November 10, 2024 – Go Media Stadium Mt. Smart, Auckland, NZ

Pearl Jam Show Notes 11/10/2024:

Just like on night one, local group Te Whare Karioi performs a traditional Haka, but this time it’s just before Pearl Jam takes the stage with “Release.” Ed holds the last note of “Low Light” for seventeen seconds, then says a quick hello before they launch into “Once,” making it two out of the first three from Ten on a night when seven in total are played from that record. There’s a delay on Ed’s vocals during “Once,” giving it a unique echoing effect. “Do the Evolution” is early tonight. Before “Wreckage,” Ed sees a sign in the crowd for someone who wants to come up and play guitar, joking “…but what are you going to do for me?” He adds that Friday night was “one of the best crowds we’ve ever played for,” and says that Sunday night can be tough but it’s Saturday night in Seattle (due to the time difference). He compares Auckland and Seattle, calling them sister cities, and asks if the band would be welcome if they wanted to move there. Mike performs a guitar solo by himself afterwards, not “Eruption,” but in a similar vein. “Stevie” is heavy, with a thick guitar tone, and hits a little rough patch in the middle but they get it back on track. Ed mentions how the band was nominated for a Grammy award yesterday, to which Mike points out that it’s actually three. Ed lets the crowd take the “Better Man” intro, almost dropping out completely. He sings a little of Crowded House’s “Don’t Dream It’s Over” (“…never let them win…”) during the tag before getting into “Save It For Later.” Before “Even Flow,” Ed talks about long relationships, building up to Jeff and Stone’s forty-year musical partnership. He adds that Ten was he and Mike’s first record they had been on, but it was already Jeff and Stone’s fourth. Mike’s solo is a showstopper, as usual. After, Ed lists all the records since No Code, and says that none of them would be possible without the lifeguards who saved his life back in 1995 when he was carried out by a current while surfing and tells the story. He draws a parallel between the kid in “Jeremy” and the person in the next song, saying they “never had…the upper hand. Come with us on this bit of a journey, will you please.”

After the break, Ed speaks:

“It’s been a very intense week…it’s a bumpy world we live in, and it felt like we fell off a highwire the other day, and you provided us with a reminder of hope, strength, and provided us with a safety net, and that we will never forget.”

He promises to be back “much sooner” than the 10 years it’s been since they’ve played New Zealand, and says he learned about New Zealand not from geography class, but from reading the liner notes of a record, and brings out Neil Finn on stage. He then sees the sign for the kid who wants to come up and play guitar again, and jokes “I’m sorry kid, it was either you or Neil Finn…I got my eye on you.” Neil and Ed duet on a beautiful rendition of “Throw Your Arms Around Me” with Neil on acoustic guitar and Ed on his electric. Ed introduces “Smile” as “a song I’m feeling deeply right now…miss you already.” During the “Alive” solo, Ed exclaims “…can I just say…this is the most energized back of the floor…I can ever remember playing for!” The young person with the sign, Leon, finally gets a chance to come up on stage before the second verse of “Rockin’,” gets a guitar, and immediately starts bouncing and rocking out. Ed adds “…as you!” to the “never get to be cool” line, looking over at him. Leon’s having the time of his life, going over to Jeff and Mike and laughing, going up to Stone’s mic and singing backups with him, and dancing with Ed. Stone misses a few notes on “Ledbetter,” causing Jeff and Josh to laugh. Ed leaves with “…seriously chills right now…we love you.”