So I haven't had a computer for the last 3 days, so I haven't been checking this at all...but here it is, Thursday after the 2nd night, and I'm still blown away.
Night 2 was amazing. Fucking incredible. So much energy. We had lawn seats for Night 2, and rather than fight it out for a good spot up close, my wife and I stayed back on the hill, right in front of the 10c section at the top of the hill, and rocked the fuck out. Seriously...such a great time. Although it was cold as fuck, sound was great, setlist was amazing and it was an awesome, awesome time. A+++++++ in my opinion.
1998-06-30 Minneapolis
2003-06-16 St. Paul
2006-06-26 St. Paul
2007-08-05 Chicago
2009-08-23 Chicago
2009-08-28 San Francisco
2010-05-01 NOLA (Jazz Fest)
2011-07-02 EV Minneapolis
2011-09-03 PJ20
2011-09-04 PJ20
2011-09-17 Winnipeg
2012-06-26 Amsterdam
2012-06-27 Amsterdam
2013-07-19 Wrigley
2013-11-21 San Diego
2013-11-23 Los Angeles
2013-11-24 Los Angeles
2014-07-08 Leeds, UK
2014-07-11 Milton Keynes, UK
2014-10-09 Lincoln
2014-10-19 St. Paul
2014-10-20 Milwaukee
2016-08-20 Wrigley 1
2016-08-22 Wrigley 2 2018-06-18 London 1 2018-08-18 Wrigley 1 2018-08-20 Wrigley 2 2022-09-16 Nashville 2023-08-31 St. Paul 2023-09-02 St. Paul 2023-09-05 Chicago 1
So I haven't had a computer for the last 3 days, so I haven't been checking this at all...but here it is, Thursday after the 2nd night, and I'm still blown away.
Night 2 was amazing. Fucking incredible. So much energy. We had lawn seats for Night 2, and rather than fight it out for a good spot up close, my wife and I stayed back on the hill, right in front of the 10c section at the top of the hill, and rocked the fuck out. Seriously...such a great time. Although it was cold as fuck, sound was great, setlist was amazing and it was an awesome, awesome time. A+++++++ in my opinion.
So, my 1st time on here since the weekend, sorry since THE weekend & what an AMAZING weekend it was. I'm going to ignore any & all bitching because it was AMAZING! Night 1 seemed short but I think that was more because it just few by because it was so fabulous & night 2 blew my mind! I was really scared for a few minutes there they weren't going to play Ledbetter so when Mike busted it out I cried like a baby, tears streaming down my face!
So fabulous meeting so many 10 clubbers, so cool seeing the other bands, LOVED the museum actually seeing those things - original mammason(sp?), Ed's notebooks, whole collection of vinyl, oh everything else.....
I'll have more to post when I'm back I'm sure, got 100+ e-mails, thread & facebook updates to catch up on but yeah, AMAZING!
Oh seriously sucked about having to throw away my NZ flag though, especially when Ed then did a shout out to all the international people & I couldn't hold my flag up. Big frown at APV on that + I was too slow to go & hide behind a car & hide it in my shorts or something.
Whirlwind 2 & half days in NYC, Chicago for me tonight then home tomorrow. What a trip!
<hr>
PJ - Auckland 2009; Alpine Valley1&2 2011; Man1, Am'dam1&2, Berlin1&2, Stockholm, Oslo & Copenhagen 2012; LA, Oakland, Portland, Spokane, Calgary, Vancouver, Seattle 2013; Auckland 2014
EV - Canberra, Newcastle & Sydney 1&2 2011
That was my favorite PJ concert ever by far. The mood was incredible. I really didn't care at all what they played. Each song was performed so well and with so much energy. It's so great to see that many people focused on the same thing, singing the same lines, pointing to the sky at the same times, etc. It's a beautiful thing! What a great band, and what great fans. We seem to have lucked out in getting hooked on PJ. Other band-fan relations just don't seem to compare. Something about PJ's music got us hooked in a way that I think is unique. The connection is very deep. This concert, more than any other I've attended, really highlighted the amazing relationship between the band and its fans. I'm so proud of both.
Well put to sum up my own feelings about the whole weekend! I haven't been to a PJ show since Lollapalooza 2007 & this weekend gave my mind a much needed refresher on why I do LOVE this band. I can't thank them enough for this weekend and the last 20 years of music. Music that has been there for me, through thick & thin, happy & sad times, they always get me through. I didn't go to Alpine to be able to say I saw the most epic setlist performed or for any other reason but to see PEARL JAM & what they wanted to do. They were having so much fun performing FOR US, and that just made my whole year complete!
This weekend was my brother's first PJ concert. He is a huge music/band/concert freak, just never made it to a PJ show before, for whatever reasons. Hearing his description of MAGICAL after night 1 made me cry, FINALLY someone in my family understands my PJ obsession!!!!
For me, I all ready knew it would be magical & 'epic' but to hear from a complete 1st timer how magical he felt it was, he was amazed by the energy of the crowd. His quote "from the moment pj took the stage the relationship & brotherhood between the fans & the band was very apparent, and that was even more apparent on night 2."
I would also like to thank my friend Dan for hooking me up with some awesome seats for night 2!
I was pretty impressed with the Alpine Valley staff & the Live Nation security folks, they did a great job, in my opinion!
Mostly THANK YOU PEARL JAM for everything you do and everything you are and for PJ20!!!!
this was my 26th PJ concert...my 6 friends and I had lawn seats; we were 5-10 rows back in the center of the lawn.
Since I was standing for a long time, my body did not allow me to get a boner when PJ opened with "Wash". This song was #1 on my "Haven't Seen Live" list. A few songs later, they played Pilate, which contains one of my favorite 15 second segments (love the bridge!). I finally got to yell "I never sucked Satan's DICK!", so that was also fun. "It's Okay" was great; I saw it a few times in 2000, but this blew those away. Once again, Liam Finn rocked my ass off. His Galifinakis-like presence on stage, combined with some quality vocals, created a highly entertaining experience. "No Way" was great to hear live.
I was glad to see Chris Cornell come back, not for me, but for my friends who didn't attend the previous night. I appreciated the rarity of the performances, but I could have done without them in lieu of some more PJ songs. Around this time, Chris Cornell murdered my ear drums. I sat significantly closer night 1, but my position night 2 was SIGNIFICANTLY LOUDER. I play loud rock music in a band, and I'm ashamed to admit that the noise got to me a little bit.
In some form of miracle, we got out of the lot in about 3 minutes; I'm still in shock.
All in all, a GREAT WEEKEND! Chris Cornell, rare songs, and LIAM FINN made these concerts something I hope to never forget! Thanks PJ.
1998: Alpine night 2
1999: Alpine Tibetan Freedom Concert (ed)
2000: Tampa, Jones Beach x3, Alpine, Chicago, St. Louis, Cincy, Seattle x2
2003: Champaign, St. Louis, Chicago, Alpine, Indy, KC, Council Bluffs, Philly x2
2004: St. Louis
2006: Chicago x 2
2010: Indy
2011: Alpine x 2
Mike totally blew me away both nights. His energy was amazing. I have always crushed on Eddie but I think Mike is now edging his way in! :thumbup:
The thing I really noticed both nights was how they performed every song like it was the first time it had ever been played. That is the sign of true artists.
For me, a few of the songs they played Saturday aren't that far removed from Bugs.
The problem with Night 1 is that it was too short, even at 2:30 or 2:45. After Cornell did his thing, Pearl Jam has played a bunch of covers and obscure songs, there wasn't much time left for much else.
The approach wasn't all that different in Night 2. There was just more time to include more crowd-pleasers.
That said, Night 1 did include Betterman, SOLAT, Porch, Breath, DTE ... songs even those who lost track of the band at the turn of the century would still recognize. On top of that, I thought Education and Setting Forth kicked major ass, and I've always thought Push Me, Pull Me was a vastly underrated song (if Ed sang the verses instead of spoke them, it would be a fan favorite).
In the Moonlight has always been a little "meh" for me.
Totally forgot about Setting Forth. The full band version of that sounded fantastic.
Des Plaines shuttle bus waited extra for a fan from Mexico, but he never made it. I hope he found another way. Shuttle bus died at least 3 times at the beginning of the trip, but we eventually got to Alpine Valley.
Good timing, too. As soon as we walked in and looked around for a minute, I heard Eddie singing with Liam Finn and saw the crowd surge towards the stage. Morgan and I walked around to get a good look, but to no avail. then we get to wondering how he gets around from that stage to the main one. She spots the barrier with people lined up w/ cameras and we look at each other, shrug, and head that way. After a short wait, I see a golf cart heading our way. There's a guy in the passenger seat - he's got great posture and immediately think, "is that Matt?" IT WAS! and I was quick enough with the camera to snap a pic.
Now we're hooked so we stick around a little longer. Then Boom went by! He threw us the Hang Loose sign and I got a photo of that too. On his way back to the main stage area he waved some more. He seemed like a very happy and nice guy.
A little later and a van with tinted windows went by and we couldn't see any one but the driver. We joked about Eddie hiding from us in the back. Some of the crowd at the barrier dropped off. Maybe 20 people standing around and then a Dodge minivan comes rolling up. The back window on our side is down and Eddie's smiling face is shining out at us. He's got on sunglasses and throwing a peace sign. I'm sure I was very "deer in the headlights" but hopefully there was at least a dopy grin, too. The car was moving pretty slowly, so I'm sure he had time to take each of us in and that gives me the shivers. I snapped to just as he passed and remembered to shout, "thank you!" Both my sister (she promised me that I'm not just fantasizing) and I saw him nod his head in acknowledgement of my expression of gratitude. ~swoon~ I just had an interaction with Eddie Vedder!!!!!
I'm sure people are giggling at my overreaction to some trivial contact, but I've never had an opportunity to meet these guys and all I've wanted to do for a very long time is say thank you. I am delighted that I was finally able to do that at their birthday party and to get to say it to Ed was just icing on the cake.
My sister and I milled around a bit longer while we recovered and got to talking to a really fun couple next to us. (Michelle, we really enjoyed meeting you and your husband and didn't think you were crazy at all! ) By then just the four of us were standing around and along comes Mike on a cart! We were all mad cheesing and waving and he waved back. I love Mike and how he seems to get the biggest kick out of us fans! That was by far the best and most exciting part of my day. I am pretty sure that getting to interact with these guys was a once in a lifetime deal; I couldn't have lucked out with a more appropriate time.
Afterward, we spent two hours in line to see the museum - tiring but worth it. I was most tickled to see Jeff's hats and Eddie's composition books. we grabbed dinner and our lawn seats in time to watch The Strokes. Finished a beer and then Pearl Jam time!
Another effing kick-ass night!!! 11 new-to-me songs (I'm on show #8 at this point), 2 covers I didn't know and 1 new song. Plus all the awesome sing along songs. And more TOTD. I was just a little bummed to hear the repeats, I'll be honest. But that's what you get, guys, when you spoil us so good! Oh, and one of my top 3 dream songs got crossed off this night - Leatherman!!!!! I couldn't believe it. heehee. I freaking LOVED the opener and was in heaven during the It's Ok tag. The other songs I was super-excited about seeing are: Habit (Liam Finn nailed it!!) Red Mosquito, Satan's Bed, Nothingman, No Way, Smile, & All Night Thing.
Thank you guys from Toledo for scooting up our way and making me feel less like the weirdo for woo-hooing and shaking my ass.
What an amazing weekend! I'll never be the same. I can't stop thinking about it. I told my husband that I would be floating for about a week, gradually weaning myself from the PJ as I get back to normal. Tomorrow I have to scrub the PJ20 paint of the back of his car. :(
AMAZING!! Both PJ20 shows were beyond fantastic... loved both shows!! Thank you Pearl Jam for giving us such an awesome weekend, we feel so lucky to have been able to travel over from Australia and experience this sensational weekend with our two sons (Jett 8 and Hunter 6) it's been a total blast! Thank you... thank you... thank you! You guys are the best!!!!!
Been almost a week....been listening to PJ non-stop since. Had time to think about the shows and digest a little. Still feel like Night 1 was the more "special" of the two sets even if it was a bit shorter. Had seats for that night, and the crowd just blew me away. Longtime fan but newbie to the live thing, so first time hearing Release live....the way the arms when up and everyone sang along with "I'll ride the wave where it takes me..." Knew right then it was perhaps one of the greatest concerts that I'll ever see. I hate to throw out a cliche, but Saturday was almost a religious experience.
My original impression of Sunday was that it was a little disjointed...kind of like they were trying to find the right mix of more obscure tracks with playing a selection of the "hits" that everyone wanted to see. Also didn't care for the song played w/ John Doe. And wished they'd have mixed it up with Cornell a bit more, or just played Hunger Strike and Crown of Throns and moved on.
In hindsight, I think my original assessment was colored a bit by the fact that Saturday blew me away (more than I expected it to) and that I prefer seats to the lawn. CANNOT wait for the boots to become available, because I need to relive these shows. Ultimately, this was a special weekend of great music played by a truly great band that has some of the greatest and most passionate fans that you'll find. To have this band to follow for 20 years is pretty amazing, all the more so because they don't seem to be showing any signs of slowing down.
So hard to decide which of the 2 nights were better...another great set list...loved hearing Love Boat Captian & Habit. An all around good time.
The band was on fire! I saw some cameras filming these shows so hopefully they get released on DVD eventually. I'd definitely like to relive these shows again!
So hard to decide which of the 2 nights were better...another great set list...loved hearing Love Boat Captian & Habit. An all around good time.
The band was on fire! I saw some cameras filming these shows so hopefully they get released on DVD eventually. I'd definitely like to relive these shows again!
Why do you have to decide? I think the whole thing was meant as a package anyway. What was it 5:45 of Pearl Jam with at MLB/TOTD reunion mixed in for about 45 minutes of that?
That's the mistake I think a lot of the nay sayers are making (among others). This was not 1 2:40 minute show and a 3:05 minute show (or whatever they were about) with TOTD for 20-25 minutes or so each night. It was a 6 hour Pearl Jam concert that they shared with a nod to their history without whom.... Eddie's tribute to Matt and commenting on Jeff and Stone 25 AFTER the PJ20 were the perfect examples of this. He knows he and Mike get most of the public attention. But, he knows even better that without that stuff going all the way back to Andy Wood - he would not be in the position he is in now. And he wants EVERYONE to know that. The fact is, as Chris also showed, Jeff and Stone (and Matt and Mike) owe Eddie a great debt of gratitude because without his songwriting and charisma, they are probably not at the pinnacle they are at either. So, it all works.
And that's what this weekend was about. I wasn't at Philly. I wasn't at MSG. I wasn't at the Gorge. But, I can tell you, I find it EXTREMELY hard to believe those experiences even in their entirety comes within whatever distance it took us all to travel there of this weekend. And the concert(s) were the center piece. The 6 freakin hour concert Pearl Jam put on plus the 18 other hours their friends put on with them taking guests shots all over the place. Hasn't been matched, yet. Will be very tough to match even if they decide to do somthing similar in the future because this was the first. And regardless of what they do, this will always be the standard by which future endeavors will be compared.
I'm glad they made it to when it all got good....
Sorry. The world doesn't work the way you tell it to.
Went with 17 people, 10 of whom had never seen PJ before.....so we now have 10 new die hard jammers!!!
RC, SoDak 1998 - KC 2000 - Council Bluffs IA 2003 - Fargo ND 2003 - St. Paul MN 2003 - Alpine Valley 2003 - St Louis MO 2004 - Kissimmee FLA 2004 - Winnipeg 2005 - Thunder Bay 2005 - Chicago 2006 - Grand Rapids MI 2006 - Denver CO 2006 - Lollapalooza 2007 - Bonnaroo 2008 - Austin City Limits 2009 - Los Angeles 2009 - KC 2010 - St Louis MO 2010 - PJ20 Night 1 - PJ20 Night 2
I'm just now getting a chance to weigh in too ... PJ20 really was just about everything I hoped it would be!
My wife and I had a total blast start to finish ... I wish the weather had been better Saturday night, but thankfully it at least didn't rain during Pearl Jam's set! Sunday was a bit cold, but I don't have much more to complain about other than the high priced beer and the shitty high priced food, but I expected that going in!
The best part, as always, was the great friends, the great vibe and of course the great music. These were not the best shows I've ever seen by a long shot (these were shows #33 and #34 for me), but they were very special!
Great to see Gina and Jose (thanks for the tenclub tickets Jose!) and Jason and Newfie Joe (!!) and Anthony and all of my other Pearl Jam friends ... all the best people were at these shows! It was a real pleasure to make some new friends too, friends I know we'll see again the next time around!
I was alone and far away when I heard the band start playing!
...I was always a DeadHead, but when I first heard Winston Rodney, aka the Burning Spear, sing, I became a SpearHead too!
I brought my new wife of one month to PJ20. She had never seen them before. Imagine this festival being your first Pearl Jam experience. Needless to say she loved every part. I think she enjoyed seeing emotions from me that seldom come out. As for me, the only way to explain the whole weekend was that this was my Woodstock.
I walked around the venue all weekend with perma-grin. Can't explain but there really was no other place I would have rather been. Not really sure what this vocal minority is complaining about. Aside from Pearl Jam playing for 24 hours straight, there is nothing I can complain about PJ20. I have been a fan from the start when I was a freshman in high school. PJ20 gave me the opportunity to reflect on the last 20 years of my life and recount all the ups and downs I've been through all the while listening to Pearl Jam. They have grown up musically as I have grown up. It was quite an amazing experience that I would not trade for the world.
This is Tyler. The guy I met from Austin who took his mom to PJ20 hit me up. I want to know what you and your mom thought of the weekend? It was really nice talking with you and I'm glad that our paths crossed.
I brought my new wife of one month to PJ20. She had never seen them before. Imagine this festival being your first Pearl Jam experience. Needless to say she loved every part. I think she enjoyed seeing emotions from me that seldom come out. As for me, the only way to explain the whole weekend was that this was my Woodstock.
I walked around the venue all weekend with perma-grin. Can't explain but there really was no other place I would have rather been. Not really sure what this vocal minority is complaining about. Aside from Pearl Jam playing for 24 hours straight, there is nothing I can complain about PJ20. I have been a fan from the start when I was a freshman in high school. PJ20 gave me the opportunity to reflect on the last 20 years of my life and recount all the ups and downs I've been through all the while listening to Pearl Jam. They have grown up musically as I have grown up. It was quite an amazing experience that I would not trade for the world.
This was not a concert. It was a motherfucking celebration!!!!!!! People complaining about anything besides the weather for night 1 are just insane. People complaining about too much Cornell are insane. I've been reliving the concert via youtube (major thanks and love to all those who taped!!!!!!!) and it's like reliving the greatest high of your life. Look at the videos and watch the band. What do you see? Pure, unadulterated JOY!!!!!! I felt it that night and I feel it everytime I watch a video. The interaction between the crowd and the band was phenomenal. This was not a concert. It was a motherfucking celebration.
Thank you Pearl Jam for 20 awesome years. I'm so glad you made it "til when things got good"
:-D
Rock me Jesus, roll me Lord...
Wash me in the blood of Rock & Roll
This was not a concert. It was a motherfucking celebration!!!!!!! People complaining about anything besides the weather for night 1 are just insane. People complaining about too much Cornell are insane. I've been reliving the concert via youtube (major thanks and love to all those who taped!!!!!!!) and it's like reliving the greatest high of your life. Look at the videos and watch the band. What do you see? Pure, unadulterated JOY!!!!!! I felt it that night and I feel it everytime I watch a video. The interaction between the crowd and the band was phenomenal. This was not a concert. It was a motherfucking celebration.
Thank you Pearl Jam for 20 awesome years. I'm so glad you made it "til when things got good"
:-D
+1
<hr>
PJ - Auckland 2009; Alpine Valley1&2 2011; Man1, Am'dam1&2, Berlin1&2, Stockholm, Oslo & Copenhagen 2012; LA, Oakland, Portland, Spokane, Calgary, Vancouver, Seattle 2013; Auckland 2014
EV - Canberra, Newcastle & Sydney 1&2 2011
"...Dimitri...He talks to me...'.."The Ghost of Greece..".
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
and if you guys wanna search best even flow version.....just wait for the bootleg of tonight.....
this solo..kick ass....oh boy...killer..killer...
God....i have no words...i cant find..even in Greek..
"...Dimitri...He talks to me...'.."The Ghost of Greece..".
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
And I'll say it for the 10,000,000th time: Mike Fuckin' McCready.
Along with just EVERYTHING both days, he was absolutely hypnotizing both those nights. :crazy: :-D
"...Dimitri...He talks to me...'.."The Ghost of Greece..".
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
This is my first post here, but I've been a fan of the band for about 10-11 years now. I've seen them four times (Alpine Valley 2003, Chicago #1 2009, & both nights of PJ 20). As a lifelong Wisconsin resident, I still can't believe how lucky I was to have Pearl Jam decide to play their anniversary shows in my home state.
Personally, Release was the highlight of night one for me. It was the first time I got to hear it live, and it made me think of my father who took me to the show at Alpine Valley in 2003 as a gift for my 16th birthday. It was my first Pearl Jam show since he passed away from cancer almost two years ago, and I couldn't help but look up and think about him when they opened with it. I'm still shocked that we got to hear Hunger Strike & Reach Down during both shows. I understand why some people would've rather heard more Pearl Jam songs instead of 3-4 Temple songs during each set, but I can't complain about hearing Hunger Strike live. I met a really cool fan during night one who had been to quite a few shows, and it was cool to see his reaction of disbelief when Cornell & the band played Stardog Champion. I was a little disappointed that the setlist was cut short during night one, but they more than made up for it the following night.
I was really happy to hear LBC during the second night's setlist. If I could've chosen any song to be played during the festival it would've been All or None, but I was glad that Riot Act got represented with LBC & Help Help. The New World, Smile, & Satan's Bed were also pleasant surprises for me. I never thought that live & in person I would hear 30-40,000 people shout the lyric "I never sucked Satan's dick!" The second show was just such a collective euphoric experience. That's the only was I can describe it. The band was clearly having so much fun. I'll never forget seeing Eddie & Jeff standing together as they watched Mike finish Yellow Ledbetter. They appeared to be savoring the moment just like the audience was.
My friend asked me to write a few words about the festival for his blog, so I thought I'd post a link here to anyone who's interested in reading it. It's the first time I've really written anything since I graduated from college about a year ago.
Comments
Night 2 was amazing. Fucking incredible. So much energy. We had lawn seats for Night 2, and rather than fight it out for a good spot up close, my wife and I stayed back on the hill, right in front of the 10c section at the top of the hill, and rocked the fuck out. Seriously...such a great time. Although it was cold as fuck, sound was great, setlist was amazing and it was an awesome, awesome time. A+++++++ in my opinion.
2003-06-16 St. Paul
2006-06-26 St. Paul
2007-08-05 Chicago
2009-08-23 Chicago
2009-08-28 San Francisco
2010-05-01 NOLA (Jazz Fest)
2011-07-02 EV Minneapolis
2011-09-03 PJ20
2011-09-04 PJ20
2011-09-17 Winnipeg
2012-06-26 Amsterdam
2012-06-27 Amsterdam
2013-07-19 Wrigley
2013-11-21 San Diego
2013-11-23 Los Angeles
2013-11-24 Los Angeles
2014-07-08 Leeds, UK
2014-07-11 Milton Keynes, UK
2014-10-09 Lincoln
2014-10-19 St. Paul
2014-10-20 Milwaukee
2016-08-20 Wrigley 1
2016-08-22 Wrigley 2
2018-06-18 London 1
2018-08-18 Wrigley 1
2018-08-20 Wrigley 2
2022-09-16 Nashville
2023-08-31 St. Paul
2023-09-02 St. Paul
2023-09-05 Chicago 1
A++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
So, my 1st time on here since the weekend, sorry since THE weekend & what an AMAZING weekend it was. I'm going to ignore any & all bitching because it was AMAZING! Night 1 seemed short but I think that was more because it just few by because it was so fabulous & night 2 blew my mind! I was really scared for a few minutes there they weren't going to play Ledbetter so when Mike busted it out I cried like a baby, tears streaming down my face!
So fabulous meeting so many 10 clubbers, so cool seeing the other bands, LOVED the museum actually seeing those things - original mammason(sp?), Ed's notebooks, whole collection of vinyl, oh everything else.....
I'll have more to post when I'm back I'm sure, got 100+ e-mails, thread & facebook updates to catch up on but yeah, AMAZING!
Oh seriously sucked about having to throw away my NZ flag though, especially when Ed then did a shout out to all the international people & I couldn't hold my flag up.
Whirlwind 2 & half days in NYC, Chicago for me tonight then home tomorrow. What a trip!
PJ - Auckland 2009; Alpine Valley1&2 2011; Man1, Am'dam1&2, Berlin1&2, Stockholm, Oslo & Copenhagen 2012; LA, Oakland, Portland, Spokane, Calgary, Vancouver, Seattle 2013; Auckland 2014
EV - Canberra, Newcastle & Sydney 1&2 2011
Well put to sum up my own feelings about the whole weekend! I haven't been to a PJ show since Lollapalooza 2007 & this weekend gave my mind a much needed refresher on why I do LOVE this band. I can't thank them enough for this weekend and the last 20 years of music. Music that has been there for me, through thick & thin, happy & sad times, they always get me through. I didn't go to Alpine to be able to say I saw the most epic setlist performed or for any other reason but to see PEARL JAM & what they wanted to do. They were having so much fun performing FOR US, and that just made my whole year complete!
This weekend was my brother's first PJ concert. He is a huge music/band/concert freak, just never made it to a PJ show before, for whatever reasons. Hearing his description of MAGICAL after night 1 made me cry, FINALLY someone in my family understands my PJ obsession!!!!
For me, I all ready knew it would be magical & 'epic' but to hear from a complete 1st timer how magical he felt it was, he was amazed by the energy of the crowd. His quote "from the moment pj took the stage the relationship & brotherhood between the fans & the band was very apparent, and that was even more apparent on night 2."
I would also like to thank my friend Dan for hooking me up with some awesome seats for night 2!
I was pretty impressed with the Alpine Valley staff & the Live Nation security folks, they did a great job, in my opinion!
Mostly THANK YOU PEARL JAM for everything you do and everything you are and for PJ20!!!!
http://www.peacelovepearljam.com
http://www.thankyoupearljam.com
Since I was standing for a long time, my body did not allow me to get a boner when PJ opened with "Wash". This song was #1 on my "Haven't Seen Live" list. A few songs later, they played Pilate, which contains one of my favorite 15 second segments (love the bridge!). I finally got to yell "I never sucked Satan's DICK!", so that was also fun. "It's Okay" was great; I saw it a few times in 2000, but this blew those away. Once again, Liam Finn rocked my ass off. His Galifinakis-like presence on stage, combined with some quality vocals, created a highly entertaining experience. "No Way" was great to hear live.
I was glad to see Chris Cornell come back, not for me, but for my friends who didn't attend the previous night. I appreciated the rarity of the performances, but I could have done without them in lieu of some more PJ songs. Around this time, Chris Cornell murdered my ear drums. I sat significantly closer night 1, but my position night 2 was SIGNIFICANTLY LOUDER. I play loud rock music in a band, and I'm ashamed to admit that the noise got to me a little bit.
In some form of miracle, we got out of the lot in about 3 minutes; I'm still in shock.
All in all, a GREAT WEEKEND! Chris Cornell, rare songs, and LIAM FINN made these concerts something I hope to never forget! Thanks PJ.
1999: Alpine Tibetan Freedom Concert (ed)
2000: Tampa, Jones Beach x3, Alpine, Chicago, St. Louis, Cincy, Seattle x2
2003: Champaign, St. Louis, Chicago, Alpine, Indy, KC, Council Bluffs, Philly x2
2004: St. Louis
2006: Chicago x 2
2010: Indy
2011: Alpine x 2
The thing I really noticed both nights was how they performed every song like it was the first time it had ever been played. That is the sign of true artists.
v
Here, here!!
Totally forgot about Setting Forth. The full band version of that sounded fantastic.
Good timing, too. As soon as we walked in and looked around for a minute, I heard Eddie singing with Liam Finn and saw the crowd surge towards the stage. Morgan and I walked around to get a good look, but to no avail. then we get to wondering how he gets around from that stage to the main one. She spots the barrier with people lined up w/ cameras and we look at each other, shrug, and head that way. After a short wait, I see a golf cart heading our way. There's a guy in the passenger seat - he's got great posture and immediately think, "is that Matt?" IT WAS! and I was quick enough with the camera to snap a pic.
Now we're hooked so we stick around a little longer. Then Boom went by! He threw us the Hang Loose sign and I got a photo of that too. On his way back to the main stage area he waved some more. He seemed like a very happy and nice guy.
A little later and a van with tinted windows went by and we couldn't see any one but the driver. We joked about Eddie hiding from us in the back. Some of the crowd at the barrier dropped off. Maybe 20 people standing around and then a Dodge minivan comes rolling up. The back window on our side is down and Eddie's smiling face is shining out at us. He's got on sunglasses and throwing a peace sign. I'm sure I was very "deer in the headlights" but hopefully there was at least a dopy grin, too. The car was moving pretty slowly, so I'm sure he had time to take each of us in and that gives me the shivers. I snapped to just as he passed and remembered to shout, "thank you!" Both my sister (she promised me that I'm not just fantasizing) and I saw him nod his head in acknowledgement of my expression of gratitude. ~swoon~ I just had an interaction with Eddie Vedder!!!!!
I'm sure people are giggling at my overreaction to some trivial contact, but I've never had an opportunity to meet these guys and all I've wanted to do for a very long time is say thank you. I am delighted that I was finally able to do that at their birthday party and to get to say it to Ed was just icing on the cake.
My sister and I milled around a bit longer while we recovered and got to talking to a really fun couple next to us. (Michelle, we really enjoyed meeting you and your husband and didn't think you were crazy at all!
Afterward, we spent two hours in line to see the museum - tiring but worth it. I was most tickled to see Jeff's hats and Eddie's composition books. we grabbed dinner and our lawn seats in time to watch The Strokes. Finished a beer and then Pearl Jam time!
Another effing kick-ass night!!! 11 new-to-me songs (I'm on show #8 at this point), 2 covers I didn't know and 1 new song. Plus all the awesome sing along songs. And more TOTD. I was just a little bummed to hear the repeats, I'll be honest. But that's what you get, guys, when you spoil us so good! Oh, and one of my top 3 dream songs got crossed off this night - Leatherman!!!!! I couldn't believe it. heehee. I freaking LOVED the opener and was in heaven during the It's Ok tag. The other songs I was super-excited about seeing are: Habit (Liam Finn nailed it!!) Red Mosquito, Satan's Bed, Nothingman, No Way, Smile, & All Night Thing.
Thank you guys from Toledo for scooting up our way and making me feel less like the weirdo for woo-hooing and shaking my ass.
What an amazing weekend! I'll never be the same. I can't stop thinking about it. I told my husband that I would be floating for about a week, gradually weaning myself from the PJ as I get back to normal. Tomorrow I have to scrub the PJ20 paint of the back of his car. :(
artsymcgee.com</a>
http://www.orderinthesound.com/3-4-sept ... ic-theatre
My original impression of Sunday was that it was a little disjointed...kind of like they were trying to find the right mix of more obscure tracks with playing a selection of the "hits" that everyone wanted to see. Also didn't care for the song played w/ John Doe. And wished they'd have mixed it up with Cornell a bit more, or just played Hunger Strike and Crown of Throns and moved on.
In hindsight, I think my original assessment was colored a bit by the fact that Saturday blew me away (more than I expected it to) and that I prefer seats to the lawn. CANNOT wait for the boots to become available, because I need to relive these shows. Ultimately, this was a special weekend of great music played by a truly great band that has some of the greatest and most passionate fans that you'll find. To have this band to follow for 20 years is pretty amazing, all the more so because they don't seem to be showing any signs of slowing down.
The band was on fire! I saw some cameras filming these shows so hopefully they get released on DVD eventually. I'd definitely like to relive these shows again!
Why do you have to decide? I think the whole thing was meant as a package anyway. What was it 5:45 of Pearl Jam with at MLB/TOTD reunion mixed in for about 45 minutes of that?
That's the mistake I think a lot of the nay sayers are making (among others). This was not 1 2:40 minute show and a 3:05 minute show (or whatever they were about) with TOTD for 20-25 minutes or so each night. It was a 6 hour Pearl Jam concert that they shared with a nod to their history without whom.... Eddie's tribute to Matt and commenting on Jeff and Stone 25 AFTER the PJ20 were the perfect examples of this. He knows he and Mike get most of the public attention. But, he knows even better that without that stuff going all the way back to Andy Wood - he would not be in the position he is in now. And he wants EVERYONE to know that. The fact is, as Chris also showed, Jeff and Stone (and Matt and Mike) owe Eddie a great debt of gratitude because without his songwriting and charisma, they are probably not at the pinnacle they are at either. So, it all works.
And that's what this weekend was about. I wasn't at Philly. I wasn't at MSG. I wasn't at the Gorge. But, I can tell you, I find it EXTREMELY hard to believe those experiences even in their entirety comes within whatever distance it took us all to travel there of this weekend. And the concert(s) were the center piece. The 6 freakin hour concert Pearl Jam put on plus the 18 other hours their friends put on with them taking guests shots all over the place. Hasn't been matched, yet. Will be very tough to match even if they decide to do somthing similar in the future because this was the first. And regardless of what they do, this will always be the standard by which future endeavors will be compared.
I'm glad they made it to when it all got good....
Butch says hello. He wants to know if you and your posters made it home safely.
My wife and I had a total blast start to finish ... I wish the weather had been better Saturday night, but thankfully it at least didn't rain during Pearl Jam's set! Sunday was a bit cold, but I don't have much more to complain about other than the high priced beer and the shitty high priced food, but I expected that going in!
The best part, as always, was the great friends, the great vibe and of course the great music. These were not the best shows I've ever seen by a long shot (these were shows #33 and #34 for me), but they were very special!
Great to see Gina and Jose (thanks for the tenclub tickets Jose!) and Jason and Newfie Joe (!!) and Anthony and all of my other Pearl Jam friends ... all the best people were at these shows! It was a real pleasure to make some new friends too, friends I know we'll see again the next time around!
...I was always a DeadHead, but when I first heard Winston Rodney, aka the Burning Spear, sing, I became a SpearHead too!
I walked around the venue all weekend with perma-grin. Can't explain but there really was no other place I would have rather been. Not really sure what this vocal minority is complaining about. Aside from Pearl Jam playing for 24 hours straight, there is nothing I can complain about PJ20. I have been a fan from the start when I was a freshman in high school. PJ20 gave me the opportunity to reflect on the last 20 years of my life and recount all the ups and downs I've been through all the while listening to Pearl Jam. They have grown up musically as I have grown up. It was quite an amazing experience that I would not trade for the world.
Here is my review:
IT WAS AWESOME.
AMEN BROTHER, AMEN!!
Thank you Pearl Jam for 20 awesome years. I'm so glad you made it "til when things got good"
:-D
Wash me in the blood of Rock & Roll
PJ - Auckland 2009; Alpine Valley1&2 2011; Man1, Am'dam1&2, Berlin1&2, Stockholm, Oslo & Copenhagen 2012; LA, Oakland, Portland, Spokane, Calgary, Vancouver, Seattle 2013; Auckland 2014
EV - Canberra, Newcastle & Sydney 1&2 2011
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqNcdslz ... re=related
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
God....i have no words...i cant find..even in Greek..
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
Along with just EVERYTHING both days, he was absolutely hypnotizing both those nights. :crazy: :-D
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
Personally, Release was the highlight of night one for me. It was the first time I got to hear it live, and it made me think of my father who took me to the show at Alpine Valley in 2003 as a gift for my 16th birthday. It was my first Pearl Jam show since he passed away from cancer almost two years ago, and I couldn't help but look up and think about him when they opened with it. I'm still shocked that we got to hear Hunger Strike & Reach Down during both shows. I understand why some people would've rather heard more Pearl Jam songs instead of 3-4 Temple songs during each set, but I can't complain about hearing Hunger Strike live. I met a really cool fan during night one who had been to quite a few shows, and it was cool to see his reaction of disbelief when Cornell & the band played Stardog Champion. I was a little disappointed that the setlist was cut short during night one, but they more than made up for it the following night.
I was really happy to hear LBC during the second night's setlist. If I could've chosen any song to be played during the festival it would've been All or None, but I was glad that Riot Act got represented with LBC & Help Help. The New World, Smile, & Satan's Bed were also pleasant surprises for me. I never thought that live & in person I would hear 30-40,000 people shout the lyric "I never sucked Satan's dick!" The second show was just such a collective euphoric experience. That's the only was I can describe it. The band was clearly having so much fun. I'll never forget seeing Eddie & Jeff standing together as they watched Mike finish Yellow Ledbetter. They appeared to be savoring the moment just like the audience was.
My friend asked me to write a few words about the festival for his blog, so I thought I'd post a link here to anyone who's interested in reading it. It's the first time I've really written anything since I graduated from college about a year ago.
http://thedagoblog.wordpress.com/2011/09/21/pearl-jam-20-weekend/