*** Las Vegas Fanviews 7/6 Here ***

coachchris

So I know it's been awhile since the show but I just got back from an extended stay in Vegas.

Here are my thoughts.

I've now been to 7 shows and although the setlist was great, I was super dissappointed with the crowd for many reasons....here's why.

Audience participation was at it's all time low for the shows I've seen which include 2 in the USA and 5 in Canada. The other show I saw in the US was in Minneapolis and the crowd was nuts (much like Winnipeg in 05)

I was dissappointed with the amount of *suits* I saw taking up quality seats on the floor and on the floor to the side of the stage. I had in my row 12, 9 people that had comped tickets. Four of which left three songs in and another two were polite enough to atleast wait for the first encore. I had two trust fund babies offer me $500 and a rolex (rolls eyes) for my seats so they could sit beside their other trust fund buds. Not one of them had seen Pj and not one was a fan (all admitting they were only there because the tickets were free). So dissapointing to see people think they can just throw around their money and expect people to bow down. Credit to the row behind and in front of me for turning down the offer as well!! :)

The set was incredible with Mike and Stone both pulling off some great solo's add in Matt's drum solo and it was a cohesive effort. The guys really seemed to be on the same page. The "Comeback" tag at the end of Black was something special to be a part of and Eddie looked emotionally spent at the end of it.

All in all, it was a great show. Too bad the crowd wasn't a little more into it and that great seats had to be given away to people who were uninterested in even being there....

faithful2you

I'm a little surprised to hear a lot of you complain about the crowd...where I was sitting (Floor D) the crowd seemed great.....although the people in our row were not totally into it like a lot of people around us but I thought the crowd was great. Two guys in front of us were dancing fools....it was great. Three seats next to us were unused but those were the only seats I noticed 'empty'...but gave us more room to move around.

The only thing that really disappointed me was I was hoping for a couple more after Porch. But I thought it was a great show.

Hung out with some great people before the show and had a great time all day leading up to the show at Moose's.

Wish this wasn't our last show of the tour.

faithful2you

Just looking at the disc and noticed....

one song from Bianural

one song from Riot Act (fine with me IMO)

NOT ONE song off No Code....knew it was missing something



Just an observation.

BTW...

Ten: 5 songs
Vs: 4 songs (Rats!)
Vitalogy: 2 songs
No Code: shut out
Yield: 3 songs
Bianural: 1 song
Riot Act: 1 song
Pearl Jam: 7 songs
Singles: 1 song
Covers: 3 songs

washmylungs

Ten: 5 songs
Vs: 4 songs (Rats!)
Vitalogy: 2 songs
No Code: shut out
Yield: 3 songs
Bianural: 1 song
Riot Act: 1 song
Pearl Jam: 7 songs
Singles: 1 song
Covers: 3 songs

looks like a great mix to me. would have a loved a little Present Tense or In My Tree...but i ain't complaning, i had the time of my life. i'll never forget this show/trip. especially cause i can listen to it any time i want!!! great set list!!!

brainofd

Longtime fan, first time poster, first Pearl Jam concert. I am still in awe of the best live band I have ever seen in my life! I thought the fans were great, except for the extremely tall couple in front of me that chose to make out during most of the show...get a room! It's Pearl Jam up there!

Dirt_Like_Me

Welcome to the board, brainofd.

The crowd in section L13 was great; everyone was singing along and jamming. My only beef was the couple behind me, she sat most of the show and he stood there like a statue singing along to a few of the songs. They eventually left a few songs before the end of the show. Heh.

I am so glad that they opened with Inside Job, that song is so uplifting. It really pumped me up for the rest of the night.

After Marker in the Sand had finished Ed said, "There's been a few songs already about faith and this yet is another one...about faith. I turned and looked at the person behind me, whom I went with, and we both went OH MY GOD. :eek: Then the drums started, the guitar came whisping in and the bass came down from the heavens. I closed me eyes to soak in the moment and then Ed came in with "plaque on the wall..." I became weak in the knees, Faithfull is one of my favorite songs and it is the one I wanted to hear the most. The crowd sang so beautifully, and loudly, on that one.

Mike played behind his head on the solo in Even Flow, which was cool to see. After he finished, Matt came blazing in with his drum solo. Towards the end of it, he played some Jesus Christ Pose beats and I started flipping out. That song is the reason why I want to become a drummer. I never had the pleasure of seeing Soundgarden live and it has been a wet dream of mine (since Matt came to PJ) to hear him play a little something from that song. WOW.

I think that Ed was in my head when he wrote Gone; it's exactly how I feel about Las Vegas. Thank you for playing it. I still cannot believe that they played Rats! How groovalicious is that song?

I didn't recognize the next song at first because I had forgotten that they changed it up a bit. It turned out to be Garden, the other song that I really, really wanted to hear!! Ed let us sing some of the song and I enjoyed Boom on the piano.

"What you're gonna hear might not be the best throat, but it'll be all heart." *cue Parachutes* They nailed their performance and you couldn't tell that Ed was having problems with this throat at all.

I had been praying all night for Small Town and when Ed and Stone were the only ones in the spotlight, I knew something good was coming. The crowd singing along made this song even better. The whole time I was thinking about the small town where I grew up and how much I miss it.

The crowd was SO loud during Betterman and Boom had a wicked piano solo before the tag. The tag was "t-r-u-s-t, I want to trust you, I want to love you forever (repeated).....don't let me dooooooooown." The jam at the end was pretty sweet too.

After Black had finished I had a strong feeling that Alive would be next...and it was. As soon as Stone blared that classic/epic riff my eyes began to well up. That song helped me get through the worst night of my life and after hearing what Ed had to say on Storytellers, I couldn't help but become emotional. Everybody in attendance was singing at the top of their lungs and with so much passion in their voices. The fist pumps with the "yeah's" at the end (even Ed was doing them) really drove that song home for me. I will always remember that moment.

The band really got into Go and Comatose and they completely rocked my face off. What an adrenaline rush. Next came Fortunate Son, one of my favorite covers (they need to do more CCR songs, IMO) and Ed dedicated it to the birthday boy, Dubya. They immediately went into Porch and the place was rockin'. Once again, Ed turned the vocals over to the audience. The jam in the middle was awesome, as always, and Ed was kinda all over the stage during it. It felt like that song was never going to end and I didn't want it to either.

I thought that they were going to play one more song, but I don't think that the band or the audience had any more left to give. I was completely wiped out! I just want to say thank you to the crowd and to Pearl Jam (hope you feel better, Ed) for giving me a night to remember!!! (Sorry my post was a lot longer than I had wanted it to be. lol)

pipedreams

Vegas was killer. 7th row floor between Jeff and Ed - my lovely wife was kind enough to let me sit with my buddy who has a killer 10C number and she used my lousy 10C number. Loved the smaller than normal stage because Mike, Ed and Jeff were so close together. Shorter setlist than what I expected but the content was A+ for me.

Inside Job (opener), Marker (is such a great song live - I love the tempo change), Faithfull, Rats (never saw before),Garden, SOLAT, Little Sister, Go and Porch (closer). Although Ed kept saying he had voice problems, I thought Parachutes was awesome.

Although the row in front of us must have been saved for high rollers, I thought the crowd was really getting into it around us. I know my buddy and I were really into it - singing, clapping, hollering. I apologize to everyone around me who could hear my singning. It sucks when you can't carry a single note however c'est la vie.

Peace

taraso

I love the Vegas download!...Voice issues and all...PJ rocked!

Nakedeye66

Do not get psyched out by Ed's comments in SD (it's his typical rip on prior or upcoming city/show banter), or by the sore throat he complains of.

I made the mistake of taking those comments to heart initially. Back in '03, the Nyquileddie Trilogy of Fargo-StPaul-Chicago did suffer. It's true Ed is a little under the weather but I was shocked when I heard this show that, in my opinion, IS THE BEST OF THE WHOLE TOUR!!!! (and I've heard them all up thru the LA dates)

This show floored me. The Inside Job opener is a great change of pace. Rats is back after some early tour appearances (and then disappearing), and a damn good version indeed. Parachutes and Little Sister are special treats. Now while I like Better Man, it's certainly one of those songs I sometimes wish was replaced. I do like it, but it's one of those that shows up almost every show and it becomes a little ordinary. Well, not this one - maybe the best version I've ever heard. Though I'm a big fan of Boom, the Benmont Tench keyboards here throw in a great change of pace (as does the tag). This tour has had some unreal versions of Porch, but this one with the Bush birthday Fortunate Son lead in, the Sonic Youth inspired jam, and the Dirty Frank tease is absolutely among them.

I think this is one of those shows you won't see show up too often on fans' "best boots" list. Please, do yourself a favor and pay no attention to that. Buy this show!!!!!!!!!!!!

PahkTheCah

I've heard rumor of Ed saying something like he couldn't wait to get out of Vegas .... anyone know the whole rant?

Gators76

PahkTheCah wrote:

I've heard rumor of Ed saying something like he couldn't wait to get out of Vegas .... anyone know the whole rant?

Dont know where or when he said that. I was at Vegas and SD and his rant in SD was stupid. One minute he said it was bad because of health issues, which were clear during the Vegas show, then he said the crowd wasnt great, which was complete bullshit.

While living in Vegas I have noticed alot of the performers specifally ask to have humidifiers in their rooms and when the go out to restaraunts because going in and out of the dry 110 degree heat inside to 68 degrees can do some damge to the vocals. Keep in mind they were here 2 days prior to the show so it adds up. When Madonna was here a few months back she made a HUGE deal about the humidifiers. She played at the MGM aswell.

Lastly, I really enjoyed both Vegas and SD. I purchased both boots because both shows were unique in their own way....Besides the fact that I was there:)

mas_tequila_porfavor

I was at both the Vegas and San Diego shows as well, and have no complaints about either show. Las Vegas was my first PJ concert, and I couldn't have asked for a better experience. The crowd was insane, singing along for quite a few songs. The crown seemed louder during the short encore breaks than the band did when they came back out, it was unbelievable. This show had a really intense energy, Ed barely talked at all in between songs.

The Las Vegas and the San Diego shows combined really well, because they felt very different. I'd say it looked like the band had more fun in San Diego for sure, but the crowd seemed more into it in Las Vegas. There were 47 songs during the two shows and only 10 repeats!!!

Between the two shows:

Ten: 6 songs (2 repeats) - Oceans
Vs: 6 songs (1 repeat) - Rats
Vitalogy: 4 songs (2 repeats) - Satan's Bed
No Code: shut out of both
Yield: 4 songs (no repeats) - Brain of J, Faithfull
Binaural: 1 song
Riot Act: 3 songs (no repeats) - You Are rocks live
Pearl Jam: 12 songs (5 repeats) - Big Wave
Singles: 1 song
Merkinball: 1 song
Lost Dogs: 2 songs (no repeats)
Covers: 7 songs (no repeats) - Crown of Thorns!

I have both boots, and they both bring the memories back and a smile to my face.

danphxariz

I was at the Vegas show also and just wanted to share some thoughts as well as some of the pictures I took. I posted the pics in a set on Flickr, and the address to see them is:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59467770@N00/sets/72157594206258882/

I've seen the band live many times, I've been a 10c member for something like 13 years now. I wish I would have gotten tickets to more shows on this tour, but Vegas was the one I chose to see. I live in Phoenix, so it's not a very long trip, I like going to Vegas, and I'd never seen a show at the MGM Garden before. I had absolutely great 10c seats (thank you thank you thank you), and I got Ed's pick, I believe from the pre-show opener. It's black, and has "EV" on one side, and a logo on the other side. I got one of Mike's picks at the last show I went to (a big blue one with white writing), so I'm having good luck on the pick front.

The show was awesome, but it really got crazy for me when they started playing Rats. That was probably my FAVORITE Pearl Jam song when I was in college, and I remember bellowing that song at the top of my lungs when I was wasted more times than I could count. I have NEVER heard them sing that song live before, and I didn't think I ever would (although I was at both Denver shows in 1994, and the set lists say they played Rats there in both, but all I recall is some instrumental quotes from it, not the full version - I might have been too drunk to remember though lol). Anyway, after Rats this show just became amazing, I was way into it and so was everybody around me. The band seemed happier than most times I've seen them also. Ed even pointed at me once, which was awesome ... so this is one happy lucky motherfucker.

What really topped it off is the first picture in the photo set on Flickr, which someone else took and posted. It is a picture of Ed playing his pre-show thing, and ME in the foreground with my arm raised in the air! How amazing is that ... all I did to find it was google "Pearl Jam Las Vegas", and that was the first picture I clicked on - how amazing is that??? HUGE thank you to Keri Necker for taking that and posting it.

Also big thanks to the band for putting on another great show, and for the great fan club - nobody compares to Pearl Jam. Next tour I'm going to get tickets to a few shows and maybe take a couple weeks off to do it, hope I don't have too long to wait!

Dan

ptfarkas

loved the Elvis bit, was it planned or were the encore's winning the night????

restlesssoul

http://forums.pearljam.com/showthread.php?t=208998


do it!

Tonykin

Vegas show was really great!! the cover was awsome.
I was surprised about Inside job as an opener. when he came out with that silver jacket I thought they would play bushleaguer. I was expecting ritfw as closer.. anyways was AMAZING!!

MellowCat

Just added some video clips to You Tube of the Vegas show. I'm not going to win any awards for the quality of these, but here they be...proof that Vegas rocked, contrary to popular opinion...


Parachutes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5hAhgtQxCc

Green Disease:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNIfhnkJq6w

DTE:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI_MI9LZFOA

Gone:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz_Sfi12TUM

Evenflow:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZYfXXeVFNk

Rats:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngFG236RD3s

jorgems

does anyone have an mp3 of the pre-set? (man of the hour)

Oklahoma Minnow

I went with my nephew who is in his beginnings of the road life with his own band. this was my first trip to Vegas as well, totally went for the Pearl Jam concert- It totally rocked. I cried during alive, which is my anthem. black was incredible- once you hear it live, it is a whole new experience. Pearl Jam has been on constant play at my house since the show, in the car, in the shower, on my phone- everyone gets to share in the happiness. My nephew was so inspired to follow Eddie's example and hopefully one day when he is as great as Pearl Jam with his band "From the Ashes", he swears to always do an opener and announce his opening act. Thanks Boys, for one of the most memorable times of my life. I will take it to the Grave singing "Ohhh, I, I'm still alive! Yeah I- OOhh, I'm still alive, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!"

dissidentnmytree

Had the opportunity to meet so many Pearl Jammers in Vegas!! We checked out the line at the ticket office at 7 am... yeah we know!! The seats are predetermined. Only one person in line.... walked the MGM Grand.....couldn't help it ...got in line at 8am;Only 2 ahead of us. Nice..
More people mingled their way in.. talked about our member numbers and stalked every bus that came by or slowed...
Although , I think Member Number does have it's place, What about those of us who make the effort to hang out at Moose's Beach House and arrive early to stand in the blistering sun, praying for a cloud....Are we any less of a fan because for whatever reason our number isn't "LOW" enough? Enough whining.
They show was AMAZING!! Deffinetly a FANCLUB Show! The singing of every song, new and old was astounding! At first I felt somewhat jaded by the show, but as i listen to the cd's... It becomes more... Much more. I feel like Home. I feel so Alive and free! I feel comfortable. I adored the show. I have a feeling we were supposed to get "Ledbetter"... But , then again, maye not.
Here's to good people, good fun, and great music!! Thanks !!