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a8l wrote:

Things I would like to see for the '08 tour:

1. A more varied setlist OR a tighter show. We would all love the guys to rifle through the entire catalog over this tour, but that definitely hasn't happened the past two or so tours and I really don't expect it this go around. Yes, many "rare" songs have surfaced recently but the majority of the setlist has been redundant (in PJ terms obv.). So, if 95% of the show will be taken from the same pool of 30-40 songs, I don't think it is too much to expect for the band to be a tad tighter. I fully understand that they prefer to be "in the moment" and "play like Neil" but I think things were getting waaaay to sloppy (sloppy is a nice word for bad) for my taste in '06. A little (not alot) more rehearsal for my sixty bucks is all I am asking for. I love the fact that seemingly anything can happen "musically" at a PJ show, but that isn't what I am getting at. It isn't that Stone is going off on a musical tangent when he fucks up the chords to Hail, Hail... or when Ed forgets the words to (insert song here) that he is improvising.... it is just a bad performance. Again, not much, but just a little more polished would be nice. OR break every damn song out and never repeat a one all tour... and fuckup all you want

2. Turn Mike up! Not the mic, but Mike! I can't hear the guy live unless I plug my ears to drown out the drone. Turn him up....! I mean waaaay up. And in a side bar it would be great if McCready could revert to his '98-'02 form. (And yes I understand there might be factors outside of his control affecting his play, if that is the case I understand).

3. Less whales in the front rows. It has been discussed to death, but I just want to remind everyone how much it sucks to see the front 5 rows made up of the same people night in and night out. If you get to talking to them you quickly find out that the PJ tour kids are not kids anymore and actually have turned into PJ snobs(I know that sounds stupid, but believe me they are not the kind of fans that 99% of this board can relate to) and most of them that I meet pretty much losers in life. Less important reasons to move them to the back: They are stationary, they stink, they are ugly, they have been there before and act like they will be there again, they are older than the majority of the rest of the crowd.... and boy are they fat! Nothing wrong with fat people, but man when there is that many of one kind of people in one small space you take notice... and there are a ton of 40+, fat, white, females in the front rows at a PJ show.

4. Close the damn show with Alive, Porch or Betterman/SIFL. Free World and Baba are awesome, but getting to be predictable. Even the crapola country shows my wife drags me to bust out new closers every tour. If the boys can't come up with some new and exciting covers to close the show, what is so wrong with bringing down the house with the music we all came to hear? If the old stand byes are a must; Why not use Baba to close the first set, or have the first "fast one" of the night be RITFW???? Now that would be cool.

5. An invisible itch powder on the tour posters. I used to love those damn pieces of paper as much as the next guy... in fact my collection is prolly worth at least 5k (scary). BUT man, the current poster chasing crew deserves to die and itchy, scratchy, painful death.

6. Shorter shows. Yep, I said it... the shows are too long and looser than a well, a Bon Jovi groupie. Lolla, while not terribly long in actual songs played, drug on embarrassingly long. Leave the audience wanting more, not wanting a chair. A three hour marathon is awesome, but not so much when it is expected every night. I honestly remember my friends telling me last tour that they were "saving energy for the second encore". I am not looking for much cut off, but you want to know my favorite shows of the past few years??? The PJ opening for Petty shows where we got 18-20 songs... I was left feigning for more and all that was really cut out when you got down to it, was a BoomBoom Crazy Mary solo, an Ed ukulele fuckup fest, A political rant that has flip flopped more over the years than (insert politician) and the now expected brutal death of eight tambourines. Really, I toyed with putting this in my list and I am not 100% sure I am right, but I think cutting 20 minutes would actually be a good thing. And I'd hate to break it to you guys but by the next tour PJ may need a "bigger name" opener to help sell out the arenas. That addition will move the opener slot from a 45 minute set to a full hour, thus cutting the PJ set to closer to 120 minutes.

Disclosure: While this post is mostly for entertainment purposes only I do really believe everything I wrote; and I know I am right so there is no point in debating it

BUT

I would love to hear what you guys and gals would like to see/hear on the '08 tour.

I can't wait... see you at the FL shows, Bonna and MSG! (And prolly more, the 10c is due to announce the next leg now that everyone has their plane tickets for the first bunch!)

12345AGNST1 wrote:

shorter sets? what are you? brain dead?

a8l wrote:

3. Less whales in the front rows. It has been discussed to death, but I just want to remind everyone how much it sucks to see the front 5 rows made up of the same people night in and night out. If you get to talking to them you quickly find out that the PJ tour kids are not kids anymore and actually have turned into PJ snobs(I know that sounds stupid, but believe me they are not the kind of fans that 99% of this board can relate to) and most of them that I meet pretty much losers in life. Less important reasons to move them to the back: They are stationary, they stink, they are ugly, they have been there before and act like they will be there again, they are older than the majority of the rest of the crowd.... and boy are they fat! Nothing wrong with fat people, but man when there is that many of one kind of people in one small space you take notice... and there are a ton of 40+, fat, white, females in the front rows at a PJ show.

GreenTeaDisease wrote:

I agree with the OP on most points except the shorter show. I like the long shows. plus this tour we will get to see some different faces in the first two rows. and I also don't agree with describing people as "whales".

most of what I'd like to see changed up is up to the crowd. I'd like the shows to be a little less predictable and rocky horror picture show-like. frankly the first thing that has to go is the Alive yeah!s. It's like you feel obligated to do it. It's been fun in the past, but now I kinda feel like I'm at a frat party or something. Hearing the whole crowd sing betterman in unison was cool the first 10 times I experienced it, but now I think I'd rather hear ed sing it. I think in recent years with the crowd doing the same thing every night it's taken away from being a pearl jam show and more like a catholic mass of sorts.

I'd really like more rockers pulled out for the setlist. even though I like the long shows, I get kinda bored when they do that mid-set sitdown thing and play a lot of what I consider to be their lesser songs.

I am totally with the OP on the issue of not closing with RITFW/YLB at every show.