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Finally getting around to post a few thoughts on this one. I made it to both Wrigley and both Fenway shows, but this experience had a few features that the other three didn't, thus the little write-up.
This was my first time being in the pit since 2016 (I think), so that was a nice treat. Also, my childhood best friend/lifelong PJ touring friend from Chicago got tickets to this show, and we decided to gift his pair to my parents. They're both turning 70 this year and had only seen the band long, long ago. It was my dad's copy of Ten that first went into my CD player in 1991 or 1992. They took me to Pittsburgh/Star Lake in 1998 for my first show, and then my dad was with PJ Friend and I in Atlanta in 2000. I wanted them to get a little peek at what he and I have been up to for the 30+ shows in-between. They've known him since he was 13 but hadn't seen him since my wedding in 2016, so between that and them hitting age 70, there was a nostalgia- and milestone-tinged emotional backdrop to this one.
Going to drop the rest of this behind a spoiler in case it starts to drag on...
Since we were hanging with my parents for a while, we didn't try getting in and on the front rail or anything. I think we finally entered Fenway around 5:45, had a drink with them, then parted ways and headed to the field. Probably got to the pit around 6:15 before Glen started and ended up ~8 "rows" back in front of Mike. We hadn't caught a full Glen set at any of the other shows, but I'm glad we did this time. I haven't ever sought out any of his stuff and had definitely never heard him "plugged in" like he and his band have been on this tour. I don't know the names of anything they played, but it was all pretty great.
The vibe in the pit was solid. As it was getting close to time for PJ to come on there were 10 or so minutes when people who definitely hand't been around and claimed their space started trying to shove their way up. I ended up taking most of a beer on my shoulder when one fellow came along trying to muscle his way up. I think everyone around us had just been collectively rolling our eyes at the few before that, but eventually my 145-pound frame had to draw a line. After that, no issues with the people around us. I've definitely missed being in GA. As others have said, the energy is noticeably more concentrated down there, and your body just feels each song a little bit more.
Selected highlights/observations:
a) I don't know if I've ever gotten Even Flow in the #2 spot, but I loved it. I know they're going to play it, but getting it "out of the way" so early really frees your mind up for the rest of the first set. It removes the "worry" of finding yourself in the middle of a great, somewhat unexpected run of songs and then having that run end in such a predictable way. I think we generally underappreciate it at this point, myself included, and hearing it early in a set really helped it play up.
b) Animal was a treat. It's another one I tend to underrate after so many years, but I don't think it's been played much this year, so it was at least a mild surprise.
c) I always love hearing Save You, and everyone seemed into it. The opening five-song run really just grabbed everyone by the neck.
d) Immortality slowed the pace a bit, but when that's the "let's catch our breath" song, well, the intensity isn't actually dropping off at all.
e) Corduroy, with original bridge. Something I never thought I'd hear again, and when piled on top of the energy from the preceding songs, was just spectacular.
f) React, Respond was, again, huge.
g) Untitled -> Present Tense was great. I don't know if they've ever paired those two. I certainly wasn't expecting PT to be what they were leading into, and it's a gold standard PJ song for me. We all give shits and don't give shits about our own particular things, but this pairing was probably the "that's why I've seen this band three dozen times" moment of this show for me.
h) Won't Tell also feels huge. Felt huge at Wrigley from the field seats, but felt even bigger up close. I get that it's "too loud" on the record (though I don't care a bit), and it fully translates live.
i) Superblood Wolfmoon was an unexpected and welcome surprise. If I hadn't been at this show and was eyeballing the set list, this is probably what capped off the run of songs that would make me cock an eyebrow and think, "I should check out this boot." Untitled->Present Tense-> Won't Tell -> SBWM won't ever happen again. Your mileage may vary, but for me that felt like the intentionally off-kilter pocket of the show designed for folks who've seen pretty much everything.
j) I enjoyed Fuckin' Up. Not a huge fan of covers in the main set, but this one comes along sporadically enough that I was fine with it.
k) Waiting For Stevie "felt" better being closer to the stage. I still need to listen to some official boots to decide how it's "officially" translating live, but this experience was superior to hearing it at Wrigley from farther back.
l) Unthought Known -> Do the Evolution was another unexpected pairing, especially at the back end of a show. I expect to hear both of those in the main set, but I loved their placement. I've come off the opinion that UK is a great studio song, but I still believe it's great live. That night it felt especially excellent.
m) The rest of the show was boilerplate "lights on" PJ. But this show was sort of a dual experience for, as I was reacting to things as someone who's seen them over and over again, but also thinking about how it was likely playing out for my parents who are primarily familiar with "the hits." In that sense, three big singalongs, including Baba, was a great way to close things out.
And now I'll cap this off with some texts my dad sent to PJ Friend and I the day after, just to offer another peek at how people who haven't been obsessed with this band for 30+ years walk away from a night with them.
Dad: "Hansard is a strong sonic presence. The cacophony at the end of some songs was amazing. I need to find some of his stuff. I was not expecting what we got and am very glad for it. I've been trying to put some words together about PJ. Amazing show but I'm impressed by the virtuosity the band has developed. There's always been a lot of stuff going on behind Ed, but they have managed to add to the texture and complexity without losing anything in their delivery. I knew McCready was good, but...wow. Glad XM has a PJ channel with these 2024 concerts."
Jaeti wrote:Finally getting around to post a few thoughts on this one. I made it to both Wrigley and both Fenway shows, but this experience had a few features that the other three didn't, thus the little write-up.
This was my first time being in the pit since 2016 (I think), so that was a nice treat. Also, my childhood best friend/lifelong PJ touring friend from Chicago got tickets to this show, and we decided to gift his pair to my parents. They're both turning 70 this year and had only seen the band long, long ago. It was my dad's copy of Ten that first went into my CD player in 1991 or 1992. They took me to Pittsburgh/Star Lake in 1998 for my first show, and then my dad was with PJ Friend and I in Atlanta in 2000. I wanted them to get a little peek at what he and I have been up to for the 30+ shows in-between. They've known him since he was 13 but hadn't seen him since my wedding in 2016, so between that and them hitting age 70, there was a nostalgia- and milestone-tinged emotional backdrop to this one.
Going to drop the rest of this behind a spoiler in case it starts to drag on...
Since we were hanging with my parents for a while, we didn't try getting in and on the front rail or anything. I think we finally entered Fenway around 5:45, had a drink with them, then parted ways and headed to the field. Probably got to the pit around 6:15 before Glen started and ended up ~8 "rows" back in front of Mike. We hadn't caught a full Glen set at any of the other shows, but I'm glad we did this time. I haven't ever sought out any of his stuff and had definitely never heard him "plugged in" like he and his band have been on this tour. I don't know the names of anything they played, but it was all pretty great.
The vibe in the pit was solid. As it was getting close to time for PJ to come on there were 10 or so minutes when people who definitely hand't been around and claimed their space started trying to shove their way up. I ended up taking most of a beer on my shoulder when one fellow came along trying to muscle his way up. I think everyone around us had just been collectively rolling our eyes at the few before that, but eventually my 145-pound frame had to draw a line. After that, no issues with the people around us. I've definitely missed being in GA. As others have said, the energy is noticeably more concentrated down there, and your body just feels each song a little bit more.
Selected highlights/observations:
a) I don't know if I've ever gotten Even Flow in the #2 spot, but I loved it. I know they're going to play it, but getting it "out of the way" so early really frees your mind up for the rest of the first set. It removes the "worry" of finding yourself in the middle of a great, somewhat unexpected run of songs and then having that run end in such a predictable way. I think we generally underappreciate it at this point, myself included, and hearing it early in a set really helped it play up.
b) Animal was a treat. It's another one I tend to underrate after so many years, but I don't think it's been played much this year, so it was at least a mild surprise.
c) I always love hearing Save You, and everyone seemed into it. The opening five-song run really just grabbed everyone by the neck.
d) Immortality slowed the pace a bit, but when that's the "let's catch our breath" song, well, the intensity isn't actually dropping off at all.
e) Corduroy, with original bridge. Something I never thought I'd hear again, and when piled on top of the energy from the preceding songs, was just spectacular.
f) React, Respond was, again, huge.
g) Untitled -> Present Tense was great. I don't know if they've ever paired those two. I certainly wasn't expecting PT to be what they were leading into, and it's a gold standard PJ song for me. We all give shits and don't give shits about our own particular things, but this pairing was probably the "that's why I've seen this band three dozen times" moment of this show for me.
h) Won't Tell also feels huge. Felt huge at Wrigley from the field seats, but felt even bigger up close. I get that it's "too loud" on the record (though I don't care a bit), and it fully translates live.
i) Superblood Wolfmoon was an unexpected and welcome surprise. If I hadn't been at this show and was eyeballing the set list, this is probably what capped off the run of songs that would make me cock an eyebrow and think, "I should check out this boot." Untitled->Present Tense-> Won't Tell -> SBWM won't ever happen again. Your mileage may vary, but for me that felt like the intentionally off-kilter pocket of the show designed for folks who've seen pretty much everything.
j) I enjoyed Fuckin' Up. Not a huge fan of covers in the main set, but this one comes along sporadically enough that I was fine with it.
k) Waiting For Stevie "felt" better being closer to the stage. I still need to listen to some official boots to decide how it's "officially" translating live, but this experience was superior to hearing it at Wrigley from farther back.
l) Unthought Known -> Do the Evolution was another unexpected pairing, especially at the back end of a show. I expect to hear both of those in the main set, but I loved their placement. I've come off the opinion that UK is a great studio song, but I still believe it's great live. That night it felt especially excellent.
m) The rest of the show was boilerplate "lights on" PJ. But this show was sort of a dual experience for, as I was reacting to things as someone who's seen them over and over again, but also thinking about how it was likely playing out for my parents who are primarily familiar with "the hits." In that sense, three big singalongs, including Baba, was a great way to close things out.
And now I'll cap this off with some texts my dad sent to PJ Friend and I the day after, just to offer another peek at how people who haven't been obsessed with this band for 30+ years walk away from a night with them.
Dad: "Hansard is a strong sonic presence. The cacophony at the end of some songs was amazing. I need to find some of his stuff. I was not expecting what we got and am very glad for it. I've been trying to put some words together about PJ. Amazing show but I'm impressed by the virtuosity the band has developed. There's always been a lot of stuff going on behind Ed, but they have managed to add to the texture and complexity without losing anything in their delivery. I knew McCready was good, but...wow. Glad XM has a PJ channel with these 2024 concerts."
DUDE....thank you for that! And what your dad wrote....perfect.
Jaeti wrote:Finally getting around to post a few thoughts on this one. I made it to both Wrigley and both Fenway shows, but this experience had a few features that the other three didn't, thus the little write-up.
This was my first time being in the pit since 2016 (I think), so that was a nice treat. Also, my childhood best friend/lifelong PJ touring friend from Chicago got tickets to this show, and we decided to gift his pair to my parents. They're both turning 70 this year and had only seen the band long, long ago. It was my dad's copy of Ten that first went into my CD player in 1991 or 1992. They took me to Pittsburgh/Star Lake in 1998 for my first show, and then my dad was with PJ Friend and I in Atlanta in 2000. I wanted them to get a little peek at what he and I have been up to for the 30+ shows in-between. They've known him since he was 13 but hadn't seen him since my wedding in 2016, so between that and them hitting age 70, there was a nostalgia- and milestone-tinged emotional backdrop to this one.
Going to drop the rest of this behind a spoiler in case it starts to drag on...
Since we were hanging with my parents for a while, we didn't try getting in and on the front rail or anything. I think we finally entered Fenway around 5:45, had a drink with them, then parted ways and headed to the field. Probably got to the pit around 6:15 before Glen started and ended up ~8 "rows" back in front of Mike. We hadn't caught a full Glen set at any of the other shows, but I'm glad we did this time. I haven't ever sought out any of his stuff and had definitely never heard him "plugged in" like he and his band have been on this tour. I don't know the names of anything they played, but it was all pretty great.
The vibe in the pit was solid. As it was getting close to time for PJ to come on there were 10 or so minutes when people who definitely hand't been around and claimed their space started trying to shove their way up. I ended up taking most of a beer on my shoulder when one fellow came along trying to muscle his way up. I think everyone around us had just been collectively rolling our eyes at the few before that, but eventually my 145-pound frame had to draw a line. After that, no issues with the people around us. I've definitely missed being in GA. As others have said, the energy is noticeably more concentrated down there, and your body just feels each song a little bit more.
Selected highlights/observations:
a) I don't know if I've ever gotten Even Flow in the #2 spot, but I loved it. I know they're going to play it, but getting it "out of the way" so early really frees your mind up for the rest of the first set. It removes the "worry" of finding yourself in the middle of a great, somewhat unexpected run of songs and then having that run end in such a predictable way. I think we generally underappreciate it at this point, myself included, and hearing it early in a set really helped it play up.
b) Animal was a treat. It's another one I tend to underrate after so many years, but I don't think it's been played much this year, so it was at least a mild surprise.
c) I always love hearing Save You, and everyone seemed into it. The opening five-song run really just grabbed everyone by the neck.
d) Immortality slowed the pace a bit, but when that's the "let's catch our breath" song, well, the intensity isn't actually dropping off at all.
e) Corduroy, with original bridge. Something I never thought I'd hear again, and when piled on top of the energy from the preceding songs, was just spectacular.
f) React, Respond was, again, huge.
g) Untitled -> Present Tense was great. I don't know if they've ever paired those two. I certainly wasn't expecting PT to be what they were leading into, and it's a gold standard PJ song for me. We all give shits and don't give shits about our own particular things, but this pairing was probably the "that's why I've seen this band three dozen times" moment of this show for me.
h) Won't Tell also feels huge. Felt huge at Wrigley from the field seats, but felt even bigger up close. I get that it's "too loud" on the record (though I don't care a bit), and it fully translates live.
i) Superblood Wolfmoon was an unexpected and welcome surprise. If I hadn't been at this show and was eyeballing the set list, this is probably what capped off the run of songs that would make me cock an eyebrow and think, "I should check out this boot." Untitled->Present Tense-> Won't Tell -> SBWM won't ever happen again. Your mileage may vary, but for me that felt like the intentionally off-kilter pocket of the show designed for folks who've seen pretty much everything.
j) I enjoyed Fuckin' Up. Not a huge fan of covers in the main set, but this one comes along sporadically enough that I was fine with it.
k) Waiting For Stevie "felt" better being closer to the stage. I still need to listen to some official boots to decide how it's "officially" translating live, but this experience was superior to hearing it at Wrigley from farther back.
l) Unthought Known -> Do the Evolution was another unexpected pairing, especially at the back end of a show. I expect to hear both of those in the main set, but I loved their placement. I've come off the opinion that UK is a great studio song, but I still believe it's great live. That night it felt especially excellent.
m) The rest of the show was boilerplate "lights on" PJ. But this show was sort of a dual experience for, as I was reacting to things as someone who's seen them over and over again, but also thinking about how it was likely playing out for my parents who are primarily familiar with "the hits." In that sense, three big singalongs, including Baba, was a great way to close things out.
And now I'll cap this off with some texts my dad sent to PJ Friend and I the day after, just to offer another peek at how people who haven't been obsessed with this band for 30+ years walk away from a night with them.
Dad: "Hansard is a strong sonic presence. The cacophony at the end of some songs was amazing. I need to find some of his stuff. I was not expecting what we got and am very glad for it. I've been trying to put some words together about PJ. Amazing show but I'm impressed by the virtuosity the band has developed. There's always been a lot of stuff going on behind Ed, but they have managed to add to the texture and complexity without losing anything in their delivery. I knew McCready was good, but...wow. Glad XM has a PJ channel with these 2024 concerts."
DUDE....thank you for that! And what your dad wrote....perfect.
