When fans, especially those of the casual variety, think of Pearl Jam they generally conjure up an image of a “fight the power” type of band who’s politically active and bent on not succumbing to the “Man” running the music industry.  

That’s pretty much the band’s reputation, just ask anyone with Pearl Jam concert tickets.

In 2006, Rolling Stone magazine wrote that Pearl Jam had “spent much of the past decade deliberately tearing apart their own fame. “ The band stopped making both television appearances and music videos.  Meanwhile, they unsuccessfully took on Ticketmaster.

The band has always been politically active.  They support the pro-choice movement, environment and wildlife protection groups (the band has a carbon neutral policy), and the Green Party (suppress chuckle now).  

This may come as a shock, but they weren’t fans of George W. Bush.

In addition, Pearl Jam has performed in concerts benefiting the U.N.’s fight against world hunger, victims of Hurricane Katrina, Habitat for Humanity and the American Red Cross.

It’s clear that Pearl Jam is all about saving this and protecting that and fighting this injustice and battling that travesty.  However, if you look around, this seemingly socially progressive juggernaut is in cahoots with a plethora of big-time corporations.  

In fact, Pearl Jam is hawking more products than Peyton Manning.

Their upcoming ninth studio album, Backspacer, set to be released September 20th, is being sold exclusively at Target (and indie retailers but who goes to them anymore).  

You can also download the album from the iTunes Music Store (Apple).  Overseas, album is being distributed by Universal Music (Vivendi).  

Recently, the band has joined up with Verizon’s V Cast platform to offer fans access to Pearl Jam content.

  

Backspacer uses Sony technology to house extra material and the entire album with get the full DLC Rock Band 2 treatment, possibly paving the way for a Pearl Jam Rock Band game (Electronic Arts) in 2010.

In the 1990’s, Kurt Cobain accused the band of being sellouts but he probably didn’t imagine the band would ever sell out to an army of corporations.  

Cobain was referring to the way the band was selling albums, t-shirts and Pearl Jam Seattle tickets.  He was not referring to the band’s vertical commercial integration with consumer oriented media synergy (okay, we made that up but you get our point).

Now you might argue that using Sony’s software or being immortalized by Rock Band doesn’t make one a sellout.  That’s true, but the more corporations you do business with and the more politically active you are, the greater the risk of biting the hand that feeds.  

What is the target of most political activism?  It’s the government and corporations.  Take the environment for example.  It’s not being polluted by orphans and puppy dogs.  It’s being polluted by big business.  Some of which would love to have Pearl Jam pimp their products.  

Before you sell your Pearl Jam Chicago tickets or your Pearl Jam Philadelphia tickets in protest keep something in mind.  The only difference between bands that sell out and bands that don’t sell out is the bands that didn’t sell out were never given the chance.  Face it, selling out is as American as apple pie and a 401k plan.  

If I was in a band as big as Pearl Jam I would be selling out faster than you can say “I’m going to Disneyland.”  

I would allow my songs to be used as jingles for enriched uranium if they paid me enough.  

If my manager didn’t have my cheesy, pensive single playing at the end of every emotional episode of every two-bit drama on television I would have her fired.  

If they gave me a good enough deal, I would get a Ticketmaster tramp stamp.

Before you start accusing me or Pearl Jam of being greedy “you know whats,” stop and think for a moment how expensive it is to live.  Then think of how expensive it is for Pearl Jam to live.  They have kids, mortgages, college tuitions, wives who have to shop, mistresses who need apartments, and those prescription drugs don’t buy themselves.

Sure there are bands that walk the walk and wouldn’t take a dime from a corporation to save a spotted owl.  But those bands sell 11 albums a year and play for 100 fans at a venue that doubles as a furniture store.

The best way for Pearl Jam to spread their message and affect change is by reaching as many people as possible.  Sometimes that involves producing albums, sometimes that involves selling Pearl Jam Toronto tickets and sometimes that involves working with corporate America.

After all, the best way to bring down the machine is from within.  Fight the power and pass me my iPhone.