Completely addicted to the bootlegs, can't decide which year/tour I like most

I've been listening to the bootlegs obsessively for the past three months now (mostly from 2000 on) and I can't seem to decide on a favorite year as far as sound quality, energy, setlists, etc. But I'm currently running through the 2006 ones and I find that they are hard to beat in terms of bands sound and positive energy. They seemed to have been on the top of their game after releasing their self titled album. I love the heavy jams of Porch. The "Woo" after the last verse of Go that Eddie belts out.  As far as favorites though, for me, it's hard to beat 2000 and 2003 (I love riot act). And a least favorite might be 2008. I thought I would be burnt out on listening to nothing but live pearl jam by now but it hasn't happened yet. Just wanted to share my enthusiasm for this amazing band. There are new albums out by other bands that I want to hear but I'm like "nope, can't mess up my PJ groove." Does anyone else do this? Anyway, I'd love to hear if you guys have a favorite or least favorite year/tour and why.
Tagged:
«13

Comments

  • CP218430CP218430 Posts: 1,891
    I'm probably in the minority here but I love the 13-16 years. This is when things got really interesting. Sprawling sets. Slow burn openings. Random songs buried for years. Sure, lots of sloppy shows but Euro 2000 was sloppy. I need to give 05 more love. 
    98: St. Louis. 2000: Alpine. 2003: Chicago. 2006: Chicago Night 2, Milwaukee Night 1. 2007: Chicago (Lolla). 2009: Chicago 1 & 2. 2011: Alpine 1 & 2. 2013: Chicago & LA Night 1. 2016: Chicago 1 & 2. 2018: Chicago 1 & 2. 

    "Let the Ocean dissolve away my past."
  • 1994

    Pearl Jam was young

    I was young

    Life was easier

    And THEY ROCKED!!!!!

    Take me piece by piece.....
    Till there aint nothing left worth taking away from me.....
  • PJWGIIIPJWGIII Chicago, IL Posts: 806
    2003 wins as far as boots. Not even close IMO. They were my first PJ Official Bootleg experience so I’m kinda biased, but still....
    "Red Rover, Red Rover, Mike McCready – Take Over!!" - E.V.

    Ten Club "Ambassador" (recap-writer) - DEEP.pearljam.com
    2018
    : Chicago 2 (Wrigley Field) 8/20 | 20(20)22: St Louis 9/18 | 2023: Chicago 2 (United Center) 9/7, Indianapolis (Deer Creek) 9/10

    EV:
    2018: CURE Benefit Show (Chicago - Navy Pier) 10/15

    RIP: Andy, Kurt, Chris
                                       * * * * * * * * *
  • ZodZod Posts: 9,941
    I really like '05.   Starting with the Gorge and never letting up.   Great shows in Canada and South America that year. 

    If I can count pre-bootleg era's, probably the '98 tour.  We got Lo2L, plus the melbourne boot, the seattle II boot, and I think 1 or two others leaked (mansfield, st. louis)?  That tour had so much magic because it was their first proper big tour since they pulled back.   Alot of peoples 1st shows were that tour, and the energy was off the charts.
  • Big Bank HankBig Bank Hank Seattle, WA Posts: 8,639
    My favorites are 2003-2005 they were really in their sweet spot, Ed's voice sounded awesome & they played a lot of awesome cities.
  • HesCalledDyerHesCalledDyer Maryland Posts: 16,416
    Have to go with the '03 & '05 tours as well.  Something about the sound quality on those boots puts them above all the others, plus the band was on freakin point!
  • I've been collecting these at a rapid pace since earlier this year when we bought tickets for Wrigley, my first show.  I think I'm up to 55 or so and have listened to all but a few of them.  Most of them are more recent shows but it sounds like I need to go back and get more from the early 2000's.  I have most of the "classic" shows like State College, the 03 Boston shows, and the 09 Spectrum shows.  I have my free download code to use from Ten Club so any suggestions?
  • Brisk.Brisk. Posts: 11,486
    edited August 2018
    Band at their peak was 2000 or possible 2003.
  • HesCalledDyerHesCalledDyer Maryland Posts: 16,416
    I've been collecting these at a rapid pace since earlier this year when we bought tickets for Wrigley, my first show.  I think I'm up to 55 or so and have listened to all but a few of them.  Most of them are more recent shows but it sounds like I need to go back and get more from the early 2000's.  I have most of the "classic" shows like State College, the 03 Boston shows, and the 09 Spectrum shows.  I have my free download code to use from Ten Club so any suggestions?
    If you don't already have Katowice 6-16-00, grab it!
  • Ledbetterman10Ledbetterman10 Posts: 16,712
    1998
    2000: Camden 1, 2003: Philly, State College, Camden 1, MSG 2, Hershey, 2004: Reading, 2005: Philly, 2006: Camden 1, 2, East Rutherford 1, 2007: Lollapalooza, 2008: Camden 1, Washington D.C., MSG 1, 2, 2009: Philly 1, 2, 3, 4, 2010: Bristol, MSG 2, 2011: PJ20 1, 2, 2012: Made In America, 2013: Brooklyn 2, Philly 2, 2014: Denver, 2015: Global Citizen Festival, 2016: Philly 2, Fenway 1, 2018: Fenway 1, 2, 2021: Sea. Hear. Now. 2022: Camden

    Pearl Jam bootlegs:
    http://wegotshit.blogspot.com
  • I've been collecting these at a rapid pace since earlier this year when we bought tickets for Wrigley, my first show.  I think I'm up to 55 or so and have listened to all but a few of them.  Most of them are more recent shows but it sounds like I need to go back and get more from the early 2000's.  I have most of the "classic" shows like State College, the 03 Boston shows, and the 09 Spectrum shows.  I have my free download code to use from Ten Club so any suggestions?
    If you don't already have Katowice 6-16-00, grab it!
    This one it is then.  Thanks!
  • Big Bank HankBig Bank Hank Seattle, WA Posts: 8,639
    edited August 2018
    Have to go with the '03 & '05 tours as well.  Something about the sound quality on those boots puts them above all the others, plus the band was on freakin point!
    even the 2004 VFC unofficial boots sound awesome, hope the band releases them someday!
  • Kearn5yKearn5y Ireland Posts: 2,684
    Any south american tour along with canada 05 are the best. Currently going through the 2016 usa tour.
    Kearnsy
  • raforafo Posts: 75
    Have to go with the '03 & '05 tours as well.  Something about the sound quality on those boots puts them above all the others, plus the band was on freakin point!
    even the 2004 VFC unofficial boots sound awesome, hope the band releases them someday!
    which is the best in terms of sound??...
  • JH6056JH6056 Posts: 2,427
    1998
    That's my vote too, that was just a favorite tour year for so many reasons. But I actually have no idea of how the boots from that year sound, so I don't know about sound quality and all.  I just know they were fantastic shows!
  • 23scidoo23scidoo Thessaloniki,Greece Posts: 18,412
    1998
    2013 - 2018
    Athens 2006. Dusseldorf 2007. Berlin 2009. Venice 2010. Amsterdam 1 2012. Amsterdam 1+2 2014. Buenos Aires 2015.
    Prague Krakow Berlin 2018. Berlin 2022
    EV, Taormina 1+2 2017.

    I wish i was the souvenir you kept your house key on..
  • leep75leep75 Posts: 265
    I'm partial to the 2000 and 2003 official boots, however the 95-98 audience taped shows are spectacular.  A lot of great DVDs in there as well!

    leep
  • RoleModelsinBlood31RoleModelsinBlood31 Austin TX Posts: 6,136
    OP here’s a link to another thread from with an old poll:

    http://community.pearljam.com/discussion/268578/the-not-so-official-bootleg-poll-your-favorite-pj-bootleg-year/p1

    As as far as I’m concerned and I have them all now in one form or another, my issue with 2003 is Ed’s voice is fcking shot.  At least in the beginning.  Dude sounds pretty bad I’m a lot of the shows.

    2005/2006 are probably my favorite these days, more 2006, but I’m also partial to 2013-2016... those years are straight phenomenal as far as sound and performance goes. 

    I'm like an opening band for your mom.
  • OP here’s a link to another thread from with an old poll:

    http://community.pearljam.com/discussion/268578/the-not-so-official-bootleg-poll-your-favorite-pj-bootleg-year/p1

    As as far as I’m concerned and I have them all now in one form or another, my issue with 2003 is Ed’s voice is fcking shot.  At least in the beginning.  Dude sounds pretty bad I’m a lot of the shows.

    2005/2006 are probably my favorite these days, more 2006, but I’m also partial to 2013-2016... those years are straight phenomenal as far as sound and performance goes. 


    I am partial to 2013-2016 as well. In my opinion, Hartford 2013 and Leeds 2014 are two of the all-time greatest! McCready's guitar solo in Immortality (from the Hartford show) gives me goosebumps every time.  
  • Big Bank HankBig Bank Hank Seattle, WA Posts: 8,639
    edited August 2018
    rafo said:
    Have to go with the '03 & '05 tours as well.  Something about the sound quality on those boots puts them above all the others, plus the band was on freakin point!
    even the 2004 VFC unofficial boots sound awesome, hope the band releases them someday!
    which is the best in terms of sound??...
    I really like them all, here you go, you can check out all of the 2004 shows for yourself
    https://www.pearljambootlegs.org/modules/jinzora2/index.php?nuCU0sannA===ZpZllg==&ext.html
    Post edited by Big Bank Hank on
  • PB11041PB11041 Earth Posts: 2,758
    Tours in order of magnitude of awesomeness of show performances
    2003
    2005
    1992 (particularly Europe)
    1995
    2000
    1996 (particularly Europe)
    1993-94
    2009
    2006
    1998
    2013
    2014
    2016


    His eminence has yet to show. 
    http://www.hi5sports.org/ (Sports Program for Kids with Disabilities)
    http://www.livefootsteps.org/user/?usr=3652

  • 2-feign-reluctance2-feign-reluctance TigerTown, USA Posts: 23,090
    2005 and 2016 are my favorites lately.
    www.cluthelee.com
  • 2006 is a great year for Eddie's voice, I have been listening to that year often lately between the shows at the Gorge, Santa Barbara, and the Imagine in Cornice DVD

    And honestly the shows the last few years have been amazing.  They have done so many cool things between all the full albums they played in sequence live and the sheer variety of the performances.  2013 onwards is a great time for the band and it is awesome that we are still in that era of live amazingness

    In terms of raw power I am a big fan of the 1994 and 1998 tours as well. 



  • rummyrummy British Columbia, Canada Posts: 4,345
    Oddly enough, my two favourite years are PB11041 said:
    Tours in order of magnitude of awesomeness of show performances
    2003
    2005
    1992 (particularly Europe)
    1995
    2000
    1996 (particularly Europe)
    1993-94
    2009
    2006
    1998
    2013
    2014
    2016



    Oddly enough, my two favourite years are two you didn't include - 2011 and 2012. Not a ton of them from those two years but there are many great performances. I might be a bit bias too as it was these two years when I really started to get into the band.
  • rummyrummy British Columbia, Canada Posts: 4,345
    I appreciate/agree with the 1995, '96, and '98 choices but there are too few ((compared to 2000 and beyond) high quality ones for me to put those years in the running.
  • cp3iversoncp3iverson Posts: 8,632
    98-03 peak live PJ
  • RoleModelsinBlood31RoleModelsinBlood31 Austin TX Posts: 6,136
    2005 & 2006 homemade bootleg porn:



    I'm like an opening band for your mom.
  • mcgruff10mcgruff10 New Jersey Posts: 27,739
    95-98 are my favorite bootlegs. 
    I'll ride the wave where it takes me......
  • WobbieWobbie Posts: 29,382
    I've been collecting these at a rapid pace since earlier this year when we bought tickets for Wrigley, my first show.  I think I'm up to 55 or so and have listened to all but a few of them.  Most of them are more recent shows but it sounds like I need to go back and get more from the early 2000's.  I have most of the "classic" shows like State College, the 03 Boston shows, and the 09 Spectrum shows.  I have my free download code to use from Ten Club so any suggestions?
    If you don't already have Katowice 6-16-00, grab it!

    if that’s the one with the sparse crowd, we agree!

    probably my favorite boot of all time.
    If I had known then what I know now...

    Vegas 93, Vegas 98, Vegas 00 (10 year show), Vegas 03, Vegas 06
    VIC 07
    EV LA1 08
    Seattle1 09, Seattle2 09, Salt Lake 09, LA4 09
    Columbus 10
    EV LA 11
    Vancouver 11
    Missoula 12
    Portland 13, Spokane 13
    St. Paul 14, Denver 14
    Philly I & II, 16
    Denver 22
  • HesCalledDyerHesCalledDyer Maryland Posts: 16,416
    2005 & 2006 homemade bootleg porn:



    B-E-A-Utiful!
Sign In or Register to comment.