Global Citizen Festival (NYC/2015)

[spike]

yeah, betterman's a real deep cut.

[mikejasond]

Betterman, Elderly Woman, Given to Fly, Do the Evolution, all are fairly big hits, but Im just saying they're far below Black and Even Flow and Jeremy. I knew the latter 3 before I started listening to Pearl Jam, just when I started listening to rock music in general, though it wasnt until I started exploring that genre more that I heard the others more frequently.

[Norah]

Daughter got some spins.

[mikejasond]

Dont get me wrong, the setlist for the most part was good, all of them were either new singles, or fairly big hits, or covers of very famous songs. They didn't have any deep cuts, besides Unthought Known, which made sense given the context of it being inspired by the area, and fitting the theme of the concert in tone.

The only things I have issue with were MYM opening (and honestly even being included at all) considering it's a turnoff for people that don't know Pearl Jam well especially as an opener, and also just sucks in general, and the lack of maybe one more major major hit like Black or Even Flow. I would probably have cut Given to Fly but they'll never do that, given the dedication he gave it. So how about replacing MYM with Even Flow? Opening with Even Flow sounds interesting to me it could work as an opener, and instantly let people know who they are.

Edit: Personally I would also like Small Town -> Even Flow to open, and then continue from there but since Eddie seems to like to use Lightning Bolt as a rampup song (and it works as one) I guess you have to keep Small Town where it is.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[spike]

Daughter got some spins.

yeah, daughter is their biggest hit based on chart position and weeks on the chart.

[evenslow]

[evenslow]

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[evenslow]

I didn't post those to refute anything, just to offer some context about what is considered popular for Pearl Jam these days.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[McParadigm]

Yeah, Daughter and Betterman were their two biggest radio play events, prior to Last Kiss. Long lived popularity is a different measurement.

That said, it's hard to reconcile the many realities of this band's popularity. On the one hand, Yield is far below the first three records in terms of presence. On the other, DTE and Given tend to rank surprisingly high compared to other tracks on streaming site charts (DTE is often a top ten PJ song for the last six months on last.fm). On the one hand they spent thirteen years as a "whatever happened to" band. On the other, in the US at least, the following statements are true:

1. If you add up the sales of all the original Smashing Pumpkins studio albums...all of them...you have roughly the sales of Ten.
2. If you add up the sales of all of the original Soundgarden studio albums...you have roughly the sales of Vs. (with both of these examples, you'll often find overstated sales on places like Wikipedia...looking at something like ukmix will give you clearer data).
3. Beyoncé has never had a solo album that matched the sales of Vitalogy (one Destiny's Child album makes it).
4. Daughter and Betterman were both averaging more plays at classic radio (in 2006) than Black Hole Sun, Tonight Tonight, Mr Jones, or any Alice in Chains song.
5. The top two Pearl Jam records are roughly equivalent in sales to the top two U2 records.
6. They remain an abnormally successful band for long term sales. Vitalogy is within 100,000 sales of 6x platinum, and Yield is a gnats breath from double (if it hasn't passed the mark already).

This band could announce that they were retiring Ten songs from concerts forever, and they'd still have two of the biggest rock radio hits of the 90's at their disposal, as well as a number of hits big and small (notice how Just Breathe fares in evenslows lists). And they'd still have relatively high sales figures for the size of the venues they frequent.

[McParadigm]

So there's that I guess.

[Norah]

I was waiting for you.

[McParadigm]

My autism sense was tingling.

To the Mosquito!!

[mikejasond]

Im not saying Daughter ad Better Man weren't big hits, but they are eclipsed by the popularity of Even Flow, Alive, Black, and Jeremy, especially in terms of long-term popularity.

And they COULD retire Ten songs and still perform live, but why WOULD they retire their most enduring and widely-known songs? Because people who have seen them 20 times are tired of them?

[Leatherhead]

Yeah, Daughter and Betterman were their two biggest radio play events, prior to Last Kiss. Long lived popularity is a different measurement.

That said, it's hard to reconcile the many realities of this band's popularity. On the one hand, Yield is far below the first three records in terms of presence. On the other, DTE and Given tend to rank surprisingly high compared to other tracks on streaming site charts (DTE is often a top ten PJ song for the last six months on last.fm). On the one hand they spent thirteen years as a "whatever happened to" band. On the other, in the US at least, the following statements are true:

1. If you add up the sales of all the original Smashing Pumpkins studio albums...all of them...you have roughly the sales of Ten.
2. If you add up the sales of all of the original Soundgarden studio albums...you have roughly the sales of Vs. (with both of these examples, you'll often find overstated sales on places like Wikipedia...looking at something like ukmix will give you clearer data).
3. Beyoncé has never had a solo album that matched the sales of Vitalogy (one Destiny's Child album makes it).
4. Daughter and Betterman were both averaging more plays at classic radio (in 2006) than Black Hole Sun, Tonight Tonight, Mr Jones, or any Alice in Chains song.
5. The top two Pearl Jam records are roughly equivalent in sales to the top two U2 records.
6. They remain an abnormally successful band for long term sales. Vitalogy is within 100,000 sales of 6x platinum, and Yield is a gnats breath from double (if it hasn't passed the mark already).

This band could announce that they were retiring Ten songs from concerts forever, and they'd still have two of the biggest rock radio hits of the 90's at their disposal, as well as a number of hits big and small (notice how Just Breathe fares in evenslows lists). And they'd still have relatively high sales figures for the size of the venues they frequent.

This is such a great post.

[E.H. Ruddock]

spike has a daughter?

[spike]

Im not saying Daughter ad Better Man weren't big hits, but they are eclipsed by the popularity of Even Flow, Alive, Black, and Jeremy, especially in terms of long-term popularity.

And they COULD retire Ten songs and still perform live, but why WOULD they retire their most enduring and widely-known songs? Because people who have seen them 20 times are tired of them?

because they're sick of them. we're dealing with humans in a rock band, not a jukebox.

[stip]

While I'm sure playing them has gotten old I wonder if the reaction they generate is something, as a performer, you'd really get tired of--especially if they're not having to play them 70 times in a row anymore