Making of a Moment – Katowice, POL 6/16/2000

Last week on the podcast, we covered a show that you picked: Katowice 6/16/2000. This was the culmination of a month-long process in which we polled our followers on social media for the best shows we haven’t covered yet for each year, whittling it down day by day until Katowice emerged as the champion. Picking my top moments from a show like this is difficult, there are so many from this show that have become ingrained in the lexicon of PJ.

Moment #3

My #3 Moment this week is the second song of the night, Of The Girl. Release opened the show, and the crowd began to clap a steady rhythm at the end, and they continued into Of The Girl. This was when the band started to take advantage of the unique circumstances of this show and turn it into something special. Mike adds some funky guitar fills during the intro, segueing nicely into his mini solo after the first verse, and he continues to add color throughout the song, In contrast, Stone is playing very clean and methodical. It’s an interesting juxtaposition that makes for an interesting listen, especially on headphones. The song just falls apart at the end, no big rock ending or anything, it’s like it was barely holding on until they decided that the moment was gone, and lost it. It suits this performance perfectly.

Moment #2

“This one’s called Light Years, and well…yea. This one’s got a bunch of meaning…to me. And maybe you. We’ll play it now.” Ed’s humble introduction belies the impact behind this, my #2 Moment. There’s an extra measure in the intro before Ed starts singing, he’s just letting the song breathe a little. Matt’s perfect for this song, his machine-like efficiency and power keeps the engine going, giving the song a momentum and drive that builds and builds. Watch Ed give his strumming a little extra during the break before the final chorus, he’s playing off Stone who’s just out of frame. He leans back after completing the vocals, at 24:57, and the last 30 seconds are magical, the guitars swirling and soaring, until the final note, where, just like Of the Girl, it dissolves delicately, Ed playing a few carefully chosen notes to bring it back down to earth.

Moment #1

Whenever you see Immortality in a setlist, there’s a pretty good chance it will end up in my top 3 moments, and this week is no exception. We’re in the encore now, and the band’s feeling loose and relaxed, they’ve just played Smile to open the second set, and that energy suits Immortality perfectly. Listen to the way they hang on the moments at the end of measures before landing back on the beat. Mike’s middle solo starts off with a slow burn and then they ramp up the energy, led by Matt, and Ed sounds like he’s singing the last verse from atop a mountain, its powerful and majestic, almost. The jam begins immediately following, and it feels like it’s going to be a nice, laid-back affair until Cameron decides to take over and beat it into submission. It’s reminiscent of the way Jack played it in 1995, but with more impact and muscle. Worthy of the #1 Moment from this show.