Set List: Release, Corduroy, Insignificance, Animal, Hail Hail, Nothing As It Seems, Rival, Given To Fly, Light Years, Do The Evolution, Even Flow, In Hiding, Daughter/(The Wrong Child), Better Man, Nothingman, Leatherman, Grievance, Rearviewmirror;
1st encore: Once, Breakerfall, Immortality, Crazy Mary, Small Town, Porch, F*ckin' Up;
2nd encore: Yellow Ledbetter

August 7th was my 8th time seeing pearl jam in many forms. I have seen members of the band on their side projects as well as seen Ed play the drums for his wife's band Hovercraft. Each time I see them I am amazed by the togetherness that they still posses.

I was able to see Pearl Jam in a form last night that not many can say that they have ever experienced. I am 8 months pregnant and would not give up the opportunity to hear the mesmerizing voice of Ed Vedder serenade me one more time. Only this time my child was able to attend her first concert without having to pay for a ticket.

Our day started out pretty hectic - trying to get errands ran before we met up with another couple to go to the concert. We met up with them about 6 p.m. and made it to Atlanta in time to see Sonic Youth. The crowd was not very energetic for the opening band - but I feel they were like me and waiting for the show that they really came to see. During the intermission, our group discussed the show that we were about to see. I had been on the internet since the start of the tour and had been keeping up with the set lists, pictures, and videos of the shows and reporting back to my husband and the other couple. My husband puts up with my longings to meet the band (especially Ed) and my desires to have his picture up all over my house. I have downloaded many action shots of Ed and have them laminated and hanging all over my kitchen.

Back to the show. We went with a couple that the guy was as big a fan as I was. Before they took the stage we were comparing the previous set lists and trying to decide what they were going to play. All four of us were also discussing the songs that we would not mind hearing. Jenny wanted to hear Yellow Ledbetter, Mike's was Animal, Clay had been singing Small Town all afternoon, and I wanted to hear a few. Given to Fly was a definite on my list - Better Man had always made my heart melt - I had noticed on previous shows that they were playing Crazy Mary which I have not ever seen them play - and of course my most favorite I wanted them to play Rearviewmirror. Right before the lights went out I also said that I would love to hear them play Release Me once more.

Now the lights are going out and a bunch of screaming is taking place. The band is starting to appear to the instrumental version of Baba O'Riley, that is a bonus. Ed takes the stage and begins his personal concert for me (as seen in my eyes), and the band begins with Release. Energy from the crowd has reached a maximum capacity and the show has begun.

They mixed and matched a good variety of songs from their many albums and b-sides. I really enjoyed trying to guess the new songs that they played. I have been playing binaural and was familiar with a lot of their new stuff and enjoyed seeing it live.

Some poor fans had to sit behind the stage - but the band turned around a number of times to make them feel that they were still part of the show. The humor from Ed was nice. I always enjoy hearing what he has to say.

The concert went on and flowed smoothly as they played such favorites as Corduroy, Animal, Hail Hail, Given to Fly, Evolution, and Daughter. Then they started their trilogies of man songs: Better Man, Nothingman, and Leatherman. The last song of the set was of course my favorite, Rearviewmirror. My husband was really impressed with the length of the show as well as all of the areas of their music that they touched on.

They did not keep us waiting long for the encore and started off with Once, went to Breakerfall and Immortality, and surprised me with Crazy Mary. Ed went into the crowd with a bottle of wine and passed it around for a few to sample. Great touch to get mixed in with the crowd. They then played Small Town, Porch, and Neil Young's Fuckin Up. One last encore to do and of course they finished it with Yellow Ledbetter.

We all got to hear some songs that we wanted to hear, and few were missed. I have heard Alive, Black, and Jeremy so many times live that it was nice to see them replaced with some of their new stuff. This Pearl Jam experience is another top one on my list - but I cannot say that any one is any better that any of the other ones. My only regret about this concert was that we had to sit so far away and had no large screens to get facial expressions of the band as they were playing their hits.