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Posts with tag PearlJam

Pearl Jam Offering Free 'Bootleg' Downloads on Verizon Phones


Back in the day, bootleg recordings were poor-quality reproductions of live concerts captured on crummy tape systems that were then passed around (usually illegally) between rabid fans. These days, it seems, that concept has gone a little....commercial. Verizon has announced a partnership with former grunge mavens Pearl Jam to release a trio of 'bootleg' tracks after each concert on their 2008 tour, which kicks off tonight in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Three songs will be captured each night, mixed by a Verizon engineer, then posted to Verizon's V CAST network for download on Verizon Wireless phone the the desktops of Verizon Wireless customers. One of the three will be free for 24 hours after posting, while the other two will cost $.99 each. After 24 hours, that free track will be replaced with another, though the old one will still be available for purchase along with all the others for the duration of the tour.

Underground it ain't -- after all these arent's really bootlegs, are they? -- but if you want to get in on the action, you'll have to download the V CAST Music Manager software. You certainly can't beat the price -- so long as you're quick with the downloading and don't mind one measly track per night. If, on the other hand, you're willing to pay for the full show, head over to PearlJam.com, where pretty much anyone can download MP3 versions of shows for $9.99 (and those will work on any player or phone!). [Source: Pearl Jam Summer Tour 2008]

AT&T Admits Error In Censoring Pearl Jam Song

AT&T Admits Error in Censoring Pearl Jam

AT&T has come out and said it was wrong to censor a live Pearl Jam song that featured a pair of lines a pair of lines criticizing George W. Bush. Last weekend, AT&T streamed live performances from the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago through its Blue Room website. It was during Pearl Jam's performance that a pair of lines critical of President Bush, sung to the tune of Pink Floyd's 'Another Brick in the Wall,' were censored by an AT&T vendor.

The two lines, "George Bush, leave this world alone" and "George Bush find yourself another home," were edited out by a monitor who was supposed to block excessive profanity and nudity, but, according to AT&T, not political speech.

AT&T has said it is working with the vendor to avoid future confusion. It is also trying to acquire the rights to the full song so it can post the complete and unedited performance.

Meanwhile, you can find the full, uncensored webcast on Pearl Jam's official site. "What happened to us was a wake-up call, and it's about something much bigger than the censorship of a rock band," said the band on its website, where it urged citizens to learn more about and join the debate on Net Neutrality, the movement that wants to keep free and open access to the Internet (versus many Internet providers, including AT&T, that want to control which sites and services get download-speed priority).


From AOL News (AP)

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