Set List: Sometimes, Go, Hail Hail, Brain of J., Dissident, Even Flow, Given To Fly, Corduroy, MFC, Lukin, Wishlist, Jeremy, Daughter/Hey Hey, My My, Not For You, Off He Goes, Better Man, Rearviewmirror, Black, Last Exit; 1st encore: Do The Evolution, Nothingman, Alive, Leaving Here; 2nd encore: Yellow Ledbetter, Baba O'Riley

Tamara Rousselle (tamara@intouch.bc.ca)
You know, Pearl Jam hasn't been to Vancouver since '93 with Neil Young. This has forced me to migrate to places such as Seattle, Toronto and Oakland to see them. I was in Portland on the 18th and I was so utterly blown away that I had doubts that anything could ever top it!

But let me tell you!! Home sweet home!!! I would have to say that the Vancouver show was at least 10 times better than the Portland show and I have proclaimed it not only the best Pearl Jam show that I have ever seen but the best concert I have EVER seen IN MY LIFE!

Pearl Jam's rekindled energy seemed to be alive again in Portland but it was ripping shit up in Vancouver!! Eddie was SO into it, he was dancing and jumping (a very nice double split!) and genuinely seemed to be enjoying himself. Something I noticed about Pearl Jam in Portland and Vancouver, and I think it is so cool, is that they know they haven't been to these cities in so long and they really gave us a show. I felt acknowledged, I felt thanked, I felt like we all meant something. Even the fans behind the stage and in the stands were given the nod or a wave from Eddie.

I was really impressed by the changes in the set list, they played all their "hits" still but all the in between songs were very different. He even changed the tail of Daughter in Vancouver to "Hey Hey, My My". The best part was that they seemed to enjoy every song and that they enjoyed playing them for us. It appeared that they planned to end with Yellow Ledbetter but as Mike was finishing it off Eddie took a vote starting with Stone, then Matt and then Jeff to see if they wanted to play one more, Baba O'Riley. As Mike closed he waved and started to walk off but Eddie stopped him and obviously Mike agreed because he switched guitars and we got one more.

During the Alive encore Eddie got off the stage and climbed into the crowd! All hell broke loose as everyone dove to hold him up! The whole row of seats actually started to move forward on their own and people were flying everywhere! After that, as hard as they tried, there was no hope in getting things back to order but that's ok, we were into the 1st encore. I ended up front row (I was in second already anyway) and during Baba O'Riley Eddie threw me his tambourine! I didn't catch it and it fell to the floor but Eddie bent over the rim of the stage and told his "guard" that it was for me and the guard picked it up and handed it to me! This was my 9th time seeing Pearl Jam and nothing like that had ever happened, I can not even put into words what that meant to me.

As the show came to a close everyone in the arena was on their feet, cheering and applauding the best concert I have ever seen in Vancouver, or anywhere. Thank you Eddie, Stone, Jeff, Mike and Matt. Vancouver definitely loves you!

rjam@bc.sympatico.ca
Well, the show ended about 13 hours ago and I'm still shaking my head. This is my fifth time seeing Pearl Jam, but none compare to last night's show. It was an amazing combination of truly great musicians, each completely on their game, a diverse selection of songs and a very appreciative crowd. My friends and I were in row 11, dead center on the floor.(We WERE supposed to have row 2, but that's another Ticketmaster story...). I have never seen the band play so tight and with such obvious enthusiasm.

Sometimes was a nice surprise opener, kinda a calm before the storm. Then the crowd went crazy with Go, and didn't let up until the opening notes of Given To Fly. Of course, this only lasted until the chorus. I loved this song from the moment I heard it, but live it had an almost spiritual quality. A dramatic song that totally carries you away.

I was really happy to hear Lukin, played at blinding speed. A future punk-rock classic? The mirrorball during Wishlist just has to be seen to be believed. Daughter became a crowd sing-along, but I was waiting to hear the tag. Hey Hey, My My. How fitting. Just like on SNL years ago. The next 6 songs couldn't have flowed together better. Not For You rocked, with Eddie pushing his vocals to the limit. Eddie introduced Off He Goes as a sad story. Better Man was another audience sing-along, and I totally got wrapped up in it. Very emotional song.

Then came my highlight of the show. I consider Rearviewmirror to be pretty much my favorite PJ song (if it's possible to have just one). This time it transcended any of version I have heard. To say Mike was on fire for this (and the whole show) would be a total understatement. This performance of this song will be a moment in time I will always recall. Words are failing me to describe the experience. Then...

Black. Didn't expect to hear it, couldn't believe they played it. After the last verse, Eddie seemed poised to add a tag, probably "we belong to together", but he ended up squatting on the stage at his mic stand, in awe of Mike as the rest of were. HE was unconscious. Mike seemed to completely lose himself in the end of that song. It was incredible.

When they came out for the first encore, Stone said he was really glad to come to Vancouver and play a really good show, because he didn't think they had played a good one here before. Evolution was excellent, with Eddie doing some twisting and dancing. My friend Jason was waiting for Nothingman all night, and got his wish. Alive got the biggest crowd response of the night, and Eddie decided to join the crowd. He jumped in to the security pit, then climbed up onto the fence and was held up by the first few rows of people. I haven't heard of this happening this tour, and it was so obvious that he and the rest of the band were really into it, enjoying themselves and the audience. Stone kept grinning at Eddie as he tried to get back onstage. Then Leaving Here. My friends had only just heard the studio version on the way to the concert, and it seemed like there weren't that many others that knew it, but everyone loved it. Would there be another encore?

Yes. Yes there would be. I had no expectation of hearing Yellow Ledbetter, but Eddie said there had been so many requests for it, so they played it. Again, not a lot of recognition, but a lot of love. As Mike went off during the ending, I saw Eddie leaving the stage. Stone stopped him, gestured to the crowd. Eddie nodded and ran around back to tell Matt and Jeff. I knew something else was coming. Once Mike was done, Baba O'Riley. What a way to end a show. My friends and I were speachless for a while, then couldn't stop raving about the show, their performance, song selection, Mike, Matt, and everyone's enthusiasm. I have never been to a better show in my life. But, Seattle's next...

Faisal Jamal (braindammage@hotmail.com)
I just came home from the greatest concert I've ever seen, and I've been to my fair share. I was sitting in the upper deck but I had an awesome view. Frank Black opened the show and he wasn't as bad as I thought he would be, I'm not saying he was good, but he didnt suck, his drummer was good. once they were done Pearl Jam came on, I had my doubts about Matt Cameron on the drums but he was amazing, and his arms are huge! They opened the show with Sometimes, a soft song, but then they went into Go and the crowd was just into it.. awesome song after awesome song, and now my throat is killing me, because I knew the words to every song, except for one(Lukin, which goes really fast).. I think one of the best songs of the night was Rearviewmirror, that was really cool.. and the lights were good too.. the last song they played before the encores was Last Exit.

Then they came back out played a couple of songs and then they went into Alive.. where the whole arena errupted! It seemed like everyone knew the words, which wouldn't shock me. At the end of the first encore they played Leaving Here which is a really cool cover song. For the second encore they played Yellow Ledbetter which is usually what they end the shows with, but then at the end of the song they decided to do one more: Baba O'Riley.. that's all I have to say, oh and IT WAS FUCKING AMAZING!