YOUR Top 10 Bootlegs???

Moline 2014 now is making it into my top 10. It really is that good of a boot. Obviously, the set list with No Code played in its entirety is the main point, but so many other gems thrown in there WITH the band being totally on and the performance to match. Crowd and vibe was off the charts that night, which the band totally played and def off of - and it all translates and comes thru on the boot almost perfectly. Special night, legendary show, and a fucking great boot.

Listened to all of the Vault shows today leading up to the Super Bowl. In light of the thread, I have to personally rank the current Vault releases:

1.) Vault #2 - Vic Theatre, Chicago 2007
I just love the set list and overall performance from the band. Amazing start to the show opening with All Or None, and a stunning version at that. I just love the All Or None, Education, Sad, and In Hiding opening quarto. My favorite, and in my opinion, the greatest version of In Hiding every recorded on a bootleg with the crowd sounding deafening taking the entire chorus in the song. Then a great mid-set slow tempo combination of Parachutes, I'm Open, and Wish list. Down and Undone back-to-back is awesome. Superb version of Hard To Imagine and a fantastic closing to an excellent main set with Gods Dice, WWS, Rats, Gone, and Why Go. I think the encores are a little weak in my opinion, but the rarities continue and cool to hear Black Diamond with a Ben Harper making a magnificent cameo on Indifference. I just love the vibe and flow of the show, and the band sounds great. Definitely a set list crafted for a fan club only show in a small theater.

2.) Vault #3 - Constitution Hall, Washington DC 1998
Very tough not to make this #1, but it goes almost hand in hand with the Vic. It's just great to have a superb quality recording of the '98 tour. Just love the sound and Ed's singing style during the '96-'98 era. It's also very nice to hear the original slower tempo versions of songs like Given To Fly, Corduroy, and Dissident as opposed to how hyper they play those songs these days. Absolutely love the opening Long Road-Act of Love combo. A shame the show isn't complete.

3.) Vault #1 - Moore Theatre, Seattle 1992
Another one that I wish was the full show, but also very fortunate to have such a quality recording from 1992 and hopefully more to come. Sweet version of Release and it's always great to have such a quality version of the song back when it was more raw and Ed's voice was even more powerful. The boot really does capture the band's more aggressive stage presence during that time period.

4.) Vault #4 - Mt. Baker Theatre, Bellingham 2000
Not to say this is a bad boot by any means at all, but I just think the band took it too easy with this release. We already have 72 official boots from the Binaural tour, and I would have loved to see a release from 1996 or 1995 instead. Don't get me wrong, it's awesome having an unreleased show from 2000 that was a warm-up to the legendary tour, and one that featured the Binaural songs being played live for the first time - but I think Ed struggles a little bit and the band doesn't necessarily sound the tightest (first show of the year and first time playing a loft of songs), which is expected. Still a great boot though, just falls short on what has been an amazing short list of excellent selections for the Vault Series thus far.