How John Henry influenced a memorable rock and roll show that did not take place at Fenway Park
(May 26, 2006)
Pearl Jam fans are a lot like Red Sox fans. Both indulge in their passions with obsessive fervor, and both have exceedingly high expectations when it comes to their band and/or team’s performance. Over the past few years, it’s been the best of times for those of us who are members of both camps here in Boston.
Pearl Jam has played seven Boston area shows in the last three years. Three of those shows were in Mansfield during July of 2003, where they played 94 different songs over three nights and wore out their welcome by breaking curfew on night three. By deliberately extending the final show of the stand, the band was subsequently banned from ever playing The Tweeter Center again. Unprecedented setlist variation and civil disobedience-what more can you ask for from a rock and roll show? Thankfully, all future "Boston" Pearl Jam shows will be played in Boston.
At the end of September 2004, as the Red Sox were gearing up for their historic playoff run, Pearl Jam was slated to play six shows as part of the pro-John Kerry Vote for Change Tour. The shows were scheduled in so-called "swing states," and were designed to encourage voters to support Kerry in the impending Presidential election. As a tune-up for the mini-tour, the band played 2 fabulous shows on September 28th and 29th, in Boston at The Fleetcenter.
Last night, Pearl Jam played the 2nd of 2 sold-out shows at The TD Banknorth Garden (formerly The Fleetcenter). Both shows were more than memorable, but last night’s show was transcendental. It was one of those rare musical experiences where the band and the crowd were one. The show reminded me of what The Edge said during U2's induction into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005; he stated that, "Rock and roll, when it is great, it is amazing." And so it is.
Late in the show, during the second encore, Red Sox general manager and die-hard Pearl Jam fan, Theo Epstein, joined the band for an epic version of Neil Young’s "Rockin’ in the Free World." It was at this point that I realized what an important role Red Sox principal owner, John Henry has played in this most recent chapter in the Pearl Jam-Boston love affair.
John Henry?
Yes, John Henry.
You could make a case that, if it weren’t for John Henry, none of what happened during that amazing 2nd encore would have come to pass.
Let’s review the highlights:
The fun started when Eddie Vedder responded to a girl holding a request sign asking for the song "Smile" from the 1996 album No Code. Eddie invited the girl on stage so she could present him with a bouquet of flowers in exchange for granting her request.
Then things got very interesting. Before the next song, "Indifference," Eddie mentioned that a percentage of the proceeds from the shows were going towards Horizons for Youth-a local charity geared towards helping homeless children. Lots of cheers. He followed that up by mentioning that a local gentleman and his cohorts were going to match the band’s contributions, dollar-for-dollar. "We’re extremely proud to know a man of such, not just intelligence, but heart," said Vedder, "and you may know him, cause his name is Theo Epstein. And we thank him, very much." (Huge applause)
After "Indifference," riding the wave of rising momentum, the band played "Leash," from 1993's Vs album. The song hadn’t been played since 1995, and it was clear that, although the song had been sound-checked as recently as Wednesday night, the band had not intended to play it last night. Fans could plainly see Vedder, rushing from band member to band member, making sure that everyone was on the same page before launching into a number that hadn’t been attempted before an audience in over 11 years. The result was stunning.
Then came "Rockin’ in the Free World." Theo looked very much at home with Vedder’s Fender strapped over his shoulder. There was no hint of timidity as he interacted with band members and even shared the mic with Vedder during the the last few choruses. Of course, people who have attended Peter Gammons’ Hot Stove, Cool Music benefits at the Paradise over the last several years would not have been surprised by Theo’s seamless transition from baseball executive to rock and roll sideman.
It should be noted too, the fact that Theo was having such a great time on stage, pretty much guaranteed to those in attendance, that the Red Sox had beaten Tampa Bay earlier in the evening. If the Sox had lost, Theo probably would have been forced to go home, lest he be lambasted by the local media and sports radio jocks for having a passion outside the Olde Town Team.
The band finished the set with traditional show-closer "Yellow Ledbetter"-complete with a Jimi Hendrix-style "Star Spangled Banner" coda by the brilliant Mike McCready.
So why does John Henry deserve credit for influencing a concert that he wasn’t even at?
Theo Epstein left the Red Sox after last season. There was a great deal of speculation and mud-slinging in the local press as to why Theo vacated his "dream job" at a time when the franchise’s popularity was at an all-time high. On October 31st, just when it seemed that he was about to sign a contract extension, he was gone. Some people blamed an internal power struggle between Theo and team CEO Larry Lucchino. Others claimed it was money. I’m not going to debate that here. The fact is that he was no longer a part of Red Sox nation; and I was worried, not only about the Sox, but about how this would effect Pearl Jam’s future visits to Boston.
I’ve found that when a band has ties with a community, that go even deeper than the usual fan-band bonds, it’s reflected in their great performances in those cities. U2 and the Irish tradition in Boston. The Rolling Stones fascination with the many wonders of New York City. Pearl Jam’s friendship with Theo Epstein can only enhance the band’s already strong Boston connection.
Red Sox slugger David Ortiz said it best when he opined, "We need Theo. Hopefully, they put it together to keep Theo." Amen, big fella!
This is where John Henry comes in...
85 days after Theo quit, the Red Sox announced that he would be returning in a "full-time baseball operations capacity." John Henry is a very smart man. He realized that he needed the main architect behind the Red Sox three straight 95+ win seasons, and their only World Series title in the past 87 years. Red Sox nation and Boston’s Pearl Jam fans could breath a collective sigh of relief. Theo was back!
Yesterday would have been an entirely different day if Pearl Jam didn’t know Theo Epstein. The band’s day began with batting practice at Fenway. Then, they played the incredible show at The Garden. After the show, Theo accompanied Eddie to Porter Square in Cambridge, where they each performed with local rock veteran Bill Janovitz at a tiny club called Toad.
You could claim with a great degree of certainty, that none of what I just described would have been possible, had Theo Epstein not returned to the Red Sox. No batting practice. No announcement of Theo’s donation to Horizons for Youth-resulting in raucous applause and possibly leading to the spontaneous playing of "Leash." No repeat version of "Rockin’ in the Free World," which had been played the night before. And certainly, no late night trip to Toad, resulting in a once in a lifetime surprise for a handful of very lucky music fans.
The special bond that Pearl Jam has with Boston goes back to their show at Axis in 1992 where the crowd was so enthusiastic that the band was fearful of their equipment getting destroyed. In April of ‘94, immediately following the death of Kurt Cobain, the band played two intense shows at the old Boston Garden. At the end of the second show, Vedder smashed a hole in the stage with his mike stand. The hole was so large, he was able to exit through it. During the aforementioned 3 night Mansfield stand, during the summer of 2003, the band attempted an "experiment" where they attempted to play every song performed on the tour with no repeats-they almost pulled it off. There’s no denying the mutual devotion of the band and the fans.
Much like Bruce Springsteen’s relationship with Philadelphia, Boston is Pearl Jam’s second home. Springsteen plays countless shows in his home state of New Jersey, many of them are among his best ever played, but something extra special always happens when he plays in Philly. The same can be said of Pearl Jam and Boston. Seattle is their home, and they have always played fabulous shows there, but Boston continues to receive the best the band has to offer.
So, while Red Sox yahoos may criticize the team for trading pitcher Bronson Arroyo, who leads the national league in ERA, rational Red Sox fans understand that there’s a better than average chance that if Arroyo had remained in Boston, and pitched against the Yankees and Blue Jays 4 or 5 times each, along with the rest of the American League line-ups, his stats would be far inferior to what they are in the National League. At the same time, intelligent Pearl Jam fans must recognize the fact that, had John Henry’s level-headed thinking not prevailed in the re-hiring of Theo Epstein, the Boston-Pearl Jam tradition, while still legendary, would be slightly less rich than it is today.
Thank you, John Henry, for helping to preserve three great Boston traditions: winning baseball, old school rock and roll, and the resulting harmony when those two worlds collide.
