PJ Set List: Last Kiss, Insignificance, Grievance, I Am Mine, Love Boat Captain, Green Disease, Not For You, Better Man, Leaving Here, Yellow Ledbetter

By some miracle, I found myself in the lobby of the House of Blues at about 6 p.m. yesterday with a ticket to see Pearl Jam and the Who in my pocket.

Having been anxious since opening my eyes that morning, I found it hard to contain my excitement upon hearing what I heard when I walked through the front doors. My first Pearl Jam sound check! Standing at the base of the stairs of the venue, "Grievance" came rumbling down, vocals and all. I got "Last Kiss," "Leavin' Here" and one that I didn't recognize (Riot Act material, I guess, later realized it was Green Disease) before it ended. Since I didn't hear the whole thing, the sound check may have included more before I walked in.

The atmosphere was sort of hectic. I would be able to get in as soon as the roughly 500 VIPs and special Maryville people got in. As the hour progressed and more people went in, I was worried that I would not be able to near the stage. Thanks to the HOB security, a group of about 35 die-hard Who/Pearl Jam fans who had been camping out for more than 24 hours were put on a list and numbered so that they could get in before after the VIPs bet before the general public. They too heard the sound check in the lobby.

Finally, at about 7:30, I rushed up the stairs to find that because many people has sort of gravitated toward the bar areas, the situation on the main floor was not hopeless. I got within about 1o feet of the stage, just off center. The crowd more and more packed, with some people being really defensive about their space to the extent that leaving for a drink or the bathroom was out of the question if you wanted to return to a space. I guess 400 dollars a ticket can do that to a people. Overall, the crowd was good. Everyone seemed to be real Who fans.

As 8:30 neared, someone came out with what was almost a life-sized cut-out of Stone Gossard with his ever earnest facial expression and sporting a lovely shiny, glittery sort of jacket type thing. His instrument of choice for the evening was a Townshendesque cardboard Gibson J-200, as Vedder would later point out. At this point, the cut-out coupled with the keyboards really peaked my interest in how this altered line-up might alter the sound, for better or worse.

Soon, my feeling of being among the luckiest people in the world was validated by a local DJ who came on to introduce Fr. Smyth of Maryville. He was very grateful to everyone in attendance.

Before I knew it, Pearl Jam came on. Immediately I looked for Boom. His stage presence is not unlike his stature and demeanor. He is a tall guy who seems very comfortable on stage from the start and at his keyboard. This is far from a routine PJ show (none are, I know) but the point is that this new arrangement seemed just fine from the start. I would find out why soon. (Don't get me wrong, Stone was missed)

"Last Kiss" was a great start and seemed to get the older Who fans involved right away. (Before most of their time too, I know) The band is clearly energized for this show, especially Vedder and McCready. All would play harder and move about a lot as the show progressed. "Insignificance" and "Grievance" are solid, with an urgency driven home by Matt Cameron. "I Am Mine" excites the crowd and lets McCready really get started. He is so visibly enjoying himself. Never having been so close to him, I am mesmerized by his hands. The band fires off "Love Boat Captain" and "Green Disease" swiftly and harshly. They sound great, and the band is visibly happy with what they have come up with FOR Riot Act. All this time, Boom is interacting in a huge way with his keyboard with several nods of approval and reassurance between him and Vedder, like a very special connection exists between them.

They go directly into "Not For You" where it becomes audible that the band has chosen these songs with Stone's absence in mind. Eddie's playing is stronger and more powerful than ever and coupled with Boom's playing, there are no holes in the sound. If anything, I hope Boom sticks around, even though Vedder commented at one point that his appearance was very special in that Boom flew in from the islands (Hawaii) especially for this. "Better Man" is good and really gets the crowd involved, even the wine and cheese contingency up above.

"This is by a band called the High Numbers," announced Eddie, just before the band played their best cover of "Leavin' Here" I've ever heard. Now the crowd is frenzied. I am overjoyed. Pearl Jam. The Who. I am here. McCready and Ament have been running all over, with both approaching Boom to sort of talk to each other with their instruments. It's a sight. All three have solo's on this one.

Before I knew it, "Yellow Ledbetter" had begun. It was blistering. All eyes were on McCready, as they should have been. Just incredible. I think it was after "Not For You" that Eddie, looking either really tired from just playing so hard, or being sort of caught up and choked up by in what he and his band were doing, told the crowd that it "takes a lot of balls" to play on the stage that the Who are about to come out on. At that he thanked everyone in the band, Ament, McCready, Cameron, and Boom just sort of nodding graciously.

I could not agree more. Later in the Who's set, I would look up to see Ament and McCready fixated on the stage, taking in like all the rest of the luckiest Who fans in the world.

The Who, Townshend and Daltrey especially, were beyond excellent. Buy the cd's. Until then, Here comes Riot Act.