Set List: Throw Your Arms Around Me (Ed) before Ben Harper; PJ Set: Release, Brain of J, Hail Hail, Given To Fly, Dissident, MFC, Corduroy, Wishlist, Even Flow, Faithfull, Spin The Black Circle, I Got Shit, Improv, Habit, Off He Goes, Present Tense, Black, Do The Evolution, Porch; 1st Encore: Go, State of Love and Trust, Better Man/(Save It For Later), Rearviewmirror, Alive; 2nd Encore: Last Kiss by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers (1964)

Hank57@aol.com:
Tonight was my fourth show in the past week, beginning this past Thursday in New York City, and this was the best of the bunch, a fantastic show. My friend and I are big Ben Harper fans, so we wanted to get in before his set started. Little did we know the treat we had in store for us before Ben took the stage. I had seen how earlier in the tour in Pittsburgh and Seattle Ed had come out and played Throw Your Arms Around Me before Iggy Pop and Sean Lennon, respectively. The song is one of my all time favorites but I didn't want to get my hopes up about them playing it. Around 7:30 my buddy said "there's ben" and I replied that it didn't look too much like him. It was Ed, alone with a guitar. As I ran closer to the stage, avoiding security guys who would have liked to move me back to my seat, I positioned myself about 10th row center, and sat down as Ed proclaimed: "i wish i was ben harper" and sat down in Ben's chair. He then proceeded to sing a heartfelt rendition of the song, one that I will certainly never forget.

After a great set by Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, PJ took the stage and went right into Release. I heard it Friday in NY, but this was even better.

Next was Brain of J, which I have really grown to love this past week hearing it live. These guys really know how to rock, and this song was made to be played live.

A kick-ass Hail Hail was followed by Given to Fly. The band was really together, and unlike the last few shows when it was played, they didn't have any problems with the guitars or sound. It lifted the whole crowd up into the sky.

Dissident, MFC and Corduroy were the next 3 songs, all performed at the highest level. Like Brain of J, I have gained a new love for both MFC and Corduroy through their live versions, which are amazing.

Wishlist and the ever-present mirror-ball were next, with Ed singing "fortunate as you" and "shining off your camaro's hood".

Even Flow, a mellow and touching Faithful, and a rockin' Spin the Black Circle were the next three. After STBC, Ed mentioned playing a Neil Young song (Fuckin' Up) last night, and then proceeded to play I Got Shit, which they cowrote with Neil.

Then Ed played a new song, one which I happened to hear on a tape of the surprise Pearl Jam show in Seattle before the tour started. It might be called "i don't know." It is kind of eerie, but very cool.

Habit followed, with Eddie saying: "speaking as a child who pahked the cah in the gahden" (with a heavy boston accent)

A wonderful Off He Goes was next, with some new solos by Mike in between each verse. It really added to the song's beauty.

Then Eddie and Mike started to play Present Tense together, which Ed called "one of my favorites." It was great, with only the two of them onstage. Then the rest of the band came back on and finished out a great rendition of the song.

Black, then Evolution followed. I have decided that while all of PJ's stuff is great live, Do the Evolution is the best. The energy with which Pearl Jam plays this song live is undescribable. Completely and utterly amazing.

After DTE was Porch. First of all, the guys blew the roof off the amphitheatre with this song, and then Ed was held up on the divider between the fans and the stage by the fans and a couple of security guys. He finished off the song there, and it was a keeper to end the first set.

Go, SOLAT, and Better Man were the next three, with a neat Save it for Later tag at the end of Better Man.

Then the guys burst into Alive, the best rendition that I saw in the past week. Absolutely crazy. At the end of the song, as the rest of the guys kept jamming, Ed first walked all the way to the right side of the stage on top of the speakers, and the entire right side of the audience went nuts. He stood there looking out for about half a minute, then did the same on the left side. It was just another example of what a great group of showmen Ed, Mike, Stone, Jeff and Matt are. Following Alive, they left the stage again.

When they came back out, Ed said: "people in boston seem to be really smart, cuz they seem to really like our music." Then he went on to talk about a couple of nights ago: "we were at this pub, jimmy d's, and it closed up, quit serving, so we went to this guys house, and started playing 'til this song came up. it sounded great in a living room, so i thought it would sound great here. its last kiss."

I had also heard this song from the Seattle ARO space tape, and it did not dissapoint. It was a great way to end the show and a great way for me to end a wonderful week of Pearl Jam (as well as Ben Harper). Thanks to all of them, for 4 shows that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

Mark Vicuna (vicuna@ll.mit.edu):
Unbelievable!!!! I loved every minute of it..this was my third show this week...I went to see them in Hartford, and last tuesday, but last nights concert was incredible!!! I though it couldn't get any better. The band sounded absolutely incredible, especially when they play State of Love and Trust..Eddie was so much more into the crowd last night, he was walking back and forth across the stage shaking hands getting the crowd all hyped up!!..Song after song they played it kept getting better and better, the last song that he played which was last kiss was awesome, the lights came on and the audience started dancing to it!!! These three concerts were the first Pearl Jam ones I've seen.. I've heard stories about how they incredible they sound in person, and there all true...Thank you Pearl Jam for all the memories!!!!