All I can say is that was the most amazing concert I have been to. From Footsteps, WMA, All Night, Present Tense, Army Reserve, No Way....they killed me with songs I NEVER thought I'd hear live!! We were 17 rows back on Stones side but since that was as close as I'd ever been they were amazing to me. Had no problems seeing anything, and got some pretty awesome video with my camera. The boys really put their heart out and it came alive in the show. Ed was feeling the crowd and I was very impressed with the crowd myself...some southern redemption, finally! I enjoyed everyone's stories, congrats to the lottery winners, and everyone who got pics, harmonicas, shirts (lol), etc. Lucky bastards! Hopefully one day that will be me! PJ come back soon! Atlanta misses you! This boot cannot come fast enough...
im sorry Debbie Downer, but were you at the same show as the rest of the Columbia fans?
nicely put El Kabong and Traces of Humanity. that was certainly a bitter post for such a sweet show.
Bitter my ass- try honest!! What if I dont have something good to say dont say it?? Or share my experiance? Sorry, I could have lied and told you what you wanted to hear, but I decided to be real. Where i was at the sond was distorted - however I was up high and as i stated it was not PJ but the sound system, and anyone in the 200 level right of stage that says the majority of people in those sections were not sitting on thier asses all night long were full of shit. Great set list and I cant wait for the bootleg.
One of the best shows, if not the best, I've attended...
The best yet! For me anyways...I've never seen that kind of energy from any band not to mention the setlist....my jaw was on the floor through most of the night (or maybe that was from the brownie )
If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh, otherwise they'll kill you.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
Thought you guys might like to check out the pictures I took from the show. Let me know what you think. Also if anyone has one of the Black shirts in a Large or a white tour shirt in XXL let me know we can probably work something out. After I got finished taking pics I went to go buy one and they were all out. Here is the link http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=149942175&blogID=407394976
Thought you guys might like to check out the pictures I took from the show. Let me know what you think. Also if anyone has one of the Black shirts in a Large or a white tour shirt in XXL let me know we can probably work something out. After I got finished taking pics I went to go buy one and they were all out. Here is the link http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=149942175&blogID=407394976
those are some AMAZING pictures!! nice work!
No need to be void, or save up on life...
You got to spend it all
I was a Pearl Jam virgin the morning of June 16th. The morning of June 17th, I slipped on my “trophy T” for the trip home…a feeble attempt at silently bragging about what I had been up to the night before.
Our tickets were 10 Club, 4th row Center. Not yet being a SuperFan…my sister told me about three times, “That’s Mike….Miiiiike McCreeeeeady” I think she was sick of me calling him “Blondie.” So – Blondie is a maniac and he was directly in front of me for the majority of the show. That kid was all over his corner of the stage, making eye contact with multiple people…me being one of them. At one point, I was listening…watching…watching him play, watching him stare at me…….I thought. He stayed right where he was, for 10 seconds or so…playing, standing, staring…so, I leaned over to my sister and screamed, “Is he looking at us? I swear…I think he’s looking at us!” So – I looked back at him…he was still there staring…standing…playing…and I started laughing because he is a bit insane acting. He smiled, nodded quick, and moved on to someone else. Amazing – Uhhhhhh-mazing. Not at his ability to stare…but at his love of the band’s fans and his obvious love of the game. AND – that wasn’t the only time that happened. He is hilarious and immensely talented…and loves to play with the crowd and stare people down…and throw picks and clothes…and point at people and mumble stuff…and smile at me.
Later, I got pegged in the head with Ament’s guitar pick. My sister saw it head towards me and immediately started patting me down like I was on fire. “WHERE IS IT?” I didn’t know what the world she was talking about. ..or what it was that hit me. “Jeff’s pick hit you in the HEAD! Is it in your hair? WHERE IS IT?” I stood there, flipping my dress around…shaking everything to get that pick to fall from wherever it was…with no luck. She’s been to dozens of shows around the world and has no pick to prove it. Poor thing.
Lucky for us, when we got back to the hotel, one shake of my purse had that pick appear on the bed. It’s hers now and she didn’t say no when I gave it to her. My memory, her well deserved pick.
I can’t sing along for very long, but I could tell the fan favorites when I would look at my sister. At the start some songs, she would jump and scream, and beam……wedding day beam….…and I stopped asking after awhile, “They don’t play this a lot, do they?”
She filled me in on the drive home about the temperament of the band at shows and how this show was different and how Eddie was playing with the crowd and how you could tell the band was having a “big time”... as they say down South.
Brilliant show.
I love this band. I love my trophy-T…and I don’t even mind, too much, the ringing in my left ear. However…can anyone enlighten as to when it will stop?
great review...this reminded me of the first time i sat on mike's side. he paused and pointed at me mid DTE...amazing and an unforgettable moment. thanks mike!
Just returned to STL and I am still wishing I had continued on to VA Beach. Amazing, incredible, phenomenal setlist as well as performance. 23 rows back left side and though I am only about 5'9" I was able to see by continuously bouncing. My girlfriend, on the other hand, is 7 in. shorter than I so she saw little to nothing. That was until an angel appeared at the concession stand who listened to my plight and told me I could use her 2 tickets for the rest of the show since they had to leave. We were no longer on the floor but a little closer to the stage on the right side with a much better vantage point for my honey. Regardless of where are seats were, I continually thank God that we were able to be present on such a spine tingling evening. Thanks to all of the organizers of the pre-party it was great meeting everyone and I hope we raised a good profit for TTTS. I'd also like to thank those in the south for the awesome hospitality. It's not just a saying. Oh yeah, on the way home we stayed 2 nights in the Smokies and smoked ourselves silly trying to recreate the whole night thru bootleg CD's while overlooking the gorgeous mountains. It was no doubt an all encompassing trip..........
Thanks again to everyone and a special thanks to Ed and the boys for making this whole week one I will never ever forget.
All Night.....W.M.A - still can't believe it!!!
Thought you guys might like to check out the pictures I took from the show. Let me know what you think. Also if anyone has one of the Black shirts in a Large or a white tour shirt in XXL let me know we can probably work something out. After I got finished taking pics I went to go buy one and they were all out. Here is the link http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=149942175&blogID=407394976
If you're talking about the guy on the upper section, he tried to jump the rail and get down to the pit area (essentially back stage) and got caught. Stage left, 1st upper deck.
you posted!! :eek:
No need to be void, or save up on life...
You got to spend it all
here are some of my pictures. damn bastards wouldn't stop moving around! mostly mike and ed. jeff was always blurry and stone never came over towards me.
I'm runnin on only two hours of sleep at the moment, so just to be brief, this was one of the best shows I've been to!!!!
I thought they kinda started a little rough, as it was apparent Ed was a little fucked up, he admitted as much apparently hittin it hard with the Followill's (KOL, which KICKED ASS by the way, slow night slow long with Ed might've been one of my favorite moments of the night)! They got tighter as the show went on and this setlist blew me away. There was the occasional flub of lyrics, but it was outstanding. Something happened to me during Army Reserve that has not happened to me before (unless alone in my room with a set of headphones) and somewhere in that chorus the emotions just welled up and I balled....My son was like "whats wrong, whats wrong" and I just tilted my head toward the stage....he got it. Highlights were red mosquito, education, and footsteps as the standouts for me. My mind is swimming, and I need sleep so this is all I can muster up. As always, Ed looked so incredibly gracious at the end of the evening, like he still has trouble believing after all these years, we're still there....one of the reasons I love these guys so much!
PS. I had my 17 yr old with me for his 2nd PJ show, and it stands out as one of the very best moments him and I have ever had. He had such a ball...I'm so proud....and I'm not sure how tickets were working with the lottery and all, but I ended up 8th row center, thanks 10C, you gave me and my kid an excellent experience! Here's hoping my daughter and I get to do it in DC!
We were right in front of you in row 7 center section.
PJ played a great set.
The crowd was really dancing, singing and having fun.
It was great to see old friends.
The beer was good and cheap at the Flying Saucer (pre show).
WMA what can I say?
The person who made the FOOTSTEPS request poster used images of 2 feet in place of the OO. It was very cool.
EV ripping the strings off his guitar one by one = Stellar!
Liked KOL (especially with EV helping).
Sore feet from dancing.
Well worth the trip from Massachusetts.
South Carolina was fun and friendly.
See you at Hartford and Mansfield.
Let me start that I've loved PJ for many years, from the beginning when I was a senior in HS when TEN came out. And yes I was around through No Code, Yield, and all the others as progressively all my other friends lost interest.
The only other PJ show I'd been to was the debacle in Knoxville, TN, 9-6-98. I was blown away, despite the fact that the band obviously hated being there and their energy level was, i later found out, not up to par. I loved the show and left telling everyone the PJ was the best live band one could ever see, period. All this depsite the fact that while the set list was good the show just lacked a lot. So like someone else in this thread said, I'd been waiting 10 years to wash that taste away. I tried to make shows on both the 2000 and 2003 tours, and the VFC show in Asheville, only to be stifled by my now ex-wife. Needless to say, I'm much better off now.
We drove 4+ hrs from Johnson City, TN to Columbia, checked into our hotels, and made the trip to the venue. KOL sounded great, and the whole vibe was great.
Let me backtrack a minute. The girl I sometimes date and I were standing in front of our hotel waiting on my brother and his friend to pick us up. I'd planned on wearing my Yield/Given To Fly black t-shirt I'd bought in Knoxville, at the last second I told her "wait, i'm going back to the room to put my white adidas shirt on. I don't want any kind of vibe associated with Knoxville to permeate the Colonial Center tonight." She looked at me like I was crazy, and I probably was. But I ran back and changed anyway. (those on here and on the SPIN site with Zach know my fear of getting a sub-par show especially after the monumental show at Bonnaroo was just 2 days prior, which was the show I WANTED to go to but never could get a group together to go)
We check out souvenirs, beers, and get to our seats, which I'm not a 10C member (yet) so I was in section 104, row 25 (the top row) and seats 28-31, which were at the end of the aisle, perfect for my larger than average brother and his larger than average friend. The view was PERFECT. Definately worth stressing out at the computer on April 4, buying tix on the COlonial Center website (purchased at 10:04am, thank you).
I went back to the beer line once more hoping to beat PJ to the stage after KOL. I'm 3 people away, and I hear Can't Keep start. And to Olivia, my new friend from the beer line who had only been to 2 shows before this one (Greeneville 98- one night before my Knoxville show, and Asheville 04) it was great talking with you.
Can't Keep- I LOVE this song as an opener. Didn't get to see it, but could hear it very well, and it sounded great. Ed’s voice was very powerful and emotional. Mike was really nailing those fills.
Why Go- one thing I love about this band is how they lull you in with a slower tempo opener, then whack you over the head with a rocker, and tonight they did it with one that went all the way back to TEN. I made it to my seat just as Ed started singing. Crowd sounds great singing.
All Night- False start, which earns some applause. Then it starts and I’m like “SHIT!” and pogoing away. I saw this on the ‘Roo setlist and thought I wouldn’t get to see it. And of course I’d WANTED to go to ‘Roo, and spent Sunday and Monday thinking I’d missed my chance to see this rarity. Thanks for including it guys!
Hail, Hail- ALRIGHT!!!! One of my favorites of all time, and I’m loving it. Didn’t get to see this in Knoxville 10 years ago. “HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY!!!!” with the clear sirens going off was awesome to see.
Ed: Good evening, we’ve never played here before, and it’s been what, 10 years since we last played in SC??? Well, I think we have a lot of catching up to do!
How ironic. The 10 years comment. Pretty much how I felt right then and there.
Sad- 5 for 5, no repeats from Knoxville. This song is quite personal to me, and there were parts that I was on the verge of tears. At this point, they could have repeated the Knoxville setlist song for song and I wouldn’t have complained after getting to see these 5 live, especially Sad.
Severed Hand- probably my favorite from the ‘Avocado’ album. My brother and I tried to guess which song would open the show, and I’d guessed this one. I was really hoping to hear it. Awesome, just awesome.
Red Mosquito- “This song is about being stuck in a room with an insect.” I remembered they played this in Knoxville too, but not like this, not with this kind of energy. And HOLY F*CK what a setlist up to this point!!!!!
I Am Mine- I was waving my arm back and forth the whole song, in time with the music. I was the only one I could see in this section doing it. Near the end Ed briefly stopped playing, looked directly into our section, and waved his right arm once in time with the music. I swear he was looking right at me. My brother somewhat agreed.
Even Flow- Mr. Mike McCready is a bad ass. I’ve been preaching this for over 10 years now, and wow, he continues to amaze.
Off He Goes- I know the song is about Ed and himself, but to me it always summed up my relationship with my best friend from high school, who as an over the road trucker is always here for awhile, then off he goes. A very personal song for me, and I can’t believe I got to see it finally. The line “At a quarter to 10…..” came at officially 9:42pm. I’m amazed at how they’re able to do this.
Small Town- the girl I attended the show with is a girl I dated in high school. We went to different high schools, and soon lost touch after the age of 19. We’re 34 now, and just “re-met” as we like to call it, almost 1 year ago exactly. When we went to Bele Chere in Asheville NC last July, we were in a bar after the Gin Blossoms concert and this song came on the system there, and I sang it to her in a drunken stupor, changing the line to ‘My God it’s been 14 years, never dreamed you’d return.” So I got to sing it to her again. J She said, “OMG, this is our song!” when it started.
Present Tense- 2nd time around with this one for me, saw it in Knoxville, and another of my all time faves.
Whipping- I remembered this one from Knoxville too. But this version kills that one. They are on FIRE tonight! And the crowd is rockin’.
I Got Shit- another intensely personal one for me. It’s now like they’re almost going down my all time favorites list of sings that have spoken to me at points in my life. Ed messed up the first bridge. I didn’t care. Thanks for even playing it!
Army Reserve- Did I mention my ex-wife is now married to a guy that’s in the Army Reserve, has been deployed once already and facing deployment again this September? For the rest of this comment, just read the first 2 lines of the above comment again.
Glorified G- I’m floored. I love this one.
Do the Evolution- yay! We got to do the dance! Stone’s solo ROCKED.
Ok, they took about a 10 minute break, we hoped they came back to play several more. I’m thinking the set list is at least as good as what I saw online thru the SPIN site Saturday night at ‘Roo.
Inside Job- At this point, I am now officially floored with the setlist. Insane.
Given to Fly- Intense.
Education- HAH!!!! How fitting being on the campus of Univ of South Carolina! Loved hearing this one. Ed is now very animated through all the songs and has been for some time. These guys are really having fun, have been all night, SOOOO much different vibe than Knoxville.
W.M.A. – I cannot believe I’m hearing this. It’s a request from the front row. And it kicks serious ass. Another one that I thought I wouldn’t get to see since I didn’t make it to ‘Roo. I’m out of my mind happy at this point.
Better Man- One of the classics. Great sing-a-long by us in the crowd. Ed even told us so!
Save You- My favorite from Riot Act. I’m speechless. I begin to think that I’ve went from watching a PJ show to witnessing something special
Porch- THEY
JAMMED
FOR
EVER
ON
THIS
ONE
Another break, I know at this point it’s gotta end soon, but I feel like I could keep watching at this insane pace forever. I’ve been standing at least 2 hours now dancing and singing. I’m covered with sweat, I barely have a voice left, and I don’t care because it’s all been too much fun.
Ed comes back out and talks about the war documentary. I know ‘No More’ is coming next. An anti-war song. I don’t share their/his point of view on these things. But I still applaud when he finishes his statements. At least we have a country where we can express these views and discuss these things, and I’ll applaud that any day.
No More- We asked them to please come play the south. They came. Ed asked us to help sing along. I did. Seems fair enough. It’s really a good song, and I applaud all they’ve done to help veterans. I put down my libertarian/conservative leanings, and gave them my voice.
Footsteps- another one from a very dark time in my life, and like Off He Goes, my interpretation is way different than what Ed intended the song to be about. Great rendition.
Alive- ah, the crowning moment! Yes, we’re all still alive! They jam out on this one for awhile too. Houselights come on near the end. Ed thanks us all….
“Stay in school, graduate, change the world! ………….Make lots of money! Give it all away!”
They leave the stage, my brother and his friend start to leave, I grab Zach and tell him, “wait, I think they’re coming back!” I can see into the backstage area below Mike’s side of the stage and Ed is talking with Jeff, and Jeff starts looking around, then grabs the stand-up bass. Ed’s already running back up the stairs to get on the stage….
Zach says, “Dammit Joshua, the house lights are on! No one ever comes back after the house lights go on. Would you….. (loud cheer goes up from the crowd) what the…..”
Indifference- ever since I’d bought the 1994 single series of the live concert from the Fox Theatre in Atlanta (back in 1994, which I still have to this day) I’d always hoped I’d get to attend a Pearl Jam show that closed like that one did: with the house lights on and the guys playing Indifference, with the crowd singing along. And yes, I did scream my lungs out until it filled that room.
Unreal. Best show I’ve ever seen. Better than any bootleg I’ve listened to (and I’ve heard MANY of them over the last 10 years), better than my high expectations, better than… well, maybe not that.
On the way out, I couldn’t help myself……
“Hey, aren’t you guys glad I left that damn Knoxville shirt back at the hotel?”
9-6-98 KNOXVILLE, TN
6-16-08 COLUMBIA, SC
8-28-09 SAN FRANCISCO, CA
ok i dont know if i can top some of these other powerful reviews of the concert but ill give it a try here....
My first real concert ever. Ever. im 19 and ive been to like warped tour twice. So my brother calls me up from Syracuse, NY saying he's got tickets to Pearl Jam in Columbia, he was planning to come down to see but he couldnt... so i got free tickets!
I wasnt a real hardcore fan of Pearl Jam before the concert that is) but ive heard and love the classics of course, so i was really eager to go. i called up my buddy and he loves pearl jam as well so we planned and the time came and we drove the 3 hours to Columbia, listening to pearl jam.
our seats were section 113, row 25, seat 3 & 4. Not the greatest, it was way left of the stage, almost the side of it. people were really packing in after KOL left and they were setting up for pearl jam, But as soon as Can't Keep came on, EVERYONE stood up and cheered. what an amazing feeling, being my first concert here. the crowd, the lights, the noise, the lights, the back drop, the music. The guitar, the drums, it all happened at once, and it was overwhelming hearing these songs come alive like that. its so different then hearing it in the car. It is in front of you. ok sorry getting a bit emotional here...
Okay, so i didnt know alot of the songs, but it was so amazing. i loved hearing the 5 or 6 songs that i knew, better man, Alive, Severed Hand, Given to fly... i sang my lungs out on these. the other songs i didnt know, i still rocked the hell out in my little allotted space.
The entire experience was amazing. I cannot believe this band is 18 years old and they have this much devotion into their songs, so much feeling. The fans that stand behind them... just amazing. i am now one of those fans...better late than never...
When Ed had the guitar and the spotlight on him, he used the reflection of the light to shine the light onto the different sections of the audience... that was amazing to me.
The guy and his gf that was sitting next to me and my friend bought us beer the whole night. This just made it that much better haha. we had 2 cups each. thanks to Heath.
And as for the guy that hopped the railing and the staff came over to escort him out (i was almost right next to this)... he had dropped his phone over the rail. he climbed down to retrieve it. he then tried to climb back up, struggled, and was hanging on for dear life. just as when people realized what was going on and about 5 people stuck their hand out to lift him over, an event staff man came over and just flung him to safety. He wanted to stay in his seat, but they were making him leave, so he got an attitude thats when it got ugly. He left calmly though.
Overall, and reading what other people said about this show, im so glad i was able to go to THIS Pearl Jam concert because they sure rocked it out in the south. Thankyou Pearl Jam for an amazing first concert experience, and certainly and hopefully not the last PJ i will be going to. I bought the bootleg for this concert, and planning on buying the greatest hits cd as well, and their newest CD. if they come around to the east coast again, i will sign up for 10c and get a good seat for next concert.
PS: shirts inside were 30 dollars. some dude was selling them in the parking lot for 10. me n my friend grabbed one. sweet
To date, this show is tied for second with Camden night 1 ,behind only Bonnaroo, as my favorite of the seven shows I've seen this year. It's going to take a floor shaking ,eye opening set list kind of night at MSG , or another experiment in Mansfield , or a jaw-dropping , eye-popping close to the seat of political power DC show to knock Columbia from its ranking. A breathtaking performance made all the sweeter because I won 2nd row seats in the 10C lottery.
Highlights: WMA, Red Mosquito, Porch, Education, Can't Keep opener. 2nd row in front of Mike.
Lowlight: The drunken bimbette who doused me with beer no less than five times, attempted to take my HOB cap , and amused herself by trying to choke me after I rescued my tote bag from its beer bath and hung it around my neck. Damn, drunken chicks with a choking fetish or who love auto-erotic asphixiation. How did I get so lucky? Thanks security...FOR NOTHING.
"Buy the ticket,take the ride"
Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
"If I wanted you to understand, I would have explained it better"
Johan Cruijff
Ok, it's been almost a week and i can't stop thinking about this show, im pretty hung over, but i'm going to give me best attempt at a song by song review
Can't Keep - When I saw jeff's bass i was really hoping for long road, but still enjoyed this one a lot
Why Go- they took it up about 50 notches and really got the crowd going with this one, such a great 2nd song, fuckin rockin and with a nice easy singalong chorus
All Night - didn't recognize this one for second, very excited when i did
Hail Hail - always a favorite
Sad - YES! My fave from lost dogs so happy i got to hear it
Severed Hand - just a great rockin tune
Red Mosquito - This is the only song i hadn't heard yet that i really wanted at this show, so great
I Am Mine - beautiful as always
Even Flow - it is what it is
Off He Goes - really excited about this one too, such a beautiful little ditty
Small Town - the song that got me into PJ continues to be amazing
Present Tense - one of my best concert moments ever, such a beautiful
start and then they absolutely destroyed it (in a good way) for the last half of he song
Whipping - really keep the energy going, always get super pumped during "don't mean to pussh, but i'm beeeeing shoooovvvvvved"
I Got Shit - what a song
Army Reserve - very nice
Glorified G - nice suprise and such a fun song, one of m favs to listen to in my car on a sunny day
Do The Evolution - great set closer
Inside Job - sorry to keep using this word, but it was beautiful
Given To Fly - again what a fuckin song, i thought everyone was going fly when it kicked in with the "And he still gives his love...." part
Education- another good surprise
W.M.A. - after seeing the roo set i really wanted to hear this one and OH MAN! how great it was
Better Man - not my favorite song, but totally blew me away this time, best betterman i've heard and somehow elevated an already amazing show
Save You - best version i've ever heard, it was just epic
Porch - great, but when it really kicked in i did realize how similair this and severed hand sound
No More - great song that i'd never heard before, my friend is a big dylan fan and really wanted masters of war but agreed this was a good one
Footsteps - amazing
Alive - SO GREAT! especially with lights on for the last part of the song. this was my 6th show and i have never been starstuck by anyone in my life, but for some reason when eddie was standing right in front of me rockin out with the lights on i was completely starstuck like this is amazing that is eddie fuckin vedder
Indifference - wow this was a whole different experience, hearing/seeing such a sparsely musically heavily vocal song with all the lights for a closer was something that i can not quite put into words yet
I know Im a little late with this review; i dont own a computer and am using someone else's. anyway, to quote the talking goat on an old adam sandler record, fuck me in the goat ass! this show was ridiculous. my eighth pj show including such epics as msg 03, and i believe this one tops them all. yea the setlist was damn good, and it wasnt just the rarities they pulled out. the whole set seemed to have a unique feel, it wasnt as formulaic as other pj shows. i mean y go 2 songs in? really? made for a great tempo setter for the night, that one. but the crowd was unbelievably energetic throughout the whole show. lucky us because as we all know, it seems like the better the crowd, the more the band wants to show their appreciation through the art of song. the boys all played their asses off from cant keep all the way up to indifference, which along with sad, was probably the highlight of the night for me. ed was great, joking with the crowd, flipping them off for chanting his name, the false starts on betterman, just a great front man. mikey was as all over the stage as ever, at one point he motioned to ed that he was passing behind him, i think on evolution, and ed jokingly backed up like he was going to cut him off. also at the end of inside job, ed motioned to mike as he was walking away from him. he thought mike didnt hear him but then mike kinda did a double take and walked back over and ed patted his head, as if to say 'thats a great song you wrote there mikey'. so great to see the genuine respect and camraderie these guys have for one another. they really do love what they do and it comes through gloriously at their shows. jeff getting mega air about 50 times, ed also getting air at the end of every other song. wine sharing, t-shirts, picks, harmonicas, this band is something special and im so glad i fell in love with them 8 years ago. did i mention all night, wma, footsteps, SAD, education, all in one random show in lil old columbia? ridonkulous. also great to hear other first-timers cant keep, indifference, and i believe i havent gotten red mosquito until this show as well. thanks for reading and THANK YOU PEARL JAM!!!!!!!
oh yea, does anybody know what ed was doing over at mike's side of the stage before the rest of the guys came out for cant keep?
I just wanted to mention how awesome my wife is. We drove to the show last night from Dalton, Ga (about an hour north of Atlanta). It's a good 4+ hour drive. We also drove home after the show. Anyway, Sunday night she started not feeling well. She has a history of getting urinary tract infections. Sure enough, she has one. Massive. She came to the show anyway.
So I'd just like to say to everyone who may have seen a girl in a car covered up with a blanket at 5:30 in the afternoon, or a girl throwing up in the trash can on the way in, or especially if you happened to be in neighborhood of section 113 row 8 and saw a girl slumped over in her seat all night, it wasn't because she's crazy, drunk, or bored. It's because she loves me enough to put herself through all that so that I didn't have to miss out on something that I wanted to do.
Man you got LUCKY to have a wife, who will do that for you. Does she have a sister?>LOL!!!
I have been a fan of the music for a long time - since the beginning. I have seen 8 shows since the early 90's. I will never buy another piece of their music nor attend another PJ concert.
Everyone has a right to their own opinion, but when you use a concert stage as a bully pulpit, you will immediately alienate a good portion of your audience. I guess when you get to a point in your life where you have so much money you just don't care what other people think. Thanks Eddie for another diatribe on the world according to Vedder. It will be the last time you make me pay for your warped opinion.
I have been a fan of the music for a long time - since the beginning. I have seen 8 shows since the early 90's. I will never buy another piece of their music nor attend another PJ concert.
Everyone has a right to their own opinion, but when you use a concert stage as a bully pulpit, you will immediately alienate a good portion of your audience. I guess when you get to a point in your life where you have so much money you just don't care what other people think. Thanks Eddie for another diatribe on the world according to Vedder. It will be the last time you make me pay for your warped opinion.
Ha! Are you one of those ignorant conservatives he talked about? Get over it. I am a conservative and yet I had a blast at the show. Jeez, if you are such a fan of music you had about a 110 minutes of music (28 songs x 4 min/song) vs. 2.5 minutes of politics. Obviously you are not as big a fan of music as you think. At least he is not Barack O'Bama trying to brainwash the country with catchphrases. Ed just wants you to think.
Edit: And oh yeah, get over yourself. There were 11,000 people there, and apparently 10,999 of them had a blast. Look in the mirror and ask yourself some questions. For example, why can't I listen to someone else speak about politics for 2.5 minutes without going ballistic with rage? I'm sorry, but you are probably a nice person, but your post is sad and makes you look like a pathetic individual who cannot acknolwedge a belief system other than your own (right or wrong).
I have been a fan of the music for a long time - since the beginning. I have seen 8 shows since the early 90's. I will never buy another piece of their music nor attend another PJ concert.
Everyone has a right to their own opinion, but when you use a concert stage as a bully pulpit, you will immediately alienate a good portion of your audience. I guess when you get to a point in your life where you have so much money you just don't care what other people think. Thanks Eddie for another diatribe on the world according to Vedder. It will be the last time you make me pay for your warped opinion.
Everyone has a right to their own opinion AND to free speech. This is America, he can say whatever he wants to. You, of course, are free to stop listening if you choose.
Pat
Atlanta 3/94
Charleston 10/96
Greenville 4/98
Charlotte 8/00
Charlotte 4/03
Gorge I & II 7/06
Columbia 6/08
Jazz Festival 5/10
Noblesville 5/10
My thoughts....after nearly a week....spent the rest of the week in Columbia and Charleston on vacation.
Great, great show....ranks easily up there with Halifax 2005....far, far, far better than Birmingham 2003 or 1998. The band was tight, energized and ready to rock and roll. The song selection was excellent and varied. The crowd around us was well-behaved and were there for the music.
Having seats on the first row of a Pearl Jam concert was way too cool. I never dreamed that I would have such an opportunity, thus I must thank the 10 Club for the lottery that implemented on this tour. Great idea, folks!!! The highlights were being three feet from Mike while he was playing his guitar behind his head during Alive and the one visit from Ed out onto the amp stacks. The low-light being that Stone didn't throw a single pick out that we saw. :(
All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a thousand enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.
I have been a fan of the music for a long time - since the beginning. I have seen 8 shows since the early 90's. I will never buy another piece of their music nor attend another PJ concert.
Everyone has a right to their own opinion, but when you use a concert stage as a bully pulpit, you will immediately alienate a good portion of your audience. I guess when you get to a point in your life where you have so much money you just don't care what other people think. Thanks Eddie for another diatribe on the world according to Vedder. It will be the last time you make me pay for your warped opinion.
Whoooo hooooo! One less person to compete with for good seats - that works for me!
And thank goodness there are people who are willing to use whatever chances they have to speak up about what they care about. For every person like you who is so narrowminded that you can't handle just HEARING another point of view... I really hope there are 1,000 who can listen, consider, and come to their own conclusions without having to stick their fingers in their ears and run away like you're doing.
Oh, and since you're leaving... you didn't happen to have a low 10 Club # that you'll also be cancelling, do you? Don't forget to cancel that too!
Comments
i was also on row two!! :eek: here's my myspace link with all my pics - http://www.myspace.com/amyperryman
You got to spend it all
i was pretty close, he flipped everybody off
You got to spend it all
Bitter my ass- try honest!! What if I dont have something good to say dont say it?? Or share my experiance? Sorry, I could have lied and told you what you wanted to hear, but I decided to be real. Where i was at the sond was distorted - however I was up high and as i stated it was not PJ but the sound system, and anyone in the 200 level right of stage that says the majority of people in those sections were not sitting on thier asses all night long were full of shit. Great set list and I cant wait for the bootleg.
yeah he did!i got that part on vid.
Sept 10,1998-Madison Square Garden-New York,NY
Aug 25,2000-Jones Beach Theatre-Wantaugh,NY
June 16,2008-Colonial Center-Columbia,SC
Ditto.
i'm so jealous! :mad: my camera wasn't even on at the moment. i'll always remember that moment though.
You got to spend it all
http://www.free-times.com/index.php?cat=11011801074507906&ShowArticle_ID=11021606084105498
Sept 10,1998-Madison Square Garden-New York,NY
Aug 25,2000-Jones Beach Theatre-Wantaugh,NY
June 16,2008-Colonial Center-Columbia,SC
The best yet! For me anyways...I've never seen that kind of energy from any band not to mention the setlist....my jaw was on the floor through most of the night (or maybe that was from the brownie
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
-Oscar Wilde
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=149942175&blogID=407394976
those are some AMAZING pictures!!
You got to spend it all
great review...this reminded me of the first time i sat on mike's side. he paused and pointed at me mid DTE...amazing and an unforgettable moment. thanks mike!
Thanks again to everyone and a special thanks to Ed and the boys for making this whole week one I will never ever forget.
All Night.....W.M.A - still can't believe it!!!
AWESOME!!!!
you posted!! :eek:
You got to spend it all
those are some really good pics!! especially the one of ed sitting on the edge of the stage!
You got to spend it all
We were right in front of you in row 7 center section.
PJ played a great set.
The crowd was really dancing, singing and having fun.
It was great to see old friends.
The beer was good and cheap at the Flying Saucer (pre show).
WMA what can I say?
The person who made the FOOTSTEPS request poster used images of 2 feet in place of the OO. It was very cool.
EV ripping the strings off his guitar one by one = Stellar!
Liked KOL (especially with EV helping).
Sore feet from dancing.
Well worth the trip from Massachusetts.
South Carolina was fun and friendly.
See you at Hartford and Mansfield.
Let me start that I've loved PJ for many years, from the beginning when I was a senior in HS when TEN came out. And yes I was around through No Code, Yield, and all the others as progressively all my other friends lost interest.
The only other PJ show I'd been to was the debacle in Knoxville, TN, 9-6-98. I was blown away, despite the fact that the band obviously hated being there and their energy level was, i later found out, not up to par. I loved the show and left telling everyone the PJ was the best live band one could ever see, period. All this depsite the fact that while the set list was good the show just lacked a lot. So like someone else in this thread said, I'd been waiting 10 years to wash that taste away. I tried to make shows on both the 2000 and 2003 tours, and the VFC show in Asheville, only to be stifled by my now ex-wife. Needless to say, I'm much better off now.
We drove 4+ hrs from Johnson City, TN to Columbia, checked into our hotels, and made the trip to the venue. KOL sounded great, and the whole vibe was great.
Let me backtrack a minute. The girl I sometimes date and I were standing in front of our hotel waiting on my brother and his friend to pick us up. I'd planned on wearing my Yield/Given To Fly black t-shirt I'd bought in Knoxville, at the last second I told her "wait, i'm going back to the room to put my white adidas shirt on. I don't want any kind of vibe associated with Knoxville to permeate the Colonial Center tonight." She looked at me like I was crazy, and I probably was. But I ran back and changed anyway. (those on here and on the SPIN site with Zach know my fear of getting a sub-par show especially after the monumental show at Bonnaroo was just 2 days prior, which was the show I WANTED to go to but never could get a group together to go)
We check out souvenirs, beers, and get to our seats, which I'm not a 10C member (yet) so I was in section 104, row 25 (the top row) and seats 28-31, which were at the end of the aisle, perfect for my larger than average brother and his larger than average friend. The view was PERFECT. Definately worth stressing out at the computer on April 4, buying tix on the COlonial Center website (purchased at 10:04am, thank you).
I went back to the beer line once more hoping to beat PJ to the stage after KOL. I'm 3 people away, and I hear Can't Keep start. And to Olivia, my new friend from the beer line who had only been to 2 shows before this one (Greeneville 98- one night before my Knoxville show, and Asheville 04) it was great talking with you.
Can't Keep- I LOVE this song as an opener. Didn't get to see it, but could hear it very well, and it sounded great. Ed’s voice was very powerful and emotional. Mike was really nailing those fills.
Why Go- one thing I love about this band is how they lull you in with a slower tempo opener, then whack you over the head with a rocker, and tonight they did it with one that went all the way back to TEN. I made it to my seat just as Ed started singing. Crowd sounds great singing.
All Night- False start, which earns some applause. Then it starts and I’m like “SHIT!” and pogoing away. I saw this on the ‘Roo setlist and thought I wouldn’t get to see it. And of course I’d WANTED to go to ‘Roo, and spent Sunday and Monday thinking I’d missed my chance to see this rarity. Thanks for including it guys!
Hail, Hail- ALRIGHT!!!! One of my favorites of all time, and I’m loving it. Didn’t get to see this in Knoxville 10 years ago. “HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY HEY!!!!” with the clear sirens going off was awesome to see.
Ed: Good evening, we’ve never played here before, and it’s been what, 10 years since we last played in SC??? Well, I think we have a lot of catching up to do!
How ironic. The 10 years comment. Pretty much how I felt right then and there.
Sad- 5 for 5, no repeats from Knoxville. This song is quite personal to me, and there were parts that I was on the verge of tears. At this point, they could have repeated the Knoxville setlist song for song and I wouldn’t have complained after getting to see these 5 live, especially Sad.
Severed Hand- probably my favorite from the ‘Avocado’ album. My brother and I tried to guess which song would open the show, and I’d guessed this one. I was really hoping to hear it. Awesome, just awesome.
Red Mosquito- “This song is about being stuck in a room with an insect.” I remembered they played this in Knoxville too, but not like this, not with this kind of energy. And HOLY F*CK what a setlist up to this point!!!!!
I Am Mine- I was waving my arm back and forth the whole song, in time with the music. I was the only one I could see in this section doing it. Near the end Ed briefly stopped playing, looked directly into our section, and waved his right arm once in time with the music. I swear he was looking right at me. My brother somewhat agreed.
Even Flow- Mr. Mike McCready is a bad ass. I’ve been preaching this for over 10 years now, and wow, he continues to amaze.
Off He Goes- I know the song is about Ed and himself, but to me it always summed up my relationship with my best friend from high school, who as an over the road trucker is always here for awhile, then off he goes. A very personal song for me, and I can’t believe I got to see it finally. The line “At a quarter to 10…..” came at officially 9:42pm. I’m amazed at how they’re able to do this.
Small Town- the girl I attended the show with is a girl I dated in high school. We went to different high schools, and soon lost touch after the age of 19. We’re 34 now, and just “re-met” as we like to call it, almost 1 year ago exactly. When we went to Bele Chere in Asheville NC last July, we were in a bar after the Gin Blossoms concert and this song came on the system there, and I sang it to her in a drunken stupor, changing the line to ‘My God it’s been 14 years, never dreamed you’d return.” So I got to sing it to her again. J She said, “OMG, this is our song!” when it started.
Present Tense- 2nd time around with this one for me, saw it in Knoxville, and another of my all time faves.
Whipping- I remembered this one from Knoxville too. But this version kills that one. They are on FIRE tonight! And the crowd is rockin’.
I Got Shit- another intensely personal one for me. It’s now like they’re almost going down my all time favorites list of sings that have spoken to me at points in my life. Ed messed up the first bridge. I didn’t care. Thanks for even playing it!
Army Reserve- Did I mention my ex-wife is now married to a guy that’s in the Army Reserve, has been deployed once already and facing deployment again this September? For the rest of this comment, just read the first 2 lines of the above comment again.
Glorified G- I’m floored. I love this one.
Do the Evolution- yay! We got to do the dance! Stone’s solo ROCKED.
Ok, they took about a 10 minute break, we hoped they came back to play several more. I’m thinking the set list is at least as good as what I saw online thru the SPIN site Saturday night at ‘Roo.
Inside Job- At this point, I am now officially floored with the setlist. Insane.
Given to Fly- Intense.
Education- HAH!!!! How fitting being on the campus of Univ of South Carolina! Loved hearing this one. Ed is now very animated through all the songs and has been for some time. These guys are really having fun, have been all night, SOOOO much different vibe than Knoxville.
W.M.A. – I cannot believe I’m hearing this. It’s a request from the front row. And it kicks serious ass. Another one that I thought I wouldn’t get to see since I didn’t make it to ‘Roo. I’m out of my mind happy at this point.
Better Man- One of the classics. Great sing-a-long by us in the crowd. Ed even told us so!
Save You- My favorite from Riot Act. I’m speechless. I begin to think that I’ve went from watching a PJ show to witnessing something special
Porch- THEY
JAMMED
FOR
EVER
ON
THIS
ONE
Another break, I know at this point it’s gotta end soon, but I feel like I could keep watching at this insane pace forever. I’ve been standing at least 2 hours now dancing and singing. I’m covered with sweat, I barely have a voice left, and I don’t care because it’s all been too much fun.
Ed comes back out and talks about the war documentary. I know ‘No More’ is coming next. An anti-war song. I don’t share their/his point of view on these things. But I still applaud when he finishes his statements. At least we have a country where we can express these views and discuss these things, and I’ll applaud that any day.
No More- We asked them to please come play the south. They came. Ed asked us to help sing along. I did. Seems fair enough. It’s really a good song, and I applaud all they’ve done to help veterans. I put down my libertarian/conservative leanings, and gave them my voice.
Footsteps- another one from a very dark time in my life, and like Off He Goes, my interpretation is way different than what Ed intended the song to be about. Great rendition.
Alive- ah, the crowning moment! Yes, we’re all still alive! They jam out on this one for awhile too. Houselights come on near the end. Ed thanks us all….
“Stay in school, graduate, change the world! ………….Make lots of money! Give it all away!”
They leave the stage, my brother and his friend start to leave, I grab Zach and tell him, “wait, I think they’re coming back!” I can see into the backstage area below Mike’s side of the stage and Ed is talking with Jeff, and Jeff starts looking around, then grabs the stand-up bass. Ed’s already running back up the stairs to get on the stage….
Zach says, “Dammit Joshua, the house lights are on! No one ever comes back after the house lights go on. Would you….. (loud cheer goes up from the crowd) what the…..”
Indifference- ever since I’d bought the 1994 single series of the live concert from the Fox Theatre in Atlanta (back in 1994, which I still have to this day) I’d always hoped I’d get to attend a Pearl Jam show that closed like that one did: with the house lights on and the guys playing Indifference, with the crowd singing along. And yes, I did scream my lungs out until it filled that room.
Unreal. Best show I’ve ever seen. Better than any bootleg I’ve listened to (and I’ve heard MANY of them over the last 10 years), better than my high expectations, better than… well, maybe not that.
On the way out, I couldn’t help myself……
“Hey, aren’t you guys glad I left that damn Knoxville shirt back at the hotel?”
6-16-08 COLUMBIA, SC
8-28-09 SAN FRANCISCO, CA
My first real concert ever. Ever. im 19 and ive been to like warped tour twice. So my brother calls me up from Syracuse, NY saying he's got tickets to Pearl Jam in Columbia, he was planning to come down to see but he couldnt... so i got free tickets!
I wasnt a real hardcore fan of Pearl Jam before the concert that is) but ive heard and love the classics of course, so i was really eager to go. i called up my buddy and he loves pearl jam as well so we planned and the time came and we drove the 3 hours to Columbia, listening to pearl jam.
our seats were section 113, row 25, seat 3 & 4. Not the greatest, it was way left of the stage, almost the side of it. people were really packing in after KOL left and they were setting up for pearl jam, But as soon as Can't Keep came on, EVERYONE stood up and cheered. what an amazing feeling, being my first concert here. the crowd, the lights, the noise, the lights, the back drop, the music. The guitar, the drums, it all happened at once, and it was overwhelming hearing these songs come alive like that. its so different then hearing it in the car. It is in front of you. ok sorry getting a bit emotional here...
Okay, so i didnt know alot of the songs, but it was so amazing. i loved hearing the 5 or 6 songs that i knew, better man, Alive, Severed Hand, Given to fly... i sang my lungs out on these. the other songs i didnt know, i still rocked the hell out in my little allotted space.
The entire experience was amazing. I cannot believe this band is 18 years old and they have this much devotion into their songs, so much feeling. The fans that stand behind them... just amazing. i am now one of those fans...better late than never...
When Ed had the guitar and the spotlight on him, he used the reflection of the light to shine the light onto the different sections of the audience... that was amazing to me.
The guy and his gf that was sitting next to me and my friend bought us beer the whole night. This just made it that much better haha. we had 2 cups each. thanks to Heath.
And as for the guy that hopped the railing and the staff came over to escort him out (i was almost right next to this)... he had dropped his phone over the rail. he climbed down to retrieve it. he then tried to climb back up, struggled, and was hanging on for dear life. just as when people realized what was going on and about 5 people stuck their hand out to lift him over, an event staff man came over and just flung him to safety. He wanted to stay in his seat, but they were making him leave, so he got an attitude thats when it got ugly. He left calmly though.
Overall, and reading what other people said about this show, im so glad i was able to go to THIS Pearl Jam concert because they sure rocked it out in the south. Thankyou Pearl Jam for an amazing first concert experience, and certainly and hopefully not the last PJ i will be going to. I bought the bootleg for this concert, and planning on buying the greatest hits cd as well, and their newest CD. if they come around to the east coast again, i will sign up for 10c and get a good seat for next concert.
PS: shirts inside were 30 dollars. some dude was selling them in the parking lot for 10. me n my friend grabbed one. sweet
Highlights: WMA, Red Mosquito, Porch, Education, Can't Keep opener. 2nd row in front of Mike.
Lowlight: The drunken bimbette who doused me with beer no less than five times, attempted to take my HOB cap , and amused herself by trying to choke me after I rescued my tote bag from its beer bath and hung it around my neck. Damn, drunken chicks with a choking fetish or who love auto-erotic asphixiation. How did I get so lucky? Thanks security...FOR NOTHING.
Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
"If I wanted you to understand, I would have explained it better"
Johan Cruijff
Can't Keep - When I saw jeff's bass i was really hoping for long road, but still enjoyed this one a lot
Why Go- they took it up about 50 notches and really got the crowd going with this one, such a great 2nd song, fuckin rockin and with a nice easy singalong chorus
All Night - didn't recognize this one for second, very excited when i did
Hail Hail - always a favorite
Sad - YES! My fave from lost dogs so happy i got to hear it
Severed Hand - just a great rockin tune
Red Mosquito - This is the only song i hadn't heard yet that i really wanted at this show, so great
I Am Mine - beautiful as always
Even Flow - it is what it is
Off He Goes - really excited about this one too, such a beautiful little ditty
Small Town - the song that got me into PJ continues to be amazing
Present Tense - one of my best concert moments ever, such a beautiful
start and then they absolutely destroyed it (in a good way) for the last half of he song
Whipping - really keep the energy going, always get super pumped during "don't mean to pussh, but i'm beeeeing shoooovvvvvved"
I Got Shit - what a song
Army Reserve - very nice
Glorified G - nice suprise and such a fun song, one of m favs to listen to in my car on a sunny day
Do The Evolution - great set closer
Inside Job - sorry to keep using this word, but it was beautiful
Given To Fly - again what a fuckin song, i thought everyone was going fly when it kicked in with the "And he still gives his love...." part
Education- another good surprise
W.M.A. - after seeing the roo set i really wanted to hear this one and OH MAN! how great it was
Better Man - not my favorite song, but totally blew me away this time, best betterman i've heard and somehow elevated an already amazing show
Save You - best version i've ever heard, it was just epic
Porch - great, but when it really kicked in i did realize how similair this and severed hand sound
No More - great song that i'd never heard before, my friend is a big dylan fan and really wanted masters of war but agreed this was a good one
Footsteps - amazing
Alive - SO GREAT! especially with lights on for the last part of the song. this was my 6th show and i have never been starstuck by anyone in my life, but for some reason when eddie was standing right in front of me rockin out with the lights on i was completely starstuck like this is amazing that is eddie fuckin vedder
Indifference - wow this was a whole different experience, hearing/seeing such a sparsely musically heavily vocal song with all the lights for a closer was something that i can not quite put into words yet
THANK YOU PEARL JAM
oh yea, does anybody know what ed was doing over at mike's side of the stage before the rest of the guys came out for cant keep?
Man you got LUCKY to have a wife, who will do that for you. Does she have a sister?>LOL!!!
Everyone has a right to their own opinion, but when you use a concert stage as a bully pulpit, you will immediately alienate a good portion of your audience. I guess when you get to a point in your life where you have so much money you just don't care what other people think. Thanks Eddie for another diatribe on the world according to Vedder. It will be the last time you make me pay for your warped opinion.
Ha! Are you one of those ignorant conservatives he talked about? Get over it. I am a conservative and yet I had a blast at the show. Jeez, if you are such a fan of music you had about a 110 minutes of music (28 songs x 4 min/song) vs. 2.5 minutes of politics. Obviously you are not as big a fan of music as you think. At least he is not Barack O'Bama trying to brainwash the country with catchphrases. Ed just wants you to think.
Edit: And oh yeah, get over yourself. There were 11,000 people there, and apparently 10,999 of them had a blast. Look in the mirror and ask yourself some questions. For example, why can't I listen to someone else speak about politics for 2.5 minutes without going ballistic with rage? I'm sorry, but you are probably a nice person, but your post is sad and makes you look like a pathetic individual who cannot acknolwedge a belief system other than your own (right or wrong).
Everyone has a right to their own opinion AND to free speech. This is America, he can say whatever he wants to. You, of course, are free to stop listening if you choose.
Pat
Charleston 10/96
Greenville 4/98
Charlotte 8/00
Charlotte 4/03
Gorge I & II 7/06
Columbia 6/08
Jazz Festival 5/10
Noblesville 5/10
Great, great show....ranks easily up there with Halifax 2005....far, far, far better than Birmingham 2003 or 1998. The band was tight, energized and ready to rock and roll. The song selection was excellent and varied. The crowd around us was well-behaved and were there for the music.
Having seats on the first row of a Pearl Jam concert was way too cool. I never dreamed that I would have such an opportunity, thus I must thank the 10 Club for the lottery that implemented on this tour. Great idea, folks!!! The highlights were being three feet from Mike while he was playing his guitar behind his head during Alive and the one visit from Ed out onto the amp stacks. The low-light being that Stone didn't throw a single pick out that we saw. :(
Whoooo hooooo! One less person to compete with for good seats - that works for me!
And thank goodness there are people who are willing to use whatever chances they have to speak up about what they care about. For every person like you who is so narrowminded that you can't handle just HEARING another point of view... I really hope there are 1,000 who can listen, consider, and come to their own conclusions without having to stick their fingers in their ears and run away like you're doing.
Oh, and since you're leaving... you didn't happen to have a low 10 Club # that you'll also be cancelling, do you? Don't forget to cancel that too!