Keeping it alive

Two decades ago, five musicians changed the rock and roll diaspora. Starting out in Seattle, USA, they called themselves Pearl Jam and created a sound that resonated with the angst-ridden youth's grunge leaning.

Two decades ago, five musicians changed the rock and roll diaspora. Starting out in Seattle, USA, they called themselves Pearl Jam and created a sound that resonated with the angst-ridden youth's grunge leaning. Their rock anthems such as

HT Image

Alive, Black

and

Nothingman

are still a favourite with college bands.

Which is why, as Pearl Jam celebrates its twentieth birth anniversary touring California, closer to home, city rockers have put together a tribute concert for the band. Musicologist Anuj Gupta, organiser of the tribute, reasons, "Personally I hate tributes, but Pearl Jam has influenced so many of our artistes that I thought this would be a great way of enjoying their music."

To be held on October 22, the day that marks Pearl Jam's first ever concert in USA, where they played to some 230 odd people. The Pearl Jam India tribute to be held in Mumbai will feature bands like Split and Blakc, and musicians Sid Coutto and Gaurab Gupta (Tough on Tobacco), Warren Mendonsa (Blackstratblues) and Randolph Correia and Vishal Dadlani (Pentagram).

"I got in touch with musicians who I know are Pearl Jam fans. Initially I thought of Split and Blakc, because their sound is a lot like Pearl Jam's. I told them to play their own music and do covers, because that in itself would be a tribute. But the bands themselves offered to play covers," says Gupta.

So while the two bands will play tracks like

Smile

and

Worldwide Suicide

, and songs from

Ten, Vs

and

Vitalogy

, Coutto will sing

Nothingman

and

Elderly Woman

while Dadlani will sing the epic signature

Alive

. "There will also be a few surprise elements. There will be people walking in and playing their favourite Pearl Jam tracks. In simple words, it is an orgy of Pearl Jam fans," says Gupta.