Ed solo: Drifting - before opening band
Set List: Sometimes, Last Exit, Save You, Animal, Jeremy, Nothing As It Seems, In Hiding, Even Flow, Don't Drive Me (SUV), Green Disease, Corduroy, Immortality, Nothingman, Better Man, Leatherman, Grievance, Evolution, Breath, Don't Go;
1st encore: Love Boat Captain, Black, Down, Alive;
2nd encore: Sonic Reducer, Leaving Here, Rockin' In The Free World

What a great show. This is the fourth live show for me, but it was just like the first. We arrived at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre about 7pm and around 7:30 Ed shows up on stage with an acoustic and harmonica. He pulls up a stool and plays "Drifting." All those fans still meandering about rushed to the nearest seat surprised to hear him starting the show. He then welcomes everyone and introduces Sleater-Kinney to the stage.

After the great performance by Sleater-Kinney, Pearl Jam finally takes the stage playing "Sometimes," "Last Exit," "Save You," "Animal," and "Jeremy." Ed then says something like this: " Man, it's great to finally get here. We couldn't wait to get the heck out of Raleigh...This is one of our favorites and we saved this one for you! It's called "Nothing As It Seems."

The best part of the concert for me was when Ed tells of the three Pearl Jam songs that end in the word "Man," and the proceeds to play "Nothingman, Better Man, and Leatherman" bace-to-back-to-back.

Throughout the entire show, Mike played the guitar like I've never seen before. Playing backwards, upside-down, and sideways, ripping off guitar solo after guitar solo, sending the sold out crowd into a frenzy.

This was the best show yet, and I think the band felt the same way. Seemed everyone there knew every song, and singing along almost as loud as the sound system. I know by the look on Ed's face he was enjoying himself. There were times when he seemed to stop in the middle of a song and just listen to the thousand voices sing in time. I guess for a moment he was the audience and we were the performers.

If you never go to another concert, go see Pearl Jam!!!

Lance L
Charlotte, NC

Let me start by saying Pearl Jam is like a fine wine, they get better with age! I have only been to two other PJ shows (Hartford '98 and Charlotte '00) but I am a HUGE fan. Last nights show was the best yet for me. Sometimes was a great way to open any show, it made me wonder what type of show we were in for. Last Exit rocked and then Save You, one of the best off Riot Act. I thought they would do a few more from RA but I was way off. Animal just kicked ass, Jeremy is always great live but then Ed said, "We're going to play one of our favorites"; Nothing as it Seems. I now know why it is one of their favorites. I was pleased to hear In Hiding, just a fun song. They went right into Even Flow and Mike was masterful, the crowd was rocking, awesome. Looking back now, Don't Drive Me (SUV) was a perfect setup to Green Disease. SUV's cost a lot of money and suck gas, which is more money...see where I am going with that. Corduroy was fitting for me and I'm sure a lot of other Jammers, "the waiting drove me mad...." Immortality is just a powerful song. I believe Ed said something to the effect, "We're going to play a song we have not played in a while, three for that matter..." They went into the Man Jam, Nothingman, Better Man and a rockin' Leatherman. Grievance was perfect b/c after the song, Ed talked a little about our Troops and how PJ fully support our Troops and we need to as well. He said something else (a few adult beverages in me at this point) that ended with him saying "It's Evolution Baby!!!" Crowd went nuts. Breath, one of my absolute favorites and it rocked even better than Hartford '98. Go was a fitting end to the set, I didn't want them to go on me now. Crowd was very thankful for the show and let PJ know.

They came back out and started soft with LBC followed by a killer Black with the crowd backing them just as they did all night. Ed said "this next song somehow got left off our album and it should have been on....." I have to agree with him, Down is one of the best new songs they put out and even better live!!! Alive, great way to end the first encore and I know I felt alive after that. The crowd again showed their appreciation and PJ did too. Sonic Reducer was great as usual. Ed brought on Sleater-Kinney and said something about the girls really validating this song-Leaving Here, the album does not do this song justice! RITFW was a perfect closer because we were Rockin' in the Free World!!! Thanks for my best show yet, PJ. See you guys in ATL on Saturday.

Mike D

I had an observation as I looked around the amphitheater last night--PJ's fans really are getting older. Not too many teenagers around, not even that many college kids. A whole heck of a lot of late 20somethings, and even some grey-hairs (or no hairs, LOL!). Sign of the times maybe. After all these years, PJ may not be the best-seller, but surely they can count on at least going platinum for as long as they stay together. All month long, I've been "prepping" for this concert as best I could, driving around with nothing but PJ blasting from my stereo (all you churchgoers should try rolling into the parking lot with "Animal" going sometime. It leads to some interesting looks). As I drove around Wednesday morning and afternoon, a recurring thought kept entering my head-- "How great would it be if PJ played either one of Breath or In Hiding tonight? Nah......won't happen. They hardly ever play those anyway." Whoa! Check that! First, "In Hiding" came on less than 30 minutes into the show, which led me to about run over the people next to me. Secondly, the familiar opening riff of "Breath" kicked in, and I absolutely went ballistic.

As a sidebar, after events in Denver, I kept wondering what Ed would have to say about the war, and sure enough, he took a moment after "Grievance" to talk about freedom, and our military budget. Nothing about the Prez, although one of the roadies kept holding up a flash card with a big "$" on it between songs. Being a pro-troops and pro-war person myself, I was worried about what he would have to say, but I really liked how he wrapped up--here is a country spending 90 billion dollars on the military, and the ones who serve in it make barely above minimum wage. Oh well, back to the music. This concert was simply amazing. "Only" my third time to see PJ, but easily the best one yet (as my aching throat will vouch for). We were treated to the two live rarities, the "Man" trilogy (a wonderful crowd singalong of "Betterman"), an 8-minute version of "Black", and superb versions of older songs like "Jeremy," "Alive," "Animal," and "Even Flow." Where was "Daughter" and "Wishlist"? No matter--there is no way in heck that I can complain after getting the two songs I mentioned earlier ("Breath" and "In Hiding") Anyone out there know the last time they played "Breathe"? Not too many songs from "Riot Act", just "Green Disease," "Save You," and a wonderful "LBC" to start the encore. And the final encore? Words cannot do justice to the absolutely kick-ass rockin' atmosphere!

p.s. Ed came out with his guitar before Sleater-Kinney and treated us to "Drifting"