Set List: Small Town, Hail Hail, Save You, Corduroy, Insignificance, Cropduster, Daughter, Even Flow, Faithfull, Whipping, Immortality, Blood, Down, Love Boat Captain, Wishlist/(Improv), Better Man, Go;
1st encore: Last Kiss, Breakerfall, Once, Alive, Footsteps, Rearviewmirror;
2nd encore: Hide Your Love Away (Ed solo), Know Your Rights, Do The Evolution, Porch, Yellow Ledbetter

Being a Pearl Jam fan as long as I can remember, and a Ten Club member for almost just as long, it is definitely the high light of the year anytime Pearl Jam comes around. The problem is that I live in Raleigh, NC. After seeing a great show last Tuesday in Raleigh, I couldn't wait to see my 2nd and final show of the year in Pittsburgh. Everyone I know would ask me, "Why in the hell would you drive 8 hours to see a concert??" All I could say is that you wouldn't understand. Only true PJ fans can appreciate traveling that far to see the band that makes it all happen. With that said, I was pumped all weekend to see the show. Despite having my car windshield cracked on the drive to Pittsburgh, and paying TWELVE DOLLARS TO PARK, getting to Mellon Arena early was definitely worth it. Making my way down onto the floor with my great Ten Club tix, it was perfect timing as the lights went out just as we found our seats. A little disappointed that Ed didn't come out for a pre-show solo, Sparta rocked the house for over an hour, and finally the ultimate reward took the stage.

Small Town was a great opener -- Pearl Jam continues to surprise and amaze me with different sets at seemingly every show -- this was the 6th different opening song out of my 6 concerts that I have been to. Hail Hail continued to rock the arena, and Save You (my favorite off the new album) was the highlight of only 3 new songs off Riot Act. Early in the setlist, I could tell that the energy level was amazing. Not to say that the Raleigh show was low key (how could any PJ show ever be??), but all the band members just seemed to be jumping/dancing/running around more than ever. This excitement definitely exuded into the crowd. With the start of each song, the fans seemed to energize as if PJ was playing the perfect song at that particular time. Each song barreled into the next, with little space between. I remember commenting to my wife on more than one occasion about the setlist (even though I may be a little biased to a few particular songs). Speaking of which, one of my all time favorites in Whipping shook the arena. A great Immortality, another rocker Blood, and the B-side Down followed next....Everytime I looked at my watch I couldn't believe how slow it seemed time was passing compared to all of the songs that were being jammed into the setlist. I thought (and hoped) that the night might last forever. As they closed with Go, I was going a little crazy just thinking of what might come next.

The 1st encore opens with Ed commenting that they weren't discriminating people, and we'd understand with the body language of the next song. So they continued to turn around and jam out Last Kiss to the fans behind the stage. Next Breakerfall, and a great rockin' end to the encore with Once, Alive, an unbelievable Footsteps, and a super long-jamming Rearviewmirror. They left the stage for the 2nd time, little did I know what was in store....

For the final encore, Ed came back out with a guitar and harmonica, and played a great Hide Your Love Away (which he played before Sleater-Kinney at my previous show in Raleigh). Know Your Rights followed, which was very cool. Just as it ended, 3 of my favorite songs popped into my head, and I just had a feeling that they would be included in the ultimate end to the perfect evening. Do the Evolution, Porch, and Yellow Ledbetter mesmerized the crowd with the perfect trilogy rocking the show to a close.

Talk about a great feeling as I walked out of the show. I think my wife got sick of me mumbling "What a great show..." And I thought again of the people questioning me of why I would drive 8 hours to see this concert. After a show like that, I don't even think I could put into words why.....If you've never been to a Pearl Jam concert, simply go to one, and you'll understand exactly what I saying........

Keep on Rockin'
Ryan Lynch
Raleigh, NC

It's a day later and I'm just now wrapping my thoughts around yesterday's show. When I walked out of the Mellon Arena last night after PJ's 2 and a half hour performance, everything was a blur. In the car on the way home, my three friends and I could remember the songs that were played but there was no sense of order; our minds were totally lost in this concert. Here's a list of things we did know for sure: 1.) Pittsburgh was treated to one KICK ASS show last night. 2.) Our voices were shredded. 3.) Stone Gossard was dancing around like a maniac and at one point, he dropped to floor and huddled over his guitar. That was crazy. 4.) "Blood" "Alive" "Know Your Rights" "Do the Evolution" and a surreal 7-minute version of "Wishlist" were the highlights. 5.) Mirrorballs are pretty. 6) Ed is a master at using a mirror to reflect light. 6.) I can't wait for Philadelphia and State College. 7.) The Ten Club got us great seats (we're late joiners - around 99, 2000 - and we were 20 rows back, dead center). 8.) There is no better live band touring right now, period. Thanks for the great show guys. I know everyone I was with will never, ever forget it.

-Gabe Spece