Tech Blog

[#1]

I saw Pearl Jam play at GM place in Vancouver three nights ago.

After about 20 minutes of watching and listening, I started to put together my thoughts regarding how I was going to write up the show.

Although I obviously was going to make sure I listened to as much of the show as possible, I had pretty much figured out my opinions regarding their performance.

And then they gave $20,000 of their cut of the night's proceeds to the Terry Fox Foundation.

Now, I'm not one of those folks who confuse people's art with their personal life. I don't stop watching Mel Gibson movies because he's an anti-Semite, I don't stop listening to Chris Brown because he beat up Rihanna, and I don't stop thinking Phil Spector was an amazing producer just because he had a penchant for shooting his girlfriends in the face.

If I got rid of an album every time a musician did something morally, ethically, or legally questionable, my record collection would consist of nothing but an old copy of Elmo Sings The Music Of Lawrence Welk. I've always gone by the principle that art is art, personal life is personal life.

Until now. Musicians who use their art as a platform for their promotion of social causes often get critizized for their overwrought preaching (Hi Sting!!!) but at the end of the day, it's something that I think causes much more good than harm. The amount of attention that Neil Young has brought to the plight of handicapped children, or that Bono has brought to well, pretty much everything else, is indescribable. It's easy to point out that sometimes artists benefit from the good publicity that these actions bring them, but at the end of the day, Pearl Jam is going to have a pretty good financial year, regardless of whether or not they talk about promoting cancer research or not. No one is going to buy Bob Dylan's new Christmas record because all of Dylan's proceeds will be going to help feed those in need. They're going to buy it because it's Dylan. And because they like the idea of an old crazy guy mumbling "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" while they celebrate the holidays with their families.

Which brings me back to Pearl Jam, and my hypocrisy. I'm going to keep my opinions on the band's performance that night to my self, and simply say that for one night, because of one simple act, Pearl Jam was my favourite band in the world.

[#2]

Hit the nail on the head!

B!