*** San Francisco III Fanviews 7/18 Here ***

iwasthere

lastexit78 wrote:

Fun show but it was probably the weakest of the 3. The first 2 shows seem to kind of work off each other. This show however seemed slightly detatched from the other 2. I was really hoping for Immortality last night. Also I'm surprised we didn't get Black, Jeremy, Porch, Daughter and Elderly at least once. When was the last time Black wasn't played for 3 consecutive shows? On the positive it was good to hear Red Mosquito, MFC, In Hiding and Down. All Along The Watchtower was also a great surprise. The balcony and the back of the floor seemed a lot less into this show than the first 2. Yet up front seemed a little more crazy. All in all I would probably give this show a B+ with Sunday getting an A and Saturday an A-.

Man, I don't know where the fuck you were last night. This was my 32nd pj show lifetime and 10th this year. It is easily one of my favorite 2 or 3 shows, and I've been to Seatt'e 2000, MSG 2003, and last year at the Gorge. Last night's setlist was absolutely fucking amazing! A cvery special night, and the band knows it. You could see it in there faces, they were really taken back by the raw emotion and excitement in the crowd.

Bird888

I'll probably post more later, but my random thoughts:

Thanks to all the cool people my sons and I met on our mini road trip (SB to SF...4 shows)
Sat in the balcony with 4 great guys from Sacramento...we all rocked and had a great time. My sons were 3rd row Stone side on the floor and loved it.
Much floor energy for the 1st 10 rows, but the rest of the floor wasn't all that bad...
I loved this night's setlist. For me, this show was tied with night 1, slightly ahead of night 2
Oh well, back to the sweltering heat and humidity of goold ole Virginia

Thanks again SF, one cool city, you were the perfect host for a great bonding time for me and my teenage sons.

LeftThePorch315

MY TOP FIVE:

#5
Release
Simply put, this is one of the most pure and emotionally fueled rock and roll songs of all time. I’ll defer all of you to Toshala’s post on page two of this thread. The song's ability to conjure up feelings and memories of love and perseverance is paralleled only by the U2 "Joshua Tree" album. It is THE reason the some of the most dedicated of Pearl Jam fans fell in love with the band back in 1991*. LET US NOT FORGET how superficial and cerebral most of mainstream was music back in 1991. Now put this song in the mix. Bold, passionate, groundbreaking. It was a perfect opener to the evening.

#4
Red Mosquito
It’s hard to imagine any of their songs not being epic, but - SORRY - this one never felt golden to me. That is, until last night.

Eddie introduced this song by saying something along this lines of "This was written in a San Francisco hotel room on a bad day." Boy do I feel like a HORSE'S PATOOKEY for not knowing this song is about the Golden Gate Park debacle back in 1995?!?!!!!! Being at that show, and a bit disheartened by it (eventhough I DO love Neil), it was purging to hear this song, and learn it's meaning on Tuesday.

#3
Watchtower
Anytime the boys cover a Dylan song you know it’s going to be off the hook. I came into the evening hoping to hear “Masters of War” but I’ll definitely settle with this. Wholly crap what a show! Eddie introduced this song saying “This feels like a San Francisco song… I think we’re going to play the shit out of it.” (something like that). Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo making a guest appearance and everything else you’ve already heard…. Actually, maybe you haven’t heard it... Here’s the order of events after the song:

Mike McCready threw his guitar straight up into air like a rocket, 10-15 then maybe 20 feet into the air multiple times. Then he smashed it on his amp and then on the floor, breaking a portion of the neck off. He the proceeded to catipult it off the stage to his right. Impressed by this, Eddie came running over, and followed the guitar's flight off stage. He returned to the stage with the guitar's now-mangled torso, and slid it into the center of the stage, got a running start and tried to surf on it skimboard style. He made it all of about a foot before tumbling ass over shoulders at Stone Goassard’s feet. All in all it had to have been the best circus act I've ever seen the band do.

One question for all you Vedheads out there: HOW OFTEN DO THEY PLAY THIS SONG? ? ? ? It felt like we were getting a rare treat, partially because I could tell Eddie was reading the lyrics at his feet.

#2
Crazy Mary
I had no idea this song could rock the way it did. Well over ten minutes of ass-kicking. As you have probably already read, at the center of attention was Boom. His organ playing took that song to another level that I don’t think anybody in the audience could have anticipated. After about ten minutes of just straight ass-kicking (you could tell Boom was a little tired, and rightfully so) Mike McCready walked over to his side of the stage and they proceeded to find a way to kick even more ass. It was almost as if Mike was working him, forcing him to give yet another mile after running a marathon. And what we got was one of the highlights of the night: A Mike and Boom free jam. After the song was over the masses yelled “Boom!!” . In response Boom jiggled his hands to show how exhausted he was, pointed at Mike McCready and smiled at him as if to say “fuck you!”

NOW, I can see that everyone on this list before me is toasting Boom on Crazy Mary as the highlight of the night. Given that the man seemed to single-handedly sent the entire audience into outer space… But… it was another song that did send the audience – and the band - into complete rapture…

#1
Evenflow
All present at the third San Francisco show may have been privy to THE BEST VERSION EVER of this timeless epic. All you bootleg addicts, give this version a listen and I DARE YOU to tell me you disagree.

The song, like the other highlights of the night, went on for well over ten minutes. McCready and Cameron both took solos that blew the roof off. Upon returning from flight, Eddie took the mic and pointed it towards the audience. The audience responded in force singing an entire verse of the song in one overpowering, united mantra. Eddie was literally taken aback by it. He was loving it! When the song concluded the whole band paused for almost a minute as if trying to take in what had just happened. When Eddie finally returned to the mic stand, I swore he was going to say “That may have been the best version of that song we’ve ever done.” But he paused, and, perhaps considering the magnitude of such a statement, settled for "That was pretty fucking awesome."

You bet your ass it was.


Pearl Jam: my amazing friends, Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I’d love to follow you on tour, but fatherhood beckons. Keep fighting the good fight. I’ll never miss another Bay Area show as long as I live. And when you come back, please come back to The Bill Graham, that place was made for you!!!

ds

*Ok, that and the group's ability to kick serious ass. I think Bono would be the first to admit: U2 can't rock like this!
________________________________________________________________
Berkeley Halloween 93
SF GG Park 95
San Diego Sports Arena 95
Oakland Coliseum 97
LA Forum 98
Bridge School 2001
Shoreline 2003
SF Bill Graham 2006 x2

lastexit78

iwasthere wrote:

Man, I don't know where the fuck you were last night. This was my 32nd pj show lifetime and 10th this year. It is easily one of my favorite 2 or 3 shows, and I've been to Seatt'e 2000, MSG 2003, and last year at the Gorge. Last night's setlist was absolutely fucking amazing! A cvery special night, and the band knows it. You could see it in there faces, they were really taken back by the raw emotion and excitement in the crowd.

I guess it all depends on what you want from the band. For me the first 3 (Ten, Vs, Vitalogy) will always be my favorites. I know that makes me an outcast on this board but it's the opinion of probably 80% of the crowds at most shows. Sure it's awesome when then break out In Hiding or Red Mosquito but for most people in the building it's just another song. You don't think replacing Unemployable, Big Wave, Why Go & Leash with Jeremy, Black, Porch and Immortality would have made this a better set? If your going to play 3 shows in one city shouldn't you at least break out some of your best songs once before you play other songs twice? That was my only issue with last night. With that said it's shows like last night that make the band as great as they are. If they stuck to hits and played to the casual fan they wouldn't be half the live band they are.

Anon

sat in the balcony last night. wife and i were the last ones standing in our section - boo to all the fucking people who sat for 85% of the show and only stood for songs off of ten (actually, "boo" doesn't convey how i feel. maybe, "fuck you" would work better). the balcony was weak last night, at least in spots (not the first 5-10 rows). the floor looked crazy - wish i could have been down there, but after sunday on the floor, my wife (who is 5'5") wanted to have a view of the entire stage.

one way or the other, sick set from the boys last night. release, life wasted, hail hail, untitled, red mosquito, in hiding, down, why go, last exit, sotal, watchtower, ledbetter - all highlights. amazing energy from the band and much of the crowd.

did i mention watchtower? no really, did i mention the fact that they played watchtower? fucking sick.

edit: light years and big wave threw a wrench into the flow of the show early...other than that, unreal setlist.
edit2: acoustic i am mine for the pre-set was un-fucking-believable. eddie was on fire.

JorBull

I want to say thanks to the band for a great show......splendid setlist, guys....the sound was a little muddy, but you didn't build the auditorium, so not your fault....I was flying solo last night from over in Sactown, so I also want to thank the cool fans who took me into their brood....you know who you are, Matt!! CRAZY MARY....WOW!! If there's a better version out there, I've yet to hear it!!

rebornFixer

lastexit78 wrote:

You don't think replacing Unemployable, Big Wave, Why Go & Leash with Jeremy, Black, Porch and Immortality would have made this a better set?

No, not at all, except maybe adding Immortality, a personal favorite of mine.
Umemployable is one of my favorites as well, Why Go is blistering this tour and makes Jeremy its bitch.

All in all, I am happy with the 3-show set in San Francisco, I think I will get them all. I haven't got a boot since Cleveland, and the PJ fire has rekindled a bit.

jammingecono

Amazing show. Crazy Mary brought the house down, I also enjoyed Alive, In Hiding, and Watchtower. I had a sweet position, on the part of the barrier that juts out into the pit. Wouldn't have traded that spot for anywhere else. People around me were cool. I know there were some assholes coming in from behind, but people were good about pointing them out to security.

Sonic Youth was excellent, best I've ever seen then (which has always been opening for somebody, I hope to change that). The new album, which I like a lot, seemed kind of mellow so I'm glad did a few more of those guitar freakout songs.

People up front, did you see just before PJ's set, security had to carry away a cup of piss? Someone near the front pissed in a cup, I think security gave him a talking to but I don't know if they removed him (assuming it's a him...it'd be pretty difficult otherwise).

lastexit78

reborncareerist wrote:

No, not at all, except maybe adding Immortality, a personal favorite of mine.
Umemployable is one of my favorites as well, Why Go is blistering this tour and makes Jeremy its bitch.

All in all, I am happy with the 3-show set in San Francisco, I think I will get them all. I haven't got a boot since Cleveland, and the PJ fire has rekindled a bit.

There's no doubt that Why Go is amazing this tour. But with that said we had just heard it on Saturday. I've heard Jeremy once in the last 8 years and I haven't heard Immortality since 2000. If anything break out the alternate version of Jeremy they played in 95. I just need variety and with this band you kind of get spoiled after a while. Don't get me wrong I loved the show last night. I was just a little puzzled by the setlist. Mostly the songs that they chose to repeat when so many others were left out.

gmcabral

64 different songs with 17 repeated in 3 nights in SF!


Alive x3
All Along the Watchtower
American In Me
Animal
Army Reserve
Betterman
Big Wave x2
Blood
Bu$hleaguer
Comatose x2
Come Back
Corduroy x2
Crazy Mary
Dead Man Walking
Dissident
Do The Evolution x2
Down
Drifting
Even Flow x3
Footsteps
Fuckin' Up
Garden
Given To Fly
Go
God's Dice
Gone
Hail Hail
I Am Mine
I Got Shit
In Hidding
In My Tree
Indifference
Inside Job
Insignificance
Last Exit
Last Kiss
Leash x2
Life Wasted x3
Light Years
Lukin
Man Of The Hour
Marker In The Sand
Not For You
Of The Girl
Once
Parachutes
Present Tense x2
Rearviewmirror
Red Mosquito
Release
Rockin' In The Free World
Sad x2
Save You
Severed Hand x3
Sometimes
Spin The Black Circle
State of Love and Trust x2
Unemployable x2
Untitled/MFC
Wasted Reprise x3
Whipping
Why Go x2
World Wide Suicide x3
Yellow Ledbetter x3

LifeWasted21

did ed sing all of watchtower or did lee sing some?

jesush

LifeWasted21 wrote:

did ed sing all of watchtower or did lee sing some?

Ed sang it, but Lee shared Ed's mike for "two riders were approaching" refrain. It was badass. Right before they played it, Ed said something along the lines of, we're gonna play this song, and if I'm not mistaken, we're gonna play the shit out of it.

And they did.

jeffwalsh

Someone had the set list after the show waiting for Ed to come out, and Jeremy was on the encore set list, so they must have decided not to play it while onstage.

liesandsays

Anyone from last night going on Thursday?

I still can not believe they played Red Mosquito...all the shows I have seen and have never seen it live...it was amazing... AND TO SEE PRESENT TENSE TWO TIMES IN THREE NIGHTS... A RUSH

endo721

jammingecono wrote:

People up front, did you see just before PJ's set, security had to carry away a cup of piss? Someone near the front pissed in a cup, I think security gave him a talking to but I don't know if they removed him (assuming it's a him...it'd be pretty difficult otherwise).

Yeah, that happened twice between Sonic Youth and Pearl Jam. The security guards were less than amused. They talked to the section of the crowd where it came from, but everybody said it was passed up from further back. I'm pretty sure no one got kicked out.

That said, what a fantastic show. Great way to close out a weekend of SF shows. And All Along the Watchtower was amazing.

Pearl Jam fans are the greatest fans on the planet, so friendly, so much energy. I had such a great time. To all the people around me who's names I never knew, you were all awesome. To the girl with the scrapbook, hope you made it to the front!

Anon

endo721 wrote:

To all the people around me who's names I never knew, you were all awesome. To the girl with the scrapbook, hope you made it to the front!

I think I know who you are referencing.

The woman with the scrapbook was responsible for planning the CCFA fundraiser on Sat/Sun/Tue and she did make it to the front. I talked with her after the show as we waited to see if we could see the band come out. (I saw Boom, but missed Eddie who blew everyone a kiss and said thanks because I was helping carry a case of water that Satan's Dice bought for everyone while they waited). She saw Eddie, which was well deserved given the amount of time and energy she put into the fundraisers.

Like they did at other sites, the scrapbook was done by fans at the fundraisers -- they contributed donations to put in pictures, notes, etc.
Really cool stuff. I did a page in Minneapolis about passing the rock torch to my daughters -- especially my four year old who loves "the marker song" off the new album.

chiquimonkey

i'm *still* floating. what a GIFT those 3 shows were, and in my own backyard no less!! thank you PJ

liesandsays

Maybe I am spoiled.. but I eagerly waited all night thinking they would play it... it would have made the show one of my all time favorites... I thought on Saturday they would play...then Sunday and I figured it was a gimme last night... glad I saw it in Santa B...

Anon

This is a great write up -- my regards.

I'd find a place in the top 5 for me for "Why Go"... I missed Saturday's show, and hearing one of the most underrated songs from Ten was a personal highlight.

Not to gloss over Eddie's flawless acoustic pre-set (I still can hear him pound those strings), but the night was special from the moment of "Release". My new friends in the first row in the balcony (Mike's side) called it, and I couldn't have been happier.

Congrats on fatherhood -- it's a blessing and privilege and an opportunity to pass the torch to a new PJ generation...

LeftThePorch315 wrote:

MY TOP FIVE:

#5 Release
#4 Red Mosquito
#3 Watchtower
#2 Crazy Mary
#1 Evenflow

Pearl Jam: my amazing friends, Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I’d love to follow you on tour, but fatherhood beckons.

acutejam

I was disappointed that they sold out Sunday and Tuesday before releasing the Saturday night tickets. Messed up. C'mon given your druthers, wouldn't you rather party it up on a Saturday versus a Tuesday. Like I'm here at work Weds morning, no voice, eyes foggy, mouth dry, bleech, I'd rather be in bed!!!!

Maybe you all saw that coming, knew something, but I couldn't get the sunday tix and HAD to see them this year (last show was Sacto in 95 I guess, yeah THAT was a sic jeremy) especially as they've started playing Crazy Mary in the last few years.

So you see where this is going. Little dissappointed, little apprehensive after reading Sat/Sunday reviews ... and they go and drop that most freakin incredible romp of a jam on Crazy Mary! That was phenominal, just freaking phenominal -- Boom looked like a big freakin muppet back there -- he certainly isn't human!

After hearing so many messed up half-hearted attempts of Crazy Mary over the past few years, I really wanted to hear it ... and didn't. I needn't have worried, man they played the piss outta that one. Boom goes deep, Mike fades back, it's in the air! TOUCHDOWN!!!!

Really, all apprehension vanished when Ed walked out.

From the get go, preset I Am Mine was heavy, surprised he didn't snap some strings. Hoping they'd play Jeremy or Black on Tuesday -- but to open it with Release was perfect. Was thinking that might set the stage for a quieter, slower night (esp after Sat/Sun) but they cranked it right up. Everyone has favs and Mosquito, Light Years, Present Tense, State of Love and Trust are all in my list. Thank you!

Recovering from that fun first set, the somber Man of the Hour and I'm thinkin "OK here comes a few more quiet ones." Thought I was right as Crazy Mary started, but as posted, it just kept going and going and going, building and building and building. Oh my! Amazing.

(Noo way, Jeremy on the encore set list?!?! If I had to give that up for the Crazy Mary jam -- ok. Fair deal!)

Kept it rocking through Alive then back with Last Exit, State of Love and Trust, yeah, still kinda hoping for Black. But covers are special, the nod to the pantheon, the history, the legends, whatever. And while it's one of the "standard" covers, its interesting to hear how everyone treats it. I've seen dozens of bands do Watchtower, Dead, Hedges, U2, DMB, blues bands, folk bands, benefit supergroups -- it's a staple. I seem to recall seeing it on a few set lists, but do they really play it much at all?

No unique twist to their version ('cept the repeated two-riders verse), it was just classic, classic rock played forever and ever. Played well, played hard, and there's really nuthin left but to leave a shattered guitar behind and some bruises!

I gotta get the boot though to fully review the show -- I was having WAY too much fun to actually remember much!

Oh say does that star spangled bannner yet wave,
O'r the land of the free, and the home of the brave!