Ed solo before opening band: You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
Set List: Release, Breakerfall, Hail Hail, Save You, Cropduster, Dissident, In My Tree, Given To Fly, Insignificance, Love Boat Captain, Get Right, I Believe In Miracles, I Got Shit, Lukin, Corduroy, Thumbing My Way, Daughter, Even Flow;
1st encore: Bu$hleaguer, Fortunate Son, Do The Evolution, Better Man, Crazy Mary, Spin The Black Circle, Rockin' In The Free World;
2nd encore: Baba O'Riley

The sun was shining... Beer in hand... Crowd was electric ... and then Eddie showed up on stage (sunglasses in tow) to treat us to a spirited version of "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away"! I knew I was in for a special evening. I had huge goosebumps as everyone sang along with Ed and went crazy during his harmonica solo.

Then the Buzzcocks went on ... one word, "Relentless"! They just couldn't stop playing! "I Believe" was a great way to end their set.

When PJ finally arrived the sun was just starting its last descent on the horizon as the opened up with "Release"! A wonderful choice! Great singalong! I had tears in my eyes as Eddie gave it everything he had in belting out the lyrics. What followed was the PJ trademark of one tight rocker after another: "Breakerfall", "Hail, Hail", "Save You", "Cropduster," "Dissident" (I swear the audience was gonna blow the sheltered roof off with our singalong!) and then.... THE NEW AND IMPROVED "In My Tree." I must first say that I am a huge fan of the original version of this emotion-filled song but I really appreciate PJ wanting to rework it and give us something different. These guys never cease to amaze me. "Given to Fly" was next and was met with a 100% approval rating. Eddie finally officially addressed the crowd and asked if we wanted to do a survey... CHEERS! He started to get into the survey but then remembered to tell us, "Hello" and that, "He was happy to be here." That set the crowd off. Everyone cheered and yelled their asses off for a good 5 - 7 minutes. Eddie couldn't even get a word in edgewise! He almost said to hell with the survey and started the next song but then asked, "You still want to do the survey?". That was met with another thunderous ovation! The survey was basically a way for us to tell Ed how much we supported peace in the middle east and that War is for idiots. "Insignificance" was the perfect song to play after the survey and the line, "Bombs dropping down" took on even more meaning because of it.

Then we got "Love Boat Captain" with Boom in great form. I must admit "Get Right" wasn't as quick live as I had expected but still nice to hear. "I Believe in Miracles" really riled the crowd up (with the SARS fiasco affecting our tourism we have to!) especially with Ed wearing the Ramones t-shirt! "I Got Shit" is a real favourite in Toronto and the crowd loved every second of it, especially since Ed reminded us that it was written with Young Neil! ; ) "Lukin" was fast and furious... "Corduroy" had some great Mike M. riffage... "Thumbing My Way" (once Ed remembered how to play it) really showed off how nice an acoustic guitar can sound... "Daughter" lifted the crowd to great heights especially with the Ben Harper tag and singalong! The First set ended with an insane version of "Even Flow," the lights really go nicely with Mike's 5 minute solo! I hope Ed enjoyed his smoke break!

1st Encore

This was well planned! Eddie looked great with his flashy silver jacket and George Bush mask! lol! The crowd ate it up (hey, we're Canadian!) Throughout the song, George would drink some of Eddie's wine, take a drag off a cigarette and make out with Eddie! I've never seen Pearl Jam so animated! "Fortunate Son" works so great as a singalong... as does "Do the Evolution" (another song that Canadians have almost adopted as their own)... Eddie seemed to feed off the crowds energy during this one. A great live treat! Eddie then feted the Buzzcocks by chanting some lines from "Why Can't I Touch it" with our help in the singing department. Next came, "Better Man" which according to Ed, "is our gig." We sang our asses off! It was very loud. Another chilling live moment. The rest of the song was very tight. I don't know what to say about "Crazy Mary"! Boom made this one his own! He was going off on the keyboards in taking this song to a new level. I didn't think it could get any better! Eddie then seemed lost in the thunderous cheers of the crowd and admitted that what comes next would amount to a "free for all" as they "got nothin'"! Well then, why not treat us to an intense "Spin the Black Circle" and another homegrown favourite "Rockin' in the Free World"!!

2nd Encore

No one was leaving because things were going too well! The boys came out and played (I know this sounds weird but) another uniquely Toronto fan favourite! "Baba O'Riley" is the epitome of what a closing song should be. The house lights were on ... everyone was singing ... the band was jamming out ... and then in a bit of divine intervention FIREWORKS starting going off from neigbouring Ontario Place! (It's Canada Day weekend up here) It was surreal!! It seemed to energize the band and was the best finish I could ever imagine! No one wanted to leave. We wanted more music to go with the fireworks but alas the boys had to head out to Montreal. Thank you Pearl Jam. You made my year! Can't wait till next year ... you promised!

Daryl Hamilton
Toronto

Well ... this was the first time I got tix thru the fanclub... and Holy Sh*T that was wicked! First row (E) in section 101 (Stage Right). We walked in to Ed's solo (Hide Your Love Away)... I felt sorry for all the poor bastards back in the Amphitheatre bottleneck lineup. Ed introduced the Buzzcocks, and I thought they did a solid job of warming the crowd up. Vedder stayed on the side of the stage for a bit singing along.... left after 2 or 3 songs.

Right before PJ took the stage, we spotted Doug Gilmour and Tie Domi on the right side... and what looked to be a bunch of hockey player wives, girlfriends and relatives. There were a few DOUGIE chants ... and he gave the good old polite wave. Then the boyz took the stage!

I actually called the opening... Release. Long Road would have been awesome too ... but this being my fourth concert, I had never heard them lead with a slower song.... so it was a nice touch. Personal highlights were Vedder handing a pick to handicapped girl in the front row... Ed jumping around like a crazy man (the band seemed to be in a really good mood... more so than what I have usually seen)... the whole 'survey' question, and of course Bushleager (hey... if you listen to their music, you know what you're gonna get at the concert). There were a lot of Americans in the crowd... but I didn't hear much in the way of whining when he did his US spiel.

In My Tree was well done ... crowd did a good song of singing the opening verse to Better Man ... and closing with Baba (as they did back in 2000) was awesome. Ed was swigging from the wine bottle all evening, so maybe that contributed to his great mood ;)

Now I hear these Boston rumours about playing the whole catalogue over 3 shows.... DAMN! That'll be a very lucky select crowd if it actually happens. Almost worth the drive and expenses for a 4 day trip.