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View Full Version : The staple(s) to an amazing show...


Highway23
12-03-2001, 06:58 PM
I am sitting here listening to an old 10-01-96 Buffalo bootleg and I'm wondering what you think is/are the staple(s) to an amazing Pearl Jam show. It can be the mood of the band, the setlist, certain songs that are played, Ed with the crowd....

I'm just wondering, cuz I know that there are PJ shows that weren't up to par, as with any band, sometimes things just suck that night. Maybe the band didn't feel well, they were tired, or they just wanted to say fuck it cuz they partied the night before a little to hard :)


To me, I think there are so many things that go together to make a great show. Things that if all go together, make the audience leave the show feeling as they have just seen the greatest show that they have ever seen or will ever see. I've done this, I think that we have all done it.

The beginning of a show is what tells alot to the fan who knows about past shows of the band. The guys come out, and here ya go: Do they wave to the crowd, does Ed come out with his bottle of wine and notebook, does Mike go right to his guitar without doing anything...all these you are looking all at once and it's hard to catch it all...but somehow you think you did a good job.

Next thing, you get the opener, setting the mood I suppose...and when the song is playing you're now in Pearl Jam mode. The emotions begin to flow and your heart is pumping even faster than the "my heart is going to explode" shit you were feeling before the band even came out and you heard Baba begin playing.

Now you are settled down and you're trying to take it all in. Closing your eyes as you sing with Ed and play air guitar with Stone and Mike (and you are good enough to play both of course) and you hit all the drums with your feet with Matt, and your heart beats with every note that Jeff plays on bass, perfectly as well...you are at a Pearl Jam show, playing with the band, and they feel you too.

You got tags, rarities, covers...all these play into the greatest show that you have ever seen...and I've had the honor to hear these as well...rock n roll

The four times that I have seen them, I have been lucky enough (I suppose) to see both the good and the bad. Montreal 98 & 00, are hands down the best shows that I have ever seen, Saratoga was great in 2000 as well. Hartford on the other hand was a great show turned bad...rioting in the front rows and the band doing a very angry version of Porch and leaving the show with pepperspray on their minds...


so what you got to say?


If you want to be a hero well just follow me~Lennon

margaret ann
12-04-2001, 01:53 AM
"play air guitar with Stone and Mike (and you are good enough to play both of course)"

Dude, you play air guitar? I've always wanted to learn to play air guitar /images/smile.gif j/k

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I think it's all those things you mentioned, the band's attitude, the crowd, circumstances, and also your expectations can make or break a show. But I also don't think that every show can objectively be judged on some check list of things that must go right for it to be a great show list. Someone listening to a show might say, ehh, that wasn't the best show ever. But for someone who was there it may have been one of their best show memories, for whatever reasons. make sense?

Highway23
12-04-2001, 02:08 AM
Yeah totally, on the fact that some songs just hit people alot differently than others...which makes it that much cooler...

Often when I'm listening to a boot, and a certain song is played...and I'm like "MAN!! I wish I could have been there to HEAR this version!" Not so much to hear it, but to feel it, to be able to feel like this song Ed was singing to me, cuz he knew how much it meant...obviously that is never going to happen, but I think you get the idea of what I mean...

sometimes a song can do so much ....

You're still alive...Do I deserve to be?....Who answers...

pj_dad
12-04-2001, 01:06 PM
One thing I've noticed the past couple shows I've seen is if the crowd's reaction to the opening band is good...Ed comes out in a good mood. We were right next to Ed at Indy..and though the seats were still filling up, the crowd treated sonic youth pretty good...and I know he saw it..and we we then treated to a rather powerful start to the show (including a set list audible to play Spin the Black Circle)

My personal preference are the shows that open with Release, Long Road, and Oceans (in that order). I've yet to come across a boot where showws that open with those songs aren't powerful. (i.e. St. Louis, '98...open with Oceans..then 6-7 straight hard songs..my calves were burning from the pogoing.)

Also...I believe you can gauge the band's opinion of their performance of the show based on the encores and ending songs. Most any with Baba or RITFW as an ending song are signs the band is on and happy. (imo).

-kj