Set List: Hail Hail, Animal, Given To Fly, Daughter/(I Believe in Miracles)/(WMA), Corduroy, Wishlist, Immortality, State of Love and Trust, Even Flow, Footsteps, Mankind, Alive, Better Man, Leatherman, Jeremy, Do The Evolution; 1st Encore: Small Town, Brain Of J., "untitled" (new song) into MFC, Crazy Mary (part) into Rearviewmirror, Black, Porch; 2nd Encore: Last Kiss by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers (1964), Yellow Ledbetter

Nathan Challen (nchallen@jhu.edu):
First of all, Ben Harper has got to be the best band I've ever seen open for PJ. His bassist rocked the Post Pavillion, and the group finished up with a monster cover of Hendrix's Voodoo Child. All I can say is "wow!"

Now the important stuff: I saw the band in Philly a couple weeks ago and since then I've only been waiting to see them again. Unfortunately, I was grass bound this time. (A far cry from the killer 7th row seats I'd gotten from the fan club for the first show.) Regardless, we could feel the energy up on the lawn. They're really having fun up there this time around. It's also quite a treat to see a different set list every show. The show in Philly played like a greatest hits album, but in Merriweather we were treated to the lesser known Leatherman, Footsteps, and even a Crazy Mary tease. I had left Philly dissapointed because they didn't play Do The Evolution that night, but it was well worth the wait (Eddie even Vouged for us).

But the highlight of the night was of course the second encore...A incredible cover of Last Kiss followed by the nothing less than Ledbetter (Yellow of course), not to mention a hug from Stone and Jeff who Eddie described as being together longer than he and his wife, who've been together for along time themselves.

A close second for best highlight would have to be Mike's behind the head solo in Porch (how the hell does he do that, I can barely play the guitar in front of me). I'd been telling my friends about the trick since Philly, but none of them really understood untill they saw it in person. Thanks guys for the great times and good luck with the rest of the tour (and the next album, hint hint). And special thanks to Matt Cameron who filled in without a hitch. I can't wait untill the next time around.

Michael Schechter (mschecht@wam.umd.edu):
What more can be said? This is the third time I have seen Pearl Jam live, and each time they manage to exceed all of my expectations. Tonight was no different. I arrived at the show half way through Ben Harper's set, and was very impressed with his music. I was also happy to get a chance to hear his rendition of Voodoo Child which I had heard so much about. Anyway, after a quick break, a t-shirt purchase, and a fight to get back to my seat, the real show was about to begin. The guys burst onto the stage, ripping out a version of Hail Hail, followed almost immediately by Animal. Instead of going through the set list song by song, I've decided to just try to remember some of the highlights, at least in my mind.

First, a note about the crowd: This was my first time at Merriweather Post Pavillion, and I was astonished at their strict security. Ticket stubs were being checked, smokers were quickly told to extinguish their flames, and the aisles were kept clear. The crowd seemed to be lacking energy at first, but by mid way through the first set, the place was rocking. A number of fans brought signs to suggest songs, and Eddie motioned for them to put their signs down. He said something to the effect of- "these people want to eat their dessert before the main course--we'll get there." Eddie also dedicated a song to the citizens of Chevy Chase, Md, complete with a "nananannananana" Caddyshack reference.

Mike seems to be unstoppable. His work on almost every song stole the show. His Porch solo was incredible, and even included a bit of behind the head strumming. The show even ended with the spotlight on Mike, as the rest of the band looked on with a sense of awe as he finished off Yellowledbetter. The song played before MFC seemed to be related to it in some way. The basic guitar part sounded very similar, but I was unable to make most of the lyrics.

Following Last Kiss (which was announced when Eddie held up a sign from the audience), Eddie plugged an album Matt was involved with, and reminded the audience of the Voters for Choice benefit show. He also pointed out that he and his wife have been together as long as Stone and Jeff (or something to that effect), which prompted an emotional hug between the two. The lighting during Rearview Mirror added incredible effect to the song, and had everyone cheering for more. Porch was evrything I'd imgained it would be live, Alive rocked (when has it ever not?), Footsteps was played better than I have ever heard it, and Leatherman was a pleasant surprise.

Overall, the show can simply be described as amazing. This band makes incredible music, and seems to really love playing it. While I cant imagine any show ever living up to this one for me, I can't wait for the next. Thank you, Pearl Jam for a truly unforgettable evening.