"Those" moments

EnjoyBeing

I am lucky to have seen 7 shows this year.

I am a dummy for not connecting to PJ until 2014.

That said, all music lovers know that there are "those" moments at a show where it all connects. Where even if you are an usher at a show, you can't help but feel it. I've had it happen with several bands, especially Jerry Garcia (I think him and Ed have a shared spirit, but I digress).

I am thankful I had two of those moments this year:

1. Hampton - it's ok tag.
2. Wrigley 1 - masters of war because of McCready.

Thank you PJ and PJ fans for the love you share.

What are some of "those" moments you've felt at PJ (or other shows)?

Cheers.

R2D2

Fenway 1 most recently. Brought my step daughters 13 year old. I would play Long Road to him on my acoustic all the time when he was a baby. Never got it live until then and it meant everything to hear it the first time with him there.

2-feign-reluctance

2003 Kansas City Release
2009 Chicago Long Road
2011 PJ20 Release & MLB songs

Pearl34Jam

Release at Wrigley 1.

I got a little choked up since I had been dying to hear it live since my first show and finally got it. Definitely qualifies as one of "those" moments.

RiotZact

Release seems to be a common theme here, I'll add to it. Philly 2 this year, as awesome as hearing all of Ten was I couldn't help but feel the entire thing as one big countdown to Release, and it didn't disappoint, only time I've ever heard it in 8 shows.

Wma31394

1994 Chicago stadium release first song I heard live.

1994 Regal Theater porch dive right on me.

PJNB

Fatal in Worcester 2013
It's Ok in Quebec 2016
Present Tense/Inside Job TO 2 2016
Masters of War Fenway 1
Not For You/Modern Girl into Immortality Fenway 2

Bladamus Maximus

1995-Milwaukee-Act of Love
1996-Ft. Lauderdale-Black
1998-Chicago-Long Road AND Present Tense
2013-Wrigley-Hold On
2016-Wrigley Night 1-Release AND All the Way
Night 2- Rearviewmirror

mpedone

2nd Boston show in 2006, there's an amazing moment during Indifference; in the final verse, the crowd sings along, and I don't know if ed let it happen or not, but by the time he got to "fills this room", it was the entire crowd - Ed's voice literally filling the room. Maybe that happens in other venues (I'd not seen an actual indoor show to that point), but it was the first time I'd witnessed it.

shetellsherself

It was an amazing year of pj. So many of those moments. This tour only...

Greenville...LEASH!!! Immense. Porch was also extra special that night. Seeing Vs. played while I was immediately in front of Stone who seemed to be completely in his happy place. That was special.

Philly 1... LBC for Joshua. Then when education started I had a serious rush. Love that one and didn't expect it

Philly 2.... Do I need to even say it? Ten played in order then Breakerfall?? The moment just before they came on when the spot lights came together on the stage and then turned to the back to land on the PJ 10 flag. I knew it then. Lost my shit. That was one of those moments.

Msg1.... Such a rockin start and then release where you wouldn't expected it. Took my breath away

Msg2.... I was there with my 16yo daughter. For whatever reason small town hit me like a ton of bricks

Fenway 2... Nothing as it seems. Been wanting that one for awhile. Never would have said it might be played that early in the set. Again took my breath away. Also in hiding at Fenway.... Everyone was singing in my section. In unison with Ed the guy behind me and I nailed the hard "D" sound at the end of "it's all state of min-d". It was like everyone was just in synch with each other. So funny and thrilling at the same time!

Wrigley 1... MASTERS OF WAR. Maybe the single best musical performance I've ever seen I was front and center and witnessed Mike ripping his guitar apart and could feel the rage shaking out of EV. That was one of those moments I'll never forget. AND Inside Job! I've been hoping for it all tour. Missed it by 1 a couple of times. To have Steve Gleason introduce it was incredible. Tears again. Porch was also extra special that night oh and Evenflow too.

So many more actually. It was a great year and I'm so grateful I was able to do what I did.

Bentleyspop

For me it's anytime the following are played....

Release
Long Road
OK tag
Given to Fly

driowa

Release at PJ20

mpedone

Also, both times I've seen Breath. Fenway 2 was amazing, but I think I was in a little bit of shock when it started. I think my wife recognized it before I did, and nudged me. And, I think I scared the people sitting next to me in Mansfield in '03; I'd been hoping to hear it, and when Eddie said, "Take a deep..." and I knew it was coming. Still makes me smile 13 years later.

JH6056

My show that was almost 90% "those moments" was an '87 REM show, but since this is a PJ board...

Santa Cruz, the Catalyst, 1993: I actually never got in or got a ticket for most of the show, but this was my first concert PJ "those moments" because near the end they let a few more fans in and I got in just after Ed had just jumped from a balcony into the audience and it was elated chaos. Saw a few more songs then the show was over, but to walk in in the middle of that insane energy was unforgettable (even though mostly I was devastated to have missed the whole thing).

Camden 2, 1998: When Ed dedicated "Leaving Here" to me in the encore... long story, but the moral of that story is that a lot of good can come from yelling the word "chicken" in Ed's ear

MSG2, 1998: Breath! I knew 2 of the people who had printed, handed out, and organized the signs for the Breath campaign in NJ and then MSG1. So when the band came out at MSG2 and Ed cursed us out and talked about how the band "Gives and gives to you and you still want more? Well fuck you you fuckers, we're going to play it!" When I heard those words (or about those words - can't remember the exact quote), we all just lost it, most of MSG lost it and they went into it and it was euphoria!

Alive at Seattle 2, 2000 (1st and only time they played it after Roskilde - talk about emotional! People were sobbing everywhere!)

Probably for me the show with the most of "those moments" was Charlottesville '13. I have seen more than 50 PJ shows, and I have made a lot of passionate PJ fan friends. I have often seen them sobbing or so moved to emotion during shows, and I feel plenty of emotion, but I have never full on cried. Until C'ville. Something happened during RVM, I think sorta near the end of the 1st 1/3rd of the show (not checking setlist), but the whole energy of the show changed - both what the band put out, and what the audience gave back. Plus RVM is a favorite song, and something just shifted and it was ON! I was more manic than I've ever been (and I'm old, so, ya know, my knees hurt after this show! ), and then I just started to cry. I also only realized then that it was my 20 yr anniversary almost to the DAY of my 1st ever full PJ show. So then the emotions just went somewhere else completely.

And the rest of the show was like that. Was just writing in Ratmando's thread about how I had front row on the side seats (thanks to an amazing fellow 10Clubber who I got my ticket from!), and I spied this guy in a wheelchair in the seated floor behind GA, being harassed by security and told to go to his seat, and he couldn't see a thing. I got down to him and told him there was an extra seat next to us and asked how we could get him up to it. He said "no way, thank you, but no way for me to get there." Then I saw someone in PJ's security and pointed the guy out, asked if there was anything he could do. He went to the guy and ushered him and his friend into the GA pit, gave them wristbands, and the Pit fans parted like the Red Sea and the guy eventually ended up on the RAIL right in front of Mike and he got a lot of love from the band. And from the other fans around him and their fanviews, he cried up a storm. Felt SO GREAT to have been part of that!

Lots of other magic and amazingness, the setlist was off the charts (historically off the charts), and the energy was insane. I just got more and more emotional and had a crazy idea and was on a mission. This mission took me all along the front of the side section up to the stage, and once there I intended to go right back to my seats, but the guys standing there were like "Hey! We're rocking out! Rock out with us!" I was now so close to the stage that when Mike walked by playing and went into the audience, he was so close I literally could have fluffed up his hair he walked RIGHT by us. The 3rd encore had 4 of my most favorite live PJ songs (& covers) in them in 1 encore: Breath, SOLAT, Baba, and FULL LITTLE WING. I almost passed out by the time Mike went into full Little Wing, my fave Hendrix song and the best ending song ever. And I got a tambourine from Ed, who looked at me a little doubtfully at first but the guys next to me insisted "Throw it to her! Throw it to her!" so he did. And my friend in the wheelchair got a tamborine too, so we got to hug and bang tambourines when it was all over... and cry more.

And then after in the fanviews reading that someone in another section heard a girl say after the concert was over "I'm so glad they did "Teenage Wasteland", that's my favorite Pearl Jam song!"... Aaaaah... youth...

Yeah, so many of "those moments" in that show. Unforgettable. To have been a PJ fan for 20 yrs (then, 23 now) and to get blown that completely away by emotions and synergy 20 yrs in... hardly any bands can do that. PJ is one of the very few. Honored to still be a fan.

And yeah, Fenway 2 was pretty f'in spectacular too, and had some "those moments"

EnjoyBeing

shetellsherself said:

Wrigley 1 ...AND Inside Job! ...To have Steve Gleason introduce it was incredible. ...

Yes. Gelason's intro raises goosebumps. "How I feel is how I am and I feel fucking awesome." Of course, after that unforgettable intro, the band plays an excellent version of Inside Job.

gnaztee

I'd second both Alive at Seattle 2, 2000, Masters of War and Inside Job at Wrigley 1.

The whole show at Bogota was great because you could tell the crowd had been dying for the band for years and just going nuts for every note and every word Eddie said.

Perry Farrell coming on at ACL to play Mountain Song.

Finally, my first PJ show, 17 years old, Portland Meadows Race Track, 1993, opening for Neil. Every song was amazing to hear for the first time, first time crowd surfing, etc., etc.

Those of you that listed Breath, fuck you. Just kidding, it's my white whale and I'm jealous. I'll probably pee a little if I ever hear them start to play it. Had so hoped to hear it at Wrigley, but had doubts after they played it at Fenway and damn if I wasn't right.

ehbacon

Man Of The Hour at Wrigley 2, I was sent into a whole different universe during that song.