Take Me Back to Chicago
Robert Johnson, Wilco, Andrew Bird, and Pearl Jam
I still dream of the lake of peacefulness
The warm summer breeze
'Cause my life was so much simpler then
Street corners and tastee freeze
Take me back to Chicago
—Take Me Back to Chicago by Chicago
The new Pope is from Chicago! Eddie Vedder is from Chicago. Good music comes from Chicago. Let’s make a Music Swap edition about Chicago.
Ben (lives in Chicago), Adam, and Kody offer up a song that connects them to Chi-Town.
A Bonus Track about an all-time great with strong ties to Chicago from someone who lives in Chicago and has seen them almost 100 times.
Take me back to Chicago!
Ben’s Pick: Sweet Home Chicago by Robert Johnson
I chose what some consider to be the city's anthem - a song from the Mississippi Delta about Chicago, which is part of the city’s rich history. Robert Johnson is a legend, and you’ll hear this song show up all across the city. It’s likely the Blues Brothers, Zepplin, or Eric Clapton version, but the blues below the covers still offer the invitation -- baby, don’t you want to go?
Adam’s Pick: Via Chicago by Wilco
Every time I hear the word Chicago, this is the first song that comes to mind. Jeff Tweedy has an uncanny ability to reach into some very dark places with his songwriting, and this track is a prime example. It starts calm and measured, then unravels into pure chaos—a classic Wilco move. Enjoy.
Kody’s Pick: Pulaski at Night by Andrew Bird
Andrew Bird’s music is a mix of indie folk, classical, and jazz, defined by his masterful violin playing and whistling. That’s right, whistling. It’s a staple feature of the Bird’s catalog.
I paint you a picture
Of Pulaski at night
Come back to Chicago
City of, city of light
Catch this song live sometime. It’s bound to make you sway with the crowd.
Bonus Track: Live On - A Father, a Son, and the Soundtrack of Pearl Jam by Matt LaFontaine
Ok, I have been tasked (and happily accepted) to be the guest writer here, and my ask was for a song/setlist/story about Pearl Jam. Tough task for me, as they mean so much to me. Ben knows I’ve seen them play live over 75x. Also, I apologize, give me a microphone or a pen, and I will take liberty with both.
Pearl Jam is so important to me, actually, because of my father. I grew up my whole life listening to The Who (I can come back and write about them, Springsteen, or U2 as well). It was my dad’s favorite band, and constantly on, much to the chagrin of my mother. Well, in July of 1989, at the ripe age of 9, my dad took my brother and me to Alpine Valley Music Theatre to see The Who, and my life was changed forever. Live music was my drug. I loved everything about it. Studied it. Watched old VHSs of old concerts of mostly The Who, but also The Band, The Stones, The Boss. No matter where our relationship was (and it was always great), my father and I always had music.
Fast forward to the fall of 1991, and a 6th-grade Matt was in the prime of his awkward age. Every kid loved Nirvana. For some reason, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” wasn’t doing it for me like it was for every other boy in my grade. I didn’t mind it, but I was gravitating to another song that was on MTV, “Alive” by Pearl Jam. Well, being a boy and 11, that makes me and my friends extra stupid. One day, at my buddy Jordie’s house, battle lines were drawn: Nirvana or Pearl Jam. You had to pick an allegiance. Think Packers or Bears. Cardinals or Cubs. You couldn’t have both. Well, at a vote of 4-1, I was the only Pearl Jam person. A year later, the Vs. album comes out, and I have not looked back since.
Now, let’s get to some songs. I could go through the catalog, and maybe I will one day, but as I am waking up in a hotel in Nashville ready to see my third (you read that right) Pearl Jam show of the week, I will try to break it into one song per album and maybe a cover or two. First, they are a live band. If you have not seen them live. Do it. Do it today, I have room in my hotel.
Ten (arguably the best debut album of all time):
Black: A breakup song that still haunts Eddie to this day. I am not a big “research the song” guy. I have heard he has never told anyone who this song is about. As I have told my son, though, I hope this song is part of your life one day. We all need “the one that got away” relationship at some point in our lives. One of the best versions I have seen. An 18-second hold for Eddie at the end.
Pearl Jam - Black - Las Vegas (May 16, 2024)
Vs.:
Rearviewmirror: Easily a top 5 song of mine. Another song that just relates to parts of my life. The passion in it is amazing. There is no better pissed off song to drive fast on a highway listening to. It could be a broken relationship. A toxic job—whatever it may be. But yelling “Saw Things” over and over until you hit “Clearer. Clearer. Once you. In my. REARVIEWMIRRORRRRRR” is an experience everyone should have. Also, everyone has had that feeling at some point in their life. This version is for Kerry (Editor’s note: Kerry Wood, former SWAP writer, Cubs pitcher, and author’s friend) from 2 nights ago. I imagine, however, he stopped reading 4 paragraphs ago.
Vitalogy (concludes the best 3-album debut in history):
Corduroy: Cliché, to pick, but this is the best rock and roll song since Baba O’Reilly. Not much to say about it other than it just grips you. From the guitar in the beginning to Ed’s voice to Mike’s guitar solo at the end. It’s as close to a perfect song as you can get. This version has my 2 favorite things, Pearl Jam and Wrigley Field.
No Code:
Off He Goes: Another beautiful song about a loved one or a friend who is constantly on the move. I can’t write too much on all of these, so just enjoy this one’s beauty.
Yield:
Do The Evolution: Just beat out Given To Fly. Both are staples in the live show, but I just feel Evolution is a turn off the beaten path. A risk of a song they did at the time, and it worked. Such a great rock song and always gets people going. Also, my very Catholic mother loves it when I tell her, “I go to church and this is my choir.”
Pearl Jam - Do The Evolution - Lollapalooza Brasil 2013 - HD
Binaural:
Light Years: I have nothing profound about this song; I just love it. One of their lesser albums in the eyes of most. I just think the flow is a little off, but I still like it. Not played much either.
Riot Act:
Thumbing My Way: I don’t know if the non-Pearl Jam fan thinks of them as just a hardcore rock band or not, but songs like this show the emotion of Ed. This is another beautiful song that can bring me to tears if played at the right time.
Pearl Jam - Thumbing My Way - Austin (September 18, 2023)
Pearl Jam:
Inside Job: The rare Mike McCready song. Amazing song that builds and builds. You can tell Eddie just loves playing it because of Mike.
Backspacer:
Unthought Known: On the off chance Sarah and Kerry are still reading this, my apologies for not picking Just Breathe, but I had to go with Unknown Thought. One of the 4 songs I make sure I listen to on my birthday every year. My zen song. Just a perfect message that only Ed can put into music.
PEARL JAM - "Unthought Known" | Live from Global Citizen Festival 2015 HD
Lightning Bolt:
Future Days: Has been made more mainstream by some HBO show, but this is a great wedding song for you single people out there. Again, great message and just puts me in a happy place. Enjoy some wine drunk Eddie for 90 seconds before he plays it.
Gigaton:
Dance of the Clairvoyants: Weird album for me because it came out literally on Covid. I listened to it nonstop because what else was I doing? This song rocks because it channels the style of the Talking Heads. Such a curve ball by them, which is what makes them the best.
Dark Matter:
Scared of Fear: Wreckage will go down as the most famous song, and rightfully so. It will be a staple, and the “Holding on” by Eddie at the end is perfect and also brings me to tears (not a hard task). But Scared of Fear is an unbelievable rock song. Great riff and great lyrics. Between this and Wreckage, I worried there might be trouble in the Vedder household. But that’s what great songwriters do.
Encores:
You have gone this far, flatter me with a couple more. In the theme of fate, destiny, and a higher being, I am writing this on the 3rd anniversary of my father’s passing. I don’t say this for sympathy, but I feel like Ben asking me to contribute to the Swap this week is why I believe in Divine Intervention. Everyone will die; that is the cost of life. I obviously miss my dad, but I think of the great times we had and how much music played an important part in both of our lives and our relationship. My responsibility for his funeral was to make sure the music was good. If you are Catholic, that can be a tough task. A nice trick that we uncovered was that Mass starts and ends at a specific time, so before it starts and after it ends, playing your choice of songs is fair game.
So here are 3 songs that encompass my father. As you can tell, Ed loves The Who like we do, which was always cool, and why my dad respected Pearl Jam.
The entry song into the church for his funeral.
1. Love Reign O’er Me:
2. Baba O’Reilly:
Greatest rock song of all time. They constantly cover it.
Pearl Jam - Baba O'Riley - Fenway Park (August 5, 2016)
And last, and again, why I believe in a higher power.
3. Keep me in your heart:
I demanded this be played before I gave his eulogy. Well, just so happens they played this and Baba in Nashville 2 days ago when I was there. It’s almost like my dad knew I was writing this. Watch the lead-up to him singing. Heartbreaking son……Thanks for reading, cheers.
-MJL
Matt LaFontaine is a Wealth Advisor in Chicago with William Blair. He is an avid baseball fan. His first CD was Achtung Baby.
Matt, Amazing! Thank you for putting your heart into that one. You’re welcome back anytime.
This is what the Music Swap is all about. Music binds so much together, so it must be shared.
-TheMusicSwap
I saw Pearl Jam once in Alabama and they came out for an encore and played the first few notes of “Sweet Home Alabama” and then right when the crowd started cheering they ran off. Still the most memorable ending to any concert I’ve attended.
hear me out... Jeremih