PJ20: Montreal 2005

09.15.05 - Bell Centre - Montreal, QC

When I first started this countdown, I wanted the opportunity to relive some great live Pearl Jam. My hope was that I'd find some gems that have escaped my memory over the years. Boy, does this show fit that description! For one reason or the other, I never found a copy of this show until now. I remember all the details of the incredible trip: The beautiful drive fall drive to Canada, bar hopping around the city, and one of the best nights of sleep I ever had in an open aired hostel.

This date marked the anniversary of Johnny Ramones' death. Besides his part in punk music history, he was also a close friend of the band. Eddie dedicated the show to him and the band kicked into I Believe In Miracles. The show was already off to a great start, but this was the turning point to something special.

Donned in his Johnny Ramone shirt, Eddie delivered a performance nothing short of legendary. You can hear his intensity in every line of Light Years. The heartfelt show continued with "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend" tagged to the end of Betterman. This is one of those nights where everything clicked.

The crazy Canadian crowd only heightened the experience. I've never seen a more intense Alive than this version. You can feel the fist pumping "YEAHS!" that accompanied the last half of the song on this recording. The high energy second encore only made things more rowdy.

Anything I say won't do this one justice. It was a night that Pearl Jam paid homage to not only a legend, but a friend. Their playing demonstrates how much Johnny really meant to them. This one deserves to be played from start to finish... and turned up LOUD!


ENJOY!

Pearl Jam 09.15.05 mp3 Download Part 1

Pearl Jam 09.15.05 mp3 Download Part 2

PJ20: Camden II 1998

08.29.98 - E Centre - Camden NJ

Hey there! So, obviously it's been a while since I continued my tribute to Pearl Jam. The fact is my computer blows! It's definitely time to get a new one... Now that the excuses are out of the way, it's less than a week till PJ20! I hope to post a couple more of my personal favorite moments to get you psyched for the big weekend.

Camden 1998 was the first time I saw Pearl Jam rock the east coast. It was surprising to me how different the energy was at this show compared to the first time I saw them in Maui. For me, it unlocked the key to how truly special the bond is between this band and their fans. Sitting in the front row of the lawn gave me a perfect vantage point to experience it first hand. I can still see the crowd's reaction to the "1, 2, 3, 4, 5 against 1" part of Animal.

This second night in Camden holds it's own against some of the other great 1998 summer/fall shows. To this day it's still the only show I've seen Long Road performed. By the first notes of State of Love and Trust, I was a Pearl Jam believer for life. If that wasn't enough they followed it up with Present Tense. Witnessing the "Hallelujah!!!!!" reaction in Do The Evolution was another uppercut to my jaw. Up to this point in my life, I've never seen 30 thousand so connected in the moment.

Then came the blissfulness that followed Better Man. Eddie wasted no time going into an extended version of Save It For Later. Just when you thought it was ending he kicked it back into gear and brought the place to a frenzy. Both encore closers, Rearviewmirror and Rockin' In The Free World, left me covered in sweat, fist pumping and hoarse for about a week.

It's funny how at the time I had to visit my local record store for month until an overpriced copy of this show was available. Now it can be found for free with a quick google search. ENJOY!

Pearl Jam 08.29.98 Download Part 1

Pearl Jam 08.29.98 Download Part 2

PJ20: fifteen

Madison Square Garden - June 2008

I'm embarrassed to admit it took me over a quarter century before I made it to Madison Square Garden. The experience was monumental for obvious reasons, but the trip was an adventure in and of itself. I had two 10C tickets for both shows at MSG in 2008 and made the trek from Ardmore, PA each night. While sitting in traffic through the Lincoln Tunnel I noticed my car's battery light go on. I thought, "Just make it to the show and deal with it later."

The first time walking into MSG is a chaotic whirlwind. People flood the streets and corridors leading to the hallowed halls. Once in, it's an uphill hike to any level of seats. When you reach your seats you can really feel the history of the building. I've heard you can actually feel the building shake when the room's on fire. It wasn't till Corduroy on night one that I actually believed it.

Both nights offered some great moments and special surprises. For the first act, Pearl Jam invited a group of backup singers for a few songs including All Night and Who You Are. The trio included Fonzi Thorton who's worked with Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin and David Bowie to name a few. C.J. Ramone was also there to help out on bass for I Believe In Miracles. Other high points of MSG night one were incredible versions of Present Tense and W.M.A.

On the way home that pesky battery light was back. We barely made it to the first rest stop on the turnpike before the car was dead. The extremely helpful Sunoco night shifter helped us diagnose the problem. The alternator was shot so the battery wasn't holding a charge. We slept the night at the rest stop while the battery charged and at dawn we made a break for it before rush hour. We conserved every ounce of power to ensure the battery would last the long ride home. Fortunately for us the car made it back to the mainline where it eventually died on Lancaster Ave forcing us to push it the last quarter mile to the mechanic.

I had my doubts I'd be able to make the second show, but this was MSG night two! The car was repaired and less than ten hours after arriving home I was back on the road headed through the Lincoln Tunnel. I'm so happy I persevered.

From the word go Pearl Jam meant business opening with Release. The night got really serious when we were treated to the first Garden since 2006. You can tell how special MSG is for the band by the way they construct setlists for this building. It's their east coast home. In addition to the backup trio, Pearl Jam also welcomed Ace Frehley from KISS to perform Black Diamond with Mike and Matt exchanging lead vocal responsibility.

My first two shows at MSG were quite the introduction to how Pearl Jam owns MSG. It's hard to say where they rank compared to other great Pearl Jam shows there. Some are better, but is there really such a thing as a bad Pearl Jam show at the Garden? For your listening pleasure there's links to the audience recordings and a couple videos of the highlights. ENJOY!

Pearl Jam 06.24.08 Download Part 1

Pearl Jam 06.24.08 Download Part 2






Pearl Jam 06.25.08 Download Part 2

Pearl Jam 06.25.08 Download Part 2

PJ20: sixteen

05.18.10 - Prudential Center - Newark, NJ

The 2010 North American tour started on the heals of a high energy performance at Jazz Fest in New Orleans and roared to the finale, a two night stand at Madison Square Garden. There was one date that mysteriously remained unannounced until right before the tour started. Since the date was wedged between gigs in Boston and New York City a lot of fans speculated a bonus show for one of the two major markets. Instead, Pearl Jam pulled a 180 and made a stop in Newark, NJ to perform in front of a modest Tuesday night crowd.

With many fans attending either Boston or NYC, it was no surprise there was a light turnout for the show. People traveling for the shows already had their plans and reservations set. It's was so light of a turnout that the Backspacer curtain was out and no seats sold behind the stage. I feel that nights like this can be a recipe for an unforgettable show.

Anyone who skipped this one missed a perfect appetizer for MSG. This show was an example of the sum of the parts being greater than the whole. The setlist is scattered with rarities like Alone, Brother, a WMA tag in Daughter, Jersey Girl and All Along The Watchtower with Ben Bridwell of Band of Horses. Beyond that the show featured standout performances of Insignificance, Amongst The Waves, Inside Job and Got Some. I especially remember being blown away by You Are too.

The mp3 download is my audience recording. I'll always contest the auds capture the to essence of live Pearl Jam better than any soundboard :) I also found some great videos too. ENJOY!

Pearl Jam 05.18.10 mp3 Download

PJ20: seventeen

07.05.03 - Tweeter Center - Camden, NJ

In the Pearl Jam catalog, it's hard to contest any album is more political than Riot Act. Although the album may not always be discussed as one of the band's best albums, the subsequent tours are right up there with 1996 and 1998 in my book. In 2003 and 2004 they were on a mission to influence change. What better night to do so than the day after 4th of July in Philly... err I mean Camden.

I remember it was HOT! There was an "end of the world" storm that blew through and almost dumped Camden into the Delaware River. The show was heat from top to bottom, but there's one reason it stands out from others and that's the perfect mix of covers. It's very uncommon to see a setlist without at least a couple borrowed tunes in the mix. A cover can define a show depending on where it's at in the setlist and how well it's performed.

This show has a selection of the bands Pearl Jam loves to cover: Neil Young, The Who, Lennon, The Ramones and a little Last Kiss (Wayne Cochran) too. Hell, Eddie even throws some Snoop Dog in the breakdown of Blood. The placement of all is perfect, especially the early first set Rockin' in the Free World. Fortunately for us there's some quality video on YouTube of many of the covers. I included another staple of 2003 tours, Love Boat Captain. The link for the mp3 are here too. ENJOY!

Pearl Jam 07.05.03 mp3 Download

PJ20: eighteen

06.01.06 - Continental Arena - East Rutherford, NJ

It was a nice early summer night in North Jersey for this one. My 10C tickets weren't that great, but I was able to upgrade to a floor seat. This was one of those shows that started off strong with a lot of the faster Avocado songs. The main set ended up being pretty standard for this tour with the exception of Alone. Due to guitar problems the song is pretty much aborted, which definitely had me bummed since it would have been my first.

But all was not lost! What really won me over was the first encore. It began with three slower numbers: Wasted Reprise, Man of the Hour and Come Back. This set the stage for the climatic ending of the set with a reverse Mamasan Trilogy. Mamasan is Pearl Jam's own mini rock opera. The trio of songs (Alive, Once, Footsteps) played in this order tells the story of a person who is wronged, does wrong, becomes a criminal, and ends up in jail. More info about these three songs, some of the earliest Pearl Jam history, can be found HERE. Typically, the band plays them in reverse order because I guess it makes sense to end a set with Alive instead of Footsteps. As great as it is to hear each song separately, it's even better to hear them together. This was the only time I've experienced the trilogy and one of the reasons this show is special.

Enjoy the mp3 download and some pics from this show!

Pearl Jam 06.01.06 mp3 Download

PJ20: nineteen

02.20.98 - Alexander M. Baldwin Amphitheater - Maui, HI

This "best of" list isn't meant to go in chronological order. I'll be saving my most memorable moments for the end. This one would have been up there, but I feel obligated to at least start at the beginning. I was a junior in high school and up to this point Pearl Jam was "that popular grunge band". Like most people, I was introduced to them from what I saw on MTV and heard on local radio stations. You'd have to be living under a rock if you didn't know Jeremy, Evenflow, Daughter, Elderly Woman, Betterman or Spin The Black Circle as a child of the nineties.

It wasn't till Yield that I really started paying attention. The tide was receded for grunge, but Pearl Jam delivered an album that immediately grabbed me. As fate would have it my first concert would be the Yield tour opener in Maui, Hawaii. Let's just say one of my good friends was even crazier about Pearl Jam than I was and secured tickets. I convinced my parents it was a once in lifetime experience and they eventually granted me permission to go. So my friend's Dad made the accommodations and we were off to paradise.

The long trip to arrive at our destination was only the beginning of the wait. I remember arriving at the amphitheater early enough to catch the end of soundcheck. Of the 5,000 lucky ones who made the show, we were one of the first few in line and sprinted to the stage when the gates finally opened. Was this really happening?!?! Hear we were in paradise with the North Shore just beyond the stage about to get our faces ripped off by Mudhoney and Pearl Jam.

After Mudhoney, the crush of the crowd got bad in anticipation for Pearl Jam. I'll never forget that drawn out greeting from Ed when they took the stage. "Alohaaaaaa......," and with that we were off. By the time Corduroy and Hail Hail finished we had to retreat a bit from the rail as the crush got a little tighter. On the way back I got acclimated with my first couple mosh pits. The flying elbows didn't bother me, but it was hard to pay attention to the show with the ever present threat of getting decked.

We finally found our comfort zone as the band began Faithfull. The Yield era was just beginning, but most songs played from the album sounded like they've been performed live for years. It would end up being the shortest Pearl Jam show I ever attended due to the early curfew, but it still packed a good punch. This would also be the only show I would see without Matt Cameron behind the drum kit.

By the time we left the venue drenched in sweat and beat up from holding our ground, I was hooked. Yield will forever be one of my alltime favorite albums. To be a part of the warm-up shows to this monumental tour is something I'll always cherish. Hearing the radio hits live was like discovering them for the first time. THIS was Pearl Jam. Luckily, there was a taper in attendance to preserve the moment. The links below are for the tagged mp3s. The sound check is also included. Enjoy!

Pearl Jam 02.20.98 mp3 Download Part 1

Pearl Jam 02.20.98 mp3 Download Part 2

PJ20: twenty

This Labor Day weekend Pearl Jam will celebrate their 20th anniversary with a multi band festival, PJ20. It pains me to say I won't be able to attend since there's only one place I can be that weekend. After the announcement I made it a point to collect all the live recordings of the shows I attended. I've been fortunate enough to catch some legendary ones and wanted to relive all the moments that made them special.

Pearl Jam understands what it means to be a touring band. They can play for over two hours every night and still mix up setlists by taking chances. The real moments of greatness occur when the collective energy of the band and crowd lock together. Pearl Jam's ability to decipher what the crowd wants and deliver is what truly makes them one of the best live bands ever... yeah I said it.

Leading up to Labor Day I'll be writing a couple posts a week discussing the best things I've witnessed this band do. Twenty posts total. It'll serve as therapy for not being able to make the big party. Feel free to post responses if you have anything to add about my "best of" list or anything PJ related! I want to hear what you think. Without further adieu, here's #20

06.08.92 - Pinkpop Festival Landgraaf - Netherlands

Obviously I wasn't there (since I was eleven years old), but the video footage was some of my first exposure to live Pearl Jam. Here's this young band gaining momentum by destroying little theater's, now playing to their biggest crowd. It's a performance that will ultimately define their careers. Here's some of the clips for you to see what I'm talking about: