Set List: Go, Corduroy, Grievance, State of Love and Trust, Tremor Christ, Small Town, Insignificance, Last Exit, Animal, In My Tree, I Got Shit, (Romance)/Better Man/(Save It For Later), Even Flow, Daughter/(WMA), Thin Air, Jeremy, Given To Fly, Rearviewmirror;
1st encore: Nothing As It Seems, Last Kiss, Spin The Black Circle, Crazy Mary, Parting Ways;
2nd encore: Fuckin' Up

While my review of the show pales in comparison to Augie's (lucky bastard, I know where you live...really, I do), my 8th PJ show proved to be one of the best I've ever seen (tied with Hamburg). For an opener I was guessing either Long Road or Sometimes, something slow, something easy. Nope. Go surprised the hell out of me, as well as the rest of the crowd. After that, everything was a wonderful blur of emphatic guitars and *mostly* correct lyrics.

After an intense string of songs (Insignificance, Last Exit, and Animal), a pleasantly familiar drumbeat began. No...it couldn't be...it was! In My Tree!! The song I had told everyone I had wanted to hear and had been waiting for since Toronto '96 was back. Damn. They could have stopped the show after that and I wouldn't have minded (ok, I would have, but that's beside the point).

I could go on about the extended RVM jam or how much I love Given to Fly or how McCready's Even Flow solo was awe-inspiring or how great the tags were. But I won't...too much to say that I can't even comprehend just yet. Just give me time. And thanks to the Ten Club for the great seats, to E.V. & Co. for kicking the Palace's ass (again!), and to Kerry for remembering to not talk to me during a song (a bad habit, I apologize).

I never think they can get any better, yet they do. Always. Already antsy for Seattle #1...see you all there!!

-Greg

Alex Kondovski (alexkondovski@yahoo.com):

There were snowflakes in the air as we were going into the Palace of Auburn Hills. As we were walking through the parking lot, we could hear a lot of people playing pearl jam tunes from their cars. One particular tune that really got our attention was Let Me Sleep (it's Christmas time). It was cold in Detroit!

The four of us who made the trip from Windsor, Ontario are all big fans. "Go" really surprised us and caught us off guard as an opener. We knew this was going to be a rocking show. They blew us away with "State of Love and Trust," "In my Tree," "Tremor Christ," "Insignificance" and many more. All four of us were unable to contain ourselves in one spot. We were jumping, waving, swaying, singing (2 of lost our voices after the show)...WHAT A SHOW!

What a band, what a crowd, what a show!!! A surreal show. The best one I have ever experienced!

Alex Kondovski