Tag Archives: Pearl Jam

New Jersey: Pearl Jam 1 of 2.

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Last night I went to the first of two Pearl Jam concerts this summer in New Jersey. The set list was one of the best I’ve heard.

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Our seats for the show were pretty good considering our tickets didn’t arrive in the mail until about 5 hours before we left. We were on the first level of the arena, far side from the stage with isle seats which was a huge plus in times of need.

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To get to the show you took a bus from New York which was driven by possibly the most indecisive man on the planet. Not what I look for in a city bus driver. I want a man willing to risk the lives of his passengers for little more than the inside lane of the Lincoln Tunnel. Last night I didn’t get that. Instead I got a driver who literally watched a street light change over 3 times before actually passing through. You drive a double bus for god sakes, the world is your sand box!. The bottom picture is an abstract expression of my frustration during the hour-long bus ride (or a really cool view from our seats).

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Vote for Change tour: Pearl Jam, Neil Young in Toledo.

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Last night I attended one fo the many Vote for Change shows that are going on in swing states this month. All proceeds from the tour are going to ACT: America Coming Together which is one of the many grassroots groups trying to change America:

America Coming Together (ACT) is dedicated to energizing the electorate to achieve crucial changes ­ the mobilization of millions of people to register and vote around the critical issues facing our country, the defeat of George W. Bush and his Republican allies, and the election of progressives in vitally important state, local, and federal contests. We are outraged at the policies and abuses of the past four years: the jobs lost, lives wasted, health care denied, air and water fouled, and rights abridged

The Show
The venue was what you might term a “shit hole”, but it was small and small is good when you get to see pearl jam. I think the Toledo Sports Arena only holds about 2,500 people so needless to say there wasn’t a bad seat in the house. The show went well until a surprise appearance by Neil Young elevated the show to ‘epic’. There were rumors during the day that Neil Young & Peter Frampton (for the record: not a fan) were in town and were going to join pearl jam on stage. This became obvious after the second set of the night (acoustic no less) the stage hand started setting up two mikes. Out came Neil Young and his wife (Peg, Sue?) and he went into Harvest Moon. After this the show became pretty much a Neil Young concert w/Pearl Jam. I’ve never seen Neil Young live so it was fine with me. The ‘super group’ went into the Dylan song All Along the Watch Tower, after this they went into Young’s own Cortez the Killer and closed the show up with Rockin’ in the Free World.
All and all a great show, long drive home.

Pearl Jam on Letterman Last Night.

Pearl Jam appeared on The Late Show last night to kick off their leg of the ACT: Vote for Change tour. Your’s truly will be in Toledo tomorrow to see Pearl Jam w/Death Cab for Cutie. I plan to have some pictures from the show and with any luck they’ll be good considering it’s such a small venue.

On Letterman last night Pearl Jam preformed the Bob Dylan tune Masters of War. It was in a few words, the right song at the right time.
Check it out: Download mp3.