oh,,you are not familiar with Greekglish...
nirvana = like
pearl jam = love for ever till i die
"...Dimitri...He talks to me...'.."The Ghost of Greece..".
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
I guess I'm a little bias then. I love PJ unplugged better than Nirvana. Now in all fairness to Nirvana, I haven't listened or watched their unplugged in many years, heard it many times during my teens and watched many times during those yrs also. But I found myself more pumped to watch PJ unplugged than I did Nirvana at the time, thats also before I became the crazy PJ fan that I'm now a days.
So vote me for PJ unplugged
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If you are referring to the MTV Unplugged set, i have got to go with Nirvana...
Pearl Jam gave an epic performance when they performed on MTV Unplugged; but Nirvana really made it an Unplugged night. PJ rocked my socks off that night, and Ed being Ed, giving the Pro-Choice message and all... very nice.
Nirvana however kept it more intimate, with the white flowers and they tuned down their songs too; Dave drumming with the little broomsticks instead of normal drumsticks etc....
I despice myself saying this; but Nirvana wins this round :?
Nirvana played theirs 2 years after they came into the big spot lights. They had matured. Pearl Jam's Ten just started to have impact when they played theirs. There are 21 months between them.
Personally, I only heard and saw Nirvana's when Kurt already was dead, which gives it a whole different sense.
And yes, PJ had just returned from an exhaustive trip and played on rented instruments.
PJ rocked their place, Nirvana gave a more intimate performance.
Both are great!
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Great thread.........Been a PJ maniac since the second I opened Ten.....was a Nirvana listener but only really had Nirvana Nevermind....bought AIC Dirt, but thought it was too heavy for a few years......So....with that backdrop....I have come to realize a few things....Alice In Chains is probably the best successful example of Grunge or the band I would point to that was the epitome of what the scene was (not flannels at Macy's grunge)......Pearl Jam is arguably the most talented/dynamic group from the big 4 (soundgarden, AIC, N, PJ) and their continuation speaks to that - I don't think any of the bands would have survived as a unit had the lead men not passed...I guess that is not rocket science, look at AIC and SG....they didn't endure. I don't see N lasting for some reason....all a hunch, but pretty sure they would have public splits.....SO...with all that....I would have to say that the AIC unplugged solidified them as a band...never heard anything else live, but that album is simply amazing. The Nirvana unplugged got the most play time for me - and whereas the AIC made me go back and review all their albums and fall in love with all their albums, the Nirvana sparked no interest to go find more music from them and stood by itself as my Nirvana knowledge. N Unplugged is 10 out of 10 stars.... Soundgarden never made an unplugged, and maybe it would have taken that for me to get into them more. Unplugged albums are kinda like a pseudo opportunity to see a band for the first time...you know that feeling when you see a band you like but you somehow "understand" the band way more after just seeing them...unplugged albums are like that for me....
I was so damn lucky to go to Benaroya, so I have to pass on including that in this.....However, I remember Pearl Jam doing an accoustic set so early in their career and being so impressed...I didn't really know that musicians were really musicians up to that point....I thought it was all kinda manufactured at some level,..so they need extra credit for that...plus the performance was also amazing....just not available for me to listen to until Napster arrived. Man.....I am confused now...they really did showcase their talent in an amazing show really early in their career.... but I am American and I won't be content unless there is a winner, so.....
MY PERSONAL CHOICE (based on fact, history, being 100 percent correct all the time, having better taste than all of you, coolness, truth, knowledge, and general authority) IS>............
1. Alice In Chains
2. PJ Unplugged
3. Shakespeare's Sister
4. Nirvana
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Nirvana's Unplugged is better, hands down. I also think that Alice In Chains' Unplugged was better than Pearl Jam's. Not that Pearl Jam's Unplugged wasn't good, the other two were just that amazing.
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How can anyone choose, Nirvana's was Kurt's fully planned out and executed funeral down to the black lilies and candles and song selections. He wouldn't let anyone else chime in or have fun, he maintained grim control. Of course it is a masterpiece but even so I can't wrap my head around a comparison, Pearl Jam turns everything into a celebration even when coming home after an exhausting tour and using rented instruments. And it was a glorious performance
So, perhaps we could say that both performances do a great job of showcasing what each band was about and where it was at the time?
Back in the day, I was Team Nirvana. Pearl Jam was the band with that "Jeremy" song. This was back when MTV still played music, and I swear they played that video every freaking time I turned on my television. I remember the Nirvana Unplugged performance being hailed as an instant classic; I have the CD, it's pretty great. I don't remember hearing anything about Pearl Jam's performance.
But I have to say that that peformance of "Porch" is my favorite, not to mention one of my favorite live performances of anything by anyone, ever. -- And "Porch" is not even a top-25 PJ song for me. It has everything: Ed's voice, Jeff's hat , Jeff on the drum kit, Ed crowd-surfing on his stool, wicked guitar, an explosiveness and intensity that blow me away every time I watch it. I could watch that video every hour and not tire of it; it energizes me.
I think that comparing the two performances is tough. They are very different performances, from bands that were rather different despite the "grunge" label. I think our impressions of the Nirvana performance naturally are influenced by Kurt's death; as warmbreath notes, there is some pretty heavy imagery at work in that show. Would it be regarded differently had Nirvana continued as a band for twenty years? How about if the band had simply fallen apart for more mundane reasons (ego, money, differing interests)? I don't know; I think Nirvana's performance *is* great. I also think we are trying to compare apples and oranges.
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alice in chains is the best unplugged. i feel like that's how those songs are meant to sound.
having said that.....
Pearl Jam's unplugged is the least innovative out of all the ones i've heard, but that also makes it extremely cool. they rocked the fuck out on acoustics, didn't change anything, just went about their business without pedals and/or distortion. i remember reading about how they didn't really know what the unplugged would entail and how they played on rented instruments. (not to mention they were jetlagged as fuck)
nirvana kinda reinvented themselves as a band for their unplugged, you can tell they put a lot of thought into it, so they get the win here.
i have a paper here that entitles me to fast track status
that the big difference..alot of band put candles ,sheets,call for decoration before the unplugged version..
our boys just go on stage and play the songs...
can you imagine an unplugged show of pearl jam after all this year of music they create??
can u imagine a set list?
and the blinds start to see and the parapeligic start to walk...
"...Dimitri...He talks to me...'.."The Ghost of Greece..".
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
that the big difference..alot of band put candles ,sheets,call for decoration before the unplugged version..
our boys just go on stage and play the songs...
can you imagine an unplugged show of pearl jam after all this year of music they create??
can u imagine a set list?
and the blinds start to see and the parapeligic start to walk...
Loved the Unplugged stuff, it was a big deal back in the day. Saw Nirvana live in 93. For me they opened the door to PJ. Love both their work, don't have to dislike one to enjoy the other. I love all the music during that stretch, better then 99% of the crap put out today IMO.
Ten Club # 433608, when I am 80 I will be in the front row!
that the big difference..alot of band put candles ,sheets,call for decoration before the unplugged version..
our boys just go on stage and play the songs...
can you imagine an unplugged show of pearl jam after all this year of music they create??
can u imagine a set list?
and the blinds start to see and the parapeligic start to walk...
what she said...
let me read with my balls now...
"...Dimitri...He talks to me...'.."The Ghost of Greece..".
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
There's a story that the band walked off the stage after "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" and Geffen, or one of the other bosses wanted them to play one more, and Kurt was like "no." There was something about that moment that Geffen was like "You're right. There is no way you could possibly top that song."
Cool story...I don't know, for me it is a tough call. I would give the edge to Porch over WDYSLN, IMO. Both are amazing.
nirvana's unplugged performance was epic. truly amazing. cemented my love for them and opened my eyes to just how musically great they were. very intense. well planned and thought out, lots of care and attention to detail that made for a great listening experience.
pearl jam's unplugged performance was amazing, so powerful. It started my love for them, created the curiosity and desire in me to listen to them, check the rest of their music out beyond Ten. The energy! wow, that energy. It is just one example of their talent and of course, the amazing songs they write.
In terms of song list and years as a band, Nirvana had been together longer. Had a larger catalogue and was so incredibly famous that they were able to include rarer songs, covers. Pearl Jam couldn't have done more than they did because they hadn't been together for more than 2 years, had done 1 album. They were just on the brink of their fame
Personally, I love Pearl Jam's more. While I love Nirvana's (and listened to Nirvana before Pearl Jam) for me Pearl Jam's just encaptured so much raw energy, excitement, passion. Like someone said, they didn't really change their songs that much, just took the normal versions and transferred it to acoustic. But that didn't take from it at all, it still sounded perfect.
Unplugged came far too soon for PJ. Nirvana had a longer history and recording career so were more experienced to deal with the alien situation of an unplugged show, especially one being broadcast to millions. PJ they did was what you expected them to at the time. They performed great versions of the songs they chose and I love the Black and Porch from this show like many do but it was definately nowhere near as special as what Nirvana pulled off. They had a string of radio hits yet they invited the Meat Puppets for three of their songs, played The Man Who Sold The World and Where Did You Sleep Last Night getting a huge response for doing so. I don't think PJ would have been forgiven if they dropped Black, Even Flow and Alive. They maybe stuck to the obvious a little from their own songs, Dumb, Polly, Something In The Way and All Apologies but Pennyroyal Tea solo was another brave choice. Kurt looked extremely vulnerable yet he performed in a way that made his choice of songs not matter to an audience that adored each passing moment of the show. I think Nirvana's Unplugged is one of the greatest shows MTV have aired. PJ may be my favourite band but when it comes to the MTV series I'd choose Nirvana, Alice In Chains then Pearl Jam. AIC were never expected to make much of a splash with their show given Layne's physical and mental state yet they performed way above the level most people expected and watching it really makes you wonder what could have been for AIC and Layne in other circumstances. I certainly ain't knocking PJ's set as it really was superb but I almost wish they'd waited until late in the Vs tour or after Vitalogy for their moment.
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pearl jam had fewer songs, true, but nirvana's set was full of covers and they had other people helping them play their songs. pearl jam's performance was miles ahead.
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Unplugged came far too soon for PJ. Nirvana had a longer history and recording career so were more experienced to deal with the alien situation of an unplugged show, especially one being broadcast to millions. PJ they did was what you expected them to at the time. They performed great versions of the songs they chose and I love the Black and Porch from this show like many do but it was definately nowhere near as special as what Nirvana pulled off. They had a string of radio hits yet they invited the Meat Puppets for three of their songs, played The Man Who Sold The World and Where Did You Sleep Last Night getting a huge response for doing so. I don't think PJ would have been forgiven if they dropped Black, Even Flow and Alive. They maybe stuck to the obvious a little from their own songs, Dumb, Polly, Something In The Way and All Apologies but Pennyroyal Tea solo was another brave choice. Kurt looked extremely vulnerable yet he performed in a way that made his choice of songs not matter to an audience that adored each passing moment of the show. I think Nirvana's Unplugged is one of the greatest shows MTV have aired. PJ may be my favourite band but when it comes to the MTV series I'd choose Nirvana, Alice In Chains then Pearl Jam. AIC were never expected to make much of a splash with their show given Layne's physical and mental state yet they performed way above the level most people expected and watching it really makes you wonder what could have been for AIC and Layne in other circumstances. I certainly ain't knocking PJ's set as it really was superb but I almost wish they'd waited until late in the Vs tour or after Vitalogy for their moment.
Well said and I agree with your order. :thumbup:
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Unplugged came far too soon for PJ. Nirvana had a longer history and recording career so were more experienced to deal with the alien situation of an unplugged show, especially one being broadcast to millions. PJ they did was what you expected them to at the time. They performed great versions of the songs they chose and I love the Black and Porch from this show like many do but it was definately nowhere near as special as what Nirvana pulled off. They had a string of radio hits yet they invited the Meat Puppets for three of their songs, played The Man Who Sold The World and Where Did You Sleep Last Night getting a huge response for doing so. I don't think PJ would have been forgiven if they dropped Black, Even Flow and Alive. They maybe stuck to the obvious a little from their own songs, Dumb, Polly, Something In The Way and All Apologies but Pennyroyal Tea solo was another brave choice. Kurt looked extremely vulnerable yet he performed in a way that made his choice of songs not matter to an audience that adored each passing moment of the show. I think Nirvana's Unplugged is one of the greatest shows MTV have aired. PJ may be my favourite band but when it comes to the MTV series I'd choose Nirvana, Alice In Chains then Pearl Jam. AIC were never expected to make much of a splash with their show given Layne's physical and mental state yet they performed way above the level most people expected and watching it really makes you wonder what could have been for AIC and Layne in other circumstances. I certainly ain't knocking PJ's set as it really was superb but I almost wish they'd waited until late in the Vs tour or after Vitalogy for their moment.
Great post!
I think the main reason that a fair amount of people share this opinion has a great deal to do with where each band was commercially/career-wise when they performed their Unplugged shows, and not necessarily a bias towards a favorite band. Pearl Jam's career was still in it's infancy, and MTV Unplugged itself had only been around for a few years. For both Pearl Jam and MTV, as powerful as this performance was, and even though in Pearl Jam's mind, it may have simply been "playing an acoustic show for fans", it was definitely a vehicle for promotion of Ten and a marketing opportunity for MTV. I think it's a fair contributor to why Ten did so well in sales during the latter part of '92. Also, even though they filmed several other songs apart from the original 30 min. broadcast of "Ten hits", "Rockin' in the Free World" was the only cover, and there was nothing really "odd" or "different" from Pearl Jam's typical setlists. Obviously, since it was only 1992, they had nowhere near the repertoire of original songs/rehearsed covers to choose from as Nirvana did in late-1993.
Nirvana's song choices and overall sense of "we're gonna do what we want", along with the fact that they had guest musicians and an hour long set, gave the show much more of a concert performance feeling than just a music-based TV show. To me, there's not one Unplugged performance that comes close to the raw emotion and complete abandonment for any type of self-promotion. It's almost as through their song choices and having the Meat Puppets on, that they were trying to say "Look...there's other music out there you might want to check out besides NIRVANA."
I've been a fan of both Pearl Jam and Nirvana since they started and own every official release, as well as many non-official releases of both bands. I'd choose PJ over Nirvana any day...except November 18, 1993 - when Nirvana made their mark on MTV Unplugged - a moment which even if they continued for another decade, would have been hard to top.
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that the big difference..alot of band put candles ,sheets,call for decoration before the unplugged version..
our boys just go on stage and play the songs...
can you imagine an unplugged show of pearl jam after all this year of music they create??
can u imagine a set list?
and the blinds start to see and the parapeligic start to walk...
3 hour set at radio city music hall would do
aic is my fave unplugged of all time but ill take nirvana unplugged over pj unplugged. the nirvana one was cool cause they didn't play the hits and did it how they wanted. i mean smells like teen spirit woulda sounded horrible unplugged. also pearl jams wasn't really unplugged in my eyes considering dave a used a regular drum kit setup of his. pearl jams unplugged was basically ten unplugged with a cover thrown in.
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that the big difference..alot of band put candles ,sheets,call for decoration before the unplugged version..
our boys just go on stage and play the songs...
can you imagine an unplugged show of pearl jam after all this year of music they create??
can u imagine a set list?
and the blinds start to see and the parapeligic start to walk...
I was listening to the PJ & Nirvana unplugged and like them both. Was thinking how this is the 20th anniversary of PJ unplugged and it would have been awesome of them to have produced another show. Set list
of 12-15 songs would be sweet!!!
Another Unplugged session of PJ would be fantastic! Let´s do this!
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Comments
nirvana = like
pearl jam = love for ever till i die
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
So vote me for PJ unplugged
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Pearl Jam gave an epic performance when they performed on MTV Unplugged; but Nirvana really made it an Unplugged night. PJ rocked my socks off that night, and Ed being Ed, giving the Pro-Choice message and all... very nice.
Nirvana however kept it more intimate, with the white flowers and they tuned down their songs too; Dave drumming with the little broomsticks instead of normal drumsticks etc....
I despice myself saying this; but Nirvana wins this round :?
Ah, gotcha!
I heard a rumor that nirvana just went up to the stage without rehearsing and just played. Even more amazing if that's true.
Great topic
I'm gonna listen to both today
Same here
Nirvana played theirs 2 years after they came into the big spot lights. They had matured. Pearl Jam's Ten just started to have impact when they played theirs. There are 21 months between them.
Personally, I only heard and saw Nirvana's when Kurt already was dead, which gives it a whole different sense.
And yes, PJ had just returned from an exhaustive trip and played on rented instruments.
PJ rocked their place, Nirvana gave a more intimate performance.
Both are great!
I thought it was a bloody train wreck
And I love all 3!
I agree
I was so damn lucky to go to Benaroya, so I have to pass on including that in this.....However, I remember Pearl Jam doing an accoustic set so early in their career and being so impressed...I didn't really know that musicians were really musicians up to that point....I thought it was all kinda manufactured at some level,..so they need extra credit for that...plus the performance was also amazing....just not available for me to listen to until Napster arrived. Man.....I am confused now...they really did showcase their talent in an amazing show really early in their career.... but I am American and I won't be content unless there is a winner, so.....
MY PERSONAL CHOICE (based on fact, history, being 100 percent correct all the time, having better taste than all of you, coolness, truth, knowledge, and general authority) IS>............
1. Alice In Chains
2. PJ Unplugged
3. Shakespeare's Sister
4. Nirvana
I saw a wino eating grapes, I said, "Dude, you have to wait"
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So, perhaps we could say that both performances do a great job of showcasing what each band was about and where it was at the time?
Back in the day, I was Team Nirvana. Pearl Jam was the band with that "Jeremy" song. This was back when MTV still played music, and I swear they played that video every freaking time I turned on my television. I remember the Nirvana Unplugged performance being hailed as an instant classic; I have the CD, it's pretty great. I don't remember hearing anything about Pearl Jam's performance.
But I have to say that that peformance of "Porch" is my favorite, not to mention one of my favorite live performances of anything by anyone, ever. -- And "Porch" is not even a top-25 PJ song for me. It has everything: Ed's voice, Jeff's hat
I think that comparing the two performances is tough. They are very different performances, from bands that were rather different despite the "grunge" label. I think our impressions of the Nirvana performance naturally are influenced by Kurt's death; as warmbreath notes, there is some pretty heavy imagery at work in that show. Would it be regarded differently had Nirvana continued as a band for twenty years? How about if the band had simply fallen apart for more mundane reasons (ego, money, differing interests)? I don't know; I think Nirvana's performance *is* great. I also think we are trying to compare apples and oranges.
Also loved live and rem
But I'd agree Nirvana was THE unplugged
having said that.....
Pearl Jam's unplugged is the least innovative out of all the ones i've heard, but that also makes it extremely cool. they rocked the fuck out on acoustics, didn't change anything, just went about their business without pedals and/or distortion. i remember reading about how they didn't really know what the unplugged would entail and how they played on rented instruments. (not to mention they were jetlagged as fuck)
nirvana kinda reinvented themselves as a band for their unplugged, you can tell they put a lot of thought into it, so they get the win here.
our boys just go on stage and play the songs...
can you imagine an unplugged show of pearl jam after all this year of music they create??
can u imagine a set list?
and the blinds start to see and the parapeligic start to walk...
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
let me read with my balls now...
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
Cool story...I don't know, for me it is a tough call. I would give the edge to Porch over WDYSLN, IMO. Both are amazing.
nirvana's unplugged performance was epic. truly amazing. cemented my love for them and opened my eyes to just how musically great they were. very intense. well planned and thought out, lots of care and attention to detail that made for a great listening experience.
pearl jam's unplugged performance was amazing, so powerful. It started my love for them, created the curiosity and desire in me to listen to them, check the rest of their music out beyond Ten. The energy! wow, that energy. It is just one example of their talent and of course, the amazing songs they write.
In terms of song list and years as a band, Nirvana had been together longer. Had a larger catalogue and was so incredibly famous that they were able to include rarer songs, covers. Pearl Jam couldn't have done more than they did because they hadn't been together for more than 2 years, had done 1 album. They were just on the brink of their fame
Personally, I love Pearl Jam's more. While I love Nirvana's (and listened to Nirvana before Pearl Jam) for me Pearl Jam's just encaptured so much raw energy, excitement, passion. Like someone said, they didn't really change their songs that much, just took the normal versions and transferred it to acoustic. But that didn't take from it at all, it still sounded perfect.
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pearl jam had fewer songs, true, but nirvana's set was full of covers and they had other people helping them play their songs. pearl jam's performance was miles ahead.
Well said and I agree with your order. :thumbup:
Great post!
I think the main reason that a fair amount of people share this opinion has a great deal to do with where each band was commercially/career-wise when they performed their Unplugged shows, and not necessarily a bias towards a favorite band. Pearl Jam's career was still in it's infancy, and MTV Unplugged itself had only been around for a few years. For both Pearl Jam and MTV, as powerful as this performance was, and even though in Pearl Jam's mind, it may have simply been "playing an acoustic show for fans", it was definitely a vehicle for promotion of Ten and a marketing opportunity for MTV. I think it's a fair contributor to why Ten did so well in sales during the latter part of '92. Also, even though they filmed several other songs apart from the original 30 min. broadcast of "Ten hits", "Rockin' in the Free World" was the only cover, and there was nothing really "odd" or "different" from Pearl Jam's typical setlists. Obviously, since it was only 1992, they had nowhere near the repertoire of original songs/rehearsed covers to choose from as Nirvana did in late-1993.
Nirvana's song choices and overall sense of "we're gonna do what we want", along with the fact that they had guest musicians and an hour long set, gave the show much more of a concert performance feeling than just a music-based TV show. To me, there's not one Unplugged performance that comes close to the raw emotion and complete abandonment for any type of self-promotion. It's almost as through their song choices and having the Meat Puppets on, that they were trying to say "Look...there's other music out there you might want to check out besides NIRVANA."
I've been a fan of both Pearl Jam and Nirvana since they started and own every official release, as well as many non-official releases of both bands. I'd choose PJ over Nirvana any day...except November 18, 1993 - when Nirvana made their mark on MTV Unplugged - a moment which even if they continued for another decade, would have been hard to top.
aic is my fave unplugged of all time but ill take nirvana unplugged over pj unplugged. the nirvana one was cool cause they didn't play the hits and did it how they wanted. i mean smells like teen spirit woulda sounded horrible unplugged. also pearl jams wasn't really unplugged in my eyes considering dave a used a regular drum kit setup of his. pearl jams unplugged was basically ten unplugged with a cover thrown in.
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I was listening to the PJ & Nirvana unplugged and like them both. Was thinking how this is the 20th anniversary of PJ unplugged and it would have been awesome of them to have produced another show. Set list
of 12-15 songs would be sweet!!!
96 Zurich - 00 RaR - 07 Munich - 10 Berlin - 12 Berlin² - 14 Amsterdam² Berlin - 18 Berlin - 22 Zurich
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Pearl Jam/ Eddie Vedder Setlist-statistics in Google Drive-document >>>click here<<<