ujam

i stumbled across this youtube video quite by accident and was sort of blown away. it is two of my favorites collaborating to "make poverty history." u2 and pearl jam have been standing up for what they believe in for something like a combined 50 years and i respect both bands immensely for it. still, at the end of the day they are both rock bands and how they rock is what they will be judged on.

in this video of what appears to be pearl jam with the edge and bono performing neil young's 'keep on rockin' in the free world,' all parties rock and rock hard. i love live music-it is easily my favorite art form. i can recall seeing both of these bands from great seats up close and there is just something about live rock and roll pulsing through one's body, coursing through the bloodstream in rhythm with a thump, thump, thumping of the bass guitar and the bass drum and the energy of the groove of the rhythm and melody and a voice rising above it all to sing something of real meaning, that moves me.

what is more is the feel of a mass of humanity exhibiting some sort of like-mindedness by jumping and bopping and contorting and singing along in a sort of unison to and with the performer. it is something like the riot mentality contained and when u2 and pearl jam are involved, it is the riot mentality, the exhibition of humanity as a fabric acting in concert outside of the confines of a single body, all hopped up on positivity, infused by the music and the sensation of oneness-it is in my humble estimation the highest form of this phenomena.

having seen a great deal of live music in my day it is difficult to get too excited about video recorded live music. still, when i viewed this video i was moved. i did get excited. i enjoyed seeing a couple of my favorites performing together and the song just drives forward throughout, gaining momentum just when it feels like a crescendo has been reached. it is a classic rock song and together with alternative "stop poverty," lyrics, u2 and pearl jam accomplish what most rock bands set out to do to begin with. they kick ass.