Set List: Alive, Brain of J, 1/2 Full, Go, Corduroy, Green Disease, I Am Mine, Daughter/(Of The Girl), Nothingman, Jeremy, I Got Shit, Blood, Dissident, Better Man, Save You, Even Flow;
1st encore: Arc, Can't Keep, State of Love and Trust, Small Town, Black, Rearviewmirror;
2nd encore: Crazy Mary, Rockin' in the Free World

The days leading up to a Pearl Jam concert are always full of anticipation, and the weeks prior to the Dallas show were no different. However, after listening to a different Pearl Jam album in chronological order each day, I was finally ready for the show.

Idlewild lived up to the hype that I had read prior to the show. They're strikingly similar to early REM but have a bit of a harder edge. They were a great prelude to the Pearl Jam act to follow.

The question on most fans minds was, "What will Pearl Jam open with?" Would it be "Sometimes" as it was for the previous two Dallas shows? Would it be one of the classic or new classic openers ("Can't Keep," "Of the Girl," "Interstellar Overdrive/Corduroy," or "Release")? The answer was NONE OF THE ABOVE. Instead the band pulled the unexpected and played "Alive." How powerful and symbolic! For most at the concert, this was probably the first song that they ever heard from the then unknown band from Seattle. Needless to say the crowd was at a fever pitch from the moment of the first riff.

Starting with "Alive" also signaled that this was going to be a high energy concert. That assumption would not prove wrong. The band went straight into "Brain of J" (a song of special significance when you're standing mere blocks away from Dealey Plaza). The pace kept going with "1/2 Full," "Go," "Corduroy," and "Green Disease." Things slowed down a bit with "I Am Mine," "Daughter," and "Nothingman," but the music was no less amazing.

Personal favorites of the night were "I Got Shit," "Blood," "Can't Keep," "Rearviewmirror," and "Crazy Mary." The play between Mike and Boom during "Crazy Mary" was probably the best musical moment of the night. Their solos and interplay were fantastic.

This show was all business and very little politics. And, when politics were brought up it was in only the most humorous manner. Eddie held up a manila envelope labeled "WMD" and told the crowd to look under their seats for such an envelope. The lucky winner would get a trip for 2 to go out with the band after the show and "tear up Dallas." Of course the joke was on us, but we all hoped that envelope was under our chairs just like the Prez is hoping for WMD to show up in Iraq!

This show simply rocked. It almost exclusively featured songs from "Ten," "Vs.," "Vitalogy," and "Riot Act." The concert wasn't the emotional catharsis that I've seen in other PJ concerts, and it didn't have any big moments of controversy. It was pure Pearl Jam rock 'n roll. My only complaint was that there was no 3rd encore, but I guess that I was just being selfish!

-Geoff

The drive home after a PJ show is always a time of gratefulness for me, and probably for all the true PJ fans out there whose love for the band can only be understood by other true PJ fans. Once again, I made that drive last night, thankful for yet another unforgettable show that will remain with me as long as I'm alive.

The Dallas show was spectacular! What a tremendous show! I cannot think of a better feeling than seeing the band walk onstage, and the chills one gets when the crowd roar serves as the perfect intro to the opening song. ALIVE was the go-to song tonight and sent everyone to PJ heaven. Outstanding choice for an opener: great song, with great history, with magnificent lyrics, and ridiculous power to make us rabid! The guys dazzled the crowd with one of my favorites, BRAIN OF J, and then never let the house die down. It is incredible how ballads like NOTHINGMAN and BETTERMAN, when mixed with the power of BLOOD and SAVE YOU, have the effect of a roller-coaster of powerful emotions. One moment we are jumping and the next moment the venue lights up with lighters, and it feels great to have an outlet for all those feelings in one show!!!!!

I was taken aback by how great the guys sounded tonight, and how energetic and youthful they have played and appeared during this tour. Mike is a monster out there, and there's a sense of wanting to seize the moment. He must have acknowledged several fans or groups of fans 20-25 times during the show. Stone was more active and smiley than usual, although I have to say that it is his serious approach that makes him so intriguing to watch in comparison to the other guys. Sitting so close tonight, I got a chance to see Matt do his thing and that man gets much less credit than he deserves. Watch him tear things up during RITFW. He plays through every song with a contagious energy. Jeff, what can I say, that leaning stance he has mastered during RVM is priceless.

I give great credit to Ed tonight for some amazing work starting with the setlist. I was mesmerized and quite happy to see AND hear I GOT SHIT, NOTHINGMAN, DISSIDENT, STATE, and CRAZY MARY. He kept us entertained with his crowd involvement. If any of you get a chance to see him with the mirror reflecting the spotlight toward the crowd, as he did tonight, think of what it means...It's powerful stuff. He gets energized by the crowd and the sing-alongs to JEREMY and DON'T GO tonight proved that to me tonight.

Great show, and thanks to PJ once again for one of the best nights of my life, once again. If you are stupid enough to ever question going to a show, get this boot for an in-your-face reminder of what makes these guys the best at what they do.

Gil Salazar-Dallas