Set List: Wasted Reprise, Life Wasted, World Wide Suicide, Severed Hand, Do The Evolution, Small Town, Given To Fly, Red Mosquito, Even Flow, Army Reserve, Daughter/(Another Brick In The Wall Part 2 by Pink Floyd), Off He Goes, Gone, Grievance, Jeremy, Marker In The Sand, Comatose, Why Go

1st encore: You've Got to Hide Your Love Away (by The Beatles), Satan's Bed, Wishlist, Rats, Porch
2nd encore: Last Kiss (by J. Frank Wilson), Come Back, Sad, Crazy Mary (by Victoria Williams), Alive

What an amazing show! Drove out from Rochester for this one (which I'm sure is no where near as far as some others traveled for this show). Wasted Reprise into Life Wasted is probably one of the best opening sequences I could imagine. It was obvious right from the start that this was going to be a night to remember. All the guys were right on their game and whipped through World Wide Suicide and Severed Hand. It was great to hear the crowd singing along with the new tracks. Some killer laser lights during Severed Hand made the show all that much more intense.

A few songs later, Ed explained to the crowd that they were going to play a few songs that they hadn't played in a while. The crowd (including myself) absolutely erupted upon hearing this. They then broke into an amazing performance of Red Mosquito. Evenflow was next. Mike's solo was so good that Ed made some references to how Mike's guitar had just aged 10 years.

Ed addressed some political issues by discussing the fact that the government just passed a proposal for $70 billion in tax cuts that will benefit the wealthiest people in the country, while the less fortunate are sacrificing so much as a result of the war in Iraq. This led into a beautiful performance of Army Reserve, one of my favorite tracks off the new album. This was followed by Daughter, Off He Goes, and Gone which all flowed very well into each other.

Grievance was next and just blew me away. I thought the band just absolutely nailed it. Definitely one of the highlights of the night for me. Jeremy was next followed by Marker In The Sand and Comatose. Bringing the total of new tracks played to 8! Very exciting to hear so much new material.

After the Encore Break, Ed came out and played Hide Your Love Away and dedicated it to all the freaks in the crowd. Satan's Bed was next, another highlight as I had never seen this performed live before. Rats was also dedicated to the freaks in the crowd, as well as for the 'Home Team'. A reference to the Albany River Rats AHL team that play their home games at the Pepsi Center.

After the 2nd Encore the band turned around and played Last Kiss to all the people who had seats behind the stage. What other band would do something that cool for the fans? I'm not sure if Come Back was originally part of the set list or not because Ed said to the Band "Let's play Come Back" beforehand. Someone in the crowd was holding up a sign for it. Nine tracks off the new album! Sad was another rarity and one that I hadn't seen before. All the fans in the Ten Club seating went pretty crazy for this one as well, myself included. Boom took over the soloing on Crazy Mary and the band closed with Alive.

I've always said that when the band is on stage and having a great time, the concerts are just amazing. The fans only help this. This one was no exception. The Albany fans were top notch, and were rewarded handsomely by Pearl Jam. Thanks for yet another unforgettable live experience guys, and I'll see you in Cleveland!

-Brad
Rochester, NY

People in the message pit forums have already referred to this show as the best show of the tour thus far, primarily because of the set list, a good balance of new songs, popular songs, and rarities! The arena was packed to the rafters, including behind the stage seats, and the fans, just as Pearl Jam, "had their game on!"

The opening combo of Life Wasted Reprise/Life Wasted fit like a glove, as it should! Right from the first song off the new album, and you have to remember the album came out less than two weeks before this show, I couldn't believe how many people knew the words to be singing along word for word! I wasn't surprised to hear them open with a few songs from the new album, as they did when I saw them a week ago at Irving Plaza (which was an amazing experience). The big surprise was to hear them play Do The Evolution so early in the setlist, but boy did that whip the crowd into a frenzy early! Later in the main set, Red Mosquito was a treat, it sounded spectacular with Mike wailing on his guitar! Army Reserve sounded great (although I think they played it better at Irving Plaza), and was received very well! The tag of Another Brick In The Wall after Daughter, got everyone in the crowd singing along! Off He Goes sounded so crisp, and sharp, followed by Gone, which I personally love, and was glad I got to hear at both Irving Plaza and Albany (as well as Come Back)! Jeremy seemed to be a crowd pleaser, as everyone knows this song! Comatose, which I consider a modern version of Spin The Black Circle really got the Ten Club Fans, like myself, in a frenzy!!

For the first song, of the first encore, Eddie treated us to a solo of You Got To Hide Your Love Away, made complete by him playing the harmonica (I thought it was nearly as good as when he did this last time playing Madison Square Garden, and that was amazing). The reaction the band got from the Ten Club Fans when they played Satan's Bed was truly awesome, this hasn't been played in a long time! But the reaction of the entire crowd when they played "Rats" (for the "home team" as Eddie said before playing it) surpassed that! Closing the first encore was an amazing ten plus minute rendition of Porch, which featured Mike going off on his guitar!

Beginning the second encore, they turned around and faced the fans that were seated behind them and played Last Kiss for them. I thought that was cool as hell! Next the band turned back around and played Come Back, which is close to if not my favorite song on the new album, and you could tell everyone in the arena could feel the passion in Eddie's voice! Then wham, another semi-rarity, Sad, which you could tell all the Ten Club Fan Member's really enjoyed!! Followed by Crazy Mary, which featured Boom tonight, was awesome but I really like it better when Mike and Boom jam back and forth! Lastly Alive as the closer, which I don't even need to go into how the entire crowd reacted, because anyone whose ever gone to a Pearl Jam show knows!! After Alive they left the stage but it seemed as though they were going to play another song, because the lights remained off for a long time! I didn't mind Alive as a closer, was actually nice to hear something different than Yellow Ledbetter (even though I love the song, it's just that I've heard this as the closer to many shows I've seen). The show lasted well over two hours, I'd say that's truly getting your moneys worth!! I managed to get a setlist, so I was extremely happy (got a pic from Mike at the Irving Plaza show), but we won't talk about how!!

After the show, the fans were going nuts in the streets!! The volume of the noise they were making, including me, with chants of "Pearl Jam", as well as just plain old screaming "Yeah"! Overall this show does ranking up there with some of their better ones, note I didn't say best! The energy of both the band and the crowd, as well as the awesome setlist made for an amazing show!! I can tell everyone left this show thoroughly pleased, and all of us Ten Club Fans can't wait to get the boot, as well as another performance during this tour. As any Pearl Jam show, an experience never to forget!!

Peace and keep on rocking with Pearl Jam,
OTTONYP