Vancouver Lollapalooza 92 - crap
Vancouver with Uncle Neil in 93 -total crap
Vancouver 98 -complete shite
Seattle 02 -garbage
Vanouver 03 - so lame
Gorge 06 x2 - Boring and a bit cold
One day I will get to see one of those epic east coast shows
The scale is this: EPIC - Shows that are remembered forever even by the people who didn't go to them (think Randalls Island, etc) (maybe 1% of shows) SPECIAL - The rare unusually amazing/rare/unique shows from each tour (maybe 5-10% of shows) GOOD - The above average shows, (probably I'd say 35% of shows) AVERAGE - Good, but overall its going to be a show that blends in with a lot of other shows on the tour (another 35% or so) SUBPAR - Still great but for a Pearl Jam show nothing that was particularly inspiring (bottom 20% of shows)
Astoria 06 - Special
Dublin 06 - Special
Verona 06 - Good
London 07 - Average
Copenhagen 07 - EPIC
Vic 07 - Average
Lolla 07 - Average
The Astoria??? Orgazmic!
Verona??? it's all surmountable
Dublin 23.08.06 "The beauty of Ireland, right there!"
Wembley? We all believe!
Copenhagen?? your light made us stars
Chicago 07? And love
What a different life
Had I not found this love with you
Vancouver Lollapalooza 92 - crap
Vancouver with Uncle Neil in 93 -total crap
Vancouver 98 -complete shite
Seattle 02 -garbage
Vanouver 03 - so lame
Gorge 06 x2 - Boring and a bit cold
One day I will get to see one of those epic east coast shows
Hey-- you left coast folks had that one show in Seattle in 2000 that was apparently pretty good -- be happy with that suckers!
"Goddamn Romans. Sure know how to make a ... drum room." --Matt Cameron
Vancouver Lollapalooza 92 - crap
Vancouver with Uncle Neil in 93 -total crap
Vancouver 98 -complete shite
Seattle 02 -garbage
Vanouver 03 - so lame
Gorge 06 x2 - Boring and a bit cold
One day I will get to see one of those epic east coast shows
And you're a fan?? Why do you go? I've never in 22 shows seen a bad show. Why was it complete shit?
Camden I 06 - GOOD
Camden II 06 - GOOD
Bonnaroo - EPIC, despite I felt much of the crowd around me in the very front was a little lame, I enjoyed an amazing show in my own little PJ world)
Camden I 08 - GOOD/SPECIAL......... These two shows border the
Camden II 08 - GOOD/SPECIAL.......GOOD and SPECIAL Rankings IMO
Camden I '06, Camden II '06, Bonnaroo '08, Camden I '08, Camden II '08, Philly Spectrum II/III/IV '09, MSG I '10, MSG II '10, Made In America '12, Wrigley '13, Brooklyn II '13, Philly I '13, Philly II '13, ...
Curious to see how people would rate the shows they've personally attended on the following scale. Try not to be biased!
The scale is this: EPIC - Shows that are remembered forever even by the people who didn't go to them (think Randalls Island, etc) (maybe 1% of shows) SPECIAL - The rare unusually amazing/rare/unique shows from each tour (maybe 5-10% of shows) GOOD - The above average shows, (probably I'd say 35% of shows) AVERAGE - Good, but overall its going to be a show that blends in with a lot of other shows on the tour (another 35% or so) SUBPAR - Still great but for a Pearl Jam show nothing that was particularly inspiring (bottom 20% of shows)
Obviously this works best for people like me who haven't seen 50 billion shows. But whoever wants to play along, I'd love to see how people rate the shows they've been to as honestly as possible.
[/B]
9/22/96-Toledo-SPECIAL (for me anyhow, 1st show...probably more of a Good)
8/17/98-Indy-GOOD (better than average due to the Clinton video)
9/6/98-Knoxville-GOOD (better than average due to Hard to Imagine)
8/18/00-Indy-AVERAGE
8/20/00-Cincinnati-GOOD
8/21/00-Columbus-GOOD
10/07/00-Detroit-GOOD
4/21/03-Lexington-AVERAGE
4/25/03-Cleveland-GOOD (Sonic Reducer)
6/22/03-Indy-SPECIAL (great Gimme some truth...and Yellow Led, underrated show)
6/24/03-Columbus-GOOD (improv and Footsteps make it better than average)
10/2/04-Toledo-SPECIAL (Neil Young...Peter Frampton...)
9/11/05-Kitchener-AVERAGE
12/9/05-Mexico City-GOOD (Special for me though...met Mike & Jeff)
12/10/05-Mexico City-GOOD
5/20/06-Cleveland-GOOD (Got to hear Stone sing again)
5/22/06-Detroit-SPECIAL (Encore #2 kicked some serious @$$!)
6/23/06-Pittsburgh-GOOD
6/24/06-Cincy-SPECIAL (People liek to cut this show down, but the atmosphere was awesome and you could tell Ed was into it..special evening in my book)
8/5/07-Chicago(Lolla)-GOOD (saved from average by Education & Dennis Rodman)
6/14/08-Manchester(Bonnaroo)-EPIC (finally got to see 1 of these!!)
8/5/07-Chicago(Lolla)-GOOD (saved from average by Education & Dennis Rodman)
:eek: YOU were at lolla?
The Astoria??? Orgazmic!
Verona??? it's all surmountable
Dublin 23.08.06 "The beauty of Ireland, right there!"
Wembley? We all believe!
Copenhagen?? your light made us stars
Chicago 07? And love
What a different life
Had I not found this love with you
EPIC - Shows that are remembered forever even by the people who didn't go to them (think Randalls Island, etc) (maybe 1% of shows) SPECIAL - The rare unusually amazing/rare/unique shows from each tour (maybe 5-10% of shows) GOOD - The above average shows, (probably I'd say 35% of shows) AVERAGE - Good, but overall its going to be a show that blends in with a lot of other shows on the tour (another 35% or so) SUBPAR - Still great but for a Pearl Jam show nothing that was particularly inspiring (bottom 20% of shows)
9/25/05- Pittsburgh-Average(they opened for the stones was nice but nothing really special, but hell it was my first time seeing Pearl Jam it gets a bump up to Average because of that.)
6/23/06- Pittsburgh-Good
8/02/07-The Vic- Epic, I am still saying wow when I listen to the bootleg a year later
8/05/07- Lolla- Good, not the best show but sitting in the heat from 10am until PJ hit the stage was one of my most trying experiences and then PJ comes out with Why Go and I don't feel like shit.
6/22/08- DC-Good, first show I too my GF to had a blast.
9/28/05 PNC Park Pittsburgh- 6/23/06 Mellon Arena Pittsburgh- 8/02/07 The Vic- 8/05/07- Lollapalooza 6/22/08 DC
EPIC - Shows that are remembered forever even by the people who didn't go to them (think Randalls Island, etc) (maybe 1% of shows)
SPECIAL - The rare unusually amazing/rare/unique shows from each tour (maybe 5-10% of shows)
GOOD - The above average shows, (probably I'd say 35% of shows)
AVERAGE - Good, but overall its going to be a show that blends in with a lot of other shows on the tour (another 35% or so)
SUBPAR - Still great but for a Pearl Jam show nothing that was particularly inspiring (bottom 20% of shows)
Astoria, London - SPECIAL. Live debut of lots of Avocado songs, my first ever show, one-off show in the UK before the tour even started, tiny intimate venue, HOT crowd!
Lisbon I, 2006 -GOOD. Beautiful crowd, fairly standard set but the band was ON FIRE for all the songs.
Lisbon II, 2006 - SPECIAL. Such a powerful show, another awesome crowd and a very different setlist compared to the night before. Best 'Garden' i've personally ever heard.
Paris, 2006 - GOOD. Lots of Riot Act songs, what a treat! Good crowd but quite rough at times and some drunken idiots didn't know how to behave in a civil way.
Verona - SPECIAL. We all got soaked, and had a blast! 'Release' opening the show at this amazing venue was just beautiful.
Milano - EPIC. I say it's EPIC because i'm going off your descriptions, this one will probably be remembered more than others because the band was on fire and the crowd was RIDICULOUS. Definitely the loudest gig i've ever been to, it was deafening during 'Daughter' and 'Black'. Live debut of 'Picture in a Frame' which was stunning.
Wembley, London - SPECIAL. This show had a HUGE fanclub turnout, the setlist was fantastic and the crowd was intense. Even Mike mentions the intense crowd in the latest issue of Deep magazine.
Dusseldorf - EPIC. This show had it all imo, and anyone who was there will tell you that they'll never forget this night. Crowd was amazing, the band was amazing, Ed was in awe of the crowd, and the setlist was just insane.
Copenhagen - SPECIAL. This was emotional for obvious reasons, and everyone could feel it. Great setlist, debut of 'Love Reign O'er Me', and the girl who got brought on stage at the end was great to see. We were front row but far on the right, so the sound was a bit uneven because we could barely hear Mike, and the speaker right in front of us pretty much wrecked my right ear lol.
Nijmegen - SPECIAL. A fairly standard set, but again the band was just firing on all cylinders. Beautiful, huge park outdoors with glorious weather. The whole day was beautiful, and the entire show was beautiful. 'No More' was the best live version Ed has done imo, just listen to the live recording which you can get as an extra when you buy 'Into The Wild' off itunes. For such a new song, the crowd sang and clapped as if it was an old favourite. I got tears in my eyes during that one. I FINALLY got to hear 'Nothingman' too, my favourite song! After the show, everyone started leaving the park and i stood there and i cried. I couldn't help it. This show really affected me, probably my favourite of the 10 i've seen.
"This town deserves a better class of criminal... and I'm gonna give it to them."
Here're mine based on the ratings criteria established:
TFC '97 Special (only Mike/Ed to open the festival doing an acoustic set of Corduroy, Rockin', and Ledbetter; later joined Michael Stipe from REM to do Long Road)
TFC '98 Subpar (short festival set)
Pittsburgh '98 Good
Camden 1 '98 Good (near the top of my "good" shows; heavy on 10 w/ some rarities like Hard to Imagine back when it was a rarity)
Camden 2 '98 Average
Camden 1 '00 Average
Camden 2 '00 Average
Pittsburgh '00 Good
Philly '03 Good (near the top of my "good" shows; solid setlist and the band seemed more "on" than usual)
Camden 1 '03 Average
Camden 2 '03 Average
MSG 1 '03 Epic (great crowd, great setlist w/ Crown of Thorns; special moments like Ben Harper and best version of Wishlist ever done; they made it into a DVD so that tells you something)
MSG 2 '03 Good (great crowd, but had such high expections based on prior MSG shows that it was hard to live up to it)
Hershey '03 Subpar (venue not great, average setlist for the tour)
Reading '04 Special (smaller indoor venue, good crowd, great selection of politically charged covers that didn't get a lot of play outside of the VFC tour)
Philly '05 Special (great crowd; incredible setlist loaded w/ b-sides/rarities/covers; probably gets more play in my iPod than any other show I've been to)
Camden 1 '06 Good (solid 1st encore)
Camden 2 '06 Average
Meadowlands 1 '06 Average
Camden 1 '08 Good
Camden 2 '08 Average
DC '08 Average
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
Adelaide 2003: Good
Melbourne 1 2003: Sub par (crowd was awful, only one encore! Worse PJ crowd I have ever seen)
Los Angeles 2 2006: Good (Brain of J, Footsteps, I Got Shit and Tim Robbins came on stage)
Santa Barbara 2006: Good (Acoustic set with some rare stuff waiting on a friend, HTI, lowlight, oceans)
Gorge 1 2006: Special (Wash opener, It's ok stellar version, Dirty Frank)
Gorge 2 2006: Good (Hard to say wasn't nearly as good as night 1, Loved Fuckin up Satan's Bed)
Adelaide 1 2006: Special (may be biased here but this along with Newcastle had to be the show of the Aussie tour, MOTH, Sad, Don't gimmie no lip)
Adelaide 2 2006) Good (Miracles, satan's bed, thin air, nais, 1/2 full, lbc, hared down being a highlight with present tense... nice but again night 1 better)
Camden 1 2008 Special (Reign Over Me, U, Rats... This show had it all great show)
Camden 2 2008) Average (not too bad but something lacked tonight although a few nice rare tracks in there)
Washington D.C. 2008: Special almost epic (This is almost my fav show ever.. the crowd lifted above all my expectations... You Are, Watchtower, JAKE!)
Hartford 2008: TBA
I'm just flying around the other side of the world to say I love you
Sha la la la i'm in love with a jersey girl
I love you forever and forever
Adel 03 Melb 1 03 LA 2 06 Santa Barbara 06 Gorge 1 06 Gorge 2 06 Adel 1 06 Adel 2 06 Camden 1 08 Camden 2 08 Washington DC 08 Hartford 08
Well I've never seen Baba O'Riley. So if that happens it will rocket that show automatically to number 1.
9/7/98 VA Beach. My first show. Pretty damn rockin and they used Black for the LOTL album. ok crowd, leatherman was a treat. A great 1st show.
8/3/00 VA Beach Amazing show. I was close up and the Long Road opener after what had just happened and the It's ok chants we're spine chilling. Also I loved Binaural, so it was fantastic to see so much of the album live.
9/4/00 Merriweather (DC I guess) Pretty good show. I just had lawn seats, but the boys were on and it was a solid show.
4/15/03 Raliegh The crowd was lame, and it was just another good performance. Nothing stands out in my eyes other than gimme some truth and fortunate son.
7/1/03 Nissan (DC) Another OK crowd and a good performance by the boys, but no memorable moments that I recall right now.
9/28/04 Boston An incredible show. Just a lot of energy and great setlist. Still wish I could get the boots for these 2 shows. Think this is the one with Howard Zinn which was just blew my mind.
9/29/04 Boston another great show, that my companion ruined by being a stick in the mud and making me leave early before I've got a feeling. Great crowd as always.
5/24/06 Boston The best show of my life. The place was rockin, the set list was topnotch, the fans were in top voice and release opened. Just amazing.
5/25/06 Boston I didn't like it as much as the 1st night, but just another great crowd. and....THEO! THEO! THEO!
6/17/08 VA Beach This was an awesome show. My favorite non-Boston show. Great energy upfront and I loved the setlist again especially getting to hear guaranteed.
6/22/08 DC I hate the Verizon Center but this show was kick ass. It's been talked to death, but the I and You setlist just put it over the top into great territory.
My Top 5 (Can't make it all Boston)
Boston 1 06
Boston 1 04
Va Beach 08
VA Beach 00
DC 08
Wembley, London - SPECIAL. This show had a HUGE fanclub turnout, the setlist was fantastic and the crowd was intense. Even Mike mentions the intense crowd in the latest issue of Deep magazine.
Dusseldorf - EPIC. This show had it all imo, and anyone who was there will tell you that they'll never forget this night. Crowd was amazing, the band was amazing, Ed was in awe of the crowd, and the setlist was just insane.
Copenhagen - SPECIAL. This was emotional for obvious reasons, and everyone could feel it. Great setlist, debut of 'Love Reign O'er Me', and the girl who got brought on stage at the end was great to see. We were front row but far on the right, so the sound was a bit uneven because we could barely hear Mike, and the speaker right in front of us pretty much wrecked my right ear lol.
Nijmegen - SPECIAL. A fairly standard set, but again the band was just firing on all cylinders. Beautiful, huge park outdoors with glorious weather. The whole day was beautiful, and the entire show was beautiful. 'No More' was the best live version Ed has done imo, just listen to the live recording which you can get as an extra when you buy 'Into The Wild' off itunes. For such a new song, the crowd sang and clapped as if it was an old favourite. I got tears in my eyes during that one. I FINALLY got to hear 'Nothingman' too, my favourite song! After the show, everyone started leaving the park and i stood there and i cried. I couldn't help it. This show really affected me, probably my favourite of the 10 i've seen.
is this some sort of joke because they didn't put out bootlegs to those?
to the above poster, for that VA Beach 2000 show, the thing that I still vividly remember was the It's Okay tag on Daughter. That was just amazing. I'm not certain if I there were tears in my eyes or if they were full out streaming down my cheeks. Pretty moving rendition with Ed and his lyric sheet in hand.
to the above poster, for that VA Beach 2000 show, the thing that I still vividly remember was the It's Okay tag on Daughter. That was just amazing. I'm not certain if I there were tears in my eyes or if they were full out streaming down my cheeks. Pretty moving rendition with Ed and his lyric sheet in hand.
Yeah, that was just a great show. I remember when he said sing loud cause your still alive, and the back started cheering thing it was gonna be alive or something. That was really just an amazing moment.
Missoula 6/20/98: Special (opening night of U.S. tour and first full U.S. show in forever; played In Hiding, Present Tense, plus the wedding proposal on stage before Betterman; awesome crowd, lots of crowd surfing)
San Bernardino 10/28/00: Subpar (just an average performance by the band, and other factors make it subpar: a shitty crowd, a shitty venue, and I was sick)
Bridge School 10/25/03: Good (just a great overall atmosphere! awesome version of Masters of War, too)
Los Angeles: 7/9/06: Special (the greatest PJ show of my life; awesome crowd, plus heard a bunch of songs I had been hoping for: Release, Not For You, Inside Job, Crown of Thorns, Baba...and Elderly Woman kicked ass, too)
Santa Barbara 7/13/06: Good (cool setlist...Oceans, Low Light, Waiting on a Friend, Low Light, Hard to Imagine, kick-ass Black, I Got Shit, Porch; might rank as special if not for having to compare it to LA1 four night earlier)
Bridge School 10/22/06: Good (set was a bit short, but setlist was awesome and pretty unexpected for a "festival" show: MoW, Around the Bend, Thin Air, Lukin (acoustic), Throw Your Hatred Down)
Eddie Solo Los Angeles 4/12/08: Special (holy shit, where do I start? This was just an amazing evening...)
Eddie Solo Los Angeles 4/13/08: Epic (probably the greatest concert by any performer I have attended in my life; beautiful venue, beautiful crowd, amazing performance...and we got some songs that weren't played at every show on the tour: Thumbing My Way, Man of the Hour, Soon Forget, Picture in a Frame, All Along the Watchtower w/ Ben Harper...; not to mention two absolutely unforgettable moments: the crowd singing Happy Birthday to Eddie's grandma while someone on stage filmed us, and Arc, which is breathtaking live)
Everything has chains...Absolutely nothing's changed. - PJ
“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” - Albert Camus
Here's my list. Most, if not all PJ shows I have been to I will rate good at the very least. Some might rate higher or lower than what most people think based on my seat location and other personal factors. An average PJ show is better than 90% of any other concert I've been to...
Lollapalooza 1992 - Good. I knew I was watching something special when I saw PJ come on in the middle of the day. I think my jaw hit the ground when I saw Ed climb up the curtain thing on the side of the stage.
Boulder 11/26/93 - Good. I think the band had some trouble with security at this show and ended up cancelling the last show of a 3 night stand. All GA seating. Really intense.
Red Rocks 6/19 & 6/20 1995 - Special. Still waiting and hoping they play here again in the future. Immortality on night one was one of my favorite PJ memories.
Seattle 9/16/96 - Good. First and only trip to see them in Seattle. Waited in line for 6 hours to get in the first couple of rows. Couldn't handle the pit and found a seat before PJ came on. I remember the band having some sound issues for this show. Lots of No Code.
Park City 6/21/1998 - Good. First and only time hearing All Those Yesterdays. Ed's "Norman/Mormon" speach was still one of the funniest I've heard. A really fun show.
Denver 6/23/98 - Good/Special. Special for me because it was my first show in the front row. Setlist was average at the time. Fiddlers Green had really bad sound. Closed with Patriot by request, I think. To anyone who has heard this boot, my personal apologies for shouting like a drunk idiot during the first few songs. I was a little exicited.
Bridge School - 10/30/99. Good. Cool atmosphere. Still can't believe they opened with Soldier of Love. I think the Who played this show too which was amazing.
Charlotte - 8/4/2000 - Average. Nothing sticks out in my mind about this show. Pretty solid set list from what I remember. Okay non-10 club seats.
Greensboro - 8/6/2000 - Average. See Charlotte above. Still got Smile to close. Of The Girl and Brain of J were cool too.
Albuquerque - 10/20/2000 - Good. Underrated show for this tour in my opinion. Cool venue. Great Rockin in the Free World (the version on touring band 2000).
Vegas - 10/22/2000 - Epic. 10th anniversary show. 5th row center seats. Debut of Crown of Thorns. One of my favorite versions of one of my favorite songs, Rearviewmirror. Don't know what else can be said about this one.
Bridge School - 10/20/2001. Average.
Denver 4/1/2003 - Good. The controversial Bushleaguer show. The whole crowd was rocking out from what I saw. Sat 4th row on Mike's side and my wife finally got a pick. Love it when they play close to home.
Vegas 6/6/2003 - Good. Maybe a little over-hyped for a Vegas show. A lot of really funny moments during this show from what I remember. Probably the most drunk I have ever seen Eddie at a show before. Heart was there to help with Rockin in the Free World.
Council Bluffs 6/13/2003 - Special. Probably the most underrated PJ show I have been to. Friends and I waited in line for a few hours for tickets. It paid off with front row center seats. Opening with Arc was one of my favorite live PJ moments I have ever experienced. Ed yelling, "Here we go!" at the beginning of Save you. Driven to Tears and Know Your Rights were great. I probably rate this show higher than normal because of where we were sitting, but still. Great crowd energy. Nothing beats seeing the band up close like this.
MSG 7/8/2003 - Epic. On the floor at the Garden was fucking crazy. Seeing Ed, Jeff and Mike play with the Buzzcocks got the night off to a good start. You've seen the DVD, so you know what it was like. I'm a big Ben Harper fan, wore a Harper shirt to this show having no idea he would show up. People around me asked if I knew he would be there....I was not privy to that info. I had a chance to meet Ben last year. I brought up this show to him, telling him I was there and how memorable it was. He got a big smile on his face, laughed and just shook his head. He told me if was off the hook. I could tell it was pretty special for him to be there too.
Kitchener, London & Hamilton Ontario 9/11 - 9/13/2005. (I realize I've spent too much time doing this at work, so I am grouping these together). Special. Great shows. Met a lot of great people on this trip. London (oceans, bleed for me, hard to imagine, black red yellow..come on!) was my favorite show of the three. Harvest Moon in Hamilton! Good 10 club seats for all 3. My friend and I were unsure about making the Canada trip. So glad we decided to go.
Denver 7/2-7/3/2006 - Special. Petty shows. I eventually got over the fact that PJ didn't play full sets. Band was in good spirits for both nights. Loved 'So you want to be a rock & roll star' both nights. It was awesome seeing Ed sing The Waiting with the Heartbreakers.
Vegas 7/6/2006 - Good. One of my favorite openers ever with Inside Job. Too bad Ed was not feeing well for this one. Still a really fun show.
San Fran - 7/16 & 7/18. Special. Still kicking myself for not going to night 1. Great atmosphere at the shows. Sonic Youth kicked ass in my opinion. All along the watch tower night 3 was amazing. Ed fucking up Sometimes on night two (and not forgiving himself for it the whole show) was hilarious. Night 3 was almost ruined for me due to circumstance beyond my control. Still two great shows in a great city.
Philadelphia '05 - Special
Irving Plaza '06 - Special
Albany '06- Good
Hartford '06 - Average
Camden 2 '06 - Good
East Rutherford 1 '06 - Good
East Rutherford 2 '06 - Special
San Francisco 1 '06- Good
San Francisco 2 '06 - Good
Madrid '07 - Good
Munich '07 - Good
London '07 - Special
Camden 1 '08 - Good
MSG 1 '08 - Special
MSG 2 '08 - Special
Here's a list in order from EPIC to Average (I've never been to a subpar Pearl jam show) of the 8 Pearl Jam shows I've seen since 1996.
EPIC
Randalls Island September 29th, 1996.
Key Arena Seattle Washington 11/06/00
Special
Key Arena Seattle Washington 11/05/00
Holmdel New Jersey 7/14/03
MSG New York New York 06/25/08
Oakland Coliseum Oakland California 11/15/97
Average
MSG New York New York 09/10/98
Camden New Jersey 5/28/06
Summary;
Randalls Island, 9/29/96 was my First Pearl Jam show. Spent the day hanging out with friends exploring the "Island", the night was to quote one of the other posters a "Life Changing experience". That night was the coolest thing I've ever been a part of, I knew that night (as did my friends) that this was an "EPIC" show. One that they will talk about for ages, my favorite memories are of Ed singing and waving to the throngs of crowds crowded the Tri-Borough Bridge Toll Plaza above and to the side of Downing Stadium. I love how they kept playing, even though my body was tired my mind wanted them to play all night. I've also discovered my favorite time of year to see Pearl Jam live is in the Fall.
Key Arena 11/06/00 was amazing, I was at both Seattle shows and the night before was very subdued, Ed even mentioned (Boise was better than you). However night II was amazing, I had to be there as I thought this could possibly be the last tour/show after what happened in Denmark. It was very emotional, and you could feel it. The Red Hot Chili Peppers were awesome!. Again another great Autumn show.
Key Arena 11/05/00 was a strong performance from the band, the highlight was "Crown of Thorns". I played that song so much in High School I practically wore out the CD. Again Chili Peppers opening up was awesome, they have so much energy during their shows!. It was also my first time in Seattle, I loved it!.
Holmdel , NJ 7/14/03 is third on my list. For those who have not been yet the PNC arts Center is a great place to see a show, really nice grounds and venue. Ed even remarked they liked the place and wanted to return. The sound that night was excellent, they had the Jumbo trons on the sides of the stage for the Lawn folks. Some notables of this show are Wash (not played for a long time) opening the show, a great version of Hunger Strike (not played in a longtime) and some strong performances of classics such as Evenflow which has a great Mike solo. The Springsteen cover "Growin' up" was a great cover, and Ed nailed it. Also Dead Man prior to the Show was a nice treat. People should find this bootleg and add it to their collection, last US date of the 2003 tour. It was also the first show I took my now Wife to, and she herself ranks this one the best of the three Pearl Jam shows we've seen together.
MSG New York New York 06/25/08, I'll probably get some heat for this but I put this show just behind Holmdel 2003. The set list was amazing, they were obviously having a great time. Ace was awesome, and Matt's Singing is fantastic. Here's my huge complaint about this show, TOO MUCH CROWD! I want to hear Pearl Jam perform, not the audience. I think the crowd overtook some great songs that I'm hoping to hear more clear when the bootlegs come out. Great versions of Rats, and WMA is one song I thought I would never hear live outside of the tags hear and there. The standout of the night though for me was Garden, played the right way! (not the slow way).
Oakland Coliseum Oakland California 11/15/97; As a Raiders fan I was really excited to have field seats. I got to go into the dug out and other parts of the Stadium where only atheletes are typically allowed. I'm also a Rolling Stones fan so seeing Pearl Jam open up for the Stones was a great treat, I also got to hear some songs from Yield for the first time. They were obviously having a great time, and Pearl Jam fans made their presence throughout the huge stadium known/ felt. If this show was a little longer it would be higher on the list.
MSG New York New York 09/10/98, again I'm going to get myself in trouble hear but sound quality wise I preferred this show to last nights (6/25/08). The difference was less crowd more Pearl Jam. Even though they had some equipment problems (All those Yesterdays) the songs they played all the way through were excellent performances. I remember the huge amount of "Breath" signs and Ed commenting, however they played it the next night. The Ken Star bit was funny, and Alive was the best performance of that Song I've ever seen. The Chanting of "Yeah!" at the end of the Song by the crowd and Ed cheering everyone on was a standout moment for me.
What brought this show down for me was not the equipment problems, it was the shortness of the show and the ending with "Soldier of Love". It's a nice song but not as a closer, Mike started Yellow Ledbetter but Ed ran over and stopped him.
Camden New Jersey 5/28/06; While this show has a great set list, I was unhappy with the crowd. Too drunk, too high, too rowdy, too Philly. Living in Central Jersey I love listening to WYSP and WMMR who really give Pearl Jam some great air time, I just don't like the crowd at the show I went to. I almost got into a fight with some punk, and the lawn seats there are terrible. The songs were really good!
Randalls Island New York 9/29/96 - Oakland Coliseum Oakland California 11/15/97 - MSG New York New York 09/10/98 - Key Arena Seattle Washington 11/05/00, 11/06/00 - PNC Bank Arts Center Holmdel New Jersey 7/14/03 - Tweeter Center Camden New Jersey 5/28/06, MSG New York New York 06/25/08, Spectrum Arena Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 10/27/09
Winnipeg 2005 - GOOD
My first show. A great, very memorable crowd and a good setlist.
St. Paul 2006 x2 - AVERAGE
Two nights of Pearl Jam opening for Tom Petty led to some pretty standard setlists. Definitely nothing special as far as Pearl Jam concerts go, but it was a very cool experience. Saved from sub-par by Ed's collaborations with Tom Petty.
Bonnaroo 2008 - EPIC
Massive crowd with an incredibly strong sense of unity. Unbelievable setlist. I spent the first hour or so with my jaw dropped. Too much fun and it will never be matched.
“Hello, babies. Welcome to Earth. It’s hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It’s round and wet and crowded. At the outside, babies, you’ve got about a hundred years here. There’s only one rule that I know of, babies — ‘God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.’” - Kurt Vonnegut
The Astoria??? Orgazmic!
Verona??? it's all surmountable
Dublin 23.08.06 "The beauty of Ireland, right there!"
Wembley? We all believe!
Copenhagen?? your light made us stars
Chicago 07? And love
What a different life
Had I not found this love with you
Didn't know you'd be there. Missed opportunity, huh? Lemme know when you make it back over the little pond.
Will do
The Astoria??? Orgazmic!
Verona??? it's all surmountable
Dublin 23.08.06 "The beauty of Ireland, right there!"
Wembley? We all believe!
Copenhagen?? your light made us stars
Chicago 07? And love
What a different life
Had I not found this love with you
Hartford 2008 was a Epic show in my opinion. The set list rocked. They were on full steam ahead! All those people who said it would suck were totally wrong. I thought I would get through 1 show w/o hearing Even FLOW (over played in my opinion) but alas. . . . .no luck. Now they even do cheese white police light with it. Only disappointment of the whole show. Immortality was INSPIRING!!!!!
Comments
Vancouver with Uncle Neil in 93 -total crap
Vancouver 98 -complete shite
Seattle 02 -garbage
Vanouver 03 - so lame
Gorge 06 x2 - Boring and a bit cold
One day I will get to see one of those epic east coast shows
Dublin 06 - Special
Verona 06 - Good
London 07 - Average
Copenhagen 07 - EPIC
Vic 07 - Average
Lolla 07 - Average
Verona??? it's all surmountable
Dublin 23.08.06 "The beauty of Ireland, right there!"
Wembley? We all believe!
Copenhagen?? your light made us stars
Chicago 07? And love
What a different life
Had I not found this love with you
Hey-- you left coast folks had that one show in Seattle in 2000 that was apparently pretty good -- be happy with that suckers!
And you're a fan?? Why do you go? I've never in 22 shows seen a bad show. Why was it complete shit?
what he said, I was just kidding, for me all PJ shows are epic!
Camden II 06 - GOOD
Bonnaroo - EPIC, despite I felt much of the crowd around me in the very front was a little lame, I enjoyed an amazing show in my own little PJ world)
Camden I 08 - GOOD/SPECIAL......... These two shows border the
Camden II 08 - GOOD/SPECIAL.......GOOD and SPECIAL Rankings IMO
9/22/96-Toledo-SPECIAL (for me anyhow, 1st show...probably more of a Good)
8/17/98-Indy-GOOD (better than average due to the Clinton video)
9/6/98-Knoxville-GOOD (better than average due to Hard to Imagine)
8/18/00-Indy-AVERAGE
8/20/00-Cincinnati-GOOD
8/21/00-Columbus-GOOD
10/07/00-Detroit-GOOD
4/21/03-Lexington-AVERAGE
4/25/03-Cleveland-GOOD (Sonic Reducer)
6/22/03-Indy-SPECIAL (great Gimme some truth...and Yellow Led, underrated show)
6/24/03-Columbus-GOOD (improv and Footsteps make it better than average)
10/2/04-Toledo-SPECIAL (Neil Young...Peter Frampton...)
9/11/05-Kitchener-AVERAGE
12/9/05-Mexico City-GOOD (Special for me though...met Mike & Jeff)
12/10/05-Mexico City-GOOD
5/20/06-Cleveland-GOOD (Got to hear Stone sing again)
5/22/06-Detroit-SPECIAL (Encore #2 kicked some serious @$$!)
6/23/06-Pittsburgh-GOOD
6/24/06-Cincy-SPECIAL (People liek to cut this show down, but the atmosphere was awesome and you could tell Ed was into it..special evening in my book)
8/5/07-Chicago(Lolla)-GOOD (saved from average by Education & Dennis Rodman)
6/14/08-Manchester(Bonnaroo)-EPIC (finally got to see 1 of these!!)
Verona??? it's all surmountable
Dublin 23.08.06 "The beauty of Ireland, right there!"
Wembley? We all believe!
Copenhagen?? your light made us stars
Chicago 07? And love
What a different life
Had I not found this love with you
SPECIAL - The rare unusually amazing/rare/unique shows from each tour (maybe 5-10% of shows)
GOOD - The above average shows, (probably I'd say 35% of shows)
AVERAGE - Good, but overall its going to be a show that blends in with a lot of other shows on the tour (another 35% or so)
SUBPAR - Still great but for a Pearl Jam show nothing that was particularly inspiring (bottom 20% of shows)
9/25/05- Pittsburgh-Average(they opened for the stones was nice but nothing really special, but hell it was my first time seeing Pearl Jam it gets a bump up to Average because of that.)
6/23/06- Pittsburgh-Good
8/02/07-The Vic- Epic, I am still saying wow when I listen to the bootleg a year later
8/05/07- Lolla- Good, not the best show but sitting in the heat from 10am until PJ hit the stage was one of my most trying experiences and then PJ comes out with Why Go and I don't feel like shit.
6/22/08- DC-Good, first show I too my GF to had a blast.
SPECIAL - The rare unusually amazing/rare/unique shows from each tour (maybe 5-10% of shows)
GOOD - The above average shows, (probably I'd say 35% of shows)
AVERAGE - Good, but overall its going to be a show that blends in with a lot of other shows on the tour (another 35% or so)
SUBPAR - Still great but for a Pearl Jam show nothing that was particularly inspiring (bottom 20% of shows)
Astoria, London - SPECIAL. Live debut of lots of Avocado songs, my first ever show, one-off show in the UK before the tour even started, tiny intimate venue, HOT crowd!
Lisbon I, 2006 -GOOD. Beautiful crowd, fairly standard set but the band was ON FIRE for all the songs.
Lisbon II, 2006 - SPECIAL. Such a powerful show, another awesome crowd and a very different setlist compared to the night before. Best 'Garden' i've personally ever heard.
Paris, 2006 - GOOD. Lots of Riot Act songs, what a treat! Good crowd but quite rough at times and some drunken idiots didn't know how to behave in a civil way.
Verona - SPECIAL. We all got soaked, and had a blast! 'Release' opening the show at this amazing venue was just beautiful.
Milano - EPIC. I say it's EPIC because i'm going off your descriptions, this one will probably be remembered more than others because the band was on fire and the crowd was RIDICULOUS. Definitely the loudest gig i've ever been to, it was deafening during 'Daughter' and 'Black'. Live debut of 'Picture in a Frame' which was stunning.
Wembley, London - SPECIAL. This show had a HUGE fanclub turnout, the setlist was fantastic and the crowd was intense. Even Mike mentions the intense crowd in the latest issue of Deep magazine.
Dusseldorf - EPIC. This show had it all imo, and anyone who was there will tell you that they'll never forget this night. Crowd was amazing, the band was amazing, Ed was in awe of the crowd, and the setlist was just insane.
Copenhagen - SPECIAL. This was emotional for obvious reasons, and everyone could feel it. Great setlist, debut of 'Love Reign O'er Me', and the girl who got brought on stage at the end was great to see. We were front row but far on the right, so the sound was a bit uneven because we could barely hear Mike, and the speaker right in front of us pretty much wrecked my right ear lol.
Nijmegen - SPECIAL. A fairly standard set, but again the band was just firing on all cylinders. Beautiful, huge park outdoors with glorious weather. The whole day was beautiful, and the entire show was beautiful. 'No More' was the best live version Ed has done imo, just listen to the live recording which you can get as an extra when you buy 'Into The Wild' off itunes. For such a new song, the crowd sang and clapped as if it was an old favourite. I got tears in my eyes during that one. I FINALLY got to hear 'Nothingman' too, my favourite song! After the show, everyone started leaving the park and i stood there and i cried. I couldn't help it. This show really affected me, probably my favourite of the 10 i've seen.
TFC '97 Special (only Mike/Ed to open the festival doing an acoustic set of Corduroy, Rockin', and Ledbetter; later joined Michael Stipe from REM to do Long Road)
TFC '98 Subpar (short festival set)
Pittsburgh '98 Good
Camden 1 '98 Good (near the top of my "good" shows; heavy on 10 w/ some rarities like Hard to Imagine back when it was a rarity)
Camden 2 '98 Average
Camden 1 '00 Average
Camden 2 '00 Average
Pittsburgh '00 Good
Philly '03 Good (near the top of my "good" shows; solid setlist and the band seemed more "on" than usual)
Camden 1 '03 Average
Camden 2 '03 Average
MSG 1 '03 Epic (great crowd, great setlist w/ Crown of Thorns; special moments like Ben Harper and best version of Wishlist ever done; they made it into a DVD so that tells you something)
MSG 2 '03 Good (great crowd, but had such high expections based on prior MSG shows that it was hard to live up to it)
Hershey '03 Subpar (venue not great, average setlist for the tour)
Reading '04 Special (smaller indoor venue, good crowd, great selection of politically charged covers that didn't get a lot of play outside of the VFC tour)
Philly '05 Special (great crowd; incredible setlist loaded w/ b-sides/rarities/covers; probably gets more play in my iPod than any other show I've been to)
Camden 1 '06 Good (solid 1st encore)
Camden 2 '06 Average
Meadowlands 1 '06 Average
Camden 1 '08 Good
Camden 2 '08 Average
DC '08 Average
Yep...why so surprised?
Melbourne 1 2003: Sub par (crowd was awful, only one encore! Worse PJ crowd I have ever seen)
Los Angeles 2 2006: Good (Brain of J, Footsteps, I Got Shit and Tim Robbins came on stage)
Santa Barbara 2006: Good (Acoustic set with some rare stuff waiting on a friend, HTI, lowlight, oceans)
Gorge 1 2006: Special (Wash opener, It's ok stellar version, Dirty Frank)
Gorge 2 2006: Good (Hard to say wasn't nearly as good as night 1, Loved Fuckin up Satan's Bed)
Adelaide 1 2006: Special (may be biased here but this along with Newcastle had to be the show of the Aussie tour, MOTH, Sad, Don't gimmie no lip)
Adelaide 2 2006) Good (Miracles, satan's bed, thin air, nais, 1/2 full, lbc, hared down being a highlight with present tense... nice but again night 1 better)
Camden 1 2008 Special (Reign Over Me, U, Rats... This show had it all great show)
Camden 2 2008) Average (not too bad but something lacked tonight although a few nice rare tracks in there)
Washington D.C. 2008: Special almost epic (This is almost my fav show ever.. the crowd lifted above all my expectations... You Are, Watchtower, JAKE!)
Hartford 2008: TBA
Sha la la la i'm in love with a jersey girl
I love you forever and forever
Adel 03 Melb 1 03 LA 2 06 Santa Barbara 06 Gorge 1 06 Gorge 2 06 Adel 1 06 Adel 2 06 Camden 1 08 Camden 2 08 Washington DC 08 Hartford 08
9/7/98 VA Beach. My first show. Pretty damn rockin and they used Black for the LOTL album. ok crowd, leatherman was a treat. A great 1st show.
8/3/00 VA Beach Amazing show. I was close up and the Long Road opener after what had just happened and the It's ok chants we're spine chilling. Also I loved Binaural, so it was fantastic to see so much of the album live.
9/4/00 Merriweather (DC I guess) Pretty good show. I just had lawn seats, but the boys were on and it was a solid show.
4/15/03 Raliegh The crowd was lame, and it was just another good performance. Nothing stands out in my eyes other than gimme some truth and fortunate son.
7/1/03 Nissan (DC) Another OK crowd and a good performance by the boys, but no memorable moments that I recall right now.
9/28/04 Boston An incredible show. Just a lot of energy and great setlist. Still wish I could get the boots for these 2 shows. Think this is the one with Howard Zinn which was just blew my mind.
9/29/04 Boston another great show, that my companion ruined by being a stick in the mud and making me leave early before I've got a feeling. Great crowd as always.
5/24/06 Boston The best show of my life. The place was rockin, the set list was topnotch, the fans were in top voice and release opened. Just amazing.
5/25/06 Boston I didn't like it as much as the 1st night, but just another great crowd. and....THEO! THEO! THEO!
6/17/08 VA Beach This was an awesome show. My favorite non-Boston show. Great energy upfront and I loved the setlist again especially getting to hear guaranteed.
6/22/08 DC I hate the Verizon Center but this show was kick ass. It's been talked to death, but the I and You setlist just put it over the top into great territory.
My Top 5 (Can't make it all Boston)
Boston 1 06
Boston 1 04
Va Beach 08
VA Beach 00
DC 08
is this some sort of joke because they didn't put out bootlegs to those?
The Epic ones I've been to probably include:
9.29.96
8.20.98 - one of the most underrated shows ever.
9.11.98
7.8.03
5.3.08
6.25.08
Special:
10.1.96
8.25.98 Pittsburgh
9.16.98 Boston II
8.25.00
7.9.03
9.15,16.05
6.24.08 (still can't get over that first encore)
Missoula 6/20/98: Special (opening night of U.S. tour and first full U.S. show in forever; played In Hiding, Present Tense, plus the wedding proposal on stage before Betterman; awesome crowd, lots of crowd surfing)
San Bernardino 10/28/00: Subpar (just an average performance by the band, and other factors make it subpar: a shitty crowd, a shitty venue, and I was sick)
Bridge School 10/25/03: Good (just a great overall atmosphere! awesome version of Masters of War, too)
Los Angeles: 7/9/06: Special (the greatest PJ show of my life; awesome crowd, plus heard a bunch of songs I had been hoping for: Release, Not For You, Inside Job, Crown of Thorns, Baba...and Elderly Woman kicked ass, too)
Santa Barbara 7/13/06: Good (cool setlist...Oceans, Low Light, Waiting on a Friend, Low Light, Hard to Imagine, kick-ass Black, I Got Shit, Porch; might rank as special if not for having to compare it to LA1 four night earlier)
Bridge School 10/22/06: Good (set was a bit short, but setlist was awesome and pretty unexpected for a "festival" show: MoW, Around the Bend, Thin Air, Lukin (acoustic), Throw Your Hatred Down)
Eddie Solo Los Angeles 4/12/08: Special (holy shit, where do I start? This was just an amazing evening...)
Eddie Solo Los Angeles 4/13/08: Epic (probably the greatest concert by any performer I have attended in my life; beautiful venue, beautiful crowd, amazing performance...and we got some songs that weren't played at every show on the tour: Thumbing My Way, Man of the Hour, Soon Forget, Picture in a Frame, All Along the Watchtower w/ Ben Harper...; not to mention two absolutely unforgettable moments: the crowd singing Happy Birthday to Eddie's grandma while someone on stage filmed us, and Arc, which is breathtaking live)
“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.” - Albert Camus
Lollapalooza 1992 - Good. I knew I was watching something special when I saw PJ come on in the middle of the day. I think my jaw hit the ground when I saw Ed climb up the curtain thing on the side of the stage.
Boulder 11/26/93 - Good. I think the band had some trouble with security at this show and ended up cancelling the last show of a 3 night stand. All GA seating. Really intense.
Red Rocks 6/19 & 6/20 1995 - Special. Still waiting and hoping they play here again in the future. Immortality on night one was one of my favorite PJ memories.
Seattle 9/16/96 - Good. First and only trip to see them in Seattle. Waited in line for 6 hours to get in the first couple of rows. Couldn't handle the pit and found a seat before PJ came on. I remember the band having some sound issues for this show. Lots of No Code.
Park City 6/21/1998 - Good. First and only time hearing All Those Yesterdays. Ed's "Norman/Mormon" speach was still one of the funniest I've heard. A really fun show.
Denver 6/23/98 - Good/Special. Special for me because it was my first show in the front row. Setlist was average at the time. Fiddlers Green had really bad sound. Closed with Patriot by request, I think. To anyone who has heard this boot, my personal apologies for shouting like a drunk idiot during the first few songs. I was a little exicited.
Bridge School - 10/30/99. Good. Cool atmosphere. Still can't believe they opened with Soldier of Love. I think the Who played this show too which was amazing.
Charlotte - 8/4/2000 - Average. Nothing sticks out in my mind about this show. Pretty solid set list from what I remember. Okay non-10 club seats.
Greensboro - 8/6/2000 - Average. See Charlotte above. Still got Smile to close. Of The Girl and Brain of J were cool too.
Albuquerque - 10/20/2000 - Good. Underrated show for this tour in my opinion. Cool venue. Great Rockin in the Free World (the version on touring band 2000).
Vegas - 10/22/2000 - Epic. 10th anniversary show. 5th row center seats. Debut of Crown of Thorns. One of my favorite versions of one of my favorite songs, Rearviewmirror. Don't know what else can be said about this one.
Bridge School - 10/20/2001. Average.
Denver 4/1/2003 - Good. The controversial Bushleaguer show. The whole crowd was rocking out from what I saw. Sat 4th row on Mike's side and my wife finally got a pick. Love it when they play close to home.
Vegas 6/6/2003 - Good. Maybe a little over-hyped for a Vegas show. A lot of really funny moments during this show from what I remember. Probably the most drunk I have ever seen Eddie at a show before. Heart was there to help with Rockin in the Free World.
Council Bluffs 6/13/2003 - Special. Probably the most underrated PJ show I have been to. Friends and I waited in line for a few hours for tickets. It paid off with front row center seats. Opening with Arc was one of my favorite live PJ moments I have ever experienced. Ed yelling, "Here we go!" at the beginning of Save you. Driven to Tears and Know Your Rights were great. I probably rate this show higher than normal because of where we were sitting, but still. Great crowd energy. Nothing beats seeing the band up close like this.
MSG 7/8/2003 - Epic. On the floor at the Garden was fucking crazy. Seeing Ed, Jeff and Mike play with the Buzzcocks got the night off to a good start. You've seen the DVD, so you know what it was like. I'm a big Ben Harper fan, wore a Harper shirt to this show having no idea he would show up. People around me asked if I knew he would be there....I was not privy to that info. I had a chance to meet Ben last year. I brought up this show to him, telling him I was there and how memorable it was. He got a big smile on his face, laughed and just shook his head. He told me if was off the hook. I could tell it was pretty special for him to be there too.
Kitchener, London & Hamilton Ontario 9/11 - 9/13/2005. (I realize I've spent too much time doing this at work, so I am grouping these together). Special. Great shows. Met a lot of great people on this trip. London (oceans, bleed for me, hard to imagine, black red yellow..come on!) was my favorite show of the three. Harvest Moon in Hamilton! Good 10 club seats for all 3. My friend and I were unsure about making the Canada trip. So glad we decided to go.
Denver 7/2-7/3/2006 - Special. Petty shows. I eventually got over the fact that PJ didn't play full sets. Band was in good spirits for both nights. Loved 'So you want to be a rock & roll star' both nights. It was awesome seeing Ed sing The Waiting with the Heartbreakers.
Vegas 7/6/2006 - Good. One of my favorite openers ever with Inside Job. Too bad Ed was not feeing well for this one. Still a really fun show.
San Fran - 7/16 & 7/18. Special. Still kicking myself for not going to night 1. Great atmosphere at the shows. Sonic Youth kicked ass in my opinion. All along the watch tower night 3 was amazing. Ed fucking up Sometimes on night two (and not forgiving himself for it the whole show) was hilarious. Night 3 was almost ruined for me due to circumstance beyond my control. Still two great shows in a great city.
Irving Plaza '06 - Special
Albany '06- Good
Hartford '06 - Average
Camden 2 '06 - Good
East Rutherford 1 '06 - Good
East Rutherford 2 '06 - Special
San Francisco 1 '06- Good
San Francisco 2 '06 - Good
Madrid '07 - Good
Munich '07 - Good
London '07 - Special
Camden 1 '08 - Good
MSG 1 '08 - Special
MSG 2 '08 - Special
Pearl Jam bootlegs:
http://wegotshit.blogspot.com
EPIC
Randalls Island September 29th, 1996.
Key Arena Seattle Washington 11/06/00
Special
Key Arena Seattle Washington 11/05/00
Holmdel New Jersey 7/14/03
MSG New York New York 06/25/08
Oakland Coliseum Oakland California 11/15/97
Average
MSG New York New York 09/10/98
Camden New Jersey 5/28/06
Summary;
Randalls Island, 9/29/96 was my First Pearl Jam show. Spent the day hanging out with friends exploring the "Island", the night was to quote one of the other posters a "Life Changing experience". That night was the coolest thing I've ever been a part of, I knew that night (as did my friends) that this was an "EPIC" show. One that they will talk about for ages, my favorite memories are of Ed singing and waving to the throngs of crowds crowded the Tri-Borough Bridge Toll Plaza above and to the side of Downing Stadium. I love how they kept playing, even though my body was tired my mind wanted them to play all night. I've also discovered my favorite time of year to see Pearl Jam live is in the Fall.
Key Arena 11/06/00 was amazing, I was at both Seattle shows and the night before was very subdued, Ed even mentioned (Boise was better than you). However night II was amazing, I had to be there as I thought this could possibly be the last tour/show after what happened in Denmark. It was very emotional, and you could feel it. The Red Hot Chili Peppers were awesome!. Again another great Autumn show.
Key Arena 11/05/00 was a strong performance from the band, the highlight was "Crown of Thorns". I played that song so much in High School I practically wore out the CD. Again Chili Peppers opening up was awesome, they have so much energy during their shows!. It was also my first time in Seattle, I loved it!.
Holmdel , NJ 7/14/03 is third on my list. For those who have not been yet the PNC arts Center is a great place to see a show, really nice grounds and venue. Ed even remarked they liked the place and wanted to return. The sound that night was excellent, they had the Jumbo trons on the sides of the stage for the Lawn folks. Some notables of this show are Wash (not played for a long time) opening the show, a great version of Hunger Strike (not played in a longtime) and some strong performances of classics such as Evenflow which has a great Mike solo. The Springsteen cover "Growin' up" was a great cover, and Ed nailed it. Also Dead Man prior to the Show was a nice treat. People should find this bootleg and add it to their collection, last US date of the 2003 tour. It was also the first show I took my now Wife to, and she herself ranks this one the best of the three Pearl Jam shows we've seen together.
MSG New York New York 06/25/08, I'll probably get some heat for this but I put this show just behind Holmdel 2003. The set list was amazing, they were obviously having a great time. Ace was awesome, and Matt's Singing is fantastic. Here's my huge complaint about this show, TOO MUCH CROWD! I want to hear Pearl Jam perform, not the audience. I think the crowd overtook some great songs that I'm hoping to hear more clear when the bootlegs come out. Great versions of Rats, and WMA is one song I thought I would never hear live outside of the tags hear and there. The standout of the night though for me was Garden, played the right way! (not the slow way).
Oakland Coliseum Oakland California 11/15/97; As a Raiders fan I was really excited to have field seats. I got to go into the dug out and other parts of the Stadium where only atheletes are typically allowed. I'm also a Rolling Stones fan so seeing Pearl Jam open up for the Stones was a great treat, I also got to hear some songs from Yield for the first time. They were obviously having a great time, and Pearl Jam fans made their presence throughout the huge stadium known/ felt. If this show was a little longer it would be higher on the list.
MSG New York New York 09/10/98, again I'm going to get myself in trouble hear but sound quality wise I preferred this show to last nights (6/25/08). The difference was less crowd more Pearl Jam. Even though they had some equipment problems (All those Yesterdays) the songs they played all the way through were excellent performances. I remember the huge amount of "Breath" signs and Ed commenting, however they played it the next night. The Ken Star bit was funny, and Alive was the best performance of that Song I've ever seen. The Chanting of "Yeah!" at the end of the Song by the crowd and Ed cheering everyone on was a standout moment for me.
What brought this show down for me was not the equipment problems, it was the shortness of the show and the ending with "Soldier of Love". It's a nice song but not as a closer, Mike started Yellow Ledbetter but Ed ran over and stopped him.
Camden New Jersey 5/28/06; While this show has a great set list, I was unhappy with the crowd. Too drunk, too high, too rowdy, too Philly. Living in Central Jersey I love listening to WYSP and WMMR who really give Pearl Jam some great air time, I just don't like the crowd at the show I went to. I almost got into a fight with some punk, and the lawn seats there are terrible. The songs were really good!
My first show. A great, very memorable crowd and a good setlist.
St. Paul 2006 x2 - AVERAGE
Two nights of Pearl Jam opening for Tom Petty led to some pretty standard setlists. Definitely nothing special as far as Pearl Jam concerts go, but it was a very cool experience. Saved from sub-par by Ed's collaborations with Tom Petty.
Bonnaroo 2008 - EPIC
Massive crowd with an incredibly strong sense of unity. Unbelievable setlist. I spent the first hour or so with my jaw dropped. Too much fun and it will never be matched.
Verona??? it's all surmountable
Dublin 23.08.06 "The beauty of Ireland, right there!"
Wembley? We all believe!
Copenhagen?? your light made us stars
Chicago 07? And love
What a different life
Had I not found this love with you
Didn't know you'd be there. Missed opportunity, huh? Lemme know when you make it back over the little pond.
Verona??? it's all surmountable
Dublin 23.08.06 "The beauty of Ireland, right there!"
Wembley? We all believe!
Copenhagen?? your light made us stars
Chicago 07? And love
What a different life
Had I not found this love with you