*** Pearl Jam Ottawa, Canada Fanviews 9/3/22 ***

I’ll start by saying this was my first PJ show in a Looong time (Montreal 2011).  My love never waned but the fact that it always required travel made it less appealing. Plus I felt like I had already experienced them at their best like Toronto ‘96, or Jones Beach 2000, or MSG in 2010. Fast forward to Gigaton, which I enjoyed more than the previous three albums and I decided to go for Ottawa 2020. Well 2.5 years later here we are!

Seated acoustic opening 
I absolutely love the seated opening. They had done the acoustic encore sets during the Canadian 2005 tour and loved it then and still do now. It also reminds me of cool shows like Red Rocks 95 and allows the band to play some rarities that may otherwise kill the main set momentum. A casual fan (including my wife next to me) wouldn’t really get it but I leaned over and told her “it’s a fanboy opening. The greatest hits will come at the end”. And I was right on both accounts. It was a great start for those of us looking for deeper cuts and something different that I had never experienced to start a show, followed by the heavy hitters. By the time GTF hit we all felt ready to erupt….the whole room could finally sing along. “The love he receives is the love that is saaaaaaved!”

Set lists - Quality over Quantity
I’ve followed the discussion here and yeah I’m thinking of those epic shows I’ve attended (MSG shows with 32 songs). But I’ve never been a rarities checkbox person,  nor am I an ingrate who gets upset when the opening notes of Even Flow are played. Quite the opposite! Corduroy, GTF and Betterman (as I’ve gotten older) are probably absolute favourites and loved every minute of them last night. I especially like them because the whole room comes alive. If they slog through Help Help, Pilate or Inside Job the energy sags. Last night the only momentum killers IMO were Wishlist and Seven O’Clock (which I like but it’s just OK live)  Sure a track from No Code (Smile or In My Tree at the slower tempo) would’ve been nice but personally I didn’t miss anything from Riot Act, BS or LB. I should mention this is my first concert of any band since COVID and between the logistics, crowds, volume, and sing-alongs, it was just about the perfect length for me.  

Had another amazing time last night in Ottawa.

First show since Covid. Beaming the entire night. Couldn’t have cared less what they played - I was just so grateful to be in the room. #44 in the books, #45 in t-minus 48 hours or so 🤘🏻

Me and the wife made the trip from PA for this one. She hasn't seen them since 2013, I saw them last at the 10 show in Philly 2016. I finally hit GA when they did the recent add on lottery and GA is the only way to fly. the intensity of the crowd, the sound, nothing better!

Funny thing is, they opened with Of the Girl in Pgh 2013, her first gig and this one too. Wild. The seated start is amazing. Its definitely to get his voice warmed up as well as ease into the night, he said that as much (ie. after Alright - "we gonna do a couple more seated and then when we start, we won't be stopping" - paraphrase). i like that change, i hope it continues. 

Just being able to hear everything crystal clear those first 5 songs, since they are a little mellower and no distortion, etc. His voice was incredible tonight. He's fully recovered for sure. I never did notice he was limping so that is interesting, my wife never commented either so if he was hurt, it sure didn't look like it. Acoustic Garden, Alright sounded amazing live, NAIS and Low Light - incredible.

Overall, I understand the frustration with the number of songs and for my part, its understandable - BUT, Ed does A LOT of talking, hard to quibble with that, and its clearly to get a break and also give the other guys a break, AND he loves to tell stories. This is nothing new. As far as the hits and seeing EF, CORDUROY,  Black, Jeremy, Betterman again, I'm bummed but only because I would have rather them not scratch Who Ever Said and SAD, but i know why they did. The new songs kill the momentum, as good as 7OClock is, it kills the momentum and as the show progresses they sense this. Even Throw your Hatred Down killed the momentum but its a even tempo song and it doesn't take a lot of energy to play. I predicted almost all those songs being played because most not played in Quebec. But the crowd reaction to EF, GTF, Cord, Porch, BM, Jeremy, Black, INSANE....this is why they play them. The whole building is shaking, and the singing....

I think only 7 repeats from Quebec which is great. Really, we are spoiled when it comes to songs played. No band does this to this extent. I was bummed only slightly I didn't get an OLD song I had not heard but I saw that as a long shot anyway based upon the new setlist length.

Song notes - Josh played acoustic on NAIS, both MC and Stone had electric's and there was a full on acoustic thru the whole song, he played behind the amps so only the back could see. DOTC and all the new songs are amazing live. so much better than the record IMO. MC absolutely shredded the solos, NAIS, Immortality, CM but I think Porch, Black and EF solos WAY too long. Could easily do another song there if he cut them down. I've been to 20 shows and have seen CM 7 times now. Another song that just follows me. At least they didn't' play Last Kiss!!!! Boom needs it or he's pretty much a nonfactor and for most gigs, he is. This one he shinned, him and Mike killed it. 

Gigaton if i had to rate it, is probably last in my favs, next to Backspacer, that isn't saying much when you consider the other albums, i'm sure this is the case for MOST, but i know diehards love love love the new stuff. I can relate, I'm a Rush superfan and Clockwork Angels is a masterpiece but most would rather them play 70's shit (i'm one of those too - LOL). I get it. BUT live, the new songs sound incredible, really. they do. So much more than the LB and Backspacer tunes when I saw those shows. which is why I am bummed they dropped one from this show. But they can't play 7-8 of them like before when you cut 10 songs out of the setlist, its a trade off....its a weird thing liking the new ones live and not so much in the studio.....but its one of those YOU HAD TO BE THERE DEALS......hearing the bootleg won't be the same.

Fuckin Up was NOT a momentum killer, crowd loved it. YL was the standard version, nothing extended and MC was pretty much whipped and did a respectable solo but nothing more. They were drained. I get it. I miss the days of the Spectrum shows and even 2016 when they still did incredible LONG sets, but it happens to them all eventually (or it will). I just hope they tour more often as a result and not these stupid stadium shows I can't get too.....one thing they could consider is taking longer encore breaks and more often but that means no opener.

Enjoy the gigs. I hope i don't get more than 7 repeats when I head to Camden with my nephew and friends....and NO CRAZY MARY!!!! lol

First Pearl Jam show since 2016, and have been holding onto the GA tickets since 2020 with anticipation! Walked into the pit maybe 10 minutes before the band hit the stage, and had an amazing vantage point smack in the middle. The pit is A LOT smaller than I anticipated the return on investment of camping out the night before is being on the rail, and a difference of 15-17 ft than walking into the arena before the band hits the stage?

A fun set. The sit-down opener was definitely reflective for me: I've been seeing this band for over 2 decades, and we're all getting older and physically not capable of the same things anymore. Definitely the pandemic helped put our own mortality into perspective, and that this (delayed) tour is finally happening under different circumstances, globally and even in our own lives.   

The old obsessive PJ fan in me would've loved all the deep tracks, loved the string of Yield songs in sequence. Even the stock setlist tracks had me going after not having heard this band live after a 6-year break. Corduroy through Porch were scorchers and a solid string of songs to get the building rocking out

But woke up next morning without that "can't wait to that again" feeling, and offloaded my Hamilton and Toronto 10c tickets. I'm glad Ottawa has become a regular stop on their on North American tours so I can take in a local show, have a fun night, but gone are my days of following the band around multiple shows on the same tour. 

Wow what an amazing experience, altogether and a perfect night for my 50th show. 

I attended the show with my 21 year old son Dylan, (his 10th show) we drove up from Pepperell Massachusetts. We had GA tickets from the10c {thank you 10c} from 2020, so this was a great three day weekend {rescheduled show) road trip for us. We checked in our hotel late Friday evening and went down to the venue to scope out the GA line and get our bearing's set on the plan. We drove into the venue, we saw those beautiful red tractor trailer trucks parked in the this empty parking lot, we drove around the building and finally found the GA line in a corner of the building,  in the handicap parking lot. There were about 20-30 people there at this time, setting up tents hanging out , it was a beautiful evening, the sun was setting everyone was so excited to be there. A young girl and her mom came over and welcomed us and we thought about joining them, but ultimately, that was not part of the plan.

Dylan's plan was to get up at 6am, work out, and have me drop him off at  the GA line at 7:00am, I could go back to the hotel have breakfast, shower and bring back food and stuff for him later that morning. Dylan, at 21, has the same love for this band as some of the long time diehards we met on the GA line. At nine he attended his first show, at Newark NJ in 2010, We were treated to 2nd row, just to the right of Stone Gossard, thanks to the 10c will-call attendant's, At nine he could sing every word off of "Avocado" and managed his way to first row where of course Ed tosses him a tambourine during Alive, Prior to that moment there was a brief interaction with him and Ed, where  they were singing "Life's Wasted" together. Ed in his Chicago Bears jersey, Dylan in his NY Giants jersey, truly amazing.

Dylan's dedication got us wrist band  #'s 40 & 41 and we were part of a group of fifty lead into the venue at about 5:30pm. We really wanted to be hanging on the rail in front of Jeff, between Mike and Edie, but location was the most important and 2nd row behind a group of shorter women turn out to be the perfect spot. 

"Of the Girl" , followed by  "Garden" into "Nothing as It Seems"  opener for me was pure magic and set the mood for an incredible, unforgettable night. The band was on fire the entire night. They fed off the amazing crowd in this very large arena, but managed to make it feel intimate at the same time. Watching each of them interact with each other is so great, at one point during the end of "Betterman" Mike and Ed come together jamming guitar solo's Ed reaches to fuck Mike up Mike does the same to Eddie, it is just so special to watch how much enjoyment they get playing together still,  almost as much or maybe more than we get from watching them.
 
The 1st set was almost two hours long and now a days hearing that opening riff to  "Porch" is just sad, knowing that we are nearing the end, but it is still such a great song live at the same time, During "Alive" the tambourines come out as the first one is tossed to a young kid, maybe nine or ten, first row just to our right. During our wait on  the GA line the conversation around us was about renting a kid to bring to the show, it is a guaranteed tambourine. Dylan and I joked earlier that if he were to get another tambourine would he give it away to someone and he was like no way I am keeping it. During "Fucking Up" i notice Ed making eye contact with Dylan as they we both singing,  Eddie has two tambourines in his hand  and he smashes open one, walks stage right tosses into the crowd and comes right back towards us, he points to Dylan and tosses him the other. It was the perfect cap to a great day. He earned it, if it was not for him getting up early and dedicating the day to being as close and we could, none of this would have happened. 

At one point during the show Ed told a story of not going the see the Jackson Five when he was six or seven with his family and how great it was seeing the young kids at the shows with their dads. It was unforgettable twelve years ago and even better this times as he's a bit older now and better able to truly appreciate it. It was a very special show #50 for me. 

Next show I have tickets for is the Bourbon & Beyond festival  in Louisville KY but I am hoping I can find an extra MSG ticket for 9/11 if any one has any insight on how to obtain one of those please let me know, I lived in NY during this day,  I was at MSG in 1998 on 9/11, and 7/8/03 the 1st time back the band was back in NYC after 9/11, t think this night will be  extra special as well. This will always be a tough day in history but what a better way to heal than at a Pearl Jam show,


  

arriepjf said:

Wow what an amazing experience, altogether and a perfect night for my 50th show. 

I attended the show with my 21 year old son Dylan, (his 10th show) we drove up from Pepperell Massachusetts. We had GA tickets from the10c {thank you 10c} from 2020, so this was a great three day weekend {rescheduled show) road trip for us. We checked in our hotel late Friday evening and went down to the venue to scope out the GA line and get our bearing's set on the plan. We drove into the venue, we saw those beautiful red tractor trailer trucks parked in the this empty parking lot, we drove around the building and finally found the GA line in a corner of the building,  in the handicap parking lot. There were about 20-30 people there at this time, setting up tents hanging out , it was a beautiful evening, the sun was setting everyone was so excited to be there. A young girl and her mom came over and welcomed us and we thought about joining them, but ultimately, that was not part of the plan.

Dylan's plan was to get up at 6am, work out, and have me drop him off at  the GA line at 7:00am, I could go back to the hotel have breakfast, shower and bring back food and stuff for him later that morning. Dylan, at 21, has the same love for this band as some of the long time diehards we met on the GA line. At nine he attended his first show, at Newark NJ in 2010, We were treated to 2nd row, just to the right of Stone Gossard, thanks to the 10c will-call attendant's, At nine he could sing every word off of "Avocado" and managed his way to first row where of course Ed tosses him a tambourine during Alive, Prior to that moment there was a brief interaction with him and Ed, where  they were singing "Life's Wasted" together. Ed in his Chicago Bears jersey, Dylan in his NY Giants jersey, truly amazing.

Dylan's dedication got us wrist band  #'s 40 & 41 and we were part of a group of fifty lead into the venue at about 5:30pm. We really wanted to be hanging on the rail in front of Jeff, between Mike and Edie, but location was the most important and 2nd row behind a group of shorter women turn out to be the perfect spot. 

"Of the Girl" , followed by  "Garden" into "Nothing as It Seems"  opener for me was pure magic and set the mood for an incredible, unforgettable night. The band was on fire the entire night. They fed off the amazing crowd in this very large arena, but managed to make it feel intimate at the same time. Watching each of them interact with each other is so great, at one point during the end of "Betterman" Mike and Ed come together jamming guitar solo's Ed reaches to fuck Mike up Mike does the same to Eddie, it is just so special to watch how much enjoyment they get playing together still,  almost as much or maybe more than we get from watching them.
 
The 1st set was almost two hours long and now a days hearing that opening riff to  "Porch" is just sad, knowing that we are nearing the end, but it is still such a great song live at the same time, During "Alive" the tambourines come out as the first one is tossed to a young kid, maybe nine or ten, first row just to our right. During our wait on  the GA line the conversation around us was about renting a kid to bring to the show, it is a guaranteed tambourine. Dylan and I joked earlier that if he were to get another tambourine would he give it away to someone and he was like no way I am keeping it. During "Fucking Up" i notice Ed making eye contact with Dylan as they we both singing,  Eddie has two tambourines in his hand  and he smashes open one, walks stage right tosses into the crowd and comes right back towards us, he points to Dylan and tosses him the other. It was the perfect cap to a great day. He earned it, if it was not for him getting up early and dedicating the day to being as close and we could, none of this would have happened. 

At one point during the show Ed told a story of not going the see the Jackson Five when he was six or seven with his family and how great it was seeing the young kids at the shows with their dads. It was unforgettable twelve years ago and even better this times as he's a bit older now and better able to truly appreciate it. It was a very special show #50 for me. 

Next show I have tickets for is the Bourbon & Beyond festival  in Louisville KY but I am hoping I can find an extra MSG ticket for 9/11 if any one has any insight on how to obtain one of those please let me know, I lived in NY during this day,  I was at MSG in 1998 on 9/11, and 7/8/03 the 1st time back the band was back in NYC after 9/11, t think this night will be  extra special as well. This will always be a tough day in history but what a better way to heal than at a Pearl Jam show,


  

Hey. I was standing right next to Dylan. I was the girl in the Bowie shirt from NYC. I was so glad to see him get a tambourine. He told me all about your first show together. It’s great you are still going to shows together all these years later. 

My wife dropped out at the last minute so I called up a bud and offered him the ticket.  

On the way to show I found out that it would be his first time seeing Pearl Jam!  This blew my mind considering I catch them whenever I can.

He said to me "Boy, I hope they play Garden and Sirens."

My external voice: "Yeah maybe!  Here's to hoping."
My internal voice: "NO WAY they are playing Garden.  Good luck!"

Bam.  Song #2 my bud looks at me with incredulous eyes and I'm thinking "Oh man, it's going to be one of those nights."

First time in GA and it was glorious.  I was hanging in the back area of GA and we were all having the time of their lives.  We were going so hard on Corduroy that the guy next to me exchanged a fist bump with no words spoken at the end of the song.  That's all that is needed to acknowledge the moment.  Pearl Jam, here, now, nothing else can go wrong.

Great show, great set (especially with my bud whose first show it was...a good mix of the hits and rarities) and a great time all around.