Pearl Jam Canada Concert History

List of Pearl Jam Concerts in Canada

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May 6, 2024 – Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC, CAN

Main Set: Long Road, Nothingman, Immortality, In Hiding, Scared Of Fear, React, Respond, Wreckage, Dark Matter, Wishlist, Even Flow, Quick Escape, Upper Hand, Got To Give, Running, Jeremy, Better Man/(Save It For Later)

encore 1: Keep Me In Your Heart, Why Go, Do The Evolution, Alone, Alive, Baba O'Riley, Smile, Setting Sun

Show Notes:

Night 2 in Vancouver kicks off with another 4-song set of 90’s material, Ed commenting during Nothingman “…good singin’,” and the house lights are up for the ending. Immortality is an early surprise, with an extended jam at the end…

Show Notes: 

Night 2 in Vancouver kicks off with another 4-song set of 90’s material, Ed commenting during Nothingman “…good singin’,” and the house lights are up for the ending. Immortality is an early surprise, with an extended jam at the end and Jeff, Mike, Stone, and Ed all gathered around Matt. The silhouettes are up on the screen for the 4th song again, another Yield one tonight, In Hiding. After a uptempo Scared of Fear, Ed says “…like that one? That’s Mr. Stone Gossard.” Before Wreckage, he talks about all the one-word song titles on Ten, mentioning a few, and says the next one follows that tradition. Following Dark Matter, Ed says Mike “makes it look easy, even when it’s not” and hears someone make a comment about Mike, causing him to utter “fuck you” teasingly, pointing out a crowd member with a “sexy hat and glasses…don’t fuck with my man Mike McCready…” He talks about a 14-year-old girl named Hannah, who has “a bit of a medical thing,” but the doctors were able to move her surgery to next week so she could attend the show. After Wishlist, Ed says they’re “switching the list for a second” and Down is cut and Even Flow is moved up. Mike puts on a clinic again during Even Flow, and continues with a soaring solo on Quick Escape, which still has plenty of post-Gigaton energy. Got to Give makes it debut, with a fiery visual behind it. Ed explains afterwards that the Red Mosquito flub from night 1 was his fault, even though he tried to blame it on Jeff, and adds “accountability feels so good…feel free to boo me as well,” and there’s a smattering of boos, and he encourages more, and by the third time there’s a decent boo from the crowd. An extreme closeup of Jeff’s hands is shown during the end of Jeremy, and Ed points out a young boy named Ryan who’s been rocking out on his dad’s shoulders all night, teasing that the pot smell is coming from his direction. Ed gets on the overhead projector again during the break:

So…last week in Seattle

We hung out with Stanley

THE STANLEY CUP

May it arrive here NEXT

GO COACH TOCCHET

AND the CANUCKS!

1st PJ show ever OCT 91 in Seattle

1st PJ show in Vancouver Jan 11 91!

As he’s writing the Vancouver date, he realizes his mistake and erases the 1 in OCT 91 and changes it to a zero for 1990, then continues:

3 mos old!

1st show Town Pump

1st show w/Neil Young

here in ’92?

our favorite B.C. show

Commodore Ballroom 2000

Here, he goes back and puts an up arrow in between “our” and “favorite” and adds “new” and finishes it off with:

Rogers Arena 2024

Coming out on stage again solo, Ed talks about loss, and mentions that on April 21st, Jerome Rothenburg had passed away, calling him a poet, and that he had been married for 74 years, and that he had known Jerome’s son Matthew when he was young. Keep Me in Your Heart is dedicated to their family. Do the Evolution has more of the original video tonight, none of the extra footage that was in the previous performance. Ed does add in the “admire Stone” line, though. Afterwards, he says that they “played this one at the Town Pump…and then we didn’t play it for a long time,” leading into Alone! Alive follows, the first time those two songs have been played consecutively since 2/28/92 (the first time was, of course, at the Off Ramp in 1990)! Setting Sun closes out the show again, with a very cool eye-based visualizer. 10 of 11 Dark Matter songs played over the two nights, but we’re still waiting for Waiting For Stevie.

 

May 4, 2024 – Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC, CAN

Main Set: Wash, Low Light, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Given To Fly, Scared Of Fear, React, Respond, Wreckage, Dark Matter, Daughter/(Bobcaygeon), Leatherman, Corduroy, Red Mosquito, Upper Hand, Won't Tell, Running, Chloe Dancer/Crown Of Thorns, Porch

encore 1: I Won't Back Down, Black/(We Belong Together), Do The Evolution, Something Special, Alive, Rockin' In The Free World, Yellow Ledbetter, Setting Sun

September 8, 2022 – Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ONT, CAN

Main Set: Daughter/(Improv), Come Back, Sometimes, Her Majesty, All Those Yesterdays, River Cross, (Interstellar Overdrive)/Corduroy, Hail, Hail, Deep, Quick Escape, Even Flow, Who Ever Said/((I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction), I Got Shit/(Cinnamon Girl), Never Destination, Dissident, Lukin, Rearviewmirror

encore 1: Light Years, Do The Evolution, Last Kiss, Jeremy, (Leash), Alive, Rockin’ In The Free World

Show Notes:

The improv on Daughter is based around the line “it’s in my hands.” After Sometimes, Ed says he’s going to play one he “borrowed” from Paul McCartney, and he plays the Beatles’ “Her Majesty” for the first time, no doubt…

Show Notes: 

The improv on Daughter is based around the line “it’s in my hands.” After Sometimes, Ed says he’s going to play one he “borrowed” from Paul McCartney, and he plays the Beatles’ “Her Majesty” for the first time, no doubt a tribute to the Queen who had died earlier in the day. Prior to Even Flow, he sees a sign that says “I (heart) U Eddy” and he points out the misspelling, referring back to a show in 1993 where there was a sign propositioning him that used the same incorrect spelling. He then mentions the Elton John show taking place in the city that night and sings a tease of Tiny Dancer, saying he always heard the line as “…count the head lice on the highway,” and then jokes about Mike’s mishearing of the line in Kiss’ “Rock And Roll All Night” as “…and part of every day.” Cinnamon Girl returns as a tag on I Got Shit for the first time since 2011! After the break, Ed talks about being in Canada and says that one of his favorite tours was the 2005 run. Someone has a sign for EB and Ed again talks about how the band is committed to helping find a cure and how it’s “a matter of time.” There’s another banner, this one says “Play Light Years for Gord,” Gord Downie being the singer of the Tragically Hip who passed away in 2017, and the request is fulfilled. Last Kiss is played to the back, its first appearance since 2018. Stone starts Leash after Jeremy but breaks a string and the song is aborted in favor of Alive. 

September 6, 2022 – First Ontario Centre, Hamilton, ONT, CAN

Main Set: Oceans, Nothingman, Yellow Moon, Man Of The Hour, Retrograde, Given To Fly, Who Ever Said, Red Mosquito, Dance Of The Clairvoyants, Corduroy, Quick Escape, I Am Mine, Daughter, I'm Open, Sad, Superblood Wolfmoon, Do The Evolution, Black/(Androgynous Mind)(We Belong Together), Porch

encore 1: Inside Job, Once, Wishlist, State Of Love And Trust, Alive, Indifference

Show Notes:

A completely different seated set for the 3rd show in a row. Ed exclaims “you sound good!” during Nothingman, and his voice sounds great again as well. After Yellow Moon, he says they’re going to play one they don’t play…

Show Notes: 

A completely different seated set for the 3rd show in a row. Ed exclaims “you sound good!” during Nothingman, and his voice sounds great again as well. After Yellow Moon, he says they’re going to play one they don’t play very often “for a special member of your community…and of the Pearl Jam community” and Man of the Hour is played for a man named Richard. Retrograde is started seated, but Mike stands up for the solo and the rest of the band follows shortly. The ending is loose and chaotic, very impressive. Ed interjects “Devo, Devo!” into the Satisfaction tag in Who Ever Said to drive the point home of exactly who they’re covering. Following Who Ever Said, he jokes that he told his daughter they were playing Hamilton and her response was “…you’re doing the whole thing?” Corduroy is dedicated to Gordie Howe, Detroit, Justin Trudeau, and Mark Bell, among others, after name-dropping that Paul McCartney told him not to name-drop. Mike goes behind the head for the Quick Escape solo. Ed tells a long, meandering story before I Am Mine. Sad returns for the first time since Wrigley 2016 after being cut from the previous two sets. Ed does a little “hey hey it’s okay” Androgynous Mind tag before going into a short “we didn’t belong together” riff. Mike is a standout on the Porch jam, he’s on the floor by the end of it. After the break, Ed talks about EB and points out a brave young person in the crowd. Wishlist is played for the back of the arena. No covers on the night, just a celebratory Alive and a singalong Indifference with the lights up.

“as long as we’ve been together, there’s been a few disagreements over the years…we have strong opinions, we don’t always agree…but there’s one thing we all agree on, hands down, no doubt, that one of the greatest humans on the planet Earth is Mr. Neil Young…”

Afterwards, Ed tells a quick story about being a kid and his parents not letting him go see the Jackson 5, who were his favorite, joking “I never really forgave them,” and Wishlist is dedicated to Sienna and Cole, 8 and 10-year olds whose dad brought them to the show. Mike takes a long solo on Even Flow, going back to his amp for part of it, stretching the song out to 8 minutes. It’s storytime again, Ed talks about waiting tables in Chicago at 18 years old and having to sing happy birthday to all the various tables and how he hated doing it, but they’ve had a lot of birthday requests on this tour and he’ll make an exception, and then goes on to mention a few birthdays. The call and response on Corduroy has a little extra emphasis behind it from Ed, who leads the crowd up and down. Mike takes over Immortality and Black. Following Jeremy, Ed talks about a woman named Ashley who was in the front in Quebec City and motions for her to come up to the front, playing a short improv about her as she makes her way up to the stage. He says he got a note from her

“and she said in this note that our music has saved her time and time again…but I just want to tell you all this: that it’s YOU who keeps US healthy to keep playing, that keeps us together so we can keep playing…that makes us friends still, so we can still be here to keep playing…all you folks have really kept us alive, so WE thank YOU…it’s the truth…”

He mentions Ashley again and a couple more people, and says this next one is dedicated to them, before kicking right into Porch. After the break, Ed talks about the livestream of the Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins tribute show and the “indelible energy that Taylor had, the infectious energy, the undeniable energy that this guy had,” and also mentions Gord Downie from the Tragically Hip, which gets a nice crowd response. Ed says that Taylor had sent him a video of his son Shane playing drums on a David Bowie song with his side project, and “he was so proud of him, as he should have been” (Shane played drums on the Foo’s song “My Hero” at the tribute show). He continues, sending well wishes to Taylor’s family and the Foo Fighters family before Better Man. Small Town is played to the back. Josh and Boom get a shout out before Crazy Mary, with Mike and Boom dueling and then combining for the finish. Fuckin’ Up makes its first appearance since 2018, and Ed makes sure to thank everyone in the back before Yellow Ledbetter ends the night.

September 3, 2022 – Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, ONT, CAN

Main Set: Of The Girl, Garden, Alright, Nothing As It Seems, Low Light, Given To Fly, Do The Evolution, Wishlist/(Waiting On A Friend), Dance Of The Clairvoyants, Even Flow, Seven O'Clock, Corduroy, Immortality, Black/(We Belong Together), Jeremy, Porch

encore 1: Better Man, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Crazy Mary, Alive, Fuckin' Up, Yellow Ledbetter

Show Notes:

Stools are out again for the first 5 songs, looks like this will continue going forward, at least for the rest of this leg. Garden is a surprise for the acoustic set, although Mike is on an electric. Alright has…

Show Notes: 

Stools are out again for the first 5 songs, looks like this will continue going forward, at least for the rest of this leg. Garden is a surprise for the acoustic set, although Mike is on an electric. Alright has a very chilled out, relaxed feel. Ed says they’re going to do a couple like this (seated), “but once we get going…no turning back.” After NAIS, he gives credit to Jeff, saying “those were some compositions by Mr. Jeff Ament. Can we get a little…low light here,” teasing the next song and pointing out a woman in the front doing a “Beyonce dance” that he noticed while singing, and dedicates Low Light to her. The line in Given to Fly is changed to “…made it north of the border…” Stone takes the spotlight with dynamite solos on Evolution and Throw Your Hatred Down. Ed talks about Neil Young before the latter, saying

“as long as we’ve been together, there’s been a few disagreements over the years…we have strong opinions, we don’t always agree…but there’s one thing we all agree on, hands down, no doubt, that one of the greatest humans on the planet Earth is Mr. Neil Young…”

Afterwards, Ed tells a quick story about being a kid and his parents not letting him go see the Jackson 5, who were his favorite, joking “I never really forgave them,” and Wishlist is dedicated to Sienna and Cole, 8 and 10-year olds whose dad brought them to the show. Mike takes a long solo on Even Flow, going back to his amp for part of it, stretching the song out to 8 minutes. It’s storytime again, Ed talks about waiting tables in Chicago at 18 years old and having to sing happy birthday to all the various tables and how he hated doing it, but they’ve had a lot of birthday requests on this tour and he’ll make an exception, and then goes on to mention a few birthdays. The call and response on Corduroy has a little extra emphasis behind it from Ed, who leads the crowd up and down. Mike takes over Immortality and Black. Following Jeremy, Ed talks about a woman named Ashley who was in the front in Quebec City and motions for her to come up to the front, playing a short improv about her as she makes her way up to the stage. He says he got a note from her

  “and she said in this note that our music has saved her time and time again…but I just want to tell you all this: that it’s YOU who keeps US healthy to keep playing, that keeps us together so we can keep playing…that makes us friends still, so we can still be here to keep playing…all you folks have really kept us alive, so WE thank YOU…it’s the truth…”

He mentions Ashley again and a couple more people, and says this next one is dedicated to them, before kicking right into Porch. After the break, Ed talks about the livestream of the Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins tribute show and the “indelible energy that Taylor had, the infectious energy, the undeniable energy that this guy had,” and also mentions Gord Downie from the Tragically Hip, which gets a nice crowd response. Ed says that Taylor had sent him a video of his son Shane playing drums on a David Bowie song with his side project, and “he was so proud of him, as he should have been” (Shane played drums on the Foo’s song “My Hero” at the tribute show). He continues, sending well wishes to Taylor’s family and the Foo Fighters family before Better Man. Small Town is played to the back. Josh and Boom get a shout out before Crazy Mary, with Mike and Boom dueling and then combining for the finish. Fuckin’ Up makes its first appearance since 2018, and Ed makes sure to thank everyone in the back before Yellow Ledbetter ends the night.

September 1, 2022 – Videotron Centre, Quebec City, QC, CAN

Main Set: Daughter, Footsteps, Buckle Up, Other Side, Off He Goes, Dance Of The Clairvoyants, Why Go, Even Flow, Quick Escape, Corduroy, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Who Ever Said/((I Can't Get No) Satisfaction), Take The Long Way, I Got Id, Mind Your Manners, Black, Porch

encore 1: Present Tense, Do The Evolution, Alive, Purple Rain, Indifference

Show Notes:

The band comes out seated, just like in Amsterdam. Daughter is the opener for the first time since 2010, four times in total. It’s played full acoustic without a tag at the end. After Footsteps, Ed toasts the crowd and…

Show Notes: 

The band comes out seated, just like in Amsterdam. Daughter is the opener for the first time since 2010, four times in total. It’s played full acoustic without a tag at the end. After Footsteps, Ed toasts the crowd and says:

 “…we’re gonna play slow songs, fast songs, loud songs, quiet songs, new songs, tight songs, so buckle up…” 

This leads into…Buckle Up. He dedicates a song for a friend in the community who lost his brother, saying he lost his brother as well, and it’s Other Side! It was sound checked earlier in the day, this is only the 4th performance ever! Afterwards, Ed speaks about his friend Dr. Pete from Quebec who had recently walked the Pacific Crest trail from Mexico to Vancouver, and shows him on the video screen. He gets passionate during the requested Off He Goes, and Mike does a flamenco-style solo. Corduroy has an extended solo, Ed telling Mike to keep playing. Black has some improv lyrics at the end: “…where will your heart be when you know….one more life, one more chance…” Crowd starts big ‘ole’ chants during the encore break. Present Tense is played for former ESPN anchor Kenny Mayne, and a kid in the crowd whom Ed mentions as ‘Cole’s brother.’ Stone starts Alive and then stops for Ed to make a dedication to Venus and Serena Williams. Klinghoffer is thanked profusely before stepping to the front for Purple Rain. Before Indifference, Ed says

“Alright, I guess we’re on tour now…thanks for a great beginning.”

Special thank you to Danielle Tatlow for relaying the setlist live, and livestreaming in the Pearl Jam Podcast Community Facebook group.

July 17, 2016 – Pemberton Music Festival, Pemberton, BC, CAN

Main Set: Release, Footsteps, Daughter/(Dream Baby Dream/Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)), Thumbing My Way, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Present Tense, Once, Mind Your Manners, Spin The Black Circle, Given To Fly, Dissident, Do The Evolution, Lightning Bolt, Dream Baby Dream, Wishlist, Corduroy, Even Flow, Of The Earth, Porch

encore 1: Oceans, Go, State Of Love And Trust, Comfortably Numb, Black, Jeremy, Alive, Yellow Ledbetter

Show Notes:

A throwback to the early 90’s as a staggering 8 songs are played from Ten and another 2 from the era! The band begins the show seated for Release and Footsteps, echoing the relaxed feeling of the setting.  Daughter is…

Show Notes: 

A throwback to the early 90’s as a staggering 8 songs are played from Ten and another 2 from the era! The band begins the show seated for Release and Footsteps, echoing the relaxed feeling of the setting.  Daughter is initially tagged with the song “Dream Baby Dream” by Suicide, before “Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2” takes over, with a lyric change: “leave your fucking guns at home.” Present Tense begins with Ed pointing out a tree as “that one” in the first line. Ed makes an impassioned speech about evolving prior to Do the Evolution. Following Lightning Bolt, Ed toasts Alan Vega, a founding member of the 70’s New York band Suicide, who had passed the night prior, saying that he “influenced everyone from Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Ramone I know talked about them a lot, and I bet Jack White with his two piece band…so I’m just thinking about him and thanking him for leaving such good things behind for us to keep forever,” leading to the one time, one time only full cover of Suicide’s “Dream Baby Dream,” perhaps inspired by the previous Daughter tag. Ed fumbles the last lines of Wishlist, offering “I let you down,” and then doesn’t do the familiar E-bow ending. The unreleased Of the Earth is played for only the 12th time.  Out of the encore break, Ed dedicates Oceans to “my good friend Margaret and her good man Daniel.” Funny moment during State of Love and Trust as Ed tosses the mic to the crowd but misses, and has to retrieve it himself and finish the song. The crowd helps out on Comfortably Numb and Ed plays the piano at the end. Black features Ed singing “Goodnight moon” during the outro. After Jeremy, He wishes Stone a happy 50th birthday, which leads to a rendition of “Happy birthday” for Stone from the crowd. The cake is then inevitably smashed into Stone’s face, then Ed’s, and then the crowd! Ed adds, “Thank you Pemberton, you’ve made it all great. Take care of each other underneath the stars,” which leads to Alive.  During the solo, he takes a trip around the stage to view the crowd, adding “Look a baby, hey baby. Dream baby dream.”

May 12, 2016 – Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON, CAN

Main Set: Why Go, Corduroy, Mind Your Manners, Brain of J., Animal, Garden, I am Mine, Nothingman, Cropduster, Even Flow, Daughter/(Blitzkrieg Bop/W.M.A.), Green Disease, Unthought Known, Present Tense, Alone, Lightning Bolt, Do the Evolution, Blood

encore 1: Just Breathe, Oceans, Inside Job, Breath, Lukin, Porch

encore 2: Last Kiss, Last Exit, Better Man, Crazy Mary, Black, Alive, Baba O'Riley, Yellow Ledbetter

Show Notes:

Jeff is wearing a t-shirt that reads “WE THE NORTH WEST,” a running theme started at the first Toronto show two nights before. The greeting comes before the callback in Corduroy with “welcome to the last show,” describing it as…

Show Notes: 

Jeff is wearing a t-shirt that reads “WE THE NORTH WEST,” a running theme started at the first Toronto show two nights before. The greeting comes before the callback in Corduroy with “welcome to the last show,” describing it as feeling like the “last day of school, let’s make a night of it.” During Brain of J., Jeff ducks and then laughs as Ed rushes to catch something dropped from above. After Animal, Ed says “good things been happening in this building in the last couple days,” in reference to the first Toronto date and the NBA playoff game the previous night, and toasts to being able to play the last show in Toronto. Following Garden, Ed mentions the victims of the forest fires in Alberta and Manitoba evacuated days earlier and that the band will continue to “send some dough their way” from concert proceeds, and dedicates I Am Mine to “being safe and secure, however temporarily.” Good crowd participation during Nothingman. After Cropduster, Ed explains the origin of the line “let the fluency set it down” as coming from drinking wine with an Italian who didn’t speak perfect English, he figured he was trying to say “‘go with the flow’ or something…but then I thought ‘that’s really kind of amazing,’ so I’ve been letting the fluency set it down for quite some time now.” He goes on to tease about most big cities having their own “monument or erection…of course, you here have the band Rush, that’s a monument…we’ve been playing for 25 years and if we wanted to learn a Rush song we’d probably have to play for 25 more,” to which Mike plays a few chords of “Fly by Night” followed by Jeff and Matt with “Cygnus X-1”. Ed returns to monuments/erections by citing the Space Needle and introducing Even Flow as being written right below it. A drum solo by Matt tops off another impressive solo performance by Mike. Ed switches the lyrics to “white male Canadian” during the W.M.A. tag. Prior to Alone, Ed thanks the crowd for their singing and teases “Right now we’d like to play the whole Binaural record for you.” Ed promotes EB research funding during the break and thanks Dr. Elena Pope at the U of T-Hospital for Sick Children for signing onto the effort. On being shown a French flag, he recalls the terrorist attack at the Eagles of Death Metal concert in Paris the year before and dedicates Just Breathe to a fan and victim, Pierre-Antoine Henry, and his kids. Breath is dedicated to their friend Michele (Anthony), who “specialized in working with difficult artists, and we wouldn’t be here without her.” During the Porch breakdown, he lifts up his guitar under a stage light and uses it to reflect light onto people all throughout the audience. The second encore starts with another compliment, “you make it very difficult to leave,” before trolling the audience with “whatever happened to the Toronto Maple Leafs?” During Better Man, Ed holds the song in a loop and banters for three minutes about looking forward to going home, having just taken a quick shot of tequila backstage, a driver on the first stop of the tour speaking offensively, the contrast between that start to the tour and the end in an exemplary city. Boom is introduced before Crazy Mary, Mike jams alongside him on a fiery solo while Ed enters the crowd to mingle. Toronto native Donna Grantis is again introduced to join the band for Baba O’Riley (after also playing at the previous show), and Ed acknowledges Geddy Lee at the side of the stage, to which the band plays a bit of Cygnus X-1 again. Ed signs off with a personal “see ya, JP” to a fan he sang Thin Air with at the first show, before addressing the entire crowd: “We the northwest, a pleasure being in the north,” and signs off as Geddy Vedder one last time.

Written by: Eric Stevenson Gonzalez

May 10, 2016 – Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON, CAN

Main Set: Go, Do the Evolution, Mind Your Manners, Breakerfall, God’s Dice, Evacuation, Light Years, Nothing as it Seems, Thin Air, Insignificance, Of the Girl, Grievance, Rival, Sleight of Hand, Soon Forget, Parting Ways, Corduroy, Once, Rearviewmirror

encore 1: Imagine, Let Me Sleep, Comfortably Numb, Even Flow, Down, Better Man/(Save It For Later), Porch

encore 2: Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Given To Fly, State Of Love And Trust, Black/(Time Heals), The Real Me, Alive, Rockin’ in the Free World

Show Notes:

Crowd erupts as the intro of Go is played just like on the album. A thunderous Mind Your Manners precedes the Binaural set, with Ed mentioning that they have the next night off (the second Toronto date was pushed back…

Show Notes: 

Crowd erupts as the intro of Go is played just like on the album. A thunderous Mind Your Manners precedes the Binaural set, with Ed mentioning that they have the next night off (the second Toronto date was pushed back a day by their NBA playoff game). He then talks about how the first time in Toronto they played seven songs, and then auctions how many they’ll play that night, “nine, 10… can I get a 13… 18 in the back.” A longer solo from Mike on Breakerfall helps tear open the album set. Evacuation is introduced with a reflection about fire alarms and expecting to be told it’s a false alarm, remembering the over 88,000 people evacuated days earlier due to wildfires in northern Alberta. Ed introduces Thin Air by explaining that it’s one of his personal favorites of Stone’s: “if we ever had a popular song, this would be the one” and describes how he’d imagined a love song-style video. Near the end, he visits the crowd, takes a fan’s hand, and puts his arm around him while they both sing the last chorus together, essentially recreating his idea for the video. Back onstage, Ed quips “What’s your name? JP? Meet you after the show, handsome.” Ed enters Sleight of Hand too early, Stone stops playing immediately and Ed gestures to the band to start over while pointing to himself to accept the blame, then turns back and tells the crowd “the thing about vinyl records is sometimes they skip…let me clean the needle.” The song is restarted and finishes strong. Soon Forget is prefaced with “it wasn’t written about anybody in particular…now I realize it’s exactly about Donald Trump” before going on to muse about the band moving to Canada and Ed changing his name to Geddy Vedder in honor of Rush. The crowd whistles back at the “we’re all whistling” line and Ed eggs them on, hanging on to that chord. Ed holds out the last note in Parting Ways for several seconds amidst guitar feedback, pick scraping, and resolute drumming. Corduroy has an extra burst at the end, and a breakdown jam on Rearviewmirror featuring a Jeff and Matt standoff. The second set opens with Ed checking on the crowd and counting off all their good memories of Toronto, including all the other bands they’ve seen play, and joking about how good Soundgarden’s drummer was as a prelude to introducing Matt. Here he announces the band will donate money from their Canada shows to help wildfire victims in Alberta and lists the benefitting groups, before asking the audience to light up the room with their phones for the cover of Imagine. Let Me Sleep is played as a nod to the cold. Even Flow picks things back up and sounds like it has an extra groove to it: Mike puts the guitar behind his head and ventures out to the crowd for the first part of an extended, feedback-laden solo that earns Ed’s applause, and Ed tosses the mic into the crowd for fans to sing the last chorus. Down is dedicated to Howard Zinn, “the ultimate ‘positimist,’ that’s not a word, but….” Ed teases the crowd with a long pause and a swig of wine before a sustained “ohhh-oh-oh” to open the second verse of Better Man. Matt, Jeff, and Ed fling, headbutt, and practice boxing with the lamps that have lowered to stage level during Porch, and give the first encore an amped-up finish with Ed mingling in the crowd and sipping a fan’s beer. Ed starts the second encore with the observation “if they got a crowd tomorrow with this much energy tonight they might win it all” and identifies the band and Toronto as both being from the north: “there’s power in north, north points up.” After Given To Fly, Ed calls everyone’s attention to a fan who’s spent the entire show in a bright orange ski mask and references having worn one at a show by Jeff’s band RNDM but “I didn’t last three songs in that fucking thing…I commend you” and jokingly introduces the fan as Matt Damon (who was evidently in attendance in a different part of the arena).. Black winds down with the Todd Rundgren “Time Heals” tag. The Real Me is introduced by Ed saying “We borrowed a couple of great songs tonight, we’re gonna borrow one more.” Toronto native and Prince guitarist Donna Grantis is welcomed onstage to close the show with Rockin’ in the Free World and steals the show, earning a “we’re not worthy” bow from Mike.

Written By: Eric Stevenson Gonzalez

May 8, 2016 – Canadian Tires Centre, Ottawa, ON, CAN

Main Set: Lightning Bolt, Mind Your Manners, Do the Evolution, Save You, Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town, Love Boat Captain, Deep, Faithfull, I Am Mine, Even Flow, Setting Forth, Corduroy, Immortality, Given to Fly, Big Wave, Why Go, Jeremy, Porch

encore 1: Bee Girl, Speed of Sound, Parachutes, Sirens, Love, Reign O’er Me, Better Man, Blood

encore 2: All I Want is You, Wasted Reprise, Life Wasted, Black, Alive, Fuckin’ Up

Show Notes:

Lightning Bolt opens for only the second time, and includes the line “…towards the Great White North…” Ed greets the crowd before Small Town, talking about Trump, the fires in Alberta, and “the fact that Canada doesn’t have a team…

Show Notes: 

Lightning Bolt opens for only the second time, and includes the line “…towards the Great White North…” Ed greets the crowd before Small Town, talking about Trump, the fires in Alberta, and “the fact that Canada doesn’t have a team in the NHL playoffs” as signs of the end of the world “so let’s do some singing and try to make the world right tonight!” Love Boat Captain includes the “let the show begin” line. A fan in the front gets to sing on Faithfull. After Even Flow, Ed mentions that Into the Wild author Jon Krakauer is in the crowd tonight and how his books had a profound effect on him, leading into Setting Forth. Big Wave is played for the first time since 2014 for all the surfers in the crowd, Ed saying he knows that there are at least two. 3 songs from Ten close out the set, and during the encore, Ed makes a toast to his brothers Jason and Chris, who are in attendance. A few rare songs are broken out after the break, beginning with Bee Girl, and the tour debuts of Speed of Sound and Parachutes. Not to be outdone, Love, Reign O’er Me is played for the first time since 2013. Encore 2 starts with Ed playing part of the U2 song “All I Want Is You” on the acoustic guitar. Mike and Stone really bring it during Black, blistering solos by both that bring the crowd to a crescendo. Matt goes nuts at the end of Alive, bashing everything in sight. Fuckin’ Up is for their “favorite Canadian” (if you have to ask at this point…) Great energy from the crowd and band all evening on what most would consider Pearl Jam’s 1000th show.

Written by: Ryan Franke

May 5, 2016 – Centre Videotron, Quebec City, QC, CAN

Main Set: Of The Girl, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Once, Last Exit, God’s Dice, Even Flow, Pilate, Light Years, Severed Hand, Corduroy, You Are, Mind Your Manners, Whipping, Nothing As It Seems, Given To Fly, State Of Love And Trust, I’m Open, MFC, Why Go, Better Man/(Save It For Later)

encore 1: The Needle And The Damage Done, Thumbing My Way, Sleeping By Myself, Wash, Comatose, Lightning Bolt, Sad, Surrender, Porch

encore 2: Daughter/(Blitzkrieg Bop/It’s O.K.), Do The Evolution, Jeremy, Black, Alive, Baba O’Riley

Show Notes:

Of the Girl opens, the first of 4 Binaural songs in the main set. Matt jumps the gun and starts Last Exit after Small Town but stops and Once is played first. Ed introduces Pilate by saying “alright, this is…

Show Notes: 

Of the Girl opens, the first of 4 Binaural songs in the main set. Matt jumps the gun and starts Last Exit after Small Town but stops and Once is played first. Ed introduces Pilate by saying “alright, this is going to be fun…” Light Years is dedicated to a man and his family. Stone grooves on a powerful You Are. After the first NAIS since 2014, Ed makes a long speech about life and love and dedicates Given to Fly to Valerie and “her great man Jan, who’s still here in the next song.” I’m Open is a nice little gem to break up the pace and breathe after SOLAT, and takes the place of Untitled, flowing naturally into MFC. An almost 8-minute Better Man ends the main set, with Ed riffing on Save it for Later. After the break, Ed says, “I’m going to play a song by Uncle Neil. And to sing like Neil, you gotta sing high, but you don’t have to sing perfect. So I’m going to keep that in mind, and you keep that in mind too in case you want to join in… Neil, one of the things he taught us, if it ain’t perfect, it’s perfect. I’m sure this is going to be a perfect version,” and plays a solo version of The Needle and the Damage Done. The band then joins Ed on stage for an amazing Thumbing My Way. Wash comes out of nowhere to transition out of the mellow section. After Lightning Bolt, Ed sees a kid with a sign in the front row and brings him up on stage, saying “I saw him play this song with his pop” (his mom had sent a video of him playing it) and introduces 10-year-old Noah Keeley. Noah plays along to Sad, and does a great job! Stone plays right next to him and Mike comes over to play the solo beside him. Noah gets a huge ovation as he leaves the stage, and Ed remarks, “Noah, you are a badass. That took a lot of guts,” then continues, “We’re going to play one for Noah’s mom and dad” before launching into Surrender. After the second break, Ed speaks about the Capitales, a local baseball team, and sports a jersey made for them to celebrate 25 years together. He then introduces Daughter, saying “He is gonna start this next song. He wrote it. He wrote all the good ones…Mr. Stone Gossard.” McCready is unreal on the Black solo, pure and powerful. Ed concludes the evening by saying “We will never forget this one.”

December 4, 2013 – Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC, CAN

Main Set: Oceans, Can’t Keep, Low Light, Corduroy, Breakerfall, Mind Your Manners, Why Go, Gods’ Dice, Lightning Bolt, In Hiding, Even Flow, Setting Forth, Not For You/(Modern Girl), Daughter/(It’s O.K.), Infallible, After Hours, Sirens, Jeremy, Gonna See My Friend, Porch

encore 1: Soon Forget, Yellow Moon, Thumbing My Way, Footsteps, Mother, Insignificance, Given To Fly, Got Some, Better Man/(Save It For Later)

encore 2: Go, Do The Evolution, Black, Alive, Kick Out The Jams, Yellow Ledbetter

Show Notes:

Surrounded by water, the Oceans opener is no surprise. Ed has a ukulele for Can’t Keep. A stage light and mood switch occurs with Corduroy. The band teams up with each other to come together for a wild Corduroy outro.…

Show Notes: 

Surrounded by water, the Oceans opener is no surprise. Ed has a ukulele for Can’t Keep. A stage light and mood switch occurs with Corduroy. The band teams up with each other to come together for a wild Corduroy outro. Perfect call and response by the audience on MYM. Ed takes a moment to crack open some wine and offers a quick hello, “we’ll be home soon enough but we’re in Vancouver, we’re not going anywhere. We’ll talk later. Let’s keep going,” keeping the energy up with Gods’ Dice and Lightning Bolt. Stone leads the way into In Hiding and Ed reaches for the wine and gestures to his throat and chest and mouths something about his voice. It looks like Boom is reading the sheet music. Ed tells a joke about meeting someone from Mexico and a couple from Sweden who have come to Vancouver for the “tropical weather.” He reminisces about an early 1991 show at the Town Pump in Vancouver where the audience was the size of the first row and they remember playing this song…cue Even Flow. During the solo, Ed speaks to a tech who fixes something while Ed shares an enormous bottle of wine with the front row. Mike tiptoes out of the solo as do the backing guitars, leaving Matt’s mastery on display. Stone gets pretty bluesy for the Not For You solo and Ed does a yodel call and response with the audience. Lights go out to spotlight Ed on his guitar for After Hours. He asks for the crowd to help with lyrics for Gonna See My Friend, has a mini jam session with Stone at the end and they sneak in a few chords of Porch. Mike is on his knees for the Porch solo, Matt maintains the beat with otherworldly precision during a super extended bridge. Jeff swats at the hanging globes and Ed plays front row bartender and proceeds to climb the lighting, mic in hand.

After the break, he toasts the bartender/guitar tech who brings him the wine and grabs his ukulele to play Soon Forget, last played in 2006! A tech issue follows and he eggs on the audience with some hockey-talk and a shout-out to friend Chris Chelios which the crowd jokingly disapproves of. Each member of the band is highlighted on a beautifully mellow Thumbing My Way. After Mother, Ed says “as a taxpayer, you might contribute to things you don’t necessarily agree with…bombs dropping on children…now we have drones…I’m not getting into it,” and jokes that he will leave the crowd with a tale of a 4.5 hour concert with 3 hours of music and 1.5 hours of politics, leading into an energetic Insignificance. Ed struggles a bit with the lyrics and the chords during Better Man, gets the audience to assist, states “I fucked up, I know,” and continues to take long pauses, playing with the audience. Stone joins Mike and Jeff’s side of the stage and then Ed joins in, creating a little guitar posse. The song continues and Ed asks “Should we stop now?” The “don’t run away” line has a list of tags:

“like my father did…like my brother did…like my sister did…like my uncle did…like all my friends…like my first girlfriend did…”

Ed windmills, rests on Mike before the final guitar push of the outro and we get not one, not two, not three, but four signature jumps.

Ed introduces “Mr. Stone Gossard and Andy Wolf who looks after Stone’s shit and is a total champ tonight,” in reference to the tech issues. Ed thanks Mudhoney for opening for them and again braving a storm to get there. Mike’s Black solo is bluesy, yet wailing towards the speakers and has Ed crying out at the very end. Alive becomes interactive with Mike going right down into the front section and Ed catching gifts being thrown at them and climbing speakers and pointing to people. The lights go on and Mudhoney’s Mark Arm and Steve Turner join in for Kick Out The Jams. Ed teases the audience “they sometimes say leave them wanting more…well fuck that shit,” and acknowledges how they’re “fortunate to have these gatherings based on music” and jokes about a young fan with headphones on who is “probably listening to Katy Perry.” Ed wishes the crowd a “Happy Christmas and Happy New Year….until next time.”

December 2, 2013 – Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, AB, CAN

Main Set: Of The Girl, Hard To Imagine, Nothingman, Lightning Bolt, Corduroy, Mind Your Manners, Animal, Red Mosquito, I Am Mine, Wishlist, Even Flow, Sirens, Given To Fly, Infallible, Do The Evolution, I Got Shit/(Cinnamon Girl), Rats, State Of Love And Trust, Lukin, Better Man/(Save It For Later)

encore 1: After Hours, Sleight of Hand, Future Days, Daughter/(Improv), Last Exit, Go, Porch

encore 2: Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Crazy Mary, Alive, Fuckin’ Up, Indifference

Show Notes:

With blizzard conditions outside, Ed prefaces Lightning Bolt with “let’s melt some fucking snow.” Corduroy has the lyric change “…you froze inside my head…” Ed toasts the Calgary crowd for braving the blizzard, acknowledging how hard it was even for…

Show Notes: 

With blizzard conditions outside, Ed prefaces Lightning Bolt with “let’s melt some fucking snow.” Corduroy has the lyric change “…you froze inside my head…” Ed toasts the Calgary crowd for braving the blizzard, acknowledging how hard it was even for the band and crew to get there – “we were thinking only about 2500 people would make it…” He also thanks opening band Mudhoney, saying they drove 13 hours to play 30 minutes, and introduces Red Mosquito as “a song about bugs.” Crowd chants for Stone, leading Ed to remark “that’s only gonna make Mike play harder.” The crowd then chants for Mike, and Ed asks a fan in the front row what his name is and chants “Scott” for him, going on to salute those who had to clean up after the floods in June and repair the Saddledome. I Am Mine is “about getting to higher ground.” Before I Got Id, Ed says “if you ever wanted to chant anyone’s name it should be this guy,” and mentions how important Neil Young was in “keeping us on track for the good shit,” and that they wrote the song with him, adding a couple of lines of Cinnamon Girl. Before Rats, Ed toasts “here’s to rat-free Alberta.” He throws the microphone down into the crowd during State and a fan sings the ending. Lukin gets the slow fake-out. During Better Man, Ed back-to-back solos with Mike and they fall down on each other.

To begin the encores, the meteorologist confirms that it’s still “pretty cold” outside, and Ed talks about going to the doctor and being asked about his drinking habits, “and then I realized, well, when I’m working…” After Hours makes another appearance in tribute to Lou Reed. Sleight of Hand is “for the long drive to work.” Ed says that Future Days is for Pete and Jen Lightbody, “you wouldn’t necessarily know…but this song is about a couple whose children have grown up and moved out and it’s all romantic again,” and Boom plays the intro. Ed sings “hush…hush now baby,” during Daughter, possibly playing off Pink Floyd’s Mother. A young boy named Jaxon in the crowd gets a shout-out for drumming in a video of Mind Your Manners, Ed introduces him to Matt and says that the band will be back to open for his band in twenty years. To begin the second encore, Ed toasts snowplow drivers and sings “Mr. Plow” from The Simpsons. Small Town is played for the back. Ed leaves with “…Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Valentine’s Day…”

July 16, 2013 – Budweiser Gardens, London, ONT, CAN

Main Set: Present Tense, Nothingman, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, (London Calling)/Corduroy, Mind Your Manners, Got Some, Given To Fly, Sad, Alone, Even Flow, I Got Id, In Hiding, Lukin, Not For You/(Modern Girl), Black, Porch

encore 1: Last Exit, Last Kiss, Parachutes, Man Of The Hour, Just Breathe, Daughter, Unthought Known, Do The Evolution

encore 2: Smile, Brain Of J., Better Man, Alive, Rockin’ In The Free World, Indifference

Show Notes:

This pre-Wrigley warm-up gig, at the relatively intimate Budweiser Gardens Arena (formerly the John Labatt Centre) where they first visited during the ’05 Canadian jaunt, ratchets up the energy with the first Present Tense opener since 2005. Things stay relatively…

Show Notes: 

This pre-Wrigley warm-up gig, at the relatively intimate Budweiser Gardens Arena (formerly the John Labatt Centre) where they first visited during the ’05 Canadian jaunt, ratchets up the energy with the first Present Tense opener since 2005. Things stay relatively mellow early, as the band follows up with a heartfelt Nothingman and crowd favorite Elderly Woman. Gears shift with a brief intro tag romp of The Clash’s stomp London Calling into a Corduroy that features an extended jam in the bridge and the first of several excellent Mike solos of the night. The first and only debut of the night is the bottom-driven Mind Your Manners; despite a couple of mic problems for Ed, it gets a solid reception. The remainder of the main set includes back-to-back rarities of Sad and Alone. Mike rides the band’s collective energy with some emotionally rich solos on Even Flow, a passionate Black, and some dueling guitar with Stone on Porch. During Porch, oversized light bulbs in a red and green glow are dropped from the rafters. The first encore kicks hard and fast with Last Exit, and quickly moves into a mellower zone with Parachutes and Man of the Hour.  The second encore features a terrific Smile, backed by a surprise late show Brain of J. The night comes to a close, lights up, with Indifference. A fun and energetic warm up, setting the table for the rest of the year.

September 25, 2011 – Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, BC, CAN

Main Set: Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Hail, Hail, Save You, Animal, Got Some, Given To Fly, Pilate, Unthought Known, Garden, Even Flow, World Wide Suicide, Setting Forth, Corduroy, Unemployable, Present Tense, Wishlist, Glorified G, Lukin, Porch

encore 1: Bee Girl, Just Breathe, Off He Goes, Mankind, State Of Love And Trust, Ole, Alive,

encore 2: Chloe Dancer, Crown Of Thorns, Smile, Search And Destroy, Rockin' In The Free World, Yellow Ledbetter/(Little Wing)

Show Notes:

The evening begins with the lights going on and a relaxed Elderly Woman. The crowd chimes in with exuberance when Ed belts “I just want to scream….hello”. The crowd does such a great job that Ed hands them the reigns…

Show Notes: 

The evening begins with the lights going on and a relaxed Elderly Woman. The crowd chimes in with exuberance when Ed belts “I just want to scream….hello”. The crowd does such a great job that Ed hands them the reigns for “hearts and thoughts…”. The band moves into Hail Hail with a decidedly classic rock vibe. Ed’s voice wavers and cracks in all the right places, and he’s so into the jam that he backbends with the mic stand. Save You is a passionate stand-out with raw, desperate screams at the end. Mike gets his first featured solo of the night, and the PJ20 backdrop gets a light show during a raspy Animal. Jeff switches out his “Green Noise” bass to back Ed on a very physical Got Some. Ed throws out a nod to the locals “smoked a joint in BC” during Given To Fly. A brief break has Ed talking to the crowd about this being the last stop on the North American tour as well as it being their tenth show in Vancouver. Their first time in Vancouver happened to be their fifth ever show in January 1991 at the Town Pump. He says it’s “Been a great ride and thanks for the fuel in our tanks”. Pilate slows the vibe and Ed grabs his guitar for Unthought Known complete with Canadian Flag sticker. There’s a warmth and richness to the song with Mike and Jeff playing off each other and Matt on backing vocals. The energy gets a bit dark, literally and figuratively with Garden. Ed swigs wine, the lights go out and back on to feature Stone’s playing and then Mike plays a soulful solo with his eyes closed and channels his inner Hendrix. Even Flow has an indescribable prominent twang at the opening, and Stone’s baseline rhythm is unfaltering. We get a signature Ed jump with Mike joining the gymnastics. Mike looks up at the rafters as if looking for early PJ inspiration before taking over for a near four minute solo. Ed hands the last chorus and outro to the audience. Ed points out Mike and references passing through NY en route to Toronto on the anniversary of 9/11 and the ten year anniversary of being at war. He then checks in with the Americans in the crowd, then the Canadians and makes a joke about dual citizenship being a smart move. He continues to reminisce about the last tour East to West through Canada and states “We learned to walk with a limp but it was nice to see people walking freely”. This is a segue into a straight forward World Wide Suicide. Ed pauses to reflect on Chris McCandless (actor and naturist that Into The Wild is based on) and states that Setting Forth is a “request by Matt and the guys”. The tempo picks up with Corduroy with some added echoing to Ed’s voice. Matt is mentioned again and dubbed “one of the greatest drummers” before Unemployable and mentions Matt’s co-writing. The performance is dedicated to “Olivia and her mom” (presumably Ed’s family). The lights go down and Present Tense is sung in near darkness until midway through. Ed introduces crew member Ricky Ramone, spits mid-sentence and doesn’t miss a beat with a dirty joke opportunity re: spit not swallow. We get another studio sounding song with Wishlist, but a wailing Glorified G with Matt and Stone on backing vocals. Lukin is dedicated to “Matt Lukin…if you’re out there…”. The set comes to an end with Porch. Jeff, Stone and Mike have a guitar party while Ed uses his fender to create light beams bouncing off the Canadian Flag.

Encore 1 starts with Jeff and Ed performing an acoustic Bee Girl. We get a glimpse of Boom who helps with a gentle lullaby version of Just Breathe. Ed’s voice is on point for Off He Goes. There’s a campfire feel with the guys taking turns with guitar spotlights. We get a Mankind from Stone and Jeff. SOLAT sounds a bit strained, but Ed stirs up needed aggression for Ole. We get a standard Alive with Ed really trying to get the crowd to step up. A complaint follows where Ed points out the lack of energy in the front row and wishes the wild ones in the back were up front “but it’s okay, we’re all friends”. After taking stock of the audience, Ed issues a big thanks to those that travelled to multiple shows. He dedicates Chloe Dancer/Crown Of Thorns to Andy Wood, and the band joins up in the center to jam together. The stage gets busy as Ed introduces Bruce Fairweather from Green River and Mother Love Bone and George Webb, a road crew member since Day 1, and sings Happy Birthday. There are some cake dodging antics before playing Smile. Ed states his appreciation of the Seattle music scene and “top of the heap” Mark Arm and Steve Turner from Mudhoney for Search And Destroy. Steve Turner and Mudhoney bassist Guy Maddison add more dimension staying on for Rockin’ In The Free World, and it ends with a wicked solo from Stone. Stone continues with the spotlight by taking the drumkit for Ledbetter with Matt grabbing an acoustic and a classic closing solo from Mike.

September 23, 2011 – Rexall Place, Edmonton, AB, CAN

Main Set: Wash, Why Go, Given To Fly, Got Some, Severed Hand, Setting Forth, Not For You, Even Flow, Marker In The Sand, Down, U, Present Tense, Black, 1/2 Full, Last Kiss, The Fixer, Wasted Reprise, Life Wasted

encore 1: Just Breathe, Come Back, Unthought Known, Daughter/(Another Brick In The Wall Pt. 2)/(W.M.A.), Do The Evolution, Alive

encore 2: Once, Better Man, Kick Out The Jams, Rockin' In The Free World, Yellow Ledbetter/(Little Wing)

Show Notes:

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…

Show Notes: 

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.

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

Main Set: Release, Go, Last Exit, Given To Fly, Lukin, Insignificance, Big Wave, Unthought Known, Even Flow, Deep, Light Years, Daughter, It Happened Today, Setting Forth, Corduroy, Brain Of J., Johnny Guitar, Alive

encore 1: Just Breathe, Parachutes, Rats, The Fixer, Rearviewmirror

encore 2: Jeremy, Crazy Mary, Search And Destroy, Fuckin' Up, Yellow Ledbetter

Show Notes:

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…

Show Notes: 

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.

September 19, 2011 – Credit Union Centre, Saskatoon, SK, CAN

Main Set: Interstellar Overdrive/Corduroy, All Night, God's Dice, In My Tree, Dissident, Untitled, MFC, Red Mosquito, Nothing As It Seems, Given To Fly, Do The Evolution, In The Moonlight, Black, Spin The Black Circle, Setting Forth, Not For You/(Modern Girl), Alive

encore 1: Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Just Breathe, Unthought Known, Even Flow, Better Man/(I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend)/(Save It For Later)

encore 2: Running Bask To Saskatoon (Take One), Why Go, The Fixer, Running Back To Saskatoon (Take 2), Porch, Baba O'Riley, Yellow Ledbetter

Show Notes:

The band makes their return to Saskatoon six years and a couple of weeks since their first appearance. The energy is high right from the start with a charged up Interstellar Overdrive into Corduroy. A terrific In My Tree is…

Show Notes: 

The band makes their return to Saskatoon six years and a couple of weeks since their first appearance. The energy is high right from the start with a charged up Interstellar Overdrive into Corduroy. A terrific In My Tree is preceded by Ed stating “this is the only beginning, ok,” and an ad lib nod to the local junior league hockey club set to the US national anthem “to the land of the free and the home of the, BLADES.” Untitled lyrics are altered to “everyone’s confused, I just want to get to Saskatoon.” Red Mosquito backed by Nothing As It Seems allows Mike to really flex as the band grooves underneath his leads. In the Moonlight appears for just the second time with an excellent harmony vocal from Matt. Ed makes reference to the band’s prior appearance and that they hadn’t played this song last time and they wanted to make sure to play it tonight, leading to a blues groovy Black. Following Spin the Black Circle, Ed spots a fan, asking “hey who’s this young guy over here?” He gets his name, and says this is for “Dave, he’s ten,” then giving a nod to Dave’s father and Mudhoney as the band takes on Setting Forth.

Prior to the encore kicking off, Ed makes note of the flags he is seeing:

“We just are not going to leave anytime soon, we all got here and we’re all here, I just need a guitar. This is where we start singing together”

This leads into Elderly Woman. Before Just Breathe, Ed gives a nod to Stone and Mike’s significant others who are in attendance, noting it is Mike’s wife’s birthday. A rare encore Even Flow is a scorcher. Better Man closes encore one with Ed inviting the crowd “let’s hear you.”

As encore two begins, Ed introduces the band, but forgets Jeff, which leads to the crowd chanting “Jeff, Jeff, Jeff.” Then the fun really begins. Ed quips:

“It is not unusual for us to play a song by The Who. But it is quite unusual for us to play a song by The Guess Who”

After a failed attempt in 2005, the band takes another hack at Running Back to Saskatoon. Things start off promising, but Ed can’t remember the lyrics. After which Ed states:

“usually I would say oh I fucked that up because I had too much to drink, but tonight I think I fucked it up because I haven’t had enough, I’ll get it next time.”

Ed then asks the crowd to “help me out” as the band kicks into Why Go. Following The Fixer, Ed expresses remorse about the fumble of Running Back to Saskatoon, and asks:

“Is there a male singer in the audience that knows that song, someone handy, who’s got the guts? Ladies and gentlemen, I believe we have a volunteer.”

Ed introduces Brian Nenson to the crowd, and the band makes another go at it with Brian sharing vocals with Ed. It was a very cool and fun moment. Porch into Baba and Yellow Ledbetter bring a fun evening to a close.

September 17, 2011 – MTS Centre, Winnipeg, MB, CAN

Main Set: Why Go, Animal, All Night, Corduroy, Arms Aloft, Amongst The Waves, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Wishlist, Daughter/(W.M.A.)/(It's OK), Green Disease, The Fixer, Even Flow, I Got Id/(Cinnamon Girl), Down, Ole, Unthought Known, Once

encore 1: Inside Job, Just Breathe, Present Tense, Comatose, Porch

encore 2: Search And Destroy, Crazy Mary, Alive, Rockin' In The Free World, Indifference

Show Notes:

The sixth night of the tour found the band in Winnipeg, Manitoba at the MTS Centre, which they had previously played on their 2005 Canadian tour. For the Canadian tour the band brought along Mudhoney, who had also played the…

Show Notes: 

The sixth night of the tour found the band in Winnipeg, Manitoba at the MTS Centre, which they had previously played on their 2005 Canadian tour. For the Canadian tour the band brought along Mudhoney, who had also played the PJ20 festival. For only the 30th time in the history of the band to this point, Matt Cameron’s drum beat and Jeff Ament’s bass begin the show with the rousing Why Go. The crowd chants along with the beat immediately and takes over the first chorus. Right out of the last drum beats they head straight into Animal, beginning a run of songs that start with the letter “A”. The crowd takes over the second chorus as Ed requests they give it a try. The ovation is deafening as the band continues with All Night. Matt’s drums are certainly a highlight of this song along with the vocal harmonies beyond just getting a chance to hear this rare treat. Taking a break from the “A” songs, Ed says “live from Winnipeg, it’s Saturday night” to introduce Corduroy, and the crowd is whipped into a frenzy. The ending to the song is a great, frenetic jam. The crowd shows their appreciation as Ed likens them to waves. This mistakenly prompts him to introduce Amongst The Waves, but it was actually Arms Aloft that was next on the setlist. Ed mentions it being a Joe Strummer song and says they wouldn’t be here without him in both the musical and literal sense, because it was through Strummer (Jack Irons was his drummer at the time) that he met the guys in this group. After Arms Aloft, Ed jokes that they’d like to play a little number that really needs no introduction, which of course is the aforementioned Amongst the Waves. Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town is dedicated to friends, Chris and Meera, and has some great singing from the Winnipeg crowd. In the outro of Wishlist, Ed sings these improved lyrics:

“I wish I was Canadian. You got better choices for president. You got open roads, you got plenty of land. Got open roads and plenty of hands. Gorgeous women and gorgeous men. I can drink as much beer, at least I think I can.”

This is followed by Daughter, which Jeff’s stand-up bass is certainly a great highlight on. The tag begins with Ed giving almost a combination of Sonic Youth’s Androgynous Mind and Dead Moon’s It’s OK, and then morphs into the opening lines of W.M.A. before the more familiar chords for It’s OK. The crowd sings loud and passionately on it. Matt Cameron is truly on his game in this show as he’s the driving force of both Green Disease and The Fixer. Whenever the band makes a trip to the great white north, attention must be paid to their Uncle Neil given he is their native son:

“This was written with a Canadian local. I wanted to start like that, he said no you should start like this. No, not like that. How did he say to start it? uh..Stone Gossard ha ha. Yeah, this is one we did with Neil Young. We did a whole record it was called Mirrorball back in the day. I remember coming in the studio, the guys were working hard, they’d only been in a couple days, I said how’s it going? He looked at me and goes, ‘we got nine, and if you write one we got ten.’ So after having not written a song in like two months, I went up and in like a half hour wrote a song just so he could have 10. But it wasn’t until like 2 years ago that I realized that the chorus is exactly like ‘Cinnamon Girl,’ and he never said a damn thing about it.”

Cinnamon Girl is tagged onto the back end of I Got Shit to prove the point he was making. The end of the set is a mixture of b-sides (Down), new songs (Ole and Unthought Known) and one of their oldest songs, Once, which has a great sing along to finish the main set. Inside Job opens the first encore, and is such a treat given the epic nature of the song and Mike’s double-guitar work combined with the beautiful lyrics. After this, Ed addresses the crowd:

“That right there was a Mike McCready composition, words and music. I was going to tell you I met a really good person before the show tonight. I’m excited as it looks like he’s a part of your new hockey team that’s coming to town. If he’s any kind of representative you’ve got a great bunch of guys coming to play in this room.”

This inspires a crowd chant of “Go, Jets Go,” which the band responds and Ed improvs a little ditty “Go, Jets Go,” which the crowd absolutely loves.

“I’ll toast to that. He was telling me a story about him and his girlfriend, his name is Randy Jones, he’s a defenseman. He and his girl were driving in New Brunswick and it was a 36 hour drive and for 35 of those hours he played Pearl Jam radio station, straight. And it’s a testament to their love and appreciation for each other that it wasn’t until hour 35 she asked, ‘just for this last hour can we play something else.’ So, I appreciate that person already, Stephanie. But in a very strategic move I’d like to dedicate this one of love, hope and happiness to both of them in hopes that we are in her good graces forever. But I do think 36 hours is too much. You got to fit a little Sonic Youth or Mudhoney in there somewhere. So this is for Randy and Stephanie.”

The dedication leads into Just Breathe. Present Tense’s beginning with just Mike and Ed is beautiful, but as the song builds and builds, it reaches a fantastic crescendo, before an equally great finish. Comatose gets out to a rough start as it hadn’t been played in over a year, so Mike takes this as an opportunity to tease Van Halen’s Ain’t Talkin Bout Love before they regroup and burn through the song. This is followed by the set closer, Porch, which starts with just Ed and Matt on the first lines before the rest of the band kicks in. Mike’s solo is just flat out ridiculously great and Ed ventures down to the barrier to sing the call and response leading up to the finish of an always great song and a wonderful second set. Out of the break Ed addresses the crowd:

“If you’re still here we’re still here. Can I just raise a toast to these people right here? Wait, what about those people there? Those people. Everybody in the back, how about that? We’ve only been here once before, it was six years ago almost to the day. Don’t think any of this energy is lost on us, we are grateful at all times to be able to come around these parts to play to this amount of excitable people. It’s a bit intimate from my side, I just want to say that last night, I have three brothers they’re all great, the youngest one last night, he and his wife welcomed a new baby boy onto the Earth’s atmosphere. I just know from knowing his brother, he’s going to be the ultimate punk rocker and I was thinking what song could we dedicate to him. But what would really be nice if the next guy we’re going to ask to come up here, if he could dedicate to him, because as much as my brother likes me, his favorite singer is from Mudhoney, his name is Mark Arm. Mark, could you come up to the stage? Also Steve Turner on guitar. This is maybe one of the origins of punk rock, this next song.” (Mark says) “Congratulations to Eddie’s brother, Mike and Sandy, may this be their son’s theme song.”

This introduces Iggy and The Stooges, Search and Destroy, which Mark takes the first verse and they trade thereafter. It’s a blistering assault coming as close to the original as humanly possible. Ed gives one more shoutout:

“Mr. Steve Turner. Monsieur, Mark Arm. They were picking out names. Do you like Decker? Do you like Ian? I like Decker. It’s a surfer. Deck. Or Wayne Gretzky. I have no idea. This is, if it was a daughter, I’d suggest they name her not only Mary, but Crazy Mary”

Boom and Mike’s duel on Crazy Mary comes off more of a collaboration than a battle, but it still sounds great. The Winnipeg crowd are full participants on Alive, which Ed offers at the last chorus “All of you, we’re all still alive.” They also come through on the “heys” during the outro which Mike incorporates into his solo. A cover of Canada’s own, Neil Young’s Rockin’ in the Free World prepares the crowd for the end with great backing vocals and a strong presence from Boom. The song clocks in at over 8 minutes of epic jamming. Ed offers a quick thank you as the first notes of Indifference begin, and the night comes to a close.

September 15, 2011 – Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, ON, CAN

Main Set: Given To Fly, The Fixer, Severed Hand, Corduroy, Hail, Hail, U, Immortality, Setting Forth, Not For You, Ole, Even Flow, Cropduster, Daughter/(Blitzkrieg Bop), Habit, Push Me, Pull Me, Just Breathe, Jeremy, Why Go

encore 1: Nothingman, I Remember You, Better Man/(I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend), Black, State Of Love And Trust, Porch

encore 2: Brain Of J., Unthought Known, Crazy Mary, Search And Destroy, Alive, Yellow Ledbetter

Show Notes:

The city was buzzing in the build up with being the fourth and final Ontario show. Eddie speaks often throughout the show about how great the crowd is that evening. The date also marked the 7th anniversary of the passing…

Show Notes: 

The city was buzzing in the build up with being the fourth and final Ontario show. Eddie speaks often throughout the show about how great the crowd is that evening. The date also marked the 7th anniversary of the passing of Johnny Ramone, which will become an overarching theme in the set. The crowd roared as the band took to the stage and opened with Given to Fly. Lyrics are changed to ‘made it to the hammer, had a smoke in a tree’, which is the affectionate nickname for city Hamilton. Severed Hand was roaring, and Mike’s solo got the crowd fired up for Corduroy. After Hail, Hail, Ed compares the crowd to a wave and the band as a surfer and says they are continuing to paddle and catch waves tonight. He then mentions that he was talking to Uncle Neil back in Toronto who said ‘just so you know what people are saying behind your back, you will have fun in Ottawa but Hamilton is going to go off!’ After Immortality, Ed introduces Matt Cameron and declares he picked the next song, Setting Forth. This transitions excellently into Not For You. During the bridge, a snippet of Bang the Gong by T-Rex was blended in. Daughter has a Blitzkrieg Bop tag that begins the nod to Johnny Ramone. Ed’s voice was strong during a rocking version and rare appearance of Habit. There is a bit of a false start during Push Me, Pull Me as Ed states he always gets nervous before it. The main set ends with a strong Why Go.

Ed again compliments the crowd’s excitement to start the encore. After, Nothingman Ed speaks about the anniversary of Johnny Ramone’s passing. He tells heartfelt story of being with Johnny at the end of his life:

“I’m grateful I got to be there with a few other friends and his wife, at one point later in the night he took his last breaths sitting in this chair that kinda reclined, and by the end of the night he was just lying in the chair. He looked like he was sleeping. My little daughter, my first daughter, was only 3 months old and she was bundled up in her little chair and she was sleeping. It was like you look up at the sky and saw John and saw my daughter on the other side of me and said like ok, I fucking get it, ok. Like the circle of life, the cycle of life. I get it. I mean… does it have to be so painful? But that’s the thing with John and friends and relatives, people close to you, still live on inside of you. And in Johnny’s case, inside the great music of the Ramones.”

This leads into an OTOTO cover of The Ramones I Remember You. Better Man features another Ramone tag, I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend, into a strong Black with a We Belong Together tag, once again referencing the Ramones.

Encore 2 begins with a fan request via a large sign for Brain of J. After Crazy Mary, Ed conducts band introductions and speaks to the 20th anniversary. Mark Arm and Steve Turner of Mudhoney are brought out to cover Search and Destroy for the first time this tour. The show is wrapped up with Alive into Ledbetter providing a perfect ending to their run in Ontario.

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