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My 50 Shows... Ranked.
Just got back from Greenville/Hampton. Hampton was my 50th show and whilst on the plane decided to put my 50 shows in some sort of order.... why I'm not sure, but I did it and figure this is the place to post such a thing.
So these are my 50 shows ranked top to bottom -- it's not scientific, and obviously there are some personal considerations (where I sat, memorable experiences etc) but this is how I'd put 'em with a few qualifying comments...
One thing is for sure, I've seen some good ones.
1. Moline 14 -- the "No Code" show -- a full album out of nowhere, plus band went off the setlist which is always a great sign
2. Gorge 05 -- drove from LA to the Gorge and got PJ opening for PJ plus had great 10C seats -- Hard to Imagine from outta nowhere and "Hello Tom, Come Down Tom"
3. San Diego 06 -- great set and the band and crowd just crushed it -- ranked higher than some might have it -- loved the Long Road mid-set and story about it
4. Phoenix 13 -- started with Long Road/Release, then 10 song first encore plus great GA spot and caught a Stone pick
5. Chicago 00 -- day after freezing East Troy, band goes off setlist for 23 song first set -- 30 songs back when it meant something
6. Greenville 16 -- "VS." for show 49, band in excellent form
7. Seattle 2 00 -- last show of Binaural tour, return of Alive, Parting Ways with strings and 3 encores
8. Chicago 07 -- The Vic -- seeing the band in a 900 person club -- the "deep cuts" setlist
9. Santa Barbara 03 -- one of the first "nights w/ Pearl Jam" -- acoustic then electric, then Chris Cornell for Hunger Strike
10. Hampton 16 -- show #50 GA 3rd row in front of MIke -- great first set, plus caught a Mike pick and another Long Road mid-set appearance to bring things full circle
11. Los Angeles 2 13 -- another great show in the GA -- No Way into Blood end of first set
12. Santa Barbara 06 -- "mini-Gorge" acoustic set into electric set
13. Vegas 00 -- 10th Anniversary, first Crown of Thorns
14. Irvine 1 03 -- great seats but sneaky great set -- go back and listen to the boot
15. Los Angeles 2 06
16. East Troy 2 11 -- Night 2 of PJ 20 -- loved the collaborations with Liam and Hansard
17. Chicago 98 -- my second show
18. Chicago 2 06 -- the Avacado "pre-tour" shows -- this night blew night 1 outta the water, 7 song 2nd encore
19. Universal City 4 09 -- they played All Those Yesterdays, my number 1 chase song
20. San Diego 09
21. Los Angeles 1 13 -- step below Phoenix and LA 2 -- a whole lot of 10
22. Wrigley 13 -- rain delay made for interesting night, but man was I tired by the end
23. Vancouver 05 -- day after the Gorge couldn't compare but actually great setlist
24. East Troy 1 98 -- my first show, best memory was them absolutely butchering Last Exit
25. Seattle 2001 -- this was the festival w/REM -- only 10 song setlist but extended Long Road with Ali Khan and I feel asleep on the bus at 2 AM on the way to the airport and got dropped off in the middle of nowhere in a forest while it was raining at 3:30 AM
26. Bridge School 1 1999 -- first performance of Thin Air but insane Bridge lineup with The Who, Neil, Green Day, Pumpkins -- The Who absolutely destroyed it
27. Universal City 1 09 -- short set but got Tremor Christ and caught first Stone pick
28. San Bernardino 00 -- it was fucking freezing but they opened with RVM and had a sneaky great set
29. East Troy 1 11 -- Night 1 of PJ 20 -- it was wet
30. Las Vegas 03 -- opened with 7 songs of fire
31. Los Angeles 1 06 -- good set, bad 10C seats
32. Irvine 2 03
33. Universal City 2 09 -- not a bad show
34. San Diego 03 -- great set (The Arc, 3 encores) but man Stone hated this show -- felt forced
35. Universal City 3 09 -- Cornell sang Hunger Strike but rest of the show was average
36. Seattle 2 02 -- the Key Arena Riot Act shows -- a lot of Riot Act
37. Chicago 07 Lolla -- fun festival set but weird forced Rocking in the Free World with backstage people on stage
38. Seattle 1 02
39. Fresno 00 -- Fresno is an ugly city, but Ed told a pretty funny joke about Yogi Bear and buttholes
40. Washington DC 06
41. Bridge School 2 1999 -- The Who had to play during the middle of the day, made rest of the day weird
42. Chicago 1 06 -- Ed was pretty f'ing drunk
43. Phoenix 03 -- very dry, Ed ailing, short set but did get I Won't Back Down
44. Los Angeles 00 -- non fan club show, very LA crowd and shortish set -- there were 2 crazy dudes in the pit
45. Las Vegas 06 -- everyone was a little bit off
46. Mountain View 03 -- had great seats but unmemorable show
47. Bridge School 1 2001 -- I Am Mine debuts after 9/11
48. Bridge School 1 2003
49. Bridge School 2 2003
50. Los Angeles 08 -- The Who tribute show, only played 2 songs
Also saw Ed and Jeff at the Not in Our Name benefit in 98 were they also played Long Road (it's a runner for me), plus Ed at the Tibetan Freedom Concert w/C Average where I met Ed on the lawn and shook his hand plus 3 other solo shows...
Wrigley will be shows 51 & 52. See you on the road.
So these are my 50 shows ranked top to bottom -- it's not scientific, and obviously there are some personal considerations (where I sat, memorable experiences etc) but this is how I'd put 'em with a few qualifying comments...
One thing is for sure, I've seen some good ones.
1. Moline 14 -- the "No Code" show -- a full album out of nowhere, plus band went off the setlist which is always a great sign
2. Gorge 05 -- drove from LA to the Gorge and got PJ opening for PJ plus had great 10C seats -- Hard to Imagine from outta nowhere and "Hello Tom, Come Down Tom"
3. San Diego 06 -- great set and the band and crowd just crushed it -- ranked higher than some might have it -- loved the Long Road mid-set and story about it
4. Phoenix 13 -- started with Long Road/Release, then 10 song first encore plus great GA spot and caught a Stone pick
5. Chicago 00 -- day after freezing East Troy, band goes off setlist for 23 song first set -- 30 songs back when it meant something
6. Greenville 16 -- "VS." for show 49, band in excellent form
7. Seattle 2 00 -- last show of Binaural tour, return of Alive, Parting Ways with strings and 3 encores
8. Chicago 07 -- The Vic -- seeing the band in a 900 person club -- the "deep cuts" setlist
9. Santa Barbara 03 -- one of the first "nights w/ Pearl Jam" -- acoustic then electric, then Chris Cornell for Hunger Strike
10. Hampton 16 -- show #50 GA 3rd row in front of MIke -- great first set, plus caught a Mike pick and another Long Road mid-set appearance to bring things full circle
11. Los Angeles 2 13 -- another great show in the GA -- No Way into Blood end of first set
12. Santa Barbara 06 -- "mini-Gorge" acoustic set into electric set
13. Vegas 00 -- 10th Anniversary, first Crown of Thorns
14. Irvine 1 03 -- great seats but sneaky great set -- go back and listen to the boot
15. Los Angeles 2 06
16. East Troy 2 11 -- Night 2 of PJ 20 -- loved the collaborations with Liam and Hansard
17. Chicago 98 -- my second show
18. Chicago 2 06 -- the Avacado "pre-tour" shows -- this night blew night 1 outta the water, 7 song 2nd encore
19. Universal City 4 09 -- they played All Those Yesterdays, my number 1 chase song
20. San Diego 09
21. Los Angeles 1 13 -- step below Phoenix and LA 2 -- a whole lot of 10
22. Wrigley 13 -- rain delay made for interesting night, but man was I tired by the end
23. Vancouver 05 -- day after the Gorge couldn't compare but actually great setlist
24. East Troy 1 98 -- my first show, best memory was them absolutely butchering Last Exit
25. Seattle 2001 -- this was the festival w/REM -- only 10 song setlist but extended Long Road with Ali Khan and I feel asleep on the bus at 2 AM on the way to the airport and got dropped off in the middle of nowhere in a forest while it was raining at 3:30 AM
26. Bridge School 1 1999 -- first performance of Thin Air but insane Bridge lineup with The Who, Neil, Green Day, Pumpkins -- The Who absolutely destroyed it
27. Universal City 1 09 -- short set but got Tremor Christ and caught first Stone pick
28. San Bernardino 00 -- it was fucking freezing but they opened with RVM and had a sneaky great set
29. East Troy 1 11 -- Night 1 of PJ 20 -- it was wet
30. Las Vegas 03 -- opened with 7 songs of fire
31. Los Angeles 1 06 -- good set, bad 10C seats
32. Irvine 2 03
33. Universal City 2 09 -- not a bad show
34. San Diego 03 -- great set (The Arc, 3 encores) but man Stone hated this show -- felt forced
35. Universal City 3 09 -- Cornell sang Hunger Strike but rest of the show was average
36. Seattle 2 02 -- the Key Arena Riot Act shows -- a lot of Riot Act
37. Chicago 07 Lolla -- fun festival set but weird forced Rocking in the Free World with backstage people on stage
38. Seattle 1 02
39. Fresno 00 -- Fresno is an ugly city, but Ed told a pretty funny joke about Yogi Bear and buttholes
40. Washington DC 06
41. Bridge School 2 1999 -- The Who had to play during the middle of the day, made rest of the day weird
42. Chicago 1 06 -- Ed was pretty f'ing drunk
43. Phoenix 03 -- very dry, Ed ailing, short set but did get I Won't Back Down
44. Los Angeles 00 -- non fan club show, very LA crowd and shortish set -- there were 2 crazy dudes in the pit
45. Las Vegas 06 -- everyone was a little bit off
46. Mountain View 03 -- had great seats but unmemorable show
47. Bridge School 1 2001 -- I Am Mine debuts after 9/11
48. Bridge School 1 2003
49. Bridge School 2 2003
50. Los Angeles 08 -- The Who tribute show, only played 2 songs
Also saw Ed and Jeff at the Not in Our Name benefit in 98 were they also played Long Road (it's a runner for me), plus Ed at the Tibetan Freedom Concert w/C Average where I met Ed on the lawn and shook his hand plus 3 other solo shows...
Wrigley will be shows 51 & 52. See you on the road.
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i know the number 1..Amsterdam 2 -2012 and Jacksonville ofcourse together at 1st place for obvious reasons..
and for sure last is Arras 2010
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
Being a Neil and PJ fan i always thought the Bridge School would be epic. Seems you did not have the greatest time at those shows. Would you not suggest traveling for those shows?
Charlotte 03
Asheville 04
Atlanta 12
Greenville 16, Columbia 16
Seattle 18
Nashville 22
2010: Newark 5/18 MSG 5/20-21 2011: PJ20 9/3-4 2012: Made In America 9/2
2013: Brooklyn 10/18-19 Philly 10/21-22 Hartford 10/25 2014: ACL10/12
2015: NYC 9/23 2016: Tampa 4/11 Philly 4/28-29 MSG 5/1-2 Fenway 8/5+8/7
2017: RRHoF 4/7 2018: Fenway 9/2+9/4 2021: Sea Hear Now 9/18
2022: MSG 9/11 2024: MSG 9/3-4 Philly 9/7+9/9 Fenway 9/15+9/17
LOOKING FOR A SINGLE TICKET TO MSG NIGHT 2
1. MSG 9/11/98. First row in front of Ed
2. Randall's night 2 9/29/96. Longest pj show for awhile. 33,000 people, on the rail between Ed and mike. One hell of a first show.
3. 9/11/11 Toronto. The electricity in the building that night was amazing. Uncle Neil to end things. Wow. I got long road as an opener which is my favorite song. When the song concluded Ed threw the pic out to the crowd and yours truly got it.
4. Philly 10/30+31/09 I can't seperate these two. Both nights were incredible.
5. Holmdel 03. Incredible set list. Best porch ever.
6. 7/13+14/98 la shows. Yield tour. First time traveling to see pj.
7. House of blues orlando Florida 03. Small intimate venue. Killer set. Angry Ed was in the house that night.
8. Kitchener 9/11/05. Another small venue. What a fun night.
9. MSG night one 03. The stage freaking bounced!!!
10. MSG night 2, 2010. Hunger strike sealed the deal.
11. Penn state. Holy long set!!
1. Buffalo 2003 - My first show so there is a majestic bias... but I was lucky enough to witness a pretty epic show with a great crowd.
2. Philly 3 2009 - The Penultimate concert at the Spectrum. Was the strongest show and still had a lot of anticipation. First 2 shows kind of warmed up, day off and the grand finale started in style
3. Toronto 2009 - Was a decent enough show, but Ted Leo couldnt cross the border, so the band opened up for themselves in a real treat
4. MSG 2 2010 - Was a good show after a 'pedestrian' night one. Slow Lukin debuts and a great Hunger Strike are highlights
5. Philly 4 2009 - Had too much hype, you would figure Bruce would fly in on one of those parachute fans. Long show. was great.... but the crowd and me was kind of worn out and really couldnt match night 3. Whip It was cool. Sweet Lew didnt get a good ovation and Jeff scolded us.
6. MSG 1 2016 - Good show. Seats back corner of stage. Chloe/Crown, Footsteps, etc.
7. MSG 2 2016 - Was front row between Stone and Eddie. Sting for CoT, Cheap Trick for Surrender. Lots of hits, but like that being in the front row. Lots of tech issues though
8. Cleveland 2010 - Was a great show. Kind of a 'dark' set, open with Wash, Sleight of Hand, a great Immortality. Close with Indifference
9. Hamilton 2011 - Good, rocking show. Went last minute. Great story by EV about J Ramone's last days and seeing the circle of life.
10. Pittsburgh 2013 - Solid show. Extra boost from being right on the heels of Lightning Bolts' release and hearing several songs live for the first time ever. Also had Global Citizen tickets
11. - Baltimore 2013 - Cool venue. Good show. HTI... Habit, Blood, Reign.
12. - Boston 2 2004 - The better of the 2 VFC warm up shows. Gave away a ticket before the show and some asshole showed up as the lights went down and crammed like 4 people into my area, and tried to tell me that I had the wrong seat. The Seeker
13. - PJ20 2 - It was very chilly and I was under-dressed. Decent show, but the PJ20 shows did not live up to the hype. Liam/Habit was the high point of the weekend. A floating tealight almost set the amphitheater ablaze
14. East Rutherford 2 2006 - Blew out the electronics on Animal. Heard Rats 1st time live. Garden
15. Philly 1 2009 - Good opening show, behind the stage empty. Felt like a more intimate show/warm up for what was to come. Everyone in the crowd was in high spirits
16. Buffalo 2010 - Pretty standard. Fatal was the high point. Also an important message was delivered to Eddie Via a shoe that would play out in coming weeks.
17. - MSG I 2010 - Accidentally peeked at the setlist which was a bummer. Also had the girl in front of me calling a friend and holding her arm right in front of me as if that improved the sound. I think her friend kept hanging up on her.
18. - Philly 2 2009 - The 'weakest' of the Philly shows.... most formulaic show. i had a blast, brought 2 PJ virgins and they were blown away.
19. - Boston I 2004 - pretty standard-far show. The Red Sox were in a pennant race and way too many people were stuck in the concourses watching the game.
20. - Buffalo 2013 - Nothing really special on Pearl Jam standards (which is a different scale than most)
21. - Camden I 2008 - Really nothing stands out to me from this show in a poor venue
22. - Camden II 2008 - See above
23. - PJ 20 I - Long and rainy day. The show was so/so. I subscribe to the belief that all the Cornell/ToTD brought the show to a halt. I was at a perfect angle of a bright spotlight behind Jeff/Mike that was absolutely blinding.
24. - Hartford 2006 - Was the only 'poor' PJ show I have ever seen. Was a very cold May day in an outdoor venue (I dont like the Meadows). It really seemed like they went through the motions a bit.
Soon: Toronto I to make 25!
edited to add MSGs 2016
However, a 7-song (approximately) acoustic performance is hard to compete with a full-on 30+ song Pearl Jam show, which is most likely why the OP has these shows ranked at the bottom. And that to the fact that Pearl Jam is beloved at these shows but not in the way they are on typical tour stops (ie, lots of people at Bridge School are there to see Neil #1, or possibly other bands, depending on who is playing) so that you won't get the typical rabid PJ fan experience...in other words, if the swell of the PJ crowd is your thing, it will be much less pronounced at Bridge School.
Bottom line: Amazing experience, amazing event, amazing kids, amazing time. But don't expect to walk away calling it the greatest PJ experience of your life, simply because their time on stage is limited to 30-45 minutes and the crowd isn't going to be as raucous as they might be at a tour show.
“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” - Albert Camus
Charlottesville 2013 epic
Leeds 2014 almost as epic 1st GA
Columbia 2016 GA perfection
Montreal 2011 with the youngster...PJ is his Rolling Stones
Hampton 2016 spaceship
Phoenix 2013 x country
Memphis 2014 boomin best sounding venue
Worcester 2 2013 word
Worcester 1 2013 wooooooooosta
Bristow 2010 1st show back...opening with EWBTCIAST---my fave of ALL songs
#1 - The experiment 7/11/03 - wish I had pics as was front row center EV gave me mic at beginning of Breath
99 other shows
#101- Hartford 2006
SHOW COUNT: (149) 1990's=3, 2000's=53, 2010/20's=89, US=109, CAN=15, Europe=19 ,New Zealand=2, Australia=2
Mexico=1, Colombia=1
Upcoming: Sacramento, Vegas x2, Manchester, London, Chicago x2, NYC x2, Fenway x2, Aucklandx2, Gold Coast, Melbournex2
Irvine#1 in 2003 was my first PJ show ever, and a boot I listen too often in the car....Of the Girl + Deep + a great version of Blood.
LA#1 in 2013...Release into Long Road into Coduroy(ed yelling at chick in the pit), was a great start. All or None in the encore....IMO a step above LA2(although getting 'NO Way, Breath and Mother was pretty amazing).
1. 7/11/03 Mansfield - The acoustic experiment puts it at the top
2. 9/16/05 Ottawa - an underrated Friday night show
3. 5/17/10 Boston - Crazy setlist...Pilate, Push me, pull me, undone, Crown of Thorns
4. 7/2/03 Mansfield - Unreal feeling when Ed tells the crowd they won't be repeating a song for 3 nights........except YLB
5. 9/29/04 Boston - 2nd VFC show....Great covers...I've got a feeling, The Seeker
6. 8/29/00 Mansfield - my first show....great set
7. 5/25/06 Boston - The Leash got dropped for the first time in years
8. 7/19/13 Wrigley - feel like this would have been #1, but the delay was tough
9. 10/15/13 Worcester - Release/Long Road start fantastic
10. 5/15/10 Hartford - "OTOTO" for AINT talking bout love...even though it wasn't
11. 7/3/03 - Mansfield - LOUD crowd...listen to BAba on the bootleg
12. 6/30/08 - Mansfield - Education.....Mama Son trilogy
13. 10/8/04 - Kissimmee - Fun atmosphere after watching the Sox win a ALDS game in an Orlando bar in the afternoon
14. 6/29/03 - Montreal - Alive was insane with the crowd
15. 5/12/06 - Albany - RATS, Hide your love away
16. 5/24/06 Boston - 2 Dylan songs for his 65th birthday
17. 6/28/08 Mansfield - only time I've heard Hard to Imagine
18. 9/15/05 Montreal - only this low because I was over served at Grumpy's pre-game..ha
19. 9/28/04 Boston - Howard Zinn on stage for VFC 1
20. 5/13/06 Harford - Rainy, cold day....blah performance
EV- 2008, 2011 Boston
Charlotte 03
Asheville 04
Atlanta 12
Greenville 16, Columbia 16
Seattle 18
Nashville 22
- 25 Minutes To Go (performed 3 times total)
- Santa Cruz (only time ever performed live)
- Dancing Barefoot (only time ever performed live)
- Walk With Me w/ Uncle Neil (performed twice, both at Bridge School)
- Rain (performed in full 5 times total)
- Driftin' (performed 6 times total)
- Other Side (performed 2 times total)
I would say that's a pretty damn good ratio of shows/rarities, especially since a typical PJ Bridge School setlist is 7-10 songs. Add to that somewhat rare performances of other tracks (Masters of War, Around the Bend, Hunger Strike), along with vastly reworked versions of songs (slow version of Better Man!), and just cool songs to hear acoustically (Given to Fly, Fuckin' Up, etc.), and I would say I have been extremely fortunate to be able to attend these shows.
“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” - Albert Camus
Full shows:
1. Los Angeles 2, 11/24/2013: This show was all over the place setlist-wise, and I have to admit that it took a while for the crowd to get going as a consequence. Got to hear a handful of absolute treasures (Low Light, Present Tense, No Way (!), Save It For Later tag on Betterman, Another Brick in the Wall tag on Daughter, After Hours, Mother, Breath were all highlights), as well as some of my least-favorite live songs (Last Kiss, Sleeping By Myself). But the reason I rank this #1 (and believe that it will never be topped) is the timing of it. This show came at a point where I had hit absolute rock bottom in my life with no hope in sight. I didn't even bother to get 10C tickets to either LA show because I honestly questioned if I would even make it to November. I've always said that music is therapy, and this was the strongest proof I have of that. For three solid hours I was able to forget about all the shit in my life and focus on the elation and hope that Pearl Jam has always brought me. I needed this show, and the band delivered as powerfully as I could have wished for. On an added note, for the person I went with this was her first Pearl Jam show (she had become a rabid fan because of me). The first song I had ever played for her was "Oceans", and that had become "our" song in more ways than I can possibly describe. So when the band opened with it at this show -- the first song of the first PJ show we went to together -- we both cried. That's a moment I'll remember like it was yesterday even when I'm 100.
2. Los Angeles I, 7/9/2006: Just a fun, energetic, crowd-friendly show. Great mix of fan favorites and a few songs I had been dying to see live (Crown of Thorns, Inside Job, Whipping). But the main reason I rank this so high is that it was the show at which I finally got to hear my all-time favorite Pearl Jam song, "Release". I still get goosebumps thinking about the goosebumps I got when I realized that's how they were opening.
3. Los Angeles 3, October 6, 2009: I scored a last-minute ticketmaster-released front row (Mike's side) ticket for this one, and went nuts the entire night. Ended up with at least 5 guitar picks including one of his personalized ones with a dog on each side. Fun setlist, most memorably for the surprise duet with Chris Cornell on "Hunger Strike" (the crowd lost its shit), but also the opener ("Sometimes") into "Breakerfall". Also got Faithfull and Off He Goes, two of my all-time favorite PJ tracks.
4. Santa Barbara, 7/13/2006: Beautiful venue, beautiful day, beautiful set. First 10 songs were all acoustic (Oceans, Hard to Imagine, Low Light were highlights). Had great 10C seats and the band seemed happy as shit that day.
5. PJ 20 I, East Troy, 9/3/11: Yes it was freezing and raining and I was out on the lawn, but who cares? We got Release, In My Tree, Who You Are, Push Me, Pull Me, In The Moonlight, Help, Help, Education...plus a Temple of the Dog reunion set. Truly a set for the hardcore fans, and just an amazing experience overall.
6. Los Angeles I, 11/23/13: I feel like this should be ranked higher, but everything above was so amazing that I don't know which show to move back. The opening trio was mind-blowing: Pendulum -> Release -> Long Road, and this was just a solid, fun show to be at (even including Ed's pissed off rant at the shitty fan in the pit).
7. PJ 20 II, East Troy, 9/4/11: Another show heavy on fan favorites and rarities: Wash, All Night, Pilate, No Way, Smile, to name a few. I did think that a second night of Cornell taking over much of the vocals was a bit of a letdown, but it just feels wrong to complain about that.
8. LA IV, 10/7/2009: The end of a four-show run in Los Angeles, and, among those 4, the one that the band seemed most loose and carefree. Nice setlist with some real treats (Alone, Long Road, All Those Yesterdays, Crown of Thorns, Kick Out the Jams with Jerry Cantrell). Only thing that brought it down, in my opinion, was a fourth-consecutive night of a mini-orchestra set playing the exact same songs to open the first encore (the band sounded great, but I suppose as PJ fans we get spoiled by them mixing things up to the extent that having an entire portion of the encore identical for four consecutive shows is a bit of a letdown).
9. Missoula, 6/20/98: My first PJ show! I was 19 at the time and had taken a 3-day Amtrak train from Los Angeles to Missoula in order to visit a girl and see PJ from the GA section on a football field. Based on the rush of the crowd (it was impossible to stand still for more than about 5 seconds without being pushed or pulled or swayed) and the fact that this was my first PJ show, this should really be ranked higher, but I was admittedly more of a casual/semi-serious fan back then, and I didn't appreciate the moment as much as I would as the rabid fan that I am today. My lasting memory of this set is In Hiding, which was absolute euphoric.
10. LA I, 9/30/09: Bit of a short set, but I got to hear Rats for the first time, so it was all good. Also my first time with some of the Backspacer tracks (Unthought Known, Amongst the Waves), which I thought were pretty amazing live.
11. LA II, 10/1/09: Nothing at all wrong with this show, but nothing remarkably standout, either. Psyched to see Driven to Tears for the first time.
12. Outside Lands festival, San Francisco, 9/28/09: The band was great and the setlist was solid, but my most vivid memory of this show was of a huge, drunk Samoan dude with a long, sweaty ponytail who alternated whipping said ponytail at everyone around him and threatening to fight people for no apparent reason. It sucks how one shitty "fan" can drag down an entire show...
13. San Bernardino, 10/28/00: My second PJ show, and my first with 10C seats (which ended up being great). The setlist and band/crowd energy were fine, but it was freezing, and I was sick as a dog, and I probably annoyed my neighbors by coughing all night...so this one ranks at the bottom for me.
Bridge School shows: I feel like these have to be ranked separately because they are a completely different experience than full shows:
1. 10/23/10: Mind-blowing set featuring THREE songs never played outside of Bridge School (Santa Cruz, Dancing Barefoot, Walk With Me w/ Uncle Neil). And yet the highlight was an absolutely stunning, slow, stripped-down version of Better Man that I became obsessed with for months that followed.
2. 10/25/03: My first Bridge School ever. At that point I had never heard Pearl Jam's version of Masters of War, so when that was how they opened their set, I was absolutely blown away. This set also included amazing versions of Man of the Hour, Black, and one of the only three performances of 25 Minutes To Go that the band has performed.
3. 10/15/14: Hard to pick the highlight of this set: acoustic Hunger Strike with Chris Cornell or acoustic Given to Fly? Both were stunning. Rain and Fuckin Up' were also incredibly fun to hear in this setting.
4. 10/24/10: Really amazing set featuring more rarities: Other Side, Driftin', Walk With Me with Uncle Neil. I would probably rank this higher except that I was more stoned than I have ever been in my life and it hazed over my view of the set. :(
5. 10/22/06: Every Bridge School performance I have been to has been beautiful, so it sucks that there has to be a last place. This was a fun set that included Masters of War, Around the Bend, Thin Air, Black, and Throw Your Hatred Down. No complaints whatsoever.
“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” - Albert Camus
1998 - West Palm Beach 1
2000 - West Palm Beach 1&2
2003 - WPB,Tampa,Atlanta,Camden 1&2,MSG 1&2, Boston 3,Hershey Park
2004 - Asheville, Kissimmee
2008 - West Palm Beach,Tampa,Columbia,Virginia Beach, Mansfield 1&2
2010 - Hartford,Boston,Newark, MSG 1&2
2011 - PJ20 1&2, Costa Rica
2013 - Wrigley,Brooklyn 1&2,Seattle
2014 - Denver,Mountain View 1&2
2015 - Bogata, Mexico City
2016 - Ft Lauderdale,Miami,Tampa,NYC 1&2,Telluride,Fenway 1&2,Wrigley 1&2
Hartford 2008
Spectrum 3/4 2009
MSG 2 2010
PJ20 1/2 2011
Hartford 2013
Philly 1 2013
Tampa 2016
Philly 2 2016
2010: Newark 5/18 MSG 5/20-21 2011: PJ20 9/3-4 2012: Made In America 9/2
2013: Brooklyn 10/18-19 Philly 10/21-22 Hartford 10/25 2014: ACL10/12
2015: NYC 9/23 2016: Tampa 4/11 Philly 4/28-29 MSG 5/1-2 Fenway 8/5+8/7
2017: RRHoF 4/7 2018: Fenway 9/2+9/4 2021: Sea Hear Now 9/18
2022: MSG 9/11 2024: MSG 9/3-4 Philly 9/7+9/9 Fenway 9/15+9/17
LOOKING FOR A SINGLE TICKET TO MSG NIGHT 2
Can't wait to see where Wrigley 2016 ends up.
Rank My Show Number Date Concert
1 22 10/31/2009 Spectrum Night 4 - Last Show
2 26 9/4/2011 PJ20 Night 2
3 36 10/17/2014 Moline, IL - No Code Show
4 25 9/3/2011 PJ20 Night 1
5 14 8/2/2007 Vic Theater, Chicago, IL - Pre Lolla
6 9 5/19/2006 Grand Rapids, MI
7 39 4/16/2016 Greenville, SC - Versus Show
8 37 10/20/2014 Milwaukee, WI - Yield Show
9 21 10/30/2009 Spectrum Night 3 - Philadelphia, PA
10 33 10/30/2013 Charlotte, NC
11 5 10/2/2004 Toledo, OH - Vote For Change Tour
12 32 10/29/2013 Charlottesville, VA
13 1 6/27/1998 East Troy, WI - Alpine Valley
14 12 9/11/2006 Bercy - Paris, France
15 3 4/1/2003 Denver, CO
16 20 8/24/2009 Chicago, IL - United Center
17 31 10/27/2013 Baltimore, MD
18 8 9/12/2005 London, ON
19 29 7/16/2013 London, ON
20 19 8/23/2009 Chicago, IL - United Center
21 30 7/19/2013 Chicago, IL - Wrigley Field
22 2 6/29/1998 Chicago, IL - United Center
23 18 6/22/2008 Washington, DC
24 6 10/3/2004 Grand Rapids, MI - Delta Plex
25 23 5/3/2010 Kansas City, MO
26 7 9/11/2005 Kitchner, ON
27 10 5/22/2006 Auburn Hills, MI
28 4 6/26/2003 Detroit, MI
29 34 10/3/2014 St. Louis, MO
30 24 5/4/2010 St. Louis, MO
31 28 9/30/2012 Missoula, MT
32 35 10/9/2014 Lincoln, NE
33 13 12/9/2006 Honolulu, HI - Opening for U2
34 16 6/19/2008 Camden, NJ
35 40 4/26/2016 Lexington, KY
36 17 6/20/2008 Camden, NJ
37 15 8/5/2007 Chicago, IL - Lollapalooza
38 11 6/24/2006 Cincinnati, OH
39 27 9/22/2012 Atlanta, GA - Midtown Music Fest
40 38 9/26/2015 New York, NY - Global Citizens Fest
2010: Newark 5/18 MSG 5/20-21 2011: PJ20 9/3-4 2012: Made In America 9/2
2013: Brooklyn 10/18-19 Philly 10/21-22 Hartford 10/25 2014: ACL10/12
2015: NYC 9/23 2016: Tampa 4/11 Philly 4/28-29 MSG 5/1-2 Fenway 8/5+8/7
2017: RRHoF 4/7 2018: Fenway 9/2+9/4 2021: Sea Hear Now 9/18
2022: MSG 9/11 2024: MSG 9/3-4 Philly 9/7+9/9 Fenway 9/15+9/17
LOOKING FOR A SINGLE TICKET TO MSG NIGHT 2
1.Philly 3 2009
2. MSG2 2010
3. East Rutherford 2 2006
4. Brooklyn 1 2013
5. Beacon Theater 2008
6. MSG1 2016
7. Newark 2010
8, MSG2 2016
9. MSG1 2010
10,Brooklyn 2 2013
6/24/08 (MSG1)
6/25/08 (MSG2)
7/1/08 (Beacon Theater -NYC)
10/30/09 (Philly3)
5/18/10 (Newark, NJ)
5/20/10 (MSG1)
5/21/10 (MSG2)
10/18/13 (Brooklyn 1)
10/19/13 (Brooklyn 2)
5/1/16 (MSG 1)
5/2/16 (MSG 2)
3/30/20 (MSG)