Report on Supper Club

[Brian Cady <cadyb@home.com>]

This comes from the FiveHorizons club for Pearl Jam

07/28/99 - 
Ed Sullivan Theater: New York, NY (Late Show appearance) [10m] set: Heart to
Hang Onto notes: This greatly anticipated pairing of Eddie Vedder and Pete
Townshend features Pete on electric guitar and the CBS orchestra backing. After
three baubled starts (edited out for TV), Ed and Pete share verses in a lovely
version of ‘Heart to Hang Onto.’ During the commercial break, they lead into a
‘Magic Bus’ jam, with Ed adding a few vocals toward the end. The home audience
only hears the final note of this song (typical for Letterman).07/28/99 - Supper
Club, New York City (Ed with Pete Townshend)attendance: approx. 700set: Pete
solo: Won’t Get Fooled Again, Behind Blue Eyes, Drowned, Cut My Hair, Slit
Skirts, I Put a Spell on You, Let My Love Open the Door With EV: Heart to Hang
Onto, Let’s See Action, Better Man (!!!), Till The River Runs Dry, Sheraton
Gibson [EV solo vox], Magic Bus, I’m One [EV solo vox]notes: This was a press
conference/promotion showcase (featuring media, VIP and radio station contest
winners) to promote the release of the forthcoming PT live album. Ed was in the
audience for Pete’s first portion of the set, bopping his head to the music.:-)
Right after ‘Let My Love Open the Door’ Pete introduces Ed, saying ‘Ed’s gonna
help with this show, he’s helped with this show in the past, he’s helping on the
CD too(the evening began with a press-only premiere of the live album)’ and
talks about how Ed is from Chicago (explaining Ed’s connection to the
Chicago-based charity that Pete’s benefit shows have been for.) Ed joins Pete on
stage, cheat sheets under his arm. Ed sings along on ‘Heart To Hang Onto,’
exactly like Ed’s appearance at the 1997 HOB show. Ed’s eyes are closed while
Pete is singing, gently swaying. Pete talks about how his work on Lifehouse has
leaked out and explains the history of the project, and comments that he’s been
sending Eddie stuff he’s been working on (HEY ED! Your list gets ours! :-))
Next, Ed plays acoustic on ‘Let’s See Action’ (while Pete plays
electric),trading verses and chorus; Pete needs to look at the sheet music,
while Ed knows it by heart. After the song ends, Pete comments, "This is one of
yours," and they go into ‘Better Man,’ Pete’s on electric, Ed’s on a black
acoustic Gibson (no pick) -Pete singing the counterpart on the choruses (!!!!)
(No ‘Save It For Later’, though!) It appeared as though Pete was looking to Ed
to get the chord changes; Ed picks up a towel and puts it over Pete’s hand as
though he was playfully hiding his hands from Pete’s view. Pete prefaces "Till
The River All Runs Dry" with a brief discussion about MS and Ronnie Lane (with
whom Pete originally wrote the song - see a previous Song Of The Month for an
explanation of Ronnie Lane). They alternate verses on the song; Ed needs the
words a little; Pete plays the guitar solo. Ed sings ‘Sheraton Gibson’ -Pete
playing guitar and singing backing vocals, and Ed gets a standing ovation from a
crowd full of die-hard Who fans at the end of it! ‘Magic Bus’ has Pete on
electric, Ed on the black acoustic. Ed only sings a couple of lines and is
mostly backing vocals. At the end of the song, Ed fakes smashing his guitar. =)
Before "I’m One," Pete commented that Ed was nervous about this one, because
Pete usually closes with it (at his solo acoustic shows) - "But it sounds nice
when Ed sings it." (awwwwwwwww) Ed’s on vocals, Pete’s on acoustic guitar. Set
ends; Pete and Ed hug; Pete thanks Ed on the mic, Ed goes to the mic and thanks
Pete (the only thing he said all night). Pete said, "When we originally planned
this, the album was supposed to be out now, but it’s not, it’s not coming out
until September, and that’s my fault." For the encore, Pete reprises ‘I’m One,’
much like Ed’s version(s) - when he sings "I’m a loser, no chance to win," he
sings instead "I’m a loser too, no chance to win". End of an amazing historical
evening!!!