The Setlist

lowbudgetlush said:

It’s wild to see what songs are peoples favs. If I never heard infallible, gone, force of nature, Johnny guitar, just breath live again I would be absolutely fine. No, that is not just cause I’ve already heard them. They just don’t do it for me. This just goes to show Pearl Jam is in an impossible situation. With that said I would take something like infallible over daughter only for the fact that that would mean they are switching up sets. 

I think it’s songs taking the place of other songs which grates. If some night they do 25 songs and the extra one is Just Breathe? Great! I actually quite like it. But if I only get 23 or 24, I don’t want one of them to be Just Breathe.

If anyone wants to hear Just Breathe, you'll have a better chance catching Willie Nelson and/or his son Lukas Nelson covering it. 

Some of these songs i've listed aren't even my "favorite" per say, but more so songs that seem to have fallen by the wayside by a band who historically has kept it interesting set-list wise on their tours, especially tours in Europe. 

I think where thats where most of the discomfort from life long fans is stemming from. 

Songs like Gone, Off He Goes, and Just Breathe are all songs that on any night can replace any of the slower songs in the set that have had their replay value skyrocket thanks to these abridged, repetitive, setlist traps they seem to be stuck in. 

As far as the other songs, Pilate and Infallible, i feel like the band are losing their socially conscious edge music wise in favor of playing the songs they know they will get positive feedback on. Infallible would have been an amazing choice to play in light of the Roe v. Wade fallout, as I feel like much of that decision has to do with Religion... i know it's not everyone's "favorite", but the topic of conversation is why that song was written... you catch my drift?

As far as people saying they continuously play "the older stuff" as a cop out for whats been happening, i think you're wrong, and if you haven't noticed songs like "Once" and "Rearviewmirror" haven't even made an appearance in Europe yet, not even as alternates! And we're 7 shows in! All albums replay-ability are "suffering", you could say. 

I think the days of Eddie and the band getting together to see which songs they haven't played in awhile, or in that area of the country ever, are over. I think since the Earthling's tour Eddie's setlist choice process has changed and instead of being wild and off the cuff the whole show, there are calculated moments where he decides to insert something that may or may not resonate with the crowd. 

I'm not even asking them to do something crazy like play "I've Got A Feeling" as a closer every night, or bring back onstage improvs to keep it interesting, to me the basic idea of the unpredictability of each night in the music has been lost on them in favor of a more precise and concise set with song choices they know work. 

I'll leave you with another "days since..." that might blow your mind: 

It's been 1,398 days since "Go" has been played..... 

Whipping made the setlist before "Go" !!!!!

Not sure how Just Breathe keeps getting mentioned. Granted, it hasn't been getting play this tour. But didn't they play it at almost every show the last 10+ years? I've only been to 10 shows in the last 9 years, but I literally got it at every show I went to...often with a marriage proposal to go along with it. I like the song, but was getting pretty burned out from it. It was time for a break.

What is the point in fallibg back on a ”most played songs on spotify” setlist?

Have they felt like they were losing the crowd
or that people in the crowd looked bored? 

JimmyV said:

Undone hasn't been played in twelve years. 

I’ve never heard it live! It’s def one of my favorite songs 

I won’t mind what they play or for how long. I am just glad I get to see my favorite band perform live again. After all the shit that’s gone down in the last 2 1/2 years, seeing any live show - Pearl Jam or otherwise - is something that very well could not have ever happened again. 

pjhawks said:

Get_Right said:

Nice research on these JBob87:
13 songs were in this group in both 2022 and 2016 (Alive, Even Flow, Porch, Corduroy, Do The Evolution, Small Town, Given to Fly, Daughter, Better Man, Jeremy, Why Go, Black, Yellow Ledbetter).

I would love a show without any of these being played, but that is because I am old and been to a few shows. Totally agree with everyone's comments on variety over length. 

A show with none of these would suck.  

No it wouldn't  they have done this before .on the 2003 tour