I saw Aerosmith and they showed the Living on the Edge video updated with a bunch of horrible politicians in it - don't think anyone mistook the band as supporting these damn authoritarians.
Anyway, the DTE video was a triumph. People who didn't care about Pearl Jam were asking me about it. I'm like, yeah this new Yield album is awesome. How about that Faithfull song!!! They're like - whatever that video rocks!
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila, PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
So we are just supposed to ignore what has/is happening because it might look bad. That's ridiculous. If someone is ignorant enough to look at one picture and form a whole opinion without doing any further investigation, then this band is definitely not for you.
It was great to see the video play on the screen for me personally.
During DTE, they play snippets of the original 1998 McFarlane video. There is some pretty powerful imagery in that video. And taken as a single still or picture with that imagery behind the band, it could look pretty bad and be taken out of context. There was literally a slave master whipping slaves, Nazi-esque imagery, and the KKK burning crosses. In the context of the video and understanding the concept, it's fine, I get it.
However, in this day and age, what do you think about it being blasted behind the band, when I can take a picture like this?
"Hey mom, this is the band I've seen 41 times"
Personally I think it is asking for trouble and think they should remove it from the live show. My 2 cents. Thoughts?
Just wait until they hear or read the lyrics out of context
Also I should mention a slightly shocking experience last night. Towards end of show Mike threw a pick into stands side stage. A single attendee jumped over three people i was at show with to try and grab the pick that landed at their feet. This person got blocked out from it, as my nephew got it who's 18. This older guy aggressively shoves him as a result. Security grabbed the guy before any of us could get involved, and escorted him out.
All I have to say is if a pick is that valuable to get that aggressive, this person needs to reassess priorities.
Both nights were special in different ways, but I felt night 2 just rocked a little harder.
On to Portland.
2011: Vancouver 2013: LA 1 & LA 2, Vancouver 2018: Seattle 1 & Seattle 2 2022: LA 1 & LA 2 2024: Vancouver 1 & Vancouver 2, Portland, Seattle 1 & Seattle 2
Overall, better set then N1 -despite the missing deep cut track in N2.... fantastic energy from the crowd. The crowds singing felt louder, could have been the song selection.
At the end of the day... N1 still gets the nod for better show. The same stuff in the same slots is a real mood killer. Felt like a tool show where I knew the whole set after the first 4 songs. Not a single plot twist Until Smile that was a different spot after Alive instead of before.
Overall, better set then N1 -despite the missing deep cut track in N2.... fantastic energy from the crowd. The crowds singing felt louder, could have been the song selection.
At the end of the day... N1 still gets the nod for better show. The same stuff in the same slots is a real mood killer. Felt like a tool show where I knew the whole set after the first 4 songs. Not a single plot twist Until Smile that was a different spot after Alive instead of before.
DM is so good though. Loving how they sound
Alone isn’t a deep cut or plot twist? Man, it was my 103rd PJ show and I was thrilled with the setlist. Alone is not only a deep cut but a brilliant song, I was fine with Down getting cut (I do not understand the love for Down or Undone), and In Hiding is a showmaker for me since it’s in my top 5 songs. Add Immoryality in the 3-hole and Quick Escape…I’ll take it! Agree that so many DM songs does kill the energy a bit and I just am not into Upper Hand yet. Stevie in that spot would have helped and I love Won’t Tell but that wouldn’t have helped the energy.
Overall, better set then N1 -despite the missing deep cut track in N2.... fantastic energy from the crowd. The crowds singing felt louder, could have been the song selection.
At the end of the day... N1 still gets the nod for better show. The same stuff in the same slots is a real mood killer. Felt like a tool show where I knew the whole set after the first 4 songs. Not a single plot twist Until Smile that was a different spot after Alive instead of before.
DM is so good though. Loving how they sound
Alone isn’t a deep cut or plot twist? Man, it was my 103rd PJ show and I was thrilled with the setlist. Alone is not only a deep cut but a brilliant song, I was fine with Down getting cut (I do not understand the love for Down or Undone), and In Hiding is a showmaker for me since it’s in my top 5 songs. Add Immoryality in the 3-hole and Quick Escape…I’ll take it! Agree that so many DM songs does kill the energy a bit and I just am not into Upper Hand yet. Stevie in that spot would have helped and I love Won’t Tell but that wouldn’t have helped the energy.
I suppose it is good reminder on that one. This is why a review from the airport isn't great 🤷♂️
Overall, better set then N1 -despite the missing deep cut track in N2.... fantastic energy from the crowd. The crowds singing felt louder, could have been the song selection.
At the end of the day... N1 still gets the nod for better show. The same stuff in the same slots is a real mood killer. Felt like a tool show where I knew the whole set after the first 4 songs. Not a single plot twist Until Smile that was a different spot after Alive instead of before.
DM is so good though. Loving how they sound
Alone isn’t a deep cut or plot twist? Man, it was my 103rd PJ show and I was thrilled with the setlist. Alone is not only a deep cut but a brilliant song, I was fine with Down getting cut (I do not understand the love for Down or Undone), and In Hiding is a showmaker for me since it’s in my top 5 songs. Add Immoryality in the 3-hole and Quick Escape…I’ll take it! Agree that so many DM songs does kill the energy a bit and I just am not into Upper Hand yet. Stevie in that spot would have helped and I love Won’t Tell but that wouldn’t have helped the energy.
I suppose it is good reminder on that one. This is why a review from the airport isn't great 🤷♂️
The first 4 had already made it a great show for me, then Quick Escape (I would also love to see Retro, DOTC, Seven O Clock, Superblood and Alright remain in the rotation) but Alone made N2 the winner over N1.
Overall, better set then N1 -despite the missing deep cut track in N2.... fantastic energy from the crowd. The crowds singing felt louder, could have been the song selection.
At the end of the day... N1 still gets the nod for better show. The same stuff in the same slots is a real mood killer. Felt like a tool show where I knew the whole set after the first 4 songs. Not a single plot twist Until Smile that was a different spot after Alive instead of before.
DM is so good though. Loving how they sound
Alone isn’t a deep cut or plot twist? Man, it was my 103rd PJ show and I was thrilled with the setlist. Alone is not only a deep cut but a brilliant song, I was fine with Down getting cut (I do not understand the love for Down or Undone), and In Hiding is a showmaker for me since it’s in my top 5 songs. Add Immoryality in the 3-hole and Quick Escape…I’ll take it! Agree that so many DM songs does kill the energy a bit and I just am not into Upper Hand yet. Stevie in that spot would have helped and I love Won’t Tell but that wouldn’t have helped the energy.
I suppose it is good reminder on that one. This is why a review from the airport isn't great 🤷♂️
The first 4 had already made it a great show for me, then Quick Escape (I would also love to see Retro, DOTC, Seven O Clock, Superblood and Alright remain in the rotation) but Alone made N2 the winner over N1.
In Hiding probably is a top-five song for me, too, and I think Immortality is my favorite live song, so, yeah, any show that has both of those songs is an awesome show for me.
All those who seek to destroy the liberties of a democratic nation ought to know that war is the surest and shortest means to accomplish it.
During DTE, they play snippets of the original 1998 McFarlane video. There is some pretty powerful imagery in that video. And taken as a single still or picture with that imagery behind the band, it could look pretty bad and be taken out of context. There was literally a slave master whipping slaves, Nazi-esque imagery, and the KKK burning crosses. In the context of the video and understanding the concept, it's fine, I get it.
However, in this day and age, what do you think about it being blasted behind the band, when I can take a picture like this?
"Hey mom, this is the band I've seen 41 times"
Personally I think it is asking for trouble and think they should remove it from the live show. My 2 cents. Thoughts?
Art should not be censored because there are people who cannot understand it or who will take it out of context. I had a good friend who was convinced that Nirvana's "Rape Me" was advocating rape because he was too obtuse to understand that the song was written from the perspective of a victim who is telling her attacker that he is going to burn in hell for all eternity for what he is doing to her. Should Kurt Cobain not have written that song because someone can quote the lyrics out of context and suggest that the victim was "asking for it"?
It should be clear to any thoughtful person that the narrator of "Do Your Evolution" is a satiric character that Ed is mocking for his hubris and sending up as a representative of a particular type of late-20th-century American. The visuals in the McFarlane video are ilustrating the horrors of history that occur when people have attitudes like that of the song's narrator. They're not aspirational; they're a warning. If someone wants to try to twist that to suggest that Pearl Jam or Todd McFarlane advocates burning crosses or corporal punishment, let them try and be laughed at for it.
During DTE, they play snippets of the original 1998 McFarlane video. There is some pretty powerful imagery in that video. And taken as a single still or picture with that imagery behind the band, it could look pretty bad and be taken out of context. There was literally a slave master whipping slaves, Nazi-esque imagery, and the KKK burning crosses. In the context of the video and understanding the concept, it's fine, I get it.
However, in this day and age, what do you think about it being blasted behind the band, when I can take a picture like this?
"Hey mom, this is the band I've seen 41 times"
Personally I think it is asking for trouble and think they should remove it from the live show. My 2 cents. Thoughts?
History is history. They aren’t glorifying the events, so imo there is nothing wrong with showing these images.
All I'm saying is I've been to over 600 concerts and not once have I seen slaves being whipped on stage prior to last night.
And obviously, it kinda bugged me and felt out of place. That's all. I still think they should perhaps not play those parts live. I grew up on McFarlane comics and LOVE Pearl Jam and I LOVE the DTE video, in fact I exclaimed at the first show, "oh cool they are gonna play the video, no way". But as mentioned, different visual snippets were used on both nights. First night was fine, second night had the more off putting stuff.
Thanks for your opinions! See you in Vegas and Seattle!
Van '98, Sea I+II '00, Sea '01, Sea II '02, Van '03, Gorge, Van, Cal, Edm '05, Bos I+II, Phi I+II, DC, SF II+III, Port, Gorge I+II '06, DC, NY I+II '08, Sea I+II, Van, Ridge , LA III+IV' 09, Indy '10, Cal, Van '11, Lond, Van, Sea '13, Memphis '14, RRHOF '17, Sea I+II '18, Van I+II, Vegas I+II '24
All I'm saying is I've been to over 600 concerts and not once have I seen slaves being whipped on stage prior to last night.
And obviously, it kinda bugged me and felt out of place. That's all. I still think they should perhaps not play those parts live. I grew up on McFarlane comics and LOVE Pearl Jam and I LOVE the DTE video, in fact I exclaimed at the first show, "oh cool they are gonna play the video, no way". But as mentioned, different visual snippets were used on both nights. First night was fine, second night had the more off putting stuff.
Thanks for your opinions! See you in Vegas and Seattle!
I thought I was going crazy. The first night, I thought they did snippets but didn't play the actual video. Night 2 they seemed to actually play the video.
I don't have a problem with. I love the video. Taken out of context it could be an issue. I think the whole point of the video is that it isn't supposed to be easy to watch. Not much good has come form the evolution of mankind
I think as a crowd we tend to turn all Pearl Jam songs into upbeat celebrations, so having the DTE video playing may seem a little jarring these days. But it’s a fantastic piece of animation that hammers the songs message home. Question is…do they do the Jeremy video too?
Don't forget to bring those pearls to clutch while Pearl Jam reminds you what these songs are actually about.
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila, PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
It’s funny I thought the sets were repetitive in a different way and shows that while they haven't played Vancouver as much as you think given history and proximity they always treat us to some gems. I'm not one to follow them around but always catch them when they are here going back to the late 90's at least but really only 5 or 6 shows in the past almost 25 years. So while during these last two shows it was only my second time seeing Betterman or Jeremy that matched how many times I've seen Chloe/Crown, Smile and a couple others that haven't been played as often since 2000 or so.
I put in for both nights for a better chance of sharing PJ for my 15 year old son's first true arena show. He's seen bands but nothing of seeing them with 20k+ other people. Got both nights and chose the opener. It didn’t disappoint as it was great to be the first to hear the new songs. The highlight was the Bobcaygeon tag in Daughter. Pearl Jam and The Hip are 1 and 2 for me so hearing that brought a tear after the first line. In the end it was a memorable night spent with my kid. He has enough songs ingrained in him from hearing them in the background over the years that we were able to sing and dance through the night. Caught him humming songs the next day.
Originally I had sold my N2 tickets but started to get Fomo Monday around noon. I was hesitant as I wasn’t overly keen on seeing a night of DM material again. I would have preferred they broke up that many songs over 2 nights for more variety, not for the standards but the LB era and the Gigaton songs haven’t been played here. Initially thought of getting a single but talked to my niece and nephew about getting my brother a ticket for Father’s Day. Been a while since we’ve seen a show together and he’s another PJ rookie. Got on TM around 3 and after a bit of refreshing managed row 10 on the side, an upgrade from my original floors. While there was DM repetition, they grew on me the second time and the mix of the other songs was stellar. Had an amazing night and for my bro not having seen N1 he was none the wiser on how many DM songs were played that night.
Ed’s talk at the start of the encore hit home. I was diagnosed with cancer last summer and while I’m on the right path it’s been a long road so seeing these shows with loved ones ticked another item off the bucket list. Walking out of the second show was bittersweet. Hyped to have seem them but also a feeling that I may never again. Same feeling I had after the last Hip show and the last Midnight Oil show a couple years ago even though albeit I know that was it for them.
So enjoy the gigs for what they are while we can. They are gifts in life that the band wraps in many different ways.
It’s funny I thought the sets were repetitive in a different way and shows that while they haven't played Vancouver as much as you think given history and proximity they always treat us to some gems. I'm not one to follow them around but always catch them when they are here going back to the late 90's at least but really only 5 or 6 shows in the past almost 25 years. So while during these last two shows it was only my second time seeing Betterman or Jeremy that matched how many times I've seen Chloe/Crown, Smile and a couple others that haven't been played as often since 2000 or so.
I put in for both nights for a better chance of sharing PJ for my 15 year old son's first true arena show. He's seen bands but nothing of seeing them with 20k+ other people. Got both nights and chose the opener. It didn’t disappoint as it was great to be the first to hear the new songs. The highlight was the Bobcaygeon tag in Daughter. Pearl Jam and The Hip are 1 and 2 for me so hearing that brought a tear after the first line. In the end it was a memorable night spent with my kid. He has enough songs ingrained in him from hearing them in the background over the years that we were able to sing and dance through the night. Caught him humming songs the next day.
Originally I had sold my N2 tickets but started to get Fomo Monday around noon. I was hesitant as I wasn’t overly keen on seeing a night of DM material again. I would have preferred they broke up that many songs over 2 nights for more variety, not for the standards but the LB era and the Gigaton songs haven’t been played here. Initially thought of getting a single but talked to my niece and nephew about getting my brother a ticket for Father’s Day. Been a while since we’ve seen a show together and he’s another PJ rookie. Got on TM around 3 and after a bit of refreshing managed row 10 on the side, an upgrade from my original floors. While there was DM repetition, they grew on me the second time and the mix of the other songs was stellar. Had an amazing night and for my bro not having seen N1 he was none the wiser on how many DM songs were played that night.
Ed’s talk at the start of the encore hit home. I was diagnosed with cancer last summer and while I’m on the right path it’s been a long road so seeing these shows with loved ones ticked another item off the bucket list. Walking out of the second show was bittersweet. Hyped to have seem them but also a feeling that I may never again. Same feeling I had after the last Hip show and the last Midnight Oil show a couple years ago even though albeit I know that was it for them.
So enjoy the gigs for what they are while we can. They are gifts in life that the band wraps in many different ways.
I loved reading this, thanks for sharing! At this point it is all a gift with this band and I'm so grateful for the journey they've taken me on for the last 33 years.
" Things were different then, all is different now "
Seattle 09-16-96, Vancouver 07-19-98, Seattle 11-05-00, Seattle 12-09-02, Vancouver 05-30-03, Vancouver 09-02-05, Gorge 07-23-06, Seattle 09-21-09, Seattle 09-22-09, Vancouver 09-25-09
It's the same reason I keep trying to see my favourite bands. They're getting older, I'm getting older. I'm hoping I'm still on the younger side of problems, but you never know. I envision one day I'll be older and going to see my favourite bands will no longer be an option, try to get out and appreciate them while I can.
I feel pretty lucky Pearl Jam turned out to be one of those bands that had legs (kept going for decades). Always try to catch a few shows when they tour this way. I hope they have another decade or two in them, but sometimes life has other plans, so get out and see them while you can.
Next up, Foo Fighters in Seattle in August.. woo!!
^Glad u mentioned that Z! Foos is now on my list of possibilities before potential Montana gig. Always nice to have something fun on the calendar to look forward to! Last year when Pipsqueak went to camp, I hit a campground so I wouldn't coop myself up all week in a dark room with TV!
For thread integrity: hope you loved show #2. I'm happy they have legs, too!
Thank you so much for the concert review - it’s one my son Ryan and I will never forget.
Looking forward to seeing you all again in Portland on Friday
"Run away my son. See it all. Oh see the world. ---- 1998 - Montreal 8/20 2003 - Montreal 6/29 2006 - Boston 5/24, Boston 5/25 2008 - Mansfield, MA 6/28 2009 - Toronto 8/21 2010 - Buffalo 5/10, Berlin, DE 6/30 2011 - East Troy, WI 9/3, East Troy, WI 9/4, Toronto 9/11, Toronto 9/12, Hamilton, ON 9/15 2013 - London, ON 7/16 2016 - Ottawa 5/8, Toronto 5/10, Toronto 5/12, Boston 8/7 2018 - London, UK 6/18, Milan, IT 6/22, Chicago 8/18, Chicago 8/20 2022 - Hamilton, ON 09/06, Toronto 09/08, Nashville 09/16 2023 - Chicago 09/07, Austin, TX 09/18, Austin, TX 09/19 EV Solo 2008 - Toronto 8/13 2011 - Detroit 6/26 TOTD 2016 - NYC 11/7
During DTE, they play snippets of the original 1998 McFarlane video. There is some pretty powerful imagery in that video. And taken as a single still or picture with that imagery behind the band, it could look pretty bad and be taken out of context. There was literally a slave master whipping slaves, Nazi-esque imagery, and the KKK burning crosses. In the context of the video and understanding the concept, it's fine, I get it.
However, in this day and age, what do you think about it being blasted behind the band, when I can take a picture like this?
"Hey mom, this is the band I've seen 41 times"
Personally I think it is asking for trouble and think they should remove it from the live show. My 2 cents. Thoughts?
Those people (if they’re out there) can fuck off. People need to toughen up and stop looking for things to be offended by. I would want to keep the video even more if somebody took it out of context and whined about it.
This one made me sweat, literally. More bouncing occurred for sure. I felt they played more "mainstream" songs but I loved them all - except Quick Escape. Took me a minute to figure out that they were throwing down a Gigaton song, but I can get down with that one. Hearing Nothingman was cathartic on a level above for sure. Betterman hits a lot differently now but still good. Also Got to Give needs to find it's way out from between the something special and setting sun, it was great. Solid 9/10 I can't pick between the two nights. Liked them both for different reasons. Bring on Portland!
Bonus points for no YL.
Post edited by northerndragon on
Anything you lose from being honest You never really had to begin with.
Sometimes it's not the song that makes you emotional it's the people and things that come to your mind when you hear it.
Finally had a chance to write up my review of N2. Surprise, surprise, it’s another long one. But for those of you who know me, you know I’m very long winded and just can’t help myself. So here goes:
After walking out of N1, I was pretty blown away. As someone who is stubborn as hell and doesn’t like change in general, I went into N1 somewhat skeptical of the new production, stage setup, etc. But in the end, I loved it. The visuals were much more elaborate than what I was used to from past shows, but I thought they really added to and enhanced the overall experience (when I was worried that the opposite would be the case). This was different, but in a good way. It was really nice and refreshing to see the band try—and succeed—at switching things up a bit after all these years. When I walked out of N1, I couldn’t have been happier. And I thought to myself there was no way the band could possibly one-up that on N2. And I was dead wrong. N2 is the clear winner for me, and here’s why:
I loved the spot that I had for N1 so much that I decided to go back to the same exact spot for N2- the crevice on the rail next to the bump out on mike’s side. I felt that I had the perfect view of both Ed and Mike from there. The band as a whole sounded a little bit tighter to me on N2 as compared to N1. Now that they had gotten the butterflies out on opening night, there were less mistakes, missed lyrics, etc. (e.g., red mosquito). Mike was a little more subdued than usual after his fall on N1 and wasn’t running and jumping around the stage quite as much as he normally does (I swear he must be the energizer bunny- I don’t know how he does it show after show). But his playing was as good as ever, and as usual, we were treated to one face melting solo after another. And the crowd by me was great once again, and seemed just as excited—if not more excited—to hear the new stuff as the old stuff. That was probably the best rail I have ever been a part of. The energy down there was off the charts all night, so kudos to you all!
Since I had already been through it once and had some time to process it, I actually enjoyed the production/visuals more on N2 than N1. And since I was able to focus on the visuals a little more on N2, I realized that the entire production is symbolic of the concept of dark matter. The show starts off with the stage encased in only shadows and silhouettes, which I think is a particularly cool effect. I think it works very well with the slower, more subdued opening songs, and is a very fitting way to ease us into the evening. Then as the show progresses, we are treated to more and more elaborate light displays, concluding with the entire arena being lit up by the end of the show. I think the progression from darkness to light creates a very cool immersive experience for the crowd. This is a very smartly designed production, and is unlike anything they’ve ever done before.
That opening 4-song sequence was one of the best—if not the best—openings I have ever seen PJ play. I heard 3 of my top 10 PJ songs of all time within the first 4 songs- long road, immortality, and in hiding. Suffice it to say I was over the moon. I could’ve left the show at that point and been perfectly happy. Also honorable mention to nothingman- I love that song as well, it’s just not in my top 10. Long road is a special song for me. It’s one that has helped get me through hard times in the past, and will always hold a special place in my heart. I was talking to my ticket buddy right before the show, and told him that if I could pick any opener for them to play, it would be long road. Amazingly, I had only heard it once before in my previous 32 shows. And then I see Ed walk out with that guitar, and BOOM, they launch right into long road. Hearing it for only the second time (and the first time in over a decade) was a very emotional experience for me. And the band being bathed in darkness only added to the experience. What a way to kick off the evening!
The crowd was great during nothingman, and the place got LOUD during the “into the sun” part. It was a pretty cathartic moment when the arena lights went on and 20,000 people shot their hands up into the air all at once. I completely lost my mind when I heard Ed start playing the opening chords of immortality. I could not believe they pulled that out so early in the show. And of course mike’s solo was incendiary as always. And then just when I thought things couldn’t possibly get any better, they went into in hiding, which is a top 5 song for me. I was shocked they busted this out so early in the show. I think this is one of their best live songs, and I’d be happy hearing it at every show. I love when they switch things up like this and bust out songs at a point in the show when you wouldn’t normally expect them to be played. Keeps us on our toes. What an absurd opening!
The dark matter songs sounded great once again. And I actually enjoyed them even more the second time around since I was able to focus on the visuals a little more. Although I’ve heard wishlist a million times, the song took on a new meaning for me two years ago when Ed dedicated it to my newborn daughter at an Earthlings show in NJ (and also gave me some well-deserved ridicule for attending a show with a 10-day-old at home). I wrote a fanview of the show back then, so I’m not going to recap it here, but I’m happy to fill in anyone who’s interested. So every time I hear that song now (and forever) I think of my daughter, and it’s a very emotional experience for me.
The trio of upper hand, got to give, and running was great. I was really hoping to hear got to give, and it did not disappoint. I thought it sounded great live, especially the build up during the latter part of the song. I was also hoping to hear waiting for Stevie to complete the album, but I’m sure I’ll hear it at some point on the second leg. Although I’ve heard Jeremy and better man a million times, the crowd ate it up and was very into them. While I used to not be thrilled about hearing the hits every show, over time I’ve come to realize the hits are the hits for a reason. Ed came out onto the bump out during the latter part of Jeremy, gave people high fives, and did the yell with the crowd. Everyone in the pit was jumping up and down like crazy during the chant- it was awesome! The pit was bopping again during the second half of better man. I turned around at one point and saw a sea of people throughout the arena all on their feet jumping up and down with their arms in the air. I wish I had taken a picture- just incredible!
Ed’s cover of Warren Zevon’s keep me in your heart was one of my favorite solo performances I’ve ever seen him do. It was simply beautiful. I shed some tears (again). I had seen him play it once before at the Apollo, when he came up to the front of the stage and played it unplugged while they were experiencing technical difficulties. That was a special moment. But seeing him play it in an arena in front of 20,000 people who were watching so quietly and intently that you could hear a pin drop was equally special. What a moment!
Going right into why go immediately after keep me in your heart was the perfect juxtaposition of subdued and energetic, and got the crowd going wild again. The energy in the pit continued to build during DTE and everyone was rocking out hard. Side note- I loved the way they incorporated the DTE music video into the visuals for the song. I hope they start doing similar things with some of the other older songs going forward.
And then literally out of nowhere, in the middle of the encore, they busted out into one of my favorite lost dogs deep cuts, alone. This was my favorite moment of the night. I was completely floored! Never in a million years did I expect them to pull this one out. And not only did they play it, but they killed it. The performance was so intense. And I can’t speak for the rest of the arena, but the pit lost its collective mind! The energy up there was amazing. And the energy continued to build during alive and baba, with everyone screaming and jumping around, and Ed tossing out tambos.
It was also great to hear smile as the penultimate song. This is my 4-year-old son’s favorite song, so it always gets to me and makes me emotional. And yes, I shed some more tears. And once again they wrapped up with setting sun, which I think is a phenomenal closer. It’s the perfect way to close out the evening on a meditative but high note. So in sum, throughout the evening I smiled, sang my heart out (apologies to those around me for having to listen to my terrible voice), laughed, cried, danced (again apologies to those around me for having to witness my horrible Mr. Roboto-like dance moves) and jumped for 2 1/2 hours straight. I certainly had some emotional moments where I teared up a bit, but for most of the evening, I had a beaming smile across my face from ear to ear. For those 2 1/2 hours, nothing else in the world mattered except for rocking out to the music that we all love. There’s nothing else quite like it. I also ended up getting picks from both Mike and Jeff (see the pick pics below).
What made this show extra special for me was that it was my friend’s (who was on the rail next to me) 100th show, and I was so happy the band gave her the recognition she deserved with a signed tambo from Ed, a setlist, and an armband from Jeff. It was amazing getting to witness it and I feel so fortunate and humbled to have been part of the experience. Also, I just want to say a sincere thank you to all of the amazing people I met and hung out with for hours and hours (actually more like days and days) on the GA line, on the merch line, and at the shows. You’re all wonderful and incredibly kind and generous people who I am now proud to call my good friends. For me, it’s as much about the community and camaraderie as it is about the music, and I had an absolute blast hanging out with and getting to know all of you wonderful people- you know who you are. Thank you for making this such an amazing and memorable experience for me. Can’t wait to see you all around the bend at some of the shows on leg two!
And last but certainly not least, thank you to the band! Thank you for coming out and playing so many songs off this amazing new record. I hope we showed you that we were just as excited to hear the new songs as you were to play them for the first time. And thank you for taking a risk and switching it up and trying something a little bit different with the stage production after all these years. In my opinion at least, the risk has paid off in droves. And thank you for continuing to play your hearts out night after night and putting on absolutely incredible live shows! It’s because of the amazing music that you’ve created and community that you’ve cultivated over the past 30+ years that we’re able to come together like this in a mass gathering to celebrate our shared love of you and live music in general. It’s a powerful thing. And Mike, you are a real champ for coming out and continuing to play like that at such a high level after your fall. I don’t know how you do it. Until next time. 🎸🤘
Comments
Anyway, the DTE video was a triumph. People who didn't care about Pearl Jam were asking me about it. I'm like, yeah this new Yield album is awesome. How about that Faithfull song!!! They're like - whatever that video rocks!
Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22;
Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
Long Road
Nothingman
Immortality
In Hiding
And the energy carried right on until the end.
Both nights were special in different ways, but I felt night 2 just rocked a little harder.
On to Portland.
2013: LA 1 & LA 2, Vancouver
2018: Seattle 1 & Seattle 2
2022: LA 1 & LA 2
2024: Vancouver 1 & Vancouver 2, Portland, Seattle 1 & Seattle 2
At the end of the day... N1 still gets the nod for better show. The same stuff in the same slots is a real mood killer. Felt like a tool show where I knew the whole set after the first 4 songs. Not a single plot twist Until Smile that was a different spot after Alive instead of before.
DM is so good though. Loving how they sound
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It should be clear to any thoughtful person that the narrator of "Do Your Evolution" is a satiric character that Ed is mocking for his hubris and sending up as a representative of a particular type of late-20th-century American. The visuals in the McFarlane video are ilustrating the horrors of history that occur when people have attitudes like that of the song's narrator. They're not aspirational; they're a warning. If someone wants to try to twist that to suggest that Pearl Jam or Todd McFarlane advocates burning crosses or corporal punishment, let them try and be laughed at for it.
And obviously, it kinda bugged me and felt out of place. That's all. I still think they should perhaps not play those parts live. I grew up on McFarlane comics and LOVE Pearl Jam and I LOVE the DTE video, in fact I exclaimed at the first show, "oh cool they are gonna play the video, no way". But as mentioned, different visual snippets were used on both nights. First night was fine, second night had the more off putting stuff.
Thanks for your opinions! See you in Vegas and Seattle!
Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22;
Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24
Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
It’s funny I thought the sets were repetitive in a different way and shows that while they haven't played Vancouver as much as you think given history and proximity they always treat us to some gems. I'm not one to follow them around but always catch them when they are here going back to the late 90's at least but really only 5 or 6 shows in the past almost 25 years. So while during these last two shows it was only my second time seeing Betterman or Jeremy that matched how many times I've seen Chloe/Crown, Smile and a couple others that haven't been played as often since 2000 or so.
I put in for both nights for a better chance of sharing PJ for my 15 year old son's first true arena show. He's seen bands but nothing of seeing them with 20k+ other people. Got both nights and chose the opener. It didn’t disappoint as it was great to be the first to hear the new songs. The highlight was the Bobcaygeon tag in Daughter. Pearl Jam and The Hip are 1 and 2 for me so hearing that brought a tear after the first line. In the end it was a memorable night spent with my kid. He has enough songs ingrained in him from hearing them in the background over the years that we were able to sing and dance through the night. Caught him humming songs the next day.
Originally I had sold my N2 tickets but started to get Fomo Monday around noon. I was hesitant as I wasn’t overly keen on seeing a night of DM material again. I would have preferred they broke up that many songs over 2 nights for more variety, not for the standards but the LB era and the Gigaton songs haven’t been played here. Initially thought of getting a single but talked to my niece and nephew about getting my brother a ticket for Father’s Day. Been a while since we’ve seen a show together and he’s another PJ rookie. Got on TM around 3 and after a bit of refreshing managed row 10 on the side, an upgrade from my original floors. While there was DM repetition, they grew on me the second time and the mix of the other songs was stellar. Had an amazing night and for my bro not having seen N1 he was none the wiser on how many DM songs were played that night.
Ed’s talk at the start of the encore hit home. I was diagnosed with cancer last summer and while I’m on the right path it’s been a long road so seeing these shows with loved ones ticked another item off the bucket list. Walking out of the second show was bittersweet. Hyped to have seem them but also a feeling that I may never again. Same feeling I had after the last Hip show and the last Midnight Oil show a couple years ago even though albeit I know that was it for them.
So enjoy the gigs for what they are while we can. They are gifts in life that the band wraps in many different ways.
At this point it is all a gift with this band and I'm so grateful for the journey they've taken me on for the last 33 years.
Seattle 09-16-96, Vancouver 07-19-98, Seattle 11-05-00, Seattle 12-09-02, Vancouver 05-30-03, Vancouver 09-02-05, Gorge 07-23-06, Seattle 09-21-09, Seattle 09-22-09, Vancouver 09-25-09
I feel pretty lucky Pearl Jam turned out to be one of those bands that had legs (kept going for decades). Always try to catch a few shows when they tour this way. I hope they have another decade or two in them, but sometimes life has other plans, so get out and see them while you can.
Next up, Foo Fighters in Seattle in August.. woo!!
For thread integrity: hope you loved show #2. I'm happy they have legs, too!
----
1998 - Montreal 8/20
2003 - Montreal 6/29
2006 - Boston 5/24, Boston 5/25
2008 - Mansfield, MA 6/28
2009 - Toronto 8/21
2010 - Buffalo 5/10, Berlin, DE 6/30
2011 - East Troy, WI 9/3, East Troy, WI 9/4, Toronto 9/11, Toronto 9/12, Hamilton, ON 9/15
2013 - London, ON 7/16
2016 - Ottawa 5/8, Toronto 5/10, Toronto 5/12, Boston 8/7
2018 - London, UK 6/18, Milan, IT 6/22, Chicago 8/18, Chicago 8/20
2022 - Hamilton, ON 09/06, Toronto 09/08, Nashville 09/16
2023 - Chicago 09/07, Austin, TX 09/18, Austin, TX 09/19
EV Solo
2008 - Toronto 8/13
2011 - Detroit 6/26
TOTD
2016 - NYC 11/7
Hearing Nothingman was cathartic on a level above for sure. Betterman hits a lot differently now but still good.
Also Got to Give needs to find it's way out from between the something special and setting sun, it was great.
Solid 9/10
I can't pick between the two nights. Liked them both for different reasons. Bring on Portland!
Bonus points for no YL.
You never really had to begin with.
Sometimes it's not the song that makes you emotional it's the people and things that come to your mind when you hear it.
I loved the spot that I had for N1 so much that I decided to go back to the same exact spot for N2- the crevice on the rail next to the bump out on mike’s side. I felt that I had the perfect view of both Ed and Mike from there. The band as a whole sounded a little bit tighter to me on N2 as compared to N1. Now that they had gotten the butterflies out on opening night, there were less mistakes, missed lyrics, etc. (e.g., red mosquito). Mike was a little more subdued than usual after his fall on N1 and wasn’t running and jumping around the stage quite as much as he normally does (I swear he must be the energizer bunny- I don’t know how he does it show after show). But his playing was as good as ever, and as usual, we were treated to one face melting solo after another. And the crowd by me was great once again, and seemed just as excited—if not more excited—to hear the new stuff as the old stuff. That was probably the best rail I have ever been a part of. The energy down there was off the charts all night, so kudos to you all!
part. It was a pretty cathartic moment when the arena lights went on and 20,000 people shot their hands up into the air all at once. I completely lost my mind when I heard Ed start playing the opening chords of immortality. I could not believe they pulled that out so early in the show. And of course mike’s solo was incendiary as always. And then just when I thought things couldn’t possibly get any better, they went into in hiding, which is a top 5 song for me. I was shocked they busted this out so early in the show. I think this is one of their best live songs, and I’d be happy hearing it at every show. I love when they switch things up like this and bust out songs at a point in the show when you wouldn’t normally expect them to be played. Keeps us on our toes. What an absurd opening!
The dark matter songs sounded great once again. And I actually enjoyed them even more the second time around since I was able to focus on the visuals a little more. Although I’ve heard wishlist a million times, the song took on a new meaning for me two years ago when Ed dedicated it to my newborn daughter at an Earthlings show in NJ (and also gave me some well-deserved ridicule for attending a show with a 10-day-old at home). I wrote a fanview of the show back then, so I’m not going to recap it here, but I’m happy to fill in anyone who’s interested. So every time I hear that song now (and forever) I think of my daughter, and it’s a very emotional experience for me.
Ed’s cover of Warren Zevon’s keep me in your heart was one of my favorite solo performances I’ve ever seen him do. It was simply beautiful. I shed some tears (again). I had seen him play it once before at the Apollo, when he came up to the front of the stage and played it unplugged while they were experiencing technical difficulties. That was a special moment. But seeing him play it in an arena in front of 20,000 people who were watching so quietly and intently that you could hear a pin drop was equally special. What a moment!
Going right into why go immediately after keep me in your heart was the perfect juxtaposition of subdued and energetic, and got the crowd going wild again. The energy in the pit continued to build during DTE and everyone was rocking out hard. Side note- I loved the way they incorporated the DTE music video into the visuals for the song. I hope they start doing similar things with some of the other older songs going forward.
And last but certainly not least, thank you to the band! Thank you for coming out and playing so many songs off this amazing new record. I hope we showed you that we were just as excited to hear the new songs as you were to play them for the first time. And thank you for taking a risk and switching it up and trying something a little bit different with the stage production after all these years. In my opinion at least, the risk has paid off in droves. And thank you for continuing to play your hearts out night after night and putting on absolutely incredible live shows! It’s because of the amazing music that you’ve created and community that you’ve cultivated over the past 30+ years that we’re able to come together like this in a mass gathering to celebrate our shared love of you and live music in general. It’s a powerful thing. And Mike, you are a real champ for coming out and continuing to play like that at such a high level after your fall. I don’t know how you do it. Until next time. 🎸🤘
astoria 06
albany 06
hartford 06
reading 06
barcelona 06
paris 06
wembley 07
dusseldorf 07
nijmegen 07
this song is meant to be called i got shit,itshould be called i got shit tickets-hartford 06 -