On the one hand I feel like I’m done talking/thinking about this. On the other hand, I was lying awake this morning at 5:30 am, a full four days later, and still turning different options over in my mind.
The one I landed on this morning was ditching the Ed solo Patriot, adding a Go/Animal/SOLAT/whatever after the Glen song, then replacing Sonic Reducer with Fast Patriot if playing that song for Little Steven was so important to Ed. Fast Patriot at Wrigley in 2016 ruled.
If Ed played Patriot and then the band came out and they played Pearl Jam songs it would have been fine. Patriot is a good cover and probably very relevant to today. The probable was the Just Breathe into the GH duet and then followed up by another cover. The show flows better when Ed keeps it to one solo song.
It’ll go down as one of the worst decisions he ever made for a setlist imo.
I do agree with you but I'd also throw out Arms Aloft in there.
😂 this will always be the #1 setlist sin
DC '03 - Reading '04 - Philly '05 - Camden 1 '06 - DC '06 - E. Rutherford '06 - The Vic '07 - Lollapalooza '07 - DC '08 - EV DC 1 & 2 '08 (Met Ed!!) - EV Baltimore 1 & 2 '09 - EV NYC 1 '11 (Met Ed!) - Hartford '13 - GCF '15 - MSG 2 '16 - TOTD MSG '16 - Boston 1 & 2 '18 - SHN '21 - EV NYC 1 & 2 '22 - MSG '22
Been thinking about it, but honestly, I’m thrilled with the two MSG shows. 52 songs, only seven repeats (4 from the new album they are touring!) Band sounded great. Not sure what else there is to say.
I agree. It’s just after that main set the thought of “what could’ve been” inevitably crept into my mind. And I legit was losing patience during the encore. I hate covers so it was a nightmare for me. But I would totally get if other people loved it.
The grass is always greener. Sometimes they do add that one song or two and it feels a bit contrived or out of place. I kind of felt that way about Leash. At this point it is what it is. Starting on stools, slow encores etc. I loved that Patriot. I was hoping to hear Rats. Oh well. There is not one song on that list I did not enjoy.
It may be just a coincidence but Patriot (given all the other political tunes) had the feel of a personal response to the heckling Ed got about his political talk. I agree with Patriots message 100%, but just don’t love the tune. I don’t think Bruce covers it, and it’s weird that PJ plays it. Doesn’t feel at all like a PJ tune or that I am even at a PJ show when he sings it. To play a song because that artist is in the crowd, ok I get it, but it’s not a good policy for setlist construction. If it must be there, one of the other political tunes had to go and be replaced by a PJ banger at that point.
Now had they instead banged out Why Go at that slot, the place would have exploded, EXPLODED!, and all the talk of a lackluster encore here would not exist. Why Go has to be a top five crowd enthusiasm song, yet it did not make the MSG stage, while five covers N2 did. Strange decisions.
i appreciate Ed’s politics and how he stands up to the bizarre elements of American politics since 2015, but it’s a double edged sword. When he gets too into it, and uses either the D or R word (which he did) the Pearl Jam Live Show Magic loses its luster in that moment. Definitely took N2 down a peg. Still, great to see them twice in our hometown after so many years. Very Grateful.
Took me back to the Ralph Nader rally. It was not a coincidence IMHO. Ed will always say something about the state of our country, for better or worse. I like when he chooses something different instead of playing another song from Ten. I enjoyed the show, but the sound was so bad where I was. I am surprised more people are not talking about that instead of the song choices.
I agree, to my ears when Dolan decided to put in the bridges, they destroyed the elite acoustics of the garden. 100% the sound is nowhere near as good there post renovation. No way.
If Ed cut one cover song, sure, but the political heaviness he created was unfortunate. Given the events in GA, and the overall insanity in the states since 2015,and a big event the first Tuesday in November , I understand why he wanted to sing Patriot. It was just too much given the construct of the post break setlist.
I agree that ten is played too much, but why go would have brought an epic feel to the show. If I had my choice, I would take anything from Yield over any cover, any day, any time. Chalk it up to another thing I don’t get about the band or the faithful. Which is cool.
What political heaviness? Eddie was talking about voting for freedom and for human rights, nothing wrong with what he said. Pj has been political and sharing their thoughts for 33 plus years, not sure how anyone is shocked or even upset by it. It wasn’t too much, not at all.
Agree. Making a comment about gun laws before Glorified G on the day of (yet another) school shooting on point too
I agree with the comments on gun laws and women’s rights but he went too far because he specifically mentioned the “Republican” word in a derogatory manner which takes away from the magic of a PJ show …just a bit… and will get and did get boos….because that will divide.
A basic rule of showmanship is do not knowingly insult your audience.
He knows that. If that meant adding Patriot or a couple other political songs, then it’s too bad for those of us that want to get Why Go or Faithfull or one or many of the other great Pearl Jam tunes we didn’t get at MSG. Still two wonderful shows.
And respectfully Jo, I believe you have a much better chance influencing your daughter’s politics than Ed. If he did, great, but he should have left it short of putting down Rs and influencing the setlist. Patriot should not stand up against any PJ classic at a PJ show, and if they were simply respecting their guest, then a different cover should have been pulled. And it seemed the band was also not too happy with the encore. It’s unfortunate democracy seems to not exist on that stage They were definitely arguing about something.
Haha. So they weren’t respecting their audience because they played a song they have played for 30 years with the original artist in the building? Cmon man. I think the R word here is ridiculous.
Man BE, you certainly love to mix it up here. I'm not falling for that. If you re going to disrespect my comments, at least be accurate.
The discussion was about the leader of the band likely using his veto power in a visible disagreement with his band, to sidetrack a show that was heading towards epic status for his personal need to trash talk Republicans, and play a series of needless political tunes and covers to likely serve a personal political need. (There is no other need to play patriot, as its inferior to about 100 PJ tunes for PJ fans).
Given the construct of Philly1, seems this is what occurred MSG2.
Dude, ur argument is silly. Trump is going to lose regardless of what Eddie sang at their concert. I hope they play patriot at every remaining show pj does. It’s a great song and I love the part where he sings I only know one partyyyyy and it is freeeeeeeeedooooom. No need to carry this on any more, ur views are not worth anymore replies from me. Just talk about the show. Did you like the poster? What did you think of the T shirt quality?
Wish I was as confident as you about Mr Red Hat losing
I'm not really into concert merch too much. I go for the tunes. Thats maybe why I am harping on the awkward encore setlist
Still, those are all enjoyable songs and overall we got 2 great NY shows, just the decision to go solo and chill and political and so many covers in the encore had a significant impact on the energy of the show.
If Ed played Patriot and then the band came out and they played Pearl Jam songs it would have been fine. Patriot is a good cover and probably very relevant to today. The probable was the Just Breathe into the GH duet and then followed up by another cover. The show flows better when Ed keeps it to one solo song.
It’ll go down as one of the worst decisions he ever made for a setlist imo.
Yup. And I think Ed knows it. I feel like the Philly setlist was his way of making up for it.
He better make up for it AGAIN tomorrow night hahah
Making up for it is kinda silly, unless he is expecting the same 16k in the house from city to city. Well, reading the f2f topic, maybe that's true!
Can't make up for it for those of us who chose to stay local this tour. His setlist opportunity was lost on a personal decision he made, likely influenced by an isolated crowd reaction.
This is a good example of PJ not exactly having the best setlist process, since it seems to be more authoritarian and less democratic
Speaking of covers… Does anyone remember when they broke out Taking It To The Streets at MSG in 2016??
Yes! The guy sitting next to me and I were saying, before Night 1, how underrated and not-often-spoken of the MSG 2016 shows are.
I loved both 2016 MSG shows. Mike side for 1 and Stone side for 2. Combined they are up there as one of my top concert experiences.
Re MSG2 this year - I like Patriot and with Little Steven in the house makes perfect sense. Performances were great but I do think the “mellow” may have gone on a bit long and impacted the ride that the audience was on.
Been thinking about it, but honestly, I’m thrilled with the two MSG shows. 52 songs, only seven repeats (4 from the new album they are touring!) Band sounded great. Not sure what else there is to say.
I agree. It’s just after that main set the thought of “what could’ve been” inevitably crept into my mind. And I legit was losing patience during the encore. I hate covers so it was a nightmare for me. But I would totally get if other people loved it.
The grass is always greener. Sometimes they do add that one song or two and it feels a bit contrived or out of place. I kind of felt that way about Leash. At this point it is what it is. Starting on stools, slow encores etc. I loved that Patriot. I was hoping to hear Rats. Oh well. There is not one song on that list I did not enjoy.
It may be just a coincidence but Patriot (given all the other political tunes) had the feel of a personal response to the heckling Ed got about his political talk. I agree with Patriots message 100%, but just don’t love the tune. I don’t think Bruce covers it, and it’s weird that PJ plays it. Doesn’t feel at all like a PJ tune or that I am even at a PJ show when he sings it. To play a song because that artist is in the crowd, ok I get it, but it’s not a good policy for setlist construction. If it must be there, one of the other political tunes had to go and be replaced by a PJ banger at that point.
Now had they instead banged out Why Go at that slot, the place would have exploded, EXPLODED!, and all the talk of a lackluster encore here would not exist. Why Go has to be a top five crowd enthusiasm song, yet it did not make the MSG stage, while five covers N2 did. Strange decisions.
i appreciate Ed’s politics and how he stands up to the bizarre elements of American politics since 2015, but it’s a double edged sword. When he gets too into it, and uses either the D or R word (which he did) the Pearl Jam Live Show Magic loses its luster in that moment. Definitely took N2 down a peg. Still, great to see them twice in our hometown after so many years. Very Grateful.
Took me back to the Ralph Nader rally. It was not a coincidence IMHO. Ed will always say something about the state of our country, for better or worse. I like when he chooses something different instead of playing another song from Ten. I enjoyed the show, but the sound was so bad where I was. I am surprised more people are not talking about that instead of the song choices.
I agree, to my ears when Dolan decided to put in the bridges, they destroyed the elite acoustics of the garden. 100% the sound is nowhere near as good there post renovation. No way.
If Ed cut one cover song, sure, but the political heaviness he created was unfortunate. Given the events in GA, and the overall insanity in the states since 2015,and a big event the first Tuesday in November , I understand why he wanted to sing Patriot. It was just too much given the construct of the post break setlist.
I agree that ten is played too much, but why go would have brought an epic feel to the show. If I had my choice, I would take anything from Yield over any cover, any day, any time. Chalk it up to another thing I don’t get about the band or the faithful. Which is cool.
What political heaviness? Eddie was talking about voting for freedom and for human rights, nothing wrong with what he said. Pj has been political and sharing their thoughts for 33 plus years, not sure how anyone is shocked or even upset by it. It wasn’t too much, not at all.
Agree. Making a comment about gun laws before Glorified G on the day of (yet another) school shooting on point too
I agree with the comments on gun laws and women’s rights but he went too far because he specifically mentioned the “Republican” word in a derogatory manner which takes away from the magic of a PJ show …just a bit… and will get and did get boos….because that will divide.
A basic rule of showmanship is do not knowingly insult your audience.
He knows that. If that meant adding Patriot or a couple other political songs, then it’s too bad for those of us that want to get Why Go or Faithfull or one or many of the other great Pearl Jam tunes we didn’t get at MSG. Still two wonderful shows.
And respectfully Jo, I believe you have a much better chance influencing your daughter’s politics than Ed. If he did, great, but he should have left it short of putting down Rs and influencing the setlist. Patriot should not stand up against any PJ classic at a PJ show, and if they were simply respecting their guest, then a different cover should have been pulled. And it seemed the band was also not too happy with the encore. It’s unfortunate democracy seems to not exist on that stage They were definitely arguing about something.
Haha. So they weren’t respecting their audience because they played a song they have played for 30 years with the original artist in the building? Cmon man. I think the R word here is ridiculous.
Man BE, you certainly love to mix it up here. I'm not falling for that. If you re going to disrespect my comments, at least be accurate.
The discussion was about the leader of the band likely using his veto power in a visible disagreement with his band, to sidetrack a show that was heading towards epic status for his personal need to trash talk Republicans, and play a series of needless political tunes and covers to likely serve a personal political need. (There is no other need to play patriot, as its inferior to about 100 PJ tunes for PJ fans).
Given the construct of Philly1, seems this is what occurred MSG2.
Dude, ur argument is silly. Trump is going to lose regardless of what Eddie sang at their concert. I hope they play patriot at every remaining show pj does. It’s a great song and I love the part where he sings I only know one partyyyyy and it is freeeeeeeeedooooom. No need to carry this on any more, ur views are not worth anymore replies from me. Just talk about the show. Did you like the poster? What did you think of the T shirt quality?
Wish I was as confident as you about Mr Red Hat losing
I'm not really into concert merch too much. I go for the tunes. Thats maybe why I am harping on the awkward encore setlist
Still, those are all enjoyable songs and overall we got 2 great NY shows, just the decision to go solo and chill and political and so many covers in the encore had a significant impact on the energy of the show.
It only matters if you care more about the politics than the artist performing and singing songs. Their opening encores have been chill for years.
This was my 8th PJ MSG show, and my first in the pit. It had always been a dream of mine to be in the pit at MSG, and I couldn’t believe that after all of these years, my dream had finally come true! I lined up early to get rail and had an incredible spot on the bump right in front of Ed, leaning slightly toward Mike. I couldn’t believe the amount of interaction that I had with Ed throughout the night. Ed frequently walked out onto the bump and sang directly to the audience, exchanged high fives and fist bumps, etc. The energy on the rail/in the pit was great, and everyone was jumping and singing along to every word of every song. The pit was hopping all night long and I got to experience the MSG floor “bounce” that I had heard about for so long. It was a really special experience that I will never forget!
I should add that it was an especially emotional night for me because my son was starting kindergarten the following morning. So as you could imagine, there were a ton of emotions swirling through my head that night. And literally right after the show, I drove straight home and packed up my son’s lunch and backpack to get him ready for his first day of school in the morning. I couldn’t imagine a better way to spend such an emotional night than surrounded by my PJ family!
I really liked the garden opener (which is one of my favorite songs from ten), which I thought was particularly appropriate for the garden and set the tone for the rest of the night. Hail, hail was a nice treat early on and got the pit bumping. That is one of my favorite of PJ’s faster/punk-inspired songs, and I hadn’t heard it in almost a decade. I was rocking out so hard during it that I had completely sweat through my shirt by the end of the song. I figured that the fact that I was completely soaked in sweat by the end of the third song was a good sign and an omen of things to come. It was also nice hearing won’t tell a few songs later. It’s one of my favorites from DM, and I think it comes off great live. That’s one they should definitely pull out more often. Won’t tell was followed by maybe the best, most intense version of not for you I’ve ever heard. Everyone at the front was screaming out all of the lyrics at the top of their lungs, and we were all losing our minds together. It was glorious! It was great hearing another one of my favorites, I am mine, a few songs later. “I know I was born and I know that I’ll die, the in between is mine”- I couldn’t think of more perfect lyrics to describe what I was experiencing at that very moment.
Next came one of my best moments of the night. Before the show, I was chatting with a friend in the GA line about the horrific shooting that had occurred in Georgia earlier that day. I told him that I thought this might finally be the day they pull out glorified g (which happened to be his favorite song). But I didn’t want to get his hopes up too much, so I told him that it’s one of Ed’s least favorite songs to play since he hates singing about guns. Then lo and behold when Ed started talking about how they were about to play a request that he absolutely hates, I knew what was about to happen. When they launched into glorified g, it was a great moment for me, but an even better moment for my long-time friend (who I have known since way back in elementary school). My favorite part was not just the song itself (which I thought they absolutely rocked), but watching my friend’s face while he passionately sang and screamed along to his favorite song, with Ed only a few feet away. And then amazingly, during the latter part of the song, Ed walked over to us on the bump, looked us directly in the eyes, and proceeded to sing right in our faces. It was an amazing moment! And the most incredible part was getting to share the moment with a long-time friend, watching him completely lose his mind belting out the lyrics with Ed staring directly into our faces. As much as I love having my own “moments” at these shows, I actually enjoy just as much—if not more—witnessing other people have their moments right beside me. That’s what keeps me coming back for more.
I was also over the moon to hear waiting for Stevie, which was the final song I needed to hear to complete DM. I thought it was one of the best live songs off the album, and it was great watching Mike and Watt trade off guitar licks and absolutely shred the solo. That was followed by one of the best, most energetic versions of RVM I’ve ever heard. I know people have mixed feelings on Watt, but personally I think the guy can shred with the best of them. It was awesome watching him and Mike tear it up during RVM, and it looked like they were having a blast doing so.
I also loved the encore. I feel like lately the encores have become a bit cookie cutter, but not this one. Now normally I don’t like it when they do a lot of covers, since I would always prefer that they play more originals, but this was the exception. I loved the covers they chose. Ed doing I am a patriot solo was great. Song of good hope with glen was incredible, and was one of my favorite moments of the night. I just think it’s such a beautiful song. And to make it even better, a friend of mine had a moment during the song. Throughout the show, me and some other people at the front were periodically holding up signs trying to get Ed’s attention to get him to pour wine for a friend who is a teacher (who had just started school that week), and who also does some great work with the wishlist foundation. My friend was holding up a sign that said, “Teacher needs a drink.” 🍷🤣 Ultimately, we were not successful in getting Ed to pour her some wine, but something even better happened. In the middle of the song (which happens to be one of her favorite songs), we brought her up to the rail and Ed walked right up to her, held her hand, and sang directly into her eyes for several seconds. It was an amazing moment, which I was really fortunate to witness from only a few feet away. I was really happy that Ed recognized her dedication and the hard work that she performs day in and day out as both a teacher and for the wishlist foundation—especially during the craziness of the first week of school—and provided her with a moment that she will never forget. Well-deserved!
I also really liked hearing gimme some truth, which was a cover that I never thought I would get to hear. I always really enjoyed watching it on the MSG ‘03 DVD, and was so happy I finally got to see it live. Setting sun was great as always. I think it’s one of the best songs on DM—and one of the best they’ve written in a long time—and comes off great live, especially with the added visuals. I would be happy hearing it every show.
And then for my favorite moment of the show. Sonic reducer is one of my favorite covers they do. When I heard the opening chords, I lost my mind. That might’ve been the hardest I’ve ever rocked out during a song. And the entire pit felt like it was bouncing up and down as one during the song. At one point during the song, Ed walked over to me on the bump and sang literally inches from my face. And I screamed the lyrics right back. It was so intense I can’t even describe it. And just when I thought we couldn’t possibly rock out any harder, THEY DROPPED THE LEASH!!! I couldn’t believe it! The floor was literally shaking at this point. The energy down there felt otherworldly. And toward the end of the song (which is one of my all-time favorites), Ed again walked out onto the bump, stared directly into my eyes, and belted out the lyrics right in my face. What a moment! That Sonic reducer-leash combo was one of the best, more intense one-two punches I have ever heard them do. And the crowd ate up every second of it.
Finally, even though I’ve seen RITFW a million times, seeing them do it with Stevie Van Zandt was just plain awesome! I was so happy he came out onstage after Ed pointed him out in the crowd earlier. I’m also a huge Bruce and E-Street fan, so this was a great moment for me. And it was one of my favorite versions of RITFW I’ve ever heard. And as if I hadn’t already had enough amazing moments during the show, toward the end of the song, while I was rocking out and jumping around like a madman, Ed came over to me and gave me a fist bump. 👊 That really sent the evening over the edge for me!
All in all, even after going in with high expectations, my first pit experience at msg was better than I ever could have imagined. A truly incredible, magical experience that I will never forget. I also got a mike pick, a photo of which I have included below 🎸🤘
You know there were a lot of folks who felt Song of Good Hope broke some of the momentum and could have been skipped - I was kind of in that camp also. Last night my mom gently passed on after a great long life and a battle with cancer. I went outside, looked up at the moon and played the Song of Good Hope from the MSG bootleg and it was helpful. I am now very glad they chose to play this song and it makes the show even more special for me now.
You know there were a lot of folks who felt Song of Good Hope broke some of the momentum and could have been skipped - I was kind of in that camp also. Last night my mom gently passed on after a great long life and a battle with cancer. I went outside, looked up at the moon and played the Song of Good Hope from the MSG bootleg and it was helpful. I am now very glad they chose to play this song and it makes the show even more special for me now.
Sorry to hear this. Love to you
brixton 93
astoria 06
albany 06
hartford 06
reading 06
barcelona 06
paris 06
wembley 07
dusseldorf 07
nijmegen 07
this song is meant to be called i got shit,itshould be called i got shit tickets-hartford 06 -
Hello, first time poster, hope no one minds me bumping an old thread.
The MSG shows were my first ever PJ shows, crossing off a huge white whale on my live bucket list.
I work as an usher at MSG and was fortunate to be scheduled for both nights. Night 1 I was assigned to section 224-25, the same section as Adam, the young autistic man Eddie dedicated Given to Fly to.
I loved Glen Hansard's opening set, Gloria had the whole house rockin'. Truth be told, I was not happy with Pendulum as an opener; good tune, but a too dreary and plaid to start a show. Thankfully, they made up for it with a huge surprise.
It may be as plain a choice as they come, but Betterman is my favorite PJ song. It's an anthem, a rite of passage. I expected it to not come until the encore, so imagine the chills I had when those opening notes slithered out into the ether and completely blew my mind. I skipped my union break so I could soak in the entire eight minutes, singing and dancing and going completely wild along with the rest of my section. I was the recipient of many high fives throughout the night by an incredibly loose but well behaved crowd.
Truth be told, I was not blow away by the first half of the show due to the song selections. Immortality is great, but it was in a position that really needed a Why Go or Last Exit type of classic to keep the energy going from an early Betterman. The Dark Matter songs are excellent, but were oddly placed. Satan's Bed, Mind Your Manners, and Outta My Mind just aren't favorites of mind. The only song that really grabbed me was Even Flow, and that's because it was my first instead of my 500th.
Then Ed audibled a rough but impassioned Love Boat Captain and the whole show took off from there; Black was as good as any version. We got the aforementioned Given to Fly, dedicated to Adam; I tried to get Adam to come down to the front of the section to maybe get him on the screen, but to no avail. GTF was a fantastic version, and as someone also on the spectrum who was bullied as a kid, it became an anthem for me as well after this night.
Porch ended the set on a high, and the encore had several inspired choices, including great versions of Inside Job and Unthought Known. I was disappointed that, after Once and Alive back to back, we didn't get Footsteps, but Baba O'Riley on the heels of (an ultimately infuriating) Rangers season was an unreal experience. Then we finally got Indifference this tour, closing out a most sublime second half of the show. This was the PJ I wanted to see.
Night 2 was unreal. Garden to open was an inspired touch, and Corduroy / Hail, Hail / Even Flow / Daughter was the exact kind of run of classic era PJ needed to really kick the show into gear. The Dark Matter songs were much more accurately placed, and they played a great version of Won't Tell, in my mind the album's best song.
Not For You was the song I most wanted to hear after Betterman, and they hammered out an intense version that once again had me going totally wild. This night I was in 108-09, right next to the stage, and it was surreal seeing someone like Eddie, a larger than life figure, that close in human form.
The whole main set was perfect. I Am Mine and Glorified G. were great rarities. Elderly Woman and Jeremy felt like rights of passage. Waiting for Stevie with Andrew Watt was searing, and Rearviewmirror...maybe the best live version ever? Completely searing, face melting version. Incendiary.
Now I agree with some of the criticisms of the encore. I didn't mind the three slow songs, but Gimme Some Truth was a mess and we already got a Lennon tribute with Imagine. Why Go, Go, Last Exit, State of Love and Trust, even Last Kiss needed to be in that spot to keep the energy going. Same with Sonic Reducer, a fun and long standing cover but not the right call in this spot. Thankfully, they dropped Leash and all felt right again.
Rockin' in the Free World with Little Steven and Hansard and his band and Watt and everyone else on stage was UNREAL. The Garden was shaking. I was going nuts, not believing that this was my life in that moment. One more rite of passage with Ledbetter, and the evening came to a close.
Hello, first time poster, hope no one minds me bumping an old thread.
The MSG shows were my first ever PJ shows, crossing off a huge white whale on my live bucket list.
I work as an usher at MSG and was fortunate to be scheduled for both nights. Night 1 I was assigned to section 224-25, the same section as Adam, the young autistic man Eddie dedicated Given to Fly to.
I loved Glen Hansard's opening set, Gloria had the whole house rockin'. Truth be told, I was not happy with Pendulum as an opener; good tune, but a too dreary and plaid to start a show. Thankfully, they made up for it with a huge surprise.
It may be as plain a choice as they come, but Betterman is my favorite PJ song. It's an anthem, a rite of passage. I expected it to not come until the encore, so imagine the chills I had when those opening notes slithered out into the ether and completely blew my mind. I skipped my union break so I could soak in the entire eight minutes, singing and dancing and going completely wild along with the rest of my section. I was the recipient of many high fives throughout the night by an incredibly loose but well behaved crowd.
Truth be told, I was not blow away by the first half of the show due to the song selections. Immortality is great, but it was in a position that really needed a Why Go or Last Exit type of classic to keep the energy going from an early Betterman. The Dark Matter songs are excellent, but were oddly placed. Satan's Bed, Mind Your Manners, and Outta My Mind just aren't favorites of mind. The only song that really grabbed me was Even Flow, and that's because it was my first instead of my 500th.
Then Ed audibled a rough but impassioned Love Boat Captain and the whole show took off from there; Black was as good as any version. We got the aforementioned Given to Fly, dedicated to Adam; I tried to get Adam to come down to the front of the section to maybe get him on the screen, but to no avail. GTF was a fantastic version, and as someone also on the spectrum who was bullied as a kid, it became an anthem for me as well after this night.
Porch ended the set on a high, and the encore had several inspired choices, including great versions of Inside Job and Unthought Known. I was disappointed that, after Once and Alive back to back, we didn't get Footsteps, but Baba O'Riley on the heels of (an ultimately infuriating) Rangers season was an unreal experience. Then we finally got Indifference this tour, closing out a most sublime second half of the show. This was the PJ I wanted to see.
Night 2 was unreal. Garden to open was an inspired touch, and Corduroy / Hail, Hail / Even Flow / Daughter was the exact kind of run of classic era PJ needed to really kick the show into gear. The Dark Matter songs were much more accurately placed, and they played a great version of Won't Tell, in my mind the album's best song.
Not For You was the song I most wanted to hear after Betterman, and they hammered out an intense version that once again had me going totally wild. This night I was in 108-09, right next to the stage, and it was surreal seeing someone like Eddie, a larger than life figure, that close in human form.
The whole main set was perfect. I Am Mine and Glorified G. were great rarities. Elderly Woman and Jeremy felt like rights of passage. Waiting for Stevie with Andrew Watt was searing, and Rearviewmirror...maybe the best live version ever? Completely searing, face melting version. Incendiary.
Now I agree with some of the criticisms of the encore. I didn't mind the three slow songs, but Gimme Some Truth was a mess and we already got a Lennon tribute with Imagine. Why Go, Go, Last Exit, State of Love and Trust, even Last Kiss needed to be in that spot to keep the energy going. Same with Sonic Reducer, a fun and long standing cover but not the right call in this spot. Thankfully, they dropped Leash and all felt right again.
Rockin' in the Free World with Little Steven and Hansard and his band and Watt and everyone else on stage was UNREAL. The Garden was shaking. I was going nuts, not believing that this was my life in that moment. One more rite of passage with Ledbetter, and the evening came to a close.
I hope to see them again soon. Good to be here.
Nice review especially from that perspective. One thing I always wonder is how much of the game/concert do ushers actually get to see while they're watching various sections of the building.
Reading 2004
Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
Chicago 2007
Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016 Fenway 2, 2018 MSG 2022 St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023 MSG 2024, MSG 2024 Philadelphia 2024
"I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
Things happen in the game. Nothing you
can do. I don't go and say,
"I'm gonna beat this guy up."
Hello, first time poster, hope no one minds me bumping an old thread.
The MSG shows were my first ever PJ shows, crossing off a huge white whale on my live bucket list.
I work as an usher at MSG and was fortunate to be scheduled for both nights. Night 1 I was assigned to section 224-25, the same section as Adam, the young autistic man Eddie dedicated Given to Fly to.
I loved Glen Hansard's opening set, Gloria had the whole house rockin'. Truth be told, I was not happy with Pendulum as an opener; good tune, but a too dreary and plaid to start a show. Thankfully, they made up for it with a huge surprise.
It may be as plain a choice as they come, but Betterman is my favorite PJ song. It's an anthem, a rite of passage. I expected it to not come until the encore, so imagine the chills I had when those opening notes slithered out into the ether and completely blew my mind. I skipped my union break so I could soak in the entire eight minutes, singing and dancing and going completely wild along with the rest of my section. I was the recipient of many high fives throughout the night by an incredibly loose but well behaved crowd.
Truth be told, I was not blow away by the first half of the show due to the song selections. Immortality is great, but it was in a position that really needed a Why Go or Last Exit type of classic to keep the energy going from an early Betterman. The Dark Matter songs are excellent, but were oddly placed. Satan's Bed, Mind Your Manners, and Outta My Mind just aren't favorites of mind. The only song that really grabbed me was Even Flow, and that's because it was my first instead of my 500th.
Then Ed audibled a rough but impassioned Love Boat Captain and the whole show took off from there; Black was as good as any version. We got the aforementioned Given to Fly, dedicated to Adam; I tried to get Adam to come down to the front of the section to maybe get him on the screen, but to no avail. GTF was a fantastic version, and as someone also on the spectrum who was bullied as a kid, it became an anthem for me as well after this night.
Porch ended the set on a high, and the encore had several inspired choices, including great versions of Inside Job and Unthought Known. I was disappointed that, after Once and Alive back to back, we didn't get Footsteps, but Baba O'Riley on the heels of (an ultimately infuriating) Rangers season was an unreal experience. Then we finally got Indifference this tour, closing out a most sublime second half of the show. This was the PJ I wanted to see.
Night 2 was unreal. Garden to open was an inspired touch, and Corduroy / Hail, Hail / Even Flow / Daughter was the exact kind of run of classic era PJ needed to really kick the show into gear. The Dark Matter songs were much more accurately placed, and they played a great version of Won't Tell, in my mind the album's best song.
Not For You was the song I most wanted to hear after Betterman, and they hammered out an intense version that once again had me going totally wild. This night I was in 108-09, right next to the stage, and it was surreal seeing someone like Eddie, a larger than life figure, that close in human form.
The whole main set was perfect. I Am Mine and Glorified G. were great rarities. Elderly Woman and Jeremy felt like rights of passage. Waiting for Stevie with Andrew Watt was searing, and Rearviewmirror...maybe the best live version ever? Completely searing, face melting version. Incendiary.
Now I agree with some of the criticisms of the encore. I didn't mind the three slow songs, but Gimme Some Truth was a mess and we already got a Lennon tribute with Imagine. Why Go, Go, Last Exit, State of Love and Trust, even Last Kiss needed to be in that spot to keep the energy going. Same with Sonic Reducer, a fun and long standing cover but not the right call in this spot. Thankfully, they dropped Leash and all felt right again.
Rockin' in the Free World with Little Steven and Hansard and his band and Watt and everyone else on stage was UNREAL. The Garden was shaking. I was going nuts, not believing that this was my life in that moment. One more rite of passage with Ledbetter, and the evening came to a close.
I hope to see them again soon. Good to be here.
Nice review especially from that perspective. One thing I always wonder is how much of the game/concert do ushers actually get to see while they're watching various sections of the building.
We get to see pretty much entire events, unless we need to leave our sections to report issues to our supervisors. It's the coolest part time gig in the world.
I worked security at the Hartford civic center when I was younger. We got to see most of the events. Only the guys in front of the stage, working backstage, or in the hallways, could not really see the show. Another random anecdote, an MSG usher near our seats took shrooms during a dead show at MSG in 1987. Pretty sure he enjoyed that show.
Comments
Yes! The guy sitting next to me and I were saying, before Night 1, how underrated and not-often-spoken of the MSG 2016 shows are.
Wish I was as confident as you about Mr Red Hat losing
I'm not really into concert merch too much. I go for the tunes. Thats maybe why I am harping on the awkward encore setlist
Still, those are all enjoyable songs and overall we got 2 great NY shows, just the decision to go solo and chill and political and so many covers in the encore had a significant impact on the energy of the show.
Making up for it is kinda silly, unless he is expecting the same 16k in the house from city to city. Well, reading the f2f topic, maybe that's true!
Can't make up for it for those of us who chose to stay local this tour. His setlist opportunity was lost on a personal decision he made, likely influenced by an isolated crowd reaction.
This is a good example of PJ not exactly having the best setlist process, since it seems to be more authoritarian and less democratic
Re MSG2 this year - I like Patriot and with Little Steven in the house makes perfect sense. Performances were great but I do think the “mellow” may have gone on a bit long and impacted the ride that the audience was on.
It only matters if you care more about the politics than the artist performing and singing songs. Their opening encores have been chill for years.
I should add that it was an especially emotional night for me because my son was starting kindergarten the following morning. So as you could imagine, there were a ton of emotions swirling through my head that night. And literally right after the show, I drove straight home and packed up my son’s lunch and backpack to get him ready for his first day of school in the morning. I couldn’t imagine a better way to spend such an emotional night than surrounded by my PJ family!
I really liked the garden opener (which is one of my favorite songs from ten), which I thought was particularly appropriate for the garden and set the tone for the rest of the night. Hail, hail was a nice treat early on and got the pit bumping. That is one of my favorite of PJ’s faster/punk-inspired songs, and I hadn’t heard it in almost a decade. I was rocking out so hard during it that I had completely sweat through my shirt by the end of the song. I figured that the fact that I was completely soaked in sweat by the end of the third song was a good sign and an omen of things to come. It was also nice hearing won’t tell a few songs later. It’s one of my favorites from DM, and I think it comes off great live. That’s one they should definitely pull out more often. Won’t tell was followed by maybe the best, most intense version of not for you I’ve ever heard. Everyone at the front was screaming out all of the lyrics at the top of their lungs, and we were all losing our minds together. It was glorious! It was great hearing another one of my favorites, I am mine, a few songs later. “I know I was born and I know that I’ll die, the in between is mine”- I couldn’t think of more perfect lyrics to describe what I was experiencing at that very moment.
I also really liked hearing gimme some truth, which was a cover that I never thought I would get to hear. I always really enjoyed watching it on the MSG ‘03 DVD, and was so happy I finally got to see it live. Setting sun was great as always. I think it’s one of the best songs on DM—and one of the best they’ve written in a long time—and comes off great live, especially with the added visuals. I would be happy hearing it every show.
astoria 06
albany 06
hartford 06
reading 06
barcelona 06
paris 06
wembley 07
dusseldorf 07
nijmegen 07
this song is meant to be called i got shit,itshould be called i got shit tickets-hartford 06 -
2010: Newark 5/18 MSG 5/20-21 2011: PJ20 9/3-4 2012: Made In America 9/2
2013: Brooklyn 10/18-19 Philly 10/21-22 Hartford 10/25 2014: ACL10/12
2015: NYC 9/23 2016: Tampa 4/11 Philly 4/28-29 MSG 5/1-2 Fenway 8/5+8/7
2017: RRHoF 4/7 2018: Fenway 9/2+9/4 2021: Sea Hear Now 9/18
2022: MSG 9/11 2024: MSG 9/3-4 Philly 9/7+9/9 Fenway 9/15+9/17
2025: Pittsburgh 5/16+5/18
The MSG shows were my first ever PJ shows, crossing off a huge white whale on my live bucket list.
I work as an usher at MSG and was fortunate to be scheduled for both nights. Night 1 I was assigned to section 224-25, the same section as Adam, the young autistic man Eddie dedicated Given to Fly to.
I loved Glen Hansard's opening set, Gloria had the whole house rockin'. Truth be told, I was not happy with Pendulum as an opener; good tune, but a too dreary and plaid to start a show. Thankfully, they made up for it with a huge surprise.
It may be as plain a choice as they come, but Betterman is my favorite PJ song. It's an anthem, a rite of passage. I expected it to not come until the encore, so imagine the chills I had when those opening notes slithered out into the ether and completely blew my mind. I skipped my union break so I could soak in the entire eight minutes, singing and dancing and going completely wild along with the rest of my section. I was the recipient of many high fives throughout the night by an incredibly loose but well behaved crowd.
Truth be told, I was not blow away by the first half of the show due to the song selections. Immortality is great, but it was in a position that really needed a Why Go or Last Exit type of classic to keep the energy going from an early Betterman. The Dark Matter songs are excellent, but were oddly placed. Satan's Bed, Mind Your Manners, and Outta My Mind just aren't favorites of mind. The only song that really grabbed me was Even Flow, and that's because it was my first instead of my 500th.
Then Ed audibled a rough but impassioned Love Boat Captain and the whole show took off from there; Black was as good as any version. We got the aforementioned Given to Fly, dedicated to Adam; I tried to get Adam to come down to the front of the section to maybe get him on the screen, but to no avail. GTF was a fantastic version, and as someone also on the spectrum who was bullied as a kid, it became an anthem for me as well after this night.
Porch ended the set on a high, and the encore had several inspired choices, including great versions of Inside Job and Unthought Known. I was disappointed that, after Once and Alive back to back, we didn't get Footsteps, but Baba O'Riley on the heels of (an ultimately infuriating) Rangers season was an unreal experience. Then we finally got Indifference this tour, closing out a most sublime second half of the show. This was the PJ I wanted to see.
Night 2 was unreal. Garden to open was an inspired touch, and Corduroy / Hail, Hail / Even Flow / Daughter was the exact kind of run of classic era PJ needed to really kick the show into gear. The Dark Matter songs were much more accurately placed, and they played a great version of Won't Tell, in my mind the album's best song.
Not For You was the song I most wanted to hear after Betterman, and they hammered out an intense version that once again had me going totally wild. This night I was in 108-09, right next to the stage, and it was surreal seeing someone like Eddie, a larger than life figure, that close in human form.
The whole main set was perfect. I Am Mine and Glorified G. were great rarities. Elderly Woman and Jeremy felt like rights of passage. Waiting for Stevie with Andrew Watt was searing, and Rearviewmirror...maybe the best live version ever? Completely searing, face melting version. Incendiary.
Now I agree with some of the criticisms of the encore. I didn't mind the three slow songs, but Gimme Some Truth was a mess and we already got a Lennon tribute with Imagine. Why Go, Go, Last Exit, State of Love and Trust, even Last Kiss needed to be in that spot to keep the energy going. Same with Sonic Reducer, a fun and long standing cover but not the right call in this spot. Thankfully, they dropped Leash and all felt right again.
Rockin' in the Free World with Little Steven and Hansard and his band and Watt and everyone else on stage was UNREAL. The Garden was shaking. I was going nuts, not believing that this was my life in that moment. One more rite of passage with Ledbetter, and the evening came to a close.
I hope to see them again soon. Good to be here.
Albany 2006 Camden 2006 E. Rutherford 2, 2006 Inglewood 2006,
Chicago 2007
Camden 2008 MSG 2008 MSG 2008 Hartford 2008.
Seattle 2009 Seattle 2009 Philadelphia 2009,Philadelphia 2009 Philadelphia 2009
Hartford 2010 MSG 2010 MSG 2010
Toronto 2011,Toronto 2011
Wrigley Field 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Brooklyn 2013 Philadelphia 2, 2013
Philadelphia 1, 2016 Philadelphia 2 2016 New York 2016 New York 2016 Fenway 1, 2016
Fenway 2, 2018
MSG 2022
St. Paul, 1, St. Paul 2 2023
MSG 2024, MSG 2024
Philadelphia 2024
"I play good, hard-nosed basketball.
Things happen in the game. Nothing you
can do. I don't go and say,
"I'm gonna beat this guy up."