27 shows since 2005. I felt the Nashville shows were the best I’ve seen since 2016. Set lists/length aside, 2013. They are figuring out better balance with the shorter set lengths. I really do love dark matter, but a non album tour with shorter sets would probably satisfy a lot of fans “needs” given the variety we saw on this leg
"Well, I think this band is incapable of sucking."
-my dad after hearing Not for You for the first time on SNL .
Saw 7 shows on the DM tour. (4 last year and 3 this year.) I prefer the non album tours more because there tends to be a lot more variety in the setlists. 16', 18', and 23' runs were fun! Hope 26' brings a non album tour.
I am sad that the second encore is missing / the shows are shorter but they seem to have so much fun and sound fantastic. I think Ed sounds so much better than in '16, in particular.
Please, Pearl Jam, consider a Benaroya Hall vinyl reissue!
From seeing the band pretty consistent throughout their career I will attempt to rank my favorite years. Some early years like 92 it's hard to rank towards the top since I only saw them at Lollapalooza and with only 1 album but the raw power and energy was just amazing to experience. Tours/years I've seen shows: 92, 94, 96, 98, 00, 03, 06, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25 (55 total)
My top 10 years are: 1. '94 2. '96 3. '16 4. '13 5. '23 6. '06 7. '98 8. '00 9. '03 10. '18 The rest of the years have been average IMO, nothing really stands out in my mind
If Dark Matter wasn’t as good as it is, I think a lot more people, or maybe just me, would have been very critical of these most recent tours.
But the album is tremendous. They just awkwardly chose Wreckage to be the staple in the set.
I don’t get tired of the hits because the shows I get to are limited and spaced out by a 1-3 years.
2013-2016 was magical indeed…
Lightning Bolt is no wheres near the album that DM is but its tour had the luxury of 30 plus songs every night. You could hide some of the LB stinkers in there more easily and still have a fantastic set.
Now with DM we know almost half the set every night. And even more so on N2 at the same city after we see what hits were played. In the past we knew 1/5th of the show. It's crazy how much has changed in 10 years.
All you have to do is go back and look at some of those sets from previous years. Those saying the shorter sets are somehow even better now….im sorry but thats gotta be some recency bias because its not even close
All you have to do is go back and look at some of those sets from previous years. Those saying the shorter sets are somehow even better now….im sorry but thats gotta be some recency bias because its not even close
I think some people argue they prefer quality over quantity. I also think they are exaggerating how bad the quality was when we had the quantity.
All you have to do is go back and look at some of those sets from previous years. Those saying the shorter sets are somehow even better now….im sorry but thats gotta be some recency bias because its not even close
I think some people argue they prefer quality over quantity. I also think they are exaggerating how bad the quality was when we had the quantity.
Maybe. And some songs are definitely tighter because they are playing them every night but I didn’t feel like they put on some way better performance the last couple years. I enjoyed pre Covid shows way more
All you have to do is go back and look at some of those sets from previous years. Those saying the shorter sets are somehow even better now….im sorry but thats gotta be some recency bias because its not even close
I think some people argue they prefer quality over quantity. I also think they are exaggerating how bad the quality was when we had the quantity.
I don’t care about the current length. It’s the variety that’s been a little disappointing. The pool of songs they draw from is smaller than ever. Period
All you have to do is go back and look at some of those sets from previous years. Those saying the shorter sets are somehow even better now….im sorry but thats gotta be some recency bias because its not even close
I think some people argue they prefer quality over quantity. I also think they are exaggerating how bad the quality was when we had the quantity.
I don’t care about the current length. It’s the variety that’s been a little disappointing. The pool of songs they draw from is smaller than ever. Period
Agreed
Are they playing the hits more now than in those years? I don't think so but I could be wrong.
If the shows are shorter and the hits/album songs are still at the same number per show the variety is going to be lacking.
Would they cut back on the hits in order to add variety? Probably not. Thats why non album tours will have more variety going forward with this band imo. 2023 sets were a lot more fun than 22's
To me, the length and the variety are connected. The five or so more songs added to the variety. The encore has nice energy but I would have loved to see more variety there too. They have such a huge catalogue, they could easily play a different set every night. I am glad I got to see them in the past and still enjoy the shows but I also hope more variety will return at some point with these shorter sets.
Please, Pearl Jam, consider a Benaroya Hall vinyl reissue!
If Dark Matter wasn’t as good as it is, I think a lot more people, or maybe just me, would have been very critical of these most recent tours.
But the album is tremendous. They just awkwardly chose Wreckage to be the staple in the set.
I don’t get tired of the hits because the shows I get to are limited and spaced out by a 1-3 years.
2013-2016 was magical indeed…
Lightning Bolt is no wheres near the album that DM is but its tour had the luxury of 30 plus songs every night. You could hide some of the LB stinkers in there more easily and still have a fantastic set.
Now with DM we know almost half the set every night. And even more so on N2 at the same city after we see what hits were played. In the past we knew 1/5th of the show. It's crazy how much has changed in 10 years.
I guessed 18 of the songs correctly for N2 Atlanta. First time I ever tried to guess the setlist. Definitely agree.
At their age 35 years in, I'm just thrilled they're still playing shows and at the unbelievable level that they are. I do hate that they're slowly evolving into a greatest hits band. The variety of the shows was what made them so peak. But as 60 year old men, variety becomes less of necessity especially as they've reached legendary status. They know people will pack a place and pay top dollar to listen to Ten, Vs. and Vitalogy every night. And I'll be right there with them though not as awestruck by the process as before.
If Dark Matter wasn’t as good as it is, I think a lot more people, or maybe just me, would have been very critical of these most recent tours.
But the album is tremendous. They just awkwardly chose Wreckage to be the staple in the set.
I don’t get tired of the hits because the shows I get to are limited and spaced out by a 1-3 years.
2013-2016 was magical indeed…
Lightning Bolt is no wheres near the album that DM is but its tour had the luxury of 30 plus songs every night.
I think Lightning Bolt handily beats DM, in the "song that sounds great live" department. And that comes from someone who actively disliked that corny title track even with being a fan of Citizen Kane. Let us talk about deep focus all night.
Mind Your Manners Getaway (not given much love by the band live though ofc) Pendulum (!) Yellow Moon (!) Sirens (Yes) Infallible
I think Dark Matter had a great jolt of energy to some songs, but it also has bland stuff and a lot of middle-of-the road songs (react, respond etc)that too many fans hail because they lack my perfectly balanced taste. The title song and Running are great live ofc. But someone above dissed Wreckage, and that person is correct.
History might not agree with me. I know that.
Post edited by Spiritual_Chaos on
"Mostly I think that people react sensitively because they know you’ve got a point"
I honestly expected a lot more variety from this sets in 2025. After all they've been on the DM tour for a year and they have dialed back on DM songs since the west coast leg in '24. Now in '25 we are getting less DM songs but also more repetitive/less variety on the sets (anyone know where Stevie went?) along with heavily relying on greatest hits and 10. There's so many good songs from the middle of their catalog that have been ignored. I'm hoping 2026 is more like '16 and '23. Those 4 show runs in FL and TX were so good.
The thing with this band is that you never know when they will pull out all the stops like Camden 22. Many nights you get a predictable setlist with tons of Ten songs, but every now and then they do something special. Was the Dark Matter tour as good as 98, 00, 03, or 06? Objectively, no. But it was still great to see that band playing their hearts out. I actually liked the screen, good visuals. They are 60 and still rocking. Many thanks. I hope to see them again.
I think they are still amazing. What I think is funny is that I have seen some of my favorite songs like I Am Mine maybe 5-6 times. But I have now seen Wreckage 17 times 😁
Nothing will top the 2010-2018 run for me just due to how many songs they were playing each night as well as the variance. But there was no way they could keep that up, covid or no covid. The fact they did it as long as they did is a testament to them. And the downshift is probably the reason they will keep touring into the near future.
I don't think any of the 5 post covid shows I saw would crack my top 5 but that's OK. I still saw shows with my kids for the first time and had an absolute blast at all 5 of them. Memories forever.
The DM tour was great and agree with others how much fun the band seemed to be having. But nearly half the set being DM and Ten songs and the encores all being fairly similar do take away some of that "I wonder what they'll break out tonight" that you had during the Backspacer/LB era. I really wish they wouldn't ignore most of Binaural, Riot Act, and Avocado. But they seem to have found a formula that works for them and I think a majority of the audience, if not all, leaves pretty happy each night.
I'll never stop seeing them as long as they are touring. And they are the only band I'll pay the amount that they are charging.
This sums it up perfectly for me. I don’t expect any shows now to match the top 5 or 6 shows I’ve seen but that is more of a reflection on how incredible the shows from say 2003 to 2018 were. Did 3 shows this leg and all were great.
I think they are still amazing. What I think is funny is that I have seen some of my favorite songs like I Am Mine maybe 5-6 times. But I have now seen Wreckage 17 times 😁
I’m surprised at all the dislike of Wreckage. I think Wreckage is great and as good live as on record. Wreckage will be a staple moving forward.
I think they are still amazing. What I think is funny is that I have seen some of my favorite songs like I Am Mine maybe 5-6 times. But I have now seen Wreckage 17 times 😁
I’m surprised at all the dislike of Wreckage. I think Wreckage is great and as good live as on record. Wreckage will be a staple moving forward.
I like it too, I call it their Traveling Wilburys song
Please, Pearl Jam, consider a Benaroya Hall vinyl reissue!
I think they are still amazing. What I think is funny is that I have seen some of my favorite songs like I Am Mine maybe 5-6 times. But I have now seen Wreckage 17 times 😁
I’m surprised at all the dislike of Wreckage. I think Wreckage is great and as good live as on record. Wreckage will be a staple moving forward.
I absolutely love it. Couldn’t wait to hear it live again in Pittsburgh.
I died. I died and you just stood there. I died and you watched. I died and you walked by and said no. I'm dead.
The thing with this band is that you never know when they will pull out all the stops like Camden 22. Many nights you get a predictable setlist with tons of Ten songs, but every now and then they do something special. Was the Dark Matter tour as good as 98, 00, 03, or 06? Objectively, no. But it was still great to see that band playing their hearts out. I actually liked the screen, good visuals. They are 60 and still rocking. Many thanks. I hope to see them again.
I think they should keep the screens. They were good. Heard 85 different songs in my 8 shows this tour. That is still pretty darn good. What I would suggest is to shake up the set closing songs more (namely Porch).
It is interesting that they didn't play Porch very much for a long time. I think I saw it played at 3 of the first 10 shows I went to. Now it is an every night thing.
I think they are still amazing. What I think is funny is that I have seen some of my favorite songs like I Am Mine maybe 5-6 times. But I have now seen Wreckage 17 times 😁
I’m surprised at all the dislike of Wreckage. I think Wreckage is great and as good live as on record. Wreckage will be a staple moving forward.
I like it too, I call it their Traveling Wilburys song
Right ! The first time I heard it I thought it was a Tom Petty song
The thing with this band is that you never know when they will pull out all the stops like Camden 22. Many nights you get a predictable setlist with tons of Ten songs, but every now and then they do something special. Was the Dark Matter tour as good as 98, 00, 03, or 06? Objectively, no. But it was still great to see that band playing their hearts out. I actually liked the screen, good visuals. They are 60 and still rocking. Many thanks. I hope to see them again.
I think they should keep the screens. They were good. Heard 85 different songs in my 8 shows this tour. That is still pretty darn good. What I would suggest is to shake up the set closing songs more (namely Porch).
It is interesting that they didn't play Porch very much for a long time. I think I saw it played at 3 of the first 10 shows I went to. Now it is an every night thing.
I enjoyed the screen as well. I think it added just a touch without it being over the top and annoying
I think they are still amazing. What I think is funny is that I have seen some of my favorite songs like I Am Mine maybe 5-6 times. But I have now seen Wreckage 17 times 😁
I’m surprised at all the dislike of Wreckage. I think Wreckage is great and as good live as on record. Wreckage will be a staple moving forward.
I don’t dislike it. I just like other songs better that I haven’t gotten nearly as much.
But I could hear Setting Sun at every show and love it.
All you have to do is go back and look at some of those sets from previous years. Those saying the shorter sets are somehow even better now….im sorry but thats gotta be some recency bias because its not even close
I think some people argue they prefer quality over quantity. I also think they are exaggerating how bad the quality was when we had the quantity.
Yah, with those 2013 to 2018 3 hour+ barn burners, I felt we had quality and quantity at the same time.
I'm still struggling to come down from those shows, and it's hard not to compare.
Comments
-my dad after hearing Not for You for the first time on SNL .
Cincinnati 2014
Greenville 2016
(Raleigh 2016)
Columbia 2016
Tours/years I've seen shows: 92, 94, 96, 98, 00, 03, 06, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 18, 22, 23, 24, 25 (55 total)
My top 10 years are:
1. '94
2. '96
3. '16
4. '13
5. '23
6. '06
7. '98
8. '00
9. '03
10. '18
The rest of the years have been average IMO, nothing really stands out in my mind
Now with DM we know almost half the set every night. And even more so on N2 at the same city after we see what hits were played. In the past we knew 1/5th of the show. It's crazy how much has changed in 10 years.
of songs they draw from is smaller than ever. Period
Are they playing the hits more now than in those years? I don't think so but I could be wrong.
If the shows are shorter and the hits/album songs are still at the same number per show the variety is going to be lacking.
Would they cut back on the hits in order to add variety? Probably not. Thats why non album tours will have more variety going forward with this band imo. 2023 sets were a lot more fun than 22's
Mind Your Manners
Getaway (not given much love by the band live though ofc)
Pendulum (!)
Yellow Moon (!)
Sirens (Yes)
Infallible
I think Dark Matter had a great jolt of energy to some songs, but it also has bland stuff and a lot of middle-of-the road songs (react, respond etc)that too many fans hail because they lack my perfectly balanced taste. The title song and Running are great live ofc. But someone above dissed Wreckage, and that person is correct.
History might not agree with me. I know that.
I like it too, I call it their Traveling Wilburys song
It is interesting that they didn't play Porch very much for a long time. I think I saw it played at 3 of the first 10 shows I went to. Now it is an every night thing.
I do miss having a My Morning Jacket open those shows though.