Set List: Present Tense, Save You, Animal, Green Disease, Grievance, Faithfull, Given To Fly, Even Flow, Sleight of Hand, You Are, Small Town, Not For You, Love Boat Captain, Wishlist, help help, Evolution, Alive;
1st encore: Go, State of Love and Trust, Black, Improv, Rearviewmirror;
2nd encore: Soon Forget, Better Man/(Save It For Later), Daughter/(jam), Indifference

Well, the show is just barely 2 hours behind me and I am still in "Shock & Awe." This was my 7th PJ show, and by far, it is the best to date. I cannot imagine what Champaign, IL could have in store for me (us) on Wednesday, but I am up for the challenge. For those of you who have not (myself included) seen or heard Sparta, you are in for a rare treat. I sort of got a Radio Head/Blind Melon type of vibe from the band and thought they were exceptional. My nephew bought the CD, so I cannot wait to borrow. Get to the show early, so you can enjoy a wonderful opening band. Sparta is my favorite opening band for Pearl Jam, so far. Still got the Bonner Springs, KS show to go, so who knows...

Anyway, Present Tense was the show opener and what a fantastic opener it turned out to be!!! My License Plate is "NO CODE 4," so, as far as I was concerned there was no better way to open the show that with the 4th song off of the 4th album. How much more could I ask from the band, than to coincide with the Plate name and number on my car license plate with the show opener. Yes!!!

I really cannot recall the exact flow of the show, although I do know that it is my favorite show of all time that I have been able to see in person. The band was so tight on every song. I was so excited to hear Soon Forget. I was screaming from my 11th row fan club seats (Thank You Fan Club and Pearl Jam), "Nail It." I know Ed has typically had problems hitting this song word for word, so it was my way of encouraging him...And Eddie did it. It was perfect...Start to Finish!! I was so happy for me, and Ed as well. My sister was with me, and it was just simply amazing!!!

Black and Daughter were extra special. When the band was about to start Better Man, Ed said "I am going let you sing this first verse by yourselves, so here we go" and without skipping a beat, the whole audience launched in the best version of Better Man (tagged with Save It For Later) that I can recall. While the band was jamming, before they went into the tag, I kept singing "Save It For Later." My sister told me to shut up, and about that time, the band went with the tag I had been singing, so I was especially ecstatic that sort of put that one in me Sis' face (Love Ya Sis). I sort of felt it my bones, so to speak.

This was the best show I have seen so far and I cannot go on with enough wonderful things to say about the band and their overall performance. It was perfect, in every sense of the word. I am so looking forward to the show tomorrow (Champaign, IL) and just cannot imagine what could top it.

Also, I want to add what a great group of people we were surrounded by. Everyone was so nice, courteous, etc. It really added a lot to the show, being surrounded by so many people who were there with one thing in common, and that of course would be for the love of the band "Pearl Jam"!

See you all in Champaign, IL. Thanks for yet another great show in St. Louis. The only let down (for my sister anyway) was no Yellow Ledbetter. 1st time she has not seen this song as the closer. Oh well. As I told her, there is always tomorrow.

See Ya.
BKHood
"No Code 4"

The show was AMAZING (of course) I'm not gonna just repeat the setlist for you because that would be pointless. The BEST songs played we're probably Evolution, Alive and Better Man (because he let us sing the whole 1st verse for b.m. :-) Ed was all over the place... doing tons of Pete Townshend moves (the windmill -the air splits) he really seemed SO happy to be there. He talked about the Blues game going on and everyone booed. hehe. For Soon Forget Eddie played a ukulele (an electric one at that) and when it was over he jammed on it with Matt on drums. During the Daughter jam Eddie took out a mirror and used the light above him to spotlight EVERYONE.. and if someone was sitting alone he stayed on them lol. This concert was DEFINITELY the best I'd ever seen them (this being the 3rd time. once in 98 and once in 2000). They were SO into it. Mike was making that guitar scream :-) they gave us everything we expected and more! The only downsides to the show were they didn't play Hide Your Love Away OR Yellow Ledbetter. 2 songs I wanted to see REALLY badly. Ok. Thats it!!

* mattie rose

Pearl Jam Fans,

Let no one question why you love your band.

April 23, 2003...St. Louis, Missouri...Brilliant!

Hit makers come and hit makers go....

Let no one question why you love your band.

Eddie...Stone...Jeff...Matt...Mike...Boom...

Thanks for the music!

See ya next time down the line.

Love,
Justin and Donnie...Florissant, MO...Ya better ask somebody.