*** Phoenix Fanviews Here 11/19/13 ***

AzWicker wrote:

I wish I could download that audience boot, but I just get a bunch of ads and downloading some sort of programs.

I have reflected on this show after a week now, and I still think it was most awesome!

Try this http://download1153.mediafire.com/i9hry ... endale.zip

Agree with everything said and the crowd does translate over the bootleg.

Definitely one of the best shows I have been to!

I can't say enough about this show. It was incredible. I've been going through some really stressful times lately, and a friend got me into the GA area, right in front of Stone. At the risk of "being cheesy," I'll say it was a dream come true. I've carried that excitement with me for over a week now, and still can't stop thinking about it. I've been a PJ fan from the beginning, but this is only my second show (after Wrigley).

I also have to say that I really enjoyed the crowd around me- thanks to my new Canadian friend "Noel," and the woman from New Jersey for letting me hang with you and putting up with my crazy enthusiasm! It was super fun hanging out with other die hard PJ fans!

I cannot wait for the boot!! You might hear me scream (something like) "yeah! I work there!!!" when Ed mentions "the folks hanging out at Grand Canyon."

Thank you PJ and my friends Jen and Brian. I'll never forget it!

Come back!!!!

The last time Pearl Jam graced the crown jewel of the desert was over ten years ago. I was at that show with my dad, in the reserved seats, sometime in June 2003 -- one month after I had graduated from High School, with a sign clear as day, saying "Just Graduated -- It Was Hard To Imagine." They call this "foreshadowing."

Ten years since, and about ten shows or so later, so much had already changed that the song became even more fitting. I'm not sure there are words that can capture exactly what this show meant to me, but I'll damn sure try to find them for the few songs I really want to hit on.

Take for example the opener, Long Road. The first time I saw this band was in Phoenix, 2000, and that was the opener. The opening chord, the resonating D, that "bell" (if you know what I mean), was all it took to reel me in. What is that connection we find with music if not a bookmark for our lives. "I realized I was in love with Jane Doe the first time I heard SONG X in 19-blahdy blah at John Reefer's house party. His parents were out of town, and the bedrooms were wide open." BOOM, you're taken to this place. In 2000, I hadn't even heard the song, but in an instant, I was taken to a place where some things made sense.

For Release to follow immediately thereafter, with my pops in tow, was almost too much to handle. If you're as close with your father as I am, what I just wrote may immediately make sense. I had never seen Release live before. My dad is not a HUGE Pearl Jam fan, but he definitely is a fan and he "gets" it. This one hits both of us equally as hard -- huge fan or not. I always imagined the moment I heard this song live, I'd just be thinking about my pops the entire time. To have him there to experience that with me was one of the most profound moments in my life. Immediately after the start of the song, we locked eyes, I wrapped my arm around his neck and did not let go, and sang (if we can call concert-singing, singing) each word right in his ear. The moment was priceless and a gift I will forever cherish.

But this concert, THIS CONCERT, in Phoenix (PHOENIX?!), Arizona was the gift that kept on giving and did not stop. I know people have hit on the ten years since and what not ad nauseum, but I mean, there's got to be something to it, right? Can you imagine a PJ-head without the means to see these guys outside the state and being deprived for ten years? Nov. 19, 2013 was a gift to those, especially.

So they next gave us Low Light. The lyric that stands out most and defines the song for me has to be "'Reeling' is what they say, or is just my way?" If you think about that for more than a minute, apply it to your own life, the implications are enough to drive you insane.

I had purchased four tickets to this show -- two through ten club and two more through Ticketmaster. Who were my guests, you might ask. Well, my dad, my sister, and my mother. In other words, my entire family. In August, my parents celebrated their 30th anniversary and I decided to take them, along with my sister, to the show for their gift. I took my mother to see EV in Phoenix, in November 2012, and if she wasn't in love before, she certainly was after. Of all ironic topics to speak about that night, EV starts talking about his pops, how Jeff's parents were in attendance, and how it was their anniversary, and Stone's parents and how long they had been together...just all this stuff that made sense for that particular night. I'm a lucky Pearl Jam fan, and not because of anything else but I have the unique experience of my family digging these dudes and experiencing a show with them. There were no objections to going to this show -- only sought-after reassurances from me that they were really going to this show. In a sense, my gift to them was a gift for me.

My dad used to own a bar in Phoenix for about 17 years. Things happen, as they do, and that bar is no longer his. But it once was and other than having the greatest wings in the valley, it had a pretty amazing jukebox. Ten was in this jukebox and my pops had a patron who would as sure as the nightfall play Even Flow every time he walked in that bar. And each time he played it, he would proclaim to those sober or close enough to hear him that he was the mayor of Puerto Rico. Pops told me this a long time ago and after we went over the lyrics, it all started to make sense to my old man why this guy would play this song. Needless to say, as soon as this song came on, we looked at each other and, without skipping a beat, said "I'm the mayor of Puerto Rico." *FYI* After the 2003 Phoenix concert, more PJ made its way to the jukebox.

When I took my dad to see PJ in 2003, he was exposed to DTE, as well as drinking Jack Daniels at a rock concert, for the first time, and these two things quickly became a combined favorite of his. When DTE came up this time, I'm not so certain I've seen a man of his age, size, and stature rock as he had rocked during that one. Again--the gift that kept on giving.

I'm not sure if you're still reading this, but I'm just going to hit Hard to Imagine. What can be said about this song that's not already written? That's not already contained in its lyrics? You know, there are some people out there who are of the opinion that those who don't like avocados or bacon can't be trusted (which is totally legitimate)? This song. This song is that for me. I'm not sure there's any other lyric out there that encompasses the definition of change in as many different contexts as "Things were different then, all is different now. I try to explain, somehow." Some events do not have words to attach themselves to, and to say as much about the event suffices and does the event itself, justice. I think, but am not certain, that this is the root of why the song is so in demand and so lightly, but delicately, played. Since I've been pining for this song, let alone the ten years since seeing these guys in Phoenix, the song never held more value than it could have on that night.

Before the show, I had explained to several fans waiting for the GA assignments how this one, this one single song, was the song I had been chasing. It's all I've ever asked of from this band. To have gotten it, and for it to have been as though I was in a living room with friends and family, was once again, priceless and made for the perfect bookmark (and end of my review).

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did reliving it. Excuse the stream of consciousness style -- could not help myself.

sshleef wrote:

I'm not sure if you're still reading this, but I'm just going to hit Hard to Imagine. What can be said about this song that's not already written? That's not already contained in its lyrics? You know, there are some people out there who are of the opinion that those who don't like avocados or bacon can't be trusted (which is totally legitimate)? This song. This song is that for me. I'm not sure there's any other lyric out there that encompasses the definition of change in as many different contexts as "Things were different then, all is different now. I try to explain, somehow." Some events do not have words to attach themselves to, and to say as much about the event suffices and does the event itself, justice. I think, but am not certain, that this is the root of why the song is so in demand and so lightly, but delicately, played. Since I've been pining for this song, let alone the ten years since seeing these guys in Phoenix, the song never held more value than it could have on that night.

Before the show, I had explained to several fans waiting for the GA assignments how this one, this one single song, was the song I had been chasing. It's all I've ever asked of from this band. To have gotten it, and for it to have been as though I was in a living room with friends and family, was once again, priceless and made for the perfect bookmark (and end of my review).

I am so with you. I have been waiting for this song for nearly 20 years and when I heard those first few notes, I lost my mind. The people next to me looked at me like I was some sort of lunatic. (Why anyone who was on the rail at this show WASN'T excited is beyond me). It was almost too much for me to handle, and everything I'd ever dreamed it would be.

God I love this band.

I waited to add my 2 cents until the tour was over. From beginning to end this show easily was the best of west coast tour. The first encore was without a doubt the best encore in years. The energy throughout the shows was unbelievable. Thank you Pearl Jam. I was completely blown away while the first encore was being played. I was always a little jealous of Grand Rapids '06 first encore until I was able to witness this one. Now I feel whoever was at Phoenix has witnessed one for the ages. The acoustic sound of Around the Bend, Hard to Imagine and Footsteps leading into the energy of Jeremy, Alone and Porch was mind blowing. Not to mention them throwing in Go after Betterman to end the first set. I thought the set was going to end after Betterman and all of a sudden they break into Go. The red lights surrounding Matt as the song ends with him pounding on the drums is etched into my memory. Every one dancing to Rockin in the Free World with the house lights on showed the excitement of a show for the ages. Walking out of the stadium after Indifference sent me home to Chicago feeling the trip to Phoenix was well worth it. Thank you Pearl Jam

DesertSkyAZ wrote:

I finally completed uploading all my videos from the Phoenix show to YouTube. The only two songs I didn't get that night were 1/2 Full and Spin the Black Circle. The videocam battery nearly made it all the way through. It finally gave out after Alive, so I ended up using my iPhone to record Rockin' in the Free World and Indifference. All the videos have audio from Edgar's amazing audience recording.

Here's a playlist I compiled of all the videos in setlist order. So if you have 2 hrs and 40 minutes, you can just hit Play All, sit back and relive the concert.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL114yZYZ37bhJ5h8OlaVTejMjOSbVCwmd

Thanks very much! I love this. At 4:18 of 'Release' you can see my grandson being lifted up by my daughter (which drove me nuts) and then Ed handing him a tambourine during RITFW at 7:10. Glad to be able to relive those memories.

AzWicker wrote:

DesertSkyAZ wrote:

I finally completed uploading all my videos from the Phoenix show to YouTube. The only two songs I didn't get that night were 1/2 Full and Spin the Black Circle. The videocam battery nearly made it all the way through. It finally gave out after Alive, so I ended up using my iPhone to record Rockin' in the Free World and Indifference. All the videos have audio from Edgar's amazing audience recording.

Here's a playlist I compiled of all the videos in setlist order. So if you have 2 hrs and 40 minutes, you can just hit Play All, sit back and relive the concert.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL114yZYZ37bhJ5h8OlaVTejMjOSbVCwmd

Thanks very much! I love this. At 4:18 of 'Release' you can see my grandson being lifted up by my daughter (which drove me nuts) and then Ed handing him a tambourine during RITFW at 7:10. Glad to be able to relive those memories.

Yes, that is his big head