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

moe. - Musikfest Cafe - 07.17.11

There are certain nights where everything clicks perfectly. The great thing about moe. is these nights can occur at any random time. Last Sunday in Bethlehem PA was one of those sleeper shows. It was the first sellout for the Musikfest Cafe. The venue offers a layout similar to Rams Head Live in Baltimore, but smaller and reserved seating in the balcony. It's character comes from a panoramic view of the steel towers behind the stage. It's a beautiful venue with some great amenities.

moe. established themselves in their new surroundings with a perfectly structured set that tore the place apart. The energy was high as the sun set with Runaway Overlude and a Cathedral > 32 Things to start things off. This trio of songs alone could have been the highlight of any show, but moe. was just getting started. The newly revived reggae version of Letter Home was next and fit nicely into this portion of the night. Both Happy Hour Hero and Crab Eyes were the only choices that were fairly standard, but Al particularly was definitely digging it.

The second set was where things really took off. A stretched out Spine of A Dog led right into Jazz Wank and would set the tone for the rest of the evening. The crowd was loving The Ghost of Ralph's Mom that followed. It was really the last segment and encore that brought this show to a different level. Puebla > Queen of Everything > CIA > Time Ed showcased some of the best moe. I've seen in a while. If that wasn't enough, the crowd's Meat chant was answered and a twenty minute encore ensued. There was even some mention of playing Brain Tuba by Al during his announcements. PLEASE let it happen at moe.down!

The quality of the recording doesn't match the greatness of this show. We were put in the worst spot and the recording suffers because of it. Word to anyone planning to record here: Get balcony seats and clamp! This show is well worth the couple bucks from Livedownloads.com for the soundboard when it's available. Until then enjoy the best my MK41's can offer from a poor location!

moe. Live at Musikfest Cafe 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:

Wood Brothers - World Cafe Live - 03.26.11

It feels like an eternity since I've offered some live music for you to download. Luckily, I have a surplus of great recordings from the past couple months that I've been dying to get out there. My hope is I'll be able to finish processing them all before I leave for Hawaii on June 1st. The first is from a memorable night at the World Cafe Live with the Wood Brothers.

I've been a fan of the Wood Brothers ever since I first saw them in 2006 when they opened for Grace Potter and the Nocturnals at this very venue. To say they blew me away during that first encounter would be an understatement. I'm sure there's a lot to be said about the comfort level you have writing and performing music with your brother. Ironically though, these two developed musically miles apart: Chris with MMW in the northeast and Oliver in the south with King Johnson.

Every time I've seen the brothers perform at the World Cafe Live it's been setup in the "dinner theater" configuration meaning less dancing room. The upside is it gives you a chance to really sit back and take in the performance. The "holy shit" moments really engulf you without the distractions of a standing room audience. This night was no different. As an added surprise the brothers brought along Jano Rix who added another layer and allowed old favorites like One More Day, Twisted and Glad to take on a new life.

It's hard for me to describe these "holy shit" moments without experiencing it live. I think it has something to do with the juxtaposition of their styles, but people who've witnessed can attest: It's downright beautiful music. Examples can be found scattered across this recording with Losing Streak, Shoofly Pie, Pay Attention and Smoke Ring Halo being a couple of my favorite from the night.

It can be a challenge to tape the Wood Brothers because of the dynamic range of the performance. This one was no different, but the recording is definitely a great representation of the night. You may need to crank the volume to hear the discussion between songs, but it's best to play this one loud anyway! Thanks to Craig T for the pics:

Wood Brothers
March 26, 2011
World Cafe Live (Downstairs)
Philadelphia, PA

Source: Schoeps mk4 > actives > NBox+ > Sound Devices 722(24/48)
Transfer: Sound Devices 722 > Firewire > Wavelab 5.0a(+Gain/Fades/Resampler 192/UV22HR Dither) > CD Wave > flac16 (level 8) > tagged using Foobar2000 and Tag&Rename
Location: Floor/LOC
Configuration: DIN
Taped and Transferred by T.J. Samulis

01. -intro-
02. Up Above My Head
03. One More Day
04. Twisted
05. Walk Away
06. Smoke Ring Halo
07. Mary Anna
08. Chocolate On My Tongue
09. Losing Streak
10. Glad
11. Postcards From Hell
12. Shoofly Pie
13. When I Was Young
14. Pay Attention
15. Chevelotte
16. Blue And Green
17. Stumbled In
18. Atlas
19. -encore break-
20. Luckiest Man
21. Down The Road (1)

NOTES
(1) With Seth Walker on guitar/vocals

DOWNLOAD WOOD BROTHERS FLAC TORRENT HERE

DOWNLOAD WOOD BROTHERS MP3 ZIP FILE HERE

Levon Helm & moe. - Midnight Ramble - 03.12.11

I'm playing a little catchup since my life revolved around the wedding for the past few months. Even though I was busy there was still a little time to squeeze in a couple shows here and there. One show, or should I say experience, trumped them all. On a cold week in March we made the pilgrimage to Woodstock for a Midnight Ramble at Levon Helm's barn. The opening band just happened to be moe.

Levon, drummer of The Band, has called Woodstock home for quite some time. During the late sixties Bob Dylan and the The Band could be found in this quaint town making music history. It's no wonder why they called this town home. You really need to stroll through the heart of town to understand it's charm, where both locals and out of towners enjoyed the sunny, brisk day.

Although the town itself was worth the trip, most visitors made the trek for one reason: Levon's Midnight Ramble with moe. So what is a Midnight Ramble you ask? Well, I'll let Levon explain it:

When the opportunity to see moe. play a ramble presented itself I knew I had to be there. Tickets didn't last long since moe. draws well in the area. Fortunately they were secured and we were on our way to see a living legend entertain us in his home studio (BIG THANKS TO DON!!!!!). The website says not to show up to the property until after 6pm, but we couldn't resist the urge to snap a couple pictures in the daylight:








With a little bit of time to kill before dinner there was one more mission that needed to be accomplished: Find Big Pink. It's very possible you've never heard of Big Pink, but I'm sure you've heard at least one piece of music written there:

A quick google search will get you the address and directions. Since it's a private property and you have to drive down a narrow winding road to reach Big Pink you get the feeling trouble could be waiting at the end. After all, how would you feel to have trespassers? We were respectful and stayed just long enough to snap a couple pics and let our minds wander a bit:






After a great meal a Joshua's, it was finally time to get down. Pulling into the "lot" felt more like a backyard BBQ than anything else. The empty fire pit we saw earlier in the day was going strong. I'll never forget the smell of that fire mixed with the fresh mountain air. It was calling you inside to the party.

I will say the tickets are expensive at $125 to $150, but it is worth every penny for obvious reasons. As an added bonus you can bring beer, wine, whiskey, or your drink of choice and go in and out as you please to fill your cup (I chose a cooler full of homebrews!). The community table is filled with free food from all over the place too. So I think it's safe to say the high ticket price is trivial. GO if you have a chance. Don't even think about it!

What can be said about the music played in the barn other than it represented everything that's right about live music. The line between performer and audience is non existent, which is something that truly makes live music much more special in my eyes. moe. gave us what we came for: A set mixing old and new with enough jamming to satisfy. Rebubla was great, but I think Downward Facing Dog was my highlight.

Levon is amazing. This was the second time I've seen him perform and the man rocks harder at 70 than most have in their entire lives. The night went too fast, but I do remember highlights being Ophelia, Deep Elum Blues, Attics of My Life and obviously The Weight with Chuck and Al. Out of respect for Levon there was no recording on this night. It was meant to be that way... some things are meant to stay inside the barn.