Great show. Loved ''Unthought Known"...we saw Ed after the show. shook his hand. he signed a few fans things....didn't sign my album but it was cool to shake his hand
is this, eddie?
Post edited by electronblue on
******************************** "Forgive every being, the bad feelings it's just me"
I've been waiting 8 long years to see Ed play the uke live, this was a dream come true for me. I loved every second of it. I don't deny that it would have been nice to luck out with good seats, but honestly I was at the top in row H, there wasn't a bad seat in the house. Sound was great in that venue, and Eddie's voice has never sounded better. It was my first time seeing him without PJ, and i was surprised how much more beautiful his voice sounds when he hasn't been screaming for 2 hours. Anyway, awesome show. If anyone has an extra tic for SB tonight, hit me up.
LA Weekly review...i forgot about the san diego neighbors story
There are many points over Eddie Vedder's 20-year plus music career where he's had moments of clarity. However, living in a crummy apartment in San Diego, he realized enough was enough.
"It was at this point I knew I had to get my life together," Eddie Vedder recalled. He had befriended neighbors since they had access to a car, hence were able to go on beer runs. As their odd relationship evolved, the singer became less comfortable with their circumstances. Eventually Vedder was named the best man at a makeshift wedding as his neighbor's (an ex-con) mother's house in San Diego. This, he said, was a turning point, and for that, the music world is a better place.
The Wiltern was as enthusiastic and loud as Staples during a decisive Lakers playoff game. Though he was uncharacteristically terse, Vedder's voice was pristine, as if he were obligated to raise his game to suit a room that could have doubled as a high school auditorium. "Longing To Belong" and "Goodbye" had a warmth that made them seem more likely to feel at home in a child's bedroom than in a hallowed concert hall, while Pearl Jam concert staples like "Unthought Known" and "Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town" had the crowd on their feet and singing every word.
Vedder took some of the most hallowed Pearl Jam classics and managed to usher them into creative and unfamiliar territory. "Betterman" was unrecognizable except for the lyrics, a la Bob Dylan, and rearranged to the point where he received a standing ovation rather than the expected snarky grumbles from a fickle audience.
As has been the practice on his solo tour, Vedder cobbled together a terrific "who's who" of musicians, including a terrific string section to accompany him on several tracks. Much to the surprise of those in attendance (including this writer who thought the guest was dead), former Doors drummer John Densmore joined Vedder for beautiful renditions of "Long Road" and "Wishlist." Though Densmore looked more like Maharishi Mahesh Yogi than legendary rocker, his contributions filled out the tracks and were rewarded with polite applause.
What stole the show were Vedder's duets with opener Glen Hansard of The Swell Season: "Society" from Into The Wild (weird hearing it in this setting, considering Emile Hirsch was right behind us with a gorgeous blonde), "Falling Slowly" from Once (it sounded better than the original version) and a stirring rendition of Neil Young's "Rockin' In The Free World" with Hansard and Densmore that had everyone on standing and singing every word to the Young's iconic song.
Eddie Vedder managed to hold the attention of the crowd of nearly three thousand for more than two hours, which in Los Angeles is a feat. "In this town, you have many entertainment options, so I really appreciate you being out here tonight," Vedder said. Judging by the crowd's reaction, they wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else.
My girlfriend and I arrived at the venue super early fearing a classic Los Angeles traffic nightmare on a Friday afternoon (We are from San Diego. Sat through many LA traffic nightmares). Parking was no problem at the large parking garage next to the venue. We walked around a bit, but the hood around the Wiltern is a bit dodgy. Nothing really to entertain ourselves with....Bars. We grabbed our tickets at right around 4:30 and headed over to the little cafe/bar place where the meet up was taking place. Met some really nice folks and had some drinks. I won a poster in the raffle , which I gave away to a women who seemed to have a lot more affection for The Swell Season than myself. I felt okay about it because it was a poster that I probably would have just shoved away in an extra tube.
On to the show....
We walked right in to the venue (No lines) and immediately made our way to the concession line where I caught my first look at the poster. I thought it was a solid poster so we stood in line and grabbed some beers while we waited out the tremendously long line. I then went around to a side table to buy my poster (fearing they would sell out) and noticed that the artist was signing them. I got to the front of the line and he stopped before I could get him to sign it so that he could start his gigantic painting.
We went to check out our seats and they were in the loge section on the right side. I was a bit upset when I first got my tickets and noticed they were up high, but these were great seats!!! Row DD gave us a terrific perspective close enough to make out facial expression. I know a lot of 10C folks got shoved into the back which sucks. I feel like there really wasn't a bad seat in the house. I wonder how some 10C folks manage to end up in the front rows for every show..Really low 10C#..??? Lucky bastards
The show began with "Can't Keep", which has always been a really soothing song IMO. Then he rattled off a few more from the Uke album (Forgive me if I don't know the names yet), which frankly kinda bored me. I couldn't wait for him to take the energy up a bit. I felt like the crowd was good, but getting kind of restless. The second "Sometimes" began I know we were in for some real treats! The night had officially begun! He then busted out crowd favorites "I am Mine" and "Betterman" ,which heated the joint up a little more. No matter how many times I've heard Betterman it just gets me every time live. He played it differently than I've ever heard it. A few more off Into the WIld and then it was time for some "Lukin"! It was a cool version with the strings, but you couldn't really hear the strings trying to keep up
Fast forward...
"Immortality" might be my favorite song of the night. Followed by a stunning "ARC". They both just have so much emotion and power. Amazing! After the first encore he came out with JOHN FREAKING DENSMORE to play "Long Road" and "Wishlist", which were both very cool moments I'm glad I was able to see with my own eyes. "Sleepless Nights" with no mics was another truly memorable moment. It felt like we were all sitting around a campfire singing songs and it was Eddie and Glen's turn.
Fast forward again...
Eddie came out for the last encore and said he was pleased that the security allowed people to congregate at the front of the stage, which I think the security just couldn't reverse so they let the people stay. I will say that security and ushers for the most part were very friendly. However, I did see the security shove some people out that charged the stage from the back. I thought this was necessary to prevent everyone from doing it, but they got a little rough with some folks.
Rocking in the Free World was awesome! It was amazing how much power Eddie and the others were able to project from just a guitar and some tambourines. Hard Sun is a great sing along to end the show with!
Now on to the highlight of the night....
An oddly dressed fellow that looked like he was some sort of yogi/medicine man/burned out hippie type character sat directly in front of me with his wife. They sat very quite and never really spoke to each other, which I thought was odd. My girlfriend thought it was a women. I convinced her it was in fact a man because he had facial hair...haha. He got up several times for what I thought were bathroom breaks.....Little did I know that he was preparing to show up onstage! Judging by his outfit I thought he had slipped me something good and I was hallucinating that he was onstage. Anyway. Eddie begins to introduce him and everyone in the section starts looking at each other and pointing to his empty seat. Eddie then introduces him as John FREAKING Densmore of The Doors!!!! Totally cool to sit that close to a legend. I wish I would have known so I could have shook the man's hand. Very cool moment I will always remember.
Overall, the venue was great and the crowd was good. The show itself was amazing. I happened to capture the entire RTFW on my Iphone recorder thanks to the guy next to me who told me it was great quality recordings (which it is!). Thanks to him (Wes?). I only wish I could be at my favorite venue of all time THE BOWL! Have fun those that are going. Forgive my lack of detail and choppy sentence structure
Sacramento 10-30-00, Bridge School 10-20 and 10-21-01, Bridge School 10-25 and 10-26-01, Irvine 06-02-03, Irvine 06-03-03, San Diego 06-05-03, San Diego 07-07-06, Los Angeles 07-09-06, Santa Barbara 07-13-06, London UK 06-18-07, San Diego 10-9-09, San Diego 2013, LA 1 2013
That's awesome for you but it's the kind of thing that really pisses me off. My number is right near 100,000 and I get crappy seats for EVERY show. Last PJ gig in L.A. they slammed me extreme left (against the freaking wall with a monitor right in my ear).
SH10924, I *totally* get what you're saying and anyone else who got less-than-ideal seats. Believe me - I've had my share of time in the nosebleed section when I had my original 10c number (198,XXX) and couldn't understand why. I never get tickets through 10c anymore because of my crap number but went for it this time thinking with a smaller venue no seat would be bad.
As I said, I understand why it'd piss you off and I sincerely hope I didn't come off as gloating. I know I was just super-duper lucky and for that I'm grateful because I know it'll never happen again.
HoldThePain, You didn't come across as gloating- you are EXCITED!!! Anyone in your shoes would have (and most have) done the same, and posted what an amazing night you had. I understand SH10924's frustration, shit, we all do, but hey, that's life. Keep telling your story and how Ed gave you, and not the blonde bombshell his pick, and gloat all you want!!
Great show. Loved ''Unthought Known"...we saw Ed after the show. shook his hand. he signed a few fans things....didn't sign my album but it was cool to shake his hand
Great show. Loved ''Unthought Known"...we saw Ed after the show. shook his hand. he signed a few fans things....didn't sign my album but it was cool to shake his hand
What time did he end up coming out? We considered hanging around, but still got back to SB way too late.
Thank you so much to the nice lady outside of the Wishlist pre-party that gave us one of the posters that she won from the raffle. We were just admiring her posters and she said we could take the Water on the Road promo. Pearl Jam fans are the best people on the planet! She inspired my son to run back and buy a Wishlist t-shirt. Good karma will come back to you. Thanks again!
Great show. Loved ''Unthought Known"...we saw Ed after the show. shook his hand. he signed a few fans things....didn't sign my album but it was cool to shake his hand
What time did he end up coming out? We considered hanging around, but still got back to SB way too late.
Thank you so much to the nice lady outside of the Wishlist pre-party that gave us one of the posters that she won from the raffle. We were just admiring her posters and she said we could take the Water on the Road promo. Pearl Jam fans are the best people on the planet! She inspired my son to run back and buy a Wishlist t-shirt. Good karma will come back to you. Thanks again!
I wanna say he came out around 1am, but he took off right away. Glen Hansard was out there for a while though, he is very cool. He singed my cd
Great show. Loved ''Unthought Known"...we saw Ed after the show. shook his hand. he signed a few fans things....didn't sign my album but it was cool to shake his hand
is this, eddie?
Yeah after the show
I was back there too. He came out a little bit after 1am I think. We were on the other side of the wiltern, and they told us to go to the Western side, but by the time I got there, it was too hard to get anywhere near the gate. So no handshake for me, but he did point at me in the back and give me the peace sign. It's weird how, like a politician, he tries to give a nod and a few seconds of eye contact to every person...or at least so it seemed.
Now I might be the only one let down by the crowd. maybe it was just my section, but everyone around me was talking and playing on their iphone (no matter how many times security would ask them to put it away...they would just take it right back out again as soon as they walked away). The guy behind me kept doing an impression of Eddie Murphy from RAW while yelling Ed's name ("EH-DEE. I know you Mr Fuck you man!"). People were so drunk around me. Maybe that is the difference between Long Beach and the Wiltern for me. They wouldn't let you bring alcohol into the theater in Long Beach, so no one was really that drunk and thus more respectful. You can drinkin the theater at the Wiltern, so some of the crowd was beyond blitzed by the time Ed came on. It was annoying during the quieter parts of the set. i finally got up and stood by the wall in the back, and ended up being able to enjoy the latter 3rd of the show.
Other then Densmore, the highlight for me was seeing Ed play Trouble. I don't know why, but that always gives me chills.
We got Floor 3, row K, through 10C...it was about 15ish rows back on the floor, under just about the start of the balcony. The show was fantastic. The crowd/security around us was distracting, though- maybe it was because I had an aisle seat and could see all the people coming and going every few minutes and all the security/ushers walking up and down the aisle. It seemed like someone was constantly in the aisle. I tried my best not to let it take away from the show- in fact, some of the antics ended up being a little funny. Like the lady who was wearing sunglasses in the pitch black theater and wandering the aisles because she couldn't find her seat. Classic!
in reply to the girl lucky enought to get the pick....GOOD FOR YOU!!!! you deserve every bit of happiness life may give and am so psyched for you, I felt like i got the pick because you did!! the man is amazing.
It was an amazing show! I have a horrible 10c number (45xxxx) but was able to get really great seats, bottom level section L center stage. I was getting worried based on other people's complaints about seating but I was really pleased with the seats.
Glens opening set was great, its really cool to hear the crowd be enthusiastic for an opening act (even though he is more than just another random opening act).
The crowd was great from where I was. Everyone was respectful and knew when to make noise and when to shut up. Overall, a energetic and responsive crowd, and apparently Eddie thought so too because like another poster said I don't think RITFW was in the setlist and it seemed like it was a spur of the moment addition. And I can't count how many standing ovations there were the entire night . John Densmore was a great treat too, was not expecting that!
What a great set. My favorite songs played were Long Road, Wishlist, RITFW, Immortality, Sleepless Nights (playing it without the PA was a really cool addition), and Unthought Known.
PS I think I was one of the youngest people there! I guess Eddie Vedder doesn't cater to the 17 year old demographic
Great show. I'm expecting my 2nd child any day, so I only had enough spare $$$ to see one show. Great set, but holy hell. I'm an LA native, and I can't stand the lack of energy at some of these concerts. Yeah, I know, it was a stripped down, uke and guitar show, but seriously, everyone sat down for most of the show. The front section was up and rocking, but at one point a few of us stood up and the dushebag behind me taps me on the shoulder and asks me to sit down because his cow of a girlfriend can't see. I was so stunned that I didn't know how to respond. I didn't want to be an a$$ to him, so I sat, and quietly enjoyed the show, sitting down (95% of the time).
Am I wrong? Is it proper concert etiquite to politely sit? I know most of the PJ fan base is 30-40 year olds, but surely we have enough energy to stand through one show. Should I have given him the finger and said to have the cow stand up? Or was he right asking me to sit?
Great show. I'm expecting my 2nd child any day, so I only had enough spare $$$ to see one show. Great set, but holy hell. I'm an LA native, and I can't stand the lack of energy at some of these concerts. Yeah, I know, it was a stripped down, uke and guitar show, but seriously, everyone sat down for most of the show. The front section was up and rocking, but at one point a few of us stood up and the dushebag behind me taps me on the shoulder and asks me to sit down because his cow of a girlfriend can't see. I was so stunned that I didn't know how to respond. I didn't want to be an a$$ to him, so I sat, and quietly enjoyed the show, sitting down (95% of the time).
Am I wrong? Is it proper concert etiquite to politely sit? I know most of the PJ fan base is 30-40 year olds, but surely we have enough energy to stand through one show. Should I have given him the finger and said to have the cow stand up? Or was he right asking me to sit?
We had the same sit/stand dilemma on the third section of the floor. Sat for most of the first half because no one else was standing and I didn't want to piss anyone off. Second half, there were just some songs that you had to stand for, so I did. There were a few times that I made myself sit down, even though it felt wrong, so the people behind us didn't have to stare at my back. It was one of those shows where the audience really isn't on the same page, so I just tried to get my standing in when others were, too.
1st: the highlight for me was seeing Eddie and Glen do Falling Slowly to the point where I got the chills. I fell in love with that movie a few years ago.
2nd: Is there a new genre of Pearl Jam/ Eddie fan? I feel like everyone was just a plain old asshole last night. Well I guess that goes back to the couple sitting in front of me talking all night long to the point where they had to leave early because the bitch got sick! Oh well!
3rd: I have never had to say anything about a complaint of Tenclub, but tonight I think I was broken. I was so frustrated sitting in section floor 3. I couldn't see shit. I am 6'3 and couldn't see anything in front if me sitting down. My girlfriend is 4'11 and obviously couldn't see a damn thing. I feel like it was partly based on the layout of the Wiltern. FUCK
4th: Way cool meeting Emile Hirsch!
5th: I was hoping that McCready would show up seeing how he was probably there and also in Anaheim the night before, I just wanted some Ledbetter!
That is all. The first half was frustrating as hell and the second half redeemed itself.
My wife and I drove down from Vegas for the show, and man...WHAT A SHOW! My first Ed solo show, and my wife's first "PJ-related" show! Fan Club number is 145xxx and we were seated Floor Level, row W, two rows in front of the soundboard, right about center. First off, Glen Hansard was amazing. "Leave", "Low Rising", and "You Will Become" were my favorites. I've been a fan of his for a few years, since I had seen "Once" and when I found it he was opening for Ed, I knew I had to go. I was supposed to go to a Swell Season show last August here in Vegas, but it was cancelled, so seeing him AND Ed - couldn't ask for more!
On to Ed - the Uke songs were great. I've only listened to the album all the way through maybe 10 times at most, but already have some favorite tunes, which I got to hear most of. Was hoping for "More Than You Know", but to hear any songs of just Ed and a uke in a theater like the Wiltern was great. Once he got on guitar, "Trouble" was his first tune which was nice. Then "Sometimes" - totally stoked on that one, since "No Code" is my favorite PJ record. "I am Mine" was next, which was great. My son, who is currently on vacation and recently learned how to play this on guitar is gonna be jealous! The new-version of "Betterman" was interesting and enjoyable...still prefer the original though. I guess after you've been playing a tune for 20+ years, you gotta breathe new life into it. The string quartet sounded great - really filled out the tunes and sounded superb in this type of venue. "Immortality" rocked, and "Arc" closing out the first set was cool.
First encore starting off with "Long Road" was awesome - another of my favorite PJ tunes, and one I've covered in the past. Bringing Glen back out for "Society", and then "Falling Slowly" was probably my favorite part of the show. As I mentioned before - loved this song from back when I first saw "Once", and seeing it live with Ed, and the accompanying string quartet, well...I felt this song in more than just my ears. Bruce Springsteen's "Open All Night" and "Porch" closing out the first corner were crowd pleasers and had everyone singing along. My guess was "Hard Sun" would be the final song, but having "RITFW" before that was nice.
All in all, it was great experience - awesome setlist, great-sounding venue, and the icing on the cake - GETTING TO SEE ED AND SHAKE HANDS AFTER THE SHOW! (Met him back in '95 too, but I don't think he remembered me! ) Only down side to the show was the douche bag at the end of our row who couldn't hold his "YEAH EDDIE's!!!" and "WOO-HOO's!!!" until the end of the songs, and felt it necessary to shout them ten times per song. My wife was ready to beat his ass! Oh yeah and the person who's cell phone went off during Ed and Glen's "Sleepless Nights Unplugged", you're a bag of douche as well.
Also had a great time at the pre-party at Novel Cafe - met TJ25487 (Tom) and his wife, also from Vegas, and won some cool posters from the raffle. Also met Jason78 and his girlfriend at the show, who were seated next to us. 'Til next time...PEACE!
Osaka, Japan (2/21/95), San Diego (7/10/98), Las Vegas (10/22/00), San Diego (10/25/00), Las Vegas (6/6/03), Las Vegas (7/6/06), Los Angeles (7/9/06), VH1 Rock Honors (7/12/08), Ed Solo (7/8/11), Ed Solo (11/1/12), Los Angeles (11/23/13)
An awesome show. Had a totally different feel than Wed night in Long Beach. I thought the first half was perhaps a tiny bit sluggish but from Just Breathe on, it was off the charts. I couldn't believe how loud the Wiltern was during the encores, particularly Rockin' In The Free World and Hard Sun.
Tons of celebrities in the crowd. The trio of Unthought Known, Immortality, and Arc was worth the price of admission alone and then some. Having followed Springsteen around for years, was glad to see Open All Night and he did a great job on it. I thought the 2008 solo tour was good but this BLOWS it away. Tremendous stuff.
What celebs were there?
Saw Zeke Young (Neil's son) at the parking garage after the show. He came out from the same area where Ed came out to meet and great afterwards. Was one of Ed's VIP guests.
Osaka, Japan (2/21/95), San Diego (7/10/98), Las Vegas (10/22/00), San Diego (10/25/00), Las Vegas (6/6/03), Las Vegas (7/6/06), Los Angeles (7/9/06), VH1 Rock Honors (7/12/08), Ed Solo (7/8/11), Ed Solo (11/1/12), Los Angeles (11/23/13)
I thought LB was perfect. Last night surpassed it tenfold. I got to hear all the songs I was hoping to hear after reading previous fanviews - Light Today, the much-talked about Betterman and Open All Night. To hear Porch, Wishlist (with John Densmore!) Unthought Known and Long Road with just Ed on guitar was beauiful.
Now let me say - I've got a shitty 10c number (430,XXX) due to my own fault of letting it lapse, so I wasn't expecting miracles. But I just about fainted when the lovely young man manning the table looked at my tickets and said, "You've got awesome seats - second row center!!!" OMFG! In my 20 years of seeing this band, I've never ever been this lucky - ever!
When Ed and Glen sang Sleepless Nights, everyone in my area was literally drawn to their feet. How could you not when Ed and Glen walk to the very end of the stage, Ed motions the crowd to hush and they start to sing without amps. To see their facial expressions as they're singing made the song even more intense for me.
At the second encore, we all rushed to the stage and Ed said, "I'm sure this place won't like us wrecking it" or words to that effect. So there I am, pressed up against the stage, 5 feet from Ed, watching every word leave his mouth and seeing every chord strum as he's pumping out Rockin' In The Free World. He finishes the song and I couldn't believe my eyes - Ed is walking straight towards me. He reaches down, grabs my hand and places his pick in my hand. I can't believe lil ol' me got Ed's pick, especially with the blonde bombshell standing next to me - I mean seriously - it just doesn't happen!!!!
I'm sorry for gushing about getting a pick placed in my hand - I know it may appear a bit psycho-fan. But for this nerdy plain Jane, 45-year-old fan who doesn't really have much of a life outside of following my band when I can scrape up the funds to do so, it was THE MOST incredible night of my otherwise boring life. I'm on a high that I don't want to end :-D
From the bottom of my heart, Ed and 10c, thank you for giving me a truly memorable evening
I remember seeing him give you the pick and thinking how awesome a feeling that would be.
Good for you and thanks for sharing the story!
The show was amazing, I am looking forward to the Oakland shows and wish I had been able to go to more.
I loved this setlist. Really liked hearing RITFW. Stunning show.
My only gripe was the TC seats being row J upstairs (someone else has already mentioned it). I know I shouldn't expect front and centre, but at least downstairs, no more than 10 to 15 rows back. Still, I was in the venue, and that's what counts.
Just got back to the UK this morning. I think the jetlag will kick in soon...
Manchester 04.06.00, Leeds 25.08.06, Wembley 18.06.07, Dusseldorf 21.06.07, Shepherds Bush 11.08.09, Manchester 17.08.09, Adelaide 17.11.09, Melbourne 20.11.09, Sydney 22.11.09, Brisbane 25.11.09, MSG1 20.05.10, MSG2 21.05.10, Dublin 22.06.10, Belfast 23.06.10, London 25.06.10, Long Beach 06.07.11 (EV), Los Angeles 08.07.11 (EV), Toronto 11.09.11, Toronto 12.09.11, Ottawa 14.09.11, Hamilton 14.09.11, Manchester 20.06.12, Manchester 21.06.12, Amsterdam 26.06.2012, Amsterdam 27.06.2012, Berlin 04.07.12, Berlin 05.07.12, Stockholm 07.07.12, Oslo 09.07.12, Copenhagen 10.07.12, Manchester 28.07.12 (EV), Brooklyn 18.10.13, Brooklyn 19.10.13, Philly 21.10.13, Philly 22.10.13, San Diego 21.11.13, LA 23.11.13, LA 24.11.13, Oakland 26.11.13, Portland 29.11.13, Spokane 30.11.13, Calgary 02.12.13, Vancouver 04.12.13, Seattle 06.12.13, Trieste 22.06.14, Vienna 25.06.14, Berlin 26.06.14, Stockholm 28.06.14, Leeds 08.07.14, Philly 28.04.16, Philly 28.04.16, MSG1 01.05.16, MSG2 02.05.16
This was my wife and I 's first EV show and after 18 years of PJ concerts the highlight was shaking Ed's hand after the show ( I was the first person to shake in Ernie's video above).
Lowlights: I have to say the overall crowd was good but I see that a lot of people have the pesky jabber jaws or the TBS's (Tiny Bladder Syndrome) around them and we were no exception. The couple right behind me just talked louder as Eddie sang louder. The couple in front of me must have got up 20 times each and seemed offended that I was singing in their ear which made me sing louder.
Highlights: The actual whole show. 1) The Wiltern is awesome. My seats were dead center on the first rail of the balcony which yeilded a birds eye view. 2) The sound was perfect which matched Ed's voice. 3) Awesome Setlist. 4) Seeing John Densmore. 5) Glen Hansford: What a compliment to Ed's show. 5) Meeting new friends such as drummerboy.
Total Cost of Trip:
Gas from Vegas - 80.00
Hotel - 102.00
Show Tickets - 160.00
Merchandise - 100.00
Meeting EV and hanging out with PJ fans: Priceless
Great show. I'm expecting my 2nd child any day, so I only had enough spare $$$ to see one show. Great set, but holy hell. I'm an LA native, and I can't stand the lack of energy at some of these concerts. Yeah, I know, it was a stripped down, uke and guitar show, but seriously, everyone sat down for most of the show. The front section was up and rocking, but at one point a few of us stood up and the dushebag behind me taps me on the shoulder and asks me to sit down because his cow of a girlfriend can't see. I was so stunned that I didn't know how to respond. I didn't want to be an a$$ to him, so I sat, and quietly enjoyed the show, sitting down (95% of the time).
Am I wrong? Is it proper concert etiquite to politely sit? I know most of the PJ fan base is 30-40 year olds, but surely we have enough energy to stand through one show. Should I have given him the finger and said to have the cow stand up? Or was he right asking me to sit?
I'm pretty sure my husband and I were sitting right next to you and your friend....row H? If not, your story is identical to our neighbor for the show LOL. I thought you handled it nicely. I was blown away by the show regardless of some behavior of concert goers around us and we were happy to have you guys as neighbors!
Let me start by saying, “Thank you Eddie and Jesse” for a night that almost didn’t happen. My wife and I had tickets to LA and Santa Barbara, my parents were going to baby sit for us, and we were ready for our weekend. Unfortunately, my dad was hospitalized the day before the concert. We canceled hotel rooms, and were crushed that this was not our time to see Eddie solo. Luckily, my dad had emergency surgery and bounced back quickly. His first words when I spoke to him were, “Can you still get to your concerts?”
My sister-in-law volunteered to take over, and we headed to LA. We picked up our 10c tickets and headed inside. As we were standing in line for t-shirts, Ed’s bodyguard, Jesse, came up to us to see if we wanted to “upgrade” our tickets (Mezzanine, Row J) for the front row. I recognized Jesse right away, and handed over my ticket immediately. It took me, Jesse, and the people behind us, to convince my wife that this was legit. We were both shaking as we walked down to the front row!
An absolutely amazing concert! One very special moment…at the end of Porch, Ed had his guitar pick in hand and walked to the end of the stage. He walked by all the raised hands, and stopped in front of my wife, she had her hand up, and he handed the pick to her. She thinks she mouthed “Thank you, Eddie” as he held her hand for a few seconds. This moment was extra special to me, because 12 years ago I introduced my wife to my favorite band, and we have been on this amazing journey together, ever since.
Again, thank you Eddie and Jesse, for an amazing and moving weekend!
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
One more quick note: When Ed came out to "meet and greet" after the show, a young lady from Brazil asked if PJ would be coming back there anytime soon. Ed gave her a pretty convincing "Yes".
So you South American fans may get some shows before "The South"!
Osaka, Japan (2/21/95), San Diego (7/10/98), Las Vegas (10/22/00), San Diego (10/25/00), Las Vegas (6/6/03), Las Vegas (7/6/06), Los Angeles (7/9/06), VH1 Rock Honors (7/12/08), Ed Solo (7/8/11), Ed Solo (11/1/12), Los Angeles (11/23/13)
An awesome show. Had a totally different feel than Wed night in Long Beach. I thought the first half was perhaps a tiny bit sluggish but from Just Breathe on, it was off the charts. I couldn't believe how loud the Wiltern was during the encores, particularly Rockin' In The Free World and Hard Sun.
Tons of celebrities in the crowd. The trio of Unthought Known, Immortality, and Arc was worth the price of admission alone and then some. Having followed Springsteen around for years, was glad to see Open All Night and he did a great job on it. I thought the 2008 solo tour was good but this BLOWS it away. Tremendous stuff.
What celebs were there?
I saw Ben Stiller. He was on the right side in the 200s a few rows in front of Jill. Ed dedicated a song to him "this one is for Ben". I don't remember what song it was, but I'm sure someone here will remember.
Comments
is this, eddie?
"Forgive every being,
the bad feelings
it's just me"
On to the show....
We walked right in to the venue (No lines) and immediately made our way to the concession line where I caught my first look at the poster. I thought it was a solid poster so we stood in line and grabbed some beers while we waited out the tremendously long line. I then went around to a side table to buy my poster (fearing they would sell out) and noticed that the artist was signing them. I got to the front of the line and he stopped before I could get him to sign it so that he could start his gigantic painting.
We went to check out our seats and they were in the loge section on the right side. I was a bit upset when I first got my tickets and noticed they were up high, but these were great seats!!! Row DD gave us a terrific perspective close enough to make out facial expression. I know a lot of 10C folks got shoved into the back which sucks. I feel like there really wasn't a bad seat in the house. I wonder how some 10C folks manage to end up in the front rows for every show..Really low 10C#..??? Lucky bastards
The show began with "Can't Keep", which has always been a really soothing song IMO. Then he rattled off a few more from the Uke album (Forgive me if I don't know the names yet), which frankly kinda bored me. I couldn't wait for him to take the energy up a bit. I felt like the crowd was good, but getting kind of restless. The second "Sometimes" began I know we were in for some real treats! The night had officially begun! He then busted out crowd favorites "I am Mine" and "Betterman" ,which heated the joint up a little more. No matter how many times I've heard Betterman it just gets me every time live. He played it differently than I've ever heard it. A few more off Into the WIld and then it was time for some "Lukin"! It was a cool version with the strings, but you couldn't really hear the strings trying to keep up
Fast forward...
"Immortality" might be my favorite song of the night. Followed by a stunning "ARC". They both just have so much emotion and power. Amazing! After the first encore he came out with JOHN FREAKING DENSMORE to play "Long Road" and "Wishlist", which were both very cool moments I'm glad I was able to see with my own eyes. "Sleepless Nights" with no mics was another truly memorable moment. It felt like we were all sitting around a campfire singing songs and it was Eddie and Glen's turn.
Fast forward again...
Eddie came out for the last encore and said he was pleased that the security allowed people to congregate at the front of the stage, which I think the security just couldn't reverse so they let the people stay. I will say that security and ushers for the most part were very friendly. However, I did see the security shove some people out that charged the stage from the back. I thought this was necessary to prevent everyone from doing it, but they got a little rough with some folks.
Rocking in the Free World was awesome! It was amazing how much power Eddie and the others were able to project from just a guitar and some tambourines. Hard Sun is a great sing along to end the show with!
Now on to the highlight of the night....
An oddly dressed fellow that looked like he was some sort of yogi/medicine man/burned out hippie type character sat directly in front of me with his wife. They sat very quite and never really spoke to each other, which I thought was odd. My girlfriend thought it was a women. I convinced her it was in fact a man because he had facial hair...haha. He got up several times for what I thought were bathroom breaks.....Little did I know that he was preparing to show up onstage! Judging by his outfit I thought he had slipped me something good and I was hallucinating that he was onstage. Anyway. Eddie begins to introduce him and everyone in the section starts looking at each other and pointing to his empty seat. Eddie then introduces him as John FREAKING Densmore of The Doors!!!! Totally cool to sit that close to a legend. I wish I would have known so I could have shook the man's hand. Very cool moment I will always remember.
Overall, the venue was great and the crowd was good. The show itself was amazing. I happened to capture the entire RTFW on my Iphone recorder thanks to the guy next to me who told me it was great quality recordings (which it is!). Thanks to him (Wes?). I only wish I could be at my favorite venue of all time THE BOWL! Have fun those that are going. Forgive my lack of detail and choppy sentence structure
HoldThePain, You didn't come across as gloating- you are EXCITED!!! Anyone in your shoes would have (and most have) done the same, and posted what an amazing night you had. I understand SH10924's frustration, shit, we all do, but hey, that's life. Keep telling your story and how Ed gave you, and not the blonde bombshell his pick, and gloat all you want!!
Yeah after the show
What time did he end up coming out? We considered hanging around, but still got back to SB way too late.
Thank you so much to the nice lady outside of the Wishlist pre-party that gave us one of the posters that she won from the raffle. We were just admiring her posters and she said we could take the Water on the Road promo. Pearl Jam fans are the best people on the planet!
I wanna say he came out around 1am, but he took off right away. Glen Hansard was out there for a while though, he is very cool. He singed my cd
I was back there too. He came out a little bit after 1am I think. We were on the other side of the wiltern, and they told us to go to the Western side, but by the time I got there, it was too hard to get anywhere near the gate. So no handshake for me, but he did point at me in the back and give me the peace sign. It's weird how, like a politician, he tries to give a nod and a few seconds of eye contact to every person...or at least so it seemed.
Now I might be the only one let down by the crowd. maybe it was just my section, but everyone around me was talking and playing on their iphone (no matter how many times security would ask them to put it away...they would just take it right back out again as soon as they walked away). The guy behind me kept doing an impression of Eddie Murphy from RAW while yelling Ed's name ("EH-DEE. I know you Mr Fuck you man!"). People were so drunk around me. Maybe that is the difference between Long Beach and the Wiltern for me. They wouldn't let you bring alcohol into the theater in Long Beach, so no one was really that drunk and thus more respectful. You can drinkin the theater at the Wiltern, so some of the crowd was beyond blitzed by the time Ed came on. It was annoying during the quieter parts of the set. i finally got up and stood by the wall in the back, and ended up being able to enjoy the latter 3rd of the show.
Other then Densmore, the highlight for me was seeing Ed play Trouble. I don't know why, but that always gives me chills.
The best setlist of the tour, IMO, the Only song missing is Around the Bend.
Great set.
Melbourne #2 '03
Melbourne #3 '03
Melbourne #1 '06
Melbourne #3 '06
Melbourne '09
Melbourne '14
Glens opening set was great, its really cool to hear the crowd be enthusiastic for an opening act (even though he is more than just another random opening act).
The crowd was great from where I was. Everyone was respectful and knew when to make noise and when to shut up. Overall, a energetic and responsive crowd, and apparently Eddie thought so too because like another poster said I don't think RITFW was in the setlist and it seemed like it was a spur of the moment addition. And I can't count how many standing ovations there were the entire night
What a great set. My favorite songs played were Long Road, Wishlist, RITFW, Immortality, Sleepless Nights (playing it without the PA was a really cool addition), and Unthought Known.
PS I think I was one of the youngest people there! I guess Eddie Vedder doesn't cater to the 17 year old demographic
Am I wrong? Is it proper concert etiquite to politely sit? I know most of the PJ fan base is 30-40 year olds, but surely we have enough energy to stand through one show. Should I have given him the finger and said to have the cow stand up? Or was he right asking me to sit?
We had the same sit/stand dilemma on the third section of the floor. Sat for most of the first half because no one else was standing and I didn't want to piss anyone off. Second half, there were just some songs that you had to stand for, so I did. There were a few times that I made myself sit down, even though it felt wrong, so the people behind us didn't have to stare at my back. It was one of those shows where the audience really isn't on the same page, so I just tried to get my standing in when others were, too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JkJemL7 ... ata_player
1st: the highlight for me was seeing Eddie and Glen do Falling Slowly to the point where I got the chills. I fell in love with that movie a few years ago.
2nd: Is there a new genre of Pearl Jam/ Eddie fan? I feel like everyone was just a plain old asshole last night. Well I guess that goes back to the couple sitting in front of me talking all night long to the point where they had to leave early because the bitch got sick! Oh well!
3rd: I have never had to say anything about a complaint of Tenclub, but tonight I think I was broken. I was so frustrated sitting in section floor 3. I couldn't see shit. I am 6'3 and couldn't see anything in front if me sitting down. My girlfriend is 4'11 and obviously couldn't see a damn thing. I feel like it was partly based on the layout of the Wiltern. FUCK
4th: Way cool meeting Emile Hirsch!
5th: I was hoping that McCready would show up seeing how he was probably there and also in Anaheim the night before, I just wanted some Ledbetter!
That is all. The first half was frustrating as hell and the second half redeemed itself.
Nice - I was shaking hands with him somewhere around the :45 mark - if only you had panned slightly more to the right!
I took a short vid with my cell phone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTnFz5cJE38
My wife and I drove down from Vegas for the show, and man...WHAT A SHOW! My first Ed solo show, and my wife's first "PJ-related" show! Fan Club number is 145xxx and we were seated Floor Level, row W, two rows in front of the soundboard, right about center. First off, Glen Hansard was amazing. "Leave", "Low Rising", and "You Will Become" were my favorites. I've been a fan of his for a few years, since I had seen "Once" and when I found it he was opening for Ed, I knew I had to go. I was supposed to go to a Swell Season show last August here in Vegas, but it was cancelled, so seeing him AND Ed - couldn't ask for more!
On to Ed - the Uke songs were great. I've only listened to the album all the way through maybe 10 times at most, but already have some favorite tunes, which I got to hear most of. Was hoping for "More Than You Know", but to hear any songs of just Ed and a uke in a theater like the Wiltern was great. Once he got on guitar, "Trouble" was his first tune which was nice. Then "Sometimes" - totally stoked on that one, since "No Code" is my favorite PJ record.
First encore starting off with "Long Road" was awesome - another of my favorite PJ tunes, and one I've covered in the past. Bringing Glen back out for "Society", and then "Falling Slowly" was probably my favorite part of the show. As I mentioned before - loved this song from back when I first saw "Once", and seeing it live with Ed, and the accompanying string quartet, well...I felt this song in more than just my ears. Bruce Springsteen's "Open All Night" and "Porch" closing out the first corner were crowd pleasers and had everyone singing along. My guess was "Hard Sun" would be the final song, but having "RITFW" before that was nice.
All in all, it was great experience - awesome setlist, great-sounding venue, and the icing on the cake - GETTING TO SEE ED AND SHAKE HANDS AFTER THE SHOW! (Met him back in '95 too, but I don't think he remembered me!
Also had a great time at the pre-party at Novel Cafe - met TJ25487 (Tom) and his wife, also from Vegas, and won some cool posters from the raffle. Also met Jason78 and his girlfriend at the show, who were seated next to us. 'Til next time...PEACE!
Saw Zeke Young (Neil's son) at the parking garage after the show. He came out from the same area where Ed came out to meet and great afterwards. Was one of Ed's VIP guests.
I remember seeing him give you the pick and thinking how awesome a feeling that would be.
Good for you and thanks for sharing the story!
The show was amazing, I am looking forward to the Oakland shows and wish I had been able to go to more.
My only gripe was the TC seats being row J upstairs (someone else has already mentioned it). I know I shouldn't expect front and centre, but at least downstairs, no more than 10 to 15 rows back. Still, I was in the venue, and that's what counts.
Just got back to the UK this morning. I think the jetlag will kick in soon...
Lowlights: I have to say the overall crowd was good but I see that a lot of people have the pesky jabber jaws or the TBS's (Tiny Bladder Syndrome) around them and we were no exception. The couple right behind me just talked louder as Eddie sang louder. The couple in front of me must have got up 20 times each and seemed offended that I was singing in their ear which made me sing louder.
Highlights: The actual whole show. 1) The Wiltern is awesome. My seats were dead center on the first rail of the balcony which yeilded a birds eye view. 2) The sound was perfect which matched Ed's voice. 3) Awesome Setlist. 4) Seeing John Densmore. 5) Glen Hansford: What a compliment to Ed's show. 5) Meeting new friends such as drummerboy.
Total Cost of Trip:
Gas from Vegas - 80.00
Hotel - 102.00
Show Tickets - 160.00
Merchandise - 100.00
Meeting EV and hanging out with PJ fans: Priceless
I'm pretty sure my husband and I were sitting right next to you and your friend....row H? If not, your story is identical to our neighbor for the show LOL. I thought you handled it nicely. I was blown away by the show regardless of some behavior of concert goers around us and we were happy to have you guys as neighbors!
My sister-in-law volunteered to take over, and we headed to LA. We picked up our 10c tickets and headed inside. As we were standing in line for t-shirts, Ed’s bodyguard, Jesse, came up to us to see if we wanted to “upgrade” our tickets (Mezzanine, Row J) for the front row. I recognized Jesse right away, and handed over my ticket immediately. It took me, Jesse, and the people behind us, to convince my wife that this was legit. We were both shaking as we walked down to the front row!
An absolutely amazing concert! One very special moment…at the end of Porch, Ed had his guitar pick in hand and walked to the end of the stage. He walked by all the raised hands, and stopped in front of my wife, she had her hand up, and he handed the pick to her. She thinks she mouthed “Thank you, Eddie” as he held her hand for a few seconds. This moment was extra special to me, because 12 years ago I introduced my wife to my favorite band, and we have been on this amazing journey together, ever since.
Again, thank you Eddie and Jesse, for an amazing and moving weekend!
Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
VIC 07
EV LA1 08
Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
Columbus 10
EV LA 11
Vancouver 11
Missoula 12
Portland 13, Spokane 13
St. Paul 14, Denver 14
Thanks for posting this! I'm all the way to left of the frame with arm outstretched moments before I shook Ed's hand! What an awesome weekend!
So you South American fans may get some shows before "The South"!
I saw Ben Stiller. He was on the right side in the 200s a few rows in front of Jill. Ed dedicated a song to him "this one is for Ben". I don't remember what song it was, but I'm sure someone here will remember.