No - Ed demonstrated a rather masterful job this past tour mixing up the set lists and changing them up from most recent years. I think they as a band went into the tour with a focus to challenge themselves to raise the bar on this tour in terms of set lists. Plus most all of the shows on this tour were pushing close to 3 hours.
A completely new diverse, mixed set to appease hardcore/casual/news fans each night while pushing close to a 3 hour show is one of the largest reasons why they're the best professional live band in the business.
2013 was also about going back to markets that hadn't seen them in a long time. A lot of the hits were played but those markets more than likely missed them when they were 'hits'. That's why to me chorus one was so awesome this tour. I hope they keep this format going forward. Its a great mix of rarities and the so called hits.
Tom Brady & Donald Trump, BFF's Fuckus rules all Rob Seattle
The band is on a whole different, more professional level than they have ever been on before. Choosing which of the 150 or so songs they can play each night is a very hard task. As professionals, I assume they all would rather play 90 of them fantastically than 130 of them so-so, missing changes and fucking up lyrics, tempo, etc. it benefits the band as well as their audiences to have them nailing every night. If the setlists are predictable to you.... Not sure how the hell they'd ever make you happy. I know I loved the 2 shows I was at and love the downloaded boots from is tour so far... Perhaps the best sounding e band has been, in my opinion.
The band is on a whole different, more professional level than they have ever been on before. Choosing which of the 150 or so songs they can play each night is a very hard task. As professionals, I assume they all would rather play 90 of them fantastically than 130 of them so-so, missing changes and fucking up lyrics, tempo, etc. it benefits the band as well as their audiences to have them nailing every night. If the setlists are predictable to you.... Not sure how the hell they'd ever make you happy. I know I loved the 2 shows I was at and love the downloaded boots from is tour so far... Perhaps the best sounding e band has been, in my opinion.
I got Low Light and Bee Girl in the same setlist for this tour. Two songs I never really thought I would ever get. I think if you want to talk about playing it safe look at the PJ20 sets. The setlist this past tour were nowhere near safe. And mind you, I'm not bagging on PJ20. I enjoyed the hell out of myself at Alpine. I just think the sets for this tour were much more interesting.
We are the facilitators of our own creative evolution.--Bill Hicks
I thought the setlists were very formulaic this year and sometimes repetitive. I saw the Brooklyn 2 and Philly 2 shows this year and they opened both shows with the exact same four songs. Two shows three days apart and they opened with the same exact four songs. I went to Metallica's Orion festival in 2012 and bitched and moaned after night 2 about how similar it was to night 1 (both nights opened with Hit The Lights/Master of Puppets and ended with Seek and Destroy among other similarities). I couldn't believe that a band with that many songs would do that. And I was especially shocked to see PJ do it. Sure it wasn't back-to-back nights like Metallica....but still....this is Pearl Jam. We expect more from them because that's what they've delivered for years.
In 2003 this board went crazy when 1 leg of the tour got Satan's Bed, Deep, and Why Go.
Now if that happens in a single show, people are yawning.
09' Philly shows raised expectations. I agree with a previous post about taking a set & playing the songs really well vs pulling out a bunch of rareities laced shows. This band does not sound like they are going through the motions. Never have - even early on when they got burned out & cancelled shows instead of pushing through. Its obvious to me by these 13' shows, that the bsnd cares about giving people the best they have. So many whiny posts about opening with the same 3-4 songs? Perhaps with all the please play Release, Long Road requests the band heard & responded. That's not 'safe' as the OP suggests, that's just fucking cool. B-)
My answer is no. This band is always taking gambles. The only predictable things on the tour: pj playing a lot of songs from lightning bolt (everyone knew would happen given that it was an album tour) and porch.
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SkeeterB
If I knew where it was, I would take you there... Posts: 422
I think the setlists are varied more than any other band I can think of.
Phish. Although many people don't like their music on this board, they are masters of varying the setlists from night to night (good luck getting a repeat in back to back nights). I'm not a Phish fan but I have a friend who is (and who is also a huge Pearl Jam fan as well). The stories that he tells me, in regard to setlist variation, blows Pearl Jam away and Pearl Jam is very good at varying the setlists (the first leg of the tour was played a bit safe though, outside a few shows). There are a lot of other variables involved, but Phish is one band that is far and away more varied that Pearl Jam.
They played out of their skins last year and played a huge variety of songs. They brought out some killer rarities thanks to the mellower first encores and delivered for over 3 hours most nights. Why isn't this enough for some people?
Like a book among the many on a shelf...
Dublin 02 Arena - 22/6/10. Belfast Odyssey Arena - 23/6/10. London Hyde Park - 25/6/10. Berlin Wuhlheide - 30/6/10.
Manchester MEN - 20/06/12. Manchester MEN - 21/06/12
Caught 4 shows on that tour and the only guarantee was Pendulum to open followed by a couple of slower songs then a banger. After that it was anything goes.
Only saw two shows this past tour, Worcester I and Hartford, but between those shows the band was definitely not playing it safe.
PJ: 2003 Mansfield: July 2 2004 Boston: Sept 28 & 29 2005 Montreal: Sept 15 2006 Boston: May 24 & 25 2008 Hartford: June 27, Mansfield: June 28, 2010 Boston: May 17 2013 Worcester: Oct 15, Hartford: Oct 25, 2016 Hampton: April 18, Raleigh: April 20 (cancelled), Columbia: April 21. Quebec: May 5. Boston (Fenway): August 7
While the approach to the setlists was fairly consistent across most nights, the setlists themselves were far from mailed in. In fact I think they were more varied than ever, and here's my proof:
I saw 5 shows (Worcester 1/2, Brooklyn 1/2, Hartford). The stats breakdown to:
-160 total songs (averaging over 30 a night? Ridiculous) -80 distinct songs -36 songs only played at 1 show -Only 6 songs played at all 5 shows (including 3 from the new album which is understandable) -Perhaps even more telling: Only 4 songs played at 4 of the 5 shows. and 2 of them were off the new album. -Several songs I had only seen once in my previous 37 shows (Alone, All Those Yesterdays, Oceans for example) or never (Chloe Dancer as an intro to Crown of Thorns, Ain't Talkin Bout Love, Fatal, Other Side, etc) -Many songs I would normally consider on the rarer side (Man of the Hour, Oceans, Wash, Rats, Sleight of Hand) -The SHORTEST show was 29 songs. 29 songs at any point more than 4-5 years ago would have been an epic standout of a tour. -Seeing shows that included multiple "openers" was a real treat...and something I thought would be special to only standout shows like Mansfield 3. Imagine a show like Brooklyn 1 where they played Release and Oceans in the same show. Or Hartford with Long Road and Sometimes back to back. Unheard of until this tour.
If anyone thinks PJ played it safe on this tour, I think it may be time to reassess going to multiple shows. Maybe it's just not your thing anymore and you're looking for validation. Seems odd to gripe about THIS tour...of all tours. That's crazy.
Bright eyed kid: "Wow Typo Man, you're the best!"
Typo Man: "Thanks kidz, but remembir, stay in skool!"
25 shows Avg 33 songs per show 150 different songs played Only 4 songs played at all 25 shows (3 from LB understandably) 7 different openers + all the "opener" combos to start shows
Comments
2010: Newark 5/18 MSG 5/20-21 2011: PJ20 9/3-4 2012: Made In America 9/2
2013: Brooklyn 10/18-19 Philly 10/21-22 Hartford 10/25 2014: ACL10/12
2015: NYC 9/23 2016: Tampa 4/11 Philly 4/28-29 MSG 5/1-2 Fenway 8/5+8/7
2017: RRHoF 4/7 2018: Fenway 9/2+9/4 2021: Sea Hear Now 9/18
2022: MSG 9/11 2024: MSG 9/3-4 Philly 9/7+9/9 Fenway 9/15+9/17
Fuckus rules all
Rob
Seattle
Pearl Jam bootlegs:
http://wegotshit.blogspot.com
Now if that happens in a single show, people are yawning.
www.amazingathletes.com/northchi
Dublin 02 Arena - 22/6/10. Belfast Odyssey Arena - 23/6/10. London Hyde Park - 25/6/10. Berlin Wuhlheide - 30/6/10.
Manchester MEN - 20/06/12. Manchester MEN - 21/06/12
Incredible setlist variation.
ARE YOU HIGH BRO?
2006 Jools Holland, London / Reading festival
2007 Wmbly London
2009 SBE London / O2 London
2012 MEN 1/ MEN 2 / Berlin 1 / Berlin 2 / EV LDN 1 / EV LDN 2
2013 NY 1/ NY 2 / Philly 1 / Philly 2
2014 AMS 1 / AMS 2 / Leeds / MK
2017 EV LDN 1 / EV LDN 2
2018 LDN 1 / BCN / LDN 2
2022 LDN 1 / LDN 2
2003 Mansfield: July 2
2004 Boston: Sept 28 & 29
2005 Montreal: Sept 15
2006 Boston: May 24 & 25
2008 Hartford: June 27, Mansfield: June 28,
2010 Boston: May 17
2013 Worcester: Oct 15, Hartford: Oct 25,
2016 Hampton: April 18, Raleigh: April 20 (cancelled), Columbia: April 21. Quebec: May 5. Boston (Fenway): August 7
EV Solo: Boston 8/2/08, Boston 6/16/11
I saw 5 shows (Worcester 1/2, Brooklyn 1/2, Hartford). The stats breakdown to:
-160 total songs (averaging over 30 a night? Ridiculous)
-80 distinct songs
-36 songs only played at 1 show
-Only 6 songs played at all 5 shows (including 3 from the new album which is understandable)
-Perhaps even more telling: Only 4 songs played at 4 of the 5 shows. and 2 of them were off the new album.
-Several songs I had only seen once in my previous 37 shows (Alone, All Those Yesterdays, Oceans for example) or never (Chloe Dancer as an intro to Crown of Thorns, Ain't Talkin Bout Love, Fatal, Other Side, etc)
-Many songs I would normally consider on the rarer side (Man of the Hour, Oceans, Wash, Rats, Sleight of Hand)
-The SHORTEST show was 29 songs. 29 songs at any point more than 4-5 years ago would have been an epic standout of a tour.
-Seeing shows that included multiple "openers" was a real treat...and something I thought would be special to only standout shows like Mansfield 3. Imagine a show like Brooklyn 1 where they played Release and Oceans in the same show. Or Hartford with Long Road and Sometimes back to back. Unheard of until this tour.
If anyone thinks PJ played it safe on this tour, I think it may be time to reassess going to multiple shows. Maybe it's just not your thing anymore and you're looking for validation. Seems odd to gripe about THIS tour...of all tours. That's crazy.
Typo Man: "Thanks kidz, but remembir, stay in skool!"
Avg 33 songs per show
150 different songs played
Only 4 songs played at all 25 shows (3 from LB understandably)
7 different openers + all the "opener" combos to start shows
Yup. Played it real safe.