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  1. 2006-05-19 Van Andel Arena - Grand Rapids, MI

    Coming from the last “wrong” date PJ need to shake it all over and it seems clear since the start. The longest title in PJ catalogue rise in the set promoted at opener rank .. Elderly Woman behind The Counter ..
    They wanted a hot crowd since the start and they got it .. obvious sing along int the arena.
    Good move like, I think, is going on with Given To Fly .. double classic and the band is already in, no distraction tonight.
    After this odd beginning, for this first part of the tour, the due promoting time comes carrying the inseparable three .. solid rock with solid performance going through Suicide – Life Wasted – Severed Hand.
    Second points-gaining moment appears when Eddie and Stoney throw that doubled riff which means .. Sad!
    I love the song and I always love when it surfaces, this time making care less the Marker tax that has to be paid next.
    Red Mosquito – Even Flow is a good way to recoup soon the concert. No flaw caught my attention so far, nobody of the five (plus one) seems to be sub standard, on the contrary .. Mike is there to demonstrate it on his spotlight time of Even Flow, well sustained by Matt Jeff And Stone.
    Boom Gaspar is introduced on B3, not at the end of a song so it can only be .. Love Boat Captain, the most remarkable contribution in songwriting by Boom. For obvious reasons a tune very felt by the band and by the fans as well I’d say. It’s the birthday of Townshend, who helped the boys to tough that tragedy out, maybe it’s a also a homage to him in a certain way.
    A safe and great Corduroy makes as bridge to the other birthday tribute of the day .. the beloved Joey (Ramone), “come home” sigh and the snippets of Daughter cannot be other but Blitzkrieg Bop and I Believe In Miracles .. good Eddie good.
    Spotlight on Jeff now and on his Army Reserve (for the music at least) of which I like the bass riff .. groovy. Jeff shows that he can make his job well while he watches a basketball match hehe
    In fact after the easy Green Disease (I like a lot when such underdogs are played .. every now and then) he announces the Pistons win hehe .. the “basketball” fans get hotter leading the band through a pretty energetic Why Go.
    The beautiful Inside Job and classic Rearviewmirror to close a very well done and played main set .. not much traditional.

    And the tradition is thrown away mainly with the encores!
    Sleight of Hand-Off He Goes-Around the Bend-Parting Ways-Hard To Imagine all at once in strict succession? Really?? .. now that is what i call not-for-all sequence .. i’m amazed .. i love these guys hehe
    Around the Bend quite rare playing since 1996 till .. well now. Hard to Imagine .. one of the “hidden” songs most loved by die-hards
    Quite shocked i don’t even care if they were performer at the top or not hehe
    Crowd seem toh ave loved to as it’s showed when classic wave returns. Very pulled Crazy Mary, great partecipation by the people there, great great double progression by Boom and Mikey … awesome!
    Classic of the classic to close this amazingly odd encore .. the fever of the venue is definetely out of control and has its natural explosion in Alive ..a never ending so damn good one!

    Second encore returns to “normality” with the “usual” Do the Evolution followed by Comatose to give the venue a hard rock shaking .. pumped ones .. nice Eddie with the megaphone.
    Usual ride to the end of the show? Not at all there’s still time to fuck minds up as Matt rolls the start of .. Satan’s Bed .. cool!! Like all the audience has to think singing quite loud since the first verse .. really great .. Boom and his B3 to give its classic sound.
    And they keep on going .. at this point nothing counts anymore … Leatherman .. Blood to form another amazing subset.
    No words left by now … and is there anything left? Eddie says
    Time to celebrate the 2 monsters of the Music who respond to the names of Pete Townshend and Joey Ramone and Baba O’Riley goes out for them. Great song to end.
    But Mike still has something to say and start to hail with his classic way .. Yellow Ledbetter.
    “Grand Rapids, who knew?!? That was great … thank you so much. If listen to the tapes, it’s gonna sound like we’re just bullshittin’, but you had to be here. This was really great tonight, thank you so, so much.” Eddie Vedder
    Thank you too guys for giving that audience a great special night and for us for letting enjoy it “just” via bootleg. Love it
    Top form top mood top crowd top particolar set .. all ingredients that drive me crazy
    Awesome gig!

    Highlights: Sad – Daughter – Love Boat Captain – Crazy Mary – Around the Bend – Hard To Imagine - Alive - Satan's Bed - Blood .. and many others .. better saying the whole concert!

    Rating : 5 (1/2 if possible hehe)
  2. Looks like we may have a new frontrunner...I still liked Chicago 1 better but this one was very, very good.

    (My) current rankings:
    1. Chicago 1
    2. Grand Rapids
    3. Toronto 2
  3. for me Chicago 1 is a great one but this has that kind of "weirdness" that thrill me like mad hehe
  4. Grand Rapids,MI 05.19.06

    After a somewhat "blah" gig in Chicago (05.17.06),PJ switch things up here in Grand Rapids.Small Town opens,sounds a little shaky at first,about half way through Ed finds his voice,and it goes over well.Another classic GTF follows.This lifts the crowd,and the band.Ed's voice is in fine form,and he doesnt hold back,and really belts this classic out.WWS has a little extra bounce tonight.I can hear Matt clearly on backing vocals,Ed gives a few wild screams.Really good version.LW has a small flub,but Mike is flying on this one,and Severed Hand rocks out hard as well.There is zero evidence of a "going through the motions" feel tonight.

    The band seem really fired up,as if they are well aware of the less than "PJ" type of gigs,they put on in Chicago,and especially Albany,from the previous weeks.Fans are cheering "Stone Stone Stone" after LW,and the crowd are very intense.You already have the "feel" with this gig.Its weird,but after listening to this band for over 20 yrs,I just "know" when a gig has that something special,this is one of those evenings.

    The solid b side Sad keeps things going.I usually would scream foul,at having so many new songs,but this fits well,and is a solid tune."Alright,we are getting it going." Marker is ok,but 5 is just too many new tunes in a row.The fans are screaming their heads off though.

    The absolute classic Red Mosquito is busted out,the hardcores get their bone.My mood would have switched real quick here.Very good version.

    Even Flow is always good,but this version is perfect.Crowd go nuts,band are fired up.Matt,Stone,Jeff and Mike put on a musical clinic here.Rock 101 = Even Flow from Grand Rapids,05.19.06.

    The fans are going wild still,and EV tells them "you are turning out to be a hell of a crowd." The band are clearly feeding off the crowds excitement.Ed introduces Boom and says he’s standing in front of what looks like a “portable bar” and says “Love Boat Captain” was written in a “far away place and far enough away that anything seemed possible”.LBC,is good,but Corduroy would have been alot better here IMO.But,this crowd eats it up.

    Corduroy now gets them into a near frenzy.Great version.“Daughter” is introduced as “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” and there’s a shocked gasp from some in the crowd.As “Daughter” starts though, Ed says to the crowd “Don’t hate me.” Very odd.Crowd are still loudly chanting "Stone Stone Stone."Jeffs bass sounds nice and deep.Really good jam,7 min version.

    “So a lot of us voted, but things have changed just for the worse and something hopeful, apparently there’s a couple of veterans in the crowd and we have their support so we’re very proud of that.”, leading to “Army Reserve”. I like the music,good song.The below average Green Disease follows,this is totally uncalled for.There is now a bit of a lull to this solid gig.This 2 song run would have been perfect time to catch your breath,take a piss and grab a couple more beers before last call.

    Jeff updates everyone on the Detroit vs.Cleveland playoff basketball game that night “We just found out that the Pistons won by two points”, to large cheers.Ed then says he heard they actually "lost by three points in overtime",to large boos.The classic Why Go picks this up,love it,and the fans loose their minds again.Loud loud loud cheers of "Why Go Home,Why Go Home Why Go Home!!!!!"..fantastic version.

    The absolute classic Inside Job follows.Love it,sounds perfect.Mike with the double neck,head back....just riffing.....Ed seems to come in late,but I like it...nice effect....IMO,this would have fit in better right after Daughter followed by Army Reserve,dropping GD of course.......

    The main set ends with RVM..wild jam..10 min version......solid main set.

    Encore 1

    With the crowd going bonkers,Ed says “Are you kidding me? We’re not gonna want to leave this place.And I thought we had friends in Chicago!”. Loud boos.The first encore is full of “experimenting” and Ed clarifies that “there’s a big difference between ‘experimenting with you’ and ‘fucking with you’, we’re not going to fuck with you.”

    The underrated Sleight Of Hand starts off this EPIC encore.Great version.This tune never got the recognition it deserved for its pure quality.Off He Goes follows,another underrated tune,sounds great here.Before “Around the Bend”,Ed asks,“Would you like to hear ‘Around the Bend’? We can try it.Are you sure? We haven’t played it, we haven’t practiced it,so we’re fucking with ourselves at this point.” Simply fantastic.Something special is obviously happening.I would have wet myself here,and not from piss.The band are so loose.Having fun,and sounding great.“Parting Ways” includes a sitar-like guitar effect which gives the main riff a different sound.Stone maybe ? I always liked this tune from the 2000 tour.Sounds great here.Ed messes up,so what..love it..love this encore...

    Whats this ?!?!?!?!!!.....Hard To Imagine ? Are you fucking kidding me ???!!!!..I would have not only lost it,but possibly fainted at this point.Talk about elation....this is any diehards delight ! "Things were different then,all is different now !!!"

    Talk about a diverse encore...one word..amazing.

    The fun continues,with a 10 min version of Crazy Mary.Really great encore..wow...the band are on fire....great jam......

    Alive has extra punch..just an amazing run....Im left speechless for once.....

    Encore 2


    “Alright,no more experimenting.We’re gonna drive this thing home with ya. Seatbelts everybody …” and they launch into an intense “Do The Evolution”.

    The only hiccup to this classic encore is Comatose..doesnt belong here.....a minor setback..avoid it please.

    “Satan’s Bed” starts and Ed jokes “I think we may be fucking with you again, sorry”. The band nails “Satan’s Bed”,no need to say sorry Ed.

    The classic b side Leatherman is played...a flub..thats ok....really like it..its rare,not great,but the simple fact that the band are playing such a distinct selection of songs is so impressive.

    Blood....what can I say..the encore,as a whole, is off the charts.I love this tune.."ITS MY BLOOOOOOD!!!"...."Louder,c'mon..beat Chicago"...THEY DID.

    After “Blood”, Ed says “Is there anything left? I think we did it all .” A toast to Joey Ramone and the great Pete Townshend.

    The classic Baba O'Riley > Yellow Ledbetter end this amazing,EPIC encore.

    “Grand Rapids,who knew?!? That was great …thank you so much. If they listen to the tapes, it’s gonna sound like we’re just bullshittin’, but you had to be here.This was really great tonight, thank you so, so much.”

    Indeed.

    5 stars....EPIC SHOW

    An absolute fantastic encore.A solid main set,that looks underwhelming on paper,but somehow isnt.I cant explain it.The feel of this gig is so special.They could do no wrong this night.8 new songs ? Not a problem.Green Disease ? Not a problem. Really ? Yes,really.

    Highlights:GTF,Red Mosquito,Even Flow,Daughter,Why Go,Inside Job,RVM..ALL OF ENCORE 1 and ALL OF ENCORE 2 (sans Comatose)
  5. Nice reviews, gentlemen.

    I guess I was too hard on it by only giving it 4.5 stars!
  6. No pressure but...

    Cleveland (2006-05-20)

    In my last review, I complained that by using “Small Town” to open the show you lose the chance at hearing one of the classics PJ openers. However (and unlike “Small Town” which frequently will open a PJ set), “Better Man” is a pretty cool opener. In fact, EV doesn’t even have to sing a single note to cue the crowd – they perform the whole first verse and chorus with his assistance. The first time you hear his voice (not including the pre-show warm up) is when he croons, “Oh, Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.”

    Nice.

    A solid version of “Given to Fly” follows that really gets the crowd going. It makes me wonder, however, if they are losing a bit of faith in their new album. They seemed to be playing more from their back catalogue to open the show instead of songs like World Wide Suicide,” “Life Wasted,” and “Severed Hand” which ironically enough are now played (well) in the third through fifth positions.

    I’ve always liked “Faithfull” and it is played next. I like how they rarely forget it on a tour but don’t play it too often – which makes its performance more special. It would be a great time to also break out, say, “In My Tree” but instead they play “Unemployable.”

    Sticking with the new album, “Gone” is next. EV teases the crowd by mentioning “Dissident” which I think was a bad move. “Gone” is great but I’m sure the majority of the audience would have rather heard that Vs classics, myself included.

    Now, we get the highlight of the show – maybe even the tour thus far. EV warns the crowd that they will have to sing in this one. A great version of “Daughter” is played and, right now, I’m talking about just the song itself. It’s a beauty. The one issue that I have with many of its live performances is that it simply fades out. This works great on the album but not in a live setting. For this reason, the inclusion of the “It’s OK” tag is now an essential part of this song and tonight’s performance in one of the best ever. EV sings quite a bit here which extends the tag even longer than usual – just awesome.

    It’s tough to follow that up but a relatively-rare performance of “MFC” fits in very nicely. A great, little tune from Yield whose performance might only be improved but including the “Untitled” opening.

    Things are going very well...the show can’t get any better...I’m sure of it...I suppose an obligatory “Even Flow” or the new “Marker in the Sand” are next...but instead one of my favourite songs in PJ is played, the sublime “Immortality.” I didn’t see this one coming at all. I appreciate that since they don’t play it very often, it makes it that much more a treat to hear but they really should play this one more frequently. It’s a top ten, maybe even a top five, PJ song for me – and definitely one of the “most improved” on my personal favourites list. I liked it two years ago. I love it now.

    I suppose that it’s time to pick things back up and they do so with extreme authority. The hard-hitting “Lukin” takes the show into overdrive and things don’t let up as the main set ends with great performances of “Do the Evolution” (like EV’s quip “they’re a great team” after singing “...indians got nothin’ on me”), “Spin the Black Circle” (another underplayed song from Vitalogy), and the classic main set closer, “Porch” – cool slow intro.

    I think this might be the best main set so far on this tour.

    The first encore opens with “Wasted Reprise” (seems to be becoming a standard at this point in the tour) followed but yet another (pleasant) surprise on the night, “Thumbing My Way.” I still don’t them using “Reprise” to precede a slow song but they’ll figure that one out eventually. A nice version of “Inside Job” follows – one of the few new songs that works well late in the show.

    Next we get two amazing performances of “Black” and “Alive.” The whole performance of “Black” is great and it’s always a treat getting the “We Belong Together” tag. Now, I might admit that “Alive” is getting a little stale (already played in all previous shows) but I really like this version a lot. There’s tonnes of energy in this performance right from the “Take it, Stone” intro to the final notes played by all the band members. The crowd seems really into it as well. One thing I’ll add is that although “Alive” is played again, “Even Flow” was not for the first time on this tour.

    The second encore is off and running with another wild performance of “Go.” Unfortunately, EV must think the momentum from it will carry on into “Comatose.” It’s not a bad performance but...

    At this point a few rarities come out including the half-fun, half-cheesy “U,” “Don’t Gimme No Lip” sung by Stone, and the overrated-by-hardcore-fans “Smile” (with Stone on bass). Because I am listening to the entire tour, I don’t my hearing these three songs. If I was in attendance at a particular shows, I could name three dozen[/i] others I’d rather hear.

    Fortunately, a really good version of “Why Go” gets things back on track – for my personal tastes, anyway, and then out comes a cover, the solid “Fuckin’ Up” to nearly end the show. “Yellow Ledbetter” closes – again.

    Highlights: Better Man, DAUGHTER/IT’S OK, MFC, IMMORTALITY, Spin the Black Circle, Porch, Black, Alive, Go, Why Go

    Rating: Great, great set and performance. However, I was a bit let down by the second encore (it’s really just a matter of personal taste, mind you) so I’ll “only” give it a 4.5-star rating. I could be convinced to give it 5 starts.
  7. Now that was fast...wow....

    Rangers > Leafs tonight at MSG !!
  8. Since we did a comparison of PJ and Radiohead's releases,I think we should really compare Soundgarden vs Pearl Jam this time...the battle of Seattle.....I will let you guys go first.

    The first couple of Soundgarden releases Im not that wild about,and didnt know of them until I saw Singles,then I bought Badmotorfinger..REST IS HISTORY.......this should be interesting....
  9. IMO,this is how Vitalogy SHOULD hve been released....

    1.Last Exit
    2.Corduroy
    3.Spin The Black Circle
    4.Whipping
    5.Satan's Bed
    6.Not For You
    7.Tremor Christ
    8.Better Man
    9.Nothingman
    10.Immortality

    The flow is quite nice,without those 4 awful,PJ trying to be the Beatles doing Revolution #9 nonsense...Stupid Mop??.really Ed ??...this was of course the start of EV's hostile takeover.
  10. Originally posted by EDDMB:IMO,this is how Vitalogy SHOULD hve been released....

    1.Last Exit
    2.Corduroy
    3.Spin The Black Circle
    4.Whipping
    5.Satan's Bed
    6.Not For You
    7.Tremor Christ
    8.Better Man
    9.Nothingman
    10.Immortality

    The flow is quite nice,without those 4 awful,PJ trying to be the Beatles doing Revolution #9 nonsense...Stupid Mop??.really Ed ??...this was of course the start of EV's hostile takeover.

    I alwAys throw Hard to Imagine on there. 11 amazing songs.
  11. I even include "I Got Shit" and "Long Road" although some would rather put the two with No Code.
  12. I Got Shit/Long Road are from the following year though,recorded during Merkin Ball, with Uncle Neil.They really dont have anything to do with Vitalogy.

    As far as I know,Hard To Imagine was around during the Vs sessions,and the version on Lost Dogs is said to be from those sessions.But it did pop up again during Vitalogy.

    edit...found this on Wiki..

    "Hard to Imagine", a song previously rejected from Vs., was also recorded during the Vitalogy sessions.This version found its way on to the soundtrack for the 1998 film,Chicago Cab."Hard to Imagine" is also included on the 2003 rarities compilation,Lost Dogs,however that version is the one from the Vs. sessions.According to Gossard, "Hard to Imagine" was cut from Vitalogy because it "didn't fit with the other songs the band was writing at the time"."Out of My Mind",which is featured as a B-side on the "Not for You" single,was premiered on the band's 1994 spring tour of the United States and was played twice.According to Vedder, the song was "just a live improv".
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