*** Baltimore, MD Fanviews Here 9.12.24 ***

13

Comments

  • mcgruff10 said:
    Ft. Worth and Baltimore crowds are better. Source: trust me bro
    Which Philly shows have you been to?
    10/22/13

    Awesome setlist and was in the pit for that one
    https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/pearl-jam/2013/wells-fargo-center-philadelphia-pa-33c7748d.html

    Btw, I'm arguing for the sake of arguing, I love all PJ shows
    Wrigley 7/19/2013
    Philadelphia 10/22/2013
    Baltimore 10/27/2013
    Hampton 4/18/2016
    Ft. Worth 9/13/2023
    Ft. Worth 9/15/2023
    Wrigley 8/31/2024
    Baltimore 9/12/2024
    Fenway 9/15/2024
  • Lerxst1992Lerxst1992 Posts: 6,541
    The ranking of shows... this show is great that show I didn't enjoy, has got to be the silliest thing among the rock and roll fan base I have ever seen.

    As well as ranking cities against one another.

    Come on people this is a great band and they put on great shows.

    If not we wouldn't be here
  • I'm not ranking shows. I think Philly shows are the best but I thought it was a great crowd in Baltimore and Vegas in May had really great crowds as well. I very lucky and privileged to have seen 5 shows this year. Sad that it's over but looking forward to more in the years to come!
    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
  • cbbjrcbbjr Posts: 238
    This was my 24th show, and 3rd of this tour. Baltimore was stellar. The vast majority of the people around me in section 121 were really into it, although the group directly behind me sat a fair amount and I heard one of them say they were happy to have recognized 40% of the songs. My take on judging the quality of a crowd is that you are substantially influenced by people 1-immediately around you and 2-in the pit since they are in your line of sight the whole night. Two people can see the same show from different vantage points and have justifiably divergent views as to how the crowd in one city compares to another.

    Back when it used to be played a fair amount I wasn't a huge fan of Can't Keep, but I really enjoyed hearing it last night. The first four songs were phenomenal. In the last couple of years it seems as though they have gotten even better at packaging the first handful of songs to really suck you in right from the get go. Even with high expectations, Can't Keep > Present Tense > GtF > Corduroy is an amazing start.

    Tremor Christ was another highlight, although it was in a section that dragged a bit. When they went into Stranglehold the band all moved toward the center around Matt and on the big screen it looked like he was trying to not laugh. It was a nice callback to 2013. This could certainly be said about every show, but Mike was on fire during Even Flow.

    There were a handful of interesting parts of the Ed banter. I have seen him talk about Stone singing before, but last night it was more than just a throw away comment or a quick joke. The way he paused as he talked about it and was looking at Stone as he spoke, it seemed like Ed legitimately wanted Stone to sing. Also, when Ed talked about James Earl Jones, he was reading off of a piece of paper, which was strange since he was just recounting a story of meeting him. And overall Ed seemed more engaged with reading signs and responding to them than I have seen him at previous shows. I am sure those are great moments for each person who he interacts with, and one that was particularly good was the look of appreciation on the woman's face who Ed said looked far younger than 50 years old (she must have had a sign that it was her 50th birthday).

    The last handful of songs of the main set, beginning with Deep, were intense. It was nice seeing Jeff getting the spotlight treatment at the beginning and end of Jeremy, and Lukin and Porch were a good way to end the main set on a high note.

    I am a big fan of Falling Slowly, and it was nice to see it again. The other highlight of the encore was Sonic Reducer. A guy in my section went absolutely nuts during it and it was great to watch him while screaming the words as loudly as I could. And seeing Jeff and Ed put on old Bullets gear was great.

    One other completely random item - before you get into a long merch line, take a look around to see if there is a better alternative. The friend I went with (his second time seeing them, but his first since Lolapalooza in the 90s) went to go get a shirt during the middle of Glen Hansard's set. He went to one of the main stands on level 3 (the concourse at the top of the 100-level bowl).  It was a huge line with only two cashiers and moved really slowly. A little after 8:30 I ran to the restroom before PJ went on stage and ended up on level 2, which was a relatively small mezzanine area. After exiting the restroom on level 2 I saw a merch stand with a handful of cashiers no line whatsoever. Based on my call log, I called him at 8:44 for him to get out of the big line and he made it downstairs, got a shirt, and we were in our seats by the time the band when onstage, which Sea posted as being 8:50. It was dumb luck, but it is definitely worth exploring before committing to a massive line.

    Sadly this was the last show of the year for me, and I didn't see the songs I wanted to hear the most (Red Mosquito and Stevie), but maybe I will get lucky whenever they go on tour again and am thankful I got to see three excellent shows this year with Wrigley 2, MSG 1, and Baltimore.
    98-KC; 00-Indianapolis, StL, KC; 03-KC, DC; 04-DC; 06-Camden2, DC, Pittsburgh; 08-DC; 09-Chicago1, Spectrum3; 10-DC; 13-Baltimore; 16-Chicago1; 18-Seattle2; 22-NY; 23-St Paul1&2, Chicago1; 24-Chicago2, NY1, Baltimore
  • Our 6th show this tour and sadly, our last.... every PJ show is great! I will say Philly 1 was my fave of the 6 we attended, MSG 2 places second. First ever Can't Keep (though we've seen it at Ed solo shows)

    So happy to have been there, we picked up side stage seats in that drop ($175 each) and thought we'd be too far back. Nope, they were great. Excellent way to end our mini tour. Show 57 and I'm already looking forward to the next.




    2003 Spectrum, Camden 2, Holmdel 2004 Reading, PA 2005 Philly 2006 Hartford, Camden 1&2, E. Rutherford 1&2 2008 Camden 1&2, MSG 1&2  2009 Spectrum 1,2,3,4  2010 Hartford, Newark, MSG 1&2 2013 Wrigley, Pittsburgh, Brooklyn 1&2, Philly 1&2,  Baltimore 2014 Leeds, Cincinnati  2015 GCF  2016 Sunrise, Miami, Hampton, Philly 1&2, MSG 1&2, Fenway 1&2  2017 RHoF Induction 2018 Seattle 1&2 Fenway 1&2 2021 Sea Hear Now 2022 Hamilton, Toronto, MSG, Camden 2023 Indy 2024 Indy, MSG 1&2, Philly 1&2, Baltimore

  • SVRDhand13SVRDhand13 Posts: 26,152
    PJammin' said:
    I don't get the Philly superiority take. I think there is a lot of bias at play there.
    I’m from New York. Been to 34 shows. The top crowds I’ve been a part of have been:

    MSG 2 2010 
    Philly 3 2009 
    Philly 1 2024
    Hartford 2013 
    PJ20 Wisconsin 2011

    2 out of 5 from Philly. 
    Did you go to Philly in 2003? That crowd was simply phenomenal. 
    No I didn’t start seeing them until 06. Do love the 03 boots though. 
    severed hand thirteen
    2006: Gorge 7/23 2008: Hartford 6/27 Beacon 7/1 2009: Spectrum 10/30-31
    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
  • Get_RightGet_Right Posts: 12,851
    4/28/03 is by far the loudest crowd I have ever heard at an arena show. That crowd was amped. Baltimore venue looks intimate. I am sure it was fun.
  • PJammin'PJammin' Posts: 1,901
    Get_Right said:
    4/28/03 is by far the loudest crowd I have ever heard at an arena show. That crowd was amped. Baltimore venue looks intimate. I am sure it was fun.
    Do you remember they didn’t even start right away when they came out because of the long applause. Incredible. 
    I died. I died and you just stood there. I died and you watched. I died and you walked by and said no. I'm dead.
  • Folks were doing the Yeah chant during Alive, with arms rocking. Large crowd in a smaller more close venue was really into the energy. Everyone singing along to Present Tense. The show never felt low energy from where I was sitting in 106.
  • Stranglehold was incredible because it was something I’ve never seen before. Like where did that come from? 
  • ontheroadontheroad Posts: 257
    edited September 14
    Nm
    Post edited by ontheroad on
    "I remember when you sang that song about today, now it's tomorrow and everything has changed." - Bu$hleaguer
  • This was a great show.  been to 20ish shows and this one is close to making the top 5.  Present tense was a little rusty, but they hit full gear once they got into GTF and it was a blast from there.  Only real complaint is Wreckage - it does sound better live than on the album, but it just doesn't do much.  other than that it was just a little bit of a weird transition through Stranglehold - super fun to hear that riff but it didn't lead to much and kindof just petered out into a long pause before Even flow (not sure if they were deciding on song choice).  Deep absolutely killed - highlight of the night!

    Would love to hear more deep cuts instead of Jeremy, Black, Alive all the time, but the energy was great.  you could tell they were having a good time and mike's playing in the jams on Corduroy, EF, Black, and Alive were all solid.  The second set was especially strong - not a long set, but the energy was fantastic, the transition between songs was tight, and Spin the Black Circle and Sonic Reducer were downright awesome.  
  • PJammin' said:
    I don't get the Philly superiority take. I think there is a lot of bias at play there.
    I’m from New York. Been to 34 shows. The top crowds I’ve been a part of have been:

    MSG 2 2010 
    Philly 3 2009 
    Philly 1 2024
    Hartford 2013 
    PJ20 Wisconsin 2011

    2 out of 5 from Philly. 
    Did you go to Philly in 2003? That crowd was simply phenomenal. 

    Night 1 03 especially. I disliked that set so much from a song standpoint cause it was a major greatest hits one BUT its was undeniable how hot the crowd and band was.
    Yeah Philly 03 was something else.  And of course the crowd at MSG 03 was just as loud.  The crowd intensity from 98-2003 in the northeast has not been matched anywhere in the US since imo. 
    I was part of that crowd intensity in the Northeast '98-2003, and I'm from the West coast. Individual intensity counts too, ha!
  • Get_Right said:
    4/28/03 is by far the loudest crowd I have ever heard at an arena show. That crowd was amped. Baltimore venue looks intimate. I am sure it was fun.
    We were chatting with some friends at one of the Philly shows, and I mentioned that we had been to all 5 Spectrum shows. A friend looked at me and said, no, there were only 4 shows. I replied, nope, they played there in 2003 as well.

    It was our first ever show and we were hooked immediately. Really wish we could have seen them sooner, but little kids and lack of babysitting limited what we did back then.
    2003 Spectrum, Camden 2, Holmdel 2004 Reading, PA 2005 Philly 2006 Hartford, Camden 1&2, E. Rutherford 1&2 2008 Camden 1&2, MSG 1&2  2009 Spectrum 1,2,3,4  2010 Hartford, Newark, MSG 1&2 2013 Wrigley, Pittsburgh, Brooklyn 1&2, Philly 1&2,  Baltimore 2014 Leeds, Cincinnati  2015 GCF  2016 Sunrise, Miami, Hampton, Philly 1&2, MSG 1&2, Fenway 1&2  2017 RHoF Induction 2018 Seattle 1&2 Fenway 1&2 2021 Sea Hear Now 2022 Hamilton, Toronto, MSG, Camden 2023 Indy 2024 Indy, MSG 1&2, Philly 1&2, Baltimore

  • LoujoeLoujoe Posts: 9,045
    Should have brought the kids=tambos picks setlists
  • auntdonutauntdonut Posts: 113
    Maybe it was just my imagination...
    Didn't they play "Once" at some point during the Baltimore show???
    Maybe I'm still on Cloud 9...shook hands with EV as he was leaving venue (for real, I KNOW I didn't imagine that!!!)!
     
  • i got idi got id Posts: 867
    I’ll share my story here. Camped out for GA starting at 4am. So excited to see them back in Baltimore, my hometown even though I now reside in Austin. Baltimore arena has always been special to me. Saw tons of Baltimore Blast games, a few Bullets games (and even got to play a game on the court before. Bullets back in 1994). All of this with my brother (who was at the show) and my dad (who passed this year and so it’s been rough on the family)

    Because of this I had been trying to figure out a way to give something to the band. Knowing Jeff and Ed’s love of basketball, I tried to track down some cool Bullets stuff and ended up with the Earl the Pearl jersey and the Baltimore Bullets warmup. A few sizes too large since that’s all that I could find. 

    So happy to share with the band and see the joy in their faces. Haven’t been able to wipe the smile off my face all weekend. They asked if I wanted the jerseys back and I said no they were a gift (a little regret there)

    if anyone has some good photos or videos to share of this, I’d love it to help remember the night. 

    Thanks to Ed and Jeff and all of the band for all of the happy memories over the years. 
  • Awesome!
    2003: Uniondale, MSG x2 | 2004: Reading | 2005: Gorge, Vancouver, Philly | 2006: East Rutherford x2, Gorge x2, Camden 1, Hartford | 2008: MSG x2, VA Beach | 2009: Philly x3 | 2010: MSG x2, Bristow | 2011: Alpine Valley x2 | 2012: MIA Philly | 2013: Wrigley, Charlottesville, Brooklyn 2 | 2014: Milan, Amsterdam 1 | 2016: MSG x2, Fenway x2, Wrigley 2 | 2018: Rome, Krakow, Berlin, Wrigley 2 | 2021: Sea Hear Now | 2022: San Diego, LA x2, MSG, Camden, Nashville, St. Louis, Denver | 2023: St. Paul 1, Chicago x2, Fort Worth x2, Austin 2 | 2024: Las Vegas 1, Seattle x2, Indy, MSG x2, Philly x2, Baltimore
  • cbbjrcbbjr Posts: 238
    i got id said:
    I’ll share my story here. Camped out for GA starting at 4am. So excited to see them back in Baltimore, my hometown even though I now reside in Austin. Baltimore arena has always been special to me. Saw tons of Baltimore Blast games, a few Bullets games (and even got to play a game on the court before. Bullets back in 1994). All of this with my brother (who was at the show) and my dad (who passed this year and so it’s been rough on the family)

    Because of this I had been trying to figure out a way to give something to the band. Knowing Jeff and Ed’s love of basketball, I tried to track down some cool Bullets stuff and ended up with the Earl the Pearl jersey and the Baltimore Bullets warmup. A few sizes too large since that’s all that I could find. 

    So happy to share with the band and see the joy in their faces. Haven’t been able to wipe the smile off my face all weekend. They asked if I wanted the jerseys back and I said no they were a gift (a little regret there)

    if anyone has some good photos or videos to share of this, I’d love it to help remember the night. 

    Thanks to Ed and Jeff and all of the band for all of the happy memories over the years. 
    That is amazing!
    98-KC; 00-Indianapolis, StL, KC; 03-KC, DC; 04-DC; 06-Camden2, DC, Pittsburgh; 08-DC; 09-Chicago1, Spectrum3; 10-DC; 13-Baltimore; 16-Chicago1; 18-Seattle2; 22-NY; 23-St Paul1&2, Chicago1; 24-Chicago2, NY1, Baltimore
  • i got id said:
    I’ll share my story here. Camped out for GA starting at 4am. So excited to see them back in Baltimore, my hometown even though I now reside in Austin. Baltimore arena has always been special to me. Saw tons of Baltimore Blast games, a few Bullets games (and even got to play a game on the court before. Bullets back in 1994). All of this with my brother (who was at the show) and my dad (who passed this year and so it’s been rough on the family)

    Because of this I had been trying to figure out a way to give something to the band. Knowing Jeff and Ed’s love of basketball, I tried to track down some cool Bullets stuff and ended up with the Earl the Pearl jersey and the Baltimore Bullets warmup. A few sizes too large since that’s all that I could find. 

    So happy to share with the band and see the joy in their faces. Haven’t been able to wipe the smile off my face all weekend. They asked if I wanted the jerseys back and I said no they were a gift (a little regret there)

    if anyone has some good photos or videos to share of this, I’d love it to help remember the night. 

    Thanks to Ed and Jeff and all of the band for all of the happy memories over the years. 
    Beautiful!  And thanks for making the night special for everyone!  You could see the genuine joy and deep appreciation on Jeff’s and Eddie’s faces.  An Earl the Pearl jersey was perfect!
  • auntdonutauntdonut Posts: 113
    i got id said:
    I’ll share my story here. Camped out for GA starting at 4am. So excited to see them back in Baltimore, my hometown even though I now reside in Austin. Baltimore arena has always been special to me. Saw tons of Baltimore Blast games, a few Bullets games (and even got to play a game on the court before. Bullets back in 1994). All of this with my brother (who was at the show) and my dad (who passed this year and so it’s been rough on the family)

    Because of this I had been trying to figure out a way to give something to the band. Knowing Jeff and Ed’s love of basketball, I tried to track down some cool Bullets stuff and ended up with the Earl the Pearl jersey and the Baltimore Bullets warmup. A few sizes too large since that’s all that I could find. 

    So happy to share with the band and see the joy in their faces. Haven’t been able to wipe the smile off my face all weekend. They asked if I wanted the jerseys back and I said no they were a gift (a little regret there)

    if anyone has some good photos or videos to share of this, I’d love it to help remember the night. 

    Thanks to Ed and Jeff and all of the band for all of the happy memories over the years. 
    Love it!!!
  • My memorable 4-shows in a row run on this leg of the tour came to a close in Baltimore. Made the trip south from Philly. Hearing them open with Can’t Keep made my night and you couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. I have been hoping to hear this rarely played gem again since they opened a show with it in Camden NJ way back in 2003. That’s 21 years and I was fortunate to get it again. The song really hits a nerve with me, and sets a great tone opening a show. An overall strong start following it up with Present Tense, GTF, and Corduroy. The show in general was good and had its moments. Enjoyed hearing Deep, Tremor Christ and Spin The Black Circle mixed into the set. Upper Hand off the new album is such a strong song, too. I was hoping to hear Setting Sun, Won’t Tell, and Waiting for Stevie as well instead of the other DM tunes they played, but a minor gripe I guess. I personally think they are the best songs on the album along with Upper Hand and deserve to be played more on this album/tour cycle. I like Wreckage and DM and React Respond but they don’t move the needle with me as much. 

    Solid encore. I never tire of Black. Perfection. Baba to YL works for me ending it.

    I am a lucky man getting to see this stellar band that I love 4 times over 9 nights.  Spending time with great friends throughout was also priceless. That’s what it’s all about people. And yes, I will repeat what others have said before me, Philly Night 1 was a mind-blowing experience. I will never forget the vibe and explosion of energy that was that show!  It was that good on every level. New York Night 2 (my first show this year) gave it a run for its money though, in part because of the people around me in our section that night and the close friend I shared the show with. Plus the show itself rocked and the sound was perfect. I’ll leave it at that. It all clicked on this NY-Philly-Balt run. Special times. 
    1998 (2): Washington DC - Tibetan Freedom Fest 6/14 and Camden NJ night 2 on 8/29; 2003 (1): Camden NJ night 1 on 7/5; 2004 (1): Reading PA 10/1; 2005 (1): Philly 10/3; 2006 (1): Camden NJ night 2 on 5/28; 2008 (2): Camden NJ nights 1 and 2 on 6/19 and 6/20; 2009 (3): Philly Spectrum shows nights 1, 3, and 4 on 10/27, 10/30, and 10/31; 2012 (1):  Philly MIA Festival 9/2; 2013 (2): Philly nights 1 and 2 on 10/21 and 10/22; 2016 (4): Philly nights 1 and 2 on 4/28 and 4/29; Boston - Fenway Park nights 1 and 2 on 8/5 and 8/7; 2018 (3): London UK 6/18 and Boston - Fenway Park nights 1 and 2 on 9/2 and 9/4; 2022 (1): Camden NJ 9/14; 2023 (2): Austin TX nights 1 and 2 on 9/18 and 9/19; 2024 (4) New York MSG night 2 on 9/4; Philly nights 1 and 2 on 9/7 and 9/9; Baltimore MD 9/12. 
  • cbbjr said:
    This was my 24th show, and 3rd of this tour. Baltimore was stellar. The vast majority of the people around me in section 121 were really into it, although the group directly behind me sat a fair amount and I heard one of them say they were happy to have recognized 40% of the songs. My take on judging the quality of a crowd is that you are substantially influenced by people 1-immediately around you and 2-in the pit since they are in your line of sight the whole night. Two people can see the same show from different vantage points and have justifiably divergent views as to how the crowd in one city compares to another.

    Back when it used to be played a fair amount I wasn't a huge fan of Can't Keep, but I really enjoyed hearing it last night. The first four songs were phenomenal. In the last couple of years it seems as though they have gotten even better at packaging the first handful of songs to really suck you in right from the get go. Even with high expectations, Can't Keep > Present Tense > GtF > Corduroy is an amazing start.

    Tremor Christ was another highlight, although it was in a section that dragged a bit. When they went into Stranglehold the band all moved toward the center around Matt and on the big screen it looked like he was trying to not laugh. It was a nice callback to 2013. This could certainly be said about every show, but Mike was on fire during Even Flow.

    There were a handful of interesting parts of the Ed banter. I have seen him talk about Stone singing before, but last night it was more than just a throw away comment or a quick joke. The way he paused as he talked about it and was looking at Stone as he spoke, it seemed like Ed legitimately wanted Stone to sing. Also, when Ed talked about James Earl Jones, he was reading off of a piece of paper, which was strange since he was just recounting a story of meeting him. And overall Ed seemed more engaged with reading signs and responding to them than I have seen him at previous shows. I am sure those are great moments for each person who he interacts with, and one that was particularly good was the look of appreciation on the woman's face who Ed said looked far younger than 50 years old (she must have had a sign that it was her 50th birthday).

    The last handful of songs of the main set, beginning with Deep, were intense. It was nice seeing Jeff getting the spotlight treatment at the beginning and end of Jeremy, and Lukin and Porch were a good way to end the main set on a high note.

    I am a big fan of Falling Slowly, and it was nice to see it again. The other highlight of the encore was Sonic Reducer. A guy in my section went absolutely nuts during it and it was great to watch him while screaming the words as loudly as I could. And seeing Jeff and Ed put on old Bullets gear was great.

    One other completely random item - before you get into a long merch line, take a look around to see if there is a better alternative. The friend I went with (his second time seeing them, but his first since Lolapalooza in the 90s) went to go get a shirt during the middle of Glen Hansard's set. He went to one of the main stands on level 3 (the concourse at the top of the 100-level bowl).  It was a huge line with only two cashiers and moved really slowly. A little after 8:30 I ran to the restroom before PJ went on stage and ended up on level 2, which was a relatively small mezzanine area. After exiting the restroom on level 2 I saw a merch stand with a handful of cashiers no line whatsoever. Based on my call log, I called him at 8:44 for him to get out of the big line and he made it downstairs, got a shirt, and we were in our seats by the time the band when onstage, which Sea posted as being 8:50. It was dumb luck, but it is definitely worth exploring before committing to a massive line.

    Sadly this was the last show of the year for me, and I didn't see the songs I wanted to hear the most (Red Mosquito and Stevie), but maybe I will get lucky whenever they go on tour again and am thankful I got to see three excellent shows this year with Wrigley 2, MSG 1, and Baltimore.
    “If this band were a dictatorship and I were the dictator, I’d say ‘Stone, you’re gonna sing this fucking song.’” 😂
  • I was fortunate enough to make it to three shows this 2024 tour – my first three show run since possibly as far back as 2008. I downloaded the Pearl Jam Stat Tracker at the start of the tour, and tragically I cannot reproduce my entire history. Those 2009-2013 shows run together, and I did not save every stub or get a poster at every show. So, while the app tells me these are shows twenty-four to twenty-six, it feels like it should be closer to thirty. 

    I saw <b>MSG Night 1, Philly Night 2, and Baltimore</b>. All three were fan club tickets. Crappy upper deck Stone side seats for MSG and Philly. Great Stone side floor seats for Baltimore. But honestly the seats do not matter. At this point in my life, I am simply happy to be in the building and be there for the music. To take communion with the band. 

    My original plan was to review each show separately, but honestly, they all kind of blurred together in the best way possible. The band was on fire every night. The crowds were electric. You could not only feel the energy – the reciprocity was tangible. Pearl Jam was simultaneously five guys (or six or seven if you want to count Boom and Josh) and the 15,000 people in the arena. They have been at this for thirty years, but they still come out every night and play with the emotional intensity of a band grateful for the opportunity. The chemistry is otherworldly. The responsiveness supernatural. This was probably the best block of shows I have been to since my 03 run of Uniondale and MSG nights 1 and 2. It was the sound of a band that refuses to leave its prime – and wherever there may have been a loss in power it was easily offset by craft and connectivity – with the band knowing how to generate communal intimacy, and a fan base who understands that they are not just there to listen. They are there to participate. As long as they provide fuel the music will keep burning. 

    I occasionally read fan reviews on Facebook and elsewhere, and it seems like the self-entitled fan reviews get the most attention. The ones written by someone who goes to their shows with a spreadsheet and judges their success by the boxes they can tick off. Fandom as curation. But I can say, definitively, that the crowds in the building emphatically disagreed with your disappointment. I have my favorite albums. I have my favorite live songs. I have my own wish list. But what was made abundantly clear is that, in the moment, the song I want to hear the most is whatever they are playing. I do not necessarily feel that way watching set lists unfold at home or listening to a bootleg of a show I wasn’t at.  But when I am there, I don’t want to think. I want to feel. And after thirty years at this, the band knows the science of the heart, and how to calibrate a setlist to create a deep and visceral emotional response of everyone in attendance. And trying to draw distinctions between the shows feels arbitrary, or academic in the most pedantic way possible.

     

    But the variety was there – the delicate balance between the songs that destroy a crowd and the unexpected moment that keeps you on your toes was fully present. The alchemy between what you want and what you need in full effect. Out of the seventy-six songs I got to hear over three nights, fifty-one were unique. 67% of the total setlist. That is an astounding ratio. Only six songs were played across three nights. Only sixteen repeated at all. And every repeated song elicited a huge response from the crowd, and was the only time thousands of people in the room will get to hear it this tour. So for anyone complaining about cookie cutter setlists:

     

                    A: Cookies are still delicious.

                    B: Your math does not add up.

     

    What can I say about the shows themselves? It is easier to capture moments. But the band roared out of the gate every night. It took a few moments to settle into slow burn openers like Of the Girl, Pendulum, and Can’t Keep (a first for me) – these are moody, atmospheric moments that slowly envelop you on their records, or as part of a gradually building openers. But the band was almost too excited to wait for the songs to settle. They were eager to get to work. 

     

    But I also do not know that these crowds would have waited. Every song received an explosive reaction, and there were moments that rang of prophecy. MSG exploded singing along to “I cannot stop the thought of running in the dark” during Immortality. The roof blew off of Philly at “I just want to scream ‘hello’” and after a ten-year drought of not hearing Elderly Woman my eyes absolutely welled up. Not just for the emotion of that particular moment, but in awe of the shared vocabulary we have built with each other over decades of fandom – the lyrics a language unto themselves, the arena a campfire for the soul.

     

    Mike was a man possessed all three nights. MSG saw him play half of the Even Flow solo behind his back. I am pretty sure he played it with teeth at Philly. He destroyed a guitar during Black at MSG and spent the end of the song trying to resurrect it – a séance as much as a solo.  And during Baltimore Eddie repeated the “I know someday you’ll have a beautiful life…” outro, and no one in the crowd minded getting it twice. He sounded great throughout the run, and was always chatty, playful, poignant, and real. The politics were present, but the continue to be focused more around building inclusive community - inviting people in rather than pushing them out. At this point Pearl Jam's values are of surprise to no one, and I think Eddie recognizes that while he may be able to inspire (or at least remind) someone to participate in our democratic process, this is not an appropriate venue for the long, hard work of changing minds - and that leaving feeling good about your fellow human beings is itself a political act in an era where politics is too often defined by cruelty. 

     

    Songs like Love Boat Captain that do not excite me in theory felt elemental in the moment, and the band made something like Inside Job feel like the most important song in the world. In Baltimore they stopped on a dime during Alive to make sure someone in general admission was okay, and picked right back up again with a kind of zero to infinity explosion of energy that, if harnassed, could solve a lot of the world’s problems. Otherwise, the older songs are the older songs. There are some, like Dance of the Clairvoyants (a top ten song in their entire catalog for me) that the band is still trying to figure out how to reproduce – the rare song that is gradually morphing into an entirely different animal live since they cannot reproduce the layered vocals of the outro. There are others, like Jeremy that sound impossibly vibrant for a song that old, a joyful, shared exorcism of our collective demons. At MSG,Eddie shared a story of a young kid surviving bullying and personal tragedy and transformed Given to Fly into an anthem of defiance. Moments like Out of My Mind, Alone, Tremor Christ, and Satan’s Bed feel like being let in on a secret. A run of songs like Present Tense -> Given to Fly -> Corduroy was a reminder of how deeply embedded into my DNA this band’s music is, and how hearing them together feels like both an affirmation and validation of my life. That to be here in this moment, hearing these songs, having the reaction, means I must have done something right. And I was not the only one in Baltimore having that experience. This is real ‘lifetime achievement of your favorite band’ kind of shit – something that defies words and explanations, but no less tangible and real. Eddie has spoken repeatedly about how transformative the live experience of music can be. The feeling of solidarity, of finding your tribe, of not being alone in a world full of isolating structures. How vast and powerful you feel in those moments. That is what they set out to create at a show, and somehow they are as good at it as they ever were. 

     

    Perhaps what was most remarkable is how great the Dark Matter songs sounded. I love Backspacer and Lightning Bolt, but those songs did not necessarily translate live the way I wanted them to, or the band gave up on most of them a little too quickly (with a few exceptions like Unthought Known and Mind Your Manners). Gigaton songs sounded really good, but Gigaton never really had a proper tour – the 2022, and 2023 shows felt more interstitial – tours between records, rather than tours celebrating a record.  But the Dark Matter songs were vibrant. They felt like they mattered. And they felt timeless, songs that I had been hearing my whole life, songs that felt quintessentially Pearl Jam, and they nestled seamlessly alongside the rest of the catalog. React/Respond may have been the biggest surprise for how hard hitting it was – the sly winking of the studio version replaced by something raw and far more powerful. But Wreckage is a great sing along. Dark Matter pulses exactly the way you want it to – one of the heaviest moments in each set. Upper Hand felt suitably epic. Running is genuinely fun and playful, Scared of Fear sturdy and thoughtful. Waiting for Stevie was the five-minute shot of catharsis I hoped it would be.  In fact, my only two complaints about these shows are that I never got to hear Setting Sun, and that Stevie is not in every setlist. I will unapologetically own that entitlement.

     

    I should also add that Glen Hansard is incredible, and at each show I saw a side of him I wasn't familiar with, but need to be. I would love to see him and Eddie have a true full length collaboration together. Flag Day doesn't count. 

     

    In the end, I had the total experience I was looking for. Pre-show I got to finally meet so many of the people I interact with on message boards and Discord servers, the people who sustain my fandom in between shows and records. I truly believe Pearl Jam’s music is best experienced as part of a community, and being able to put names to screen names, and infuse internet personas with actual humanity strengthens and sustains those relationships.  Every night was exactly the right mixture of surprising and familiar. And every member of the band brought the commitment that made them legends in this space. It turns out that every song, in the moment, is exactly the song I want to hear. That every song speaks to some part of who I am. And hearing them live, singing along with so many other fans, seeing how much these songs still mean to the band, revitalizes those parts of myself. 

     

    I am older than I was. Three shows in ten days takes a new toll on my body. The travel is demanding. This is not cheap, and I am grateful I was able to get to what I did. The planning can be a hassle. But for those two and a half hours, this band makes me feel immortal. And the next day the world feels just a little softer, and I fit into it just a little better. The experience has a price, but the feeling is priceless.

     

    After thirty years, Pearl Jam is still the best band in the world. Not because they have something to prove, but because they do not, and insist on proving it anyway. Thank you for three more amazing nights. 

     

    p.s. Completely selfish plug and update – for everyone who preordered our book I Am No Guide: Pearl Jam Song by Song it will be released in the UK this month, and the worldwide (including the US) release should follow. We appreciate everyone’s patience. We asked the company to delay the release  so we could include Dark Matter, and publishing logistics are more complicated than expected.  

  • LiftedLifted Posts: 1,836

    I was fortunate enough to make it to three shows this 2024 tour – my first three show run since possibly as far back as 2008. I downloaded the Pearl Jam Stat Tracker at the start of the tour, and tragically I cannot reproduce my entire history. Those 2009-2013 shows run together, and I did not save every stub or get a poster at every show. So, while the app tells me these are shows twenty-four to twenty-six, it feels like it should be closer to thirty. 

    I saw <b>MSG Night 1, Philly Night 2, and Baltimore</b>. All three were fan club tickets. Crappy upper deck Stone side seats for MSG and Philly. Great Stone side floor seats for Baltimore. But honestly the seats do not matter. At this point in my life, I am simply happy to be in the building and be there for the music. To take communion with the band. 

    My original plan was to review each show separately, but honestly, they all kind of blurred together in the best way possible. The band was on fire every night. The crowds were electric. You could not only feel the energy – the reciprocity was tangible. Pearl Jam was simultaneously five guys (or six or seven if you want to count Boom and Josh) and the 15,000 people in the arena. They have been at this for thirty years, but they still come out every night and play with the emotional intensity of a band grateful for the opportunity. The chemistry is otherworldly. The responsiveness supernatural. This was probably the best block of shows I have been to since my 03 run of Uniondale and MSG nights 1 and 2. It was the sound of a band that refuses to leave its prime – and wherever there may have been a loss in power it was easily offset by craft and connectivity – with the band knowing how to generate communal intimacy, and a fan base who understands that they are not just there to listen. They are there to participate. As long as they provide fuel the music will keep burning. 

    I occasionally read fan reviews on Facebook and elsewhere, and it seems like the self-entitled fan reviews get the most attention. The ones written by someone who goes to their shows with a spreadsheet and judges their success by the boxes they can tick off. Fandom as curation. But I can say, definitively, that the crowds in the building emphatically disagreed with your disappointment. I have my favorite albums. I have my favorite live songs. I have my own wish list. But what was made abundantly clear is that, in the moment, the song I want to hear the most is whatever they are playing. I do not necessarily feel that way watching set lists unfold at home or listening to a bootleg of a show I wasn’t at.  But when I am there, I don’t want to think. I want to feel. And after thirty years at this, the band knows the science of the heart, and how to calibrate a setlist to create a deep and visceral emotional response of everyone in attendance. And trying to draw distinctions between the shows feels arbitrary, or academic in the most pedantic way possible.

     

    But the variety was there – the delicate balance between the songs that destroy a crowd and the unexpected moment that keeps you on your toes was fully present. The alchemy between what you want and what you need in full effect. Out of the seventy-six songs I got to hear over three nights, fifty-one were unique. 67% of the total setlist. That is an astounding ratio. Only six songs were played across three nights. Only sixteen repeated at all. And every repeated song elicited a huge response from the crowd, and was the only time thousands of people in the room will get to hear it this tour. So for anyone complaining about cookie cutter setlists:

     

                    A: Cookies are still delicious.

                    B: Your math does not add up.

     

    What can I say about the shows themselves? It is easier to capture moments. But the band roared out of the gate every night. It took a few moments to settle into slow burn openers like Of the Girl, Pendulum, and Can’t Keep (a first for me) – these are moody, atmospheric moments that slowly envelop you on their records, or as part of a gradually building openers. But the band was almost too excited to wait for the songs to settle. They were eager to get to work. 

     

    But I also do not know that these crowds would have waited. Every song received an explosive reaction, and there were moments that rang of prophecy. MSG exploded singing along to “I cannot stop the thought of running in the dark” during Immortality. The roof blew off of Philly at “I just want to scream ‘hello’” and after a ten-year drought of not hearing Elderly Woman my eyes absolutely welled up. Not just for the emotion of that particular moment, but in awe of the shared vocabulary we have built with each other over decades of fandom – the lyrics a language unto themselves, the arena a campfire for the soul.

     

    Mike was a man possessed all three nights. MSG saw him play half of the Even Flow solo behind his back. I am pretty sure he played it with teeth at Philly. He destroyed a guitar during Black at MSG and spent the end of the song trying to resurrect it – a séance as much as a solo.  And during Baltimore Eddie repeated the “I know someday you’ll have a beautiful life…” outro, and no one in the crowd minded getting it twice. He sounded great throughout the run, and was always chatty, playful, poignant, and real. The politics were present, but the continue to be focused more around building inclusive community - inviting people in rather than pushing them out. At this point Pearl Jam's values are of surprise to no one, and I think Eddie recognizes that while he may be able to inspire (or at least remind) someone to participate in our democratic process, this is not an appropriate venue for the long, hard work of changing minds - and that leaving feeling good about your fellow human beings is itself a political act in an era where politics is too often defined by cruelty. 

     

    Songs like Love Boat Captain that do not excite me in theory felt elemental in the moment, and the band made something like Inside Job feel like the most important song in the world. In Baltimore they stopped on a dime during Alive to make sure someone in general admission was okay, and picked right back up again with a kind of zero to infinity explosion of energy that, if harnassed, could solve a lot of the world’s problems. Otherwise, the older songs are the older songs. There are some, like Dance of the Clairvoyants (a top ten song in their entire catalog for me) that the band is still trying to figure out how to reproduce – the rare song that is gradually morphing into an entirely different animal live since they cannot reproduce the layered vocals of the outro. There are others, like Jeremy that sound impossibly vibrant for a song that old, a joyful, shared exorcism of our collective demons. At MSG,Eddie shared a story of a young kid surviving bullying and personal tragedy and transformed Given to Fly into an anthem of defiance. Moments like Out of My Mind, Alone, Tremor Christ, and Satan’s Bed feel like being let in on a secret. A run of songs like Present Tense -> Given to Fly -> Corduroy was a reminder of how deeply embedded into my DNA this band’s music is, and how hearing them together feels like both an affirmation and validation of my life. That to be here in this moment, hearing these songs, having the reaction, means I must have done something right. And I was not the only one in Baltimore having that experience. This is real ‘lifetime achievement of your favorite band’ kind of shit – something that defies words and explanations, but no less tangible and real. Eddie has spoken repeatedly about how transformative the live experience of music can be. The feeling of solidarity, of finding your tribe, of not being alone in a world full of isolating structures. How vast and powerful you feel in those moments. That is what they set out to create at a show, and somehow they are as good at it as they ever were. 

     

    Perhaps what was most remarkable is how great the Dark Matter songs sounded. I love Backspacer and Lightning Bolt, but those songs did not necessarily translate live the way I wanted them to, or the band gave up on most of them a little too quickly (with a few exceptions like Unthought Known and Mind Your Manners). Gigaton songs sounded really good, but Gigaton never really had a proper tour – the 2022, and 2023 shows felt more interstitial – tours between records, rather than tours celebrating a record.  But the Dark Matter songs were vibrant. They felt like they mattered. And they felt timeless, songs that I had been hearing my whole life, songs that felt quintessentially Pearl Jam, and they nestled seamlessly alongside the rest of the catalog. React/Respond may have been the biggest surprise for how hard hitting it was – the sly winking of the studio version replaced by something raw and far more powerful. But Wreckage is a great sing along. Dark Matter pulses exactly the way you want it to – one of the heaviest moments in each set. Upper Hand felt suitably epic. Running is genuinely fun and playful, Scared of Fear sturdy and thoughtful. Waiting for Stevie was the five-minute shot of catharsis I hoped it would be.  In fact, my only two complaints about these shows are that I never got to hear Setting Sun, and that Stevie is not in every setlist. I will unapologetically own that entitlement.

     

    I should also add that Glen Hansard is incredible, and at each show I saw a side of him I wasn't familiar with, but need to be. I would love to see him and Eddie have a true full length collaboration together. Flag Day doesn't count. 

     

    In the end, I had the total experience I was looking for. Pre-show I got to finally meet so many of the people I interact with on message boards and Discord servers, the people who sustain my fandom in between shows and records. I truly believe Pearl Jam’s music is best experienced as part of a community, and being able to put names to screen names, and infuse internet personas with actual humanity strengthens and sustains those relationships.  Every night was exactly the right mixture of surprising and familiar. And every member of the band brought the commitment that made them legends in this space. It turns out that every song, in the moment, is exactly the song I want to hear. That every song speaks to some part of who I am. And hearing them live, singing along with so many other fans, seeing how much these songs still mean to the band, revitalizes those parts of myself. 

     

    I am older than I was. Three shows in ten days takes a new toll on my body. The travel is demanding. This is not cheap, and I am grateful I was able to get to what I did. The planning can be a hassle. But for those two and a half hours, this band makes me feel immortal. And the next day the world feels just a little softer, and I fit into it just a little better. The experience has a price, but the feeling is priceless.

     

    After thirty years, Pearl Jam is still the best band in the world. Not because they have something to prove, but because they do not, and insist on proving it anyway. Thank you for three more amazing nights. 

     

    p.s. Completely selfish plug and update – for everyone who preordered our book I Am No Guide: Pearl Jam Song by Song it will be released in the UK this month, and the worldwide (including the US) release should follow. We appreciate everyone’s patience. We asked the company to delay the release  so we could include Dark Matter, and publishing logistics are more complicated than expected.  

    Great review. Thanks for sharing.
  • demetriosdemetrios Posts: 91,533
    My very first Baltimore show. It was a great one. :)



  • dopazzdopazz Posts: 74
    dwjmu84 said:
    Last night was incredible. A few shots from my perspective right in front of Mike. 

    Crowd was great, band was on fire and in high spirits. 

    Here’s to more in ‘25 and beyond!


    Thanks for sharing the photos of Mike thrashing on the ground, that moment was amazing!
  • retroponyretropony Posts: 351
    Playing evolution live and timing it up with the video was pretty impressive to me. Had a great time, there was a good energy there for sure
    Washington DC 2008
    Charlotte NC 2013
    Greenville SC 2016
    Wrigley 1 2018
  • Who I AmWho I Am Posts: 661
    LITTLE SECRETS....TREMOOOOOOOOOOOOOORS!!!!!
    02MAY2003 - State College, PA
    08JUL2003 - New York, NY (L@TG)
    14JUL2003 - Holmdel, NJ
    01OCT2004 - Reading, PA
    01OCT2005 - Atlantic City, NJ
    03OCT2005 - Philadelphia, PA
    27MAY2006 - Camden, NJ
    01JUN2006 - East Rutherford, NJ
    03JUN2006 - East Rutherford, NJ
    30SEP2009 - Universal City, CA
    09OCT2009 - San Diego, CA
    06JUL2011 - Long Beach, CA (EV)
    19JUL2013 - Wrigley Field, IL
    21OCT2013 - Philadelphia, PA
    22OCT2013 - Philadelphia, PA
    27OCT2013 - Baltimore, MD
    29APR2016 - Philadelphia, PA (TEN)
    05AUG2016 - Fenway Park, MA
    07AUG2016 - Fenway Park, MA
    27AUG2016 - Dana Point, CA (Ohana)
    18AUG2018 - Wrigley Field, IL
    20AUG2018 - Wrigley Field, IL
    18SEP2021 - Asbury Park, NJ
    14SEP2022 - Camden, NJ
    09SEP2024 - Philadelphia, PA
    12SEP2024 - Baltimore, MD

Sign In or Register to comment.