Year In Review 2024 - Favorite Album Art

We kick off our Year in Review section of 2024 with the first feature in the Best of... wrap up: Album Art. 

Just like in years past, we will be choosing our favorite albums of the year, a few that were underwhelming, our favorite live shows, and highlight some fantastic archive releases, all of which will be posted over the next few days. 

Today we are starting out by judging books (records) by their covers (vinyl sleeves, jackets, digital pics, etc) with the Best Album Art Work of 2024.

The biggest gripe RtBE has with digital music is not the quality (that has been massively improved) nor the disposal nature of it (still a problem, but whatever), it is the lack of amazing album covers and art work.

Sure there may be great album art out there but seeing it on a screen, on Spotify or elsewhere is nothing compared to holding an LP or even a CD booklet with pages of lyrics, pictures etc. 

Thankfully the rise of vinyl is helping this dilemma but it is still not enough. The hours we spent staring, actually holding, examining tons of covers while listening to music can't be adequately recorded, it added new dimensions to the sounds. You are connected to album in a more physical way; things were deeper, more evocative...Anyways...

Here comes RtBE's Favorite Album Art of 2024. 

Album Review: Pearl Jam - Dark Matter

Pearl Jam

Dark Matter

***and1/2 out of *****

Back in 2020 Pearl Jam released Gigaton and RtBE asked what exactly is needed from a new Pearl Jam album, comparing that record to late era Rolling Stones releases. Since then, the Stones themselves released an album and we sorta asked the same thing. Now Pearl Jam returns with Dark Matter, bringing onboard the exact same producer the Stones used, and the questions continue.  

Stone Gossard, Ani DiFranco and Stanton Moore Release "Disorders" to Benefit National Network of Abortion Funds

An all-star group consisting of Stone Gossard, Ani DiFranco, Stanton Moore, Josh Evans, and Skerik recorded and released "Disorders" to benefit the National Network of Abortion Funds. 

More info from Righteousbabe.com:

A stroke of destiny, or the right place at the right time. This is how Stone Gossard (Pearl Jam) and Ani DiFranco connected to support women and their rights to reproductive health care. The track is “Disorders,” created by Gossard along with Josh Evans, Skerik and Stanton Moore, with lyrics and melody by DiFranco. Listen to “Disorders” HERE. All proceeds go to the National Network of Abortion Funds, which aims to remove the financial and logistical barriers to abortion access. “Disorders” is a production of Loosegroove and Righteous Babe Records.

About “Disorders” Gossard says, “What keeps me coming back to playing my guitar is the magic of how musical bits and pieces can transform into a complete song with a life of its own. The major ingredients are usually an inspired collaboration and some ephemeral fairy dust. What was recorded 6 years ago as a demo in New Orleans sat for a while until Skerik had the epiphany to ask his friend, the singer, musician, artist, and activist Ani DiFranco, to add her voice and words. Ani's fierce melodic independence and her visceral in-the-moment vocal performance took this track to a much higher plane. I'm thrilled have been part of this song and to have had the chance to collaborate with this incredible group of artists.”

DiFranco shares that longtime friend Skerik mentioned a track he was working on that needed vocals and lyrics and she offered to listen. “What showed up was a killer track with an evocative guitar hook, a shape, a vibe, a bombastic balls-to-the-wall outro. I marveled that anyone could record a song that sounded so cohesive and fully realized with no melody or lyric to guide it. I felt instantly inspired and honored. I was invited to sing about whatever I wanted.”

DiFranco continues, “With the imminent overturning of Roe v. Wade, women in every Republican stronghold in this country are left treading in a sea of unnecessary suffering, just trying to keep their heads above water. Poor women will be drowned by the score. That is why this track is a fundraiser for abortion access — to help women who don’t have resources but who desperately need abortions. I am so grateful for men like Stone, Skerik, Stanton — not just for the blessing of this track and the honor of being invited into it, but for actually seeing women in their full humanity and being willing to stand with them.”

For more info on “Disorders” go to: righteousbabe.com/pages/disorders

You can also listen below:

Album Review: Eddie Vedder - Earthling

Hey all, got a new review up @glidemag which you can read Right C'here!

It is of Eddie Vedder's newest solo album Earthling. 

The album is a middle of the road collection of classic rock sounding tunes. 

Support the artist, buy the album, read the review and peep some video below:

New Single from Eddie Vedder, Full Album Coming in February

Announced today the first solo album from Eddie Vedder since 2011 is coming next year. Earthling arrives in early February and the second single "The Haves" is out today.

Check out "The Haves" below and pre order the album today.

Year In Review 2020 - Favorite Album Art

We kick off our Year in Review section of 2020 with a favorite feature in the Best of... area, Album Art. Like in years past we will be choosing our Favorite Albums of the Year, a few that were underwhelming and our favorite live shows. 

Today we are starting out by judging books (records) by their covers (vinyl sleeves, jackets, digital pics, etc) with the Best Album Art Work of 2020.

The biggest gripe RtBE has with digital music is not the quality (that has been massively improved) nor the disposal nature of it (still a problem, but whatever), it is the lack of amazing album covers and art work.

Sure there may be great album art out there but seeing it on a screen, in iTunes or elsewhere is nothing compared to holding an LP cover or even a CD booklet with pages of lyrics, pictures etc. Thankfully the rise of vinyl is helping this dilemma but it is still not enough. The hours we spent staring, actually holding, examining tons of covers while listening to music can't be adequately recorded, it added new dimensions to the sounds. You were connected to album in a more physical way; things were deeper, more evocative...Anyways...

Live Streams: Pearl Jam

With live music on lock down (like everything else currently in New York City) live streams and old concerts have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. While this current state of pandemic separation is in order we will highlight various shows/streams/virtual events for your viewing and listening pleasure and you can always check out or weekly Full Show Friday series for concerts from the past. Please support the artists any which way you can. 

Today we highlight: Pearl Jam

To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the bands first live performance Pearl Jam will be broadcasting a monster show from a few years back on nugs.net...

View this post on Instagram

On October 22, the 30th anniversary of Pearl Jam's first live performance, the band will stream its April 29, 2016 show in Philadelphia on @NugsNet. The concert kicks off with Ten played from beginning to end, with the full 32-song set newly mixed in stereo and 5.1 digital surround sound. Stream the never-before-seen full-color HD footage from 10/22-10/25 ahead of the November 3 general election and be sure you’re ready to vote by texting PJVotes to 52886. Para nossos amigos no Brasil, esperamos que gostem do show. Para nuestros amigos en America Latina, estamos muy emocionados de poder mostrarles esto. Link in bio and stories.

A post shared by Pearl Jam (@pearljam) on Oct 10, 2020 at 10:11am PDT

To get in the mood for this concert here is a great live PJ tune:

Live Streams: All In WA - Pearl Jam, Sir Mix-A-Lot, Sleater-Kinney and more

With live music on lock down (like everything else currently in New York City) live streams and old concerts have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. While this current state of pandemic separation is in order we will highlight various shows/streams/virtual events for your viewing and listening pleasure and you can always check out or weekly Full Show Friday series for concerts from the past. Please support the artists any which way you can.

Today we highlight: All In WA

Washington State has been hit hard with Covid-19 and like previous state held benefits, they are having a fund raiser tonight with some RtBE favorites including Pearl Jam and Sleater-Kinney

View this post on Instagram

Next Wednesday, livestream All In WA: A Concert for COVID-19 Relief on allinwa.org. Join artists and special guests as we come together to raise support for food security, unhoused youth, small businesses, and undocumented families across Washington. #allinWA #LinkInBio #wegotthiswa

A post shared by All In WA (@allinwa2020) on Jun 18, 2020 at 11:30am PDT

Tune in and help out tonight. To get in the mood here is some PJ and SK sharing the stage in Mexico City covering Uncle Neil:

Live Streams: One World Together At Home Festival

With live music on lock down (like everything else currently in New York City) live streams and old concerts have become essential for live music junkies like RtBE. While this current state of pandemic separation is in order we will highlight various shows/streams/virtual events for your viewing and listening pleasure and you can always check out or weekly Full Show Friday series for concerts from the past. Please support the artists any which way you can.

Today we highlight: Together At Home Festival

Tonight is the Together At Home Fest being thrown by Global Citizen and the World Health Organization:

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🚨BIG NEWS: We’ve just announced MORE ARTISTS for One World: #TogetherAtHome, including @jlo, @TaylorSwift, @samsmith, and more. Tune in on April 18 to join the fight against the COVID-19 crisis. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Visit the link in bio for more or head to globalcitizen.org/togetherathome.

A post shared by Global Citizen (@glblctzn) on Apr 14, 2020 at 11:09am PDT

There is a long list of performers:

View this post on Instagram

@RitaOra, @LiamPayne, @JessieReyez, @Bensplatt, @milkychance_official, and more will be standing in solidarity with us and the @WHO to support frontline health care workers and everyday heroes keeping up the fight against COVID-19. Tune in on April 18 at 2 p.m. ET for the One World: #TogetherAtHome digital livestream.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ ⁠⭕ Check the link in bio to find out how you can watch or visit globalcitizen.org/togetherathome.⁠

A post shared by Global Citizen (@glblctzn) on Apr 16, 2020 at 8:47am PDT

and some RtBE favorites:

View this post on Instagram

Eddie will be performing as part of the @GLBLCTZN and @WHO One World: #TogetherAtHome global special to honor the healthcare workers in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Tune in on April 18 at 5pm PT to watch the performance. Link in stories.

A post shared by Pearl Jam (@pearljam) on Apr 6, 2020 at 9:15am PDT

For New York'ers it will air on CBS at 8pm. To get in the mood here is some live video of Eddie Vedder solo, and remember to support the artists and the organizations tonight:

Album Review: Pearl Jam - Gigaton

Pearl Jam

Gigaton

*** out of *****

What is the desire for/expectation of a new Pearl Jam album in 2020 as they approach thirty years together?

New Peal Jam Single, Tickets On Sale Tomorrow

The first single from Pearl Jam's upcoming album Gigaton has been released. It is titled "Dance Of The Clairvoyants (Mach I)" and you can listen below.

The tune has a huge Talking Heads influence which was completely unexpected. The over produced drums and groovy bass line make this a rare dance track in Pearl Jam's catalog. Honestly RtBE holds little hope for a new Pearl Jam studio record, as their last one was dull, but this slight switch in style makes us more intrigued.

No matter their studio output Pearl Jam are one of the last great rock bands playing these days and tickets for their North American tour go on sale to the general public tomorrow on the evil Ticketmaster.

NOLA Jazzfest 2020, Artist Predictions

The lineup for the 2019 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival will be announced tomorrow but RtBE got the early scoop...

Actually no we don't...but since it is fun to predict, lets look into the crystal ball and guess who will be and who should be playing.

We will exclude the brass bands and local acts (even though they are truly the main reason we go) including nationally touring NOLA acts like Irma Thomas, Kermit Ruffins, Big Sam,  Galactic, Trombone Shorty all the Brass Bands who will all be there.

Also we are obviously skipping the great jazz, blues and gospel acts who will be the foundation of the festival in their respective tents. Lets just talk about the bigger national touring artists for now....We will focus more on locals closer to the show.

To get in the southern festive NOLA mood, here is a great video done by Jeronimo Acero that my friend the fantastic Lu Brow sent north to warm me up during the winter.

a glimpse of LOUISIANA from Jeronimo Acero on Vimeo.

Now on to the predictions....

New Pearl Jam Album, Gigaton and World Tour Coming 2020

The Seattle band Pearl Jam are back with a new album and world tour for 2020.  The group today announced Gigaton, their follow up to 2013's Lighting Bolt, and a tour to support the record.

The album cover is a photo from the excellent Paul Nicklen and speaks to climate change, a cause very important to the band.

Pearl Jam are one of the best rock and roll bands going today and are worth checking out if you can make it to one of the announced shows. Odds are RtBE will be at MSG on 3/30 and there is a hope that the band headlines Jazzfest, but we will talk about that later this week.

For now let's enjoy some live PJ. North American tour dates are below and European dates can be found on their site:






March 18th – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena

March 20th – Ottawa, ON @ Canadian Tire Centre

March 22nd – Quebec City, QC @ Videotron Centre

March 24th – Hamilton, ON @ FirstOntario Centre

March 28th – Baltimore, MD @ Royal Farms Arena

March 30th – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden

April 2nd – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena

April 4th – St. Louis, MO @ Enterprise Center

April 6th – Oklahoma City, OK @ Chesapeake Energy Arena

April 9th – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center

April 11th – Phoenix, AZ @ Gila River Arena

April 13th – San Diego, CA @ Viejas Arena

April 15th & 16th – Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum

April 18th & 19th – Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena

Pearl Jam Let's Play Two Coming to a Theater Near You

The 2016 Pearl Jam performances are now being displayed in movie form as Danny Clinch helps out and Let's Play Two is on it's way to theaters.

Here are the trailer's and it looks damn exciting:




Tickets are on sale for special events like The Capital Theater showing and others around the country. Should be a hell of a concert film experience. How about some live PJ to set the mood the until then?

...Hello 2017

Happy New Year! Here's hoping that 2017 is everything you hope it becomes. We are personally happy to see 2016 leave and will be wishing for better in the New Year, who knows where we will go...

And while we can...

Dylan Cover #256 Eddie Vedder "Girl From The North Country" Live

In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune comes from Eddie Vedder and it is his live cover of "Girl From The North Country"

Thoughts on Dylan's Original:

From the first time we tackled a cover version of this song:
A fun little number that connects Dylan with folk's past. I heard Simon and Garfunkel's "Scarborough Fair" first when I was growing up so I have always been a bit more partial to that version of this old folk tune even though Dylan changed a bunch of stuff around (obviously) with his recording that appeared on The Freewheeling Bob Dylan. His duet with Johnny Cash that highlights Nashville Skyline is something else entirely, a major sonic effort that I love. On an album that saw so many massive tunes come flowing out of the bard this one can be overshadowed yet his first version of this track is just a sweet folk ditty that has aged very, very well.
Cover:

Thoughts on Cover Artist:
We love Eddie. Love Pearl Jam. Now that Pop Week is done we are back to normal scheduling broadcasting here at RtBE.
Thoughts on Cover:

Awesome, fantastic version, live from his solo acoustic tour. Not much to add, just enjoy the sweet little song. 

Full Show Friday: Pearl Jam 8/27/2000 SPAC Saratoga, NY

We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's. These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...This week...Pearl Jam!

August is a special month for us here at RtBE and the main reason why is the perfect little upstate New York town of Saratoga which blooms in full each summer. Live music at the gorgeous Saratoga Performing Arts Center is a major reason for that affection, so this month we will be picking shows from SPAC to present for our Full Show Fridays. 

Now that we got rid of that dreck from last week (Editors Note: Easy...) we can all agree on the greatness of this band. Pearl Jam are American rock royalty and they bang out some damn satisfying music under starry skies. 

This one is extra special because we were there. Another RtBE favorite Sonic Youth opened the set (wish that video was here) as they were touring behind their NYC Ghost and Flowers album. That was never one of our favorites, but the band still played old classics like "Teenage Riot", "Bull In The Heather" and "100%" . PJ even tipped their hat to NYC avant-rockers during "Daughter" and added a bit of SY noise-rock in one of favorite tunes of theirs, "rearviewmirror". 

For the main act the band seemed to put extra aggression into things to start before becoming nuanced later in the set. This was a long show, and one of my favorite memories was hearing "Yellow Ledbetter" wafting over the gorgeous grounds of the State Park with my friend Don who insisted we hit this show (Thank You!). This show reignited my love for the band and while the recording is on a video camera and a bit shaky the sound is excellent for a 2000 outdoor venue. 

Amazingly you can also download this full show over at the Internet Archive for free, keeping a lasting copy of this night. We did. Enjoy:

    

Support the band:
http://pearljam.com/activism/vitalogy...
http://pearljam.com/goods/

August 27, 2000
Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Saratoga Springs, NY

Breakerfall
Whipping
Spin the Black Circle
Hail Hail
Corduroy
In My Tree
Dissident
Given to Fly
Nothing As It Seems
Grievance
Light Years
Daughter/(Beginning to See the Light)(WMA)(Androgynous Mind)
Lukin
MFC
Wishlist
Better Man
Even Flow
Insignificance
Rearviewmirror
---
Sleight of Hand
Do The Evolution
Once
Timeless Melody
Small Town
Leatherman
Porch
---
Soon Forget
Black
Yellow Ledbetter/(Nobody's Fault But Mine)

Full Show Friday: Pearl Jam 10-16-2014 Detroit, MI

We search the murky back waters of youtube to find full concerts and post them to the site weekly, come back every seven days to help us celebrate Full Show Friday's.  These shows are of varying quality and may not be here for long so enjoy them while you can...As always, please support the artist every which way, but especially by seeing them live (if they are still playing)...This week...Pearl Jam!

Every April we have a special showcase for bands who are playing this years Jazzfest in NOLA. Today we will focus on Pearl Jam who will be headlining the Acura Stage Saturday April 23rd.  

Well last year we missed one of our all time favorites with Phish, and this year we are missing another when Pearl Jam plays the best festival in America. So RtBE figured we will kick off our Full Show Friday April Focus on bands playing NOLA Jazzfest with the fantastic Seattle rockers. We found an amazing fan created video from their October 16th 2014 show from Detroit MI.

It is MEGA, full setlist below stop reading and click play...Enjoy:

SETLIST

SET ONE

00:00:00 Intro
00:00:36 Release
00:05:20 Oceans
00:08:06 Nothingman
00:12:15 Go
00:15:08 Mind Your Manners
00:17:45 Wanna Be Your Dog
00:18:21 Corduroy
00:25:06 Lightning Bolt
00:31:48 Amongst The Waves
00:37:03 Even Flow
00:47:03 Light Years
00:51:45 Got Some
00:55:04 Dissident
01:00:46 Black Red Yellow
01:02:18 Stranglehold
01:04:52 Lukin
01:05:46 Not For You
01:12:13 Once
01:20:53 Rearviewmirror

01:29:18 ENCORE 1

01:35:31 Man Of The Hour
01:39:38 Imagine
01:43:57 Last Kiss
01:47:28 Comatose
01:49:53 State Of Love And Trust
01:53:03 Black
02:01:41 Better Man
02:09:18 Guitar Smash

02:10:34 ENCORE 2

02:11:48 Do The Evolution
02:15:37 Wasted Reprise
02:17:38 Life Wasted
02:21:38 Detroit Rock City
02:22:05 Spin The Black Circle
02:25:02 Alive
02:32:19 Kick Out The Jams
02:34:58 Baba O'Riley
02:39:29 Indifference
02:45:30 Credits

2016 NOLA Jazzfest Acts Announced!

Last week we guessed at who should and who would be playing the 2016 NOLA Jazz Festival, which we consider the best fest in the country.

Well today they announced the acts via this funky video:


We gotta say the lineup is pretty god damn solid. Last year we were underwhelemd with the major acts that were playing down there, not the case this year as all of the headliners would be worth saying, I am not sure I have said that about any of the years we have gone down.

Unfortunately we always book tickets early so we will be missing Pearl Jam who we caught at the Fest in 2010,


However, with Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Tedeschi Trucks Band and Neil Young the second weekend (as well as numerous local acts) we can not complain in the slightest.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers join PJ to give the first weekend a bit of an old school Loollapalloza feel while long time blues warriors like Bonnie Raitt can slug it out with new school six string slingers like Gary Clark Jr.

The only downside to this?  Now we have to wait until the end of the April...It can't come soon enough!

Vedder, Dylan and More Letterman Musical Guests

Tonight marks the last David Letterman show, bringing to end a huge era in the realm of television. To be honest, Late Night TV has never had a hold on us like others of our generation or certainly generations before. We slightly appreciate it but never felt super connected to any host and the format leaves us wanting with some vapid guests, give us Chuck for interviews. It is doubtful Late Night will ever have the same impact now and going forward with diluted media but it still is a huge huge step to play music on any talk show let alone one watched by millions.

This week, to close out Dave's historic, run we had Eddie Vedder sing "Better Man" on Monday night backed by Paul Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra. Check out the fun version below:

You could tell Eddie wanted to go even more nuts and probably play about 100 more songs.

Last night Bob Dylan made an extremely rare network appearance and played "The Night We Called It A Day" see it below:

A fitting tribute on an American Jazz Standard that worked and looked pretty damn good on national TV, better then we thought he would look/sound. Maybe only slightly better then Letterman in Cabin Boy.

A lot more music after the jump, click that read more below: