Which bootleg are you listening to?

[Lament]

My point was why do people spend so much time here talking about how shitty they are?
I think Justin Beiber sucks but I don't spend time on his message boards talking about how shitty he is. THAT WOULD BE A WASTE OF TIME.
As far as listening to music with a critical ear, I tend to just listen to music that I like.

Just because people think Pearl Jam sucks now doesn't mean that they think Pearl Jam's entire career is a waste. Most people here probably still like a lot of their back catalog, and I would bet a lot of people who think they suck now still listen to them very regularly. Look how excited people got when they released the Constitution Hall bootleg last year, or how passionately people defend their favorite songs over in the tournament thread. Or in the official album threads. They're not on this board to talk about just how Pearl Jam sucks now, but when the topic of conversation steers in that direction, I'm glad they don't. Some of the criticisms of modern day Pearl Jam make for the most interesting posts on the board. Some of the defenses are pretty interesting too. Actual defenses though, not "IF YOU HATE THEM WHY ARE YOU HERE?"

[matt reeder]

Since we're talking about 2009, here's how the shows break down:

Christchurch
Auckland
Brisbane
----------------------
LA IV
Ridgefield
Melbourne
----------------------
Salt Lake City
Berlin
Perth
Adelaide
------------------------
Everything else

You didn't like the Chicago shows? I remember liking them in-person and the bootlegs being pretty good especially compared to the crap we were used to from 2008. If I recall, night 1 was pretty tight for 2009 Pearl Jam.

Chicago I was pretty good but not that remarkable unless you were there. Chicago II has one of the best starts to a show ever but it trails off from there. I listened to both of those shows fairly recently and they're good, but not on par with some of the best shows of the tour.

[Lament]

You didn't like the Chicago shows? I remember liking them in-person and the bootlegs being pretty good especially compared to the crap we were used to from 2008. If I recall, night 1 was pretty tight for 2009 Pearl Jam.

Chicago I was pretty good but not that remarkable unless you were there. Chicago II has one of the best starts to a show ever but it trails off from there. I listened to both of those shows fairly recently and they're good, but not on par with some of the best shows of the tour.

I've never listened to the bootlegs of them, but I was at both Chicago shows and thought they were both just ok. Probably a tad better than the 2008 shows I saw (West Palm Beach and Tampa), but not significantly.

[Hugh Mungus]

My point was why do people spend so much time here talking about how shitty they are?
I think Justin Beiber sucks but I don't spend time on his message boards talking about how shitty he is. THAT WOULD BE A WASTE OF TIME.
As far as listening to music with a critical ear, I tend to just listen to music that I like.

Just because people think Pearl Jam sucks now doesn't mean that they think Pearl Jam's entire career is a waste. Most people here probably still like a lot of their back catalog, and I would bet a lot of people who think they suck now still listen to them very regularly. Look how excited people got when they released the Constitution Hall bootleg last year, or how passionately people defend their favorite songs over in the tournament thread. Or in the official album threads. They're not on this board to talk about just how Pearl Jam sucks now, but when the topic of conversation steers in that direction, I'm glad they don't. Some of the criticisms of modern day Pearl Jam make for the most interesting posts on the board. Some of the defenses are pretty interesting too. Actual defenses though, not "IF YOU HATE THEM WHY ARE YOU HERE?"

Sorry, I hardly ever post here but I do read a lot of people's posts and I agree, talking shit about modern day Pearl Jam is pretty fun. I've been in a really pissy mood the last couple days and it's come out here. I should know better than to post shit when I'm angry.

[dimejinky99]

I always thought pj played better when they had a new album under their belt, more invigorated and excited but tight as well. This was confirmed at the two shows in Brooklyn I saw, other than two hiccups in a row on one of the nights, they definitely were better than say like one of the tours a year or more after backspacer was released.

There's a determination and purpose to their whole performance when they have new songs.

[matt reeder]

For those who haven't heard it. And for those who have. If only they'd just kept touring after this...

[dimejinky99]

Where's that from? Ed sounds good.
Can't hear Mike at all. That's ongoing since 07

[Wendy Carlos's Twin]

There's a determination and purpose to their whole performance when they have new songs.

Baloney. The 2005 tour was one of their tightest and greatest tours. They had nothing new to promote, they played lots of rare songs and played them very well. The band couldn't be any farther removed from that now.

[dimejinky99]

I'd disagree except I've never heard any of the 2005 boots but the thinking here seems to be they get a bit flabby on follow on tours. It's not always true but some shows it can be.

Did you happen to be at any of those 05 shows?

[Wendy Carlos's Twin]

Did you happen to be at any of those 05 shows?

No, I wish. The bootlegs, despite being MP3 quality, reveal the shows to be amongst the band's all-time best. The Philly show is everything that the 2009 shows weren't. I don't know what lit a fire under their ass on that tour, but it certainly wasn't new material.

[dimejinky99]

I must look up some of them.
Did U2 turn up at one of them shows? Toronto?
Think I remember hearing ed playing something by them on a boot bit a long time ago.

[Birds in Hell]

I think the 2013 shows may be the most consistently disappointing run of performances I've ever heard from the band, including Brooklyn (sorry dime), so the "new album = better shows" logic doesn't fly for me either any longer. I think it's rehearsal and, just as crucially, a focus on playing well (as opposed to just keeping the energy pumpin') that determines when the band are "on".

[dimejinky99]

I'm with you but for me or in my experience, both things are true depending on the night, if that makes sense.

[Lament]

I must look up some of them.
Did U2 turn up at one of them shows? Toronto?
Think I remember hearing ed playing something by them on a boot bit a long time ago.

The other way around, I believe. Ed showed up at U2's Toronto show and performed a snippet of Old Man River. The Hawaii showw where Pearl Jam opened for U2 were that December though.

And the performance you are remembering might be the verse of A Sort of Homecoming Ed played at one of the shows on the leg. Sounded really good, but he stops before he really gets into it.

[dimejinky99]

I must look up some of them.
Did U2 turn up at one of them shows? Toronto?
Think I remember hearing ed playing something by them on a boot bit a long time ago.

The other way around, I believe. Ed showed up at U2's Toronto show and performed a snippet of Old Man River. The Hawaii showw where Pearl Jam opened for U2 were that December though.

And the performance you are remembering might be the verse of A Sort of Homecoming Ed played at one of the shows on the leg. Sounded really good, but he stops before he really gets into it.

That's the one yeah! U2 were watching them from sidesteps that night and I think bono cake on towards the end, there's a photo somewhere.

You're right he nailed ASOH, just wish they'd really covered it fully.

[Birds in Hell]

From memory, Bono turns up during Rockin' in the Free World at the Toronto 2005 show too.

[EJ]

From memory, Bono turns up during Rockin' in the Free World at the Toronto 2005 show too.

Yep. The Edge played on it too.

[Lament]

From memory, Bono turns up during Rockin' in the Free World at the Toronto 2005 show too.

Yeah, it looks like you guys are right. Both of them showed up at the other's Toronto show.

[dimejinky99]

Think he tags Yaweh on daughter too. I had tha show on my old iPod I just remembered. Hence my question thread in tech support.

Feck I really want to listen to that now

[Wendy Carlos's Twin]

There entire 2005 tour is here as one big-ass torrent:

http://zombtracker.the-zomb.com/details.php?id=28491