Set List: I Only Play For Money (Eddie w/Frogs during Frogs set,) Act of Love, Go, Last Exit, Spin the Black Circle, Tremor Christ, Corduroy, Not For You, Why Go, Jeremy (part), Deep, Daughter/Improv/ABITWII, Jeremy (New,) Rearviewmirror, Elderly Woman, Lukin, Animal, Dissident, Even Flow, Black, Alive, Blood. Encore: Star Boy (Ed w/Jimmy from Frogs), Little Wing/Maggot Brain (w/Chad Smith from RHCP), Better Man, Porch

Mike Baker (pjmike1@juno.com)
As I once again catch the all too familiar Pearl Jam fever with the announcement of the 1998 tour, I went back and watched my video of my first Pearl Jam concert ever, not only my first Pearl Jam concert, but my first concert ever. Despite it all, I can remember that day like it was yesterday. After having fought my parents for several years, missing out on PJ on two previous tours, I finally convinced my parents that at 15, I was old enough to go. Sparing you the details of the travel up to Milwaukee, I will take you right to the concert.

My friend Trevor and I were first in line to get into the venue. We were ready. We ran to our seats and got ready for the night of our lives. First up came The Frogs. I knew who The Frogs were of course from Eddie's after-Atlanta broadcast dj'ing and the songs played on Self-Pollution Radio. After a set of music that I think I was one of the few people to enjoy, out came a man in a silver jacket and a Beatles wig, and I knew it. I started screaming, "It's Eddie..." People all around were like, these guys suck, I knew it was only a matter of seconds before it was fully realized. It was when Eddie started singing my favorite Frogs song, "I Only Play For Money". And it rocked. Eddie thrashed through that song at the end of which the keyboards, guitars, etc., were smashed.

Sitting through Bad Religon now became hard. We wanted Pearl Jam. Soon enough we had them. Everyone knows the feeling when you are waiting for the show to start and the lights finally go off, the hair on the back of your neck stands up, the cheers are mad, you feel like you are going to wet yourself...Out they walked. Picked up their instruments, and casually, they begin one of the single greatest nights of my life.

The first chords of "Act Of Love" are played and I am screaming my lungs out to this great Mirror Ball track. As the band rockets through "Go" and then the main Vitalogy part of the set, the house is on fire. I turn around to see cars parked on the freeway, dozens of them stopped and watching Pearl Jam. I couldn't have picked a better set list, aside from making it longer.  :) We had covers and rareties galore, "Act Of Love", the new "Jeremy", "Little Wing" (featuring a Mike McCready solo the likes of which I have never seen again,) with special guests The Frogs, and Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

I could ramble for hours on the effects this show had on me. I won't, anyone who truly loves Pearl Jam will know exactly what I mean. An amazing show from the worlds greatest band....