Set List: Sometimes, I Got Id, Corduroy, Hail Hail, Dissident, Even Flow, Brain of J, Given To Fly, Wish List, Off He Goes, Last Exit, State of Love and Trust, Do The Evolution, (Happy Birthday Neil Young); Encore: Immortality, Once, Alive

The Honking Seals in Santa Cruz
by: LizzyRock@aol.com

I'm still blown away that I got so lucky and am filled with extreme gratitude for those who let getting into the show happen for me. Thanks again! : )

It was freezing outside, but the Catalyst's bar was open, so we decided to grab a few beers before the show. Our timing couldn't have been better. We got settled, and shortly, began hearing guitar noodlings and then, the familiar strains of the opening riff of "Leaving Here" filled the room....eventually bursting into the complete song. Even from the next room (we were separated from the stage area by a iron gate and a wall as opposed to a blocked-off door), the power of the band could be felt. That was one of those great moments in life: good beer, good company, all to the tunes of Pearl Jam, playing live in the background. After "The Long Road," the band played a new song that harkened back to the song-structure of the Ten material...heavy riffs, cool chord changes, that emotional chill you get when you hear an EXCELLENT PJ song for the first time....I got a little choked-up inside listening to it. I've heard a report that someone who heard soundcheck said this was "Do The Evolution," but it was much less poppier than that song, though I think part of "Do The Evolution" WAS performed later in the soundcheck.

As for the show itself, the stage was high enough to allow for great sight lines, and the acoustics were very good for a club. The crowd was polite....some moshing up front, but not too much pushing or obnoxious behavior.

The band opened quietly with the pensive "Sometimes," and then the familiar, ringing chords of "I Got Id" filled the air. The song was performed passionately, and though I was close enough to see perfectly, I shut my eyes at times to aborb all of the song's impact. It made me feel warm inside. An almost note-perfect "Corduroy" (regular version) was next with Eddie's voice growing in an intensity that would continue to build throughout the concert to climax with the best "Alive" I've EVER heard since the New Year's Eve 91-92 Cow Palace show. By the end of "Corduroy," his voice had reached amazing emotional level ("alone like I BEGAAAAAAAAAAAN!").

"Hail Hail" was next and seems to have comfortably found its place as a live staple. Always fun to hear that song's powerful riffing courtesy of Mr. Gossard and Mr. McCready. Mike and Stone would often keep to the extreme edges of the their respective sides of the stage, which may have been to see if they could still connect while being miles apart on what's sure to be a huge Rolling Stones stage. They did and would occasionally cast wide grins at each other from across the room whenever a particularly good moment happened between them.

Beautiful guitar leads guided a haunting "Dissident" which was followed by an energetic "Even Flow" that had the majority of the crowd pogo-ing. The end of the song belonged to Jeff and his driving bass riff that climaxed in that great Pearl Jam leap that makes you wanna pump your fist and yell. The band was fully "ON" by this point, as it began the driving "Brain Of J," which seemed to have tightened up and gotten faster and heavier since I first heard it performed in San Jose in '95....and it was heavy to begin with!

At this point, I might mention how the new songs sound in general. Let's just say that "Yield" is gonna be a top-notch, hard-rocking album. The songs definitely have that classic hard Pearl Jam edge, yet still display signs of growth and a willingness to experiment with sudden tempo changes, unusual structures, and new ideas (having Stone and Jeff sing in falsetto during "Do The Evolution"). And as we know from songs like "Black," a song doesn't have to be fast to be excellent. I can't wait to hear "Given To Fly" again (hopefully tomorrow night), with its pretty, slow verses exploding into a heavy, rocking chorus. If this is the first single....wow. I don't have the tape of the show yet, so I'm blanking on "Wish List" right now....last night's post described it quite well [pop-sounding song]. Oh well, a lot of us will hear it this week, I'm sure. It's slow and pretty too, and was a perfect prelude to "Off He Goes."

"Off He Goes" was sad and one I personally relate to for a number of reasons (though, fortunately, I didn't fall to pieces like I've been known to do when I hear it). Eddie gently conveyed the sorrow of seeing this friend (I don't believe he's singing about himself, but that's just IMHO) torn. Few PJ songs are as touching as this one ("I rubbed my eyes, for he has returned. . .nothing's changed but the surrounding bullshit, that has grown. . .before his next step, he is off again."). Being happy because he's back, feeling helpless realizing he's still lost.

The quiet mood was broken as Jack pounded out the immediately recognizable opening to "Last Exit." This song was nothing short of ferocious with Eddie shaking and screaming....."let my spirit PAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSS" was comparable to Roger Daltrey's classic scream on "Won't Get Fooled Again." One of the best live "Last Exit's" I've heard. The song fits in well in the 2nd half of the set, as opposed to being an opener...perhaps it's because the band has become completely charged up by this point, fueling the aggressive performance this song needs.

"State Of Love And Trust" (my personal all-time fave) was performed with gusto, still played enthusiastically after all these years, complete with Eddie working himself up into the shakes, eyes rolling back in his head, finger as trigger against his head as "the barrel shakes" and the implorement to "help me, help me from myself." This one had me fighting off tears (but I did good not to lose it....LOL) because the song hits a scary nerve with me.

"Do The Evolution" closed the set exactly an hour after it'd begun (obviously, the band was seeing if it could indeed pull of a one-hour set for the Stones). I'll talk more about this song later this weekend after I've heard it a few more times.

After singing "Happy Birthday" to Neil Young over Eddie's cell phone, the band performed a taut "Immortality." This moody song continues to ripen with age and is now a powerhouse show-stopper. All members come together as one mighty force and Jack especially shined on the end of this one. Excellent guitar-work through out.

"Once" got off to a raw false start and then became a perfect roar of aggression and cathartic release. We've all heard this song....and last night, it was as good as it gets. And you could feel the band AND the audience getting off on it. Neat when that happens. This led into, as I mentioned earlier, one of the BEST "Alive's" I've ever heard the band perform....no bad joke intended, but it was so ALIVE...with passion, with energy, and with the band clicking so well together. This song right there explained what the big deal is with this band....great music played forcefully by talented musicians, and proved they still have the cajones to rock your butt off.

Impressions of the earlier Soundcheck

Soundcheck
Leaving Here ("tight!")
Long Road
a new song...("heavy, lots of changes, 'this is the shit!' ")
jamming between songs
another new song (short and heavy)
New Song, very heavy, punk-sounding version
another jam...snippets of pop-sounding songs.
Last Exit ("raw and intense" EV's voice sounds AWESOME, sent shivers down spine.)
Off He Goes