***Ed solo New York 1 8/4 Fanviews***

colorsblend

Rosewood wrote:

Hey, we were in Row KK 102 and 104 (Thank you Tenclub!). I felt bad for you two with all those people coming and going in your row all night.

The crowd was a mixed bag in our row - 2 hardcore PJ fans would not shut up talking comparing the show to the West Coast leg; and a bunch of dudes were doing the beer-bathroom shuffle up and down all night. What is it with people not sitting their butts down and just listening to the show they paid $80 to attend?

I was right in front of you in JJ seat 102. My friend was about to kill the guys next to you who wouldn't shut up!

I came to the show expecting to be let down and wishing that the whole band was there, but I was completely blown away! I had seen Ed do his solo set at the Vic and it honestly did nothing for it. Last night was completely different. Ed's voice was so powerful!! Can't wait for tonight!

smithnic

Heard the crowd was annoying... why the hell do people yell out requests. Ed is not a jukebox. He's proven time and again that if you yell it out, it ain't getting played...

meme

jonopono wrote:

Wow ... what an amazing show!
I put down the setlist as follows, but may have missed some songs early on. Please let me know if you have corrections!

Walking the Cow, Trouble, Around the Bend, I Am Mine, Dead Man Walking, I'm Open, Man of the Hour, Sometimes, Set Forth, No Ceiling, Guaranteed, Far Behind, Rise Up, Millworker, Soon Forget, Goodbye, [Used to Walk in Chicago], Walk Hard, Drifting, Hide Your Love Away, Porch

Encore 1:
Wishlist, Let My Love Open the Door (w/ sing along), Society (w/ Liam), Masters of War, No More, Arc

Encore 2:
Hard Sun (w/ Liam and EJ)

)

I'm pretty sure it is "I used to WORK in Chicago"

Last night was beautiful. An emotional night for me, without question. But emotional in a different way from a Pearl Jam show. It was very intimate. I had this thought at a point that the reason why I love to go to multiple shows of Ed and this band is that I just feel like friends are in town and I want to spend time with them. I am pretty sure this is not creepy. If I were to meet anyone from the band it would actually be a moment of distance, of realization that I, of course, do not KNOW them. And yet, through music, I feel like I do, and they know me.

Anyway, everything was stunningly beautiful. I had the urge to scream "that was beautiful, ed" after Wishlist, but I didn't. Everything was a highlight, look at the setlist! I was so happy to hear Sometimes for the first time. Of course, I cried during MOTH, although I think I made it all the way through to "he was guiding me, love, his own way" . Drifting was also a first I loved to hear, with its eternal truth: "it's not the world that's heavy, it's the things that you save". Let my love open the door was a great communal moment. Everyone, including me, was so happy to hear it .

The most meaningful moment for me was "Masters of War". I began my visceral attachment to the band in the aftermath of the 2004 election, when the only thing that provided relief after all the, ultimately unproductive, work in Ohio were those last verses: "and I hope that you die...and I'll stand o'er your grave". I must have listened to the Benaroya version hundreds of times. I was angry, so angry. I still am, it's all a huge mess, but to hear the song again 4 years later, with the sense that at least a chapter of the mess will soon be over, was... therapeutic for me . We are still alive (although many others are not).

Thanks ed. I will probably have to pass tonight, but that's just going to add to how special last night was.

Rosewood

colorsblend wrote:

I was right in front of you in JJ seat 102. My friend was about to kill the guys next to you who wouldn't shut up!

I came to the show expecting to be let down and wishing that the whole band was there, but I was completely blown away! I had seen Ed do his solo set at the Vic and it honestly did nothing for it. Last night was completely different. Ed's voice was so powerful!! Can't wait for tonight!

Yep, it was a wonderful night, even though Ed was still a little under the weather. I don't always love the acoustic setlists either, but last night was a great mix of intensities. His playing at the end of Millworker, and on Porch were especially impressive, plus the mandolin.

I'm jealous you get to go again. Have a great time and fingers crossed you get better seat neighbors tonight!

natureboy46

Tone wrote:

Just one thing... she's an Aussie, not a Kiwi (us antipodeans are rather particular about these things, lol) EJ Barnes is actually also from rock royalty... Australian rock royalty, her dad is Jimmy Barnes of Cold Chisel fame. He and Chisel are up there with AC/DC, Midnight Oil, INXS, Hunters etc. Actually, Australia can claim Liam Finn too cause he was born in Melbourne, lol.

hahaha - you beat me to it. Can't wait for tonight.

ms. goldenwords

SOLAT319 wrote:

what was the text message comment?

he was talking about drinking wine later after the show ... which led into him saying he has friends in ny and the tri-state area ... then said something about having "great" friends in nyc who send him text messages before his shows saying "don't suck tonight" and continued to sarcastically say he had such "supportive" friends ... sorry - i can't remember his words exactly ... but it was along those lines .. somebody else may remember more clearly than me

prrlJAM26

I believe ed was talking about his friends he has in NYC and in the tri-state area and wen on to say he has alota supportive friends " especially the kind that send a text message saying, see you later, hope you dont SUCK," hahah He then went on to give a bunch of sarcastic fist pumps illuding to how awesome his friends are.

I loved tonight, i had no idea what to expect, trouble slapped me in the face then right into I am mine with ed and that strum he has going for him. pure power and emotion. My favorites of the night had to be MOTH, Masters of War, Porch was wild but a couple others beat it, Far behind, The backround vocals to hard sun were awesome, pretty much everything. SOMETIMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i loved it all.

On an interacting experience. I was the prick that gor the "luke" (what i was yelling) wrong due to the fact i left my glasses at home (Didnt end up needing them 3rd row isle seats thank u 10c). But he answered me once in a lifetime chance for me and then i am happy to say and sorry if it bothered anyone in the 2 rows ahead of me but i made my way to the stage, got my right hand on Ed's sweaty ass forearms and felt like i just touched an angel or something. Such a special night from the music, to his addiction to pain meds , to his banter, to being so close, Im in awe and will be for awhile. Might have to go scalp some tix at NJPAC

No Fear Of Falling

Orchestra Row A

Trouble, Sometimes, Masters Of War, Around The Bend, Wishlist, Guaranteed... Phenominal.

Can't wait for tonight.

Touchofgray16

What a great night ! Hello to my new friends: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Kelly and Dave. Nate - the college student heading to Tampa. Nick and Kyle !

We all waited to see Ed before the show and was told by his security he would be going right in and didn't want us to think he blew us off. But that didn't happen. Ed came right over, shook hands with each and every one of us. And he didn't do it quick and in a "get it over with" way. He looked into our eyes and said, "Nice to meet you". Two little girls with their father were lucky to get his autograph, too.

Thanks to 10c I got row JJ seat #1, dead center on the aisle ! Liam Finn was awesome and shouldn't be missed. What can I say about Ed's show that hasn't already been said ? Maybe that I cried several times. Tears rolling down my face during "Man of the Hour"..."Arc". Singing along to "Let my Love Open the Door" was sweet. Ed referencing his "other boyfriends" was hysterical.

Still floating and ready for tonight.

digster

This'll be a little long, and hopefully people find it interesting.

First things first, GET THERE FOR LIAM FINN. Liam put on as strong a show as Eddie, in my honest opinion. That's not due to any weakness on Eddie's part, but due to Liam's strength as a performer, singer, and songwriter. If I had been more well-versed with his catalogue, I probably would have loved it even more. I've never seen such a positive reaction from an audience to an opening act; the audience gave them a long standing ovation. It was truly exciting to watch Liam and E.J., since it felt like they were doing something new and unique. I know people have used loop pedals in a similar manner before, but too often I've felt like they were using it as a gimmick or a way to get an audience. I didn't feel that way once; it was just Liam's method of creating his music, and it felt fresh, far fresher than if Liam had just gone up there with an acoustic. They blended the noise and pop elements of their set beautifully. I already had his album, and although I like it, Liam seems to thrive in a live environment. He said he's playing the Bowery Ballroom in September; I'm there, no doubt. I have a feeling he'll be filling the United Palace on his own in just a few years, and I can't wait until he has a catalogue as strong and varied as Eddie's. It's going to be great, and it's so nice to be in on the ground floor of a massive musical talent.

Anyways, about 8:45, the man himself seems to emerge from the crowd, very little fuss.

Walking the Cow- Very beautiful...this type of music is certainly where Eddie's voice shines right now; although he can't pull off the louder music as well, it's equally hard to imagine him hitting such deep notes so forcefully back in 1992. For most of the show, the crowd was much better than I thought it would be, after hearing the horror stories about Boston. However, Eddie was pleasantly surprised as well, saying we'd left "all the assholes in Boston."

Trouble- One of my favorite covers and Eddie sang it beautifully.

Around the Bend and I Am Mine- Great solo Eddie songs. This concert did give me a better impression of Eddie's guitar skills; I mean, you could tell he's a Pete Townshend fanatic. He's really not doing anything more than strumming very fast, but he does manage to build quite a racket for just one guitar. It was also around these songs that I realized I really want one of those stomp boxes for my own acoustic shows...I saw Bruce Springsteen play a solo show a few years back and he used it to even greater effect.

Dead Man- This is one of my favorite songs that Eddie does on his own, but of all the songs it's the one that didn't come off well to me. I think it's just due to the crowd and the venue; the song is so insular and so mournful that it's hard to really take it in, even when the screaming and song requests are not that bad. This is a hard song, I feel, to translate in concert.

I'm Open / Man of the Hour - The guitar Eddie uses on this sounds beautiful, and the sound at the venue was incredible as well. I remembered what I loved about it; the sound is never overpowering but it's loud enough that it'll drown out the screams and catcalls. Eddie's fingerpicking has become great as well.

Sometimes- Beautiful, eerie. I feel like I'm repeating myself, but I feel like the stomp box was used to its' best effect during this song.

Into The Wild songs - Although the setlist variety leaves alot to be desired if you're going to multiple shows, I left happy, considering I'm only going to one show this tour. It's clear that Eddie put alot of thought into the pacing of these shows, and it was a great idea to place the ITW songs altogether, since they really are of one piece. Although Setting Forth and No Ceiling might seem a little short and lightweight between two covers or PJ songs, when placed together it kind of becomes an ITW suite. For what it's worth, my girlfriend who attended the show with me was insane about Rise. She didn't really know any Eddie stuff, and this was the song that stuck with her.

Millworker- Wow. Wow. I think this was one of Eddie's best vocal performances of the night, and although I am not a massive James Taylor fan, this was probably the best song of the night (not performance, but in quality), besides Masters of War. Eddie's guitar sounded beautifully, and his voice just passed over the entire audience. The Who-ish jam at the end of it was cool, but it seemed really out of place with the rest of the song. I was also surprised to see the mass exodus from the crowd during this song, considering it was one of the best songs of the night, IMO.

Soon Forget / Goodbye- I'd love to hear that ukulele unreleased album that Eddie wrote one day. Of the two songs, I thought Goodbye was performed very well and it stuck with me; I was hoping for You're True, but alas.

Used to Work in Chicago / Walk Hard - Eddie's stand up portion of the evening.

Drifting, Hide Your Love Away, Porch- I group these songs together because Eddie was pretty smart and realized that as people drank more they were going to get more rambunctuous, so the end of the main set pretty much became a one-man hootenanny. People were singing along to these songs at the top of their lungs.

Wishlist- Performed pretty well. Although I love the song, it didn't really stick out to me.

Let My Love Open The Door - Spur of the moment and clearly unrehearsed, it continued the impromptu feeling of the end of the main set, and you could tell Eddie was having alot of fun with it. The singalong at the end was good.

Society- Liam back out...leading to the rest of the show, which in my opinion was highlight after highlight.

Masters of War- Maybe the best performed song of the night. The venom inherent in Eddie's voice during performances of this song is not difficult to hear. The whole audience was still; it was like the air had been sucked out of the venue. After this song, Eddie also explained his politics better than I have ever heard him do when he said that he sees what Tomas Young is going through, and as a friend it makes him "insane." It's hard to be angry at the Iraq war without a personal investment. It was like that for me as well; I was against the war in 2003, but it didn't hit me and I didn't get "insane" myself until both my cousin and good friend went to Iraq and my friend did not make it home. It filled me with murderous rage because along with the pain of that death is the realization that it is a meaningless death, that this beautiful young boy died in a war that never had to happen. I couldn't get his face out of my head when listening to this song. I gained a new appreciation for Dylan and how he captured the seething anger that comes with a meaningless war.

No More- I'm not a fan of this song at all, but I'll be the first to admit that it is hard to dislike it when seeing it in a concert; I forgot about the lyrics, which I don't think are that great, and just concentrated on the communication between performer and audience. I have to say, I love the vibe Eddie set up with this concert; it wasn't off-putting at all, and it really did feel like we were just hanging out in a living room with him. The concert felt much more intimate than the size of the venue would make me think.

Arc- At first I was disappointed, because Eddie took off his guitar and looked like he was exiting the stage, and I came into the show hoping to hear only one song; this one. Luckily, after making the rounds and bowing a few times he came back to his stool and pulled out a second microphone that I hadn't noticed was there the entire show. He began looping himself one after the other, building a symphony out of his voice. It gave me a similar thrilling feeling to the work Liam had done in the opening set. No one in the audience seemed to want to move, until Eddie started improvising and wailing at the conclusion of the song, which released the tension that had been building throughout the song. The concert was worth this song alone.

Hard Sun- At first I didn't know if they should come back out (although I know they always do), but Arc was such a striking and powerful ending I didn't see how they would top it. But they pulled out the drumkit and Eddie, E.J. and Liam all were back out for my favorite song on Into the Wild. It was such a different feeling from the rest of the night; if the rest of the night was relatively somber, this was an out and out celebration. The ending in particular struck me most of all; the three repeated the chorus over and over and over, building it louder and louder as the crowd sang it louder and louder. There was dancing in the aisles, and I could barely hear Eddie during the song due to the singing of the crowd. It felt like a revival, and it was great that the last two songs of the night were, IMO, the best.

jonopono

digster wrote:

Hard Sun- At first I didn't know if they should come back out (although I know they always do), but Arc was such a striking and powerful ending I didn't see how they would top it. But they pulled out the drumkit and Eddie, E.J. and Liam all were back out for my favorite song on Into the Wild. It was such a different feeling from the rest of the night; if the rest of the night was relatively somber, this was an out and out celebration. The ending in particular struck me most of all; the three repeated the chorus over and over and over, building it louder and louder as the crowd sang it louder and louder. There was dancing in the aisles, and I could barely hear Eddie during the song due to the singing of the crowd. It felt like a revival, and it was great that the last two songs of the night were, IMO, the best.

Great play-by-play! I would add that there was a great moment on Hard Sun. They did this song with a backing track, thanks to the help of Ed's new friend, "Tim the Taperecorder." Anyway, Eddie repeated the chorus an extra time instead of going into the last verse, while EJ started the last verse. A line or two in, Eddie heard the music and realized he messed up and turned around to motion "My bad!" to EJ and then just started cracking up as he gestured for the audience to sing along "40 days and 40 nights, and it's still coming down on me!" The whole place just erupted with arms and voices raised higher than at any other moment in show. Absolutely glorious.

ms. goldenwords

smithnic wrote:

Heard the crowd was annoying... why the hell do people yell out requests. Ed is not a jukebox. He's proven time and again that if you yell it out, it ain't getting played...

the crowd really wasn't so bad. although it really does bug me when people yell during the songs. i mean, isn't everyone there to listen to the music. ed did say last night that he was playing master of war because somebody in the crowd yelled/requested it. and he said something like ... even if only i and one other person here want to hear it, it's worth playing ... something along those lines...

meme

digster wrote:

it was a great idea to place the ITW songs altogether, since they really are of one piece. Although Setting Forth and No Ceiling might seem a little short and lightweight between two covers or PJ songs, when placed together it kind of becomes an ITW suite.

Thank you for your review. Very accurate and thoughtful. I love reading musicians' reviews . And I completely agree about the ITW songs grouping. I was really hoping for Long Nights.

Tone

natureboy46 wrote:

hahaha - you beat me to it. Can't wait for tonight.

Never call an Aussie a Kiwi! LOL

You'll have a blast tonight, last night was so awesome, I'm considering heading up there again tonight...


Also, the crowd really wasn't annoying at all, I thought they were very well behaved, but I know some people had different experiences to me. I like to think we were better behaved than the Massholes

Touchofgray16 wrote:

And he didn't do it quick and in a "get it over with" way. He looked into our eyes and said, "Nice to meet you".

I love how he does that, he seems very particular in looking everyone in the eye. I experienced that at the Body of War premiere at TIFF last year, he was heading off to dinner but stopped for autographs and a few pics but had to run off and he commented that he wanted to have eye contact with everyone first, which was really cool.

Cupofjoe

Awesome Show!! Can't Wait To See Whats In Store For Tonight. Seemed As If Ed Just Walked Off Stage As If It Was A Break In Between Sets...tonigh Should Be Stellar!

stickboy

singularity wrote:

all doubts i had about EV solo has been put to rest.

fucking awesome night.

let my love open the door was INSANE!

word word word WORD!
THANK YOU!
Good thing I just went up there to hang out and then go home

pj fans have a way of convincing me to sstic around...and sure enough I got blessed
thank you and love you guys!
FUCKIN AWESOME SHOW!!!
See yall tonite!!!!


digster nailed it for me...best review

jonopono

to Aussies and Kiwis the world over. On behalf of simple-minded provincial Americans everywhere, I regret my insensitive actions in confusing the origins of Ms. Eliza Jane Barnes. It will never happen again.

Original posting has been edited:

"Liam and EJ were even good sports when some dude shouted out "Flight of the Concords!" They agreed to adopt the personas of Liam's fellow New Zealanders (this was an even grander gesture by Ms. Barnes, who I'm told is Australian), but then quickly began arguing over which one of them is Jerome. Apparently Bret is not too popular with the Kiwis or the Aussies."

Tone

jonopono wrote:

to Aussies and Kiwis the world over. On behalf of simple-minded provincial Americans everywhere, I regret my insensitive actions in confusing the origins of Ms. Eliza Jane Barnes. It will never happen again.

Original posting has been edited:

"Liam and EJ were even good sports when some dude shouted out "Flight of the Concords!" They agreed to adopt the personas of Liam's fellow New Zealanders (this was an even grander gesture by Ms. Barnes, who I'm told is Australian), but then quickly began arguing over which one of them is Jerome. Apparently Bret is not too popular with the Kiwis or the Aussies."

LMAO! Awww, it's okay, apology accepted, we're used to it, but thanks LOL A more heinous crime is calling us English!

digster

jonopono wrote:

Great play-by-play! I would add that there was a great moment on Hard Sun. They did this song with a backing track, thanks to the help of Ed's new friend, "Tim the Taperecorder." Anyway, Eddie repeated the chorus an extra time instead of going into the last verse, while EJ started the last verse. A line or two in, Eddie heard the music and realized he messed up and turned around to motion "My bad!" to EJ and then just started cracking up as he gestured for the audience to sing along "40 days and 40 nights, and it's still coming down on me!" The whole place just erupted with arms and voices raised higher than at any other moment in show. Absolutely glorious.

I remember that part in particular; it's the part that reminded me of a revival. It's great how Eddie can work mistakes into powerful moments; his call to "help me" wasn't staged at all, but it came at the perfect moment, but he slightly stepped away from the microphone and an entire audience put their hands in the air and sang "forty days and forty nights, and it's still coming down on me!" Funny that the most powerful moment of Eddie's show started with a screwup.

pretext

First, as many have said, get there on time (7:30) for Liam Finn! I'm a total convert and plan on going to his show at the Bowery Ballroom in September (for a much more modest $15).

Second, I was fairly impressed with the staff at the venue. Security at the door busted me for trying to sneak a water bottle in, but they were cool about it. The ushers inside were very courteous, even when dealing with guys openly smoking and spilling beer. They also were generous with the programs, which are cool souvenirs in and of themselves. The bathroom attendants impressed too.

Third, only one merch booth near the door led to some insanity. Plus, it's cash only here. T-shirt sizes run small, so get one size bigger just to be safe.

Fourth, unlike most theatres, it's HOT inside. Those lovely pipes Ed noticed don't offer much A/C.

Finally, what really matters, Ed was on fire. I had my doubts he could translate the PJ energy solo, but I was proved wrong from the first note. My favs included I Am Mine, Millworker, Far Behind and Masters of War. I was really hoping to hear that last one. I think the show helped me appreciate Ed's musical talent and ability a lot more. I've always loved his voice and lyrics, but never paid much attention to his playing. truly impressive.

I don't know if he could hear the jackasses I sat near all the way in the back, but he was pretty tolerant of any crowd obnoxiousness. Don't get me wrong, I was happy to be in the venue, no matter the seating, but these idiots sitting up top spent far more time swilling beer and yelling to each other during songs. They didn't seem interested in Ed at all. In fact, they reminded me of the drunkass frat boys listening to DMB in the parking before the Hartford show. I guess you've gotta expect this at any show, but I wish the venue didn't allow one person to purchase 8 beers at a time.

Anyhow, I gotta thank Ed and PJ for making this a truly great summer of music. I'd never been to a show before Camden 2, and now I can't imagine missing any area performance. Each show was great in its own way, and the variety of set lists amazed me. Aside from Porch, I hadn't heard any of the PJ songs Ed played last night. I love this band.