How is your Concert Experience Defined?

airblue1

As most of us have been to multiple pearl jam shows each one can be defined by something personal.
How do you define a great show?
Is it the length of show?
The rarities of the song list?
Did Eddie wrap himself in duck tape and bubble tape and jump off the stage?
The tempo of the show?
McCrady played Alive solo for 8ight minutes?
etc.....
*Its funny to ask this question because I have taken multiple people (via TenC tix thanks again) and each one has walked away with a different story and experience. But, my wife and I have been to several shows together and she would define a great PJ show as non-political rumblings by EV, Yellow Led ending and a couple oldies, which now would be Yield, YIKES!

morgie2

For me, it's pretty simple. Any PJ concert is special, as I love getting the boots from any show I've been to and reliving the fun any time I want. There are a few "rare" songs, however, I'd love to hear live. If any ONE is played an already special show becomes a fantastic one. i.e. I went to Seattle 1 and 2 last year. I had never heard Long Road in person, and they opened with it. Sweet. The next night they dusted off No Way for the first time in years. Awesome.

washedinblack91

i think every show is awesome, but for me what puts it over the top is either when something unexpected happens like a fuck up or when they came out as devo. also if there's a song that is rarely played or hasn't been played before or one i haven't seen before that makes me really excited

PureandEasy

Mine is defined greatly by the people I hang out with prior to the show. I have made so many concert buddies over the years, at any given show, I could hook up with someone I haven’t seen in 5 years and it would feel like we see each other every day.

You got to love that.

The show itself, well, it’s live Pearl Jam, what more do you need to say.

airblue1

That is great perspective. I totally agree all shows are great, but I think that is what I was trying to get at, is what you guys have hit upon. What makes it over the top special or memorable. I like many of you really wanted to hear a song, Footsteps, I have never heard. Once it was played it made the experience well BETTER! But, I will say this every show in its own way is unique. Except for some reason the ones I have been to in Cincy. They do not seem to stand out as much! Just sayin......

RiotAct10

washedinblack91 wrote:

i think every show is awesome, but for me what puts it over the top is either when something unexpected happens like a fuck up or when they came out as devo. also if there's a song that is rarely played or hasn't been played before or one i haven't seen before that makes me really excited

I would pretty much agree with all of this. For some reason, I enjoy fuck ups too, whether its false starts, forgetting the lyrics, wrong notes. It may seem strange, but remember, on a given tour now-a-days, PJ probably plays over 100 songs, so it is unreasonable to expect them to be perfect, if you want perfection go see U2 or almost any other band, that plays the same show every night.

Also, hearing a song you never would have expected is big for me. Like in Cleveland in 2006 when they played U followed by Don't Gimme No Lip followed by Smile in the second encore, it just kept getting cooler, and then made an already awesome show, even... awesomer.

airblue1

Remember when they use to play the three man's
better
nothing
leather

that was always a bit funny
I would have liked to be in the room when those setlists were being developed. I bet a little chuckle or smirk came upon some members.

LikeAnOpeningBandForTheSun

i go by number of my favorite songs they play. i dont care about going to a show and getting the first Hitchhiker or whatever. i'd rather hear Black or something, even if they play it all the time. i dont need to hear every PJ song live. except Dirty Frank!

covers/guest appearances are cool too.

and energy, but thats usually not a problem.

tacet

A Pearl Jam show is like a bag of Bits n' Bites.
Every handful is a whole new ball game.

BinauralJam

by how many times they make me cry

PureandEasy

SS25454 wrote:

A Pearl Jam show is like a bag of Bits n' Bites.
Every handful is a whole new ball game.

that's great, and a perfect description

and this kind of pisses me off, I needed to go to page 2 to find this thread.

These are the kind of threads that should inhabit this board for discussion, instead it gets dropped off the first page because everyone is too busy bitching at the direction the band has gone, the way the 10club operates and most disturbingly, at each other.

No wonder why a lot of the good old folks are gone from here. I miss the good old days. :x

sk8nshoot1

If it can raise goosebumps, then it's been a special show...

Last time: Eddie dancing with Katty at Hartford 08 during Leash

CantKeepmedown

The show itself is the cherry on top.

Pearl Jam shows can be like reunions. Much like Pure said, it's all about being with friends and people you care about. I generally see people at PJ shows that I haven't seen in years (or, we only see each other when PJ is touring). We get together, have drinks, and just lose ourselves in the conversation. We talk about families, sports, old PJ tour stories, ect. Next thing you know, it's 8pm and time to start getting ready to head inside.

We're going to have a group of about 15-20 of us in Boston for the show on the 18th. Most of the guys I haven't seen since 06 (they couldn't make it in 08). I can't wait.

Cosmo

PureandEasy wrote:

Mine is defined greatly by the people I hang out with prior to the show. I have made so many concert buddies over the years, at any given show, I could hook up with someone I haven’t seen in 5 years and it would feel like we see each other every day.

You got to love that.

The show itself, well, it’s live Pearl Jam, what more do you need to say.

...
I'm going to go with this one.
I only see some people at these gigs, but, there's a kindred spirit felt... regardless of the miles between us for the rest of the times.

Black Diamond

If this one or his older brother tell me if it was the best time ever...

airblue1

I love to read how the shows are becoming reunions. I just mentioned that to an old friend I just saw during March Madness. How, in Pittsburgh, it would be a like college reunion. Pearl Jam brought us together. We compared old stories and crazy things like the age of our docs or now would be about our wives and kids. Since PJ hasn't been her since 2006 and I am dropping any type of inference. I lot of those guys I see once in a very very blue moon. So the reunion angle is pretty cool and I bet one that gets overlooked a lot!

PureandEasy

Black Diamond wrote:

If this one or his older brother tell me if it was the best time ever...

That is PRECIOUS :P

Ledbetterdays

For me I have never been to a show that has been considered a classic but I have seen them 14 times. Mostly because I do not live in the Northeast I guess. Anyway, the shows I most enjoy are with primarily uptempo songs from a list of about 30 of my favorite songs. I am not one for the rarities but my favorites are not necessarily greatest hits either. I think McCready has so much to do with whether I like a show or not and if Eddie is on lyrically and vocally. I definitely like the classic tags on songs and I like it when they extend a jam on a song like Present Tense. A little of Ed's diatribes a re better than a lot and it also has to do with who you are next to and how into the show they are too. Of course the longer the show the better.

MG79478

The moment that defines every show for me is the show opening with a song other than Oceans. Granted there is some hope to hear it mid-set maybe these days? After that, it is defined by things that are a departure from the norm. Setlist rarities, special guests, extra sets, etc. Where your seats are matters too. Getting slightly better seats can lift the mood. Access to good seats should be given to those who never had it before. Think of it as socialized seating. Change I can believe in!

JOEJOEJOE

If they open up with 3 or 4 fast rockers in a row (Animal, Go, Corduroy, it is always great. If they do Elderly Woman, Daughter of Even Flow too early in the set, the momentum slows down for me quite a bit.

Its all about the song selection and the energy.