I would have to say Long Road, I dream of the day I am at a Pearl Jam show and they open with that. I've had my fill of Release. I think Of The Girl is pretty sweet opener too
the only two shows i´ve ever been had weird openers: breakerfall (it had some openings in 2000, am i right?) and MFC (that was really surprising)...breakerfall was cool to open, but mfc was definitely the only negative aspect of that show...it doesnt start as slow as a slow opener and it doesnt start as fast as an uplifiting fast opener...Now i would be really glad to see a slow opening in my next time...anyone would be great...
the new songs?...the wasted reprise opening rules....it gives the show a sense of some religious ceremony or something like that
It comes down to Wash, Release, and Long Road for me. It really is impossible for me to decide from there. I will never be disappointed if they open a show with either of those three, no matter how many times I hear it. Long Road and Release really take me on a journey, starting slow and building up, and I love that. It really gets my concert going on an excellent note. But Wash is such a beautiful song and also gets me pumped at the start of any show. It's impossible for me to choose only one, if I did, it would change an hour later.
I've always loved Long Road and Release as openers, but im DESPERATE to hear Of The Girl at some point this year. I'm hoping for it at one of the Euro shows i go to. I might have to make a sign!
"This town deserves a better class of criminal... and I'm gonna give it to them."
I've gotten Sometimes, Long Road, Release, and Love Boat Captain (which I really thought was cool with the lyric change to "let the show begin" btw), and although they were all cool, opening with Oceans in Calgary last year blew my fucking mind. absolutely.
07/21/92 - Thunderbird Stadium (Lollapalooza)
09/04/93 - BC Place Stadium
07/19/98 - Pacific Coliseum
11/05/00 - Key Arena
05/30/03 - GM Place
09/02/05 - GM Place
09/04/05 - Pengrowth Saddledome
09/05/05 - Rexall Place
09/07/05 - Civic Union Centre
07/22/06 - The Gorge
07/23/06 - The Gorge
My first show in 94 opened with Rearviewmirror...kind of set the tone for my obsession.
No denying Mansfield #3 in 2003 where we actually had 2 openers (Long Road and Can't Keep)...still don't know how they pulled that off - I was exhausted!!!
Favorites are Release and Oceans (when Eddie doesn't screw up the lyrics for the first song!!!)
Release does it best for me....but was truly stunned when they opened with Alive in Dalas in 03
Oct 3, 1996 Hartford
Sep 13, 1998 Hartford
Sep 1, 2000 Camden
Oct 18, 2000 Dallas
Apr 28, 2003 Philly
June 9, 2003 Dallas
July 5, 2003 Camden
Oct 1, 2004 Reading
Sep 15, 2005 Montreal
May 27, 2006 Camden
June 3, 2006 North Jersey
July 6, 2006 Las Vegas
June 19, 2008 Camden
Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
...but Severed Hand kicked such ass in Jersey I was happy to hear it both nights.
"there's a lot to be said for nowhere...."
1996 - Randall's Island II 1998 - MSG I
2000 - Jones Beach II & III 2003 - Uniondale, MSG I & II
2006 - E. Ruth I & II 2007 - Lollapalooza
2008 - MSG I & II, Hartford 2009 - Philly IV
2010 - Newark, MSG I & II
No denying Mansfield #3 in 2003 where we actually had 2 openers (Long Road and Can't Keep)...still don't know how they pulled that off - I was exhausted!!!
and don't forgot, we also got Of the Girl and Sometimes in the pre-set
Saw Present Tense as an opener at St. Louis in 03. It was very dramatic -- they had a bright white light behind ed beaming out at the crowd so that all you could see on stage was a silouhette of ed and all you could hear at the beginning was the sweeping mccready riff with ed's voice coming in. I love the release and of a girl openers, but this PT opener was the most goosebumpesque I've encountered yet.
the only two shows i´ve ever been had weird openers: breakerfall (it had some openings in 2000, am i right?) and MFC (that was really surprising)...breakerfall was cool to open, but mfc was definitely the only negative aspect of that show...it doesnt start as slow as a slow opener and it doesnt start as fast as an uplifiting fast opener...Now i would be really glad to see a slow opening in my next time...anyone would be great...
the new songs?...the wasted reprise opening rules....it gives the show a sense of some religious ceremony or something like that
I think Breakerfall is a fantastic opener. I'd love to hear it as the first song next time I go to a PJ show.
.
Memphis 1994 New Orleans 1995 Fort Lauderdale 1996 Atlanta & Birmingham 1998 New Orleans 2000 Tampa 2003 Kissimmee 2004 New York City (x 2) 2008 East Troy (x 2) 2011 Chicago & New Orleans 2013 Hampton, Raleigh, Boston 2016 Baltimore2020 Louisville 2022 Philadelphia & Baltimore 2024
I too thought that "Release" would forever be my favorite opener. That changed this year with the introduction of the "Wasted Reprise - Life Wasted" opener. Amazing combination, as "Reprise" brings the entire crowd together in an emotional sing-a-long, then "Life Wasted" begs you to blow the roof off the place. Good stuff.
I'm dying to hear Oceans as an opener, but that is another song on my always denied list. Anyway, all the songs first mentioned are great, and I'm really enjoying the Wasted Reprise/Life Wasted intro, but...
Longroad - played at my very first PJ show in 98, love it. Also, Borgata I with the crowd singing at the end was amazing!!
Wash - heard in Philly and Camden, beautiful! And, although I absolutely LOVE this song, I have to say my favorite opener is...
RELEASE - only heard once, but gave me chills and a feeling I will never forget
Which would say is the best PJ opener. Looking back over their tours, there's really 7 that have been standards (ignoring things that opened for one tour and never again). They are...
1) Release
2) Wash
3) Oceans
4) Long Road
5) Sometimes
6) Of the Girl
7) fast song fad of the year (Severed Hand this year, Save you last year, Go, etc)
Personally, I hate the fast song opener... My vote goes to WASH!! Brilliant opening song!
My Top 4
1) Corduroy
2) Life Wasted
3) Release
4) Long Road
MANSFIELD 7/3/03, 7/11/03
BOSTON 9/28/04, 9/29/04
HARTFORD 5/13/06
BOSTON 5/24/06
MANSFIELD 6/28/08, 6/30/08
EV BOSTON 8/1/08, 8/2/08
CHICAGO 8/24/09
HARTFORD 5/15/10
BOSTON 5/17/10
EV PROV 6/15/11
WORCESTER 10/15/13, 10/16/13
HARTFORD 10/25/13
I would have to say either "Release" or "Long Road". BUT if I have to choose one I will have to submit to masterpiece known as RELEASE!!! I heard it as the opener at State College '03 and just recently at Washington DC '06... if this song can't bring an audience together, I'm not sure what can!!!
Comments
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the new songs?...the wasted reprise opening rules....it gives the show a sense of some religious ceremony or something like that
never heard Wash live though... I could see it being a damn good opener.
Oceans
Of The Girl
I agree with some one who said it earlier though, Release would make an aswome closer i think.
09/04/93 - BC Place Stadium
07/19/98 - Pacific Coliseum
11/05/00 - Key Arena
05/30/03 - GM Place
09/02/05 - GM Place
09/04/05 - Pengrowth Saddledome
09/05/05 - Rexall Place
09/07/05 - Civic Union Centre
07/22/06 - The Gorge
07/23/06 - The Gorge
i'm still a little partial to Sometimes though..........loved it in east troy '03
still waiting on wash.............
No denying Mansfield #3 in 2003 where we actually had 2 openers (Long Road and Can't Keep)...still don't know how they pulled that off - I was exhausted!!!
Favorites are Release and Oceans (when Eddie doesn't screw up the lyrics for the first song!!!)
Sep 13, 1998 Hartford
Sep 1, 2000 Camden
Oct 18, 2000 Dallas
Apr 28, 2003 Philly
June 9, 2003 Dallas
July 5, 2003 Camden
Oct 1, 2004 Reading
Sep 15, 2005 Montreal
May 27, 2006 Camden
June 3, 2006 North Jersey
July 6, 2006 Las Vegas
June 19, 2008 Camden
Oceans
Wasted Reprise/Life Wasted
...but Severed Hand kicked such ass in Jersey I was happy to hear it both nights.
1996 - Randall's Island II 1998 - MSG I
2000 - Jones Beach II & III 2003 - Uniondale, MSG I & II
2006 - E. Ruth I & II 2007 - Lollapalooza
2008 - MSG I & II, Hartford 2009 - Philly IV
2010 - Newark, MSG I & II
2006: Verona, Vienna, Zagreb, Melbourne 1-2-3, Adelaide 1-2
2009: Melbourne
2010: Belfast
2012: Werchter
2014: Melbourne, Adelaide, EV Melb 1-2
"Can't keep" and "release" fall far behind.
and don't forgot, we also got Of the Girl and Sometimes in the pre-set
I think Breakerfall is a fantastic opener. I'd love to hear it as the first song next time I go to a PJ show.
.
New Orleans 1995
Fort Lauderdale 1996
Atlanta & Birmingham 1998
New Orleans 2000
Tampa 2003
Kissimmee 2004
New York City (x 2) 2008
East Troy (x 2) 2011
Chicago & New Orleans 2013
Hampton, Raleigh, Boston 2016
Baltimore 2020
Louisville 2022
Philadelphia & Baltimore 2024
Longroad - played at my very first PJ show in 98, love it. Also, Borgata I with the crowd singing at the end was amazing!!
Wash - heard in Philly and Camden, beautiful! And, although I absolutely LOVE this song, I have to say my favorite opener is...
RELEASE - only heard once, but gave me chills and a feeling I will never forget
1) Corduroy
2) Life Wasted
3) Release
4) Long Road
Love Boat Captain
Go (Boston '04)
BOSTON 9/28/04, 9/29/04
HARTFORD 5/13/06
BOSTON 5/24/06
MANSFIELD 6/28/08, 6/30/08
EV BOSTON 8/1/08, 8/2/08
CHICAGO 8/24/09
HARTFORD 5/15/10
BOSTON 5/17/10
EV PROV 6/15/11
WORCESTER 10/15/13, 10/16/13
HARTFORD 10/25/13
I will scream my lungs out till it fills this room
The Ocean is full Cause Everyone's Crying
WASH
LOVE BOAT CAPTAIN
RELEASE