
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Can we get a duet from these two? Perhaps Ride with DangeRuss rapping Luda's verse?
plus Macklemore (glad he's still alive)
plus Death Cab's Ben Gibbard
with an appearance by Super Bowl XLIX hero M̶a̶l̶c̶o̶m̶ ̶B̶u̶t̶l̶e̶r̶ Pete Carroll
some laughs provided by Joel McHale (talk soup was the shit back in the glory days)
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and brother/sister duo The Black Tones (these guys are sick. The girl Eva can fuckin shred)
plus a guy not as well known as he should be, Allen Stone (fuckin love this guy)
Mary Lambert
and the cherry on top- Sir-Mix-A-Lot.
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Fuck your L.A. face, Sir-Mix-A-Lot puts Oakland booties in the seats. Figuratively speaking of course.
Before the grunge scene exploded, it was arguably Jimi Hendrix and him as the two most notable Seattle musicians.
But man oh man what a fuckin lineup. All of Seattle's best. Throw in a shitty forecast and some overpriced coffee and you've covered all the bases here.
Now let's talk about the real reason ears and eyeballs will be tuned in for this.
Pearl Jam.
Rather than bore you with what everybody already knows about the HOF rock band, with the once in a lifetime unique vocalist with superb taste in baseball fandom, let's get to brass tacks.
Pearl Jam concerts are usually 3+ hours long. The only show I've seen that consistently rivals this in length (that's what she said) is Bruce. Who goes three in his sleep. Unfortunately, this benefit concert isn't going to be a 2 day festival with the field opening for DMB on one night and the rest for Pearl Jam to close it out the next. So Pearl Jam is going to have to cut it down a bit.
Let's say for arguments sake they have to make their set 10 songs.
What would your dream Pearl Jam setlist look like?
We're talking live show. Not album versions for a mixtape or playlist. That's important.
Here's my list -
State of Love and Trust
Great way to open the show.
Given To Fly
Courdoroy
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Third song. of the set always has to be a banger. It's a rule.
Not For You
Black
Porch
Release
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Rearviewmirror
Unthought Known
For some reason, Unthought Known is my favorite Pearl Jam song. Not sure what it is. Makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. And I subconsciously crack a smile and start tapping my foot to it every time I hear it. Maybe the combination build-up of the drums, strings, and Vedder bravado into the incredible crescendo? All I know is I miss the fuck out of playing this song at the ballpark every other game. I miss the fuck out of baseball. Man.
Alive
Doesn't get better as a live performance song. Perfect close out too.
If we're lucky to be blessed with an encore I'm going
Indifference
Light Years
Off He Goes
Smile
Immortality
Crazy Mary
ps - I'll write a Dave Matthews blog one day (have seen some great shows at Foxboro back in the day, and at Northerly, and the UC here in Chicago. But in 2017 I got the chance to see him and Tim Reynolds perform together at Northerly Island and holy shit. I think my jaw was on the floor the entire show from being in disbelief at what a badass Tim Reynolds was. Guy fuckin jams. Became a big fan immediately.