14 DAY TRIAL // Pearl Jam fans from all over the US, listen to this: Verizon is offering free mobile bootleg recordings from the band's current US tour that started yesterday, June 11, in West Palm Beach, Florida, and will end on June 30, in Mansfield, Massachusetts.
More exactly, during every one of the 12 concerts included in the tour, Verizon will record three tracks performed live by Pearl Jam. After each show, one of these tracks will be offered for free, via the V CAST Music service, for all the Verizon customers who want to download it. The other tracks are also available, but at standard costs. All the Pearl Jam related content (including ringtones and ringback tones) is available in the "Pearl Jam" category found on V CAST Music and can be downloaded either on users' PCs or directly on their phones.
Besides offering exclusive bootlegs, Pearl Jam and Verizon also encourage users to participate to the HopeLine program and donate unused mobile phones for charitable purposes. During each venue of the Pearl Jam tour, fans can find special areas set up precisely for this purpose, where they can hand out phones, accessories or batteries that they no longer need.
Talking about Pearl Jam and their collaboration with Verizon, Ed Ruth, director of digital music for Verizon, stated: "Pearl Jam has long been at the forefront of generations of talented artists taking action and speaking out on what's important to them, and mobile technology is a large part of that movement. Verizon Wireless delivers the opportunity for artists to interact directly with fans - they can download music, win tickets to the show and now get the world's first mobile bootlegs from this legendary band."
With a history spanning almost 20 years, Pearl Jam is one of the most popular grunge/alternative rock bands in the world. Starting with the legendary debut album from 1991, called "Ten", the band has sold about 60 million records worldwide, while Eddie Vedder, the frontman, has become a "rock icon".
The current US tour of Pearl Jam will probably concentrate on the band's latest album, called "Pearl Jam" and released in May 2006. Even so, I believe fans will have the chance to hear older songs, like the beautiful "Black", for example (actually, this is a song that I'd like to hear if I was there).