Pearl Jam: Touring Band 2000

Pearl Jam have proved themselves to be one of the enduring rock and roll bands of the 90's- still together, still making moving, combustible music that finds that perfect edge of hard-rock while still appealing to a massive audience. For its own cult group, which is rather big in and of itself, a DVD like Touring Band 2000 is a given to buy and soak up multiple times, but for the casual PJ fan it's worthwhile also. Classics like 'Daughter', 'Better Man', 'Even Flow', and some of my other favorites like 'Animal' and 'Rocking in the Free World' are among the lot of over two dozen songs included. The added treat is that the songs are NOT inter-cut with interviews, like other music DVD documentaries, and that they are from various concerts giving the wide range of material. I even dug the grainy style of filming, which could get under my skin, but stays above the line of incompetent, amateur filming. The style matches the energy and attitude that pours out of PJ with every song. However, one should get the DVD for its added bonus: bonus music videos, including one in particular for a favorite off of Yield- 'Do the Evolution', one of their very best videos directed by Todd McFarlane. To have this on video somewhere is a big treat.

I saw the Alpine Valley show ("Dissident" in Touring Band was shot there) and I felt the 20 degree cold air blowing through my ears mixed in with Pearl Jam's music while watching this DVD. The sound is excellent and it includes a Matt (Cameron)-cam, interesting because the drummer is overlooked too much in music, that shows the drummer side of a concert. This movie is well-titled and will allow the audience to feel what it's really like at a Pearl Jam concert. A+.

An expansive document of Pearl Jam's mammoth Binaural tour in the year 2000 - years before I got into them, and now twenty years in the past but it has gathered through time a warm nostalgic vibe. Their mild politicking - how things were before the towers fell - the joyful bespectacled kid hoist above Eddie's head in the final song. It covers a lot of bases, being spliced together from many shows so and doesn't ever generate the kind of energy that a single concert does but it's engrossing and it has some nice little bonus bits. A seriously pleasant music DVD from the dawn of the form.

I'm speechless; what else can anyone say after watching over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over this DVD? Pearl Jam is one of the greatest events in music of all time. It's honesty is only surpassed by the godly songs they create, and Touring band 2000 it's a legacy of sheer spiritual sounds live; a frame for the deep communion this five musicians have with themselves and with their audience. It's a must have for any music lover. Period.

Being a big fan of Pearl Jam may make my opinion somewhat biased, but the quality and planning of this music dvd is enough to make any despiser or rock and roll think twice about buying this movie. An excellent menu, brilliant sound quality, and amazing editing bring out the best of this Seattle band. A highly reccomended movie to any music video lover.