09/23/00 - Key Arena (Ralph Nader Rally): Seattle, WA
set: Soon Forget, I Am A Patriot [both solo acoustic]
notes: Ed's set comes after the general speakers (including Michael Moore) and just before Ralph Nader's speech (whom Ed introduced as "an American who's not for sale."). He prefaces the songs by saying that he's never done one of these before, because he never had anyone he could believe in. He also notes that he was watching the people walk into the arena tonight and that "the one thing they all had in common is that they looked like they gave a shit." Patriot' has the "I was walking/with my boyfriend" lyric change.10/04/00 - Molson Centre: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
attendance: 20,000
support act: Supergrass
set: Of The Girl, Corduroy, Whipping, Grievance, Animal, God's Dice, Nothing As It Seems, Given To Fly, Wishlist, Pilate, Last Kiss, Do The Evolution, MFC, Improv/Habit, Light Years, Better Man, Even Flow, Porch
enc 1: Off He Goes, Breakerfall, State of Love and Trust, I Got Shit, Elderly Woman, Leaving Here
enc 2: Fuckin' Up, Yellow Ledbetter
notes: Mike OWNS 'Corduroy,' completely reworking the solo. Ed swaps the second and third verses of 'Whipping.' Ed mentions how happy he is to be out of the states for a while. He discusses how boring the debates were last night and talks about Bush and Gore's "lifeless eyes," arguing about topics nobody cares about. He mentions that if "little George Dubya Bush" wins, the band is applying for Canadian citizenship. Ed dedicates 'NAIS' to Bush and Bore for their "lack of inspiration." Stone is having a lot of technical problems early on (he later switches guitars THREE TIMES during one song!) and he sits out almost all of 'Grievance.' Ed says, "You know what's ironic? Stone was the most excited about playing tonight." 'Last Kiss' is played while Andy (Stone's tech) tries to fix his gear; Ed sings the song to the fans behind the stage. A *rawkin'* 'DTE' with Stone getting major props for his solo. The improv prior to 'Habit' runs approximately three minutes and features a repetitive bass note and some mind-bending fills from Matt. (Described by one who heard it as "way too rehearsed for it to be some random sonic experimentation. It sounded like a somewhat louder, crunchier 'Of The Girl' ... it had an almost droning quality.") Problems are evident with Matt's kit as well, in particular the hi-hat. Mike has a lot of trouble getting through 'Light Years.' He is cracking up insanely, and even misses a few bars because he is doubled over with laughter. Ed messes up the lyrics in 'Wishlist' and replaces the last line with "I wish I was the verb to trust I hope I didn't just let you down." Mike has a very "on" night, with the 'Even Flow' solo going on and on and ON. 'Porch' is amazing, with an extended jam, and Ed exchanging notes with the crowd before the climax. Stone is having a lot of technical problems tonight, which prompts Ed to joke, "Between Stone's hair and his pants, I could fuck him." Ed falls over catching a Rangers jersey during 'Fuckin' Up', but makes the catch, and tucks it into his pants. Mike throws in the opening riff of Thin Lizzy's 'Jailbreak' into the 'YL' outro.
setlist scan
order the official live cds from amazon10/05/00 - Air Canada Centre: Toronto, Ontario, Canada [140m]
attendance: 19,800
support act: Supergrass
soundcheck: Red Mosquito, Leatherman, Mankind, Crazy Mary, Immortality, Hail Hail
set: Sometimes, Breakerfall, Corduroy, Grievance, Brain of J, Animal, Dissident, Nothing As It Seems, Given To Fly, Insignificance, Daughter/(Androgynous Mind), Better Man, Mankind, Immortality, Even Flow, Black, Rearviewmirror
enc 1: Sleight of Hand, Crazy Mary, Once, Do The Evolution, Wishlist, Leatherman, Baba O'Riley
enc 2: Indifference
notes: Early in the show, Ed comments that the last time they were in Canada, they played for this many but that they were all sprawled out on a hill (referencing Barrie '98). He notes that this venue is new and asks if they still "name these things after beer?" He answers, after conferring with Jeff, saying, "No, this one is named after an airplane. I guess that's good 'cause things are really starting to take off." A small lyric change in 'Insignificance': "Turn the jukebox up I said." Stone has an extremely extended solo prior to the 'Daughter' tag - a very on night for him. Ed breaks a string during an intense 'Better Man' jam and Stone steps up saying, "We don't play this very often," kicking into 'Mankind.' A powerful 'Immortality' is proceeded by a short intro by Ed and at the end, he animates his strumming to manipulate Matt's cadence. 'Even Flow' has a renewed vibe to it, with Mike jamming his heart out for nearly two minutes. The entire band sits back, giving him the spotlight in the same vein as 'YL' as he goes off, including some Hendrix riffing. At the beginning of the first encore, Ed introduces Matt and mentions Wellwater Conspiracy, saying that everyone should check them out: "It's better than the crap we're playing tonight." Ed remarks that "now that we're loosened up, this is the part of the show where we take requests, starting with this guy right here" pointing to someone in the front with a 'Sleight of Hand' sign. Prior to 'Wishlist' Ed talks about scientist Stephen Hawking and how he discovered that humans were only going to live a thousand more years on the planet. He says, "I'm trying to figure out what that means. Do we go fucking nuts for the next 1,000 years?" (Strumming rapidly on his guitar for a few seconds with his head back, freaking out.) "Or are we careful who we vote for?" In 'Wishlist,' Ed changes the lyrics to "I wish I was as fortunate, as fortunate as Geddy Lee." (Geddy Lee, from legendary Canadian band Rush, was sitting stage left for the entire show). The end of 'Wishlist' is changed to "I wish that it would stop after a thousand years," referencing the prior anecdote. 'RVM' includes a wonderful bridge with Ed frantically using his ebow. Ed passes his wine bottle to fans in the front row during 'Crazy Mary.' Before 'Baba' Ed mentions that they had been to see a band the other night that had been around for a long time and that there is a tribute disc being made for them and that while most tribute discs suck, this one has the chance of being really, really good. He says they are recording this song tonight, and in Chicago, to appear on the tribute record, telling the audience, "If you're better than Chicago, you'll end up on the record." At the raging finish of 'Baba', the whole place starts clapping very fast in unison, the band gets into it and starts speeding up the end. Ed, with a huge smile on his face starts clapping along and Mike throws his arms up in a "V" and bows to the crowd twice, smiling. The lights had been turned on before 'Baba' (like it was expected to be the final song), but the crowd was so enthused that PJ produced a soothing 'Indifference' to appease the crowd. The entire band is very animated, seemingly enjoying the venue and great audience.
review #1
review #2
setlist scan
order the official live cds from amazon10/07/00 - The Palace at Auburn Hills: Auburn Hills, MI [122m]
attendance: 20,000
support act: Supergrass
soundcheck: Rival, In My Tree, Parting Ways (full band, 2X), In Hiding, Release (2X)
set: Go, Corduroy, Grievance, State of Love and Trust, Tremor Christ, Elderly Woman, Insignificance, Last Exit, Animal, In My Tree, I Got Shit, (Romanza)/Better Man/(Save It For Later), Even Flow, Daughter/(WMA), Thin Air, Jeremy, Given To Fly, Rearviewmirror
enc 1: Nothing As It Seems, Last Kiss, Spin The Black Circle, Crazy Mary, Parting Ways
enc 2: Fuckin' Up
notes: 'Go' is a huge surprise for an opener and Mike wastes no time posing and interacting with fans in the front. Between 'Tremor Christ' and 'Elderly Woman', Ed makes a comment to the effect of "these are two songs about being small, in a small town, it doesn't really apply to Detroit, but maybe the outlying areas." Right before 'Daughter' someone in the crowd was holding up a sign. Ed sees it and says that he can't see it, can they hold it up. He reads it: "Esther's here and she's sick... hi Esther, now we're all going to be sick, thanks." During the 'Daughter' tag, Ed gets out his trusty mirror and tries doing some reflecting without much success. 'Jeremy' is intro'd as "the song that we played a few times, a dozen times, a few dozen times, a few hundred dozen times ... if you could help me out with the middle part, that would be great." Mike busts a string during 'RVM' and throws the guitar down at the end, but picks it right back up. When the band returns for the encore, Ed starts talking about how Detroit has been great to them, they've played Masonic Temple, and St. Andrew's Hall twice (and another list of Detroit venues). During 'NAIS,' there was a complete lyrical screwup which caused the whole band to wonder where they were musically, and after the song Ed raises his hand and says, "It was me, it was all my fault, I had the biggest fuckup of the tour." 'Last Kiss' is dedicated to Ralph Nader. Right before 'Crazy Mary,' there is someone standing on their seat in the fifth row waving at Ed. He sees them, comes over, walks to the end of the stage, and motions at the person. Ed starts taking off his red, white and blue wristband. He was giving it to the person who was on the chair, and he was motioning to give something back to them, and it turned out this person had their own red, white and blue wristband, and they switched. Tonight is the live debut of the full band playing 'Parting Ways.' It starts out with just Ed with the rest of the band coming in after the first two verses. Ed dedicates 'Fuckin' Up' to "number 10, who's responsible for a lot of those banners up there," gesturing at the ceiling of the Palace. [#10 being Dennis Rodman, who was in attendance.]
order the official live cds from amazon10/08/00 - Alpine Valley: East Troy, WI [130m]
attendance: 40,000
support act: Supergrass
set: Of The Girl, Hail Hail, Breakerfall, Whipping, Corduroy, Animal, Elderly Woman, Dissident, Given To Fly, Faithfull, Even Flow, Untitled, MFC, Light Years, Off He Goes, Insignificance, Black, Jeremy, Porch
enc: Wishlist, State of Love and Trust, Go, Better Man/(Save it for Later), Daughter/(The Wrong Child), Smile, Rearviewmirror
notes: "Welcome to the ice bowl," comments Ed after 'Hail Hail.' 'Whipping' is an excellent, tight version. Ed fucks up the beginning lyrics of 'Corduroy,' so he changes the lyrics in the middle of the song indicating it is "too fucking cold to sing." After 'Animal' Ed starts talking about how when people listen to the boots later on, in order to understand how cold it is, if they work in a restaurant they should open the freezer, and if they live in Antarctica they should just open the screen doors. He mentions that if anyone who actually lives in Antarchita hears this, this song can be for them because it's about a small town, leading to 'Elderly Woman.' Stone pogoes the entire 'Even Flow' solo, seemingly to keep warm. The extended version of 'Untitled' includes additional lyrics, including something about getting to somewhere warmer and then memories and forgiveness. During 'Jeremy,' Ed falls backwards over the monitor at the end. The bridge in 'Porch' includes several lines from Dead Moon's 'It's Okay.' When the band returns for the encore, Ed is holding a "Let Ralph Debate" sign and tapes it to the front of his monitor. He also mentions that it is going to be a very memorable show, referring to the weather. Mike has guitar problems at the start of 'Go' and Ed changes one of the first lyrics to "where's Mike McCready?" At the end of 'Daughter,' Ed starts chanting at a rapid pace: "Thunder road, thunder road, thunder road" (a nod to Bruce Springsteen). Ed makes a joke about No Code sales before 'Smile,' saying that the guy who wrote the lyrics in his notebook (Dennis Frog, who is side stage) receives 2/3 of a cent for each copy of the album sold ... "so that comes to (laughing) well ... No Code ... like $20 (laughs), no $200?" He turns to Stone, "How much money?" and Stone says "$2000." Matt is on the large screen (and seems to know it) while the stage is darkened for 'RVM.' He exhales in unison with his kick drum, which draws a laugh from the crowd since everyone can see his breath. How cold was it? Mike is bundled up in a hat and scarf (scarf around his face all night); Stone has a hat on; Ed doesn't remove the jacket the whole show; Matt is wearing a long sleeve shirt. Cold (28 degrees by show's end). 'Oceans' was on the setlist as the opener but not played.
setlist scan - both sets
order the official live cds from amazon10/09/00 - Allstate Arena: Rosemont, IL [155m]
attendance: 18,500
support act: Supergrass
set: Release, Corduroy, Grievance, God's Dice, Animal, Red Mosquito, Nothing As It Seems, Given To Fly, Wishlist, Elderly Woman, In Hiding, Even Flow, Light Years, MFC, Lukin, Not For You, Better Man, Leatherman, Nothingman, Do The Evolution, Insignificance, Black, Parting Ways
enc 1: Sleight of Hand, Soldier of Love, Crazy Mary, Jeremy, Rearviewmirror
enc 2: Soon Forget, Baba O'Riley
notes: A raucous crowd and a band in great spirits, Mike covering his ears during 'Corduroy' signifying the loud crowd. Lots of between chat among the band. 'Even Flow' is phenomenal, with Stone nudging Ed to look over while Ed is looking at Matt, with Matt and Mike playing off of each other toward the end, almost like a "who can top this" thing and Stone and Ed applauding them both at the conclusion. Matt starts off 'Light Years' and Ed talks for the first 12-16 bars and it is restarted when he's finished. He tells how the song is about a person native to the Chicago area and how that person made the sun brighter for the people of Chicagoland. Lyrics are changed to "for they still miss you here" rather than "you seemed to like it here." Ed talks about the Alpine show the night before: "Waking up this morning, it was hard to believe that last night actually happened." Later he says he thinks the temperature (26 degrees) matched the number of thousands of people that braved the temperature. 'Lukin' (intro'ed as "another quiet one about a guy who likes to drink beer") and 'NFY' are practically one song. 'Parting Ways' is a very pleasant surprise, closing the long, long set that Ed earlier notes "it's not a set in a stone, concrete process, but we usually go about 17 songs or so before taking a break ... it seems, by my count, that we're at about 22 right now ... are you guys still with us?" He notes that after surviving last night, they just want to keep playing. Ed passes his wine bottle around with the crowd during 'Crazy Mary' and Mike throws a few bars of Jimmy Page's 'Stairway to Heaven' (Zep) solo into the song. 'Rearviewmirror' is an unbelievable extended version. Ed gives a long exhortation before 'Soon Forget,' urging fans to attend the Nader rally the next day (they were even selling tickets to the rally at the show) and he's sporting a Bush/Cheney sign with a huge black X through it on his monitor. He discusses the debates and how "one here and one here" are really coming from the same place but Nader provides an alternative He says the next song is for the "richies ... like the ones in the sky boxes" pointing to a sky box in the middle right, continuing, "I see there is alike a light blue neon light in the sky box ... they must have a lot of cocaine in there (laughing)." Ed stops the song because of the clapping (again), hushing everyone so "the rich would get the full effect" and imitates bad clapping by clapping his hand against his leg and stomping his foot off-beat saying, "See, the rich can't even keep time." And 'Baba'? Light full up, whole crowd visible and screaming, Stone goes nuts, Jeff does an Irish jig for Mike, Ed breaks a tambourine and gives it to someone in the front, gets another one and tosses it to those behind the stage. Band is full on and the crowd is wild, up and loudly singing with every song.
order the official live cds from amazon10/10/00 - UIC Pavilion, University of Illinois-Chicago (Ralph Nader Rally): Chicago, IL
set: I am a Patriot, The Times They Are A-Changin' [both solo acoustic]
notes: Ed is introduced by Michael Moore as an individual who (along with his bandmates) has stood for his beliefs regardless of the consequences. Ed plays 'Patriot' and talks about how he wanted to write a song for Ralph but had yet to come up with anything, but how he'd found a song written 30 years ago that seems "... as pertinent and valid today as it's ever been ... we'll mention it's played with permission of the author," leading to Bob Dylan's 'The Times They Are A-Changin'.10/11/00 - Riverport Amphitheatre: Maryland Heights, MO
attendance: 20,000
support act: Supergrass
soundcheck: U, Sonic Reducer
set: Of the Girl, Go, Hail Hail, Brain of J, Insignificance, Whipping, Light Years, State of Love and Trust, Given to Fly, Animal, Elderly Woman, Wishlist, In My Tree, Even Flow, Daughter, Better Man, Footsteps, Rearviewmirror
enc 1: Breakerfall, U , Do the Evolution, Porch, Parting Ways
enc 2: Sonic Reducer, Last Kiss, Yellow Ledbetter
notes: "We're in no hurry to leave," Ed assures the crowd after 'Of the Girl.' 'Hail Hail' features the rapid clapping during the bridge that Ed was so fond of in 98. During 'Daughter,' Ed is so into the vocalization he is doing during the tag zone (singing melodies at the crowd and letting them sing it back) that he loses his balance, falls over backward, and twists his ankle. This changes the dynamic of the show in that it's clearly hurting him and he's limited to how he can move around onstage (limping and hopping, not kidding). "The last song is about the whole world being different, the next song is about how hard it is to change things," intros a powerful version of 'Insignificance.' 'Whipping' features Mike playing the guitar bending over, one arm through his leg, and Ed finishing up with a lovely PT windmill. At the end of 'State,' Ed notices the sign language interpreter (Kim) who was working at the side of the stage, signing the songs to the audience. He goes over, pulls her up from the security pit to the stage, and has a brief chat. "I'm curious what the next song sounds -- I mean, looks like," and it's 'GTF.' Ed then adds to the interpretation with his own visual interpretations. At the end of the song, he moves over to the interpreter and dances with her as the song closes. Ed lets the crowd sing the last chorus of 'Animal.' Another killer version of 'RVM.' First encore, Ed tells us they're going to try something that hasn't been done before - "It's actually a Prince song," he jokes, as we are treated to the world premiere version of 'U.' After 'Porch,' Ed proceeds to inform the audience that the Cardinals won, mass pandemonium ensures. He then tells the crowd that he was lying, they actually lost, and weren't they glad they were here instead. Also some chat about the debates, and the obligatory Nader chat, and "Thanks for letting us mention that." "The next song is *not* called 'Maggot Brain'," intros 'Sonic Reducer' and is in referenced to one of many in a sea of request signs.
Caryn's review
setlist scan
order the official live cds from amazon10/12/00 - Sandstone Amphitheatre: Bonner Springs, KS
support act: Supergrass
soundcheck: guitar jam, U, U
set: Release, Do The Evolution, Corduroy, Grievance, Lukin, Light Years, Given To Fly, In Hiding, Nothing As It Seems, Even Flow, Spin The Black Circle, Rival, Once, (Romanza)/Better Man/(Save It For Later), Insignificance, Nothingman, Animal, Jeremy, Black
enc 1: Sleight Of Hand, Untitled/MFC, Elderly Woman, U, Rearviewmirror
enc 2: Rockin' In The Free World
notes: Tonight Mr. Stone Gossard rules the stage, starting with a fiery solo during 'DTE.' The band is much more tight and focused tonight and Ed demonstrates no visible ill effects of yesterday's ankle injury. The first five songs charge right into each other with no time for talk - amazing. After 'Light Years,' Ed greets the crowd. "Hi! We've been here before, right? Yeah, I remember... the first band was the Murder City Devils, from Seattle; tonight we had an import from Oxford, England, called Supergrass,let's thank them." 'NAIS' is killer, 'Even Flow' has Stone right at the front of the stage, as he was all night, walking back and forth, playing to Jeff, making silly faces at Mike, having little side conversations with Ed between songs (including one where he tells Ed he wants to play 'Mankind' next, and then after the next song, steps to his mic and clears his throat, looking quizzically in Ed's direction; apparently it was on the setlist but never played tonight.) 'Once' starts by Mike leaping into a kick split and is punctuated by many more throughout the show. The 'Save It For Later' tag is really enthusiastic and lengthy. 'Jeremy' is intro'd: "This next song is called, Love Amongst The Dead." Ed fucks up the words in the second verse and lets the crowd sing it back to him to get his place. Some apparently insensitive person decided that a sign campaign for 'Alive' was appropriate for some stupid reason and the band returns for the first encore to a halfhearted sea of signs. Ed tries to make the point by talking about many other things, and when the signs didn't go away, he finally says, "I see the signs; it's good to know that you can organize yourselves to support something, even a song; please put the signs down and vote for Ralph Nader." [In other words, NO.] 'Untitled' is extended and Ed's going to arrive in "58 minutes" tonight (a nod to the late and popular Kansas City Chief's linebacker Derrick Thomas who died after injuries from a car accident); a tighter version of 'U' (Ed joked, "This one's hard to find...it was a b-side ... you can find it on Napster... hey, that's where we found it!") surfaces for the second night in a row. A super-intense 'RVM' followed by an incredibly ferocious 'RITFW' close out a brilliant performance.
Caryn's review
main setlist scan
two encore setlist scans
order the official live cds from amazon10/13/00 - Madison Square Garden (Ralph Nader Rally): New York City
set: I Am A Patriot, The Times They Are A-Changin' [both solo acoustic], People Have The Power [group jam/finale]
notes: Similar to the previous appearances, this night also features various other performers including Ani DiFranco, Ben Harper and Patti Smith. Ed performs the same songs as at the Chicago rally, with the same details: he had permission from the author to perform the Dylan tune, that he thought he'd be able to write a new song for Ralph, but that it seemed as relevant as ever, even after 30 years. Ed also appears in the 'all-star' jam at the end, which was Patti Smith's anthem, 'People Have The Power.'
The Times They Are A-Changin'
review (with photos)10/14/00 - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion: Woodlands, TX [130m]
support act: Supergrass
set: Long Road, Breakerfall, Corduroy, Whipping, Hail Hail, Animal, Dissident, Nothing As It Seems, Given To Fly, Untitled, MFC, Habit, Wishlist, Better Man, Evacuation, Mankind, Jeremy, Black, Porch
enc 1: Last Exit, State of Love and Trust, Sleight of Hand, Even Flow, Improv/Cover, Last Kiss, Rearviewmirror
enc 2: Soon Forget, Yellow Ledbetter
notes: Ed says that Houston "feels like Hawaii" (after playing in the cold up north) and someone throws a bunch of Hawaiian lei's onstage and Ed picks them up and hands one to Mike, Jeff and Stone. Mike and Stone put them on around their faces and wear them like that for a while. He introduces 'GTF' saying he thinks it was written in Hawaii. 'Wishlist' is dedicated to Ed's nephew; he holds up a photo and tells the audience he's a Texan. Mike fucks up 'Mankind' so badly they have to start over again; he holds up his hand, admitting the error. Ed says, "Here's one guitar player sabotaging the other one, this is called infighting, and it's the biggest problem with our government." 'Porch' has some kind of brief improv tag during the bridge:"Some people give; some people take'SoH' is introduced as "this is a song about what happens over here, while you're looking over there." Ed mentions that it was '91 or '92 that they were last in Houston and played with Soundgarden for a few dates and "we played Houston, Dallas, Austin, and ... uh ... Beaver Creek!" He introduces Matt and plugs Wellwater Conspiracy. Someone has a sign for 'Rats.' Ed acknowledges it saying, sorry. Someone else has a sign for "Out of My Mind" and Ed says that it's more annoying than the "Rats" sign and that they'd only played it once and made it up that night. Someone else has a sign that says "Loosegroove" that is apparently annoying people, because Ed tells Stone that if he'd acknowledge the sign, the person would probably put it down. 'Even Flow' is introduced as "Buried Alive." The improv is something new, a little shot at Bush, Ed laughing as he comes up with the lyrics:
I know to give; I know what I make
Some peope love; some people give
I'd rather give, but; ...?"My son was...running for presidentAt the start of the second encore, Ed says something like "Houston, Texas ... more millionaires per square mile than ..." He says that Keith Moon said that and talks about Keith for a while. A string breaks during 'Soon Forget' and Ed just stops and says, "It broke!" The crowd cheers and starts banging on the seats, Ed shakes the ukulele, looks at it, pauses and then just picks up where he left off.
I taught him...everything he knows
I know this (eddie laughs) cause I know what he knows
and...he's slow (eddie laughs)I used to be able to...go outside and breathe
but i can no longer...because of the companies
its the way it goes...my son is slow
setlist scan
poster
review
order the official live cds from amazon10/15/00 - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion: Woodlands, TX
support act: Supergrass
set: Oceans, Corduroy, Grievance, God's Dice, Animal, Red Mosquito, Given To Fly, Faithfull, Elderly Woman, Lukin, Not For You, Daughter/(The Wrong Child), Off He Goes, (Romanza)/Better Man/(Save It For Later), Insignificance, Nothingman, Even Flow, Go, Parting Ways
enc: Do The Evolution, Whipping, Once, Footsteps, Crazy Mary, Rockin' In The Free World
notes: Ed is wearing an "uncle Eddie" t-shirt. Before 'Red Mosquito,' Ed shows his arm and says, "Can you see this? It's not track marks ... it's mosquito bites..." 'Better Man' is introduced as "this a sad song, but a true song" and Ed was rocking so hard that he could barely transition into the 'SIFL' tag, really only getting the "don't let me down" part. 'Parting Ways' ends with Ed doing huge windmills, and they jam out the end increasing the tempo. Ed thanks the crowd for the past two nights, and they all agree and clap for the crowd. At the beginning of the encore, Ed comes out and points down in the pit and talks about two people down there through the whole show that were sitting down, acting like they were bored ... "When we went to the room backstage we all said "did you see those two people down in the front just sitting there!?" I'm glad they're gone. Earlier I was smelling some pot up here, then I smelled something REALLY disgusting ... I was thinking maybe it was the pollution ... but I think it was THEM!" Beautiful venue, great crowds with just about everyone on their feet through the whole show and the band really on.
setlist scan
poster
order the official live cds from amazon10/17/00 - Smirnoff Music Center: Dallas, TX [130m]
attendance: 20,000
support act: Supergrass
set: Sometimes, Breakerfall, Grievance, Corduroy, Animal, Given To Fly, Nothing As It Seems, Even Flow, Elderly Woman, Rival, Jeremy, Daughter, Insignificance, I Got Shit, Brain of J, Black, Rearviewmirror
enc 1: Wishlist, U, Better Man, Do The Evolution, Porch, Leaving Here
enc 2: Smile, Baba O'Riley
notes: There's a big state fair behind the venue, visible over the lawn, and Ed refers to it a few times, dedicating 'GTF' to it and most notably when the band return for the first encore, he says, "We're not leaving until the ferris wheel stops." Mike came alive with another blistering 'Even Flow' solo and is then on fire. After 'Rival,' Ed notes: "That one was written by Stone Gossard, and also goes by the title 'Growing Up Gay In Littleton,' which is where the Columbine High School is ... this next song ['Jeremy'] has a tie in to that, because it happened in Richland, Texas." [Actually, it happened in Richardson, TX and Ed is toying with the crowd.] 'I Got Shit' is referred to as being written with "Neil Young, young, Neil. Neil Young." 'Brain of J' is introduced as "a song that was written on a grassy knoll." Ed, in a chatty mood, points out a guy who has been to all the Texas stops, holding the same "Bush Sux" sign, leading to a ramble about Bush's daughter hating him (or something along those lines). 'RVM' features the incredible tight jam with the group backlit and cast in all shadows. Jeff finally brings them down from the jam, the lights go full and the group kicks the rest of the song's ass, closing the first set. 'Better Man' has one line of "don't let me down" from 'SIFL' played. Ed introduces 'Leaving Here' as "a song about empowerment of women." He calls out to the crowd to beat a wife beater, referencing hitting a home run in New York and going home and beating the wife afterwards (perhaps David Justice). Great solos by each of the guitarists, including Jeff. 'Smile' is played by request and the harmonica given to the requester. Great audience and the band in good spirits and high energy with Ed taking several photos at the conclusion of the rousing 'Baba' with the crowd singing along loudly with the "don't cry" section, bringing down the house and Ed handing out two tambourines.
poster
order the official live cds from amazon10/18/00 - United Spirit Arena: Lubbock, TX
attendance: 15,000
support act: Supergrass
set: Interstellar Overdrive/Corduroy, Breakerfall, MFC, God's Dice, Animal, Dissident, Nothing As It Seems, Given To Fly, In Hiding, Lukin, Not For You, Daughter/?, Elderly Woman, Do The Evolution, Even Flow, Parting Ways
enc 1: Hail Hail, Everyday [Buddy Holly!!], Insignificance, Black, Better Man/(Save It For Later), Crazy Mary, Porch
enc 2: Fuckin' Up, Yellow Ledbetter
notes: Numerous small town type references from Ed, the best of which is the nod to Lubbock native Buddy Holly with his cover of 'Everyday.' He also made several mentions of how much he likes being away from the "industrial pollution" of the big cities and how he's happy to be somewhere with tumbleweeds. Someone tosses a white Texas Tech cowboy hat up and Mike wears it for a while. Ed wears a cowboy hat a bit also, and Stone also dons one during 'Black,' keeping it on until the end of the show (quite the fashion statement with the plaid pants) ;). 'Crazy Mary' is introduced as "There's got to be someone in Lubbock like this." 'Porch' is the only song that really features a full-fledged jam session. A fan (Jamie) is brought up onstage during the 'YL' solo, Ed dances with her, sits her on his monitor, takes a polaroid, then they watch Mike close the show out together and Ed gives her a photo and his bottle of wine. If any tapers can get us the cover, you know the drill. Thanks.
setlist scan
poster
order the official live cds from amazon10/20/00 - Mesa del Sol Amphitheatre: Albuquerque, NM
attendance: 12,000
support act: Supergrass
set: Of The Girl, Do The Evolution, Hail Hail, Grievance, Corduroy, Off He Goes, Given To Fly, Nothing As It Seems, Evacuation, Wishlist, Untitled, MFC, Habit, In My Tree, Daughter/(WMA), Insignificance, Better Man, Black
enc 1: Go, State of Love and Trust, Even Flow, Elderly Woman, Whipping, Rearviewmirror
enc 2: Yellow Ledbetter, Rockin' In The Free World
notes: An unexpectedly powerful show with a kick ass audience. "It's nice to have a gathering like this in Albuquerque, New Mexico ... thanks for being here," Ed greets the crowd. 'Wishlist' has a major lyric mishap, and Ed ends the song with "I wish I wish I wish I wasn't the guy who forgot the words, I wish I wish I wish I wish...I guess it could be worse." (Even Flow by contrast was pretty damn perfect.) 'Untitled' is very extended, and the lyrics are modified to "18 minutes or so" tonight. 'Habit' is also oddly extended and Ed is "speaking as a child of the earth." Matt nails 'In My Tree.' McCready causes mass panic by ripping out the opening riffs to David Bowie's 'Ziggy Stardust' while the techs deal with some issues prior to 'RVM.' The highlight of the show was none other than Jesse, who is probably 9 years old, and is pulled out of the audience by Ed during 'RITFW' and gets to dance onstage, and then on Ed's shoulders, and then Ed runs him around to Matt's drum riser, Matt gives him a drum stick and they play drums together. Oh, and if the kid with the tape recorder that Ed spoke into during "Yellow Ledbetter" is reading us, drop us a line. :-)
Caryn's review
order the official live cds from amazon10/21/00 - Desert Sky Pavilion: Phoenix, AZ
support act: Supergrass
set: Long Road, Corduroy, Grievance, Animal, State of Love and Trust, Dissident, Nothing As It Seems, Given To Fly, Wishlist, MFC, Timeless Melody, Even Flow, Insignificance, Thin Air, (Romanza)/Better Man, Lukin, Rearviewmirror
enc 1: Once, Do The Evolution, I Got Shit, Crazy Mary, Elderly Woman, Baba O'Riley
enc 2: Soon Forget, Yellow Ledbetter
notes: A very chatty evening, and just when you thought Stone Gossard couldn't top the fashion parade, he takes the stage tonight in the famous plaid pants and a very natty cream-colored (with leopard accents) cowboy hat. (NOT kidding.) Another very Stoney evening. "How is everyone... hi. How's everyone in the back is what we really want to know.. do you still like Seattle back there? Beautiful night for a concert. Be careful up there." Ed greets us after 'Dissident' (it was pouring rain up until PJ took the stage). 'Wishlist' is dedicated to "Uncle John, who taught me everything I knew up until age 14, which is quite a bit, if you think about it...then my Uncle Fred, he taught me how to smoke pot, and I forgot everything Uncle John taught me... no, it was good stuff that got me through to that age, so thank you." Ed takes the Rickenbacker and introduces 'Timeless Melody' as a song taught to them by Matt Cameron in Barcelona. "This next one is called 'Gutter Punks and Whiskey'," introduces a cranking 'Even Flow,' with such a dynamic solo by Mike that Stone stands there laughing and shaking his head. Ed gets the words to both 'Wishlist' and 'Even Flow' tonight, but the jury is still out as to what he sang for the first three lines of 'Lukin.' A small political speech begins the encore: "We've never thought it was our place to suggest who to vote for, but in this case - fuck it. You should vote for Ralph Nader." Ed mentions that tomorrow's show is the 10th anniversary of the first Pearl Jam show, "not that it's a big deal or anything ... so 10 years ago tonight we were in a basement drinking beer ... Rainier beer, right?" 'Yellow Ledbetter' is tagged with both 'Ain't Talkin' Bout Love' and 'Eruption' by Van Halen.
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order the official live cds from amazon10/22/00 - MGM Grand Arena: Las Vegas, NV
attendance: 17,157
support act: Supergrass
soundcheck: Crown of Thorns (several times), Better Man, Save It For Later (instrumental), Can't Help Falling In Love (several times)
set: Interstellar Overdrive/Corduroy, Breakerfall, Grievance, Last Exit, Animal, Dissident, Nothing as it Seems, Given to Fly, Wishlist, Untitled/MFC, Even Flow, Jeremy, Insignificance, Better Man, Lukin, Rearviewmirror,
enc 1: Do The Evolution, Once, Crown of Thorns, Black, Can't Help Falling In Love With You, Elderly Woman, Mankind, Last Kiss, Porch
enc 2: Baba O'Riley, Yellow Ledbetter
notes: Ed is apparently ill, blowing his nose and tapping himself in the head at various points in the show, as if he has a headache. After 'Animal,' Ed addresses the crowd, asking how many winners/losers there are in the audience (referencing gambling). He notes, "I should be included amongst the perpetual losers, but hey, I've a pretty good living for a loser." There are numerous references to this being the anniversary of their ten years together. Ed says that he sent a tape to Stone and Jeff more than ten years ago and was glad they recognized the great talent (they all start laughing). He also references how he used to have the anonymity that he now so desires. The band is greeted by a sea of balloons in the front of the seated area (organized by fans) when they return to the stage for the first encore, in honor of the 10th anniversary of PJ's very first show, and Ed breaks into a huge smile. Ed gives a lengthy speech ("I would never do this accepting a Grammy or something, but I can do this now because we're here, and it's just you and us ...") thanking a long list of people (including Kelly Curtis and Sony). He points out that not many bands are around for 10 years and being relevant, and says, "I mean, this might be it for us," which is met with a deafening "boo!" and then says "No, we'll still make music, I mean, can we still be relevant." He concludes by thanking Stone and Jeff, providing a sweet segue into Mother Love Bone's 'Crown of Thorns.' Brendan O'Brien accompanies PJ on keyboard for 'Crown of Thorns', 'Black' and 'Can't Help Falling In Love With You.' Celebrities sidestage included Tim Burton, Dave Grohl and Nicolas Cage, who got one of Ed's tambourines during 'Baba.'
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MGM poster (NOT the band poster)
Caryn's review
order the official live cds from amazon10/24/00 - The Greek Theatre: Los Angeles, CA
attendance: 6,162
support act: Supergrass
set: Sometimes, Corduroy, Whipping, Grievance, Hail Hail, Animal, Light Years, Nothing As It Seems, Wishlist, Daughter/(Beautiful Way), Lukin, Not For You, Even Flow, (Romanza)/Better Man/(Save it for Later), Black, Insignificance, Rearviewmirror, Parting Ways
enc 1: Do The Evolution, State of Love and Trust, U, Crazy Mary, Fuckin' Up
enc 2: Soon Forget, Yellow Ledbetter
notes: A very up and down show, Ed obviously battling a cold, but cracking jokes and the crowd at the front and sides on fire at the smallest venue of the tour. After 'Light Years' Ed speaks for the first time and saying that the venue is like "... playing someone's back yard ... the devil's back yard." Wild Matt fills during 'NAIS' and Mike playing guitar behind his head. After 'EF,' Ed mentions that before the show, there were two huge car company signs at the front of the stage which the venue didn't want to remove. "We definitely didn't want be a two hour commercial for Dodge...and they weren't going to take it down. Actually, we could be a commercial for Dodge," and proceeds to sing a little bit: "Can't find a better van ... or we could do one for Ford," and then rips away at his guitar. Ed also says he was glad to play the Greek when it was still the Greek, and wasn't the "Cisco Theater, or the Firestone Theater..."
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order the official live cds from amazon10/25/00 - San Diego Sports Arena: San Diego, CA
attendance: 13,900
support act: Supergrass
set: Long Road, Breakerfall, Corduroy, Whipping, God's Dice, Animal, Given To Fly, Even Flow, Wishlist, Rearviewmirror, Rival, Jeremy, Pilate, MFC, Daughter/(The Wrong Child), Soon Forget, Immortality, Insignificance, Go
enc 1: Don't Be Shy (Ed solo), In My Tree, State of Love and Trust, Once, Elderly Woman, Black, Parting Ways
enc 2: Yellow Ledbetter
notes: After 'Animal' Ed comments that the name of the venue is the San Diego Sports Arena, but that he questions why it's called that, there aren't any sports here. He says that he and Matt used to watch bands there growing up, that they never saw a sporting event. After 'Rival,' Ed says, "Stone wrote that song, and it should be nicknamed "growing up gay in Littleton ... that's Columbine ... the next song is pre-Columbine and it's something I read about." 'Soon Forget' is prefaced with the comment: "This is as close as we're going to get to Hawaii this tour, so we might as well break out the ukulele." At the end of 'Immortality,' Ed comments that they were fortunate to play to with Matt, and Matt's playing with them is a significant thought, and the next song is 'Insignificance.' 'Don't Be Shy' is a Cat Stevens cover. Before playing it, Ed says that it's nice to be in a place that he used to call home, and he said he'd been talking with a friend and that it had been a rough year, and that this song that he was about to sing was a tool that he had used to get out of feeling depressed or bad. 'Elderly Woman' is prefaced with, "Small Town was written for the old people who were pissed off and had angst, because Ten dealt with young people who had angst." Finally, Ed calls the audience "fucking lucky bastards" to live in San Diego, and that he hopes the waves are good tomorrow, since they are taking Supergrass surfing. The polaroid makes its return at the second encore. Mike's amp goes out in the middle of Ledbetter for 10 seconds. Matt had some snare problems and they switched out his snare probably 3 or 4 times, 1 of which caused a small delay in the set. Mike was once again really hamming it up for the crowd. Stone had a really good show and did some great Stone chicken head bobbing. Matt was *clearly* playing for a hometown crowd - not showing off per se, but really rocking hard for his homies. Great hometown show.
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review
order the official live cds from amazon10/27/00 - Selland Arena: Fresno, CA
support act: Supergrass
set: Interstellar Overdrive/Corduroy, Breakerfall, Whipping, Last Exit, Hail Hail, Animal, Dissident, Nothing As It Seems, Untitled, MFC, Habit, I Got Shit, Daughter/(Another Brick In The Wall), Even Flow, State of Love and Trust, Black, Parting Ways
enc 1: Soon Forget, Better Man, Insignificance, Do The Evolution, Footsteps, Rearviewmirror
enc 2: Indifference, Rockin' In The Free World
notes: After 'Dissident,' Ed addresses the crowd, how they've never played Fresno but they've passed through it going 65-70 mph. He also mentioned that he had gone to the doctor because he'd been sick, "so the singer's on drugs tonight" and asked if anyone else was...there were cheers and then he said, "ah Fresno, I wouldn't expect anything less of you." After 'MFC,' Ed then apparently tells a joke about an Australian guy who got a tattoo on his ass of Yogi bear. He then intro'd Habit as "this is a song about looking into a dark hole and getting sucked into it." The "speaking as" line was, "speaking as Mike McCready with more tattoos than anyone else in the band." During 'Even Flow,' Ed is smoking during the solo break, and then goes over and puts his cigarette into Mike's mouth as he finishes. After "Black" Ed says, "That last song was about being in love and it's all over, this next song is about something scarier, being in love and you know it's going to end soon," and the band goes into 'Parting Ways.'
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order the official live cds from amazon10/28/00 - Glen Helen Blockbuster Pavilion: Devore, CA
support act: Supergrass
set: Rearviewmirror, Go, Animal, State of Love and Trust, Given To Fly, Grievance, Corduroy, Wishlist, Nothing As It Seems, Evacuation, Even Flow, Light Years, Daughter/?, Jeremy, Leatherman, Better Man, Nothingman, Spin The Black Circle, Porch
enc 1: Breakerfall, Insignificance, Elderly Woman, Crazy Mary, U, Do The Evolution
enc 2: Yellow Ledbetter
notes: Ed greets the crowd after 'SOLAT' with "Hello San Pedro ... What? This isn't San Pedro, Jesus it's been a long tour." Ed then puts on a pair of giant (3 feet tall) artificial hands during 'GTF' and makes hand gestures with them throughout the song. The 'Daughter' tag is an improv about love: "Love is better than this song ... let's hear it for love." During 'Porch' Ed looks like he is trying to figure out how to get up to the lighting rig -- but instead, he CROWDSURFS. Jeff looks kind of irked at this behavior. Before the first encore Ed apologized for leaving the crowd out in the cold but there was a small fight backstage. "Don't worry, no one is quitting the band yet," he said sarcastically. Before the first encore there were a few lawn fires started (typical for this venue), so when the band came back for the first encore, Ed said, "I'm going to be a little serious here, no I'm going to be very serious." He mentions how a few people in the back are starting a fires and how Woodstock and was some of the most fucked-up shit he's ever seen. During 'Elderly Woman' a guy jumps onstage. Once Ed realizes that he is no threat he pushes security away and let him stay onstage throughout the song. The guy is a real ham, standing between Jeff and Ed and pantomiming the lyrics. After the song, as the the guy is led away by security, Ed says: "Have a nice evening in jail young man ... by the way, if you have the urge to do that, I highly recommend you don't ..." Then he comments, "Ya know ... when he was leaving, I gave him a guitar pick and he turned and said to me, 'Can I ask you a favor?'" (which gets tremendous applause because it was only due to Ed's intervention in the first place that he wasn't kicked off the stage immediately.) When the band came back for the second encore Ed thanked their crew for having to deal with an outdoor venue at this time of year. He then asks for a round of applause for Supergrass and mentioned how "When we first met Supergrass back in ... (looks back to Jeff and Matt) Montreal! ... Jesus Christ it really has been a long tour, when we first met them they said that they just couldn't wait to play San Bernadino." Before 'Leatherman,' Ed stops and addresses the crowd with one of his many long speeches of the night. He introduces each band member and mentions what they worked at before becoming famous: Mike worked in a coffee shop, Jeff worked in a pizza place, Matt worked at Kinkos (which gets a big laugh). "And then, Stone Gossard. Never worked a day in his life." More laughter. Stone says something to Eddie. "Oh, he says he worked at a lumberyard. I've never heard this. (stone says something else to ed)...Ohhh!! His uncle owned the lumberyard...Can I get you some coffee, Uncle Steve?" Now it's Ed's turn: "And myself ... well, how about this: I waited tables. My first job was construction, but I had to save my hands. The restaurant I waited for had this thing called the holy trinity. It was a meal for the cheapskates that couldn't afford a real meal. At this particular restaurant there happened to be a LOT of cheapskates and people that didn't tip. I'm kidding if you're out there listening. Anyways, the holy trinity was soup, salad and bread. Here's Pearl Jam's holy trinity. See if you can put it together as we go." 'Wash' is on the setlist but not played.
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order the official live cds from amazon10/30/00 - Sacramento Valley Amphitheatre: Marysville, CA
attendance: 8,000-10,000 (capacity 18,500)
support act: Supergrass
set: Whipping, Insignificance, Animal, Last Exit, State of Love and Trust, Given To Fly, Elderly Woman, Tremor Christ, Even Flow, Daughter/(?), Better Man, Jeremy, Light Years, Immortality, Do The Evolution, Brain of J, Rearviewmirror
enc 1: Breakerfall, Corduroy, Last Kiss, The Kids Are Alright [full band!], Go
enc 2: Yellow Ledbetter
notes: "Good evening. Cold enough for you?" Ed inquires as the band takes the stage. (It's not quite Alpine Valley, but VERY cold.) Everyone is wearing hats or wigs. Mike has a black afro on. Ed has that big fuzzy hat he wears at the beginning of Single Video Theory when he's punching in at the time clock. Stone has a dark Beatle-ish wig on. (Practicing for tomorrow night, perhaps!) 'Better Man' has one chorus of the instrumental 'SIFL,' not quite a tag. Two friends from down under get the Australian flag up to Ed during 'DTE' and he wraps himself in it, later spreading it over the monitors in front of Matt's drumkit. When the guys return for the first encore, Ed has on the orange stocking cap that Stone wore on Letterman. After 'Corduroy,' Ed puts the hat on Stone, who is now wearing a wig AND a hat. "We're gonna do a song we've never done together as a full band," and Ed dedicates 'The Kids Are Alright' to his cousin. "This song is about desperation" introduces 'Go'. By the time the band reaches 'YL,' Stone has his hooded sweatshirt over his head (over the wig and the hat) and Ed is over on the side during Mike's solo, tying on layers, putting on gloves. Mike weaves a bit of 'Little Wing' into 'YL.' Short but brisk, fun show. Not much talking (it was cold)!
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review
order the official live cds from amazon10/31/00 - Shoreline Amphitheater: Mountain View, CA
attendance: 25,000
support act: Supergrass
set: Release, Breakerfall, Corduroy, God's Dice, Animal, State of Love and Trust, Given to Fly, Nothing as it Seems, Wishlist, In Hiding, MFC, (Romanza)/Better Man/(Save it for Later), Even Flow, Jeremy, Insignificance, Black, Porch
enc 1: Soon Forget, Whipping, Do the Evolution, Once, Sleight of Hand, Soldier of Love, Crazy Mary, The Kids Are Alright (full band), Rearviewmirror
enc 2: Yellow Ledbetter, Baba O'Riley
notes: A fairly standard set (punctuated with lots of energy and multiple simultaneous jumps from Ed and Jeff) leads to a blistering encore. "I'm already cut off, and fucking dead," Ed growls in 'Corduroy'. Two fans in the front are dressed as George W. Bush (in a Grim Reaper robe, with an axe) and Al Gore; Ed first notices them during 'God's Dice' and flips them the bird; they get a lot of understandable attention from Ed throughout the night. 'Wishlist' has a very extended ending with extra lyrics (that we couldn't hear) - something about "Eddie at 15." After the "cracks along the walls" line in 'In Hiding', Ed sings "I was high as hell." After 'Jeremy,' Ed says, "That song is about nine years old," which leads to a little political interlude about how kids these days "got more ammo than homework," and thanks to George W. Bush, "we'll have a gun in every household." He then points out the politically costumed fans, describing them, noting that the "George" costume has an "execution stick ... [otherwise known as an axe] ... George W, the "texecutioner" .. what's really fucking scary is that he might win ... if he wins, I predict we'll be out in the streets within two years, taking our country back ... There's the electoral vote, and there's the popular vote: to be popular, you gotta vote," and this all goes into 'Insignificance.' A beautiful, perfect 'Soon Forget' (helped by NO CLAPPING from the audience) is dedicated to "all the dotcomers here in Silicon Valley." After loud booing from the audience (not sure if this was pro or con), Ed says, "Hey, we know, we got 'em in Seattle, too." During 'DTE' the previously mentioned Bush and Gore costumed people are invited up on stage to dance around. Ed dances with them a bit and pretends to chop their heads off with the axe. Hilarious moment! Finally, at the beginning of the second encore the band comes out dressed as the Village People! Jeff is the construction worker, Matt is the soldier, Ed is the Indian, Stone as a policeman, and Mike as a biker. Incidently, Mike is wearing chaps, but no pants, just black underwear. Jeff goes over and pulls Mike's underwear down in the back twice, and then finally at the end of the solo, pulls the whole thing down, and Mike has to go over in the corner and hide behind a monitor to finish the solo. Fun show.
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Caryn's review
review #2
order the official live cds from amazon11/02/00 - Rose Garden: Portland, OR
support act: Supergrass
set: Sometimes, Grievance, Corduroy, Go, Hail Hail, Dissident, Evacuation, Wishlist, Better Man, Given To Fly, State of Love and Trust, Untitled, MFC, Habit, Thin Air, Even Flow, Black, Insignificance, Porch
enc 1: Soon Forget, Do The Evolution, Leatherman, Nothingman, Elderly Woman, NEW SONG!!, Rearviewmirror
enc 2: Fuckin' Up
notes: 'Go' has Mike spinning in circles. "Good evening, Portland," Ed says after 'Dissident,' hefting the wine bottle. "I've got some good news, and some good news. The good news - we made it! *sarcastic snort* No, switch that. The good news is, YOU made it. The really good news is that we've come to Oregon ... tonight, knowing we play in a swing state -- you're all swingers whether you know it or not -- your vote counts!" 'Wishlist' has an extra verse that begins, "I wish I was the president/but I smoked too much pot ..." 'Better Man' has no 'SIFL' tag but instead has a repeated refrain instead. 'Untitled' is extended/expanded with additional lines, probably due to some tech problems with Matt's equipment. In 'Habit,' Ed falls back, comes to the front and says, "Speaking as a child from a town about five hours north of here ..." The song finishes with this wicked jam in which Ed breaks a string and Mike starts moving the guitar behind his head. "That song's about coffee in the morning, beer at night ... caffeine. It's a gateway drug." 'Thin Air' is introduced as "one of the better songs about new love - I can say that because it's written by Stone Gossard." The magic 'Even Flow' 8-ball gives us: "This one's called 'Have A Drink On Me." 'Soon Forget' has a *lengthy* dedication to Paul Allen (who owns the Rose Garden): "Are you here, Paul? You'd think he'd be here ... he can get in for free! He's kind of money conscious ... but he's not evil, I mean -- You know, Neil Young had a quote about Richard Nixon, 'even Richard Nixon has got soul' - I could never figure that line out." [From the song 'Campaigner']. 'DTE' lyric change: "They won't let me sing in the choir." 'Elderly Woman' ends and it sounds like Ed is going into a little extended ending, but instead starts singing an entirely new song, all the guys were playing, they were all playing with concentration, it was tight, this was not an improv!
Caryn's review
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order the official live cds from amazon11/03/00 - Idaho Center: Nampa, ID
support act: Supergrass
set: Of The Girl, Go, Corduroy, Grievance, Last Exit, Tremor Christ, Elderly Woman, Insignificance, Animal, Nothing As It Seems, I Got Shit, (Romanza)/Better Man/?, Even Flow, Daughter, Light Years, Jeremy, Given To Fly, Rearviewmirror
enc 1: Don't Be Shy (Ed and Jeff), Black, Crazy Mary, Do The Evolution, Spin the Black Circle, State of Love and Trust, Parting Ways
enc 2: Rockin' In The Free World
notes: Great show, great crowd and Ed is obviously very pleased. Two-thirds of the people were in their seats for Supergrass! Mike is doing some serious flirting and mugging for the people in the front during 'Last Exit.' At one point, he gives a mischievous grin, takes a running leap on top of his monitor and falls back immediately. This is followed by another grin and he did a great butt-rock jump-kick, then falling back, laughing. Ed addresses the crowd for the first time after 'Tremor Christ.' "Good evening, Boise, Idaho ... it's funny because you go around meeting other bands and you know other bands, and you're part of this musical community and they say 'well it really great you guys have been playing 10 years, congratulations and all that and then they say, 'God, you must have played Boise" and you go "Uh" (Ed looks off, rubbing his chin) I don't think we did. I think we skipped them a couple of times, we cancelled (boos from the crowd). Ed continues, "That was when Mike McCready was doing the bookings, so blame him. So now they find out that you've never played here and they say 'you're not even a band' So thanks for hanging in there with us." Ed introduces 'Elderly Woman' as being about Moscow, Idaho. He draws half a heart on his chest with his finger. 'Better Man' is intro'ed as "a sad song to make you feel better." Ed breaks a string and gets really into the song, jumping around until the string breaks off completely. The tag has "I know" repeated and something about being lonely or alone in the lyrics. The 'Daughter' tag is a echo-song; Ed sings "ooohhhh" and the crowd responds immediately and loudly. After a few oohh's and awww's he sings, "You're beautiful" with the crowd responding several times and Ed smiling. Then he sings "I feel beautiful" with the crowd singing back. Very moving! 'Light Years' features the incredible Stone solo (and his groovy plaid pants). At one point, a guy named Ben makes it on stage and walks up to Ed. Ed asks him what his name is and how he got up there. He says he's from Utah and promptly gets escorted off by security. To start the encore, Jeff sits with his stand-up bass, Ed sits down with his acoustic and says, "It's uh, you just don't know what it's like to be at the end of this, well you probably do know what it's like to take up a challenge and accomplish it. We're almost home and I just hope that, after this kind of intense year it would be great to end on a great show, so I just that Seattle is at least as good as this." He introduces 'Don't Be Shy' as a song they found to help them get through hard-core depression. The wine bottle is passed to the crowd during 'Crazy Mary' and features a lengthy 'Stairway to Heaven' tag by Mike. 'Parting Ways' is beautiful with Matt really shining. Ed and Mike are leaning against each other, playfully pushing during 'RITFW.' Ed says that they would never not play Boise again.
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order the official live cds from amazon11/05/00 - Key Arena: Seattle, WA
attendance: 17,000
support act: Supergrass, Red Hot Chili Peppers
soundcheck: Crown of Thorns, State of Love and Trust, Timeless Melody x 3 (with Supergrass), Parting Ways (w/string section)
pre-set: Throw Your Arms Around Me (Ed solo, before Supergrass set)
set: Long Road, Breakerfall, Corduroy, Whipping, God's Dice, Animal, Given To Fly, Nothing As It Seems, Daughter/(Bull In The Heather)/(Beautiful Way), MFC, Lukin, Wishlist, Better Man, Even Flow, Crown of Thorns, Black, Do The Evolution, Insignificance, Rearviewmirror
enc 1: Timeless Melody [with Supergrass], Light Years, Elderly Woman, Last Exit, State of Love and Trust, Spin The Black Circle, Last Kiss, Porch
enc 2: Parting Ways [with April Cameron and Justine Foy], Yellow Ledbetter
notes: The first homecoming show. In 'Long Road' Ed sings, "And the skies are always grey..." Ed also mentions that sometimes it's nice to play a show with your house key in your pocket. He later talks about how the typical Seattle weather seemed to follow them around the tour, mentioning Phoenix, Las Vegas, San Diego. 'Crown of Thorns' (once again, to everyone's surprise) is introduced as "a song that's older than me." Ed and Jeff were playing this game all night, they have been doing all these jumps in tandem for the past couple of shows, but tonight they kept trying to psych each other out and pretend one was going to jump, but then they wouldn't, and start laughing. Someone had brought a huge "VOTE BUSH" banner and hung it from the 200 level; it was removed by two industrious fans before PJ took the stage. Between 'DTE' and 'Insignificance' Ed acknowledges the previous existence of the banner and said that he couldn't believe it, and that "Just for tonight, I hope they took them out back and roughed them up a little." The members of Supergrass were brought out and thanked, and Gary and Ed trade verses on 'Timeless Melody.' WARNING - X-rated notes ahead: Afterward, Ed says, "I have a bigger cock than Flea and Patrick Ewing combined, but I don't want to brag." Mike illustrates this by holding his hands out to give us a visual. (This was referencing a comment Flea made earlier about how he heard that [new Seattle Sonic] Patrick Ewing had the biggest cock in Seattle, except that now he was in town.) April Cameron and Justine Foy are brought out (with hugs from Ed) to perform the string arrangement for 'Parting Ways.' After "Parting Ways," Jeff grabs Ed's wine bottle, takes a LONG swig, and then hands it over to Matt, who does likewise. 'Ledbetter' is lavishly tagged with 'Little Wing' (and there is a Jimi Hendrix photo, torn out of a magazine, taped to Mike's amp). Really strong, powerfully played show. On the setlist but not played: 'In Hiding' and 'The Kids Are Alright.'
Caryn's review (and photos)
show announcement
encore setlist scan
soundboard setlist scan - both sets
order the official live cds from amazon11/06/00 - Key Arena: Seattle, WA
attendance: 17,000. packed to the fuckin' rafters.
support act: Wellwater Conspiracy, Red Hot Chili Peppers
soundcheck: Parting Ways (w/strings), others we can't think of right now
Ed with Wellwater Conspiracy: Red Light Green Light, Felicity's Surprise
set: Release, Corduroy, Grievance, Rearviewmirror, Hail Hail, Evacuation, Dissident, Nothing As It Seems, In Hiding, Leatherman, Better Man, Nothingman, Even Flow, Jeremy, Lukin, Not For You, Daughter/(Androgynous Mind)
enc 1: Off He Goes, Light Years, Parting Ways, Go, Once, Crazy Mary, Immortality, ALIVE!!!
enc 2: Soon Forget, The Kids Are Alright, Baba O'Riley
enc 3: Yellow Ledbetter
notes: Ed sings two songs with Wellwater Conspiracy, dressed very dapper in that block stripe suit jacket he's fond of. "Felicity's Surprise" is from the forthcoming WWC record, on which Ed tells us he's singing, before he leaves the stage. Ed then switches to a blue Eisenhower jacket for the main set. The audience is absolutely deafening, the place is packed to the rafters. Mike is doing running leaps onto his monitors during 'RVM.' 'Evacuation' is perfect, just nails the vocals. After 'Dissident,' Ed addresses the crowd: "Hello," he says, waving. (Huge cheer.) Well, Seattle, this is it. One last show. We'll never play again," he says, with a sarcastic smirk. "Well, at least for quite a while ... at least you're better than the crowd last night." He addresses the huge security presence down front and asks them to lay off, "Stop poking people in the shoulders after every song, they're all right, just leave them alone." During Mike's 'NAIS' solo, the wine bottle is uncorked. "It's been about three months now" sings Ed in 'In Hiding.' Tonight's Section 8 (see: 104 in chicago and U19 in vegas) is 117, and a "Jeff, Jeff" chant arises after 'Leatherman.' "What??" says Ed. "I can't hear you." Jeff blushes madly and Ed goes over and hugs him. He uses this cue to mention about how Las Vegas was the 10th anniversary "of the first time we played the off ramp ... we professed our appreciation publicly for Jeff and Stone's long term relationship ..." He then informs us "the next song was written when I was sitting on my bed when I was this tall," and goes into 'Better Man.' 'Daughter' has an long, extended vocalization call-and-response with the crowd (like in Milan '00). 'Off He Goes' is dedicated to Anthony Hurley (one of the Roskilde victims). The strings come out again for 'Parting Ways.' The emerald green strat is the latest McCready victim at the end of 'Go.' 'Crazy Mary' has the solo from Zep's 'Stairway to Heaven' overlaid at the end. 'Immortality' has the best Matt Cameron drum solo ever, which leads into 'Alive;' it seems to be more emotional for the audience than it does for the band with lots of smiles and they seem okay with it. Ed returns for the second encore alone, picks up the ukulele and says, "We're gonna play one original and then go into 'Heavy Metal Hits of the 70s'," and then proceeds to play Black Sabbath's 'Iron Man' on the ukulele (I know it's late and we're way freaked out but I am so not making this up). He then mentions how the song is written about some local folks, Bill Gates and Paul Allen, and goes into a surprisingly short rant on that subject. Following that song, Ed gives a pretty long political speech urging people to vote, but also focusing on local politics, telling the audience that the city of Seattle imposed draconian conditions on the concert being at the Arena, including tripling the band's security costs. He ties this into the Teen Dance Ordinance and dedicates 'TKAA' to the people fighting it. This goes into 'Baba,' and then Ed thanks the Chili Peppers, Matt Cameron, the other 3/4 of Soundgarden, Wellwater, and then says: "See you at the voting booth tomorrow ... if you don't vote, let them put that on your fuckin' gravestone: 'John Smith, he didn't vote'." 'YL' is a total band hugfest onstage, and features the 'Little Wing' tag again.
Caryn's review
show announcement
setlist scan - both sets
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11/27/00 - Royal Albert Hall, London, England (Ed with the Who)
set: I'm One, Getting In Tune, Let's See Action [Ed with the Who], See Me, Feel Me/Listening To You [with ensemble]
notes: Stunning show, all the guests bad aside from Ed and Paul Weller (who he played 'So Sad About Us' with). With Ed, it was with John, Pete, Zak and Rabbit, ie no Roger, for 'I'm One,' then duetting with Roger on 'Gettin' In Tune.' Later in the show, we got 'Let's See Action,' and Ed looked like a little kid, having a great time, taking it all in, smiling, watching everyone, with a lovely, heartfelt 'Thanks Pete' spoken at the end. More to come.
You can see great photos and more info about the rest of the performance at Pete's web site - click on 'latest news'.
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Copyright © 2001-2004 Jean Bruns, All Rights Reserved
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