Quick Stop by Pearl Jam Gives Quickstep a Musical Lift

By early Saturday night, the rumor mill at and around the Newport Roadhouse was churning.

Never mind the four acts listed on the evening’s bill; Soundgarden and Pearl Jam were coming.

The two guitar heroes from the Seattle alternative rock circuit were playing just minutes away at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre in Night Two of Lollapalooza ’92.

Word had it they would be popping by this cramped bar after their main gig, and that each might play a brief set on the club’s tiny stage.

The Roadhouse had long since been sold out for a bill officially topped by the Stone Temple Pilots and Green Apple Quickstep, with Godhead and Black Creek opening. Since Green Apple Quickstep is a budding Seattle band managed by the same agency that handles Soundgarden and Pearl Jam, big things could be expected to happen.

A line of long-haired hopefuls held vigil outside the front door on the chance they might somehow be able to get inside, or at least hear the two Lollapalooza bands perform.

The buzz, however, turned out to be little more than fizz.

At 1 a.m., five hours after the doors to the club had opened, the members of Pearl Jam joined Green Apple Quickstep onstage for the final number of the night, a rendition of the Chambers Brothers’ “Time Has Come Today.” A few Soundgarden members were said to be milling around the bar somewhere, but none climbed on stage.

Still, “Time Has Come Today” clearly was the highlight of the evening.

With the aid of Pearl Jam’s vocals, Green Apple Quickstep delivered a blistering speed-metal version of the closet classic. Another, more enthusiastic crowd (perhaps those standing in line outside, for example) might have gone gaga over the moment.

Instead, after the song ended with a crash and instruments flew about, a few muffled claps were briefly heard before the lights and recorded music came up.

The Roadhouse on Saturday was packed with members of the twentynothing, too-cool-to-applaud set. Nirvana or the Rolling Stones could have bounded on stage without attracting much more than a passing glance.

The more exuberant ones in the audience started scuffles near the stage.

That brought chaos to an otherwise impressive performance by the Southland-based Stone Temple Pilots.

And the combination of wanton rowdiness and utter apathy seemed to make Green Apple Quickstep more concerned with elevating the level of anarchy than with playing their music--a pity, considering the band’s obvious potential.

After the show, the night’s high hopes left mostly unfulfilled, a row of would-be patrons still remained queued up outside the front door, waiting.