September 4, 2018 – Fenway Park, Boston, MA, USA

Pearl Jam Show Notes 9/4/2018:

A little ballpark symmetry as Given to Fly opens, just like at Wrigley night 2. The Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros cover “Arms Aloft” is the first of two covers in the main set, with the lyric changed to “Arms Aloft in Fenway Park” instead of Aberdeen.

The first of many guest appearances on the night sees famed photographer Danny Clinch join to play harmonica on a fantastic Red Mosquito. Leatherman is scratched from the original setlist in favor of another Yield b-side, U. Following Even Flow, Ed applauds Mike for playing so well while medicated, due to a sinus infection. He then introduces the next one by saying they are going to play it “a little differently” this time. Then, for the first time since the Orpheum in 1994, Ed sings the original lyrics to Immortality:

I could take the sun
Pour a cup to share with everyone
Need to feel some comfort in this world
I won’t take it all
I won’t say that nothing’s not my fault
Cannot feel the future in the wind

(chorus)

I could paint the moon
With the light reflected in my room
All I need is a mirror for the glare
I could paint the Earth, how
With the love I feel for you and her
Needn’t I to alter in the air

Ed invites Bill Janovitz from Buffalo Tom back out for the 2nd night in a row. Bill says it’s “wicked awesome” to be there a second time. Ed and Bill trade off lyrics on Taillights Fade (Buffalo Tom cover). In the bridge of Not For You, Ed starts a “Let’s Go Red Sox” chant. Matt Guiliana (drummer from Matt Cameron’s solo record Cavedweller) is invited on stage to play cowbell on Can’t Deny Me. Ed claims the title of the song was originally “Voting Is Your Superpower.”

Jeff plays the bass line to Sweet Emotion at the end of Jeremy, Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton is in attendance. During the Betterman tag, Ed ponders whether he could find a better crowd: “Maybe Philly, that’s a pretty good crowd. New York City, that’s a pretty good crowd. Some nights it just feels like you can’t find a better crowd than Boston, Massachusetts…is tonight one of those nights? Whaddya got?” Coming back out for the encore, Ed says “the next time we play together we’re gonna be in the studio, [this is] the last time we’re gonna be playing in front of people for a while,” and that tonight “we’re gonna play until David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis [former Red Sox players] come and pull us off the stage.” This prompts Youkilis to take the stage carrying a guitar and holding it in his signature batting stance.

Thumbing My Way is played for a person Matt met as well as a friend of Ed’s. Ed asks the crowd to hold their phones up to light the stadium for Imagine. Loud chants for Boom after Crazy Mary, Ed mentions Team Hawaii won the Little League World Series and that Boom’s wife is involved with the league on the island.

Over the Wasted Reprise bed, Ed says he’ll miss the Monster but hopes to be back in October (the Red Sox would end up winning the World Series). Life Wasted is dedicated to John Martin from the Red Sox video crew, who was stricken with ALS. The elusive Dirty Frank is teased for about 30 seconds before the debut cover of Dirty Water by the Standells.