Set List: Sometimes, Breakerfall, Corduroy, Hail Hail, Animal, Nothing As It Seems, Light Years, Given To Fly, Untitled, MFC, Habit, Even Flow, Wishlist, Better Man, Grievance, Present Tense, Black, Insignificance, Rearviewmirror;
1st encore: Go, Do The Evolution, Once, ?, I Got Shit, Last Kiss, Porch;
2nd encore: Yellow Ledbetter

Photo credit: Regena Spratling

Sure enough, it was a superb performance from start to finish. I must admit that I am a bit of an "old-school" PJ fan (Ten, Vs., Vitalogy), but Binaural has been growing on me, and hearing many of the new songs performed live definitely helped that process. I don't quite know how to describe it, except to say that there's just some intangible something that goes on when you see an artist give it their all and perform for you (and about 10,000 others) in the flesh. Makes it all seem so much more personal.

That said, I about passed out in excitement to hear songs like Black, Even Flow, Animal, Rearviewmirror, and especially Yellow Ledbetter (I have never cried before at a rock concert. Thank you, Ed and Co.). I was a bit disappointed that Jeremy (new or old version) was not performed, but since Ledbetter was not performed when I saw them last (Knoxville '98), that disappointment was swift and inconsequential.

For me, the most moving moment of the night was stopping my shouting/singing along and looking around the crowd and listening to them during "Better Man." It was beautiful-- almost churchlike (I work IN a church, so I should know!).

There were several comic moments too, most notably when Ed slipped up on Wishlist (S'ok Ed, it's been a long summer for all of us), and the group taking Polaroid's of the crowd before the 2nd encore. Seeing thousands of people wave their hands in the hope of getting "in the picture" was sidesplitting, although I must admit I did the same!

All in all, a wonderful performance. Thankfully, the sound crew did a solid job (I have been to one too many concerts in Charlotte where vocals got drowned thanks to bad mixing) and kudos to the lighting crew as well. Sure, I may be more than a bit biased, but hey, sue me!