Pearl Jam Edmonton, AB, Concert History

The penultimate night of the North American leg of the PJ20 tour did not disappoint. The crowd in Edmonton was fired up and the band fed off this, delivering a blistering set. The band enters stage right to the sounds of Pendulum Orphosis, and proceeds to pace through an extra dark bluesy sludge version of Wash. Despite Ed struggling on the high notes of the final chorus, it is a strong opener. The crowd immediately revs things up as Jeff and Stone set the pace for a fantastic Why Go. An early set Given to Fly gets a lyrical twist with – made it into Edmonton had a smoke in a tree. Following Severed Hand, Ed addresses the already raucous crowd:

“At this point of the evening I’d like to say hello Edmonton, cheers. Can I call you ETown? How about I just call you Ed? You can do the same.”

He talks about playing there 20 years ago and not remembering the show. He thinks they played seven songs that night (it was 11. Also, 18 years, not 20) and says they are going to play eight songs tonight and some are real short, leading into Setting Forth. Not for You sends the faithfull crowd soaring. Stone tears this Vitalogy track up while Matt and Jeff drop a stellar groove on the bridge and outro jam. It’s a big highlight. A tight Present Tense is dedicated to Nathan and is the meat of a run from Marker in the Sand through 1/2 Full that showcases Mike firing off some transcendent solos. The main set comes to a close with Wasted Reprise segueing into Life Wasted, with Ed paying homage to his bandmates and how much they mean to him.

Prior to Encore 1 kicking off, Ed has the crowd wish Bruce Springsteen a happy birthday. Come Back is played, and Ed mentions it was written for Johnny Ramone, and they are going to play it for him and a fan that had been holding up a sign. Jeff gets a little lost early in the song leading to some funny onstage shenanigans with him asking Mike what key they are in, Stone laughing and Ed just chuckling in Jeff’s direction. The evening escalates during Encore 2 with Mark Arm taking the mic teasing the crowd before it is time to Kick out The Jams. Arm ends up on Ed’s shoulders for a good portion of the MC5 classic. As the evening comes to a close, the band strides through a powerful take on Rockin In The Free World. Stone lights up the stage with a commanding solo and puts an exclamation on a night where he shined. The curtains close with Mike delivering a passionate run through Ledbetter coupled with a Little Wing nod. The crowd and band delivered on this night.

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.