03/29/98 - Shrine Auditorium: Los Angeles, CA ("Not In Our Name" - Dead Man Walking: The Concert) Ed and Jeff only
set: Trouble (Ed solo), Dead Man, Long Road, Face of Love
enc: Innocent When You Dream (whole ensemble including Ani DiFranco, Steve Earle, Tom Waits, Tim Robbins and others)
This show was a an anti-death penalty benefit for Murder Victims' Families For Reconciliation and Hope House. Ed and Jeff are the final act. The Ani DiFranco fans in the balcony are yelling "Eddie Vedder sucks," but when Ed takes the stage, the crowd starts applauding and he says, "I thought you said I suck." Seated on cushions on the floor with an acoustic guitar, Ed performs Cat Stevens 'Trouble' solo. Jeff joins Ed, playing his electric stand-up bass with a bow during 'Dead Man.' Ed explains how he wrote the song after talking with Tim Robbins and later told him how he wrote a song called 'Dead Man Walking' but Tim says he already had a song with that title written by Bruce Springsteen and he has to use his because of a "seniority thing" so Ed retitled the song 'Dead Man.' 'Long Road' includes Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Dildar Hussein (percussionist) and John Densmore (drummer for The Doors). Ed and Nusrat trade verses until the chanting toward the end and they are both singing together. 'Face of Love' is beautiful. Both 'Long Road' and 'Face of Love' are long, extended versions. At the end, all performers return to the stage for 'Innocent When You Dream,' led by Tom Waits with Bonnie Raitt joining on guitar.
Caryn's review w/ photos04/98 - Jack Irons leaves PJ; Matt Cameron (former Soundgarden drummer) is enlisted
05/01/98 - Ed Sullivan Theater: New York, NY (Late Show appearance) [5m]
set: Wishlist
notes: PJ makes their second appearance on Late Show with David Letterman and their first outing with Matt Cameron drumming. A "sweet" and carefully rehearsed "Wishlist" with Mike again sporting bleached locks and a Goodness shirt. Ed's voice sounds wonderful and each guitarist gets a small "solo." The song seems to fade at the end of Ed's solo, but a drum-driven reprise wraps up the song in a different fashion.![[Link to Video Guide]](5hvid.gif)
05/07/98 - ARO.space: Seattle, WA (first show with Matt Cameron) [75m]
support act: Shawn Smith
set: Interstellar Overdrive, Corduroy, Do The Evolution, Brain of J, Last Exit, Given to Fly, In Hiding, Off He Goes, MFC, jam/Habit, Wishlist, Faithfull, Hail Hail, Mankind, Leatherman (!), Leaving Here
enc: Last Kiss (cover)
notes: PJ makes their first full public appearance with Matt Cameron at this surprise show at the club formerly known as Moe's (site of the Mirror Ball release party and private Neil Jam show in 1995). The band is visibly nervous until 'Habit,' at which point they totally kick in, laughing amongst themselves, making jokes. 'MFC' and 'Habit' are total standouts, as well as Stone's tambourine playing during 'Leatherman' and Eddie's hilarious backing vocals during 'Mankind.' The band leaves the stage and then Matt, Jeff and Ed return, Ed tells us a little story, displaying a Michael Jordan bong and a single. He tells us he bought the single for 99 cents the day before and stayed up all night listening to, 'Last Kiss,' a 50s gothic romance that was re-released and popular during the early 70s, and then proceeds to serenade us with a wonderful rendition of that song. Amazing show!
(FYI: The opening jam is none other than a shortened version of Pink Floyd's 'Interstellar Overdrive'
Caryn's review & photos06/14/98 - RFK Stadium: Washington, DC (Tibetan Freedom Concert)
attendance: 66,000
set: Corduroy, Hail Hail, Brain of J, Even Flow, Given to Fly, Do the Evolution, Wishlist, Better Man/(Save It for Later)
notes: Several of the bands scheduled for the first day of this large benefit show were rescheduled to this day, pushing back PJ's scheduled start time. Toward the end of 'Hail Hail,' Mike is smashing his guitar onto the stage with his tech flying out of the wings to try to save it, Mike sees him coming but smashes it anyway! Ed comments, "You do know this is a nonviolent concert, don't you?!" As he is introducing 'Brain of J,' someone in the crowd throws an object that knocks a drink out of Ed's hands and onto his shirt at the end of 'Hail Hail,' with Ed's cool response: "Thank you." Before 'Even Flow,' there seems to be a discussion about what to play and Ed likens it to countries having troubles making decisions about issues. "This song is about me, it's about you, it's about everyone" is the intro to 'Do the Evolution' which ripped along until the middle when everyone got off rhythm for a second. Ed changes the "fortunate as me" line in 'Wishlist' to "fortunate as us all" and the reprise verse is tacked onto the ending. Before 'Better Man,' Ed rants about "this is going to be dedicated to the president, because we can't really find a better man" and talks about how the song is similar to what is going on in Tibet as they are both about struggles between two people. A pair of gold wings adorn the top of Ed's amp. Ed is happy and they all play well, not great, and the sound system is lacking. The set ended early after 'Better Man,' ("I dedicate this to the abusive relationship between us and our government ... seems like no matter what we do, we're always getting shit on.") The 'Save it for Later' tag is outstanding! The Red Hot Chili Peppers take the stage unannounced using PJ's equipment. Flea comments: "We'd like to thank Pearl Jam for letting us have a little bit of their set."
review06/20/98 - Washington-Grizzly Stadium: Missoula, MT [110m]
attendance: 22,000
support act: Goodness
soundcheck: Off He Goes, Hail Hail, Faithfull, Present Tense, In Hiding, Better Man, Pilate, Yellow Ledbetter (snippet), MFC, Jeremy
set: Corduroy, Animal, Hail Hail, Brain of J, In Hiding, Jeremy, Do the Evolution, Pilate, Even Flow, Daughter, (improv)/MFC, Wishlist, Present Tense, Habit, Given to Fly, Immortality, Alive
enc 1: Better Man, Black, State of Love and Trust, Once
enc 2: Yellow Ledbetter
notes: Mike takes the stage and plays with Goodness before PJ's set. The rarely played 'Pilate' is noted as "this song was born in Montana." There isn't a particular 'Daughter' tag, although Ed takes this opportunity to acknowledge the many fans gathered on the large M on the hill outside the stadium: "Can you hear me? If you can, stand up and jump around" and they do while the crowd inside cheers :) 'MFC' kicks ass!! At the start of the first encore, Ed brings a fan on stage who brought a sign requesting 'Better Man.' He proposes to his girlfriend on stage and the band plays 'Better Man.' (Isn't that sweet??) ;) At the start of the second encore, Jeff thanks his Mom and Dad and the promoter and Ed thanks Matt for drumming. This version of 'Yellow Ledbetter' is much like the version performed at last year's Tibetan Freedom Concert. Consensus is that Mike was on and Matt excelled.
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Caryn's review06/21/98 - The Canyons: Park City, UT [95m]
attendance: 10,000
support act: Goodness
set: Release, Hail Hail, Brain of J, Last Exit, Tremor Christ, Corduroy, MFC, Off He Goes, Alive, Given to Fly, All Those Yesterdays, Daughter, Even Flow, Footsteps, I Got Shit, Rearviewmirror
enc 1: Do the Evolution, Go, Wishlist, Better Man/(Save it for Later)
enc 2: Leaving Here
notes: A very different setlist from the previous night! A few references are made to the recent Jazz/Bulls games. ("Hey, tough luck on that basketball game by the way.") During 'Alive,' a fan (named Jake) throws a Utah Jazz jersey onstage. Eddie blows his nose in it and throws it back in the crowd. 'All Those Yesterdays' (making a live debut here) is for those at the top who are hurting each other. The 'Daughter' tag is once again unidentified, something about "go away little girl". During 'RVM,' a roadie takes the stage in a bird mask with sunglasses. (?) Before the first encore, Eddie came out, jumps OVER the amps and then jumps on a roadie's back. Eddie starts saying, "There are a lot of people in this town named Norman, N as in Nancy, Norman." He then asks one roadie what his name is: "James." He asks another one and gets another answer. "See, I don't know, I just heard that this town was full of Normans." (For those who may not know, Salt Lake City is where the headquarters of the Mormon religion is.) Then he says, "Dennis Rodman told me to tell you all to fuck off," and then the band plays 'Do The Evolution.' During 'Go,' when Eddie sings, "Don't go on me," he turns his back on the audience and pretends to open his fly and pee! (Okay, now we KNOW he was hanging out with Rodman last night.) An awesome show with the band in very high spirits and playing incredibly well.
review
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setlist scan06/23/98 - Fiddlers Green: Englewood, CO [110m]
support act: Frank Black
soundcheck: Red Mosquito, Sometimes, Dissident, Oceans, ?, Whipping, Animal
set: Long Road, Corduroy, Hail Hail, Brain of J, Dissident, Given to Fly, MFC, Habit, In Hiding, Even Flow, Daughter/(Monkey Gone to Heaven), Pilate, Off He Goes, I Got Shit, Do the Evolution, Alive, Black
enc 1: Wishlist, Rearviewmirror, Better Man, Leaving Here
enc 2: I Am a Patriot (Ed solo)
notes: A bad sound system makes Ed's vocals somewhat hard to hear, but the band turns in a great performance. Ed comments on his altitude sickness the last time the band played Denver before 'Given to Fly': "We're a mile high ... and I might add that there is nothing wrong with being a little bit higher too!" At his vocal part in the middle of 'Habit,' Ed encourages the crowd to enjoy life, "... life has many detours, take them, enjoy them, but just don't get stuck in the mud ..." The 'Daughter' tag is a Pixies cover, 'Monkey Gone to Heaven' (in honor of Frank Black opening): "If man is 5, then the devil is 6, then God is 7, this monkey's gone to heaven." Jeff seems to enjoy 'Pilate,' smiling throughout. Ed leads in to 'Alive': Usually we just go into this song, but tonight I just want to mention something. ... because there have been some difficulties in my life, with parental figures and a father in particular, and apparently I'm not terribly unique, because a lot of people like relate to these things, I thought tonight we'd sing this song in tribute to the uh, for reasons, there's reasons which I'm not going to tell you, but hopefully this applies in your life. There are definitely good fathers out there for sure like really good fathers so uh were kind of celebrating Fathers Day a few days late." He changes a line to say "... what you thought was your father, was really a great guy." At the end of 'Black,' Ed adds "we can be much more than this." Before 'Wishlist,' Ed mentions something about how the last time they played this venue was in 1992 with Soundgarden (Lollapalooza). Ed's solo during 'Wishlist' had technical problems, and Jeff is hit in the eye by something thrown by a member of the audience (we won't say fan) during 'RVM.' At the end of 'Better Man,' Ed tells the audience that he understands that everyone got charged an extra 50 cents for parking, and "that's wrong, that's just wrong" and comments that the band is donating $8,500 to Gateway Battered Women's Shelter in Denver. After 'Leaving Here,' the band has pretty much left the stage for good, but Ed returns with a guitar, noting some fans near the front with a cardboard sign spray painted "Patriot Please." Quoting the Rolling Stones (somewhat), he says, "You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you just might find a sympathetic singer who gives a fuck." He says he's a sucker and that an artist who cares just might do it, he doesn't know if he can remember the words, but he'd try, and goes into a FANTASTIC version of 'Patriot'.
poster06/24/98 - Rushmore Civic Center Arena: Rapid City, SD [110m]
attendance: 8,500
support act: Frank Black
soundcheck: Nothingman, Indifference, Pilate (2x), Present Tense, Leatherman, Last Exit, I Got You, Rich in a Ditch (Klark Kent cover)
set: Do the Evolution, Animal, Last Exit, Brain of J, Given to Fly, Jeremy, Faithfull, Corduroy, MFC, Not for You, Even Flow, Daughter/ (I've Been Tired)/(Three Little Birds), Nothingman, Leatherman, Better Man (no we are not making this up!), Immortality, new song/improv?, Go, Alive
enc: Hail Hail, State of Love and Trust, Black, Wishlist, Rearviewmirror
notes: The band is relaxed and in good spirits, even though they all seem to experience numerous technical problems. 'Daughter' is graced by a Pixies cover as a tag titled, 'I've Been Tired,' which references Lou Reed:
"I wanna be a singer like Lou Reed I like Lou Reed Why don't you tell me one of your biggest fears? Losing my penis to a whore with disease Excuse me please?!"
Before the "man" trilogy, Eddie announces, "we're gonna do something this band has never attempted before - play three songs in a row with 'man' in the title!" After some chat about "cowtippers," a new song or an improv (featuring the lyrics "corner store" and "where do we go from here?" follows 'Immortality.' Ed makes jokes about Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse monument and Bill Gates. All in all, an energetic and powerful show, along the lines of the Utah one last Sunday.
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review with photos06/26/98 - Alpine Valley: East Troy, WI [110m]
attendance: 35,000
support act: Frank Black
soundcheck: All Those Yesterdays, Leatherman, Sometimes, Tremor Christ, Red Mosquito, Off He Goes, Smile, Mankind, parts of Brain of J
set: Do the Evolution, Animal, Last Exit, Brain of J, Given to Fly, In Hiding, Corduroy, Wishlist, Lukin, Even Flow, Daughter/(Stuff and Nonsense), Dissident, MFC, Better Man, Red Mosquito, Black
enc 1: Hail Hail, Mankind, I Got Shit/(Cinnamon Girl), Rearviewmirror, Alive
enc 2: Yellow Ledbetter
notes: The band is in a great mood, laughing, joking and smiling (especially Eddie). 'Last Exit' is botched and Ed says, "Fuck that song ... let's get to the next." A series of technical problems are evidenced, both in Ed's and Mike's sound. Although 'Leatherman' appears on the setlist after 'Better Man,' it isn't played. Ed says "hello" to his brother in the crowd before 'Daughter.' The 'Stuff and Nonsense' tag is a Split Enz tune. After destroying a tambourine, Ed tries to give it to a female show attendee but a struggle ensues and Ed says, "Give it to the girl." (He makes sure that she gets a second one at the end of 'Alive.') Ed says, "Once upon a time, we made a record with Neil Young. It took about six days, and we played, but Neil did all of the singing and stuff. We wrote and Neil helped out to make a couple songs to make a single - and uh, all that proves is that in six days Neil can write 12 songs and we can only write two. This one's called 'I Got Shit'." A wild 'Alive,' with Ed hitting himself in the mouth with the microphone, anointing the crowd with wine and proceeds to the end of a video screen and points to it as if displaying Matt. He runs back to the mic and adds an improv/tag (something about "sometime ..."). The song ends with Jeff bouncing a superball off the stage which he'd been toying with earlier. Before 'Red Mosquito,' he notes that Alpine Valley is the last place Stevie Ray Vaughn ever played. (SRV died in a helicopter crash after the show.) 'Yellow Ledbetter' is also for SRV and toward the end, Mike tosses in a bit of Jimi Hendrix' 'Machine Gun.' The whole band watches Mike solo with Jeff standing behind his amp stack where he's hung a sign from the audience that says "smile."
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review06/27/98 - Alpine Valley: East Troy, WI [115m]
attendance: 35,000
support act: Frank Black
soundcheck: Faithfull, All Those Yesterdays, Brain of J (all instrumental, no vocals)
set: Interstellar Overdrive, Corduroy, Hail Hail, Brain of J, Last Exit, Tremor Christ, Given to Fly, Jeremy, Faithfull, Nothingman, Improv, MFC, Habit, Off He Goes, Even Flow, Once, All Those Yesterdays, Go, Immortality
enc: Do the Evolution, Leatherman, Better Man/(jam)/(RVM), Wishlist, Alive, Smile
notes: The 'Interstellar Overdrive' instrumental intro is performed in the same fashion as the ARO.space show. Mike smashes his guitar after 'Brain of J.' Ed performs the "back and forth" dance during 'Last Exit.' 'Faithfull' is introduced as "a song about being careful with your trust." The improv after 'Nothingman' is mostly Ed with Matt and Jeff playing along. Tonight's 'Habit' line is "speaking as someone who's never worn a piece of orange styrofoam on his head." (Ed goes on to explain that the cheesehead comment wasn't an insult and how he has a cheesehead hat at home and how he finds it "to be quite comfortable actually. Makes me look cool and I get chicks.") 'Better Man' features two tags, including 2 lines from 'RVM' ("saw things ... clearer, clearer").(2,045k) Ed chats about how Dennis from The Frogs wrote a page in Ed's journal and it became 'Smile,' leading to that song and a spotlight is shined on Dennis, who is side stage. Wonderful setlist and performance.
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review06/29/98 - United Center: Chicago, IL [135m]
support act: Frank Black
soundcheck: Last Exit (instrumental), Porch (2x), Hail Hail, MFC, Present Tense, Baba O'Riley (partial), Substitute
set: Long Road, Do the Evolution, Brain of J, Hail Hail, Go, Dissident, Even Flow, Given to Fly, Corduroy, Rearviewmirror, In Hiding, Jeremy, Daughter/(Ray of Light)/(Another Brick in the Wall), Nothingman, MFC, Off He Goes, Present Tense, Alive
enc 1: Wishlist, Better Man/(Save it for Later), State of Love and Trust, Black, Last Exit
enc 2: Baba O'Riley, Yellow Ledbetter
notes: Very tight, the first half hour just BURNS, until 'Dissident.' 'Corduroy' is notable as the version appearing on the Live on Two Legs album. 'Rearviewmirror' has a cool jam and strobes at the climax. Ed closes a sweet 'In Hiding' with "that's Stone's song ... this is Jeff's," leading to 'Jeremy." The 'Daughter' tag, 'Ray of Light,' is a Madonna song ("She's got herself a universe, and she feels - like she just got home.") Before playing 'Nothingman,' Ed states, "It's not about anyone I know ... it's completely made up ..." Before 'Off He Goes,' Ed takes a sip and claims he's drinking Gatorade so that he can "be like Mike." He talks about the places they have played in Chicago - Chicago Stadium, Soldier Field, United Center - and says, "The only one left is Wrigley Field. Of course it'll be a day show ... and we'll play two." Mike runs around the stage in huge circles throughout 'Present Tense.' When PJ returns for the encore, Matt starts drumming, and Stone sings a few lines of 'Walkin' on Sunshine' by Katrina and the Waves. One of the longest, most powerful 'Save it for Later' tags follows 'Better Man.' Mike's solo at the end of 'Black' is incredible. Jeff imitates Pete Townshend at the end of 'Baba O'Riley,' machine gunning the audience, as the place goes completely nuts! Ed tosses his red Gibson SG and smashes the headstock at the end of 'Baba.' Eddie wears a Bulls jersey, #3 (that says "Vedder" on the back) that he says Rodman gave him and he wasn't there but he'd give him a tape of the show.
Baba O'Riley (5h Song X for July 98)
review with photos
poster06/30/98 - Target Center: Minneapolis, MN [110m]
attendance: 18,000
support act: Frank Black
soundcheck: Leatherman, Oceans, Pilate, Not for You, Leaving Here, Go (partial)
set: Sometimes, Last Exit, Brain of J, Hail Hail, Faithfull, Even Flow, Corduroy, I Got Shit, Pilate, Daughter/(Noise of Carpet)/chanting, MFC, Lukin, Wishlist, Mankind, All Those Yesterdays, Black, Alive
enc: Do the Evolution, Given to Fly, Leatherman, Better Man, Leaving Here, (My Generation Blues)/Porch!
notes: Ed dedicates the show to Frank Black after the first few songs. Right before 'Corduroy,' he says, "I'm very aware I'm standing where Charles is standing," (a reference to Frank Black whose real name is Charles Thompson). After the 'Noise of Carpet' tag on 'Daughter,' Ed does a good three minutes of chants similar to Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn with the band playing the closing 'Daughter' riff. Someone is holding up a sign after 'Wishlist' that says "Stone Stone Stone" on one side and something about Mankind on the other. Ed points at him and says, "This one's for you fucker ... Stone's gonna sing one." Stone makes a joking protest saying, "Oh, I couldn't," and they play 'Mankind.' During 'All Those Yesterdays,' they start the first verse, Stone's guitar cuts out after Ed sings "Don't you want to rest?" and Ed says, "Obviously, yes" and tells Stone "take your time, we'll hang," nodding to the audience. Then the crowd goes nuts out of enthusiasm, screaming for five minutes, and Ed says, "We should fuck up more often ... I'd hate to be in here with you fuckers when you're in the finals." The band seems to draw positive energy from the crowd at this magical point. Extended solo for Mike in 'Even Flow' and also for 'Black,' but not as extended as Chicago. At the encore, Ed says he was thinking "Chicago, Chicago" the whole tour and didn't give this show a thought and that the crowd really surprised him. For 'Better Man,' he starts singing the second verse, stops, the crowd keeps on singing and he jokes about it.
poster07/02/98 - Riverport Amphitheater: St. Louis, MO [125m]
attendance: 20,000
support act: Murder City Devils
soundcheck: Who You Are, Spin the Black Circle, In My Tree, Hail Hail, Elderly Woman
set: Oceans, Hail Hail, Brain of J, Spin the Black Circle, Tremor Christ, Given to Fly, In Hiding, Corduroy, MFC, Wishlist, Nothingman, Improv/Habit, Even Flow, Daughter/(Institutionalized), Immortality, Black, Alive
enc 1: Do the Evolution, Jeremy, I Got Shit, Better Man/(Save it for Later), Fuckin' Up
enc 2: Yellow Ledbetter
notes: Excellent show with the opening songs totally rocked out. Band looks really happy and playing great. 'Oceans' is a beautiful opener and 'In Hiding' is one of the finest versions played. 'Nothingman' is introduced as a song about a man who "not only couldn't change the world ... he couldn't even take care of himself." 'Institutionalized' is a Suicidal Tendencies cover ("I'm not crazy, you're the one who's crazy ... institution.") 'Fuckin' Up' is a total surprise! Great crowd.
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Caryn's review with photos07/03/98 - Sandstone Amphitheater: Bonner Springs, KS [105m]
support act: Murder City Devils
set: Corduroy, Hail Hail, Brain of J, Dissident, Faithfull, Jeremy, I Got Shit, MFC, Wishlist, Last Exit, Given to Fly, Even Flow, Daughter/(The Whole of the Moon), Footsteps, Alive, Go
enc: Nothingman, Better Man, Do the Evolution, Smile, Rockin' in the Free World
notes: A very hot and sweaty show (at least they were smart tonight and all wore shorts!). During the first few songs, the sweat is literally pouring off of Stone and Ed's faces. After 'Jeremy,' Ed comments on how they haven't been here in a while: "We weren't touring anyway ... it's not like we were seeing other people ... we've been saving ourselves for you."
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Caryn's review with photos07/05/98 - Reunion Arena: Dallas, TX [115m]
support act: Murder City Devils
soundcheck: Hard to Imagine, MFC, Last Exit, Faithfull, Interstellar Overdrive/Corduroy, Off He Goes
set: Sometimes, Last Exit, Brain of J, Hail Hail, Given to Fly, In Hiding, (Interstellar Overdrive)/Corduroy, Go, MFC, Wishlist, Rearviewmirror, Pilate, Alive, Spin the Black Circle, Off He Goes, Even Flow, Daughter/(Mother)/(Monkey Gone to Heaven), Mankind, Do the Evolution
enc: Jeremy, Immortality, Better Man/(Save it for Later), Sonic Reducer (w/ Murder City Devils)
notes: Dennis Rodman makes an appearance during 'Hail Hail' and is in attendance for much of the show, smiling and occasionally singing. Ed sits in his lap for 'Wishlist,' and Ed and Rodman take turns pouring wine in each other's mouths. With audience seating behind the stage, PJ turns and faces the back, playing to them during 'RVM.' During 'Alive,' Ed gets on Rodman's shoulders. Eventually, PJ convinces Rodman to just watch and sit on the stool that Jeff uses while he's playing the stand up bass. Later, he is kicked off the stage before 'Off He Goes' when Jeff needs his stool for the stand up bass, although before he leaves, he adds chorus backing vocals to 'Spin' via Stone's mic. The 'Daughter' tag, 'Mother,' is a John Lennon cover ("Mother you had me, but I never had you"). During the first encore, Ed announces "This song is a B-side I'm sure no one here has ever heard," then goes into 'Jeremy.' 'Better Man' is dedicated to "a special person in my life who knows who he is," and right before a phenomenal version of 'Sonic Reducer,' Ed says he "admired Rodman for what he's done and where he came from." Ed takes to all four corners of the stage to wave to fans. On the last corner, Rodman grabs Ed again and runs him around the stage. The band is, again, in good form. Depending on who you talk to, Rodman either detracted from or enhanced the show.
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review with photos07/07/98 - Tingley Coliseum: Albuquerque, NM [107m]
support act: Spacehog
soundcheck: Fuckin' Up, I Got Shit, Hail Hail
set: Brain of J, Hail Hail, Corduroy, Rearviewmirror, Given to Fly, Dissident, Spin the Black Circle, Faithfull, Alive, MFC, Habit, Wishlist, improv/Crazy Mary, Nothingman, Jeremy, Do the Evolution, Better Man, Black
enc: Last Exit, Even Flow, Daughter, Fuckin' Up, Rockin' in the Free World, Yellow Ledbetter
notes: An incredibly hot venue with the crowd going NUTS with the first note of the show. Stone has many guitar problems all night. 'RVM' features a cool band jam with Ed soloing with some strange harmonics and effects. During 'Spin the Black Circle,' he puts a tambourine on top of his mic stand, slapping it to make it spin while belting out, "spin ... spin." 'MFC' is introduced as, "... sometimes you have to get away. This song is about getting away to somewhere." The 'Habit' line is "speaking as someone from Pedro." Stone has guitar problems, which is why they play 'Crazy Mary.' In praise of the amazing energy, after 'DTE," Ed tells the crowd that they are the best they've seen on the whole tour. He jumps down into the crowd under Stone during 'Black,' greeting fans for a long time before returning to the stage. During 'Fuckin' Up,' the house lights come on!!! The band didn't seem to care and Ed raised both middle fingers to the lights. During 'RitFW,' Mike makes a hugh circle around the whole stage and Ed bashes a hole in the stage with the mic stand, wood chips flying, with the stand getting stuck at one point. 'Yellow Ledbetter' is played by request for some fans with a HUGE banner (probably 20 people wide) down front. Ed exits at the end of the show, big smile on his face, via the hole he's chopped in the stage.
review07/08/98 - Veterans Memorial Coliseum: Phoenix, AZ [109m]
attendance: 14,000
support act: Spacehog
soundcheck: Corduroy, Wishlist (opening riff), DTE (3x), Lukin, Spin the Black Circle, Elderly Woman, I Got You, Crazy Mary (one verse), Open Road?
set: Corduroy, Hail Hail, Brain of J, Tremor Christ, In Hiding, Even Flow, Given to Fly, Leatherman, Wishlist, Jeremy, Spin the Black Circle, Daughter/(WMA)/(MLK), I Got Shit, Elderly Woman, Rearviewmirror, Black, Better Man/(Save It For Later)
enc: Go, Do the Evolution, Alive, Immortality, Leaving Here
notes: Matt breaks a stick during 'Hail Hail.' Mike does an awesome 'Even Flow' solo. Ed introduces 'Leatherman' as "a b-side to that song [they just played 'GTF'] so some of you might not know it. True story, swear to god ..." 'Wishlist' last verse is, "I wish I was one of the radio stars, sometimes you get what you want. I wish I wish I wish I wish ... I wish I was thankful for everything I've got." After 'STBC,' Ed flips the mic stand over, and then he says that he noticed one thing about Phoenix: "It's really fucking hot ... there's probably no vinyl around here any more; if there was, they would have all melted." Ed uses the e-bow during 'RVM' (and not just during 'Wishlist'). He dedicates 'Black' to [former AZ governor] Ed Meacham because "... he seems to know a lot about the word 'white'." Ed fakes a stage dive during 'Alive.' Matt's tremendously powerful drumming at the end of 'Immortality' is full and quick-paced, yet very tight and smooth. (On the setlist but not played: Interstellar Overdrive, Mankind, Indifference, SoL&T)
setlist scan
poster07/10/98 - Cox Arena: San Diego, CA [134m]
attendance: 11,000
support act: Spacehog
soundcheck: Corduroy, ? (same song played during the 11/21/96 soundcheck), Sometimes (just the opening riff), Off He Goes, MFC (may have also played Dead Man and Trouble)
set: Long Road, Corduroy, Last Exit, Brain of J, Do the Evolution, Given to Fly, In Hiding, Rearviewmirror, Immortality, Wishlist, Nothingman, Spin the Black Circle, Even Flow, Daughter/(Roam), MFC, Alive, Hail Hail
enc 1: Jeremy, Go, Lukin, Better Man, Leaving Here, Black, Rockin' in the Free World
enc 2: Yellow Ledbetter
notes: Tiny venue, poor sound, GREAT crowd, very ON performance with a few rough spots. 'Corduroy' features a completely different intro, starting out with just guitar and then the drums build in. Ed skips the first verse of 'RVM' and repeats the second twice, and the second go round is excellent and the jam goes way out and comes back hard! Not a lot of chat, until before 'Immortality' Ed says, "hometown boy, Matt Cameron." 'Wishlist' lyric changes: Ed sings "as fortunate as YOU" and instead of "I wish I was the evidence, I wish I was the grounds," he says "sound." At the end, he sings, "I wish I was a mountain, wishes can come true, I wish I wish I wish I wish ... if you ever want to, do ..." (San Diego WAS where the original PJ lyrics were written.) 'Even Flow' is humorously flubbed--he goes into the chorus too soon but catches himself, and Mike's wicked solo is reeled back eventually by Stone, with Ed noting, "that's Mike over there." 'Roam' is a B52s cover, with Ed noting is as "... one of the deepest secrets they've hidden in their songs besides 'tin roof, rusted'" ;) . 'MFC' is introduced with, "If you gotta get out, get a small car." During 'RitFW,' he goes off on a sarcastic political rant about how he's glad our politicians are out there protecting us from flag burning ... no need to focus on problems like sewage being poured into the oceans because we've got flag burners to deal with. Classic Ed intensity.
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Caryn's review
MFC (5h Song X for March 99)07/11/98 - Thomas & Mack Center: Las Vegas, NV [95m]
support act: Zeke and X
set: MFC, Corduroy, Brain of J, Hail Hail, Given to Fly, Dissident, Even Flow, Faithfull, Jeremy, Nothingman, Leatherman, Wish List, Lukin, Daughter/(White Girl)/(WMA), Better Man, Rearviewmirror, Alive
enc: Spin the Black Circle, Do the Evolution, Habit, Black, Last Exit
notes: Late show. Poor security, drunk crowd ... even booed X. After 'Given to Fly,' Ed says (sarcastically), "So, we're in Las Vegas. My, what a wonderful place it is, too!" and the crowd cheers. He falls and laughs it off toward the end of 'Even Flow.' During 'Faithfull,' Ed spells out "M.Y.T.H" in sign language. 'Nothingman' is introduced as a "nice little ditty about a fuck up. This is like Leaving Las Vegas right here." Drinking a beer after 'Lukin,' Ed says he wishes he had some to share and tells the crowd they should feel lucky since they got to see X play. 'White Girl' is a X cover song. 'Last Exit' closes the show, with Ed proclaiming, "See you all later ... I'm going to go watch Siegfried and Roy." ('Porch' was on the written setlist but isn't played.)
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Caryn's review07/13/98 - The Forum: Inglewood, CA [107m]
attendance: 15,500
support act: X and Tenacious D
soundcheck: Even Flow, Not for You, Spin the Black Circle, Whipping, Leaving Here, Last Exit, Alive riff, Present Tense, Off He Goes (first three songs may not be in order)
set: Sometimes, Corduroy, Hail Hail, Brain of J, In Hiding, Even Flow, Given to Fly, MFC, Not for You, Wishlist, Jeremy, Do the Evolution, Dissident, Present Tense, Spin the Black Circle, Rearviewmirror, Go
enc 1: Elderly Woman, Better Man/(Save It For Later), Daughter/(I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts), Alive
enc 2: Baba O'Riley
notes: The opening act, Tenacious D, are two guys with acoustic guitars who are VERY funny. Ed introduces them, saying something like, "Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath will not be here tonight as scheduled. Instead, their bastard child, Tenacious D!" ;) Mr. McCready is wearing a dress and fishnet stockings. The band seems rested from Las Vegas and in a good mood. 'Wishlist' last lines are modified to, "I wish I got to play in a band, and open up for X. I wish, I wish, I could tell you, they'll be out here next." Mike gets tackled by Ed at the end of 'STBC,' and he spins him around by his ankles. Ed mentions that Mike Watt gave him a book before 'Elderly Woman,' and quotes a line from Willy Wonka, "Do you know what happened to the boy whose wishes all came true? He lived happily ever after." A great moment during 'Elderly Woman:' at the song's climax ... "I just want to scream HELLO!!! My God it's been so long. Never dreamed you'd return, but now here you are [looking out to the crowd, bright white lights on] and here I am." Ed comments that they are lucky to play the Forum, that the crowd is lucky to play in the Forum. Also that it not the Great Western Forum to them, but "The Fabulous Forum." The 'Daughter' tag is once again an X song. 'Alive' includes a tease of the Black Sabbath song 'Heaven and Hell' in the ending jam and the behind the head guitar work. An incredible 'Baba O'Riley,' with all of them simply going off. Ed spills Heineken all across the stage and during the final notes, he gets a running start and slides on his knees with his guitar across the stage (much as in the movie The Kids are Alright where Townshend does this during 'Won't Get Fooled Again'). Then Ed breaks his red Gibson SG. A hard-driving show.
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review with photos07/14/98 - The Forum: Inglewood, CA [109m]
attendance: 15,500
support act: X and Tenacious D
set: Release, Last Exit, Brain of J, Hail Hail, Red Mosquito, Given to Fly, Corduroy, I Got Shit, Off He Goes, Even Flow, Faithfull, Daughter/ (The KKK Took My Baby Away)/(I Believe In Miracles), Nothingman, Jeremy, Habit, Better Man, Alive
enc 1: Do the Evolution, Rearviewmirror, Wishlist, Leaving Here
enc 2: The KKK Took My Baby Away (w/Johnny Ramone)
notes: Ed screws up the beginning of 'Habit,' then takes credit for it by saying, "My bad. Matt, say hello to Matt Cameron, was doing a beautiful job and I fucked it up." Eddie mentions smoking a cigarette in a public building in California, that he normally wouldn't, but he was going to do it because he could. He thanks the members of X by name, individually. The "speaking as" break in 'Habit' has a different twist: Instead of saying "speaking as," Ed starts playing guitar, a dark, slow, droning riff reminiscent of 'This Boy.' Ed strums on this riff for a few seconds and then Matt begins drumming and Ed sings a bit. They jam on this dark little riff for 20 seconds or so and then silence. A dramatic pause and BAM, back into 'Habit.' Breathtaking! Ed changes the lyric in 'DTE' to "I'm the first mammal to wet my pants." Before Wishlist, the band gives a shout out to Tenacious D, and Ed changes the lyric in Wishlist, to "I wish I was as fortunate, as fortunate as KG," referring to one of the guys from Tenacious D. 'Leaving Here' is introduced as one "... for all the ladies ... no, actually it's for the guys ... treat 'em right." A very fun show, with Johnny Ramone playing guitar with Mike on the final encore, Ed singing and Stone playing the tambourine with a big, goofy grin on his face. A celebrity studded crowd: Jim Carey spotted side-stage and Gene Simmons (of Kiss) sat behind the soundboard! 'Black,' 'Go' and 'Immortality' are on the setlist, but not played.
poster07/16/98 - Arco Arena: Sacramento, CA [105m]
attendance: 17,000
support act: X
soundcheck: Porch, Alone
set: Spin the Black Circle, Hail Hail, Brain of J, Given to Fly, Corduroy, MFC, Habit, Even Flow, Jeremy, Daughter/(Noise of Carpet), Immortality, I Got Shit, Rearviewmirror, Nothingman, Wishlist, Alive, Go
enc 1: Do the Evolution, Better Man, In My Tree, Black, Porch!
enc 2: Yellow Ledbetter
notes: Ed comes out to introduce X (standing at the side of the stage for nearly 15 minutes before the crowd notices), saying, "... one of the greatest bands to ever write, sing and play." Lots of different lighting effects tonight, including red, white and blue lights on the backdrop during 'Brain of J.' Mike is playing really well and his solos are totally different tonight. The flavor is more bluesy rather than wailing and he uses a slide on 'Corduroy.' There is a hint at Ed's annoyance with the crowd's poor reception to X when he alters the 'MFC' lyrics during the "fuck it" part to "fuck you." This seems to be Ed screws up the lyrics night, with botched lyrics for 'Better Man,' 'Even Flow,' 'Wishlist' and 'RVM.' The 'Noise of Carpet' tag is long, extended more than the 96 shows. 'In My Tree' is dedicated to Jack Irons. The energy is really strong at the start of the show and dissipates, almost as if PJ is afraid to play too hard. Something seems to really be bothering Ed and he says, "You guys really pissed me off before ..." during 'Porch.' This may have been a reference to the crowd, which was very rough. He also says, 'It would be really nice if you could cheer that loud for the first band, the band I think was better."
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Caryn's review07/18/98 - Rose Garden Arena: Portland, OR [110m]
attendance: 18,000
support act: Frank Black
soundcheck: Tremor Christ (snippet), Brain of J (beginning riff), I Got You, instrumental, Not for You, Hail Hail (first half), Sonic Reducer, Red Mosquito (snippet), MFC (snippets), Off He Goes (snippet)
set: Corduroy, Hail Hail, Brain of J, Spin the Black Circle, Red Mosquito, Given to Fly, Even Flow, In Hiding, Jeremy, Daughter/(Come Together)/(improv)/(I've Been Tired), MFC, In My Tree, Wishlist, Elderly Woman, Present Tense, Rearviewmirror, Alive
enc 1: Do the Evolution, Black, Leatherman, Better Man, Leaving Here, Go
enc 2: Fuckin' Up
notes: From the first song, Stone is bouncing up and down on the side of the stage and Mike and Stone are doing matching jumps from opposite sites of the stage during 'Alive.' A perfect 'In My Tree' and 'Jeremy.' 'Elderly Woman' features a humorous beginning, with Stone and Ed alternating with "you start" ... "no, you start" for about three minutes. Ed uses the ebow near the end of 'RVM.' The lights are brought down during 'DTE' and a cartoon is shown on the backdrop. Ed sits next to Mike's amp with one ear to it during the 'Black' solo. Matt sings backup during 'Better Man' and 'Leatherman.' Mike parades a dog around on stage during 'Fuckin Up.' Many setlist changes: 'Faithfull,' 'All Those Yesterdays' and 'Nothingman' are deleted; 'StBC' is added.
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Caryn's review and photos07/19/98 - Pacific Coliseum: Vancouver, British Columbia [113m]
attendance: 14,000-15,000
support act: Frank Black
soundcheck: Not for You, MFC, Off He Goes, Last Kiss, I Got You, Hail Hail
set: Sometimes, Go, Hail Hail, Brain of J, Dissident, Even Flow, Given to Fly, Corduroy, MFC, Lukin, Wishlist, Jeremy, Daughter/(Hey Hey My My), Not for You, Off He Goes, Better Man, Rearviewmirror, Black, Last Exit
enc 1: Do the Evolution, Nothingman, Alive, Leaving Here
enc 2: Yellow Ledbetter, BABA O'RILEY!!!!
notes: Band is relaxed and playing well; however, the crowd is a little too sedate. The set is cut short with "Last Exit," Eddie inciting the crowd by doing these Vegas-style lunges towards the crowd. This all changes with an incredibly intense 'DTE' and is culminated when, during 'Alive,' Eddie walks around the stage, applauding the kids dancing in the empty seats in the back, and CLIMBS INTO THE CROWD for more than a few minutes. The band returns to play 'Yellow Ledbetter,' and are about to leave when Eddie goes over to the band members and asks them if they feel like one more, picks up a tambourine, and, yep, 'Baba O'Riley' bringing the house down.
Caryn's review and photos
poster07/21/98 - Memorial Stadium: Seattle, WA [111m]
attendance: 25,000
support act: The Wallflowers and Zeke
soundcheck: Leatherman, Mankind, Immortality, Footsteps, MFC, Animal, I Can't Explain [soundcheck was held the day before]
set: Corduroy, Whipping, Hail Hail, Brain of J, Dissident, Even Flow, Jeremy, Given to Fly, Leatherman, In Hiding, State of Love and Trust, Daughter/(Noise of Carpet), MFC, Better Man, Rearviewmirror, Black, Alive
enc 1: Do the Evolution, Wishlist, I Got Shit, Footsteps, Spin the Black Circle, Go
enc 2: Baba O'Riley, Yellow Ledbetter
notes: PJ provides an excellently organized and festive atmosphere for the first of their hometown gigs with people walking the crowd handing out free popsicles, courtesy of the band. However, the crowd is extremely sedate, which continues to frustrate Ed until after 'Leatherman,' when he snaps, "You're the sleepiest goddamn crowd this side of Portland." Mike's solos are excellent, and Matt once again excels, prompting Ed to tell a funny story about how the band all lives in the same house, and when Jack "couldn't make it," they "went out in the backyard and found Matt sitting there - Matt is everything." He also refers to the fact that these shows are benefits, commenting "Fuck [former Seattle Mayor] Norm Rice ... Jeff Ament's the governor for today, and 'DTE' is introduced with a sarcastic story about how Ed "found God" on the road - "that's big news, right?" Mike throws in the intro riff to Hendrix's 'Machine Gun' at the end of 'Yellow Ledbetter."
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review and photos07/22/98 - Memorial Stadium: Seattle, WA [120m]
attendance: 25,000
support act: The Wallflowers and Sean Lennon
set: Throw Your Arms Around Me [Ed solo pre Sean Lennon]; Last Exit, Animal, Spin the Black Circle, Brain of J, Faithfull, Red Mosquito, Given to Fly, MFC, Habit, Not for You, Daughter/(Beginning to See the Light), Even Flow, Off He Goes, Better Man, Lukin, Present Tense, Mankind, Alive, Corduroy, Hail Hail, Do the Evolution, Porch
enc 1: Wishlist, Leatherman, Leaving Here, Fuckin' Up
enc 2: Yellow Ledbetter
notes: The band absolutely stands and delivers for this final show of the West Leg of the 1998 tour, and the crowd does likewise. Ed surprises the audience by walking onstage, Rickenbacker in hand, and graces the crowd with an incredible rendition of 'Throw Your Arms Around Me' before Sean Lennon's set. He also introduces the Wallflowers, bopping onstage to 'Emotional Rescue,' the Wallflowers' pre-show music. Later, he greets the crowd: "Are you the same fucks from yesterday? Ya look damn familiar ... actually I think you're better ... so far." Killer versions of 'Faithfull,' 'Do The Evolution' and 'Porch' are highlights. Ed dedicates 'GTF' to "the birds and people that think like them." Stone speaks: "We're gonna kick it up a notch -- with me!" as they go into a great 'Mankind.' Ed starts off the encore by informing everyone that "the Hanson concert hasn't let out yet so we're just gonna keep playing ..." and later says, "I'd like to thank god for the weather but I don't believe in him." Tonight's special guest: airborne Mister Pickles! 'Yellow Ledbetter' again, including the Hendrix riff plus a bit of 'The Star Spangled Banner.' We'll miss you, guys. See you in August.
Yellow Ledbetter (5h Song X for April 99)
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Copyright © 1998-2004 Jean Bruns, All Rights Reserved
