MSG 2 Review on Billboard.com
Ledbetterman10
Posts: 16,843
"Long before the capacity crowd inside Madison Square Garden brought Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder to tears because they were singing and cheering along to "Better Man" so loud on Friday night (May 21), it was clear this wasn't going to be just any PJ show. In fact, it became clear this was a special, relentlessly rocking show from the second the lights went down and the veteran Seattle band came out of the gate hard and fast with "Corduroy." The pace didn't let up from there.
If there could possibly be a scientific formula for what makes a perfect show, almost every one of those elements were evident at the Garden Friday. Last night of the tour in a famous arena in a big city on weekend night? Check. Exuberant, sold-out crowd? Check. Marathon-length set full of rarities ("Hunger Strike," "Black Red Yellow"), favorites ("Alive," "Black") and great covers ("The Real Me")? Check. Heck, there was even a section of celebrities in the audience (Matt Damon, Michael Moore, John McEnroe) rocking almost as hard as the fans.
The 34-song, two encore break, two-hour-and-forty-five minute set, which included songs from each of the band's nine album repertoire except for 2002's "Riot Act," was notable also for the five incredibly rare b-sides sprinkled into the mix. "Breath," from the 1992 "Singles" soundtrack," nodded to a fan campaign to play that song at PJ's first Garden gigs back in 1998. "Sweet Lew," a tribute to New Yorker Kareem Abdul-Jabar, found bassist Jeff Ament taking the mic as Vedder did backup vocals and dribbled a basketball to the beat. Ben Bridwell, lead singer of opening act Band Of Horses, did Chris Cornell's part proud on the 1991 hit "Hunger Strike" by Pearl Jam/Soundgarden side project Temple Of The Dog.
Pearl Jam's more oft-played originals, old and new, also got a big reaction. The tender "Just Breathe," the current single from 2009's "Backspacer," got just as big a singalong as 1998's "Given To Fly." Vedder put a current events twist on "Daughter" add-on "W.M.A.," singing "white male Arizonian" instead of the usual "American" after saying his piece against the anti-immigrant laws just passed in that state. 1996's 62-second punk whiplash "Lukin," introduced by Vedder as both a new song and another way to skin a cat ("and who is out skinning cats anyway?") was retooled as a heartbreaking ballad.
The band fittingly brought the night to a close, house lights all the way up, with the three-part knock-out of "Alive," a raucous cover of MC5's "Kick Out The Jams," and a "Yellow Ledbetter" finished off by a "Star Spangled Banner" solo from guitarist Mike McCready before the guys lined up in a row and took a bow.
But the emotional center of the night, easily, was that moment during "Better Man." Vedder prefaced the tune by telling a story about his first trip to New York City right after Pearl Jam had formed. He'd caught his reflection in a window with the streetscape behind him and was simply in awe that he had made it to New York. Then, standing on the stage of a sold-out Madison Square Garden almost 20 years later, the whole 19,000 member crowd complete took over the singing, giving it everything they could. You might cry too.
Here is Pearl Jam's May 21, 2010 Madison Square Garden Set List:
Corduroy
Hail, Hail
Do The Evolution
World Wide Suicide
Got Some
Breath
Nothingman
I'm Open
Unthought Known
Grievance
Amongst The Waves
Present Tense
Not For You / Modern Girl
Push Me, Pull Me
Rats
Daughter / W.M.A.
The Fixer
Why Go
1st Encore
The End
Just Breathe
Lukin
Black Red Yellow
Sweet Lew
Given To Fly
Spin The Black Circle
Rearviewmirror
2nd Encore
Wasted Reprise
Better Man / Save it for Later
Black
The Real Me (The Who)
Hunger Strike (with Band Of Horses' Ben Bridwell)
Alive
Kick Out The Jams (MC5)
Yellow Ledbetter"
http://www.billboard.com/#/events/pearl ... tag=hpfeed
If there could possibly be a scientific formula for what makes a perfect show, almost every one of those elements were evident at the Garden Friday. Last night of the tour in a famous arena in a big city on weekend night? Check. Exuberant, sold-out crowd? Check. Marathon-length set full of rarities ("Hunger Strike," "Black Red Yellow"), favorites ("Alive," "Black") and great covers ("The Real Me")? Check. Heck, there was even a section of celebrities in the audience (Matt Damon, Michael Moore, John McEnroe) rocking almost as hard as the fans.
The 34-song, two encore break, two-hour-and-forty-five minute set, which included songs from each of the band's nine album repertoire except for 2002's "Riot Act," was notable also for the five incredibly rare b-sides sprinkled into the mix. "Breath," from the 1992 "Singles" soundtrack," nodded to a fan campaign to play that song at PJ's first Garden gigs back in 1998. "Sweet Lew," a tribute to New Yorker Kareem Abdul-Jabar, found bassist Jeff Ament taking the mic as Vedder did backup vocals and dribbled a basketball to the beat. Ben Bridwell, lead singer of opening act Band Of Horses, did Chris Cornell's part proud on the 1991 hit "Hunger Strike" by Pearl Jam/Soundgarden side project Temple Of The Dog.
Pearl Jam's more oft-played originals, old and new, also got a big reaction. The tender "Just Breathe," the current single from 2009's "Backspacer," got just as big a singalong as 1998's "Given To Fly." Vedder put a current events twist on "Daughter" add-on "W.M.A.," singing "white male Arizonian" instead of the usual "American" after saying his piece against the anti-immigrant laws just passed in that state. 1996's 62-second punk whiplash "Lukin," introduced by Vedder as both a new song and another way to skin a cat ("and who is out skinning cats anyway?") was retooled as a heartbreaking ballad.
The band fittingly brought the night to a close, house lights all the way up, with the three-part knock-out of "Alive," a raucous cover of MC5's "Kick Out The Jams," and a "Yellow Ledbetter" finished off by a "Star Spangled Banner" solo from guitarist Mike McCready before the guys lined up in a row and took a bow.
But the emotional center of the night, easily, was that moment during "Better Man." Vedder prefaced the tune by telling a story about his first trip to New York City right after Pearl Jam had formed. He'd caught his reflection in a window with the streetscape behind him and was simply in awe that he had made it to New York. Then, standing on the stage of a sold-out Madison Square Garden almost 20 years later, the whole 19,000 member crowd complete took over the singing, giving it everything they could. You might cry too.
Here is Pearl Jam's May 21, 2010 Madison Square Garden Set List:
Corduroy
Hail, Hail
Do The Evolution
World Wide Suicide
Got Some
Breath
Nothingman
I'm Open
Unthought Known
Grievance
Amongst The Waves
Present Tense
Not For You / Modern Girl
Push Me, Pull Me
Rats
Daughter / W.M.A.
The Fixer
Why Go
1st Encore
The End
Just Breathe
Lukin
Black Red Yellow
Sweet Lew
Given To Fly
Spin The Black Circle
Rearviewmirror
2nd Encore
Wasted Reprise
Better Man / Save it for Later
Black
The Real Me (The Who)
Hunger Strike (with Band Of Horses' Ben Bridwell)
Alive
Kick Out The Jams (MC5)
Yellow Ledbetter"
http://www.billboard.com/#/events/pearl ... tag=hpfeed
2000: Camden 1, 2003: Philly, State College, Camden 1, MSG 2, Hershey, 2004: Reading, 2005: Philly, 2006: Camden 1, 2, East Rutherford 1, 2007: Lollapalooza, 2008: Camden 1, Washington D.C., MSG 1, 2, 2009: Philly 1, 2, 3, 4, 2010: Bristol, MSG 2, 2011: PJ20 1, 2, 2012: Made In America, 2013: Brooklyn 2, Philly 2, 2014: Denver, 2015: Global Citizen Festival, 2016: Philly 2, Fenway 1, 2018: Fenway 1, 2, 2021: Sea. Hear. Now. 2022: Camden, 2024: Philly 2
Pearl Jam bootlegs:
http://wegotshit.blogspot.com
Pearl Jam bootlegs:
http://wegotshit.blogspot.com
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments
By the way, am I the only one who doesn't really like Kick Out the Jams? Yeah, its a pretty good song. I just prefer Pearl Jam not play this too much going forward.
My thought f'n exactly. Now THAT's a review!
DO THE EVOLUTION - a 20th Anniversary Tribute Celebration
of PEARL JAM - WORLD CAFE LIVE PHILLY JUNE 19th 7pm
might be you gotta admit they KILLED that though!
DO THE EVOLUTION - a 20th Anniversary Tribute Celebration
of PEARL JAM - WORLD CAFE LIVE PHILLY JUNE 19th 7pm
3 Decibels Doubles the Volume
2006
unforgettable moment
Totally. I was behind the stage (overlooking Boom) so I found myself watching the crowd just as much as the band for this show and both (band and crowd) fucking brought the goods.
Pearl Jam bootlegs:
http://wegotshit.blogspot.com
The crowd had to be about the loudest thing I have ever heard. Maybe louder than when I saw Motorhead back in the 80's.
I mean the crowd during Betterman at MSG2 was louder than Motorhead the band.
I'd take it over RITFW any day. Not that I dislike RITFW, but I've heard it about tree-fiddy times and I've only heard KOTJ once (MSG 2).
imagine this to a GA show like we have here,and u really feel the heartbeat of your friend,next to u...
the best song in history of music.....
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
That review is pretty spot on.
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
it's a real review because she's one of us...she's a 10c member and she is one of the three people that run twofeetthick.
Great review. But there won't be a DVD there was only one woman who filmed pearl jam and also at multiple shows. So maybe there will be some clips on the philly DVD.
Pearl Jam bootlegs:
http://wegotshit.blogspot.com
www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
I knew I wasn't crazy I was searching rollingstone.com and didn't see anything
That really happened, right?!?
What a show!
~not a dude~
2010: MSGx2
2012: Made In America
2013: Pittsburgh, Brooklynx2, Hartford, Baltimore
2014: Leeds, Milton Keynes, Detroit
2015: Global Citizen Festival
2016: Phillyx2, MSGx2, Fenwayx2
2018: Barcelona, Wrigleyx2
Are you referring to the Betterman moment?
Mansfield - Night 1 from 2008 - the entire place went off for like two minutes straight. Coolest thing I have ever been a part of.