**** Hamilton Fanviews Here 9/15/11 ****

mikep

this show kicked ass. Great energy from the crowd and band, Stone was soloing his butt off and totally into the whole show. Loved the gems, awesome awesome. must sleep:)

J_LAWN

Awesome Show!! The crowd had amazing energy and you cold tell the band was really into it as well. We were kind of worried at first that the acoustics in the coliseum would be bad after hearing mudhoney but everything sounded GREAT once PJ took the stage.

AMAZING SET LIST as well!

mikeyb46

Even after the 3 hours drive home i'm still feeling the energy from this ...this crowd was amazing tonight ,the band was awesome tonight ...the set list was unreal !!!!!!!!!!! my new number 1 show !!!!!!!!!!!

satanman

man oh man what a great show. Easily the best show of the tour. Still on a high. Hope this is the begining of things to come for the rest of the tour

Sian-of-the-dead

Great set... I'm rather jealous :P

Hope all who went had fun!

ilockyer

Last night of the tour for me... Ed's cover of I Remember You and Unthought Known really were awesome tonight.

Happy travels to you lucky souls who continue on to Winnipeg and west...

Jam.Head

What a week! I can't get past it!!!

That was one hell of a show Hamilton! PJ was on fire last night. EV was really connecting with the crowd, and it felt really intimate. The building was buzzing with energy, what an amazing crowd!!!

Finally, the set list was a thing of dreams! Crazy Mary gave me chills, and I cannot believe they played Brain of J. Good call to whoever made that request sign!

This was the perfect storm...

Kevin Wilson

Very nice setlist! Sooooo Jealous!!

Digital Twilight

Nice to see cropduster make a return and Search and Destroy? Looking forward to listening to that.

BLACK35

smarchee wrote:

big THANK YOU Ten Club for the 9th row lottery winnings, it was a great view (Stone side) of the stage and its nice to see their expressions and interactions so close up.

Again, you guys do me well

I also love the non-album tours

Ed really had a blast tonight, as well as got really emotional with the Joey Ramone story :(

You could see him signing Betterman really intensely.

Is it me, or are their jams a little bit longer and more frisky on this tour? Even the end of Betterman was more rocking and longer than usual

Awesome of Ed to extend the beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee on Black

Congrats on the lottery win

dimitrispearljam

Brain of J..wow.!!

SD188086

Earlier this week I told my GF I was going to stop using the computer after 2AM. But Im on too much of a high from the show to sleep and decided the most productive thing for me to do was write about the show while it was fresh in my memory. Reading Slash's autobiography to fall asleep might have been the more prudent option, but luckily she's sleeping at her place tonight!

I asked myself 'where to begin' with this review and the opener was an instant answer... In given to fly Eddie sang 'he made it to the Hammer, had a smoke in a tree' which drew a HUGE response from anyone in the crowd that understood the reference. From that moment on it felt like the crowd was another instrument being played by the band. Obviously the veteran PJ fans know the catalogue well and are always responsive, but Hamilton was the loudest and most active crowd I can remember being a part of. Thousands of people packed into an aging arena that felt more intimate than its size, recalling tonight's energy is still giving me a rush.

A few songs in, Eddie marveled at the crowd: "In Toronto Uncle Neil told us you're going to have a great time in Ottawa, but just wait until you see them in Hamilton" (dont quote me on this haha, Im excited to hear how close I got on the recording!) This drew an even louder roar than the 'Hammer' lyric.

After Immortality (I think?) Eddie pointed out the sections that were rocking to Mudhoney, Mikes side of the floor and 200 level stage left. He told the crowd they were seeing two of the worlds best in Dan Peters (mudhoney drummer) and Matt Cameron who wanted to play the next song.

Not for you was the point in the show where I really noticed how much Ed was meandering around the stage. His enthusiasm and intensity were higher than I've seen it in a couple years, and I started to focus on him. When Eddie sang 'all thats sacred comes from youth' the image from PJ20 of young Mike and Jeff in the courtroom popped into my head. This made me scan from Eddie to them just in time to see them laughing at eachother, a moment that really stood out for me at this show: Eddie's singing about youth. A band I love, having a ton of fun on stage on their 20th anniversary tour. Am I that old? Wow. At least my aging eyes were catching the right things at the right time!

In an era where too many popular bands 'call in' familiar setlists, I felt blessed to be watching the chemistry and enjoyment that was exploding from the the stage tonight. This was Pearl Jam's 7th show in the past 12 days and it really felt like they were hitting their stride. Attitude can be everything sometimes, and mine was locked in on enjoying each moment of this concert to the fullest.

The crowd responded well to Ole and were treated to a perfectly placed breather. Ed joked that for tax purposes he wanted to correct an article in the paper that reported donations of $500M instead of the actual $500k. He gave a very heartfelt thankyou to Laura, and pointed her out a few rows from the stage with the lights on. I turned to my friend beside me saying how special that moment must have been for her, how much Im sure she deserved it, and how happy it made me. Ed said Mike wanted to play Evenflow for her, and I feel like it showed during his solo.

If I was wrong about the drummer love following immortality, it followed Evenflow. Ed mentioned Cameron wrote the music to the next song and they started Cropduster.

Daughter ended with an outro that foreshadowed the encore. If Eddie knew Blitzkrieg Bop was a hockey rink anthem, its a good thing he didnt play it that way. The native Hamiltonians brains would have exploded and they would have missed the rest of a great show haha

Speaking of exploding, my bladder was doing that from tons of preshow beers at the Honest Lawyer, so I ran up the steps as Habit started. Urinal lines were nonexistent (great!) and huge beer lines were also great, because I didnt miss a moment more than I had to! On the way to the bathroom I dug the view from the top of the steps, and when Just Breathe started I decided to walk back up. The 'birds eye' view by myself was very tranquil. Once again I was fortunate to experience a 'right place, right time' moment when the entire crowd EXPLODED at the first notes of Jeremy.

That was my cue to rush back to my seat, and 10 seconds later I was rocking out with one of my best friends. Why Go was a loud, passionate closer and Eddie put an exclamation mark on the set by smashing his mic stand as he exited. Two items were simultaneously thrown at the stage from different directions, and in a pretty athletic move Ed caught them both without breaking stride. The look of satisfaction and amusement on his face must have matched mine as I sat down in my seat. What a killer set.

Nothingman opened the encore. In addition to being one of my favorite ballads, it felt like the perfect tempo for a crowd that had screamed their faces off for the set closers. Turned out it also set the mood perfectly for Ed to open up about it being the 7th anniversary of Johnny Ramone's passing, one of his best friends. He told the story of being in the room when he drew his last breath surrounded by loving friends and family. Ed told the crowd that holding his 3 month old daughter that day made him understand the circle of life and went into a very sincere and emotional 'I remember you.'

The crowd was very respectful, I cant wait for the goosebumps reliving this moment when the recording comes out. Their eerie silence juxtaposed with the eruption at the riff to Betterman was incredible. It seemed Ed was channeling/honoring Johnny throughout the song, the Ramones 'I wanna be your boyfriend' in the outro confirmed that for me. In hindsight, it was no coincidence that 'I remember you' was bookended by Nothingman/Betterman.

Black, State of Love and Trust, and Porch put the crowd in a frenzy that had the foundation shakin at Copps Coliseum. Another sick run of songs, another mic stand smashed, another exclamation point. It was almost 11 pm, the point where most shows are cut off in Canada, and the band left the stage.

During one of the encores, Eddie thanked the crowd for being so incredible (my words, not his.) While he was right, its possible he was just buttering us up before a request haha. He said he wanted to send the tape of this show to his friend who regularly surfs 60 to 100 foot waves, surfer Laird Hamilton. He demonstrated how he wanted it to sound and conducted the crowd with a wave of his hand. He also led the crowd in the wave, which kept momentum for a few laps around the Coliseum, but didnt have the power of the 'seated' waves you get at baseball games.

To start the second encore Eddie pointed out a sign on stage left, saying something along the lines of 'they took the time to make it big enough for me to read it, we're gonna play it!' As luck would have it, that sign was for Brain of J.

Crazy Mary was great, especially seeing the crew hauling out gear for some guests as it ended! Eddie said that there were many great 'Detroit' songs, and they were going to play one ... at this point my quotes are just blurs of what might have been said, I think he said they soundchecked it (or dicked around w/ it backstage) .. but tiredness is setting in and Im hesitant to type that. I wondered during the song if their choice to perform this song was connected to Johnny


Alive and Yellow Ledbetter finished a show that left vets and 1st timers picking their jaws up off the floor. Eddie walked into the crowd to sing Alive, holding one fans hand for what seemed like the entire song. During YL he smashed a tambourine over his head and wore it like a necklace, his smile matching the one everyone on the band was showing off all evening. Instruments were put down and many high fives exchanged long before Mike finished soloing. Incredible setlist, incredible performance. A true highlight of my 10 year career as a concertgoer


A nice cherry on top for me was one of the gorgeous green Klausen posters! If anyone would be willing to lend a hand when the signed black APs go onsale, I would be very grateful. I want to frame and display them together like this:

http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/3313/pjboth.jpg

If you enjoyed this review, I will be posting a ton of previously private concert reviews on a blog soon, Ill link it to my twitter @Pokertoronto :
http://twitter.com/#!/PokerToronto

KPearljammer

This show was OFF THE HOOK!! A wonderful way to finish off my Canadian tour! I don't know where to start so i'll let the videos do the talking. Here's the first two and i have another 6 to upload!

GIVEN TO FLY: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06Uxa1Pg2oU

I REMEMBER YOU / BETTERMAN / I WANT TO BE YOUR BOYFRIEND / SAVE IT FOR LATER: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpSkIbl78FI

smarchee

awesome review SD188086

I believe the line was "but Hamilton will go off"

smarchee

BLACK35 wrote:

smarchee wrote:

big THANK YOU Ten Club for the 9th row lottery winnings, it was a great view (Stone side) of the stage and its nice to see their expressions and interactions so close up.

Again, you guys do me well

I also love the non-album tours

Ed really had a blast tonight, as well as got really emotional with the Joey Ramone story :(

You could see him signing Betterman really intensely.

Is it me, or are their jams a little bit longer and more frisky on this tour? Even the end of Betterman was more rocking and longer than usual

Awesome of Ed to extend the beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee on Black

Congrats on the lottery win

was a great view of the band

Flyingw

SD188086 - I don't have anything to offer....you said it all Man! A well turned phrase or so.

All I know is that it feels like you can never have enough of the live experience we had last night. A maligned as Hamilton is, we were on top of the world last night, and I can't wait for the bootlegs of this tour!

Thanks PJ, and here's to the next 20!

MayDay10

Great show. Thank you maynardsucks for kindly providing your extra 10c ticket as well as being great company.

I thought the crowd started out as so/so, until about 1/3 of the way through when Eddie commented how great the crowd was. This seemed to liven everything up. The Toronto-Hamilton-Buffalo shows are the only ones I go to where the crowd continuously cheers during the encores. I think there is something in the Southern Ontario water.

Man, the Copps Coliseum is cavernous. But the sound was pretty decent and it had kind of an intimate feel to it in a way. We were in section 121, row 2, which was perfect for me as it was a great view. Copps Coliseum actually reminds me a little of The Spectrum, just a lot bigger.

The band didnt sound as 'tight' as at Alpine IMO, but they were very into the show. A lot of jams, and Stone really seemed to kick it up a notch. Im not sure I have ever seen Eddie so animated and active (wasnt there in the early years).

I liked the song selection. Good mix of songs and a great tempo and flow through the entire show. Really wanted to hear Push Me Pull Me, Immortality, and Brain of J. I also was in the mood to see Porch over RVM. Really nice story from Eddie about Johnny Ramone's final night and the circle of life. Very powerful and very sad. You could tell it was tough to speak about.

Nice night, and back at em today on 3 hours sleep

mattmarv

Yup, side stage with Stone.

Forgot to mention, loved Eddie smashing the mic stand into the stage. Just like old times!

Here's a pic of the setlist.

http://flic.kr/p/anHdpJ

smarchee wrote:

mattmarv wrote:

My wife and I's seventh show and it rocketed possibly up to number one. We were front row, Stones side. We were belting out lyrics and dancing all night. Band had great energy. Ed was really into the crowds willingness to sing.
Highlight was during Mikes solo in Even Flow, Ed was taking his smoke break at the side and looked over at our section and noticed my wife begging for some of his wine. After making a gesture to us, asking if we had a cup, and us showing we had one, he came over and poured us and the guy next to us a healthy dose. All I have to say is, this brand of wine is now my favorite. It was so friggen good. It could have been milk for all we cared, it came from Eddie. What a band!!

If anyone has a pic or video of him pouring us the wine, I would love a copy.

Goodnight.

you were front row on the wings right? Not front row in front of the stage, right?

If so, yes I watched that whole thing go down as I watched Ed walk behind Boom and attempt to light up a smoke, but first give this couple some wine, that was great

Markiemark70

Not much to add that hasn't already been said, but this was my last show this tour so it was kind of bittersweet. Also was my first show since MSG '08 with my wife and usual PJ buddy (she took a couple years off when our kids were small) so it was nice to be back with her. This was her 10th show.

This was my 15th show since 1993. It's really hard to say which was best but I can tell you the band is definitely on fire, loving what they are doing and determined to lay it all on the line to make this tour memorable. I can honestly say this has been the best overall tour I have seen so far.

The energy was a bit lacking in the first few tunes for me, but I was also pretty tired, and wonder how much of that is because probably 1/3 of the people there had already been to at least 2 other PJ shows that week?

It really picked up for me when they played "Push Me/Pull Me". That is one of my favourites on Yield and honestly I never thought I would see that live. The part where Eddie spoke about Johnny Ramone and the circle of life was so touching for me. My wife just lost her mother last month so I know all that stuff was resonating with her big time, and I have to say I am so grateful that Eddie can be so honest and open in front of all of us. It really is a priviledge to witness, and that was my wife's favorite part.

I thought we were getting the Man trilogy which I haven;t seen since Barrie '98, but alas it was not to be. Brain of J was another awesome moment, another one of my favs that I also haven't seen since '98.

Only downside to the whole night was the couple in the row ahead of me (I was in FL2, row 14 Stones side). He sang with his hands so they were constantly in the air, and she was constantly taking pics and videos. Then they would leave for 3 songs, come back take more pics, look at each others pics. I was like WTF? Why even go to a show? Luckily the guy also pissed off the people in his row and he ended up getting booted about 1/2 way through.

All in all a great night and a great way to end the tour. Shout out to my new FC seat buddies Jay & Stacey. You guys are awesome and hopefully we will see you next time.

goldenegg

fraselovespj wrote:

goldenegg wrote:

Great show, but the crowd really had such low energy (at least where I was on Stone's side 14 rows back). Much better crowds in Toronto.

HUH :?: Not sure were you were but the energy in that building tonight was as good as I have ever seen it! Loved the set and loved when Ed opened up about still hurting of the loss of his friend, Johnny Ramone 7 years ago to the day. Really brought everyone in emotionally for the remainder of the show.

As I said, I was 14th row on Stone's side. Absolutely no energy in the crowd over there, with the exception of a few people who had to be removed from the building after getting highly aggressive from excessive alcohol intake. My wife even mentioned it, which means it was very noticeable.

Overall, it was still a great show. Just doesn't top either Toronto show for me.