05/28/03 - Adams Fieldhouse: Missoula, MT
attendance: 7,000
support act: Idlewild
set: Can't Keep, Last Exit, Do The Evolution, Save You, Ghost, Insignificance, Cropduster, Even Flow, Grievance, Wishlist, Not For You, Whipping, Corduroy, Brain Of J, Black, Better Man, Porch
enc 1: Elderly Woman, Daughter, Crazy Mary, I Got Shit, Down, Glorified G, All Or None, Blood
enc 2: Last Kiss, Know Your Rights, Alive
enc 3: I Won't Back Down, Fortunate Son, Yellow Ledbetter
notes: Ed greets the crowd after 'Can't Keep,' talking about how it is the first night out of the second leg of the longest tour they've done since they were in their early 20s and they thought Missoula would be a good pick where it "would go well" for the first night and that it is Jeff's hometown. After 'Ghost,' Ed speaks about a crew member (lighting guy, Sarge) who is in the reserves who got called to duty but was back on the tour again. Everyone throws their hands upward at the appropriate spot in 'Wishlist' and Ed laughs and backs away from the mic briefly. The keys are shining off your 'GTOs hood" tonight and he tags the ending with, "I wish I was 21 again; I wish I could go to school again ... I'll go back when I'm 41; and I'll learn what I want ... and the required courses that I will take will be only the courses that I require and I'll raise my hand up in the front of the room and I'll tell my government what I want ... dreams, dreams, dreams ..." 'Not For You' includes, "small my table, seats all of you ..." 'Porch' is dedicated to "a young man named Sam." Returning for the encore, Ed mentions that last time they played outside and he remembers all the "freeloaders" on the hill. "Now since you can get the music for free, you gotta pay to get in." 'Elderly Woman' is dedicated to anyone from Big Sandy (Jeff's original hometown). At one point, Jeff is so into playing that he nearly takes a header off the stage. After 'Down,' Ed talks about how high the fan is blowing on him and it makes it feel like being in an Aerosmith video, Mike tossing out a "Walk This Way' riff. "We'll try something that we don't usually do ... it just never felt right in some of the bigger places that we've played ..." leads to 'All Or None.' 'Last Kiss' is for those in the back and the band turn around, playing to the seats behind them. Ed spits wine into the air and the lights, spraying himself and the crowd going nuts! He speaks to a "local issue" and how Jeff earmarked some of the proceeds from the Seattle benefit show for a skateboard park and how the approval was getting intermingled with the city council's initiative to band skateboarding on the sidewalks. He suggests a letter writing campaign and mentions the "skateboarding is not a crime" bumperstickers from years ago and how skateboards are "... not weapons of mass wheel revolution ... they're just skateboards," leading to 'Know Your Rights.' Ed's solo performance of Tom Petty's 'I Won't Back Down' seems a spur of the moment idea. Very high energy show in a small venue with a receptive, fantastic audience.
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05/30/03 - GM Place: Vancouver, BC
support act: Idlewild
pre-set: You've Got to Hide Your Love Away (Ed solo)
set: Love Boat Captain, Animal, Hail Hail, Save You, Get Right, Corduroy, Given To Fly, Even Flow, Thumbing My Way, You Are, I Am Mine, Lukin/Grievance, 1/2 Full, Better Man/(Save It For Later), Parting Ways, Rearviewmirror
enc 1: Soon Forget, Do The Evolution, Elderly Woman, State Of Love And Trust, Go
enc 2: I Won't Back Down, Bushleaguer, Crazy Mary, Rockin' In The Free World, Yellow Ledbetter
notes: Ed is wearing a Cubs cap during the preset and at the start of the show. The start of 'Hail Hail' is totally botched with each starting at a different time and stopping about 5 seconds into it, looking at each other and Mike cracking up. Matt gives a "1, 2, 3" count and they begin again, nailing it. Ed greets "our neighbors, Vancouver" after 'Corduroy.' 'Thumbing My Way' is played for Adam Kasper who drove up to see the show. Matt's drumwork makes the snappy transition from 'Lukin' to 'Grievance.' '1/2 Full' is slightly extended as Ed uses the mirror to capture the spotlight to light different areas of the crowd when he sings, "Who will save the world?" 'Parting Ways' is intense, but Jeff's bass is malfunctioning. As soon as the song ends, 'RVM' begins immediately Jeff quickly switches his bass out for a new one. He's still having problems, but gets it worked out in time to lead into the "saw things..." section finally. Ed returns to the stage alone at the start of the first encore and starts to sing a bit of 'Oh Canada.' "I'm waiting for a special guest ... not that special. There's a joke that they tell down in Seattle ... have you ever noticed that Canada is kinda like your Grandma's attic? You never go there and then when you do, you get up there and you go what the fuck is all this shit? ... But it's been a beautiful two days here ... you should be lucky that this is a secret." He says they asked Mr. Bill Gates to come to the show but he was busy (out shopping ... "the republican lobby") and jokes that he is going to buy Canada. The mask finally makes it out to him and Ed places it on the mic stand saying, "If you watch closely ... I'm impaling him in a ritualistic manner," leading to 'Soon Forget.' Ed puts on the mask, leading straight into 'DTE' and he pushes the mask up to sing and leans over so the mask is facing the crowd. He throws the mask to the crowd. 'Elderly Woman' is dedicated to the guys from Medicine Hat (who had to hitchhike to be there when their vehicle broke down). To start the second encore, Ed performs Tom Petty's 'I Won't Back Down' and it seems more practiced. 'Bushleaguer' is a surprise, but the Canadian crowd eats it up. (Lots of signs in the crowd, one saying "It's OK, you're in Canada" on one side with "Bushleaguer" on the back.) After 'RITFW,' performed with the house lights on, Mike grabs another guitar wanting to do 'YL' so they do one more.
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06/01/03 - Shoreline Amphitheatre: Mountain View (San Francisco), CA
support act: Idlewild
preset: Throw Your Arms Around Me (Ed solo)
set: Long Road, Do The Evolution, Animal, Save You, Green Disease, Grievance, I Am Mine, You Are, Even Flow, Not For You, Corduroy, Habit, Daughter/(It Rains On Me), Thumbing My Way, Present Tense, 1/2 Full, Insignificance, Go
enc 1: Love Boat Captain, Elderly Woman, Better Man, Crazy Mary, Alive, Porch
enc 2: Know Your Rights, Bushleaguer, Fuckin' Up
notes: Ed offers a toast to those who participated in the February 15th protests prior to 'Grievance.' 'Not For You' is dedicated to Michael Powell (FCC chairman appointed by Bush and son of Colin Powell). 'It Rains On Me' (a Tom Waits song) is tagged on 'Daughter,' with Ed inviting the crowd to sing. He introduces 'Present Tense' as a rarely played song that starts out with just "me and Mike." The rest of the band is off stage and they gradually join in. Returning for the encore, Ed screams out, "All right everybody. Can I hear it for a Sunday night in San Francisco?!" in his best Steven Tyler scream. He mentions how the band thinks the energy seems a little low and it might be because it is a Sunday night but then takes personal blame for it. He speaks of how often they've played at Shoreline and jokes about waking up sweating after having dreams about Mike in the Village People outfit. He continues, "Unless Neil stops playing here, we'll never get to be the house band ... and I think we're coming back in October to play with Neil." He mentions that the Dixie Chicks will be there, too and there is a mix of cheers and boos. "Anybody who boos the Dixie Chicks ... you're a fucking pussy and I'll kick your ass." 'Crazy Mary' brings the energy level up, with a huge jam at the end (featuring dueling solos between Mike and Boom). An incredible 'Porch' features Mike wandering the stage, Ed running up the aisle to the 200 section and an interlude where Ed does some political speaking, including: "... music is a weapon of mass construction ... let's have a preemptive strike against another four shitty years." At the end of 'Fuckin' Up,' Mike goes to get another guitar but that's the end of the show.
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06/02/03 - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater: Irvine (Los Angeles), CA
attendance: 16,000
support act: Idlewild
soundcheck: In Hiding, Dissident, Of The Girl, Oceans
set: Of The Girl, Last Exit, Save You, Corduroy, Love Boat Captain, Given To Fly, Even Flow, Gimme Some Truth, I Am Mine, Jeremy, Wishlist, Immortality, Whipping, Deep, Thumbing My Way, Black, Rearviewmirror
enc 1: You Are, Daughter/(Atomic Dog), (With My Own Two Hands), Alive, Blood
enc 2: I Am A Patriot, Down, Crazy Mary, Baba O'Riley, Yellow Ledbetter
notes: A bluesy 'Of The Girl' opens with Ed yelling "Let's go!" at the end, ripping into 'Last Exit.' Ed mentions they have friends and family there. The second verse of 'Even Flow' is modified to include something about the FCC. 'Wishlist' is extended: "I wish I was the dolphin swimming just off your shore ... and "I wish I was a human being that can somehow love you more. How I feel I just can't express ... I try harder every day ... how I feel ... try to write songs, try to write notes, try to write letters ... but the words get stuck in my mind," which leads to 'Immortality.' Ed references the bonfire on the grass in the back the last time they played here and what a relief that isn't happening now. He says he thinks he met Matt here when Ed was just about to go to Seattle and Matt was in Soundgarden and points how how far back he was in the crowd. "It took about 10 years to get 30 yards from there to here ... the biggest jump is probably this last four or five feet." A bit of 'With My Own Two Hands' (a Ben Harper song) is sung acapella briefly after 'Daughter.' 'Blood' includes a good three-way jump at one of the stops (Mike, Jeff, Ed). At the start of the second encore, Ed thanks those in the back and jokes about how it is easier to smoke pot back there. He says they were told they have 15 minutes to wrap up the show and if they went beyond the curfew, it would cost "a decent chunk of money" and he talks about passing a hat, but that they are playing longer and it will cost $5,000. After 'Patriot,' "That was a good two grand!" 'Crazy Mary' has the long Boom solo, then Mike, then trading off. Stone plays some super energized and rhythmic acoustic flurries and dances/skips around. The whole band is smiling at Boom and watching him. 'Baba' is huge with tambourines bashed and thrown like Frisbees into the crowd. Stone is doing mini-windmills. Afterward, Matt leaves the stage and has his jacket on when Mike and Ed go into YL' and that closes the evening. Not a lot of talk, but an amazing set with dead on vocals, no lyrical flubs, technically tight and the band in good spirits.
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06/03/03 - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater: Irvine (Los Angeles), CA
support act: Idlewild
set: Can't Keep, Spin The Black Circle, Save You, Grievance, Cropduster, Nothing As It Seems, Even Flow, You Are, 1/2 Full, Given To Fly, Daughter/(With My Own Two Hands), Lukin, Corduroy, Untitled, MFC, Black, Love Boat Captain, Porch
enc 1: I Am A Patriot, Do The Evolution, Elderly Woman, State Of Love And Trust, Crazy Mary, Alive
enc 2: Know Your Rights, Bushleaguer, Fortunate Son, Rockin' In The Free World
notes: Ed greets the crowd after 'Cropduster,' mentioning the show the previous night, how good it was and that the crowd has a lot to live up to. He tells how the show is a live broadcast on 94.9 independent radio station in San Diego "and you're all part of it." Ed does berserk, mad, unhinged dancing at the end of '1/2 Full,' shouting out, "Do something! Save the world ... do something!" Crowd seems a little flat until 'Given To Fly.' 'With My Own Two Hands' is tagged on 'Daughter,' with an extended call and response, the crowd chanting the "with my own two hands" part during each verse. Ed adds the tag line "94.9 San Diego ... the independent station" at the start of various songs. Mike and Stone play together during 'Lukin' making funny opposing head nods with Stone's chiming guitar part. Mike, for the second night in a row, runs around in circles with his head in his hands to psych himself up for the 'Corduroy' solo. 'Untitled' includes going to Mexico and "taking a board just in case." He trades his fedora for Donita's (Sparks, from L7) sailor's hat before starting 'Love Boat Captain.' After 'DTE,' Ed talks about how they did an interview where they were asked about the origin of the band's name and how they gave a bogus response, but the true answer is they were looking for "good initials" and they came up with P.J. based on basketball coach Phil Jackson so "We will be well-coached and winners." (Phil Jackson is in the pit seats and the wine gets passed directly to him first during 'Crazy Mary.') Lyrics are forgotten during 'SOL&T.' To start off the second encore, Ed says, "If you want more, we got it. (crowd cheers) All right ... you got it!" He references 94.9 radio again and speaks to how the FCC legislation just passed to open up the possibility of communications corporations becoming bigger monopolies and that we should all be concerned because the airwaves belong to all of us. He recommends visiting epitaph.com and that's their "public service announcement," leading to 'Know Your Rights.' Very political second encore with 'Bushleaguer' (no fanfare; no mask) and 'Fortunate Son' following. He yells out, "All right southern California! ... pander pander pander." He talks about how the two back to back shows felt like they were having twins and this second night is "the ugly one," but that the crowd came through for them. He brings out Jack Irons to drum while Matt plays Ed's red SG Junior on 'RITFW,' making snarling/smiling rock faces throughout the song. Jeff and Matt do "the lean" briefly. Mike runs into the crowd during 'RITFW'. Ed tells Jack when to come down for the "thousand points of light" verse.
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06/05/03 - San Diego Sports Arena: San Diego, CA
support act: Idlewild
set: Better Man, Do The Evolution, Save You, Animal, Given To Fly, Get Right, Even Flow, I Am Mine, Corduroy, 1/2 Full, Wishlist, Thumbing My Way, Not For You, Present Tense, Blood, Rearviewmirror
enc 1: You Are, Elderly Woman, Daughter/(People Have The Power), Elderly Woman, Crazy Mary, Go
enc 2: Blue Red Grey, Sonic Reducer, Alive
enc 3: Arc, Baba O'Riley
notes: Unusual 'Better Man' opener with a crazy crowd that's ready to sing. 'DTE' is changed to "I am the first man to surf this place" and 'GTF' is "had a joint in a tree" instead of smoke and that gets a cheer. Ed uses the mirror and the spotlight during '1/2 Full' and shines it on himself near the end, nearly blinding himself. At the start of the encore, Ed talks about coming to see shows there ... The Who, David Bowie, Queen, KISS, Cheap Trick... and that he was usually up in about C18 but that was the "pass the joint" section. He jests about seeing Nugent with his "Tarzan loincloth" and how he was going to wear his tonight but didn't. "It's kind of an ensemble. You can't really wear it unless you got the bow and arrow, too." He speaks about the ocean and surfing and the benefits of what Surfrider is doing. Excellent long 'People Have The Power' tag on 'Daughter.' Ed returns for the second encore alone and talks a bit about Jewel and how if he messes up a lyric, it is because he is so highly anticipating her new record release. He goes on about how one of her songs will be part of a commercial for ladies' razors or a feminine hygiene product and how exciting that is because he won't have to buy it, he can just watch TV and wait for the commercial. He talks about PJ's best commercial offer that was for Viagra. "It was a singing penis ... a little singing cock singing I'm still alive. Six million dollars we turned down to prevent our song from being sung by a cock." This leads to 'Blue Red Grey' sung for Pete. Ed looks rough and asks for a fan from the crew early in the show. His throat seems to get progressively worse, becoming more weak and painful to him. He changes 'Alive' to "I'm barely alive." He gets nailed by something thrown from the crowd and he grabs and slams it down beside Matt's drumkit. Regardless, for the third encore, the crew brings out a chair and some unfamiliar equipment. Ed asks the crowd to be quiet (getting somewhat annoyed because the crowd won't quit yelling) so he can try 'Arc' (for the first live performance) and puts on headphones. He uses a loop recorder, adding another vocal layer after each loop as it builds and builds. ('Arc' is not included with any of the official bootlegs released.) 'Baba' closes the show.
poster06/06/03 - MGM Grand: Las Vegas, NV
attendance: 17,000
support act: Idlewild
set: Go, Save You, Spin The Black Circle, Last Exit, Even Flow, I Believe In Miracles, Interstellar Overdrive/Corduroy, Better Man, You Are, Grievance, Wishlist, Green Disease, Daughter, Present Tense, Lukin, State Of Love And Trust, Porch
enc 1: Last Kiss, Love Boat Captain, Down, Breath, Do The Evolution
enc 2: You've Got To Hide Your Love Away, Crazy Mary, Know Your Rights, Fuckin' Up, Rockin' In The Free World
notes: Very hard and fast series of opening songs. Before 'STBC,' Ed welcomes the "winners and losers alike." Ed engages the crowd to start off the first two verses 'Better Man' and says "Good singing!" at the end. 'Daughter' includes a "Hey ho, let's go" chant between Ed and the crowd. During 'Porch,' Ed tries to inspire the audience to "raise the roof off this place ... it's probably made of plastic." Returning for the encore, Ed starts singing, "Luck be a lady tonight," the apologizing for turning into "Buddy Love" for a moment. 'Last Kiss' is for the people in the back but Ed seriously baubles the lyrics while the band plays on. He blames it on the "strength of the wine" and says everyone makes mistakes. "I feel like Sammy Sosa ... The worst thing is I was feeling like such a winner right before ... I should have folded." After 'Down,' Ed says they will play a song to test his lyrical knowledge again, leading to 'Breath.' Ed returns to start the second encore, teasing humorously with a short improv of the Clash's 'Should I Stay Or Should I Go' with the crowd cheering, "Stay!" He speaks about how he's going to use his tax break to get Bush out of office, leading to a bit of chat about democracy and a solo 'Hide Your Love Away' with the crowd helping out by singing the "Hey!" at the start of each chorus. Matt drums the intro to 'Fuckin' Up' but that stops and they play 'Know Your Rights,' then return to play 'Fuckin' Up' properly, with Ed exclaiming"cuss words!" The lights come up and Mike plays a 'Barracuda' teaser as Ed introduces their "neighbors" from Seattle, Ann and Nancy Wilson (Heart), and they join PJ for 'RITFW,' with Ed and Ann throwing out many tambourines to the crowd in a big finish.06/07/03 - Cricket Pavilion: Phoenix, AZ
support act: Idlewild
set: Elderly Woman, Given To Fly, Save You, Insignificance, Cropduster, Immortality, Blood, Breakerfall, Gimme Some Truth, Corduroy, Off He Goes, Even Flow, Daughter/(WMA)/(ABITW), Better Man, Spin The Black Circle, Rearviewmirror
enc 1: I Won't Back Down (Ed Solo), Love Boat Captain, Black, Glorified G, Do The Evolution
enc 2: I Believe in Miracles, Indifference, Baba O'Riley
notes: An extremely hot show, low energy and Ed's voice suffering. He stumbles over the 'GTF' lyrics but the crowd is there for him and Ed laughs and is thankful. After 'Cropduster,' Ed draws his hand across his throat and apologizes for his voice. "It's like singing while sucking on a brow dryer right now ..." He thanks the crew for working in the 105 degree heat and gives his sympathy as they have to drive to El Paso next. 'Breakerfall' is introduced as a love song. Ed plays the opening chords to "Gimme Some Truth" and pauses. "Fucking Las Vegas. That's classic lead singer behavior right there; you just blame it on something else." Ed asks the crowd to sing the 'Another Brick In The Wall' tag and he modifies the lyrics to sing about teachers and needing better pay. There's a small "Eddie" chant at the start of the first encore and Ed responds, "If you're going to do it, don't do it half ass," which creates a large "Eddie" chant. He quickly quells it, "All right that's enough." He thanks the crowd for coming out on a Friday night and the crowd corrects him (it is Saturday) and he seems surprised. "Jesus Christ, it's been a long tour." He pulls out a note from his cousin and introduces 'I Won't Back Down' as a song he'd sing to kids. 'Black' has a great moment when Ed positions the mic toward the crowd and they sing the ending. Great moment during Black as crowd sang the ending; put the mic with stand out for the crowd to sing the closing. Returning quickly for the second encore, Ed says, "It's too hot to stop!" and dedicates the next song to Johnny Ramone, leading to 'I Believe In Miracles.' Ed hands a person in a wheelchair a tambourine during 'Baba.'
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setlist scans06/09/03 - Smirnoff Music Center: Dallas, TX
support act: Idlewild
set: Alive, Brain Of J, 1/2 Full, Go, Corduroy, Green Disease, I Am Mine, Daughter/(Of The Girl), Nothingman, Jeremy, I Got Shit, Blood, Dissident, Better Man, Save You, Even Flow
enc 1: Arc, Can't Keep, State Of Love And Trust, Elderly Woman, Black, Rearviewmirror
enc 2: Crazy Mary, Rockin' In The Free World
notes: Starting with the all too familiar 'Alive' riff sends the crowd into a frenzy and they smoke through the first few songs. For the 'Daughter' tag, Ed has the crowd repeat "A", "L", "L", "A", "S", "D" and asks "What's that spell? ... I don't know how to spell!" and then sings the closing lyrics from 'Of The Girl.' He speaks at length after 'Jeremy' about how "Houston has the president, San Antonio has the basketball team and you guys have the voices. If this was like American Idol in Texas, you guys would win." Then he talks about a "contest," holding up a folder that is inscribed with "WMD" ... that there is a folder taped to the bottom of a chair in the crowd with back stage passes in it, and that at the end of the show, they would all go and tear Dallas up with two folks from the crowd. "If you don't have it then that means you got shit and you can relate to this," leading to a lovely 'I Got Shit.' Later, he asks if anyone has found the folder and grins, telling them to keep looking. After 'Dissident,' Jeff says, "Skip Habit ... fuck Habit," and they play 'Better Man." After 'SOL&T," Ed introduces the band and mentions Stone playing Les Paul guitars and there is a toast to Mr. Les Paul and that he's 88 years old and that "Les is more." Then, Boom: "Don't mess with Texas? Yeah, well don't mess with fuckin' Boom, all right? In fact, you can't mess with any of us as long as Boom is close by." The second encore starts off with Ed introducing 'Crazy Mary' saying, "We're gonna play it better than we've ever played it before." Ed again asks if anyone has found the WMD folder ... "Please don't tell me it wasn't there. Don't tell me the WMDs weren't there somewhere. That would be upsetting. Keep looking!" leading to 'RITFW.' Of course, this is all a big joke, with "WMD" being an acronym for "weapons of mass destruction," and the folder was never found (many didn't get the joke), but it was a clever way to voice displeasure in an intelligent way in Texas.
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setlist scan06/10/03 - Alltel Arena: Little Rock, AR
support act: Idlewild
set: Arc, Save You, Animal, Grievance, Corduroy, Love Boat Captain, Cropduster, Even Flow, Light Years, Lukin, Insignificance, You Are, Thumbing My Way, Better Man/(Save It For Later), Alive, Do The Evolution
enc 1: Given To Fly, I Believe In Miracles, Elderly Woman, Sleight Of Hand, Fortunate Son
enc 2: The Kids Are Alright, Last Kiss, Baba O'Riley
notes: Unusual 'Arc' opener. After 'Corduroy,' Ed greets the crowd: "How's everybody in Little Rock? You sound like big rock. Is there such a thing as big rock?" He dedicates the show to Damien, Jason and Jessie, holding up a banner from the crowd that says "Free WM3." He adds, "Next time we play, we want them to be right there." Ed chats about the great crew and how hot the southwestern shows have been but how they've appreciated the great response. He jokes that there is a single guy watching and masturbating to "Three's Company" in a skybox, and that this is his segue into a "sensitive song" leading to 'Thumbing My Way.' Long 'SIFL' tag, including modified lyrics. Returning for the encore, Ed speaks about the West Memphis Three again and how they are trying to support them. Later, "This is one we only do when we feel real comfortable," leads to 'Sleight Of Hand.' Returning for the second encore, Ed praises the crowd for "being so much better than Texas" and says their president was better than the one that came from Texas, too. He talks about the trucks and how there is one just to carry their (the band's) opinions. He also discusses the Pete Townshend situation and how the media wrongly portrayed him (and that he has been cleared) and then proceeds to play a solo version of 'The Kids Are Alright' for Pete. After 'Baba,' Mike changes guitars and looks ready to play another song but Ed says goodnight and rest of the band goes off stage. Good spirits, good energy.
poster06/12/03 - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre: Bonner Springs (Kansas City), KS
support act: Idlewild
preset: Dead Man (Ed solo)
set: Release, Breakerfall, Brain Of J., Get Right, Ghost, Immortality, Whipping, Not For You, Off He Goes, Help Help, 1/2 Full, MFC, You Are, Better Man, Save You
enc 1: Go, Corduroy, Glorified G, Even Flow, Alive
enc 2: Fuckin' Up, Baba O'Riley
notes: A lovely day turned to dark skies, lightning and a torrential downpour starting during Idlewild's set. During the set change, the first row of seats is flooded with water pouring from the upper sections. Mike comes out and tosses several shirts out to the crowd. The stage is mopped, equipment is covered and the band prepares to play as the downpour turns to steady rain and the lightning becomes less threatening. Opening with 'Release,' singing, "Oh, dear Dad, can you see us now? I am myself, like you somehow." (A large streak of lightning flashes across the sky). Ed says, "Hi, Dad." A rather powerful moment, helping fuel the rest of the "short, but sweet" set as the crowd sings the words in the rain. The setlist is rapid and somewhat different, seemingly constructed specifically for the circumstances, (such as 'Whipping': "Don't need a raincoat YOU'RE already wet!"). Not a lot of chat tonight with the show starting late. After 'Save You,' Ed brings the mic stand down on his monitor with great force and the stand and heavy, round base fly into the crowd, striking someone in the front row. Ed pays homage to the crowd in this totally uncovered venue for holding up and how it is turning out to be a "memorable evening." The first encore begins with a fiery 'Go' (which was to conclude the first set according to the written setlist). Ed moves to the front of the stage at various times, singing up into the rain. Mike climbs down to the front barrier during the 'Even Flow' solo, practically crawling into the crowd, then slipping on the wet stage and falling when returning. Ed speaks about stopping by to visit one of the West Memphis Three in Arkansas and how it makes you appreciate your freedoms and how you could lose them being in the wrong place at the wrong time. How it makes you appreciate open spaces and being able to gather together and have a great time and the "ability to stand in the rain all night." 'Baba' closes, with Ed removing his outer shirt and turning his back to the crowd, revealing his classic, worn Who shirt beneath.
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setlist scan
encore setlist scan06/13/03 - Mid-America Center: Council Bluffs, IA
support act: Idlewild
set: Arc, Save You, Hail Hail, Animal, Green Disease/Grievance, Faithfull, Cropduster, Dissident, Even Flow, Driven To Tears, Spin the Black Circle, Bushleaguer, Thumbing My Way, Love Boat Captain, Nothingman, Go
enc 1: Better Man/(Every Day)/(Save It For Later), Daughter/(With My Own Two Hands), Down, Jeremy
enc 2: You've Got To Hide Your Love Away, Crazy Mary, Know Your Rights, Rockin' In The Free World
notes: Tiny venue compared to most stops on this tour (approx. 7,000 capacity), lending to an intimate setting where Ed talks and jokes a lot, and the crowd chants and claps in unison effortlessly. With the entire room dark, Ed strolls out, puts on the headphones to perform a four-minute version 'Arc' with the lights out for the duration. The rest of the band take the stage, the lights come up and it is immediate obvious that Mike and Stone have buzz cuts (what caused this?). They zip through the first few songs, Matt using a drum fill to effortlessly transition from 'Green Disease' to 'Grievance.' After 'Bushleaguer,' Ed quotes the Beatles' song 'A Day In The Life' ("I read the news today, oh boy") and discusses how he read the news and how the media has made it sound like PJ isn't patriotic. He says it seems like a lot of "patriotic" people had a party three weeks ago as the war was "over" (including Bush partying up on an aircraft carrier) but so many soldiers had been killed since then. "We need to all pay attention ... we need to STILL support our troops and get them home safe." After 'Thumbing My Way,' he asks if this is the first time they've been to Council Bluffs. He plays a snippet of Buddy Holly's 'Peggy Sue' for Clear Lake, Iowa and continues to list other cities in Iowa. At the top of the encore, Ed asks how often you get to play on Friday the 13th and have it go well. 'Better Man' is for all the "darlings" out there and the loud crowd sings the opening with Ed responding, "Congratulate yourselves!" 'Better Man' glides into a short 'Every Day' (by Buddy Holly) and then a bit of the 'SIFL' tag. During 'Daughter,' Ed encourages the crowd to sing along, saying it makes you feel good and is the only thing keeping him from blowing his head off. He requests more singing for 'Jeremy,' and the crowd is happy to assist and the song is even extended so the crowd can keep singing. Returning for the second encore, the crowd is loud and Ed exclaims, "Jesus Christ!" and that the crowd is making it extremely hard for them to leave. "We have an empty hotel room to get to in Minnesota and watch Jerry Springer." He says they will have been in six states just today, but if you add states of mind, it is more like 17. He points out Mike and Stone's matching haircuts and says now that music can be downloaded, musicians have to come up with alternate methods for making money and that he wants to sell some of Mike's hair. "He's going to want a percentage but was just laying there on the bathroom floor. I was the one who was the entrepreneur." He says since it's Mike's DNA, he is just going to keep it for his own personal collection. They move directly from 'Know Your Rights' to 'RITFW.' The lights are up and every single person in the room is clapping in unison to Matt's bass drum. Ed looks around in awe and lifts his hands up saying,"Wow! Look at this! It looks good!" It is almost too much for Ed to start singing the song again but he points into the crowd and says, "You're a thousand points of light ..." and proceeds to finish the song, using tambourines to clap along with the crowd and tossing them out.
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06/15/03 - Fargo Dome: Fargo, ND
attendance: 9,473
support act: Idlewild
set: Arc, Go, Do The Evolution, Insignificance, Nothing As It Seems, 1/2 Full, I Believe In Miracles, I Am Mine, Help Help, Daughter/(Androgynous Mind), You Are, Even Flow, Better Man, Whipping, In My Tree, Thumbing My Way, Spin The Black Circle, Porch
enc 1: Corduroy, Animal, Elderly Woman, Sleight Of Hand, Rearviewmirror
enc 2: I Am A Patriot, Crazy Mary, Baba O'Riley
notes: Ed is sick, drinking tea, chasing it with wine and a smoke throughout the show. Ed flubs the lyrics to 'DTE' and the band has to adjust, leading to an awkward moment in the mid-song. After 'Insignificance,' Ed points out that the reason the band are playing Fargo is Jeff Ament and the crowd responds with "Jeff" chants. Ed mentions Jeff's family, who are supposedly in the stands stage right holding a large "Thanks, Jeff" banner. He thanks the Cohen brothers, leading to 'NAIS.' Ed postulates that in the 2300+ shows the Ramones played, not one was in Fargo, and thus, this is the first time this song has ever been played in Fargo, leading to 'I Believe in Miracles.' The 'Daughter' tag doesn't quite get off the ground with the crowd, who have trouble with the call and response and Ed struggles with his throat. Mike is immersed in his 'Even Flow' solo, dragging it out over several minutes and the band seeming impatient with him, all staring at him with not-too-happy looks on their faces. 'Whipping' is introduced as "another love song, with a bondage twist to it." 'In My Tree' makes its tour debut, though the band only "play the part we remember..." It's a fairly low-key, slower and shorter version, but beautiful in its simplicity, with improvised lyrics at the end.
It's still growing up just like me, yeah.
Still growing, still breathing, still avoiding dying.
Still playing, still loving, still avoiding crying, yeah.
As the crow flies, as the tree grows, tomorrow I'll die.
Something I never thought I'd know.
Ed remarks afterward, "That was just a detour." 'Thumbing My Way' is played electric rather than acoustic. Lyrics included during 'Porch:' "If I could take back ... there's some things I'd change ..." When they return for the first encore, Ed, who noticeably has difficulty with his voice all night long, making several gestures to his throat throughout the show, apologizes for his difficulties. "I guess I was just intimidated by all of Jeff's family. Or all the sudden it freaked me out cause I know that my family's gonna be in Chicago in three days and I'm getting the shakes." 'Sleight Of Hand' makes an odd encore appearance, with Ed noting, "... it is not the average, not the normal, we might try it." Matt and Ed return for the second encore with Ed announcing, "Minnesota can wait. (big cheers) Half of you are from Minnesota. OK, then goodnight we'll see you tomorrow!" The wine bottle gets passed around for 'Crazy Mary,' and Boom goes wild at the end. 'Baba' closes the show, the crowd in this small venue taking over the chorus.
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06/16/03 - Xcel Energy Center: St. Paul, MN
attendance: 14,865
support act: Idlewild
set: Of The Girl, Last Exit, Given To Fly, Ghost, Corduroy, Wishlist, Immortality, Even Flow, Thin Air, Cropduster, Grievance, Driven To Tears, I Am Mine, Alive, Black
enc 1: Daughter, Save You, State Of Love And Trust, Bushleaguer, Better Man, Lukin, Leaving Here
enc 2: Elderly Woman, Rearviewmirror, Rockin' In The Free World, Yellow Ledbetter
notes: Despite Ed being ill, the band gets right to business, charging through the first four songs. Ed greets the crowd with a little 'Outshined' tag: "good evening ... looking California, feeling Minnesota," leading to 'Corduroy.' After the "hands upraised" section in 'Wishlist' and seeing the crowd respond, Ed responds, "Wow, you're actually even listening, huh?" 'Driven To Tears' has a bit of trouble getting started as Ed can't quite get the cue right to start singing. During 'Alive,' Ed convinces a fan to pass his cell phone up and he sings into the phone. A fan requests 'Lukin,' and Ed says he can't. Ed asks if he wants to sing it ... "Do you know the words? I'll think about it. You just stay where you are." 'Daughter' is tag-less, but the crowd claps along anyway as the song ends, prompting Ed to shrug. The longest crowd speech is Ed's discussion about a story that ran on the front page of the newspaper about how spam on cell phones is a major problem and a story about how 44 soldiers were killed in the Middle East in the last two months was on page 18. He says we need to stick to what is important and we need to bring our soldiers home safely and soon; we can get to the cell phone shit later, leading to 'Better Man.' The fan requesting 'Lukin' is brought up on stage as a "... special guest ... I dunno how special he is." He bows to the band and Ed praises him for being "submissive." "OK, this is Michael Benton singing 'Lukin'." He sings and jumps around with Ed, then leaves. At the top of the second encore, Ed asks, "Has it been five years?" and the crowd cheers, leading to 'Elderly Woman.' Slow jam leads to 'RVM' with the entire venue silently listening. A fan wearing a Wellstone bumper sticker (Senator Paul Wellstone who was killed in a plane crash last October and was one of the most outspoken senators against Bush's policies and stood up for the underprivileged) is noticed and at the start of 'Bushleaguer,' Ed says, "Where's Wellstone when you need him?" An extra Wellstone sticker makes it to the stage during 'RITFW' and Jeff places it on his bass. (Encore setlist played is quite different than indicated on the written setlist.)
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setlist scans06/18/03 - United Center: Chicago, IL
support act: Idlewild
soundcheck: Thumbing My Way, I Won't Back Down (list probably incomplete)
set: Release, Hail Hail, Save You, Cropduster, Love Boat Captain, I Am Mine, Given To Fly, Even Flow, Off He Goes, Light Years, Green Disease, Grievance, Present Tense, Daughter/(With My Own Two Hands), Bushleaguer, Alive, Rearviewmirror
enc 1: Arc, Corduroy, Elderly Woman, Better Man, Crazy Mary, Do The Evolution
enc 2: Down, Rockin' In The Free World, Yellow Ledbetter
notes: Ed is still ill, blowing his nose throughout the show, but the show rocks with one song careening into the next. Ed thanks the crowd for filling the arena and speaks of the basketball stars and The Who playing there ... and that his Grandma is there (watching the show from an easy chair side stage) and that he thinks "she likes this one" leading to 'Love Boat Captain.' 'Off He Goes' is dedicated to someone close to the band that passed away. Amazing version of 'Light Years' with a beautiful improv/extended ending. 'Green Disease' lyric is modified to "... think with your heart and not your dick." Ed encourages the crowd to "clap for Grandma" and "sing for me" during 'Daughter,' even getting them to whisper the lyrics to the tag. Before 'Corduroy," Ed talks about surfing last December and getting the "picture perfect" wave and thinking "Wow, this is pretty good for a kid from Chicago," and that he is proud to be playing in Chicago. He commends Chicago for "really good singing" during 'Better Man' and says you "could almost feel the pain." Ed thanks Idlewild for opening and some of them (Roddy and Gavin) join PJ for 'RITFW' with Matt swapping out and playing bass.
poster06/19/03 - Riverbend Music Center: Cincinnati, OH (canceled due to flooding)
poster06/21/03 - Alpine Valley Music Center: East Troy, WI
attendance: 22,000
support act: Buzzcocks
soundcheck: Rival (1 partial; 1 complete), Smile, Leaving Here, Soldier Of Love, Evacuation (slower version), Once (partial), Romanza (Ed on acoustic), You've Got To Hide Your Love Away (ending, 2X)
set: Sometimes, Corduroy, Green Disease, Save You, Gods' Dice, Faithfull, Immortality, Love Boat Captain, Insignificance, Deep, I Believe In Miracles, You Are, Better Man/(Why Can't I Touch It?), Jeremy, Even Flow, Daughter, Rearviewmirror
enc 1: Go, Animal, Elderly Woman, Glorified G, Bushleaguer, Do The Evolution
enc 2: You've Got To Hide Your Love Away (Ed solo), Breath, Crazy Mary, Know Your Rights, Fortunate Son, Baba O'Riley
enc 3: Yellow Ledbetter/(Little Wing)
notes: PJ takes the stage early (while it is still light) to a deafening ovation. Jeff has the standup bass out and the whole fan club section goes wild as soon as Ed hits the first note of 'Sometimes.' After 'Immortality,' Ed greets the crowd and recalls how cold it was last time they played Alpine, and how that crowd must be the "toughest audience in rock and roll history." "We made a pact after the show never to play that fucking place again." He jokes about the smoke and introduces Boom as coming from the land of the best smoke, leading to 'LBC.' During the break in the middle of 'Insignificance', the band stops but Mike keeps playing. He holds his hand up, laughing, as if to say "Yes, that was me that fucked up." 'I Believe In Miracles' is dedicated to Johnny Ramone. 'Jeremy' (introduced as "Here's a new one for you") and 'Even Flow' are both loaded with energy. Soothing 'Daughter' tag: "Hush my baby, don't you cry. Sing yourself your own lullaby. Hush my angel, go to sleep. You have your own soul to keep." On returning for the encore Ed says they can't go yet as it just got dark. 'Go' and 'Animal' keep the crowd frenzied. Ed says they want to make sure the show is longer than the drive for those who came from Chicago and anywhere else while 'Elderly Woman' is for those who didn't have to drive far. Ed holds back the band and has them repeat the final "hearts and thoughts" to let the crowd continue singing along. Introduced as the "president's favorite song," 'Glorified G' is a big crowd pleaser and has modified lyrics: "Got an army; in fact I've got two. That's OK man 'cause I love money. He reminds people about voting and to "stand up and be counted," leading to 'DTE,' which includes "Admire me, admire my home, admire my son, he looks like Stone." To quell the screams when Ed returns for the second encore wearing the silver jacket, he says, "Don't be seduced by the jacket," and he tells about getting the jacket from The Frogs. He begins speaking about voting and being active and goes off on a big tirade:
"Power to the people man.... The real people, the people that work, not the people that sit in their towers, and try to run the whole thing, thinking that we're too stupid to notice what they're doing! They get us in our little holes, and our boxes, and our cages and they show us American Idol and American Gladiators and American .... blowjob, buttfuck, whatever. And everyone watches with baited breath. Oh, who's going to get a blowjob tonight? What American's going to get a blowjob tonight? When in reality, you could be getting one yourself instead of watching the fucking TV, I don't know. I digress. I'm going to get a guitar. But we were just talking in the back, and we were thinking that maybe uh, on the strength of a night like this, and uh, really, uh, so you understand how much we appreciate it, we were thinking that instead of uh, waiting 2 years or even, uh, after we finish the next record, maybe just next summer, we could come back and play, just a few places that we've been to and this would be one of them. And hopefully even in a year, the world will be a little more straightened out."
Then he talks about how his Uncle's friend and how Ed used to steal his Beatles' records and sometimes kept them, He taught Ed how to cuss at age 4 and he dedicates 'You've Got To Hide Your Love Away' to him saying, "Thanks, you did a great fuckin' job." Just before Boom's 'Crazy Mary' solo, a big, drunk guy makes it onstage with security hot on his heels. Ed calmly shoos away security and lets the guy mumble a couple of things (including "God bless Eddie Vedder") into the mic and Ed he dances a bit with the man, then spins him off into the arms of the security. The the conclusion, he says "Boom Gaspar," to big cheers, "and some drunk idiot!" which gets laughs from crowd, band, and crew. Kerry Wood from the Cubs was there and Ed got mixed up and thought it was him for a second and Ed goes to Kerry's side of the stage and laughs with him. With the house lights up, 'Baba' seems to be the show closer with Ed tossing tambourines to Kerry Wood and others, but after Ed says the goodnights, Mike stays onstage with guitar leading to a brief huddle and the 'YL' close, Mike adding a nice 'Little Wing' tag. Great intensity, beautiful night, awesome crowd with Ed obviously feeling better and the band rested, ready to play and having fun after a two-day break.
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06/22/03 - Verizon Wireless Music Center: Noblesville, IN
attendance: 13,578
support act: Buzzcocks
set: Long Road, Interstellar Overdrive/Corduroy, Whipping, Save You, Given To Fly, Cropduster, I Am Mine, Thin Air, Gimme Some Truth, Present Tense, MFC, Habit, Jeremy, Even Flow, Better Man/(Why Can't I Touch It?), Black, Porch
enc 1: Soldier Of Love, Blood, State Of Love And Trust, Do The Evolution, Alive
enc 2: Smile, Elderly Woman, Sonic Reducer, Yellow Ledbetter
notes: The crowd is space for the openers, Buzzcocks and Ed mentions that, saying he knows there were not a lot of people around to hear them but he knows he was out there watching and that he was honored to be on the same stage as Pete Shelley. Opening with 'Long Road' (also the 98 opener at this venue), PJ continues into the 'Interstellar Overdrive/Corduroy' combo (the 2000 opener here).They tear through the next few songs, including intense versions of 'Whipping' and 'Save You,' with the crowd getting into the music and singing every verse with the band. Ed takes note and backs away from the mic and smiles at the crowd. They slow down the tempo with 'Thin Air,' the crowd recognizing the song and singing. 'Gimme Some Truth' is played early with Ed showing his rage, shouting, and doing the Pete Townshend windmill and a few kicks. 'Habit' is dedicated to someone in the crowd with a giant tattoo of an alligator on his back. 'Jeremy' gets the crowd to a frenzy. A searing 'Even Flow' includes, "... looking through the papers though he doesn't know to read ... dumb fuck." During 'Better Man.' the crowd isn't singing very loud in the now traditional let the crowd sing the first part. Ed asks if the crowd wants to do a bit more singing during the 'Why Can't I Touch It?' tag, but they are still holding back. Ed responds, "Come on boys, we ain't gonna call you a faggot!" which works. Ed lays down on the stage behind an amp during the solos in 'Black' and 'Porch,' and is still blowing his nose in a towel. Returning for the encore, the crowd chanting "Eddie, Eddie" to which he responds, "Fuck you ... how dare you embarrass me in front of friends." He sings a little snippet of the Jackson 5's 'Going Back To Indiana,' leading to 'Soldier Of Love' with Ed singing on his knees for emphasis. They burn through the encore with Mike and Ed leaning on each other during 'SOL&T.' On returning for encore two, Ed thanks the crowd for being a real "Friday night crowd" on a Sunday night and he notes Stone on bass and Jeff on guitar, leading to 'Smile,' "a request for THAT guy" (a fan in the front row wearing a beanie with "smile" written on it and gets the harmonica at the end). Ed chats about Jeff growing up in a very small town "285? 385? 885? ... that was the year after they got the big fuckfest." He says Jeff would have gotten chairs thrown at him by Bobby Knight if he'd grown up there, leading to 'Elderly Woman.' Screaming "all right ... let's go" preface a frantic 'Sonic Reducer,' which appears to be the end of the show as the band walks off, but Mike starts into 'YL' and they stay. Ed modifies the lyrics, "... all these pussies leavin' early... fuck you! (laughs) And I see them, I'd like to wish it all away. And they're all so responsible, showin' up for Monday morning, to work in accounting. And I see 'em. The rest they know how to play, the others they go home in the boxer or the bag ..." The band lines up, does a deep bow together and that closes another outstanding show at this venue.
setlist scan06/24/03 - Germain Amphitheater: Columbus, OH
support act: Buzzcocks
set: Can't Keep, Daughter, 1/2 Full, Go, Save You, Ghost, Better Man, Grievance, Evacuation, Even Flow, In Hiding, Cropduster, Corduroy, Elderly Woman, Red Mosquito, improv, Rearviewmirror
enc 1: Given To Fly, Wishlist, Not For You/(Start Me Up), Footsteps, Do The Evolution, Jeremy
enc 2: Fuckin' Up
enc 3: Yellow Ledbetter
notes: Ed thanks the people in the back after 'Elderly Woman' and makes a quip about the 17-year locusts. He mentions a request for Mike, leading to a bit bit of Zep riffing ('Nobody's Fault But Mine') between Matt and Mike before 'Red Mosquito.' Ed talks about being ready to do the song if he "... can just shift himself" (Robert Plant reference). The improv is about Ohio and "Me oh my oh, lost in Ohio ... I'm in Ohio high oh ... just making my way through Ohio where the sky is and the roads are long ... went back to Ohio and my city was gone" (nod to Pretenders). At the start of the encore, Ed thanks the Buzzcocks and talks about watching a video where a band was pretending to be a punk band and he thanks the "real thing," the Buzzcocks. "Buzzcocks were opening for the Sex Pistols before I was fondling my first erection," and he talks of how he met them a long time ago when he was a crew guy carrying their gear. "You never know how things will turn out." 'Wishlist' has an extended instrumental ending with additional lyrics:"I wish I was this, I wish I was that; I wish I could do this, I wish I could do that ... they don't care about you, they don't care about me; they just care about money money money money money ... there ain't no love in Washington DC anymore, but there's love here, in your houses and your homes ... when you're singing alone ... use it like a weapon, a weapon of mass construction." This leads to a 'Not For You' intro: "... so it's not for you, its for them." Ed tags a little of "Start Me Up" in the middle, asking for a little background ("if you start me up, I'll never stop ... you make a dead man cum"). Ed says, "Threw in a a song by the Folksmen, there ..." (joking about the Spinal Tap spin off band known for performing a sanitized, folk version of the Rolling Stones' 'Start Me Up'). "Don't know if you recognized it. Don't know if you'll understand this next one, too. It goes early early early as we go ... certainly not one raped on the radio or anything," leading to Footsteps. During 'DTE,' "I am the first man to act like Elvis" as he is wearing the crazy Elvis sunglasses. Ed introduces the band and says they will be doing a song written by Mr. Neil Young, adding "This is George W's favorite song, leading to 'Fuckin' Up.' They return for a surprising third encore with Ed noting, "You can thank Mr. Stone Gossard for this one," and they close with 'YL.'06/25/03 - DTE Energy Music Theatre: Clarkston (Detroit), MI
support act: Buzzcocks
soundcheck: In My Tree (various parts), Tremor Christ, Red Mosquito, U
preset: The Kids Are Alright (Ed solo)
set: Animal, Gods' Dice, Rival, Save You, Glorified G, Breath, I Am Mine, Love Boat Captain, Even Flow, Help Help, Nothing As It Seems, Given To Fly, Lukin, Corduroy, Daughter/(WMA)/(Atomic Dog), Evacuation, Rearviewmirror
enc 1: Crazy Mary, I Believe In Miracles, Elderly Woman, Bushleaguer, Do The Evolution
enc 2: Soon Forget, Baba O'Riley, Yellow Ledbetter
notes: Modified lyrics for 'Glorified G:' "Got a gun, fact I got two. That's OK cause I love Ted ..." (undoubtedly Ted Nugent). 'Elderly Woman' is dedicated to Kalamazoo. At the top of the encore, Ed thanks the folks in the back "where the real people are." (Many of the close seats in the front did not go to fan club members due to season ticket holders at this venue.) He speaks of how they almost didn't play because of all the ads in the venue. "I ain't playing for Pepsi ... Miller Lite, now that's a beer ... I could piss in a cup and give it to this guy and he'd like it better ..." He talks about big corporations buying up media everywhere and how the government is "playing along." "They'll start telling you that blue eyed people are smarter and that war is a good thing ... keep an eye on these guys. Or they might just bombard you with Sheryl Crow music ... I think Sheryl Crow is sponsored by Big Boy, isn't she?" After 'Crazy Mary,' he thanks those who showed up early to see the openers: "Here's a toast to you!" and he thanks the Buzzcocks, leading to 'I Believe In Miracles. The show appears to end with 'Baba' when Mike again starts in on 'YL'.
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06/26/03 - DTE Energy Music Theatre: Clarkston (Detroit), MI
support act: Buzzcocks
preset: Throw Your Arms Around Me (Ed solo)
set: Last Exit, Brain Of J, Hail Hail, Save You, In My Tree, Red Mosquito, Present Tense, Green Disease, Immortality, Sleight Of Hand, Whipping, Corduroy, Down, Leatherman, Nothingman, Better Man, Spin the Black Circle
enc 1: You Are, Even Flow, State Of Love And Trust, Black, Alive
enc 2: Leaving Here, Know Your Rights, Rockin' In The Free World
notes: A setlist heavy on Vitalogy and No Code songs, including the unusual opening songs. Crowd is better than the previous night, but still a lot of casual fans in the pavilion area tonight, not knowing a lot of the new material but more respectful. Ed notes, "I hope you're better than those assholes that were here last night ... I'm referring to the first 10 rows last night." He says they will be experimenting and playing things a little differently and making it a show to remember. The reworked 'In My Tree' follows. The 'Present Tense' performance coincides with sunset and Ed points to the trees on the hill while singing "Do you see the way that tree bends." They play the "man trilogy" with the third song introduced as "tougher man" for Chris Chelios, "the toughest old man I've ever met." Somewhat lackluster audience participation with 'Black' and 'Alive.' Returning for the second encore, Ed chats about the Buzzcocks and how they are inspiring. "Don't be inspired by bullshit, cause it's out there. It will only inspire you to be a bullshit person yourself and a hollow empty human being and you'll die and leave nothing left on the earth except the things that you took away from it. There's so many great things you can do in this world." This leads to 'Leaving Here.' Steve Earle joins PJ for 'RITFW,' which gets a big reception and Ed climbs the speaker stacks to the side. Powerful, energetic performance and a setlist that may have disappointed the season ticketholders, but great for the big fans.
06/28/03 - Molson Amphitheatre: Toronto, ONT
attendance: 16,000
support act: Buzzcocks
soundcheck: Why Go (various parts several times + once straight through), U, You've Got To Hide Your Love Away (instrumental)
preset: You've Got To Hide Your Love Away (Ed solo)
set: Release, Breakerfall, Hail Hail, Save You, Cropduster, Dissident, In My Tree, Given To Fly, Insignificance, Love Boat Captain, Get Right, I Believe In Miracles, I Got Shit, Lukin, Corduroy, Thumbing My Way, Daughter/(With My Own Two Hands), Even Flow
enc 1: Bushleaguer, Fortunate Son, Do The Evolution, (Why Can't I Touch It?), Better Man, Crazy Mary, Spin The Black Circle, Rockin' In The Free World
enc 2: Baba O'Riley
notes: 'Release' includes"Anthony, can you see this now?", likely a nod to Anthony Hurley, the Australian fan lost at Roskilde three years ago. Ed first addresses the crowd after 'GTF,' asking if the crowd would like to participate in a survey. He realizes he hasn't said hello, says hello and is greeted with a huge ovation of uninterrupted cheers and says it's "really" good to be here. He wants to continue with the survey which consists of (a) not believing in the killing of innocent people and that the threat of weapons of mass destruction was distorted in order to get Americans to support the war or (b) "Yes, I'm an idiot." 'Daughter' includes a hint of Pretenders' 'Brass in Pocket' ("I'm special, so special") followed by the Ben Harper 'With My Own Two Hands' tag. 'Even Flow' is awesome, with Mike bringing the solo down into a jazzy feel with Matt following right along with accenting symbol hits. This totally throws Stone off and he eventually stops trying to play anything under the solo, just looking at Mike and laughing. 'Bushleaguer' returns to true form with Ed employing the silver jacket and Bush mask, dancing, putting the mask on the mic stand, letting a cigarette dangle from its lips, giving it wine and caressing it. Some forgetfulness and creative license elicit different lyrics to 'DTE' including, "I crawled the earth, and now I'm high. Ah something something and I sometimes forget this, what the hell ..." and toward the end, "I am an American, baby!" A small part of the Buzzcocks' 'Why Can't I Touch It?' is covered, with the crowd helping out. Ed says the band has been trying to get them to play it but they hadn't. As usual, the crowd takes over the opening verses of 'Better Man,' but it is extremely loud and the crowd gets going too fast with Ed trying to get it back on track using his hands, leading to a huge cheer-filled break during the first chorus. Ed mentions how they had discussed doing a short tour next year with maybe just ten spots, including Toronto. "We'll cross the border for you any time." After 'Crazy Mary,' the crowd erupts, Ed says it is now a "free-for-all" as the band members tap their watches, aware of the early curfew. A Muppets "Animal" doll gets tossed on stage, but they rip into a rapid versions of 'STBC' and 'RITFW.' Ed cautions, "Kille, no" (meaning, no house lights). Returning for the second encore, Ed says, "There's three sips of wine left here and they came from Geddy Lee so we're not leaving 'til it's done." The band breaks into 'Baba,' which seems to be perfectly timed with huge fireworks at a fireworks competition (at neighboring Ontario Place).Ed points them out past the lawn while the crowd goes wild - magical.
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06/29/03 - Bell Center: Montreal, QUE
support act: Buzzcocks
preset: Drifting (Ed solo)
soundcheck: In My Tree (many starts, no complete version), Driven To Tears, Low Light (many starts)
set: Long Road, Go, Save You, Ghost, Grievance, Present Tense, 1/2 Full, Even Flow, Off He Goes, I Am Mine, You Are, Green Disease/Not For You, Wishlist, Habit, Elderly Woman, Jeremy, Blood
enc 1: Arc, Down, Black, improv, Rearviewmirror
enc 2: Soon Forget, Last Kiss, Last Exit, Driven To Tears, Better Man, Alive, Fuckin' Up
notes: Mike and Stone take the stage first, standing to the side for a good two minutes, waiting for the house lights to go down. 'Long Road' is started in partial light, with the crowd cheering when the lights finally go down. Jeff is playing stand-up bass for 'Long Road.' Matt goes off on 'Even Flow' ... a great, great Matt night. After a lovely 'Off He Goes,' there's a quick band meeting and 'I Am Mine' replaces 'Gimme Some Truth.' 'Not for You' is very powerful with lots of crowd singing. Lyrics are changed to "small my table, seats all of you" and there's a small jam in the middle with the crowd chanting "hey, hey" and Ed turning it into "hey, ho, let's go!" 'Wishlist' has the extended ending: "I wish I was the radio song, the one they can't make money on. The one that can't be bought and sold ... turned into a commercial when we get old. I wish I was the president, keep them from killing girls and men. Figure out ways around the war. I always thought that's what presidents were for. ... and each one of you, there's a light in each one of you ... thanks for bringing your light into this room. Thanks for letting the light shine through ..." Ed talks about the guy who was mountain climbing, fell, got trapped by himself and had to cut off his own arm with a knife to get free. "It was actually a 'Leatherman', prompting a guitar riff. He talks of how the climber had to get down and walk for hours and how he is "man of the year" but suggests that if the president would unselfishly cut his own head off to save the world, he might be eligible. To start off the encore, Ed gets 'Arc' going much more easily than when he first tried it in San Diego and it just sounds huge, with a big response from the crowd. Ed commends the crowd at the start of the second encore and lets them know that no one associated the band would ever order something called a "freedom fry." 'Soon Forget' is about the greedy people on Capitol Hill that come up with that sort of "stupid shit." He says we need to pay attention and vote. 'Last Kiss' is performed to the fans behind the stage. 'Alive' is a huge crowd pleaser with everyone in the entire arena pumping their fists and shouting "hey! hey! hey!" at the end and the show closes out with a thunderous 'Fuckin' Up' with Ed destroying the tambourines with full house lights and the band and audience going ballistic.
setlist scan07/01/03 - Nissan Pavilion at Stone Ridge: Bristow, VA (Washington, DC)
support act: Buzzcocks
preset: Blue Red Grey (Ed solo)
set: Can't Keep, Elderly Woman, Off He Goes, Corduroy, Green Disease, Save You, Even Flow, Nothing As It Seems, Cropduster, 1/2 Full, Gimme Some Truth, Daughter/(WMA)/(ABITW)/(No More Pain), Thumbing My Way, Given To Fly, You Are, Better Man/(Why Can't I Touch It?)/(Save It For Later), Black, Rearviewmirror
enc 1: Do The Evolution, Spin The Black Circle, Blood, Why Go, Know Your Rights, Jeremy, Indifference
enc 2: Rockin' in the Free World, Yellow Ledbetter
notes: They start out playing some "quieter stuff" due to traffic clogs and people getting to the venue late as a result. Ed tries to desperately to "figure out" a 'Daughter' tag (it is 'Why Can't I Touch It?') but gives up, moving to 'Another Brick In The Wall, changing the lyrics to, "Rumsfeld leave those kids alone," and then Embrace's 'No More Pain' ("Your emotions are nothing but politics ..."). He gets it going later, tagging it on 'Better Man' with the crowd singing along. Early on, Ed pauses and glances up at himself on the jumbotron screens. He starts making faces and then jams his finger up his nose like a kid watching himself on video camera. He laughs, as well as the crowd. Ed introduces Stone and Jeff as "one of the longest lasting couples in rock and roll music." He says there is no one he's ever met who would rather just play guitar than Mike ... "see how happy he is right now ... cause he's playing guitar. When he's not playing guitar, he's a fuckin' prick ... kind of." Mike plays the 'Nobody's Fault But Mine' riff in response (plus a couple of others ;) ). 'Why Go,' introduced as trying something they haven't done for a while, returns to the setlist after vanishing in 1995. At the top of the second encore the band returns and Mike starts to plays the opening to 'Yellow Ledbetter,' but Ed waves him off as if to say "no man, not yet." They go straight into 'RITFW.' Amazing energy with Stone bent at the knees, cocking his head forward and back, and even adding some powerful hip thrusts in for good measure!
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setlist scans07/02/03 - Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts: Mansfield (Boston), MA
support act: Buzzcocks
preset: Dead Man (Ed solo)
set: Oceans, Go, Hail Hail, Save You, Deep, Get Right, Dissident, I Am Mine, Even Flow, Help Help, Immortality, In My Tree, Light Years, Evacuation, Whipping, Grievance, Present Tense, Porch
enc 1: Thumbing My Way, Elderly Woman, Smile, State Of Love And Trust, Leaving Here
enc 2: Soon Forget, Bushleaguer, Fuckin' Up
notes: 'Oceans' is gorgeous, taking many by surprise and Ed's voice is strong. Ed states that the band has a plan: "... we've worked up about 70 songs for this tour. We thought we would play three nights without repeating a song and get to every song ... we're actually playing about 105 ... this would put it at about 35 songs a night." Intense staredown between Mike and Ed during the 'Even Flow' solo, almost as if Ed is daring him to keep soloing, which he does for what seems forever. After 'Grievance,' Ed speaks about free speech and the government is cloaking themselves in the flag. He talks about Celine Dion and how she is still under the control of Sony Music etc, comparing her to a robot and that they put too much "ego chip" in her. Then, in reference to his own spitting, he says the reason she doesn't spit is because "I heard she swallows." After a lovely rendition of 'Present Tense,' Ed has a young fan count the "1,2,3,4" opening to 'Porch.' 'Thumbing My Way,' 'Elderly Woman' and 'Smile' are played by request. 'Bushleaguer' gets a rather chilly, confused reception. Ed using the mask, French kisses it and tosses it into the crowd. 'Fuckin' Up' is extended by a couple of minutes, with Mike soloing and the rest of the band jamming with huge smiles on their faces. The venue's 11 pm curfew made for a quick, tight show (although they did go a bit past 11). Great show with the band loving the crowd.
07/03/03 - Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts: Mansfield (Boston), MA
support act: Buzzcocks
preset: You've Got to Hide Your Love Away (Ed solo)
set: Release, Animal, Gods' Dice, Do The Evolution, Insignificance, Love Boat Captain, I Got Shit, Low Light, Rival, Lukin, Not For You, Daughter/(WMA)/(I've Been Tired), You Are, In Hiding, I Am A Patriot, Once, Rearviewmirror
enc 1: Driven To Tears, Corduroy, Soldier Of Love, Crazy Mary, Alive
enc 2: Baba O'Riley, Yellow Ledbetter
notes: Really nice 'Release,' Ed's voice soaring. Ed asks how many people had been at the show the previous night and how many had seen the sun rise that morning. He continues that he did and testifies testifies to the truth in the advice to live for the moment, but that after one moment comes another, and another, and before you know it the sun's coming up, "... that's why I'm so damn grumpy ... so live for the moment, but then go to sleep ..." For 'Low Light,' Ed has a Yield booklet in his hands for the lyrics. After 'WMA,' The Pixies' 'I've Been Tired' is tagged on 'Daughter.' ' RVM' is extended. ' Mike changes to a Pedro Martinez jersey for the first encore. Ed, to the delight of many, changes into a Ramones t-shirt and Red Sox cap. Crazy Mary' gets the wine bottle passed and Boom and Mike are playing off each other -- the best jam of the two Mansfield shows -- going on and on, bringing brought the house down. The crowd goes crazy any time Boom and his Pedro Martinez Red Sox jersey appear on the big screens over the lawn and back sections. The crowd also responds well when Jeff wears a Bruins jersey as a turban during the second encore. The last three songs ('Alive,' 'Baba,' 'YL') are huge singalongs with the band looking flabbergasted by the crowd. Baba is dedicated to two prolific Englishmen: Joe Strummer and Pete Townshend ("...and Pete's innocent.") No songs repeated from previous night.
07/05/03 - Tweeter Center: Camden, NJ (Philadelphia, PA)
support act: Buzzcocks
preset: Throw Your Arms Around Me (Ed solo)
set: Can't Keep, Brain Of J, Save You, Do The Evolution, Spin The Black Circle, Green Disease, Cropduster, Given To Fly, Even Flow, Faithfull, Wishlist, Rockin' In The Free World, 1/2 Full, Love Boat Captain, Breath, I Believe In Miracles, Corduroy, Rearviewmirror
enc 1: Last Exit, Better Man, Down, Black, Blood
enc 2: You've Got to Hide Your Love Away, Last Kiss, Baba O'Riley, Yellow Ledbetter
notes: Ed tries to play 'Parting Ways' in the preset, but has trouble with the lyrics and performs 'Throw Your Arms Around Me.' A hot night on the waterfront with the band breezing through 'Can't Keep' to open, then full throttle with the Stone Gossard show. He is on fire, tearing through 'Brain of J,' 'Save You,' 'DTE' and 'STBC,' serving up solos and excellent guitar work. Ed banters about whether they are in Philly or New Jersey (eliciting cheers and boos from the crowd) and says where ever we are, it's hot! The City of Philadelphia's fireworks display is visible during 'Faithfull' and 'Wishlist.' The band doesn't seem to notice immediately, but Jeff says something to Ed, Ed notices and asks if the people on the lawn can see them. Suddenly, they deviate from the setlist and tear through 'RITFW' ("let's give you a little music for the fireworks") in the middle of the set while the fireworks are still continuing. The crowd loves this and Ed jokes at the end of the song that they would normally say "Thanks and good night" at this point. During the encore, 'Down' gets an enthusiastic crowd response with Ed acknowledging it. Powerful 'Black' solo by Mike, taking advantage of the great groove the rest of the band has produced. The second encore opens with Ed chatting about punk rock, politics and free speech. He uses the wine bottle analogy ... that when the bottle is empty, that means the show ends. Motioning to get another bottle, it is delivered, but only a few sips are downed. A beautiful, 'You've Got To Hide Your Love Away' leads off, followed by huge singalongs. Extremely strong finish ... high energy, tight 'Baba' with the crowd shouting almost every lyric, Ed bathed in sweat. Great musicianship, energy and spirits; Stone and Jeff not missing a beat all night.07/06/03 - Tweeter Center: Camden, NJ (Philadelphia, PA)
support act: Buzzcocks
preset: The Kids Are Alright (Ed solo)
set: Of The Girl, Breakerfall, Hail Hail, Save You, Grievance, Dissident, Immortality, I Am Mine, Get Right, Even Flow, In My Tree, Lukin/Not For You, Nothingman, You Are, Whipping, Porch
enc 1: Jeremy, Elderly Woman, Better Man/(Save It For Later), Daughter/(War), Alive
enc 2: Do The Evolution, Fuckin' Up, Rockin' In The Free World
notes: The Buzzcocks' get an encore and Ed joins them for 'Why Can't I Touch It?' After the mellow opener, they rip through the next songs with no chat until after 'Save You,' when Ed refers to the crowd as "people of mass construction" and says the only fireworks will be the ones on the stage. 'Even Flow' is very long and avoids some of the sound quality problems that seemed to plague Mike's solo during Saturday's show. Ed speaks of freedom and how playing guitar like Mike is freedom. 'Porch' is excellent with Mike tearing it up. At the start of the encore, Ed asks how people are holding up and comments that the encore will be "all request," and the first two songs are played with dedications - 'Jeremy' is for Peter. The crowd waving their arms up and screaming the "hello!" part are so loud that Ed steps back in surprise, saying "Jesus Christ" softly. During 'Daughter,' Ed dons the Bush mask, dances to the beat and then busts out his best moonwalk across center stage. He changes the lyrics to "the bombs fall down" and then gets the 'War' chant going. Ed comments about high proportions of Riot Act sales in the Philly area, leading to a blistering 'DTE' (with lyrics changed to "this land WAS free") and 'Fuckin' Up.' (hmmmm) Steve from the Buzzcocks plays Ed's SG for 'RITFW.' Excellent show.
07/08/03 - Madison Square Garden: New York, NY
attendance: 20,000
support act: Buzzcocks
set: Love Boat Captain, Last Exit, Save You, Green Disease, In My Tree, Cropduster, Even Flow, Gimme Some Truth, I Am Mine, Low Light, Faithfull, Wishlist/(Why Can't I Touch It?), Lukin, Grievance, 1/2 Full, Black, Spin The Black Circle, Rearviewmirror
enc 1: You Are, Thumbing My Way, Daughter/(With My Own Two Hands), Crown Of Thorns, Breath, Better Man, Do The Evolution
enc 2: Crazy Mary, Indifference, Sonic Reducer, Baba O'Riley, Yellow Ledbetter
notes: Jeff, Ed and Mike join the Buzzcocks for 'Why Can't I Touch It?' during their set. Very emotional performance of 'I Am Mine' with Ed mentioning it was the band's first time in NYC since that thing that happened about a year and a half ago and he applauds NY for being so strong. 'STBC' is dedicated to the record stores in New York City. Ben Harper joins PJ in singing the tag on 'Daughter,' saying, "This is the best band in the world!" Ed mentions that the staff at the Garden told him that they have only seen the stage rumble that hard in three shows: Grateful Dead, Iron Maiden (at which point Mike plays a quick riff from 'Number Of The Beast') and Bruce Springsteen (which elicits a major cheer). Ben Harper joins the band again to sing 'Indifference.' Ed says it will cost them $14,000, but that they will break curfew and keep playing (nearly three hours), going until almost midnight. Stellar show with the crowd wild (HUGE fan club turnout) and the band on fire.
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order the official live cd from amazon: MSG I
order the official live 5-CD set from amazon: MSG 1 and 2
order the DVD: Live at the Garden07/09/03 - Madison Square Garden: New York, NY
attendance: 20,000
support act: Sleater-Kinney
set: Crazy Mary, Save You, Hail Hail, Whipping, Corduroy, Red Mosquito, Dissident, I Am Mine, Get Right, Given To Fly, Evacuation, Even Flow, I Believe In Miracles, Untitled/MFC, Deep, Present Tense, Nothingman, State Of Love And Trust, Porch
enc 1: You've Got To Hide Your Love Away, Elderly Woman, Glorified G, All Or None, Do The Evolution, Alive
enc 2: Go, Know Your Rights, Rockin' In The Free World, Yellow Ledbetter
notes: Unusual rip roaring 'Crazy Mary' starts off the set to a packed house at MSG for the second night in a row. Strong Ed voice on 'Hail Hail.' He addresses the crowd after a great version of 'Whipping,' telling them how special the previous night was for the band but that they "... have their work cut out for them because you guys always wanna make it better than the last." This spins into a strong 'Corduroy,' with the crowd loving it. 'I Am Mine' lyrics are changes to, "The in between is yours ... you are yours." Ed phones Johnny Ramone before 'I Believe in Miracles' but gets his answering machine. "Hey, Johnny. You fucker. Why aren't you home?" Then during 'Untitled,' "Johnny, I hope you get the message, or you're not home. I'll see you in a month or so ..." An absolutely beautiful 'Present Tense.' Ed gives props to Matt and mentions that the fourth Wellwater Conspiracy album is finished and should be released soon. He says he's glad because it means Matt will be available to record with PJ. 'Nothingman' is a great, huge singalong. Tight 'Porch' with a sweet bridge. Upon returning for the first encore, Ed starts reading signs in the crowd. "Garden, yes we're in the garden. That's good ... This one says 'play Leash you pussies'. You know, there's fucking children here, you know. You fucking cocksucking motherfucker asshole prick!" He mentions the fan club support and that last night there were 7,000 and tonight there are 8,000 fan club tickets represented. He thanks the fans and mentions hearing how fans have met via shows and become friends or lovers. He jokes how a couple ("I think they're from Jersey") met, married and is trying to have five kids to name them after the band. "So far they have Jeff, Stone and Mike and they're fucking right now trying to get a little Eddie. And if they get to Boom ... we're just gonna keep adding band members. We'll have a horn section ... that's evolution, baby." Ed starts to introduce 'All or None' but Mike goes into the first riff of "Glorified G" and they play that first. A heartfelt 'All Or None' leads to an incredible 'Alive.' As soon as Mike hits the solo, the entire arena begins the fist pump, simultaneously yelling "yeah" for the duration of the song. Ed scans the entire Garden in awe. Mike smashes his Gibson flying V at the end of 'Go.' A searing 'Know Your Rights' (played for Joe Strummer) encompasses the energy they had from the first note and leads gracefully into 'RITFW,' which blows the place up. Ed references phoning Johnny and leaving a message yet again in 'YL' ("I tried and I phoned and we only left a message; he wasn't there.") Mike intertwines a few of the unmistakable Hendrix doing the 'Star Spangled Banner' at Woodstock guitar wailings in 'YL' to close.
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order the official live CD from amazon: MSG II
order the official live 5-CD set from amazon: MSG I and II07/11/03 - Tweeter Center: Mansfield (Boston), MA [preset 50m/main set 165m]
support act: Sleater-Kinney
PJ preset: Long Road, Of The Girl, Sometimes, Off He Goes, All Those Yesterdays, Drifting, Thin Air, Sleight Of Hand, Footsteps, All Or None, Parting Ways, Indifference
set: Can't Keep, Breakerfall, Brain of J, Spin the Black Circle, Ghost, Green Disease, Tremor Christ, Given To Fly, Nothing As It Seems, Cropduster, Faithfull, Why Go, Wishlist/(Why Can't I Touch It?), Leatherman, Nothingman, Better Man, 1/2 Full, Untitled/MFC, Blood
enc 1: Breath, Habit, Down, Mankind, U, Black, Jeremy
enc 2: Arc, I Believe In Miracles, Know Your Rights, Fortunate Son, Rockin' in the Free World
enc 3: Yellow Ledbetter
notes: This show is part III of the plan for PJ to play their catalog over the three Mansfield shows with no repeats. The unique full band preset starts early with a nearly full house with Ed thanking the crowd for participating in "the experiment." After 'Of The Girl,' Ed asks the crowd to sit down saying, "We haven't played to a seated crowd in a long, long time ... there's not gonna be an acoustic version of 'Blood' or anything like that ..." The preset begins acoustic with Jeff playing electric on some of the early songs and Mike going electric on some of the later songs. Splendid song selection and very well executed. At least three-quarters of the crowd leaves after the preset Sleater-Kinney thanks Pearl Jam for opening for them in their set. PJ return for the main set, ripping through the first few songs at a staccato pace. Ed toasts Boston #3 after 'GTF,' and mentions saving the best for last. He says the next song could have been played in the preset but that they had saved it, and Mike begins 'NAIS.' 'Faithfull' was saved specifically for night three. Ed flubs 'Wishlist' but puts an extended jam on the end (acknowledging the crowd has "forgiven" him) that evolves into the 'Why Can't I Touch It?' tag, enlisting the crowd to sing and joking about not giving Atlanta this part to sing. Ed introduces the "man" trilogy as three songs that "go together just like teeth in a Georgian's mouth," and then apologizes to Atlanta. In usual form, the crowd sings the first two verses to 'Better Man' before Ed even gets a word out. Returning for the first encore, Ed checks his notebook and says there are "... still quite a few songs on the list, so take a deep ..." but doesn't finish the sentence and they launch into 'Breath.' Unfortunately, there is no "speaking as ..." in 'Habit,' but just a complete stop from the build up. 'Down' is introduced as a "b-side off the last record for the serious collector," and is dedicated to Howard Zinn. Ed speaks more of Zinn's writings at the end of the song. He addresses the 77 soldiers that have lost their lives in Iraq since the war is supposedly over and that he hopes that our thoughts and actions are still with those people overseas. "It will be a fine day when they all come home." Ed introduces Stone, who says, "I've been waiting all tour to get the mic. Finally I have it. It feels so good. Since we're playing all the songs, here's the one that I sing ..." leading to 'Mankind,' played under pink lights! He flounders on the repetition of the "... what's got the whole world faking" lyric toward the end and says, "Well, it was sort of magic up to the last part ... the second verse was pretty good, I thought." After 'Black,' Ed says they only have one more of their songs to do and it is one the crowd knows so they can sing along, leading to 'Jeremy,' and afterward, leaving the stage with, "We did it ... thank you!" The second encore begins with "Eddie, Eddie" chants and he responds, "Yeah, it's just me up here." He talks about how they were pacing themselves and the crowd outdid them. He says they are going to break the curfew and says it isn't a deliberate act of disrespect but they want to finish the setlist and that next time they will probably play the Fleet Center. "It will never be like the Garden or like the Orpheum Theater." After thanking those who showed up early for the "experiment" of the opener, he introduces 'Arc' as another experiment, following it with 'I Believe in Miracles.' Sleater-Kinney come out for 'Fortunate Son' and 'RITFW.' Then, "There's one more we haven't done. We've done it once in Birmingham ..." and they repeat the loud "one note" and leave, to the dismay of the crowd that still continues to stay and cheer. The band returns, repeating the "one note" but then going into 'YL' (apparently the only song that would signal they were really done to get the crowd to leave). Mike adds a snippet of Boston's 'More Than A Feeling.' Playing 30 minutes beyond the 11 pm curfew allegedly cost the band $7,500. (Total count for the three nights at Mansfield = 82 songs plus 11 covers.)
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order the official live CD from amazon: Boston III07/12/03 - Hersheypark Stadium: Hershey, PA
support act: Sleater-Kinney
preset: You've Got to Hide Your Love Away (Ed solo)
set: Love Boat Captain, Last Exit, Animal, Do The Evolution, Help Help, Grievance, Get Right, Elderly Woman, Immortality, Even Flow, Deep, Lukin/Corduroy, Thumbing My Way, Thin Air, Once, Insignificance, Rearviewmirror
enc 1: Driven To Tears, Whipping, Glorified G, Daughter/(ABITW), Crazy Mary, Alive
enc 2: State Of Love And Trust, Rockin' in the Free World
notes: Matt helps out on tambourine during a Sleater-Kinney song. After the 'LBC' opener, Ed yells, "Let's go! Fuck this fuckin' chocolate factory!" Ed's voice is a bit hoarse from the previous night's marathon and makes up for it by having quite a bit to drink. Ed says everyone has fairly good complexions so they can't be from around there. He jokes about a guy with a sign that reads "8 1/2 months pregnant" and suggests various band members' names as names for the baby and wishes him good luck. 'Elderly Woman' is for people from small towns. The 'Immortality' solo is very bluesy, and Matt has a great solo. 'Even Flow' culminates with Mike and Stone squaring off from their respective sides of the stage, initiating a call and answer between guitars. Matt and Jeff own the middle jam in 'RVM,' with Jeff spending the second half leaning against his amp, eyes closed. The whole band brings it home at the end with Stone in particular rocking out (looking really cool in the strobes). Throughout much of the show, a female fan up front is flashing the band. Ed comments, "You know there's some little coquette up here who thinks she's getting us excited by pulling her top up and showing me absolutely nothing. Hey look guys ... look at my mosquito bites from this summer. It's all fucking girls gone wild bullshit. If every girl who pulled her top up educated herself and voted! And by the way, little lady, I'm just not turned on by that little thing. I'm into much harder core stuff. I actually like to shit on little girls heads just like you; that's what turns me on," leading to 'Whipping.' 'Thumbing My Way' and 'Thin Air' are gorgeous. The lyrics in the 'Another Brick In The Wall II' tag on 'Daughter' are modified: "Let's pay teachers more and more; let's not waste money on fucking war." Mike tosses in a 'Cat Scratch Fever' riff at the end of a rocking 'SOL&T" and Ed motions for someone in the crowd to toss him their harmonica, playing it a bit and tosses it back. The band brings out a friend of Stone's who got married the day before (Mike Tyler ... Stone calls him "Mr. Philadelphia") to play on 'RITFW,' which Ed says is called "I do!" Ed dons the Bush mask for a while and dances around carelessly. A super tight set, but a very short second encore.
encore setlist scan07/14/03 - PNC Bank Arts Center: Holmdel, NJ
support act: Sleater-Kinney
soundcheck: Hunger Strike, Wash, All Those Yesterdays, People Have The Power, Black Red Yellow (Ed solo)
preset: Dead Man (Ed solo)
set: Wash, Once, Even Flow, Go, Dissident, Corduroy, Nothingman, I Got Shit, In My Tree, Present Tense, Given To Fly, Wishlist/(Why Can't I Touch It?), Evacuation, Insignificance, 1/2 Full, Save You, Porch
enc 1: Growin' Up by Bruce Springsteen, Do The Evolution, Daughter/(Androgynous Mind), Alive
enc 2: Hunger Strike, Leaving Here, Fortunate Son, Rockin' in the Free World
enc 3: Yellow Ledbetter
notes: 'Wash' opens brilliantly with the band entering from the shadows, Ed holding a pizza box with the lyrics written on the box (he gives it to someone in the crowd saying, "Hold onto this for me?") with bluesy guitar from Mike. Ed introduces 'Present Tense' saying that it starts with the letters "PT" just like his friend, Pete Townshend. 'Porch' is all rocked out Ed jumping on top of the speakers and working the crowd up into a more frenzied state. Ed prefaces 'Growin' Up' by saying this was a song he used to play sitting on his bed (when he was first learning how to play) and also said Bruce wanted to play here but the place wasn't available for 167 nights in a row. He acknowledges the fan support and other stuff that's been on his mind the past few months. He says that anything that they've said or done throughout the tour came from opinion and that opinion is about caring ... caring for their country. That makes them feel like patriots. 'Growin' Up' is a tender, heartfelt solo version. 'Hunger Strike' is performed as a big surprise (except for those following soundchecks and setlist scans) and is performed admirably with Corin from Sleater-Kinney singing Chris Cornell's part. The "Sleater-Kinney chorus" help out on 'Leaving Here,' 'Fortunate Son' and 'RITFW.' Excellent show, with a very animated band and Jeff jumping all over the place all night. Unique setlist with them playing a couple of songs from each album from the first to the last.
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07/17/03 - Palacio de los Deportes: Mexico City, Mexico
attendance: 20,000
support act: Sleater-Kinney
set: Of The Girl, Go, Once, Save You, Get Right, Corduroy, I Am Mine, Given To Fly, Even Flow, Love Boat Captain, Wishlist, Gimme Some Truth, Better Man, Lukin/Not For You, Daughter/(WMA), 1/2 Full, Rearviewmirror
enc 1: Do The Evolution, Glorified G, Black, Alive
enc 2: Hunger Strike, Rockin' in the Free World, Yellow Ledbetter
notes: A powerful, great version of 'Of The Girl' opens. Ed speaks to the crowd in Spanish, reading from his notebook, including "Gracias por esperar" (thanks for waiting), leading to huge cheers. The crowd is extremely loud, sometimes nearly drowning out the band with singing. Ed has a Mexican flag across his back during 'Given To Fly.' 'Wishlist' brings out the lighters in the crowd (turning them on and off rhythmically) and has an extended jam plus a call and respond ("hey ho, let's go") session. The crowd just dominates 'Better Man,' leading Ed to invite them to sing along with a spirited 'Lukin' as well. Ed introduces the band en Español upon returning for the encore. They slam into 'DTE' with Stone missing the first of his solo. Ed does the Daltrey-style microphone swings during 'Alive.' Like the Holmdel show, Corin helps out on 'Hunger Strike' again and Sleater-Kinney joins them for 'RITFW.' Mike is on fire, doing kick splits, jumps and running around the stage the whole night with the other band members turning to look at him going crazy. Amazing crowd! Packed to the rafters.
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07/18/03 - Palacio de Los Deportes: Mexico City, Mexico
attendance: 20,000
support act: Sleater-Kinney
set: Release, Save You, Hail Hail, Animal, Grievance, Corduroy, In My Tree, Dissident, Even Flow, You Are, I Am Mine, Elderly Woman, Nothingman, State Of Love And Trust, Jeremy, Porch
enc 1: Bushleaguer, Do The Evolution, Black, Crazy Mary, Alive
enc 2: Arc, Hunger Strike, Leaving Here, Baba O'Riley, Yellow Ledbetter
notes: Stone misses the start to 'Elderly Woman,' leaving Ed and the crowd singing alone until they restart. For 'Bushleaguer,' Ed comes out with a Bush mask and the shiny silver coat. Someone tosses up a Mexican wrestling mask, Ed hangs the Bush mask on the mic stand and starts pulling some wrestling moves on the stand with the mask - hilarious! 'Arc' is played for the ninth time.
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alternate encore setlist scan07/19/03 - Palacio de Los Deportes: Mexico City, Mexico
attendance: 20,000
support act: Sleater-Kinney
set: Wash, Do The Evolution, Save You, Given To Fly, Cropduster, Corduroy, Immortality, Wishlist, Even Flow, I Am Mine, Thumbing My Way, Daughter/(With My Own Two Hands), MFC, Jeremy, Hunger Strike, Better Man/(Save It For Later), Alive
enc 1: You've Got To Hide Your Love Away, Present Tense, Elderly Woman, I Believe in Miracles, Black, Mexico improv, Rearviewmirror
enc 2: Las Mañanitas, Happy Birthday, La Guantanamera, La Bamba, La Bamba (punk version), Mankind, Last Kiss, Leaving Here, Rockin' in the Free World, Yellow Ledbetter
notes: After 'GTF,' Ed says, "Este es el ultimo dia de la gira y fue aqui con ustedes." ("This is the last day of the tour and it was here in with you.") He announces that the show is being broadcast to all of Latin America. The crowd brings out the lighters for 'Wishlist' again. After 'Hunger Strike' Ed sends their love to Chris Cornell. Ed phones Johnny Ramone before 'I Believe in Miracles' and the crowd says "Hi, Johnny" together. After the song, they all say "adios, Johnny" and Ed hangs up. Later Ed says, "Nunca olvidaremos estos shows de Mexico y esperamos regresar pronto." ("We will never forget these shows in Mexico and hope to return soon.") An improv about how they don't want to leave Mexico and won't forget it and will be back serves as a lead-in to 'Rearviewmirror.' Mike destroys his guitar at the end of 'RVM.' A Mexican trio (Chucko y Los Clasicos) take the stage at the start of the second encore, singing 'Las Mañanitas' (the Spanish birthday song) with the whole crowd singing along, and then 'Happy Birthday' in English for Stone's birthday. Then the trio and PJ play play 'La Guantanamera' and 'La Bamba,' followed by Pearl Jam's punk version of 'La Bamba' (including the "hey ho, let's go" lyrics - too funny). Ed asks Stone how old he is and Stone says "37." Then, "Since it's my birthday, I get to sing to you ... sort of, in a strange way, a punishment," leading to 'Mankind.' 'RITFW' features the band's techs on drums, guitar and bass, most of them (and Sleater-Kinney) wearing various Mexican wrestling masks. Very cool with everyone having a great time and quite a sight with many people unaware of the switch because of the masks. After 'YL', Ed says "Gracias!" more than a dozen times and that concludes the tour. The show was rebroadcast at: www.985.com.mx/985.ram
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10/22/03 - Benaroya Hall: Seattle, WA
attendance: 2,500
set: Of The Girl, Low Light, Thumbing My Way, Thin Air, Fatal, Nothing As It Seems, Man Of The Hour, Immortality, Off He Goes, Around The Bend, I Believe In Miracles, Sleight Of Hand, All Or None, Lukin, Parting Ways, Down
enc 1: Can't Keep, Dead Man, Masters Of War, Black, Crazy Mary, 25 Minutes To Go, Daughter/(You Know My Name)/(You've Got To Hide Your Love Away)
enc 2: Yellow Ledbetter
notes: This show is an acoustic benefit for YouthCare, a Seattle nonprofit providing services for homeless youth. Notably, this show is the 13th anniversary of PJ's first show (at the Off Ramp). The crowd is extremely loud, much louder than you'd expect from 2,500 people. Matt is wearing a shirt and skinny tie. Boom is there on keyboards. 'Thin Air' is obviously baubled when Stone flubs the solo after the second verse. He just stops playing and sort of grins at himself. Ed makes a comment, "We heard about this room and, if you make the slightest mistake, that everyone would catch on to it. There's no chance of getting away with that one" (but the crowd is very forgiving). 'Fatal' is a lovely Binaural outtake appearing on the Lost Dogs release. Mike plays electric on 'NAIS.' 'Man Of The Hour' is introduced as new song, recently written by Pearl Jam and recorded two days before for Tim Burton's upcoming movie, Big Fish. After 'Around the Bend,' Ed tells a little story. He explains that before the show started, an older guy in an overcoat approached him and asked if he was indeed Ed Vedder. Ed thought, "No, I'm not probably." Apparently the guy tried to serve him legal papers. Ed notes on the irony of playing a benefit show and having someone try to serve him papers, seeing it as a test of will. "You come to play a benefit and somebody tries to serve you legal papers. It's the most punk ass motherfuckin' move I've ever known. Just fucking ridiculous." During 'Sleight of Hand,' of all songs, an audience member makes it on stage. He raises his arms a little and jogs in place, clearly pumped up. However, with the band ignoring him and crowdsurfing obviously not an option, he is frozen to the spot and is swiftly escorted off. After the song ended, Ed jokes, "Sorry about that. That's the manager of the group; his name is Kelly Curtis." After 'All or None,' Ed acknowledges Mike, who receives a standing ovation. Stone then speaks a bit about YouthCare and how the acoustic setting is ideal to showcase strongly lyrical songs, which sometimes get lost in an electric show. Then they proceed to go into a full speed, acoustic 'Lukin.' After the song ends, Ed sarcastically comments, "that young gentleman earlier; he just mis-timed it." 'Can't Keep' and 'Dead Man' are performed solo by Ed, with the uke helping out on 'Can't Keep.' '25 Minutes To Go' is a song penned by Shel Silverstein that Johnny Cash recorded and popularized. The brief 'Daughter' tags are 'You Know My Name' (The Beatles) and 'You've Got To Hide Your Love Away (John Lennon). 'YL' closes with the band plugged in and standing, pushing aside the seats they'd used throughout the show. 'Masters Of War' is Ed, Stone and Mike playing some heavy riffs. The audience sings the last verse of 'Black' loudly after Ed points at the crowd.
review with photos
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order the official live cd from amazon10/25/03 - Shoreline Amphitheater: Mountain View, CA (Bridge School Benefit) (acoustic)
set: Masters Of War, Daughter/(My My, Hey Hey), Man Of The Hour, I Believe In Miracles, Black, 25 Minutes To Go, Last Kiss
notes: Introduced as "Their sixth time here on this stage ...", Pearl Jam plays a rather short set filled with cover songs. 'Masters Of War' is a standout. 'Man Of The Hour' is introduced as "a father-and-son story thing." Boom shines on 'Black.' The crowd cheers when '25 Minutes To Go' is introduced as a "Johnny Cash song." Like PJ's previous two appearances at the benefit, Ed dedicates 'Last Kiss' to Maricor (his "girlfriend") and mentions that she is now in her third year at Berkeley. The big finale for the night is CSNY performing 'Teach Your Children,' but the PJ guys do not participate.10/26/03 - Shoreline Amphitheater: Mountain View, CA (Bridge School Benefit) (acoustic) [37min]
set: You've Got to Hide Your Love Away, Elderly Woman, Better Man, improv, Down, Crazy Mary, Masters Of War, Long Road
notes: Ed uses a neck-mounted harmonica, saying that "Uncle Neil" had just taught him how to use it. 'Better Man' is dedicated to Maricor. ("I hate to embarrass her in front of everybody, but, you know, she's been putting the moves on me pretty hardcore for about six years now ... and it's workin'! ... we're so proud of her and we love you, Mari. So we're not going to play her favorite song tonight 'cause we did it last night. ... if this one was called 'Can't Find a Better Girl,' we'd play it for her but we're gonna change it. This one's for you Mari.") 'Old MacDonald' is requested by Bridge School student, Harold, but Ed notes that they have their own version and it is an improv about Dick Cheney, sung to the tune of 'Old MacDonald' ("old Dick Cheney had a plan - E I E I O...") Neil Young accompanies PJ on organ during 'Long Road,' with Ed noting that Neil helped them record and write the song.10/28/03 - Santa Barbara Bowl: Santa Barbara, CA (benefit for the Louis Warschaw Prostate Cancer Center at Cedars-Sinai)
attendance: 4,562
soundcheck: I Believe In Miracles, Against The 70s, Daytime Dilemma, In My Tree (old version), In My Tree (new version with Boom), Hail Hail (w/ vocals), Hail Hail (instrumental) Hunger Strike (w/ Chris Cornell), Reach Down (w/ Chris Cornell), Can't Change Me (Cornell solo), Crazy Love (Cornell solo), 25 Minutes To Go [Yes, Chris Cornell is finally soundchecking at a PJ show! It isn't a TOTD recording ;) ]
set (acoustic): I Believe In Miracles, Nothing As It Seems, Immortality, Fatal, Thumbing My Way, Elderly Woman, Man of the Hour, Nothingman, Crazy Mary, Last Kiss, 25 Minutes To Go (w/ Lyle Workman)
set (electric): Love Boat Captain, Black, In My Tree (w/ Jack Irons), Hail Hail (w/ Jack Irons), Save You
enc 1: Soon Forget (w/ Jack Johnson), Better Man/(I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend) (w/ Jack Johnson), Can't Change Me (Chris Cornell solo acoustic), Like A Stone (Chris Cornell solo acoustic), Hunger Strike, Reach Down
enc 2: Daytime Dilemma (w/ John Frusciante), I Believe in Miracles (regular version w/ John Frusciante)
enc 3: So You Wanna Be A Rock N Roll Star
notes: Amazing show with many guests at this special benefit billed as "An Evening With Pearl Jam Acoustic and Then Some" at a small, outdoor venue (with a 10 pm curfew). Starting off seated, PJ begin off with a slow, acoustic 'I Believe In Miracles,' followed up with 'NAIS' with Mike bringing out the electric (and Ed requesting that the spotlight be taken off himself). Ed explains the cause (support for the Cedars-Sinai Center) and that "... they happen to be saving the lives of some very good friends of ours. People that it would be difficult to live without ..." He talks about other "good or great" friends that are there and how they didn't invite any "shit friends" and that they are also there because they've never played Santa Barbara. 'Last Kiss' is introduced as "... one of those teen death songs." (Earlier Ed had said, "We also have teen death songs on our resume ...") Guitarist Lyle Workman helps out on '25 Minutes To Go.' The chairs are discarded as the electric set begins with 'LBC,' 'Black' and Jack Irons joins the band for No Code staples, 'In My Tree and 'Hail Hail.' 'Soon Forget' features Ed on uke (as usual) with some help from Jack Johnson on guitar. He stays for 'Better Man,' which offers a different tag ('I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend,' a Ramones' song tag. Ed introduces the next guest saying "... personally I still don't believe he's still gonna be here until he actually walks out after we say his name ..." and Chris Cornell takes the stage, expressing some apprehension about performing alone, without any of the members of PJ, during the middle of the encore. He offers two acoustic songs, 'Can't Change Me' (from his solo album) followed by 'Like A Stone' (Audioslave). The Temple of the Dog reunion lusted after by fans for ages finally takes place when he brings the band back and they announce, "OK, now were gonna do something that we haven't done in at least 11 years ... now I'm old enough to be able to say that there was something that I did as an adult that I haven't done for 11 years ... I'm really glad that you guys are here to hear this; this is great!" and the crowd is treated to 'Hunger Strike,' followed by 'Reach Down' (very long version with an extended jam). John Frusciante (Red Hot Chili Peppers) helps out on the Ramones' 'Daytime Dilemma' and 'I Believe In Miracles' (played a second time). The third encore features the whole band with all of the guests.
poster
11/11/03 - Live at the Garden live double DVD from Madison Square Garden 7/8/03 released; Lost Dogs rarities and b-sides double CD released
11/26/03 - Man Of The Hour (song written and recorded for Tim Burton's Big Fish) single released
Copyright © 2003-2004 Jean Bruns, All Rights Reserved
