Eddie Vedder Announces U.S. Solo Tour, Continues to Build Solo Identity

Outside of the last few years, talking about Eddie Vedder usually meant talking about Pearl Jam in the same sentence. Since his release of the soundtrack to Into the Wild back in 2007, Vedder has cultivated an ever-growing presence outside of his existence within Pearl Jam. The success of Into the Wild and the subsequent tours that followed began to give Vedder separate, though certainly linked, identities. On one hand, he was the likeable, though sometimes brash, front man of one of the biggest and best musical acts on the planet. On the other, he appeared as this quiet, contemplative spirit --a spirit that was further developed by his sparse Ukulele Songs in 2011.

I've been to both Pearl Jam shows (four) as well as Vedder solo performances (two). I've experienced first hand the differences the two identities create. Pearl Jam shows are ripe with kinetic explosions of energy; defined by career-spanning, ever-changing setlists, exceptionally tight performances, and chill-inducing audience-to-band interaction. Vedder's solo performances shift these gears where you might expect. The "kinetic explosions of energy" are replaced by deep, contemplative "sparseness." The members of the audience no longer see Eddie Vedder as to how he relates to Pearl Jam, but how he is. This isn't an isolated incident. This is the traditional end result of most good music stars that take to the solo circuit at some point in their careers. This isn't to say that one manner of performance is better than the other, they're just both entirely different.

Vedder recently announced the commencement of another solo tour. Fortunately for some (unfortunately for most), the tour will focus on a southern swing. It begins in Las Vegas on April 11th and concludes May 16th in Orlando. You can see the full tour list here.

For many singer/songwriters that find themselves within a band, performing solo seems like a natural step. While it's not the ice cream that is their career, it serves as the sprinkles or the cherry on top of it. As I said, I've seen Vedder in both incarnations. Both are phenomenal. Though, both provide you with something totally separate of the other.

While I won't make it out on this tour (I live in Illinois), I would suggest to my readers to make a concerted effort to attend one of these shows. While different from a Pearl Jam show, they're special and shouldn't be missed.

Brian is an active musician and songwriter with the band Something With Trees and spends a lot of his time perusing around the music world in one form or another.

Sources
Vedder Announces Tour
Into the Wild Soundtrack