Couldn't agree more....Crazy...The songs that usually don't make me blink (Black, Breath, GTF), were on another planet...Was there to hear the new stuff...Have some great pics and memories from that night
There is a reason that N1 was loved by so many people. Count how many songs were after 1998 not including the new album.
The years you are mentioning all had those style of sets.
Great observation. N1 had ZERO post '98 songs, other than DM.
Even N2 had only 5.
So much for those who criticize sets heavy on albums 1-5 era. There are many top tier songs that came after that, but they are fewer in comparison, IMO.
The band needs to release this on video like they did missoula and seattle 18. I watched the stream and it was one of the modern era great nights of the band, from a distant spectator perspective
Tonight was perfection. The set was perfect, the crowd was sooooo loud and the band was off the charts. I’ve seen them 63 times live and this was one of the best shows I ve ever witnessed. Thank you for Long Road!!!!! So many highlights. Mosquito, brain of j, I won’t back down, rvm!!!! Wow. What an incredible night. See you Monday night! Do I go to Baltimore?!?!?
I too have to been to a lot of shows, never really kept track (but over 30). This show will go down as a flip flop of number 1 and 2 all-time best for me (flip flop with Friday night Spectrum show in '09). Right now, I'm leaning to Saturday as best ever. The double rainbow coming out of subway station was a sign something momentous was going to happen and it certainly did. We were in 200 level close to the stage and it provided a vantage point to see the crowd singing and rocking out the entire show. The band brought it, the crowd brought it and together that makes for a phenomenal experience. That show will stay with me for a LONG time.
I know I’m late here. But after a couple or a maybe a few hundred times seeing this band since…yeah… this show was up there at the top. The absolute vocal mastery straight from 1998 after stopping the show during Baba was the icing for me.
Took my girl to a couple this tour, bottlerock for example, and still felt like she hadn’t really seen the band. After the 9/7 rainbow show she gets it. This band is making new fans in 2024 and that’s all I have to say about that 🤙
I think you just captured/named a phrase that will live on in PJ history, the 9/7 Rainbow Show, it will be easily identifiable by the name itself, don't even have to mention Philly, it will be synonymous with Philly. Similar to someone mentioning the mosquito bites show, Hershey, PA. As soon as I hear mosquito bites, I know exactly what show that was. Of course, I was there to witness it but it is a memorable and often referenced part of PJ history. I LOVE IT.
Never heard this. Kind of surprising to hear from Eddie, especially the "shit on little girl's heads" part. And while I still love Eddie and find this as nothing more than a little disappointing comment that I'll forget about in 10 seconds, could you imagine if this happened today? The internet would be calling for his head, to be canceled, etc.
Never heard this. Kind of surprising to hear from Eddie, especially the "shit on little girl's heads" part. And while I still love Eddie and find this as nothing more than a little disappointing comment that I'll forget about in 10 seconds, could you imagine if this happened today? The internet would be calling for his head, to be canceled, etc.
Yeah I mean that's the point this moment is old enough to drink so..
Never heard this. Kind of surprising to hear from Eddie, especially the "shit on little girl's heads" part. And while I still love Eddie and find this as nothing more than a little disappointing comment that I'll forget about in 10 seconds, could you imagine if this happened today? The internet would be calling for his head, to be canceled, etc.
Taking the comment way too literal, he's basically saying grow the fuck up and respect yourself, until you do, no one else will while you behave like that. That's my interpretation anyway.
Yeah, but we live in a day and age where what one means doesn't often matter. The court of public opinion and internet warriors will push whatever agenda they feel.
After I had to back out of what turned out to be the 2016 ten show at the last minute because of a work conflict (a decision I will always deeply regret), I vowed that I would never miss a Philly show again. The Philly shows have been my favorite out of all the shows I have attended, both in terms of the setlists and the crowd energy. The band always brings it, and so does the crowd. And I’ve seen some pretty epic ones over the years, including N3 and N4 of the Spectrum in ‘09. And this one was up there with the best of them.
I think we all knew from the magical double rainbow that appeared over the arena right before the show that this one was going to be “something special.” I thought that both MSG shows were great. But I save the “special” designation for those few shows that truly blow me away, and that I think will go down as legendary in the annuals of PJ history. This was one of them.
This was my 36th show, and was one of the best I’ve ever seen. I still think it’s too soon for me to rank it, but suffice it to say it’s up there with my favorite shows I’ve ever seen (which include Spectrum N3 and N4 ‘09, MSG N2 ‘10, Hartford ‘13, and Fenway N2 ‘16). Yes the setlist was great, but that’s not the reason why. It was the crowd energy. The place was electric; it felt like the building was buzzing all night. And it was LOUD! The band was on fire all night long and was playing with a sense of purpose and intensity that I had rarely seen. And the crowd brought the energy to match it. The interaction between the band and the crowd was amazing to watch. There was a palpable energy between the band and the crowd, like nothing I’d ever seen before. It was almost like a ping pong match between the band and the crowd, with each of them constantly trying to one up the other’s energy. And that shared energy just got stronger and more intense throughout the night until the place literally exploded during the encore. Like I said before, I thought both MSG shows were great. But this one just blew them away.
I was very fortunate to have a great rail spot right off the bump on Mike’s side. This was by far the best, more energetic rail/pit I’ve ever been a part of. Everyone in the pit brought it that night from the moment the opening chords of long road rang out until the closing chords of indifference faded out, and it was an honor to be a part of. The entire pit was jumping and screaming nonstop throughout the entire show. I’ve never seen or experienced anything like it. The energy was indescribable. Every part of my body hurt the next day. And it was totally worth it.
Long road is one of those songs that will always hold a special place for me and is my favorite opener (tied with of the girl), so I couldn’t have picked a better way to start off the evening. Every time I hear it (this was only my third), it stirs up all sorts of emotions within me. The crowd was so loud that I pretty much lost my voice by the end of long road (which makes me appreciate how hard it must be for Ed to do this night after night). The fact that I lost my voice by the end of the first song of the night was a sign of things to come. And it only got better from there. I thought low light was the perfect choice to follow, and set the tone for the rest of the evening.
Then starting right when they went into why go, the crowd went apeshit and never turned back. I felt like I was jumping up and down nonstop for the next two hours straight. It’s now a week later, and my calves are still recovering. While I was waiting in the GA line earlier that day, I told a buddy of mine that if I could pick one song to hear that night, it would be brain of j. It’s my favorite of the hard-hitters/punk-inspired songs, and I hadn’t heard it since all the way back in ‘08. I thought there was no chance it would happen. Needless to say, when I heard the opening chords right after why go, I lost my damn mind! I thought I could not possibly rock out any harder than I did when they played sonic reducer—leash at MSG the previous show. But I proved myself wrong. Once again, I had completely sweat through my shirt by the end of the song. And I rocked out so hard that I got a stomach cramp by the end of it (that was a first for me lol). It was so intense getting to see it from such a close vantage, and they absolutely killed it! After hearing two of my all-time favorites—long road and brain of j—to start off the show, I honestly could’ve left at that point and been completely happy. But I’m really glad I didn’t cause it just got better from there.
In addition to the setlist (which I loved), one thing that set this show apart from the others was just how good the staples sounded. The band was dialed in all night long and it showed. Even songs that I’ve heard a million times—like GTF, even flow, and DTE—sounded better than ever. These were some of the best versions I’ve ever heard. They absolutely rocked the hell out of the hits, and the crowd ate it up. For instance, during GTF, the entire pit was jumping up and down for the whole song, and the ground was literally shaking beneath my feet. Then during even flow, Mike played one of the best solos I’ve ever seen him play. He totally shredded it! 🎸🤘
One of my favorite moments of the show was at one point pretty early on during the main set (I think maybe after GTF, but I can’t remember), Ed addressed the crowd and talked about just how incredible the crowd energy was and how loud the crowd was. Ed then pointed to the people on the rail and said something to the effect of, “I’m about to say something I’ve never said before. And if you don’t believe me, just ask the people who do this all the time,” and then proceeded to ask the sound technicians to turn up his sound because he couldn’t hear anything because he was being drowned out by the crowd. By this point, we all knew we were a part of something truly special. And it was amazing to hear that Ed recognized it and felt it too. This was a really special moment. To me, it was a recognition of the incredible power of live music and the hold that it has over us all; the incomparable feeling of collective joy that results when a large group of like-minded people get together for a few hours to sing their lungs out and celebrate their shared love of their favorite band. It’s cathartic and there’s nothing quite like it. A friend sent me a meme a couple of months ago that said, “A concert is really just a large group therapy session to help both the musicians and the audience stay a little more sane.” I think the way that the band and the crowd fed off of each other during this show was the perfect example of that.
I thought the first half of the show was awesome. But what really made the show stand out for me was the latter part of the main set. The MFC—red mosquito—won’t tell—black—breath—running—RVM run to end the set was amazing, and was one of the best I’ve ever seen. I thought the song selection and placement was perfect. I love MFC and had only heard it a couple of times before, so it was a real treat to hear it again. Red mosquito is another one of my favorites, and Mike’s solos during it were incendiary. Black was also a really special moment. Although I’ve heard it many times before, this was one of the best versions I’ve ever heard. Ed spent almost the entire song out on the edge of the bump interacting with the crowd, singing directly into our eyes from only a few feet away, pouring wine, and exchanging high fives. It was the most intimate version of the song I’ve ever heard. From my vantage on the rail, it felt like we were seeing the band in a small club instead of a 20,000 seat arena. It was incredible!
And next came one of my favorite moments of the night. When they went into breath, the pit (and it sounded like the entire arena) lost its collective mind. This might’ve been the loudest moment of the night. The place was already loud, but now it was just deafening. It took several days for my hearing to return to normal after the show, and I think this moment may have been why 🧏♂️🤣 During the second verse, Ed stepped out onto the bump and sang right into our faces. It was amazing seeing all of the “reaching hands” in the pit gesturing toward Ed, who was standing only a few feet away. My favorite part was seeing everyone’s arms outstretched in the air screaming out, “If I knew where it was I would take you there, but there’s much more than this.” It doesn’t get much better than this!
Then they kept the energy going by blasting right into running. I really liked that one from the moment I first heard it on the album, and I think it translates even better live. Everyone on the rail was rocking out really hard and it was a really intense, visceral performance. And going right into RVM was the perfect way to end the set. This was hands down the best, most energetic version of RVM I have ever heard. The band and crowd just blew the roof off the place. It felt like the entire pit was jumping up and down as one throughout the entire song. Mike’s solo during the middle was great, and the crowd energy during the end of the song was maybe the most intense I have ever experienced, with both Ed and the crowd belting out the lyrics at the top of their lungs back at each other. What an incredible way to end the set!
Then during the encore, we let a girl who was in the second row up on the rail with us so she could get to experience a few songs from the rail. During daughter, Ed grabbed a tambo, so I kept pointing at the girl and tried to get Ed’s attention so that he would give her the tambo. Eventually I was able to get Ed’s attention and he walked over to us and tossed the tambo to the girl. She was over the moon! It was great watching the expression on her face transform into a beaming smile. And there were high fives all around! 🙌
Last exit got the pit bopping again. That’s one that they have not been playing nearly enough lately, and I loved that they pulled it out in the middle of the encore. Once again, the place was LOUD with everyone screaming out, “Let my spirit pass” at the top of their lungs. And that was followed by maybe the best moment of the night—Chloe/crown, one of my favorite songs of all time. I’ve been fortunate to hear it a handful of times over the years, but that was by far the loudest I’ve ever heard the crowd sing along to it. Ed again came out onto the bump and sang right in front of us, and everyone in the pit belted out the lyrics right back at him. It was a surreal moment.
I loved that they then followed it up with SOLAT to complete the Singles trilogy (breath, SOLAT, Chloe/crown). It was the first time I’ve heard the Singles trilogy, and I believe it’s only been performed a few times ever. So awesome! And that was also the most intense, energized version of SOLAT I’ve ever heard. Both the band and crowd were on fire and were just on another level by this point.
I thought the show couldn’t possibly get any better by this point. But then I had my best moment of the entire show. The incredible energy that was set in motion during last exit—Chloe/crown—SOLAT continued into baba, with the entire pit jumping up and down and screaming out all of the lyrics. But then things suddenly came to a halt when Ed had to address a crowd incident involving a guy who was black out drunk and was barreling his way through the crowd toward the rail. I was joking with a friend of mine before the show that during every Philly show, you’re guaranteed to have at least one drunk bro who’s been pounding beers since noon try to shove his way through the crowd toward the rail during even flow. My prediction held true; I was just wrong about the song 🤣 But Ed handled the situation with tact and sent the guy on his way without further incident. Instead of putting a damper on an otherwise incredible evening, this momentary pause actually had the opposite effect—it actually increased the energy in the room to a fever pitch and led to the best, most intense moment of the night. For those of you who were there at MSG ‘22, it was reminiscent of what happened after Ed momentarily paused Porch to address a crowd incident. When Ed went back into the song and screamed out, “I don’t need to be forgiven,” the place just exploded! The pit was rocking out harder than it had all night, with everyone jumping around like crazy and screaming at the top of their lungs. The energy down there was out of this world! Ed was jumping up and down and smashing tambos together. Then a few seconds later, as I was jumping up and down and rocking out harder than I ever had before in my entire life, Ed started walking over to me with a tambo. He walked right over to me and was looking straight at me but I thought to myself, “Is he really going to give me a tambo? There must be a kid standing right behind me.” So I started looking around to my left and my right to see if there were any kids around, but then Ed pointed right at me and tossed me a tambo. I couldn’t believe it! (in fact, I still can’t believe it) In the moment, I was thinking, “Is this real? Did that really just happen?” It was such a surreal moment; it really felt like a dream. And then I got to spend the rest of baba banging along to the song on the tambo. I can’t really put into words what I was feeling at that moment. But suffice it to say it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will cherish forever ❤️
And then ending with indifference was the perfect way to close out such a surreal, emotional night. It was really cool getting to tap along to the beat on my tambo. Ed spent almost the entire song out on the bump staring and singing directly into our eyes, exchanging more high fives and fist bumps, and saying his goodbyes. I could not have possibly imagined a more fitting ending to such an intense, energetic, LOUD show than by hearing the entire crowd scream out as one, “I will scream my lungs out till it fills this room” louder than I ever have before. That was clearly the theme of the night. A perfect capper to a truly magical evening!
So in conclusion, the lesson here is NEVER MISS A PHILLY SHOW!!! This was one of the best shows that I have ever—and likely will ever—attend in my life. I will be forever grateful that I got to experience and be a part of it. And a sincere thank you to everyone else who attended the show and made it such a special, energetic evening. You all really brought it all night long, and made it a night that I and many others will never forget. 🎸🤘 In addition to the tambo, I got picks from Mike and Jeff. See below for photos of the tambo and picks:
After I had to back out of what turned out to be the 2016 ten show at the last minute because of a work conflict (a decision I will always deeply regret), I vowed that I would never miss a Philly show again. The Philly shows have been my favorite out of all the shows I have attended, both in terms of the setlists and the crowd energy. The band always brings it, and so does the crowd. And I’ve seen some pretty epic ones over the years, including N3 and N4 of the Spectrum in ‘09. And this one was up there with the best of them.
I think we all knew from the magical double rainbow that appeared over the arena right before the show that this one was going to be “something special.” I thought that both MSG shows were great. But I save the “special” designation for those few shows that truly blow me away, and that I think will go down as legendary in the annuals of PJ history. This was one of them.
This was my 36th show, and was one of the best I’ve ever seen. I still think it’s too soon for me to rank it, but suffice it to say it’s up there with my favorite shows I’ve ever seen (which include Spectrum N3 and N4 ‘09, MSG N2 ‘10, Hartford ‘13, and Fenway N2 ‘16). Yes the setlist was great, but that’s not the reason why. It was the crowd energy. The place was electric; it felt like the building was buzzing all night. And it was LOUD! The band was on fire all night long and was playing with a sense of purpose and intensity that I had rarely seen. And the crowd brought the energy to match it. The interaction between the band and the crowd was amazing to watch. There was a palpable energy between the band and the crowd, like nothing I’d ever seen before. It was almost like a ping pong match between the band and the crowd, with each of them constantly trying to one up the other’s energy. And that shared energy just got stronger and more intense throughout the night until the place literally exploded during the encore. Like I said before, I thought both MSG shows were great. But this one just blew them away.
I was very fortunate to have a great rail spot right off the bump on Mike’s side. This was by far the best, more energetic rail/pit I’ve ever been a part of. Everyone in the pit brought it that night from the moment the opening chords of long road rang out until the closing chords of indifference faded out, and it was an honor to be a part of. The entire pit was jumping and screaming nonstop throughout the entire show. I’ve never seen or experienced anything like it. The energy was indescribable. Every part of my body hurt the next day. And it was totally worth it.
Long road is one of those songs that will always hold a special place for me and is my favorite opener (tied with of the girl), so I couldn’t have picked a better way to start off the evening. Every time I hear it (this was only my third), it stirs up all sorts of emotions within me. The crowd was so loud that I pretty much lost my voice by the end of long road (which makes me appreciate how hard it must be for Ed to do this night after night). The fact that I lost my voice by the end of the first song of the night was a sign of things to come. And it only got better from there. I thought low light was the perfect choice to follow, and set the tone for the rest of the evening.
Then starting right when they went into why go, the crowd went apeshit and never turned back. I felt like I was jumping up and down nonstop for the next two hours straight. It’s now a week later, and my calves are still recovering. While I was waiting in the GA line earlier that day, I told a buddy of mine that if I could pick one song to hear that night, it would be brain of j. It’s my favorite of the hard-hitters/punk-inspired songs, and I hadn’t heard it since all the way back in ‘08. I thought there was no chance it would happen. Needless to say, when I heard the opening chords right after why go, I lost my damn mind! I thought I could not possibly rock out any harder than I did when they played sonic reducer—leash at MSG the previous show. But I proved myself wrong. Once again, I had completely sweat through my shirt by the end of the song. And I rocked out so hard that I got a stomach cramp by the end of it (that was a first for me lol). It was so intense getting to see it from such a close vantage, and they absolutely killed it! After hearing two of my all-time favorites—long road and brain of j—to start off the show, I honestly could’ve left at that point and been completely happy. But I’m really glad I didn’t cause it just got better from there.
In addition to the setlist (which I loved), one thing that set this show apart from the others was just how good the staples sounded. The band was dialed in all night long and it showed. Even songs that I’ve heard a million times—like GTF, even flow, and DTE—sounded better than ever. These were some of the best versions I’ve ever heard. They absolutely rocked the hell out of the hits, and the crowd ate it up. For instance, during GTF, the entire pit was jumping up and down for the whole song, and the ground was literally shaking beneath my feet. Then during even flow, Mike played one of the best solos I’ve ever seen him play. He totally shredded it! 🎸🤘
One of my favorite moments of the show was at one point pretty early on during the main set (I think maybe after GTF, but I can’t remember), Ed addressed the crowd and talked about just how incredible the crowd energy was and how loud the crowd was. Ed then pointed to the people on the rail and said something to the effect of, “I’m about to say something I’ve never said before. And if you don’t believe me, just ask the people who do this all the time,” and then proceeded to ask the sound technicians to turn up his sound because he couldn’t hear anything because he was being drowned out by the crowd. By this point, we all knew we were a part of something truly special. And it was amazing to hear that Ed recognized it and felt it too. This was a really special moment. To me, it was a recognition of the incredible power of live music and the hold that it has over us all; the incomparable feeling of collective joy that results when a large group of like-minded people get together for a few hours to sing their lungs out and celebrate their shared love of their favorite band. It’s cathartic and there’s nothing quite like it. A friend sent me a meme a couple of months ago that said, “A concert is really just a large group therapy session to help both the musicians and the audience stay a little more sane.” I think the way that the band and the crowd fed off of each other during this show was the perfect example of that.
I thought the first half of the show was awesome. But what really made the show stand out for me was the latter part of the main set. The MFC—red mosquito—won’t tell—black—breath—running—RVM run to end the set was amazing, and was one of the best I’ve ever seen. I thought the song selection and placement was perfect. I love MFC and had only heard it a couple of times before, so it was a real treat to hear it again. Red mosquito is another one of my favorites, and Mike’s solos during it were incendiary. Black was also a really special moment. Although I’ve heard it many times before, this was one of the best versions I’ve ever heard. Ed spent almost the entire song out on the edge of the bump interacting with the crowd, singing directly into our eyes from only a few feet away, pouring wine, and exchanging high fives. It was the most intimate version of the song I’ve ever heard. From my vantage on the rail, it felt like we were seeing the band in a small club instead of a 20,000 seat arena. It was incredible!
And next came one of my favorite moments of the night. When they went into breath, the pit (and it sounded like the entire arena) lost its collective mind. This might’ve been the loudest moment of the night. The place was already loud, but now it was just deafening. It took several days for my hearing to return to normal after the show, and I think this moment may have been why 🧏♂️🤣 During the second verse, Ed stepped out onto the bump and sang right into our faces. It was amazing seeing all of the “reaching hands” in the pit gesturing toward Ed, who was standing only a few feet away. My favorite part was seeing everyone’s arms outstretched in the air screaming out, “If I knew where it was I would take you there, but there’s much more than this.” It doesn’t get much better than this!
Then they kept the energy going by blasting right into running. I really liked that one from the moment I first heard it on the album, and I think it translates even better live. Everyone on the rail was rocking out really hard and it was a really intense, visceral performance. And going right into RVM was the perfect way to end the set. This was hands down the best, most energetic version of RVM I have ever heard. The band and crowd just blew the roof off the place. It felt like the entire pit was jumping up and down as one throughout the entire song. Mike’s solo during the middle was great, and the crowd energy during the end of the song was maybe the most intense I have ever experienced, with both Ed and the crowd belting out the lyrics at the top of their lungs back at each other. What an incredible way to end the set!
Then during the encore, we let a girl who was in the second row up on the rail with us so she could get to experience a few songs from the rail. During daughter, Ed grabbed a tambo, so I kept pointing at the girl and tried to get Ed’s attention so that he would give her the tambo. Eventually I was able to get Ed’s attention and he walked over to us and tossed the tambo to the girl. She was over the moon! It was great watching the expression on her face transform into a beaming smile. And there were high fives all around! 🙌
Last exit got the pit bopping again. That’s one that they have not been playing nearly enough lately, and I loved that they pulled it out in the middle of the encore. Once again, the place was LOUD with everyone screaming out, “Let my spirit pass” at the top of their lungs. And that was followed by maybe the best moment of the night—Chloe/crown, one of my favorite songs of all time. I’ve been fortunate to hear it a handful of times over the years, but that was by far the loudest I’ve ever heard the crowd sing along to it. Ed again came out onto the bump and sang right in front of us, and everyone in the pit belted out the lyrics right back at him. It was a surreal moment.
I loved that they then followed it up with SOLAT to complete the Singles trilogy (breath, SOLAT, Chloe/crown). It was the first time I’ve heard the Singles trilogy, and I believe it’s only been performed a few times ever. So awesome! And that was also the most intense, energized version of SOLAT I’ve ever heard. Both the band and crowd were on fire and were just on another level by this point.
I thought the show couldn’t possibly get any better by this point. But then I had my best moment of the entire show. The incredible energy that was set in motion during last exit—Chloe/crown—SOLAT continued into baba, with the entire pit jumping up and down and screaming out all of the lyrics. But then things suddenly came to a halt when Ed had to address a crowd incident involving a guy who was black out drunk and was barreling his way through the crowd toward the rail. I was joking with a friend of mine before the show that during every Philly show, you’re guaranteed to have at least one drunk bro who’s been pounding beers since noon try to shove his way through the crowd toward the rail during even flow. My prediction held true; I was just wrong about the song 🤣 But Ed handled the situation with tact and sent the guy on his way without further incident. Instead of putting a damper on an otherwise incredible evening, this momentary pause actually had the opposite effect—it actually increased the energy in the room to a fever pitch and led to the best, most intense moment of the night. For those of you who were there at MSG ‘22, it was reminiscent of what happened after Ed momentarily paused Porch to address a crowd incident. When Ed went back into the song and screamed out, “I don’t need to be forgiven,” the place just exploded! The pit was rocking out harder than it had all night, with everyone jumping around like crazy and screaming at the top of their lungs. The energy down there was out of this world! Ed was jumping up and down and smashing tambos together. Then a few seconds later, as I was jumping up and down and rocking out harder than I ever had before in my entire life, Ed started walking over to me with a tambo. He walked right over to me and was looking straight at me but I thought to myself, “Is he really going to give me a tambo? There must be a kid standing right behind me.” So I started looking around to my left and my right to see if there were any kids around, but then Ed pointed right at me and tossed me a tambo. I couldn’t believe it! (in fact, I still can’t believe it) In the moment, I was thinking, “Is this real? Did that really just happen?” It was such a surreal moment; it really felt like a dream. And then I got to spend the rest of baba banging along to the song on the tambo. I can’t really put into words what I was feeling at that moment. But suffice it to say it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will cherish forever ❤️
And then ending with indifference was the perfect way to close out such a surreal, emotional night. It was really cool getting to tap along to the beat on my tambo. Ed spent almost the entire song out on the bump staring and singing directly into our eyes, exchanging more high fives and fist bumps, and saying his goodbyes. I could not have possibly imagined a more fitting ending to such an intense, energetic, LOUD show than by hearing the entire crowd scream out as one, “I will scream my lungs out till it fills this room” louder than I ever have before. That was clearly the theme of the night. A perfect capper to a truly magical evening!
So in conclusion, the lesson here is NEVER MISS A PHILLY SHOW!!! This was one of the best shows that I have ever—and likely will ever—attend in my life. I will be forever grateful that I got to experience and be a part of it. And a sincere thank you to everyone else who attended the show and made it such a special, energetic evening. You all really brought it all night long, and made it a night that I and many others will never forget. 🎸🤘 In addition to the tambo, I got picks from Mike and Jeff. See below for photos of the tambo and picks:
Out of the seven Philadelphia shows I've been to, this is up there with Oct. 30, 2009 at the Spectrum.
Reading 2004
Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
Chicago 2007
Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016 Fenway 2, 2018 MSG 2022 St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023 MSG 2024, MSG 2024 Philadelphia 2024
"I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
Things happen in the game. Nothing you
can do. I don't go and say,
"I'm gonna beat this guy up."
Curious to see how others who've seen a lot of the great Philly shows would stack this one up head to head with the others. Very high bar to make the Mt. Rushmore of Philly shows.
Here's mine:
1. 4/29/16 Wells Fargo. The Ten Show. My most-listened to bootleg. Hard to ever top this one for me. They played the album start to finish that got me into the band 30+ years ago. There was a little bit of a second take in the crowd when they opened with Once for the second night in a row. Once they got to Alive, everyone was like "holy sh*t! they're actually playing Ten start to finish." Experiencing that in real time was incredible. Best version of Release I've ever heard with emotional speech by EV right before. Whenever I listen to the bootleg there's so many "damn, forgot they played this song too" moments. Bee Girl. Comfortably Numb. The Willie Nelson style (briefly) Just Breathe. Great moody All or None. RVM. Leash. Throw Your Hatred Down. Sonic Reducer (this song has a very high hit rate of appearing in great shows).
Next 3 kind of rotate for the #2 spot depending on what kind of songs I want to hear. All very close and can make an argument for any rank order between them. For here I'll lean a little more 10/3/05 > 10/30/09 >10/31/09.
2. 10/3/05 Wells Fargo. No album to promote so very diverse set list. I actually didn't get in the show until about the 6th song and at the time I still felt it was the best show I've seen. So many great B-sides/Lost Dogs/rarities. Wash opener. Sad. Alone. Hard to Imagine. Crown of Thorns. Crazy Mary. Thrown in the "man" trilogy and the Blood/Bleed for Me dyad. Little Sister. Sonic Reducer. This used to be my most listened to bootleg prior to 4/29/16
3. 10/30/09 Spectrum. Just a really solid set start to finish. Great energy in the building. Very strong first set with no duds. Best version of In Hiding I've ever heard. Hold On bust out. Didn't really play greatest hits songs like we get now, but a lot of very good 2nd-4th best songs off the albums up through Backspacer. Breath in encore 1. Mamasan triology in encore 2. Another Sonic Reducer.
4. 10/31/09 Spectrum. Longest show ever. Some incredible bust outs. Sweet Lew. Bugs. Pilate. Out of My Mind. Low Light (at the time). Whip it as Devo. Throw in Satan's Bed and Crown of Thorns. Great to listen to for the rarities but in real time set felt a little more disjointed. In the room there was a little bit of an energy suck later in the show as the Phillies were losing in the World Series game to the Yankees across the street. I think there was also a little bit of an unrealistic expectation in the room for special guests to show up (ie Bruce Springsteen) for the last ever Spectrum show. When they didn't happen that also ended up being a bit of a let down.
5. 9/7/24 Wells Fargo. Tough bar to clear with the above shows. And maybe a little unfair with the shorter setlists we've been getting the last few years with band getting older. Incredible energy in the building. One of the best Pearl Jam crowds I've been a part of. May go down as the best show of 2024 when all is said and done. Great set for a 2022-2024 tour. No duds. Long Road into Low Light opener. Nailed the encore with Won't Back Down. Breath. Chloe/Crown. Hit a lot of slightly deeper cuts compared to other more recent shows. This one has potential to get into that #2-#4 tier above with some relistens once the bootleg comes out. Overall as good as it gets for current era Pearl Jam.
6. 4/28/03 Spectrum. I still think Spring/Summer '03 was peak touring Pearl Jam. This was in run leading up to the State College show where they were stretching out the length of the shows. Band really seemed to appreciate the experience of playing the Spectrum for their first time (which led to the 4-show '09 run to close it out). Best version of Better Man I've heard. Fortunate Son and Hide Your Love Away were the rarities. Even though set list otherwise fairly standard for the era, they were on fire.
Rest of the Spectrum/Wells Fargo shows mostly blend together, but the six above pretty special.
"Never miss a Philly show!"
TFC '97, TFC '98, Pittsburgh '98, Camden I,II '98, Camden I,II '00, Pittsburgh '00, Philly '03, Camden I,II '03, MSG I,II '03, Hershey '03, Reading '04, Philly '05, Camden I,II '06, Meadowlands I '06, Camden I,II '08, DC '08, Spectrum I,II,III,IV '09, Made in America '12, Philly I,II '13, GCF '15, Philly I,II '16, MSG I '16, Apollo ‘22, MSG ‘22, Camden ‘22, MSG I,II '24, Philly I,II '24
Yeah, but we live in a day and age where what one means doesn't often matter. The court of public opinion and internet warriors will push whatever agenda they feel.
I understand where you're coming from. Sad, but have to agree.
A little late to the party, but...I'm almost ready to say that this is the best concert I've seen, let alone the best Pearl Jam concert. It was the kind of show that made me want to walk out of the venue and run till morning. Easily - easily - the loudest crowd I've been part of that I can remember. The singalongs to some of the songs were deafening; "Alive" was so loud I thought I was going deaf.. Quick personal note. This was my first Pearl Jam show since losing my dad. My dad hated Pearl Jam, and whenever I'd mention them he'd invariably asked: "Has Eddie Vetter [sic] learned how to sing yet?" I'd always say no - but I'm proud to say I quoted a Pearl Jam lyric in my dad's eulogy (and, just so we're clear, he wouldn't have had it any other way). That lyric was: All the friends and family All the memories going 'round, 'round, 'round I have wished for so long How I wish for you today So when I saw the band come out and Ed strap on a guitar, I knew what was coming next, and froze. I just stood there, quietly weeping, and shared the moment with my dad, because I'm absolutely certain he was in the room with me that night. I was so proud of myself for making the mature decision to sit out the 2024 tour. I'm even more proud that I eventually caved.
Minneapolis 1998 | Jones Beach I & II, Montreal, and Toronto 2000 | Buffalo, State College, Toronto, Montreal and Hershey 2003 | Boston I & II 2004 | Thunder Bay, Kitchener, London, Hamilton, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto 2005 | Toronto I & II 2006 | The Vic and Lollapalooza 2007 | Calgary and Toronto 2009 | PJ20 I & II, Toronto I & II, Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton 2011 | London, Chicago, Spokane, Calgary, Vancouver and Seattle 2013 | Ottawa and Toronto I & II 2016 | Chicago I & II 2018 | Ottawa, Hamilton and Toronto 2022
A little late to the party, but...I'm almost ready to say that this is the best concert I've seen, let alone the best Pearl Jam concert. It was the kind of show that made me want to walk out of the venue and run till morning. Easily - easily - the loudest crowd I've been part of that I can remember. The singalongs to some of the songs were deafening; "Alive" was so loud I thought I was going deaf.. Quick personal note. This was my first Pearl Jam show since losing my dad. My dad hated Pearl Jam, and whenever I'd mention them he'd invariably asked: "Has Eddie Vetter [sic] learned how to sing yet?" I'd always say no - but I'm proud to say I quoted a Pearl Jam lyric in my dad's eulogy (and, just so we're clear, he wouldn't have had it any other way). That lyric was: All the friends and family All the memories going 'round, 'round, 'round I have wished for so long How I wish for you today So when I saw the band come out and Ed strap on a guitar, I knew what was coming next, and froze. I just stood there, quietly weeping, and shared the moment with my dad, because I'm absolutely certain he was in the room with me that night. I was so proud of myself for making the mature decision to sit out the 2024 tour. I'm even more proud that I eventually caved.
Just beautiful
Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; WF Center 10/21/13; WF Center 10/22/13; Baltimore 10/27/13; WF Center 4/28/16; WF Center 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; WF Center 9/7/24; WF Center 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
A little late to the party, but...I'm almost ready to say that this is the best concert I've seen, let alone the best Pearl Jam concert. It was the kind of show that made me want to walk out of the venue and run till morning. Easily - easily - the loudest crowd I've been part of that I can remember. The singalongs to some of the songs were deafening; "Alive" was so loud I thought I was going deaf.. Quick personal note. This was my first Pearl Jam show since losing my dad. My dad hated Pearl Jam, and whenever I'd mention them he'd invariably asked: "Has Eddie Vetter [sic] learned how to sing yet?" I'd always say no - but I'm proud to say I quoted a Pearl Jam lyric in my dad's eulogy (and, just so we're clear, he wouldn't have had it any other way). That lyric was: All the friends and family All the memories going 'round, 'round, 'round I have wished for so long How I wish for you today So when I saw the band come out and Ed strap on a guitar, I knew what was coming next, and froze. I just stood there, quietly weeping, and shared the moment with my dad, because I'm absolutely certain he was in the room with me that night. I was so proud of myself for making the mature decision to sit out the 2024 tour. I'm even more proud that I eventually caved.
This is beautiful. Glad you made the show, and thank you for sharing your story.
The crowd was SO much louder on Red Mosquito, Breath, and Crown than what you hear on the bootleg
Yeah they let some of the noise through but not nearly enough. The opening lines of RM are great but then we never get nearly that level of crowd noise after that. Almost like they wanted to show it right off of the bat but then backed it off once the point was made.
After I had to back out of what turned out to be the 2016 ten show at the last minute because of a work conflict (a decision I will always deeply regret), I vowed that I would never miss a Philly show again. The Philly shows have been my favorite out of all the shows I have attended, both in terms of the setlists and the crowd energy. The band always brings it, and so does the crowd. And I’ve seen some pretty epic ones over the years, including N3 and N4 of the Spectrum in ‘09. And this one was up there with the best of them.
I think we all knew from the magical double rainbow that appeared over the arena right before the show that this one was going to be “something special.” I thought that both MSG shows were great. But I save the “special” designation for those few shows that truly blow me away, and that I think will go down as legendary in the annuals of PJ history. This was one of them.
This was my 36th show, and was one of the best I’ve ever seen. I still think it’s too soon for me to rank it, but suffice it to say it’s up there with my favorite shows I’ve ever seen (which include Spectrum N3 and N4 ‘09, MSG N2 ‘10, Hartford ‘13, and Fenway N2 ‘16). Yes the setlist was great, but that’s not the reason why. It was the crowd energy. The place was electric; it felt like the building was buzzing all night. And it was LOUD! The band was on fire all night long and was playing with a sense of purpose and intensity that I had rarely seen. And the crowd brought the energy to match it. The interaction between the band and the crowd was amazing to watch. There was a palpable energy between the band and the crowd, like nothing I’d ever seen before. It was almost like a ping pong match between the band and the crowd, with each of them constantly trying to one up the other’s energy. And that shared energy just got stronger and more intense throughout the night until the place literally exploded during the encore. Like I said before, I thought both MSG shows were great. But this one just blew them away.
I was very fortunate to have a great rail spot right off the bump on Mike’s side. This was by far the best, more energetic rail/pit I’ve ever been a part of. Everyone in the pit brought it that night from the moment the opening chords of long road rang out until the closing chords of indifference faded out, and it was an honor to be a part of. The entire pit was jumping and screaming nonstop throughout the entire show. I’ve never seen or experienced anything like it. The energy was indescribable. Every part of my body hurt the next day. And it was totally worth it.
Long road is one of those songs that will always hold a special place for me and is my favorite opener (tied with of the girl), so I couldn’t have picked a better way to start off the evening. Every time I hear it (this was only my third), it stirs up all sorts of emotions within me. The crowd was so loud that I pretty much lost my voice by the end of long road (which makes me appreciate how hard it must be for Ed to do this night after night). The fact that I lost my voice by the end of the first song of the night was a sign of things to come. And it only got better from there. I thought low light was the perfect choice to follow, and set the tone for the rest of the evening.
Then starting right when they went into why go, the crowd went apeshit and never turned back. I felt like I was jumping up and down nonstop for the next two hours straight. It’s now a week later, and my calves are still recovering. While I was waiting in the GA line earlier that day, I told a buddy of mine that if I could pick one song to hear that night, it would be brain of j. It’s my favorite of the hard-hitters/punk-inspired songs, and I hadn’t heard it since all the way back in ‘08. I thought there was no chance it would happen. Needless to say, when I heard the opening chords right after why go, I lost my damn mind! I thought I could not possibly rock out any harder than I did when they played sonic reducer—leash at MSG the previous show. But I proved myself wrong. Once again, I had completely sweat through my shirt by the end of the song. And I rocked out so hard that I got a stomach cramp by the end of it (that was a first for me lol). It was so intense getting to see it from such a close vantage, and they absolutely killed it! After hearing two of my all-time favorites—long road and brain of j—to start off the show, I honestly could’ve left at that point and been completely happy. But I’m really glad I didn’t cause it just got better from there.
In addition to the setlist (which I loved), one thing that set this show apart from the others was just how good the staples sounded. The band was dialed in all night long and it showed. Even songs that I’ve heard a million times—like GTF, even flow, and DTE—sounded better than ever. These were some of the best versions I’ve ever heard. They absolutely rocked the hell out of the hits, and the crowd ate it up. For instance, during GTF, the entire pit was jumping up and down for the whole song, and the ground was literally shaking beneath my feet. Then during even flow, Mike played one of the best solos I’ve ever seen him play. He totally shredded it! 🎸🤘
One of my favorite moments of the show was at one point pretty early on during the main set (I think maybe after GTF, but I can’t remember), Ed addressed the crowd and talked about just how incredible the crowd energy was and how loud the crowd was. Ed then pointed to the people on the rail and said something to the effect of, “I’m about to say something I’ve never said before. And if you don’t believe me, just ask the people who do this all the time,” and then proceeded to ask the sound technicians to turn up his sound because he couldn’t hear anything because he was being drowned out by the crowd. By this point, we all knew we were a part of something truly special. And it was amazing to hear that Ed recognized it and felt it too. This was a really special moment. To me, it was a recognition of the incredible power of live music and the hold that it has over us all; the incomparable feeling of collective joy that results when a large group of like-minded people get together for a few hours to sing their lungs out and celebrate their shared love of their favorite band. It’s cathartic and there’s nothing quite like it. A friend sent me a meme a couple of months ago that said, “A concert is really just a large group therapy session to help both the musicians and the audience stay a little more sane.” I think the way that the band and the crowd fed off of each other during this show was the perfect example of that.
I thought the first half of the show was awesome. But what really made the show stand out for me was the latter part of the main set. The MFC—red mosquito—won’t tell—black—breath—running—RVM run to end the set was amazing, and was one of the best I’ve ever seen. I thought the song selection and placement was perfect. I love MFC and had only heard it a couple of times before, so it was a real treat to hear it again. Red mosquito is another one of my favorites, and Mike’s solos during it were incendiary. Black was also a really special moment. Although I’ve heard it many times before, this was one of the best versions I’ve ever heard. Ed spent almost the entire song out on the edge of the bump interacting with the crowd, singing directly into our eyes from only a few feet away, pouring wine, and exchanging high fives. It was the most intimate version of the song I’ve ever heard. From my vantage on the rail, it felt like we were seeing the band in a small club instead of a 20,000 seat arena. It was incredible!
And next came one of my favorite moments of the night. When they went into breath, the pit (and it sounded like the entire arena) lost its collective mind. This might’ve been the loudest moment of the night. The place was already loud, but now it was just deafening. It took several days for my hearing to return to normal after the show, and I think this moment may have been why 🧏♂️🤣 During the second verse, Ed stepped out onto the bump and sang right into our faces. It was amazing seeing all of the “reaching hands” in the pit gesturing toward Ed, who was standing only a few feet away. My favorite part was seeing everyone’s arms outstretched in the air screaming out, “If I knew where it was I would take you there, but there’s much more than this.” It doesn’t get much better than this!
Then they kept the energy going by blasting right into running. I really liked that one from the moment I first heard it on the album, and I think it translates even better live. Everyone on the rail was rocking out really hard and it was a really intense, visceral performance. And going right into RVM was the perfect way to end the set. This was hands down the best, most energetic version of RVM I have ever heard. The band and crowd just blew the roof off the place. It felt like the entire pit was jumping up and down as one throughout the entire song. Mike’s solo during the middle was great, and the crowd energy during the end of the song was maybe the most intense I have ever experienced, with both Ed and the crowd belting out the lyrics at the top of their lungs back at each other. What an incredible way to end the set!
Then during the encore, we let a girl who was in the second row up on the rail with us so she could get to experience a few songs from the rail. During daughter, Ed grabbed a tambo, so I kept pointing at the girl and tried to get Ed’s attention so that he would give her the tambo. Eventually I was able to get Ed’s attention and he walked over to us and tossed the tambo to the girl. She was over the moon! It was great watching the expression on her face transform into a beaming smile. And there were high fives all around! 🙌
Last exit got the pit bopping again. That’s one that they have not been playing nearly enough lately, and I loved that they pulled it out in the middle of the encore. Once again, the place was LOUD with everyone screaming out, “Let my spirit pass” at the top of their lungs. And that was followed by maybe the best moment of the night—Chloe/crown, one of my favorite songs of all time. I’ve been fortunate to hear it a handful of times over the years, but that was by far the loudest I’ve ever heard the crowd sing along to it. Ed again came out onto the bump and sang right in front of us, and everyone in the pit belted out the lyrics right back at him. It was a surreal moment.
I loved that they then followed it up with SOLAT to complete the Singles trilogy (breath, SOLAT, Chloe/crown). It was the first time I’ve heard the Singles trilogy, and I believe it’s only been performed a few times ever. So awesome! And that was also the most intense, energized version of SOLAT I’ve ever heard. Both the band and crowd were on fire and were just on another level by this point.
I thought the show couldn’t possibly get any better by this point. But then I had my best moment of the entire show. The incredible energy that was set in motion during last exit—Chloe/crown—SOLAT continued into baba, with the entire pit jumping up and down and screaming out all of the lyrics. But then things suddenly came to a halt when Ed had to address a crowd incident involving a guy who was black out drunk and was barreling his way through the crowd toward the rail. I was joking with a friend of mine before the show that during every Philly show, you’re guaranteed to have at least one drunk bro who’s been pounding beers since noon try to shove his way through the crowd toward the rail during even flow. My prediction held true; I was just wrong about the song 🤣 But Ed handled the situation with tact and sent the guy on his way without further incident. Instead of putting a damper on an otherwise incredible evening, this momentary pause actually had the opposite effect—it actually increased the energy in the room to a fever pitch and led to the best, most intense moment of the night. For those of you who were there at MSG ‘22, it was reminiscent of what happened after Ed momentarily paused Porch to address a crowd incident. When Ed went back into the song and screamed out, “I don’t need to be forgiven,” the place just exploded! The pit was rocking out harder than it had all night, with everyone jumping around like crazy and screaming at the top of their lungs. The energy down there was out of this world! Ed was jumping up and down and smashing tambos together. Then a few seconds later, as I was jumping up and down and rocking out harder than I ever had before in my entire life, Ed started walking over to me with a tambo. He walked right over to me and was looking straight at me but I thought to myself, “Is he really going to give me a tambo? There must be a kid standing right behind me.” So I started looking around to my left and my right to see if there were any kids around, but then Ed pointed right at me and tossed me a tambo. I couldn’t believe it! (in fact, I still can’t believe it) In the moment, I was thinking, “Is this real? Did that really just happen?” It was such a surreal moment; it really felt like a dream. And then I got to spend the rest of baba banging along to the song on the tambo. I can’t really put into words what I was feeling at that moment. But suffice it to say it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will cherish forever ❤️
And then ending with indifference was the perfect way to close out such a surreal, emotional night. It was really cool getting to tap along to the beat on my tambo. Ed spent almost the entire song out on the bump staring and singing directly into our eyes, exchanging more high fives and fist bumps, and saying his goodbyes. I could not have possibly imagined a more fitting ending to such an intense, energetic, LOUD show than by hearing the entire crowd scream out as one, “I will scream my lungs out till it fills this room” louder than I ever have before. That was clearly the theme of the night. A perfect capper to a truly magical evening!
So in conclusion, the lesson here is NEVER MISS A PHILLY SHOW!!! This was one of the best shows that I have ever—and likely will ever—attend in my life. I will be forever grateful that I got to experience and be a part of it. And a sincere thank you to everyone else who attended the show and made it such a special, energetic evening. You all really brought it all night long, and made it a night that I and many others will never forget. 🎸🤘 In addition to the tambo, I got picks from Mike and Jeff. See below for photos of the tambo and picks:
You speak of your experience up on the rail, I was in the 300 level close to the stage, Mike's side. It was immediately apparent to me from the first notes of Long Road, the crowd was going to be insane. I had a completely different vantage point than you and I can tell you it was amazing to watch the entire crowd during the show. Blew my mind. Long time fan club member and not used to being that high up but was grateful to witness the band and the crowd so totally in sync for the entire show.
Comments
Even N2 had only 5.
So much for those who criticize sets heavy on albums 1-5 era. There are many top tier songs that came after that, but they are fewer in comparison, IMO.
And while I still love Eddie and find this as nothing more than a little disappointing comment that I'll forget about in 10 seconds, could you imagine if this happened today? The internet would be calling for his head, to be canceled, etc.
In addition to the setlist (which I loved), one thing that set this show apart from the others was just how good the staples sounded. The band was dialed in all night long and it showed. Even songs that I’ve heard a million times—like GTF, even flow, and DTE—sounded better than ever. These were some of the best versions I’ve ever heard. They absolutely rocked the hell out of the hits, and the crowd ate it up. For instance, during GTF, the entire pit was jumping up and down for the whole song, and the ground was literally shaking beneath my feet. Then during even flow, Mike played one of the best solos I’ve ever seen him play. He totally shredded it! 🎸🤘
One of my favorite moments of the show was at one point pretty early on during the main set (I think maybe after GTF, but I can’t remember), Ed addressed the crowd and talked about just how incredible the crowd energy was and how loud the crowd was. Ed then pointed to the people on the rail and said something to the effect of, “I’m about to say something I’ve never said before. And if you don’t believe me, just ask the people who do this all the time,” and then proceeded to ask the sound technicians to turn up his sound because he couldn’t hear anything because he was being drowned out by the crowd. By this point, we all knew we were a part of something truly special. And it was amazing to hear that Ed recognized it and felt it too. This was a really special moment. To me, it was a recognition of the incredible power of live music and the hold that it has over us all; the incomparable feeling of collective joy that results when a large group of like-minded people get together for a few hours to sing their lungs out and celebrate their shared love of their favorite band. It’s cathartic and there’s nothing quite like it. A friend sent me a meme a couple of months ago that said, “A concert is really just a large group therapy session to help both the musicians and the audience stay a little more sane.” I think the way that the band and the crowd fed off of each other during this show was the perfect example of that.
I thought the first half of the show was awesome. But what really made the show stand out for me was the latter part of the main set. The MFC—red mosquito—won’t tell—black—breath—running—RVM run to end the set was amazing, and was one of the best I’ve ever seen. I thought the song selection and placement was perfect. I love MFC and had only heard it a couple of times before, so it was a real treat to hear it again. Red mosquito is another one of my favorites, and Mike’s solos during it were incendiary. Black was also a really special moment. Although I’ve heard it many times before, this was one of the best versions I’ve ever heard. Ed spent almost the entire song out on the edge of the bump interacting with the crowd, singing directly into our eyes from only a few feet away, pouring wine, and exchanging high fives. It was the most intimate version of the song I’ve ever heard. From my vantage on the rail, it felt like we were seeing the band in a small club instead of a 20,000 seat arena. It was incredible!
And next came one of my favorite moments of the night. When they went into breath, the pit (and it sounded like the entire arena) lost its collective mind. This might’ve been the loudest moment of the night. The place was already loud, but now it was just deafening. It took several days for my hearing to return to normal after the show, and I think this moment may have been why 🧏♂️🤣 During the second verse, Ed stepped out onto the bump and sang right into our faces. It was amazing seeing all of the “reaching hands” in the pit gesturing toward Ed, who was standing only a few feet away. My favorite part was seeing everyone’s arms outstretched in the air screaming out, “If I knew where it was I would take you there, but there’s much more than this.” It doesn’t get much better than this!
Then they kept the energy going by blasting right into running. I really liked that one from the moment I first heard it on the album, and I think it translates even better live. Everyone on the rail was rocking out really hard and it was a really intense, visceral performance. And going right into RVM was the perfect way to end the set. This was hands down the best, most energetic version of RVM I have ever heard. The band and crowd just blew the roof off the place. It felt like the entire pit was jumping up and down as one throughout the entire song. Mike’s solo during the middle was great, and the crowd energy during the end of the song was maybe the most intense I have ever experienced, with both Ed and the crowd belting out the lyrics at the top of their lungs back at each other. What an incredible way to end the set!
Then during the encore, we let a girl who was in the second row up on the rail with us so she could get to experience a few songs from the rail. During daughter, Ed grabbed a tambo, so I kept pointing at the girl and tried to get Ed’s attention so that he would give her the tambo. Eventually I was able to get Ed’s attention and he walked over to us and tossed the tambo to the girl. She was over the moon! It was great watching the expression on her face transform into a beaming smile. And there were high fives all around! 🙌
Last exit got the pit bopping again. That’s one that they have not been playing nearly enough lately, and I loved that they pulled it out in the middle of the encore. Once again, the place was LOUD with everyone screaming out, “Let my spirit pass” at the top of their lungs. And that was followed by maybe the best moment of the night—Chloe/crown, one of my favorite songs of all time. I’ve been fortunate to hear it a handful of times over the years, but that was by far the loudest I’ve ever heard the crowd sing along to it. Ed again came out onto the bump and sang right in front of us, and everyone in the pit belted out the lyrics right back at him. It was a surreal moment.
And then ending with indifference was the perfect way to close out such a surreal, emotional night. It was really cool getting to tap along to the beat on my tambo. Ed spent almost the entire song out on the bump staring and singing directly into our eyes, exchanging more high fives and fist bumps, and saying his goodbyes. I could not have possibly imagined a more fitting ending to such an intense, energetic, LOUD show than by hearing the entire crowd scream out as one, “I will scream my lungs out till it fills this room” louder than I ever have before. That was clearly the theme of the night. A perfect capper to a truly magical evening!
Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
Chicago 2007
Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016
Fenway 2, 2018
MSG 2022
St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023
MSG 2024, MSG 2024
Philadelphia 2024
"I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
Things happen in the game. Nothing you
can do. I don't go and say,
"I'm gonna beat this guy up."
Here's mine:
1. 4/29/16 Wells Fargo. The Ten Show. My most-listened to bootleg. Hard to ever top this one for me. They played the album start to finish that got me into the band 30+ years ago. There was a little bit of a second take in the crowd when they opened with Once for the second night in a row. Once they got to Alive, everyone was like "holy sh*t! they're actually playing Ten start to finish." Experiencing that in real time was incredible. Best version of Release I've ever heard with emotional speech by EV right before. Whenever I listen to the bootleg there's so many "damn, forgot they played this song too" moments. Bee Girl. Comfortably Numb. The Willie Nelson style (briefly) Just Breathe. Great moody All or None. RVM. Leash. Throw Your Hatred Down. Sonic Reducer (this song has a very high hit rate of appearing in great shows).
Next 3 kind of rotate for the #2 spot depending on what kind of songs I want to hear. All very close and can make an argument for any rank order between them. For here I'll lean a little more 10/3/05 > 10/30/09 >10/31/09.
2. 10/3/05 Wells Fargo. No album to promote so very diverse set list. I actually didn't get in the show until about the 6th song and at the time I still felt it was the best show I've seen. So many great B-sides/Lost Dogs/rarities. Wash opener. Sad. Alone. Hard to Imagine. Crown of Thorns. Crazy Mary. Thrown in the "man" trilogy and the Blood/Bleed for Me dyad. Little Sister. Sonic Reducer. This used to be my most listened to bootleg prior to 4/29/16
3. 10/30/09 Spectrum. Just a really solid set start to finish. Great energy in the building. Very strong first set with no duds. Best version of In Hiding I've ever heard. Hold On bust out. Didn't really play greatest hits songs like we get now, but a lot of very good 2nd-4th best songs off the albums up through Backspacer. Breath in encore 1. Mamasan triology in encore 2. Another Sonic Reducer.
4. 10/31/09 Spectrum. Longest show ever. Some incredible bust outs. Sweet Lew. Bugs. Pilate. Out of My Mind. Low Light (at the time). Whip it as Devo. Throw in Satan's Bed and Crown of Thorns. Great to listen to for the rarities but in real time set felt a little more disjointed. In the room there was a little bit of an energy suck later in the show as the Phillies were losing in the World Series game to the Yankees across the street. I think there was also a little bit of an unrealistic expectation in the room for special guests to show up (ie Bruce Springsteen) for the last ever Spectrum show. When they didn't happen that also ended up being a bit of a let down.
5. 9/7/24 Wells Fargo. Tough bar to clear with the above shows. And maybe a little unfair with the shorter setlists we've been getting the last few years with band getting older. Incredible energy in the building. One of the best Pearl Jam crowds I've been a part of. May go down as the best show of 2024 when all is said and done. Great set for a 2022-2024 tour. No duds. Long Road into Low Light opener. Nailed the encore with Won't Back Down. Breath. Chloe/Crown. Hit a lot of slightly deeper cuts compared to other more recent shows. This one has potential to get into that #2-#4 tier above with some relistens once the bootleg comes out. Overall as good as it gets for current era Pearl Jam.
6. 4/28/03 Spectrum. I still think Spring/Summer '03 was peak touring Pearl Jam. This was in run leading up to the State College show where they were stretching out the length of the shows. Band really seemed to appreciate the experience of playing the Spectrum for their first time (which led to the 4-show '09 run to close it out). Best version of Better Man I've heard. Fortunate Son and Hide Your Love Away were the rarities. Even though set list otherwise fairly standard for the era, they were on fire.
Rest of the Spectrum/Wells Fargo shows mostly blend together, but the six above pretty special.
"Never miss a Philly show!"
Only played 37 times ever since its debut 24 years ago.
Quick personal note. This was my first Pearl Jam show since losing my dad. My dad hated Pearl Jam, and whenever I'd mention them he'd invariably asked: "Has Eddie Vetter [sic] learned how to sing yet?" I'd always say no - but I'm proud to say I quoted a Pearl Jam lyric in my dad's eulogy (and, just so we're clear, he wouldn't have had it any other way). That lyric was:
All the friends and family
All the memories going 'round, 'round, 'round
I have wished for so long
How I wish for you today
So when I saw the band come out and Ed strap on a guitar, I knew what was coming next, and froze. I just stood there, quietly weeping, and shared the moment with my dad, because I'm absolutely certain he was in the room with me that night.
I was so proud of myself for making the mature decision to sit out the 2024 tour. I'm even more proud that I eventually caved.
2010: Newark 5/18 MSG 5/20-21 2011: PJ20 9/3-4 2012: Made In America 9/2
2013: Brooklyn 10/18-19 Philly 10/21-22 Hartford 10/25 2014: ACL10/12
2015: NYC 9/23 2016: Tampa 4/11 Philly 4/28-29 MSG 5/1-2 Fenway 8/5+8/7
2017: RRHoF 4/7 2018: Fenway 9/2+9/4 2021: Sea Hear Now 9/18
2022: MSG 9/11 2024: MSG 9/3-4 Philly 9/7+9/9 Fenway 9/15+9/17
WF Center 4/28/16; WF Center 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; WF Center 9/7/24; WF Center 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
Agree with others seemed like they turned down some of the crowd mix on the bootleg