The whole show was surreal to me... Sitting in 3rd row, Stone's side. It was amazing seeing every facial expression, UNREAL. Oceans....need I say more??
Holy shit.
I am still in shock. It's going to take some time to recover from this!!
well its my turn for my fanview....i just got back from the airport......im from pennsylvania and i flew out to see my girlfriend who is living in san diego for a couple of months and to take her to her first pearl jam show(my 7th) and boy o boy it was worth it......i got ten club tickets transfered and i had the best seats i ever had...20 rows back on stones side....it was perfect...oceans as an opener was amazing......the energy of the whole show was just so high and it seemed like they were going for broke....my girlfriend said i didnt stop smiling the whole show....matts drum solo on evenflow was just killer...it was really cool to hear the story behind long road and the whole first encore was dyNOmite! my favorite part of the show was when ed and mike were on opposite speakers of the stage and it proved to me(not that i needed it) that this band is the greatest of all time.... i wish i could put my feelings of this show into words better but its too hard.....this was ethier the best or 2nd best show i have seen and i am in depression now since i wont be seeing the boys until next tour probally....unless i pull some strings like i have the past 4 shows i been too....download this bootleg b/c its one for the ages....THANK YOU PEARL JAM.......thank you for lettin me lose myself for 2 1/2 hours and to share this with the one i love.....
I LOVE THIS BAND
"If some guy's not really giving me a reaction, I'll try and fucking get a reaction out of him. And I feed off of that. I go crazy. In a good way."-Mike McCready
The crowd at this show was awesome. Everyone singing and totally into it. Even Ed said it was one of the best. So may not be Europe crowd but definitely one of the best crowds and THE BEST SHOW. If you werent there you HAVE TO DOWNLOAD THE BOOTLEG! Unbelievable! I hope the Gorge can come close but I am not sure how.
Surfitkj
"Can't you see
The oceans size?
Defining time
And time
Arising
Arms laid upon me
Being so kind
To let me ride"
There have been so many great reviews so I will keep it short.
This was my ninth Pearl Jam show. This was easily the best I've been to so far. The setlist alone was enough to blow me away. During the first half there were so many songs where the energy was so high that those songs seemed like they were the set closer. I've been to alot of shows by many different bands in my life and this has to be in the top five. I can't wait to get the boot. This was the only Pearl Jam show that I'm going to make it to this time around and I have no complaints. Sure, I wish I could've seen "Marker in the Sand" live ,but I'll catch it on a boot.
I have a bunch of photos to display. Some are pretty good, some not so good. Can someone suggest to me a place to upload for free?
"Do you think the carpetpissers did this?" - The Dude
There have been so many great reviews so I will keep it short.
This was my ninth Pearl Jam show. This was easily the best I've been to so far. The setlist alone was enough to blow me away. During the first half there were so many songs where the energy was so high that those songs seemed like they were the set closer. I've been to alot of shows by many different bands in my life and this has to be in the top five. I can't wait to get the boot. This was the only Pearl Jam show that I'm going to make it to this time around and I have no complaints. Sure, I wish I could've seen "Marker in the Sand" live ,but I'll catch it on a boot.
I have a bunch of photos to display. Some are pretty good, some not so good. Can someone suggest to me a place to upload for free?
I uploaded mine to yahoo for free. You can pick the option of public viewing so no one has to log in. You have to have a Yahoo account or sign up, but it is free and it was really easy to upload them.
Well, I WAS there, all the way from NYC. It was my 13th show (4th of this tour, the first ive gotten on a plane for) and with the exception of hearing (1) “porch” at continental, (2) mtv unplugged version of “black” (we belong together) at tweeter center in Philly, and (3) Ben harpers guest spot on “indifference” at Madison sq. garden, this is clearly the front runner in my book. Since I booked the trip late I was blocked out of my fan club tix and had to opt for the last minute "club seats" from ticket master. Absolutely worth every penny considering Ed climbed the ladder where I swore (wish) I could touch him. It was unbelievable seeing the show from back there, totally different perspective. The crowd on the floor could have been better (some 1-5th row people seeming slightly unamused) but then again, thats how it could look at every show, ive never seen it from the stage POV. i always thought everyone flailed around moronically like myself-the crowd def came alive at times and it was great. Before my trip I left a comment on the PJ's myspace begging them to play “crown of thorns” at the show, although I know this is a huge coincidence, it sent chills down my spine (much like reading this review-great job, couldn’t agree more) it was the 3rd time hearing it live for me, it was amazing, that song is truly amazing.. I loved how he gave Stone credit for writing that, many people don’t realize it. I cannot even begin to select what I thought was best from the new cd, just as I was ready to claim "inside job", "come back" brought tears to my eyes, but I have to admit, nothing gets me going more than "comatose". That version ROCKED. I loved everything about this show from Oceans to YL. Mike was great, so animated up there and Ed did look the happiest ive ever seen him. Being from NY this saddens me, but I had to get the west coast experience at a show b/c i had a feeling that was the case. I'm also a school teacher so that speech hit close to home when he gave tribute to his teacher and friend. The segue into “longroad” was pretty emotional. I LOVED THIS SHOW. My first show was at the age of 15 at Randall’s island, nothing has compared to this one. My only complaint that the east coast has over west is the tailgating issue. My boyfriend and I were fully prepared with coolers, ipods, food and good conversation…all which was met with disappointment. Obviously the arena had something to do with it, but come on people! No better way to get siked up for a show then putting a few cold ones back talking to fellow fans in a beer flooded parking lot while a sea of cars try to drown each other out playing their favorite tunes. GREAT SHOW. i'm now sad to be back in NY, back at work, and looking up flights to torino, italy to catch at least one more of the leg.
this is the kind of crowd and energy you dream about being a part of at a Pearl Jam show. The type that is gonna make this show a classic of the given tour. This was definitley one of them. this was by far the best show of 10 ive been to. I love seeing them in an arena so much more. just looking around during the solo section of Alive with Mike on one speaker soloing, Ed on the other, and then below mike bowing, thank you to this band. also thank you to everyone in attendance that made this such an amazing experience. see you in SF for 3. i have high hopes for the SF shows, but have a big doubt that we will get near such a great crowd here in the bay. here's to hoping.
i remember you...i was gonna vote for you one time...but voting isn't cool so i stayed home and got trashed on listerine.
Review from the San Diego Union Tribune (not my review, there are a few sections here I would take exceptions with, specifically his talk about McCready's solos):
It took the five members of Pearl Jam a while to get their groove on Friday night at SDSU's sprawling Cox Arena, where the Seattle-based band made its first area appearance since 2003. But everything came together with the group's fifth selection and recent single, “World Wide Suicide,” a song that rocked so hard and triumphantly its reverberations may still be echoing in Cox as you read this.
A charged anti-war anthem in pop-rock clothing, “Suicide” combines slashing power chords and propulsive drumming with an infectious, radio-friendly hook and a soaring chorus that The Who's Pete Townshend would probably be happy to claim as his own. Juxtaposed against this rousing musical burst is an introspective message, which tempers “Suicide's” anger at the Bush administration with palpable sadness about the heavy toll of human suffering and death wrought by the ongoing war in Iraq.
This combination of galvanizing music and thoughtful, impassioned lyrics has long provided the artistic template for Pearl Jam's best songs. On Friday, before a capacity audience of 11,500 loudly enthusiastic fans, the 16-year-old band breathed new life into old favorites (most notably the dramatically expanded “Better Man”), as well as performing 10 of the 13 songs from its self-titled new album.
One of them, the soul-drenched ballad “Come Back,” suggested lead singer Eddie Vedder has been absorbing the peerless vocal style of the immortal Otis Redding. Another new number, the surging “Big Wave,” was performed live for the first time, according to Vedder, who learned to surf here as a teenager growing up in North County.
The pacing of the concert lost momentum several times and was marred by an annoyingly uneven audio mix, which too often buried the superb drumming of former San Diegan Matt Cameron. But the band generally played with enough vigor to elevate even some of its lesser material. It also offered a few surprises, most notably a cameo on rhythm guitar by Kelly Slater. The surfing legend was featured on a combustible version of Neil Young's “Rockin' in the Free World,” which came as the 2½-hour concert's penultimate selection before “Yellow Ledbetter” brought the show to a close.
“This man has taken me on waves so big that it's put the future of our band in jeopardy!” a grinning Vedder said of Slater.
Augmented by frequently inaudible keyboardist Boom Gaspar, the group also showcased its classic-rock and punk influences, for better and worse. Crunchy, melody-rich guitar riffs and high-octane musical velocity have an enduring appeal, but aimless, overextended guitar solos do not. There were enough of the latter Friday to suggest Pearl Jam is starting to take the second part of its name too literally, and lead guitarist Mike McCready (also a former North County resident) lacks sufficient virtuosity and finesse to justify the length of too many of his unfocused solos.
Happily, Vedder compensated by once again fostering a welcome feeling of community with his fans, which they returned in kind. While too many other rock stars pay lip-service to their concert audiences and sprout inane cliches (think: “You rock, San Diego!” or “I can't hear you!”), Vedder is genuinely connected with his listeners, who sang along on many selections.
He dedicated “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town” to “Olivenhain, Vista, Fallbrook . . . all your one-liquor store kind of towns.” Vedder also spent several minutes paying earnest tribute to Clayton E. Liggett, his former drama teacher and beloved mentor at San Dieguito High School in Encinitas. A portion of the proceeds from Friday's concert will help fund a theater in Liggett's name at the school, where Vedder once starred in a production of “Bye Bye Birdie” (and from which he dropped out during his senior year to more fully nurture his artistic creativity).
Liggett's 1995 death inspired Vedder to write one of his most moving songs, “The Long Road,” and its performance at Cox was a highlight. Despite smoking and conspicuously swigging from a wine bottle during parts of the concert – precisely the type of boorish rock star behavior he once shunned – Pearl Jam's bearded singer left no doubt that, like his band's most potent music, his heart is still in exactly the right place.
"You're no help," he told the lime. This was unfair. It was only a lime; there was nothing special about it at all. It was doing the best it could.
This was my first Pearl Jam concert however I've watched Live at the Garden enough times that I can almost feel I was there. I was so wrapped up in just enjoying the current song that I really couldn't keep track of the set list while it was being played but I knew that I was in the midst of something special.
I just downloaded the bootlegs for San Diego and I am re-shocked 3 days later by what I actually participated in.
Here are my highlights now in review:
World Wide Suicide and Love Boat Captain: Ed's comments bringing the two songs together kind hit home with a situation I am unfortunatly witnessing. I am so glad they played Love Boat Captain.
New album: 10 songs on the new album but I'm not a big fan. I do like Army Reserve (not played) and Come Back but with at least 6 songs in the new record (most of them played) being about Bush/War it kinda gets old quick and other than Army Reserve I really don't have that much significance to spread around.
Old Stuff: Some of the classics were played. Heavy on Ten, Vs., Vitology, nothing on No Code, the lights were on but no one was home with Yeild & Binaural and a good run into Riot Act.
1st Encore: Is it just me or is there an "end of life" theme to the 1st encore?
There will be a lot of empty bottles in my life while listening to this encore.
Long Road - I knew what it was from the first time Eddie touched his guitar. I was very verklempt during the intro and by the first refrain I somehow managed to retain composure while bawling on the inside. Wow! I wished for it as the opener but damn I can now die happy with Long Road.
Come Back - From Ligget to Ramone. We all have those that we "wish for you today" and want to "come back."
Elderly Woman - I always think of my Mom and Fairfax, California for some reason (totally unrelated) when I hear this song. Watcing the audience light up brighter than the lights shining on us in the last half of the song! Wow!
Crazy Mary - I remember shouting "Yes God!" after the first chord. "That which you fear the most could meet you half-way" very very fitting after Elderly Woman.
Crown of Thorns - I was one of the ones who did not know what Crown of Thorns was all about. I did go home and did my homework (somehow fitting to Andy Wood's life, substance abuse, and death) and was blown away when it was replayed for only the 9th time ever in LA1 (talk about second chances!!!).
Alive - Need I say more?
I was on an emotional empty after the 1st encore. It's kinda morbid but damn what it must be to have an epitaph by Pearl Jam!
2nd Encore: Pretty standard stuff, love it or hate it. I am indifferent about Big Wave glad I heard it though. Yellow Ledbetter sounding board at the end and a metal-jam version of the Star-Spangled Banner courtesy of Mike!
Confucious Says: He who buries a man's wife alive, should not expect to sit at that man's dinner table without the subject coming up.
I hate writers who take a good moment and love to drop intentional
one-liner bad seeds into the readers head on an otherwise positive review.
By finish, Pearl Jam, Vedder had a connection
It took the five members of Pearl Jam a while to get their groove on Friday night at SDSU's sprawling Cox Arena, where the Seattle-based band made its first area appearance since 2003. But everything came together with the group's fifth selection and recent single, “World Wide Suicide,” a song that rocked so hard and triumphantly its reverberations may still be echoing in Cox as you read this.
A charged anti-war anthem in pop-rock clothing, “Suicide” combines slashing power chords and propulsive drumming with an infectious, radio-friendly hook and a soaring chorus that The Who's Pete Townshend would probably be happy to claim as his own. Juxtaposed against this rousing musical burst is an introspective message, which tempers “Suicide's” anger at the Bush administration with palpable sadness about the heavy toll of human suffering and death wrought by the ongoing war in Iraq.
This combination of galvanizing music and thoughtful, impassioned lyrics has long provided the artistic template for Pearl Jam's best songs. On Friday, before a capacity audience of 11,500 loudly enthusiastic fans, the 16-year-old band breathed new life into old favorites (most notably the dramatically expanded “Better Man”), as well as performing 10 of the 13 songs from its self-titled new album.
One of them, the soul-drenched ballad “Come Back,” suggested lead singer Eddie Vedder has been absorbing the peerless vocal style of the immortal Otis Redding. Another new number, the surging “Big Wave,” was performed live for the first time, according to Vedder, who learned to surf here as a teenager growing up in North County.
The pacing of the concert lost momentum several times and was marred by an annoyingly uneven audio mix, which too often buried the superb drumming of former San Diegan Matt Cameron. But the band generally played with enough vigor to elevate even some of its lesser material. It also offered a few surprises, most notably a cameo on rhythm guitar by Kelly Slater. The surfing legend was featured on a combustible version of Neil Young's “Rockin' in the Free World,” which came as the 2½-hour concert's penultimate selection before “Yellow Ledbetter” brought the show to a close.
“This man has taken me on waves so big that it's put the future of our band in jeopardy!” a grinning Vedder said of Slater.
Augmented by frequently inaudible keyboardist Boom Gaspar, the group also showcased its classic-rock and punk influences, for better and worse. Crunchy, melody-rich guitar riffs and high-octane musical velocity have an enduring appeal, but aimless, overextended guitar solos do not. There were enough of the latter Friday to suggest Pearl Jam is starting to take the second part of its name too literally, and lead guitarist Mike McCready (also a former North County resident) lacks sufficient virtuosity and finesse to justify the length of too many of his unfocused solos.
Happily, Vedder compensated by once again fostering a welcome feeling of community with his fans, which they returned in kind. While too many other rock stars pay lip-service to their concert audiences and sprout inane cliches (think: “You rock, San Diego!” or “I can't hear you!”), Vedder is genuinely connected with his listeners, who sang along on many selections.
He dedicated “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town” to “Olivenhain, Vista, Fallbrook . . . all your one-liquor store kind of towns.” Vedder also spent several minutes paying earnest tribute to Clayton E. Liggett, his former drama teacher and beloved mentor at San Dieguito High School in Encinitas. A portion of the proceeds from Friday's concert will help fund a theater in Liggett's name at the school, where Vedder once starred in a production of “Bye Bye Birdie” (and from which he dropped out during his senior year to more fully nurture his artistic creativity).
Liggett's 1995 death inspired Vedder to write one of his most moving songs, “The Long Road,” and its performance at Cox was a highlight. Despite smoking and conspicuously swigging from a wine bottle during parts of the concert – precisely the type of boorish rock star behavior he once shunned – Pearl Jam's bearded singer left no doubt that, like his band's most potent music, his heart is still in exactly the right place.
Review from the San Diego Union Tribune (not my review, there are a few sections here I would take exceptions with, specifically his talk about McCready's solos):
...You beat me to it. I was planning on posting this semi-sucky review. Makes one wonder if Vargas saw the same show we did. I hate the UT.
Information is not knowledge
Knowledge is not wisdom
Wisdom is not truth
Truth is not beauty
Beauty is not love
Love is not music
Music is THE BEST . . .
- Frank Zappa
Well put, SDMike. Guess you can never trust a conservative paper, can you?
This was my first PJ show and I'm still amazed at how good it was from start to finish. My buddy and I have been to many Stones and Neil Young shows together, and we kept looking at each other and saying, ''Wow.'' The mix did sound muddy at times from where we were, but the setlist cooked.
I don't know if anyone else noticed, but the story in the Thursday Night and Day section of the U-T previewing the show was one written by the Detroit Free Press. That's weak, especially since three members of PJ have a SD connection. Coping a Pulitzer is one thing, but I guess they just don't get rock 'n' roll.
As for pure, meaningful intensity, this one goes down alongside Midnight Oil at SDSU's Open Air Theatre in '93; Neil Young at the Greek in '03 _ at least ''Be The Rain'' followed by a short-but-lethal greatest hits set; and any show-opening song by the Stones.
Keep on rockin' in the PJ world.
Well put, SDMike. Guess you can never trust a conservative paper, can you?
This was my first PJ show and I'm still amazed at how good it was from start to finish. My buddy and I have been to many Stones and Neil Young shows together, and we kept looking at each other and saying, ''Wow.'' The mix did sound muddy at times from where we were, but the setlist cooked.
I don't know if anyone else noticed, but the story in the Thursday Night and Day section of the U-T previewing the show was one written by the Detroit Free Press. That's weak, especially since three members of PJ have a SD connection. Coping a Pulitzer is one thing, but I guess they just don't get rock 'n' roll.
As for pure, meaningful intensity, this one goes down alongside Midnight Oil at SDSU's Open Air Theatre in '93; Neil Young at the Greek in '03 _ at least ''Be The Rain'' followed by a short-but-lethal greatest hits set; and any show-opening song by the Stones.
Keep on rockin' in the PJ world.
Grizzled Vet - I was at one of the Neil Greek shows in '03, (7/23), and I gotta admit, you've got a good comparison there. The emotion that Neil put into Sun Green/Be The Rain was pretty intense.
And I loved your take on the UT. I find it pretty funny that they are trying to push themselves as an 'investigative' paper with their pulitzer. Its like saying Bilbray is a 'different' kind of republican. Not to mention a majority of the paper is attributed to the AP, and are articles you could read in the LA Times or NY times the day before.
I've not really liked Vargas's reviews, Karla Peterson always seems to do a much better job, but I haven't seen as much from her lately. I did like the fact that they gave Buddy Blue a column, but since he passed away, there isn't much need to read the Night & Day section.
"You're no help," he told the lime. This was unfair. It was only a lime; there was nothing special about it at all. It was doing the best it could.
SD was my 5th time seeing pearl jam and it was by far, the best ive seen of them, whether its live, dvd, old footage, whatever...they were absolutely amazing!! Ed was on fire and completely at home with the crowd, having himself a great time, smiling, dancing his ass off and falling around buzzed or drunk, constantly giving the crowd kudos. "Alive" was too good for words.. Matts drum solo kicked ass, Mike was on fire as usual, Jeff was animated-- they all were! and stone was rocking out!!! I took my sister (her first time, other than bridge school 03) and she was in total amazement, and said she was almost at tears during yellow ledbetter. And oh my god, BRAIN OF J!!!!!! OCEANS as the opener!!!! AND BIG WAVE! I couldnt ask for more, it was awesome, PERIOD. and finally... the first time i heard yellow ledbetter! And i have 2 more words to say............ SATANS BED~~~~~~~~~~~ amazing show, take our words for it.
im listening to this boot and im blown away.. they sounded so tight on the 2005 tour and on the albany and grand rapids boots they sounded even better... but never did i think they'd completely top that. mike especially is fucking ripping.. and matty's drumming is sounding even better with the band along with his backup singing!!
I'm trying to find the right words for a complete review. Words usually 'fall off my alter' but this show just kinda has me in a trance...still. I know they'll come to me eventually. For now I must just atleast say something...even if it's not in my usual novel form. This was without a doubt one of THE most beautiful shows I have ever seen/felt/experienced! There is always so much love in SD! ALWAYS! What an abolutely beautiful, dream of a night! I'm still floating high on the love!
"1...2...3..."
O~C~E~A~N~S???
:eek:
WAS THAT REAL????
*hits the floor*:eek:
THANK YOU x infinity PEARL JAM!!!!!!!!
.....to be continued
¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤
"Lo√e, you know the word
...YOU invented it!" ~ E√
Comments
great shots!!!
i had forgotten about ed's destruction of 5 sets of tamboreens.
great work.
Holy shit.
I am still in shock. It's going to take some time to recover from this!!
http://www.myspace.com/brain_of_c
08/02/07 - LOLLA!!!
YEAH
San Diego 06.....Do I want some more? I said FUCK YEAH!!!!
"If some guy's not really giving me a reaction, I'll try and fucking get a reaction out of him. And I feed off of that. I go crazy. In a good way."-Mike McCready
www.myspace.com/lovethejam
"Can't you see
The oceans size?
Defining time
And time
Arising
Arms laid upon me
Being so kind
To let me ride"
what? did you buy FLAC or MP3?
i'm not getting anything yet
08/02/07 - LOLLA!!!
"Can't you see
The oceans size?
Defining time
And time
Arising
Arms laid upon me
Being so kind
To let me ride"
This was my ninth Pearl Jam show. This was easily the best I've been to so far. The setlist alone was enough to blow me away. During the first half there were so many songs where the energy was so high that those songs seemed like they were the set closer. I've been to alot of shows by many different bands in my life and this has to be in the top five. I can't wait to get the boot. This was the only Pearl Jam show that I'm going to make it to this time around and I have no complaints. Sure, I wish I could've seen "Marker in the Sand" live ,but I'll catch it on a boot.
I have a bunch of photos to display. Some are pretty good, some not so good. Can someone suggest to me a place to upload for free?
I uploaded mine to yahoo for free. You can pick the option of public viewing so no one has to log in. You have to have a Yahoo account or sign up, but it is free and it was really easy to upload them.
It's nice in the desert....please play here PJ!
Flickr's a great site for storing and sharing photos online....
http://www.flickr.com
Rhyno
11/30/1991 ~ 3/25/92 ~ 8/28/92 ~ 6/30/98 ~ 10/8/2000 ~ 6/18/2003 ~ 6/21/2003 ~ 6/26/2006 ~ 6/27/2006 ~ 7/7/2006 ~ 8/5/2007 ~ 6/24/2008 ~ ALPINE VALLEY in '09 ;-)
Nice shots!
Rhyno
11/30/1991 ~ 3/25/92 ~ 8/28/92 ~ 6/30/98 ~ 10/8/2000 ~ 6/18/2003 ~ 6/21/2003 ~ 6/26/2006 ~ 6/27/2006 ~ 7/7/2006 ~ 8/5/2007 ~ 6/24/2008 ~ ALPINE VALLEY in '09 ;-)
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/features/20060710-9999-1c10pearl.html
It took the five members of Pearl Jam a while to get their groove on Friday night at SDSU's sprawling Cox Arena, where the Seattle-based band made its first area appearance since 2003. But everything came together with the group's fifth selection and recent single, “World Wide Suicide,” a song that rocked so hard and triumphantly its reverberations may still be echoing in Cox as you read this.
A charged anti-war anthem in pop-rock clothing, “Suicide” combines slashing power chords and propulsive drumming with an infectious, radio-friendly hook and a soaring chorus that The Who's Pete Townshend would probably be happy to claim as his own. Juxtaposed against this rousing musical burst is an introspective message, which tempers “Suicide's” anger at the Bush administration with palpable sadness about the heavy toll of human suffering and death wrought by the ongoing war in Iraq.
This combination of galvanizing music and thoughtful, impassioned lyrics has long provided the artistic template for Pearl Jam's best songs. On Friday, before a capacity audience of 11,500 loudly enthusiastic fans, the 16-year-old band breathed new life into old favorites (most notably the dramatically expanded “Better Man”), as well as performing 10 of the 13 songs from its self-titled new album.
One of them, the soul-drenched ballad “Come Back,” suggested lead singer Eddie Vedder has been absorbing the peerless vocal style of the immortal Otis Redding. Another new number, the surging “Big Wave,” was performed live for the first time, according to Vedder, who learned to surf here as a teenager growing up in North County.
The pacing of the concert lost momentum several times and was marred by an annoyingly uneven audio mix, which too often buried the superb drumming of former San Diegan Matt Cameron. But the band generally played with enough vigor to elevate even some of its lesser material. It also offered a few surprises, most notably a cameo on rhythm guitar by Kelly Slater. The surfing legend was featured on a combustible version of Neil Young's “Rockin' in the Free World,” which came as the 2½-hour concert's penultimate selection before “Yellow Ledbetter” brought the show to a close.
“This man has taken me on waves so big that it's put the future of our band in jeopardy!” a grinning Vedder said of Slater.
Augmented by frequently inaudible keyboardist Boom Gaspar, the group also showcased its classic-rock and punk influences, for better and worse. Crunchy, melody-rich guitar riffs and high-octane musical velocity have an enduring appeal, but aimless, overextended guitar solos do not. There were enough of the latter Friday to suggest Pearl Jam is starting to take the second part of its name too literally, and lead guitarist Mike McCready (also a former North County resident) lacks sufficient virtuosity and finesse to justify the length of too many of his unfocused solos.
Happily, Vedder compensated by once again fostering a welcome feeling of community with his fans, which they returned in kind. While too many other rock stars pay lip-service to their concert audiences and sprout inane cliches (think: “You rock, San Diego!” or “I can't hear you!”), Vedder is genuinely connected with his listeners, who sang along on many selections.
He dedicated “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town” to “Olivenhain, Vista, Fallbrook . . . all your one-liquor store kind of towns.” Vedder also spent several minutes paying earnest tribute to Clayton E. Liggett, his former drama teacher and beloved mentor at San Dieguito High School in Encinitas. A portion of the proceeds from Friday's concert will help fund a theater in Liggett's name at the school, where Vedder once starred in a production of “Bye Bye Birdie” (and from which he dropped out during his senior year to more fully nurture his artistic creativity).
Liggett's 1995 death inspired Vedder to write one of his most moving songs, “The Long Road,” and its performance at Cox was a highlight. Despite smoking and conspicuously swigging from a wine bottle during parts of the concert – precisely the type of boorish rock star behavior he once shunned – Pearl Jam's bearded singer left no doubt that, like his band's most potent music, his heart is still in exactly the right place.
http://www.last.fm/user/merkinball/
spotify:user:merkinball
I just downloaded the bootlegs for San Diego and I am re-shocked 3 days later by what I actually participated in.
Here are my highlights now in review:
World Wide Suicide and Love Boat Captain: Ed's comments bringing the two songs together kind hit home with a situation I am unfortunatly witnessing. I am so glad they played Love Boat Captain.
New album: 10 songs on the new album but I'm not a big fan. I do like Army Reserve (not played) and Come Back but with at least 6 songs in the new record (most of them played) being about Bush/War it kinda gets old quick and other than Army Reserve I really don't have that much significance to spread around.
Old Stuff: Some of the classics were played. Heavy on Ten, Vs., Vitology, nothing on No Code, the lights were on but no one was home with Yeild & Binaural and a good run into Riot Act.
1st Encore: Is it just me or is there an "end of life" theme to the 1st encore?
There will be a lot of empty bottles in my life while listening to this encore.
Long Road - I knew what it was from the first time Eddie touched his guitar. I was very verklempt during the intro and by the first refrain I somehow managed to retain composure while bawling on the inside. Wow! I wished for it as the opener but damn I can now die happy with Long Road.
Come Back - From Ligget to Ramone. We all have those that we "wish for you today" and want to "come back."
Elderly Woman - I always think of my Mom and Fairfax, California for some reason (totally unrelated) when I hear this song. Watcing the audience light up brighter than the lights shining on us in the last half of the song! Wow!
Crazy Mary - I remember shouting "Yes God!" after the first chord. "That which you fear the most could meet you half-way" very very fitting after Elderly Woman.
Crown of Thorns - I was one of the ones who did not know what Crown of Thorns was all about. I did go home and did my homework (somehow fitting to Andy Wood's life, substance abuse, and death) and was blown away when it was replayed for only the 9th time ever in LA1 (talk about second chances!!!).
Alive - Need I say more?
I was on an emotional empty after the 1st encore. It's kinda morbid but damn what it must be to have an epitaph by Pearl Jam!
2nd Encore: Pretty standard stuff, love it or hate it. I am indifferent about Big Wave glad I heard it though. Yellow Ledbetter sounding board at the end and a metal-jam version of the Star-Spangled Banner courtesy of Mike!
I hate writers who take a good moment and love to drop intentional
one-liner bad seeds into the readers head on an otherwise positive review.
By finish, Pearl Jam, Vedder had a connection
It took the five members of Pearl Jam a while to get their groove on Friday night at SDSU's sprawling Cox Arena, where the Seattle-based band made its first area appearance since 2003. But everything came together with the group's fifth selection and recent single, “World Wide Suicide,” a song that rocked so hard and triumphantly its reverberations may still be echoing in Cox as you read this.
A charged anti-war anthem in pop-rock clothing, “Suicide” combines slashing power chords and propulsive drumming with an infectious, radio-friendly hook and a soaring chorus that The Who's Pete Townshend would probably be happy to claim as his own. Juxtaposed against this rousing musical burst is an introspective message, which tempers “Suicide's” anger at the Bush administration with palpable sadness about the heavy toll of human suffering and death wrought by the ongoing war in Iraq.
This combination of galvanizing music and thoughtful, impassioned lyrics has long provided the artistic template for Pearl Jam's best songs. On Friday, before a capacity audience of 11,500 loudly enthusiastic fans, the 16-year-old band breathed new life into old favorites (most notably the dramatically expanded “Better Man”), as well as performing 10 of the 13 songs from its self-titled new album.
One of them, the soul-drenched ballad “Come Back,” suggested lead singer Eddie Vedder has been absorbing the peerless vocal style of the immortal Otis Redding. Another new number, the surging “Big Wave,” was performed live for the first time, according to Vedder, who learned to surf here as a teenager growing up in North County.
The pacing of the concert lost momentum several times and was marred by an annoyingly uneven audio mix, which too often buried the superb drumming of former San Diegan Matt Cameron. But the band generally played with enough vigor to elevate even some of its lesser material. It also offered a few surprises, most notably a cameo on rhythm guitar by Kelly Slater. The surfing legend was featured on a combustible version of Neil Young's “Rockin' in the Free World,” which came as the 2½-hour concert's penultimate selection before “Yellow Ledbetter” brought the show to a close.
“This man has taken me on waves so big that it's put the future of our band in jeopardy!” a grinning Vedder said of Slater.
Augmented by frequently inaudible keyboardist Boom Gaspar, the group also showcased its classic-rock and punk influences, for better and worse. Crunchy, melody-rich guitar riffs and high-octane musical velocity have an enduring appeal, but aimless, overextended guitar solos do not. There were enough of the latter Friday to suggest Pearl Jam is starting to take the second part of its name too literally, and lead guitarist Mike McCready (also a former North County resident) lacks sufficient virtuosity and finesse to justify the length of too many of his unfocused solos.
Happily, Vedder compensated by once again fostering a welcome feeling of community with his fans, which they returned in kind. While too many other rock stars pay lip-service to their concert audiences and sprout inane cliches (think: “You rock, San Diego!” or “I can't hear you!”), Vedder is genuinely connected with his listeners, who sang along on many selections.
He dedicated “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town” to “Olivenhain, Vista, Fallbrook . . . all your one-liquor store kind of towns.” Vedder also spent several minutes paying earnest tribute to Clayton E. Liggett, his former drama teacher and beloved mentor at San Dieguito High School in Encinitas. A portion of the proceeds from Friday's concert will help fund a theater in Liggett's name at the school, where Vedder once starred in a production of “Bye Bye Birdie” (and from which he dropped out during his senior year to more fully nurture his artistic creativity).
Liggett's 1995 death inspired Vedder to write one of his most moving songs, “The Long Road,” and its performance at Cox was a highlight. Despite smoking and conspicuously swigging from a wine bottle during parts of the concert – precisely the type of boorish rock star behavior he once shunned – Pearl Jam's bearded singer left no doubt that, like his band's most potent music, his heart is still in exactly the right place.
Knowledge is not wisdom
Wisdom is not truth
Truth is not beauty
Beauty is not love
Love is not music
Music is THE BEST . . .
- Frank Zappa
This was my first PJ show and I'm still amazed at how good it was from start to finish. My buddy and I have been to many Stones and Neil Young shows together, and we kept looking at each other and saying, ''Wow.'' The mix did sound muddy at times from where we were, but the setlist cooked.
I don't know if anyone else noticed, but the story in the Thursday Night and Day section of the U-T previewing the show was one written by the Detroit Free Press. That's weak, especially since three members of PJ have a SD connection. Coping a Pulitzer is one thing, but I guess they just don't get rock 'n' roll.
As for pure, meaningful intensity, this one goes down alongside Midnight Oil at SDSU's Open Air Theatre in '93; Neil Young at the Greek in '03 _ at least ''Be The Rain'' followed by a short-but-lethal greatest hits set; and any show-opening song by the Stones.
Keep on rockin' in the PJ world.
Grizzled Vet - I was at one of the Neil Greek shows in '03, (7/23), and I gotta admit, you've got a good comparison there. The emotion that Neil put into Sun Green/Be The Rain was pretty intense.
And I loved your take on the UT. I find it pretty funny that they are trying to push themselves as an 'investigative' paper with their pulitzer. Its like saying Bilbray is a 'different' kind of republican. Not to mention a majority of the paper is attributed to the AP, and are articles you could read in the LA Times or NY times the day before.
I've not really liked Vargas's reviews, Karla Peterson always seems to do a much better job, but I haven't seen as much from her lately. I did like the fact that they gave Buddy Blue a column, but since he passed away, there isn't much need to read the Night & Day section.
http://www.last.fm/user/merkinball/
spotify:user:merkinball
I found this on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5TjHq3EyKU
And, eff the Tribune. It is a piece of crap. No one in Diego reads it (I hope).
Sure I'm not American, that's why! But I am really happy, no, more than this, I can tell you that my dreams come true!
Was wonderful!
Thanks guys to make this concert here in this year! I really want to see once again before I leave!
heres some of my pics!.....
http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL770/4917110/10479108/165830509.jpg
http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL770/4917110/10479108/165829914.jpg
http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL770/4917110/10479108/165830019.jpg
http://pic4.picturetrail.com/VOL770/4917110/10479108/165830293.jpg
Even Flow PSYCHO member #0020!!
myspace.com/takingpunches
I Have Wished For So Long, How I Wish For You Today....
I don't think any other show will ever come close to this for me.
But You Might Die Trying
What were your thoughts on the show, since you must have been there?
08/02/07 - LOLLA!!!
"1...2...3..."
O~C~E~A~N~S???
:eek:
WAS THAT REAL????
*hits the floor*:eek:
THANK YOU x infinity PEARL JAM!!!!!!!!
.....to be continued
"Lo√e, you know the word
...YOU invented it!" ~ E√
¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°`°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤
...::STONE--YOU--OWN!::...
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