Set List: (both solo acoustic) I Am A Patriot by Steven Van Zandt,
The Times They Are A-Changin' by Bob Dylan

Like anyone would expect, Friday the 13th in NYC would be filled with many surprises, and this idea was in effect tonight at Madison Square Garden. After leaving school from SJU in Philadelphia with my buddy Jason on a road trip to see Mr. Eddie Vedder and Ralph Nader too ;), Jason and I began to ponder the possibilities that could happen to us. The reason for this.... I had secured two press passes for this event and inturn we had no idea what this meant.

Long story short, we get into the press conference and out walks, Eddie Vedder among the other great celebrities on hand. Did I tell you I was sitting about ten feet in front of Eddie while the people from CNN, VH1, NBC, FOX, etc. were behind me? So shocked at Eddie being there for the press conference in what I thought would only be Ralph Nader speaking, I began to think of a question to ask Eddie that would combine his music and politics (after all, that is what we were there for). So my chance came after Phil Donahue gave me the nod to ask one of the celebrities a question. This gave me a minute warning and I didn't even know what to ask. Imagine being me in this situation, about to ask my man Eddie Vedder one question...what would it be..and it has to relate to politics. Right before me, a reporter asked Nader about the WTO. BINGO. Grievance was written about the WTO!!!! This would be my question.

So there I was, I said, "Mr. Vedder, within the last year you have become more vocal in talking about your political point of views (referring to his concerts and Nader speeches) and you even wrote a song about the WTO riots that took place in Seattle, can you please explain where you are coming from?"

Wow, Eddie responded first by saying
"Wow, I didn't know anyone paid attention to me." (and everyone laughed.) He then went on to say, (at this point I don't even remember him talking to me, but I taped it which is cool on my minirecorder), "Well, I think that you can either have a democracy or you can have a situation where there is wealth and power but you cant have both and right now its an arm wrestle that people are already past the middle point bending this way (he demonstrates with his arms, looking at me), and I think what happened in Seattle...the right arm hasn't gone limp...and ummm the further the arm is going to be is this....and I think its Ralph Nader."

Now that I type that out, I still don't know if that makes sense, but that's Eddie... always trying to make an example out of his point. Then after the press conference I ran over to him to meet him but he was running out but saw me, then walked back to me!!! He reached out his hand and said "Hey man, that was a great question...thanks a lot!" and I shook his hand. WOW! What a night!

Then onto the show. I will just mention when Eddie took the stage (since this is a pearl jam website). He took the stage after a very comical Bill Murray and went on to play Patriot with a great jam at the end. Then he played Times are a Changin with the same "I have the author's permission" speech as in Chicago. This was clearly a night to remember at a sold out Madison Square Garden!