By Amberleigh Jack
Pearl Jam had something to get off their chests on Friday night. Photo: AFP / Tom Grut
Review - When a truly iconic band of the 1990s Seattle era is welcomed on stage by local iwi with a karanga and haka - followed by thunderous stadium cheers - there's little question the night ahead will be something special.
From the moment Pearl Jam broke into the opener, 'Given to Fly' - complete with scenic Tāmaki Makaurau shots on the big screen - to vocalist Eddie Vedder's "Up the Wahs" cry mid-set and his declaration that this is a "beautiful f***ing country", it felt like there was no place this singer would rather be, than on stage at Auckland's Go Media stadium on Friday night.
The evening began with Liam Finn and Eliza Jane Barnes hilariously entertaining a mostly-empty venue, followed by a highlight for this reviewer, who somehow made it to 43 without seeing legendary Pixies perform 'Where is My Mind' live until now.
But when the main act brought the first eager mass singalong with 'Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town' it kicked off a night of flannel revival, enthusiastic dancing, wide-eyed grins and catching eyes with strangers for magical moments of fervent singalongs.
On this night, the power of music, performance and the crowd's energy felt like the catharsis this band needed.
Hand a stadium audience to a band like Pearl Jam days after the US election, and nobody would be surprised if they had something to get off their chest.
On Friday night - 11,000km from home - Vedder had moments of seriousness and a hint of melancholy as he made vague references to Wednesday's election. There was the fact that showing up in a "faraway land" to "see everybody joined together" was "exactly what we needed to do".
The Pixies' performance of 'Where Is My Mind' was a highlight for this reviewer. Photo: Supplied / Tom Grut
Later, acoustic guitar in hand, Vedder got heartfelt again - saying he feared the world was scared of progress, and seemed to be moving backwards.
"We can figure it out. We will figure it out. It just might take a little longer," he told fans before getting everyone swaying with 'Just Breathe'.
But this was a night for celebration, and if this band needed a crowd coming together, they couldn't have asked for much more than this one.
The tens of thousands that swarmed the stadium on Friday soaked up the ferocity, gratitude and infectious energy the band threw their way. And the filled stadium immediately threw it back in spades.
'Even Flow' had the entire seated area to their feet, and the trend continued for crowd favourites like 'Daughter', 'Jeremy' and 'Not for You'.
The band threw ferocity, gratitude and infectious energy at the crowd. Photo: AFP / Tom Grut
Eddie Vedder, guitarist Mike McCready, bassist Jeff Ament, rhythm guitarist Stone Gossard, drummer Matt Cameron and touring keyboardist Boom Gasper, together are one of our generation's defining bands. Decades on, it'd be easy to forgive them for slowing down.
Instead, McCready tackled his guitar with ferocious energy and Vedder ran and bounced and sang with the enthusiasm of a teenager. It seems the only difference time made is that he kept that energy on the stage rather than climbing the rig with it.
With a back catalogue of 12 studio albums, including their latest, Dark Matter, Pearl Jam squeezed plenty of crowd-pleasers into the set. 'Porch' had our seat neighbours in a frenzy and 'React, Respond' from the new album was a hit.
Vedder singled out crowd members, Liam Finn returned to the stage for 'Habit' and they even broke the setlist for a request that came from the front row.
When it felt like things couldn't get any better, the stadium lights came up as thousands were on their feet, producing deafening noise and raising arms in unison for 'Alive'. That clear, awe-inspiring view of thousands embracing a moment they'll remember forever remained as the show closed with Neil Young's 'Rockin' in the Free World'.
"Thank you so f***ing much. We needed you. We love you," a genuine-sounding Vedder said as he farewelled the crowd, and appeared to get emotional as the entire stadium refused to stop cheering.
Few gigs play out more than two hours without feeling like a natural end has arrived. But as punters filed out onto the east Auckland streets on Friday night, plenty were likely grabbing for their phones to check if last-minute tickets for Sunday's show were available.
If I could, I'd be right there with them.