September 21, 2011 – Pengrowth Saddledome, Calgary, AB, CAN

Pearl Jam Show Notes 9/21/2011:

On the day that R.E.M. announced their breakup after 31 years, the band is feeling understandably nostalgic, leaning on a great Canadian crowd to power them through a stellar set full of rarities. Release, Go, and Last Exit get the crowd hopping right off the bat. Ed greats the crowd after Given to Fly:

“On behalf of the group, to be able to come up here and play in this part of the world (huge crowd reaction), not just to play here…but we know these buildings…it’s like playing in church! We’re happy to be here in your church. Normally I wouldn’t want to go to church, but when you can go to church with Mudhoney, that’s pretty good.”

Lukin and Insignificance make early appearances with Ed’s solid guitar work sticking out on both songs. Big Wave is dedicated to Kelly Slater, and though Ed botches the lyrics, it’s a fun, bouncing version. McCready and Cameron steal the show on Even Flow, and then the whole band gets really into Deep, a song Ed tells the crowd doesn’t get played very often. After Daughter, Ed says he’s happy about tonight’s great crowd because:

“We got some news this morning from some friends of ours that made for a tricky day. We just want to acknowledge how important they were to us…one of the best groups from the United States. I don’t know if you heard, but after 31 years, our friends, R.E.M., have decided to put it down for a while. I know, I can’t even say it”

For the first and only time, the band plays a cover of R.E.M.’s It Happened Today. It begins in near total darkness with a small spotlight on Ed until the song’s climax where the lights go up and you see the rest of the band come into the background. It was a poignant tribute to their friends and pioneers of alternative music. Corduroy and Brain of J. are wonderful surprises this deep in the main set before Johnny Guitar and Alive close things out.

Ed starts the encore by telling the crowd they’ve really brought it, and that they’ve helped the band cure their homesickness. Pearl Jam rarity, Parachutes, is played for Joe, a guy in the crowd who has been bringing a sign to the last few shows. Ed even invites him to the stage to hold the lyrics. Later, Ed says he recently read an article that there have been no rats in the Calgary area for more than 50 years. “Well, 50 years of no Rats is ending right now,” leading into a great, funky version of Rats. Before RVM, Ed waxes nostalgic before a show-stopping Rearviewmirror encore closer:

“Things weren’t always this good. This (RVM) was written way back when, about way back when.”

Mark Arm and Steve Turner lend a hand on yet another rare one – The Stooge’s Search And Destroy before the band closes with soaring versions of Fuckin’ Up and Ledbetter. Ed is noticeably moved by the crowd and by the band’s good fortune all night long, leading to a truly memorable stop on the band’s 2011 Canadian tour.