Set List: Release, Hail Hail, Animal, Even Flow, Given To Fly, Corduroy, MFC, Habit, Faithfull, Daughter/(Beginning To See The Light by Velvet Underground)/(WMA), Wishlist, Nothingman, Immortality, Rearviewmirror, Brain of J, Black, Do The Evolution; 1st Encore: Breath, State of Love and Trust, Off He Goes, Leatherman, Better Man/(Save It For Later), Mankind, Baba O'Riley; 2nd Encore: Indifference w/ Ben Harper, Alive

Joe Magrino (jmagrino@turbo.kean.edu):
I just got off the train from MSG. This was absolutely the best show yet. Tonight was my last night of the NY/NJ trilogy shows. The energy tonight was insane!!! "release" was the first song of the night, bringing everyone back to the days of "ten." Eddie's climactic singing in "release" warmed up the crowd for the next 10 kick ass songs. In the best order, it went, "hail hail, animal, even flow, given to fly, corduroy, mfc, habit, faithful, and daughter into a mini version of w.m.a." I couldn't believe they played that many rockin' songs in a row so flawlessly. There was barely a break between each song and each one brought the crowd up a level. Eddie even commented on how tonight was already better than the rest of the area shows. Sorry I have to keep mentioning the crowd, but they were just so loud and powerful. The band then broke it down a bit and busted out, "wishlist, nothingman, and immortality." After the band relaxed themselves with those songs, they ripped out, "rearviewmirror and brain of j." Those songs got us warmed up for the epic crowd pleaser, "black". "evolution" closed the first set out hard!!!

Of course the crowd didn't allow the band too much of a break because we couldn't wait for what was next. As they rolled back out and MSG was roaring, many people on the floor, in an organized fashion, held up signs for "breath". For the past three nights at the area shows, someone has been handing out hundreds of these signs to the floor seats before each 2nd set. Every night Eddie commented on the organization, but didn't play it. He kept giving us excuses. Tonight, they played it and they played it hard. Thank you so much!!!! I've been waiting years to see that one live. What better song could follow than "state of love and trust"? I'm speechless about the combo of these two songs and the response from the crowd. I thought the place was going to collapse.

I thought that combo would end the show because it was so unbelievable, but no way. They kept going and it kept getting better. One of my favs from "no code" was next, "off he goes". Next, the boys did the rest of the powerful "man" songs, "leatherman" and the popular "better man". Eddie then stepped aside and Stone was in the spotlight, doing his, "mankind". I've never seen that one live. I guess he wanted to let loose a little before he did his famous runaround-in-circles dance in the next song.

Now you know if Stone was doing that in the next song, it had to be monumental. Well...... it was!!!!! I never thought I would see it live because it's on all my old bootlegs, but they did it. They covered "baba o'riley". This is the cover of all covers and personally, I think they do it better than the original. Now instead of mentioning the energy of the crowd, I have to mention the energy of the band. You know how Mike and Jeff are always jumping around? Well, at one point in the song, all the boys in the band jumped simultaneously and came down together on the perfect note and just jammed out the rest of the song hard. I got the chills watching that because the band had the energy similar to that of back in the day when Eddie used to hang from the rafters and Jeff used to bang cymbals with his bass. Every single person in the house was on their feet. Even the few parents I saw got in on this one. This point in the show was so unbelievable that I thought it had to be the last song. It was about the same time all the other area shows ended, so I just assumed it was the end. It ended and the band walked off the stage.

I was satisfied, but what about "alive". They had to come back out and play it. The crowd was screaming for more and more we got. They came back out with Ben Harper. I didn't know what to expect from this, but whatever it was it was going to be good. Eddie and Ben sang the best late night, drive home after a long day, song in the whole world, "indifference". Then after a farewell to Ben, the crowd roared for more and the band gave us the most incredible anthem-like song ever, "alive". You could barely hear Eddie on this one because of the crowd and this time I really, really thought the place was going to collapse. The song ended and my last night with Pearl Jam until the next tour was over.

This show left me with such a pumped up feeling that I wouldn't shut up to my friends about it. This honestly was the best show I have ever seen. It was my perfect CD and perfect video. How awesome would that be? I just don't know what else to say about it. The intensity of this show and the response I had to it is unexplainable. This long ass fanview is the best I can do! Later!!!

Scott (SmFimortal@aol.com):
Set list is Release, Hail Hail, Animal, Even Flow, Given To Fly, Corduroy, MFC, Habit, Faithfull, Daughter (WMA), Wishlist, Nothingman, Immortality, Rearview Mirror, Brain of J, Black, Do The Evolution-Encore 1-Breath, State Of Love and Trust, Off He Goes, Leatherman, Better Man, Mankind, A Who cover Teenage Wasteland (I think so)-Encore 2-Indifference, Alive.

An amazing show 2 1/2 hours long, at the end of Alive, Vedder kept throwing his mic up in the air till it wrapped around some scaffolds above him. He then proceeded to climb up the wire to the utter shock to everyone in attendence. They really put on a great show for us Ny and Nj fans. They keep great all-American rock alive in these times when every band is just trying to come up with something kool or hip, or just plain copying from others. They've really grown as a band, and I'm very pleased to say I've finally seen them in concert.