2024-09-04: New York, NY

[swan]

Great setlist. No Alive? If so that’s the only time skipping it this year?

[Ensign9]

They played Alive.

[greendisease]

Great setlist. No Alive? If so that’s the only time skipping it this year?

Nah they played it third last.

[WaitingForBluey]

This is not the kind of show that you nitpick the setlist from afar. The band brought all kinds of energy and they were having an absolute blast. It was a pleasure to be a part of. Grateful

[96583UP]

a more classic looking PJ setlist

delighted to see

congrats mikejasond on getting Not for You and Glorified G

two of my faves as well

i hope ed washes those clothes after each show

[lowlight79]

That show last night was a blast more of a familiar Pearl Jam Setlist than I was expecting with the recent Setlists. But such a solid show from beginning and with a few errors in between. I know people are complaining somewhat about the encore, but for me, I lost my dog on Sunday. And to hear song of good hope with Glenn really something. They brought it all night and it was one of there loudest played shows I have ever seen.

[liebzz]

Long post on a great night.

This was setting up to be a fun night for me - 25th Pearl Jam show and 11th at the Garden. Despite the self-defeating vibes of the last few weeks wondering whether I really needed concerts anymore, I nonetheless arrived after work at the Moynihan Food Hall for a quiet bite and then headed into the show. This must be closing in on my wife’s 10th show, always a sense that she enjoyed the shows but was there more for my enjoyment than hers.

Yet, all that indifference from both of us washed away when we entered the GA pit at around 7:25 and could still walk all the way up to the front on Stone’s side. Now, mind you that I have been pretty close give or take in the prior shows: in seats 5 or 6 rows back side stage, 10 or so people back in 2016 in GA - but never right up front nearly hugging the barricade. That’s the kind of stuff that 15 year old me drooled over the prospect knowing that would never happen for me. A pipe dream if that pipe had fairy dust, sparkles and rainbows. It was never going to happen, until it happened last night.

Glen Hansard opened and while I haven’t really felt that pull to his music, seeing him solo acoustic opening for Eddie in 2006, that all changed last night from his spirited and spiritual performance. Pearl Jam shows tend to have organic connective threads to them that add a sense of humanity, community, and feel like a small room even when you are in the cavernous Madison Square Garden. The manner by which Glen personally shouted out his appreciation for Eddie, and Eddie reciprocating his appreciation for Glen Hansard’s songs in their duet in the encore of Pearl Jam’s set was one of those full circle connected moments.

As with any other Pearl Jam show in the 28 years I have been going, I spent the time between sets meeting new fans I had never seen before, and we shared laughs and show experiences and built a sort of micro up front Stone side community on our own while we waited. I wasn’t sure what to expect, though from the cursory look at the set lists leading up to tonight, I expected a few slow songs before kicking into gear - a formula they used on the Gigaton tour to great effect (probably my favorite part of the ‘22 MSG show was that opening slow burn that lead into Present Tense as a transition into their harder rocking stuff and that jam from that version lives rent free in my brain always as a memory of what live music can be). Instead, they open with Garden (pun probably intended), then immediately set their sights on tearing the place down with a jam heavy Corduroy (call and response yes, but extended solos that push the envelope instead of just setting up the crowd before “everything has chains…” and at the end gave the song some serious fresh energy). From there is seemed the show just took off. The set felt very Vs. heavy, which is perfectly fine with me (yes Glorified G and Leash were both fantastic, but main set closer Rearviewmirror with Watt replacing Ed on guitar is a sleeper hit from this show). The new songs, all of them, sounded spectacular. Waiting For Stevie, with Watt, is maybe that wall of guitars it needed in a live setting, and while the crowd wasn’t particularly pumped for it, they nonetheless put their all into that one and it was great. Dark Matter, React/Respond (killer live!), that lush riff on Wreckage before that song moves into its final push, and Won’t Tell are all real show highlights for me. Absolutely loved those new songs live.

Having never been so close before (I mean I was nearly seeking personal space on the occasion Ed or Mike would focus in on our little group in spots throughout the show), one thing I can say I never quite experienced like this was the energy that’s coming into the stage and then back out during the big hit songs, like Small Town, Jeremy, Alive, etc. - it’s no wonder they play these with such passion night after night as everyone from the band to the staff and crowd gets swept away. Even my wife who I have accused of perfunctorily being there was screaming her lungs out in those big moments in those big songs.

A note on Setting Sun: phenomenal live and as powerful an experience, if not more, as a cap to this show as it was on the album. This song serves a dual purpose for me, a sense of personal as I think of my father as he tried to will my mother back from the edge of her failing health in her final months, and a macro meaning on our collective power to determine whether this is the end or a new beginning, it just hits like a brick every time and I felt so grateful that they know how to deliver this live.

En fin, even 25 shows and 28 years later, in a headspace that is undeniably shaky, and reminded me while I love this band while also bringing 15 year old me his dream moment - full circle at the building that’s been my second home for them over the years. A night I will have with me forever.

[Chris_H_2]

they should definitely play more covers, especially at the expense of songs like red mosquito

[Bi_3]

Hey liebzz, great review!

[WaitingForBluey]

Highlight moments for me last night:
Garden
Hail Hail
Not For You
Wreckage
I Am Mine
Elderly Woman
Glorified G
Do The Evolution
Jeremy
Waiting For Stevie w/Andrew Watt
Rearviewmirror w/Andrew Watt
Song Of Good Hope w/Glen Hansard
Setting Sun
Leash
YL

[VinylGuy]

Damn what a setlist

Leash and RVM !

[spike]

watched some encore clips, watt brings great energy. eddie's such a cornball now.

[wease]

they should definitely play more covers, especially at the expense of songs like red mosquito

How about scratching Red Mosquito for glorified G?

[Ensign9]

Great review, liebzz! You could be pulling that out of my own brain.

[WaitingForBluey]

Liebzz review reminds me how much the new songs fit in great with the rest of the catalog without losing the energy and vibe from the band. The band clearly enjoys playing those songs and you can feel it.

And the people near me sitting during the face melting performance of Stevie can kindly offer me their tickets next time.

[Bi_3]

That’s gotta be atop the current leaderboard for the definitive version of Stevie

[liebzz]

Great review, liebzz! You could be pulling that out of my own brain.

Thanks, and I didn’t even mention Little Stevie, thee all time Rockin in the Free World to end it, and my hot take that Gimme Some Truth had this different quality, like taking the Lennon version and inserting a Beatles-like pop charm into it (the band more than Eddie that is). And Andrew Watt was everything that is a young kid fever dream: imagine spending your formative years in your parents’ basement studying every note and inch of this band, then getting to produce their album and everything that goes with that, and then you get that moment on stage with your all time favorite band in Madison Square Garden of all places and absolutely shred in front of your idols. I mean, hats off to him. I don’t know that you can top that.

[AndySlash]

i’m kind of disappointed that they’ve gotten away from setting sun closing the shows on this leg of the tour. i can kind of see reasoning for them not to do that for the big stadium shows, but for the arena shows in leg 1 i thought it worked really, really well.

[dimejinky99]

great review Liebzz

its cool to see GH finally get some love in the pj fandom

[96583UP]

liebzz with the review of the tour

it must be amazing to be that close

i picture the band must get addicted to the adrenaline of the crowd

intense