What Made Philly Night 3 "The Best"?
SVRDhand13
Posts: 26,148
A lot of people on this forum have been saying that they believe Philly Night 3 is the best show in Pearl Jam's history. I was there that night and I absolutely loved the show, but I'm finding it hard to believe it is #1. The crowd energy was great and the setlist rocked, but what makes it better than the next night (Philly 10/31) Mansfield 3, any of the MSG shows, Atlanta 94, Randall's Island, or any other show?
severed hand thirteen
2006: Gorge 7/23 2008: Hartford 6/27 Beacon 7/1 2009: Spectrum 10/30-312010: 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
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Actually the World Series was only playing during Night 4. Sorry to burst your thinking 3 was the best theory
8/15/92, 9/28/96, 8/28/98, 8/29/98, 9/18/98, 8/3/00, 8/9/00, 8/10/00, 8/23/00, 8/25/00, 9/1/00, 9/2/00, 4/28/03, 6/18/03, 7/5/03, 7/6/03, 10/1/04, 10/3/05, 6/19/08, 10/27/09, 10/31/09, 5/21/10, 9/3/11, 9/4/11, 10/21/13
More to Come....
Roberto Clemente.
Philly 2 - 10/28/09 Philly 3 - 10/30/09
Philly 4 - 10/31/09
Boston 1 - 05/17/10
PruCenter - 05/18/10
MSG 1 - 05/20/10
MSG 2 - 05/21/10
Alpine1 - 09/03/11 Alpine2 - 09/04/11
Was it better than Philly4? I dont know - i wasnt at Philly4. I do know that my preference is towards the Phiily 3 set list. And I know they were on their game that night. Its subjective.
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)
9/3/24 I(MSG1)
9/4/24 (MSG 2)
Nice response. I agree that their is an upper tier that some shows fall into. I also feel like some setlists will be loved by some, while others don't really get them.
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
I've been to over 40 PJ shows and was at all four Philly shows - and I can say out of the four, Friday was the best. I had NO voice left after that show. I met up with Boom later at the hotel and he was laughing at me because I had no voice.
but to say the best ever is a stretch.
A prior post mentioned that they wouldn't argue with either MSG show from '03, yet I thought both of the '08 shows at the Garden were actually better and more fun than the '03 shows (I've been to all 6 at MSG thus far). I also thought all 4 of those were better than Mansfield '03. However, seems like I may be in the minority despite having experienced those shows because I took a different subjective meaning to each of the shows.
That being said, the show I think is the best I've seen is the Philly 4 show despite not caring at all about the Spectrum (I thought it was a dump of the highest degree...as sad as if they tore down the very similar Nassau Coliseum). It was just an exceptionally fun and on night for the band, for me, and really had them at their best. I can't even imagine it being toppled on my personal list despite having a major personal preference for Madison Square Garden in general.
I also think people's perceptions of shows depend on a number of things. First, I think people value night 3 more than night 4 because night 3 was a surprise great show whereas night 4 was supposed to be the most epic ever, or more generally, expectations matter more than you think. Second, I think the quality of the bootlegs affect people's perceptions, as the MSGs from 08 had terrible recordings despite being such great experiences and the '03 bootlegs are pretty decent. Third, I think people naturally pump the show they were at as compared to others because it is hard to imagine the energy that you get that night being transferred to another setting for someone else so easily (I suffer from this all the time).
Best ever? Like people have said- that's subjective. It's number 1 for me! The 31st was alot of fun- it just felt like one huge party. But Night 3 was pure emotion!!
You are U, who you are.
Im glad you think highly of MSG 08 -- i loved those shows, but didnt use them as an example of an upper tier show because most people mention the '03 shows and, as you said, people pump their own shows and I didnt want to be accused of that!
Another aspect of the "best show" discussion that I never understand -- why do people bash the shows they dont attend? You see a lot of it when comparing Philly3 and 4. People bash MSG shows as overrated. I remember people hammering the 2008 Beacon show before it began (must be a greatest hits show, not as good as the vic, etc). We got Undone, Masters of War, Harvest Moon, Low Light and a killer version of Black. It was a chance to see PJ in an 80 year-old small vaudeville theater and, most importantly, PJ raised a lot of money for charity that night. Why cant the shows stand on their own? no need to denegrate other shows to bolster the shows that you attend!
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)
9/3/24 I(MSG1)
9/4/24 (MSG 2)
however, i think it's fair to put shows into catagories and most shows will fall into the average catagoy.
in that top tier catagoy, you will find philly 3 and philly 4
1. Buffalo 03
2. Philly IV 09
3. Philly III 09
4. NJ II 06
5. Philly I 09
6. Buffalo 10
7. Toronto 09
8. Cleveland 10
9 Boston I 04
10. Boston II 04
11. Philly II 09
12. Camden I 08
13. Camden II 08
14. Hartford 06
Ouch, sorry to hear. I have to give you props though for treating your girl right.
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
2010: MSG Night 1 and Night 2
2011: Eddie Vedder Solo in Philly, PJ20 Alpine Valley Day 1 and Day 2.
2012: Berlin Night 1(7/4)
2013: Wrigley Field, Philly 1 and 2
they had a ring girl on sat night.....until the phillies started losing.
"This is the crowd we've been waiting for."
3 Decibels Doubles the Volume
2006
However, if you ask me, what show was the better experience / event... Philly 4 hands down
08 did rock, best ever, i don't know , but good enough dammit
- it was my birthday
- I was 3rd row
- First time I heard: Once, Deep, In Hiding, Footsteps, Breath, Hold On, Baba
The energy was amazing, the crowd was so loud and the overall experience in Philly is what made all those shows so very special. There was such camaraderie that whole week and you couldn't help but get swept up with just how special it was to experience those 4 shows with so many like-minded people. I loved all those 4, but Philly 3 was by far my favourite (as others have said, no games distracting people, that drove me nuts Philly 2). Those 4 shows blow MSG 08 out of the water for me... but that's JMO. It would take a hell of a show to knock them out of the top spots for me. Cleveland has come the closest, cause I finally heard WASH and then got IN HIDING again (my 2 favourite songs).
I hate Gorge night 1 because I realize it was better than night 2, and I was at night 2 . But that show will always hold a very special place in my heart.
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
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thanks for the props but it was a no brainer. i had been at the first two shows and was going to the last show and really needed a night off. i'm glad people think show 3 was awesome.
2006: Camden 1&2, East Ruth 1&2
2008: BONNAROO, MSG1, MSG2, Hartford
2009: Philly 1, 2, 4
2010: Hartford, MSG1, MSG2
2012: Made in America
2013: BK1, BK2, Hartford
2015: Global Citizens
2016: MSG 2 (ISO MSG1)
EV Solo: NJPAC 2008; Tower Theatre, PA 2009; Hartford 2011