Watch: Pearl Jam’s “The Fixer”
With only a month to go before Backspacer hits its street date, Pearl Jam unveiled its new video this past weekend for current single, “The Fixer”. If you recall, earlier this year the grunge veterans tagged acclaimed director Cameron Crowe to shoot a video, some promotional material, and an assortment of footage for a potential forthcoming documentary. Well, the first of the three is off the assembly line, and to be honest, it’s pretty shabby.
There’s only so much you can do with a performance video. Usually you have to add some subplot, maybe a few celebrity cameos, and then there’s the “old school” footage you could splice between. With “The Fixer”, Crowe, instead, opted to make a vomit-inducing clusterfuck that actually works against the song. It’s a mess. Between the mirrored shots, lopsided angles, and erratic fans, there’s too much going on, and while the song is wild n’ bouncy, it doesn’t merit an ADHD-driven video. Disappointment? Considering it’s Crowe behind the lense (this writer’s favorite director, essentially), this is a mild catastrophe.
Some things work, however. Towards the end, when things actually focus, there are some phenomenal shots, including one which follows Vedder as he spins and hangs from the microphone, revealing the pandemonium of an audience behind him. But that’s not enough to salvage this disaster.
If the documentary’s anything like this, you’ll have to skip out on the popcorn. Oh, well.
Pearl Jam 2009 Tour Dates:
08/24 - Chicago, IL @ United Center
08/28 - San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands Festival
09/21 - Seattle, WA @ Key Arena *
09/22 - Seattle, WA @ Key Arena *
09/25 - Vancouver, BC @ GM Place *
09/26 - Portland, OR @ Clark County Ampitheater *
09/28 - Salt Lake City, UT @ E Center *
09/30 - Los Angeles, CA @ Gibson Amphitheatre *
10/01 - Los Angeles, CA @ Gibson Amphitheatre *
10/04 - Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits
10/06 - Los Angeles, CA @ Gibson Amphitheatre *
10/07 - Los Angeles, CA @ Gibson Amphitheatre *
10/09 - San Diego, CA @ Viejas Arena *
10/27 - Philadelphia, PA @ Wachovia Spectrum
10/28 - Philadelphia, PA @ Wachovia Spectrum
10/30 - Philadelphia, PA @ Wachovia Spectrum
10/31 - Philadelphia, PA @ Wachovia Spectrum
11/14 - Perth, AU @ Members Equity Stadium
11/17 - Adelaide, AU @ Adelaide Oval
11/20 - Melbourne, AU @ Etihad Stadium
11/22 - Sydney, AU @ Sydney Football Stadium
11/25 - Brisbane, AU @ QSAC Stadium
11/27 - Auckland, NZ @ Mt Smart Stadium
11/29 - Christchurch, NZ @ AMI Stadium
* = w/ Ben Harper & the Relentless7
Simply do not agree. I think the video works on every level… in your face rock and roll - PJ style.
Right, Tom G? I just felt this video could have been so much more, especially given the talent. It just seems very copy and paste here, but overloaded. If they HAD to use the green screens, I think older footage or something weird could have been cooler. It just seems too chaotic.
Yep yep. Updated.
You are missing a few dates on there
As a hardcore Pearl Jam fan, I’m not a big fan of the video. At least they’re still making them! From Vs to Riot Act, there weren’t many (”Do the Evolution”).
You’re missing the additional tour dates.
Thanks, Mark. Right on the money.
i am not a huge Pearl Jam fan and i think this video again.
It must be because i literally disagree with EVERYTHING the author has ever wrote.
Real intelligent review. “vomit-inducing clusterfuck”
I can relate to that feeling when i read your “articles”