Set List (incomplete): Love/Building on Fire, I'm Not Ready, Corduroy (punked version), I Am a Patriot

Corey (release10@aol.com):
Me and a buddy were on our way to see Eddie jam at the Tibetan Freedom Concert. We decided to hit Chicago on Saturday and hang out there Saturday night. There are a few places we like to hit on the North side of Chicago that we always go to...so that is where we went...we there around 7pm or so. While we are in this one record store, the manager of the store walks in and tells her worker that "Eddie is playing the Tap tonight." Unknown to her is that there are two Pearl Jam fanatics loose in her store. So we walk over and ask her where this place is. She tells us (and I quote), "It is a bar on the SOUTH side." So seeing that we were on the North side of town we started to walk out and call someone we knew in the area and ask where this place was...when all of a sudden...as we are walking out...there is Eddie! He is standing outside on the sidewalk holding a video camera. He obviously knows the people that are running this little bar next to the record store. So anyways...we hang out there and kind of just stand around and eventually Eddie goes across the street.

Not sure what to do...we wait around...and then (you won't believe this)...we look up and see that the little bar next to the record shop, and the one that Eddie was hanging out in front of is called....THE TAP! Can you believe that? That chic at the record store lied to our asses. The bar had been right next store the whole time!

So now we go in the bar and just hang out. We buy some beers and start casing the place out. We notice that in the back of this bar there is a small roped off section that leads to the other side. It says "Private birthday party for Justin." We assume that Eddie is playing the other side. So we continue to hang. There is one guy in the whole place that is wearing a Pearl Jam shirt. He is wearing the soccer Jersey shirt that Pearl Jam was selling on last year's tour. So anyways...we just hang and eventually we talk to someone that I think was the owner or a friend of the owner. And we ask him if we can go hang on the other side. He asks us if we know what is going on tonight. So we tell him that we "think" Eddie is playing here tonight. He then asks us how we found out. So we tell him the record store deal and how we spotted him out front. To our amazement he tells that once he gives us the signal, we can go to the other side.

Now I never saw Eddie come in...so I assume he came through the kitchen doors that were located on the other side. So...we go to the side where Eddie and C average are hooked up. There is no stage. They are simply standing on the same floor as all of us. They are playing directly in front of three very large windows that overlook Clark Street. We are all crammed into one side of this tiny, tiny, tiny bar. I personally am standing around 8 feet from Eddie. After a while I had moved to about 4 feet from him. So cool to be allowed to be this close to the music and no bouncers and stage to separate us.

The show was video taped by at least two people. I saw two cameras going. But both people looked to be pretty close to Eddie. I think I only remember one flash type camera going off the whole time. So I doubt there will be any pics floating around.

Now as for the set I will tell you as much as I can remember. I don't recall what the order was. But I will tell you some of the events of the night.

For starters....people are walking by on the street looking in without any clue of what is going on. At least for like the first half hour. Later on a crowd would gather outside. I am not familiar with some of the songs that are played. But one was "Love/Building on Fire", and "I'm Not Ready." First time I had ever heard those songs. Before playing "Love/Building on Fire," Eddie told all of us that this next song was for the "serious" music collector.

Better Man was NOT played on Saturday night. I have seen that listed on some web pages. But it was NOT played. Now they did play Corduroy...but it was a much more punk version than we are used to. Before Ed went into it he said, "Here is one...let's see if you can pick it out."

"I am a Patriot" was also played, but it too was played like more of a punk style. Very similar to how they played it at the Tibetan Freedom Concert. It was awesome. I strongly urge you to find that if possible!

At some point during the gig...Eddie stopped to thank everyone who came and for everyone who knew about the gig going down and did not go out and tell everyone. He said something like...." You know you have a true friend, when you can tell them something like this is happening and trust them not to go out and tell everyone they know...so nice to just sit here and just play for the sake of playing and drink some beers and not have anything heavy on us...I like the idea that we can just sit here and play and people are walking by on the street and don't know what the f*ck is going on in here...." That was not exactly how it was said...but that is pretty close.

At some point a guy even went by and mooned all of us...I doubt he any clue who was playing. Later on Eddie asked all of us to be quiet while he tuned his guitar. I believe he said something like... "It is hard to tune when it is loud. So just talk amongst yourself for a few minutes." He would do that again later.

Now when they went into Last Kiss, if I remember correctly.....Eddie said that it was the first time they were doing this. They had to start and stop like three times because the drummer just couldn't get that intro beat of the song down right. Eddie was laughing during this....he said, "It's just the intro he doesn't have down yet...after that it is all straight easy drummin'..." Well eventually they get it right and play the song perfectly. It was awesome.

At some point towards the end they go into a song that Eddie has asked all of us to sing along with him. He says that you will know which part to sing by just listening to the first part of the song. I do not recognize the song, and I am hoping that someone out there will. But the part we had to sing goes like this " ...the one thing you can't lose....is that feeling..." If any of my fellow Pearl Jammers out there know what song that is, please tell me! I used my cell phone to call my answering machine in the hopes that it would be able to pick up the concert in the background and that song. But when I got home it didn't sound too good. Sorry all....I tried.

I believe that was the last song. But it might have been Patriot. Sorry for not having everything written down and stuff. Like I said...I was just lucky to have stumbled on to it and I wish you all could have experienced it. Speaking as someone who took off most of last summer to see them across the country, I can't help but feel like I deserved it......IT WAS AWESOME!!!!!!! I will never forget it.

Keep it real all....See you on the flipside.
Corey