September 22, 2022 – Ball Arena, Denver, CO, USA

Show Notes:

After waiting from all the way back in March of 2020 to kick off this tour run, we have finally reached the end. Long Road is a fitting opener to reflect that. Thin Air is appropriately played in the high…

Show Notes: 

After waiting from all the way back in March of 2020 to kick off this tour run, we have finally reached the end. Long Road is a fitting opener to reflect that. Thin Air is appropriately played in the high altitude, the third time it’s been played in the state of Colorado. Ed says he has two bottles of wine and one bottle of oxygen, and gives a shout out to a couple who got engaged at a Pearl Jam show years ago, saying there is a lot of power in that, before breaking out Just Breathe for the first time in 2022. Ed applauds Colorado for being in the top 10 in sensible gun laws in the country, then addresses a girl in a very sparkly shirt. He asks to borrow her shirt in the encore because they could ‘use a little Harry Styles.’ At the end of Throw Your Hatred Down, he throws her a tambourine. After Given To Fly, Ed commends a big guy up in front for letting a woman get in front of him on rail so she can watch the show. Who Ever Said needs to be stopped due to an issue in front, the crowd is asked to take two steps back and the fan walks away to safety. Ed makes a prediction that Mike McCready is gonna go off on Even Flow, and uses a Chris Cornell quote about him saying “he’s infected!” Mike fulfills the prediction and pulls out the usual tricks, like playing behind the head. Ed mentions that the author of Into The Wild and Under the Banner of Heaven, Jon Krakauer, is in attendance. Ed heads to the pump organ, says we’re thinking about everyone in Ukraine and asks the crowd to light up their phones for River Cross. There is a “FCK PTN” shirt on his organ. After Better Man, Ed makes note that the big guy has been given his spot back on rail, calling it reverse chivalry, then says they’re gonna be chivalrous by turning around and playing to the back, which happens to be Last Kiss. Ed shouts out the people in front and commends them for their dedication, saying they will miss them after the tour ends, leading into Faithfull.

Ed comes out for the encore by himself with a guitar, and says there is only an encore break just for keeping up appearances. He mentions that it would be nice to play at Red Rocks again, and talks about playing in Colorado with Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers back in 2006. He adds that he spoke with a father who lost his child in Sandy Hook who would later take his own life, and that his wife testified against Alex Jones in the defamation trial, and says he hopes they make an example of him. I Won’t Back Down is played in honor of her, her husband Jeremy and Petty. Chloe Dancer and Crown Of Thorns continue to tug at the heartstrings. The substitute teacher line is dropped from Crown Of Thorns. Ed mentions a show in Miami on the Lollapalooza tour in 1992 where a fan was hoisted up in a wheelchair crowd surfing to Rockin’ In The Free World, and says he’s in attendance. Ed invites Molly and Whitney from Thunderpussy on stage for Baba O’Riley. Tambourines are flying all over the stage as it turns into one big party up there. Ed thanks everyone for a great night and a great tour as Yellow Ledbetter ends a magnificent 2022 run. Ed introduces the band members before taking a big bow, saying:

“those are the people who love you.”


July 9, 2016 – Ride Festival, Telluride Town Park, Telluride, CO, USA

Show Covered by Podcast

Show Notes:

Nothingman opens a show for the first time ever, as the show begins with a sit-down set that lasts 9 songs, perhaps a callback to Red Rocks 1995, also in Colorado. Ed cheers “Here’s to the thin air!” leading to…

Show Notes: 

Nothingman opens a show for the first time ever, as the show begins with a sit-down set that lasts 9 songs, perhaps a callback to Red Rocks 1995, also in Colorado. Ed cheers “Here’s to the thin air!” leading to the eponymous Binaural track. A kid in the front row gets one of Ed’s picks after Off He Goes. Just Breathe is stopped in the middle due to lights in Ed’s eyes. Afterwards, he introduces the next one as a “rare occurrence,” and Angel is played for the first time since 1994! The Into the Wild track Society is played with the full band for the first time, in honor of the setting. Jeff gets a shoutout before Low Light. Afterwards, Ed thanks locals and the people who found this spot (without the help of Google Earth) and decided to stay, and encourages everyone to pick up after themselves so they can be invited back. Unthought Known is dedicated “to the big sky.” After the break, another ultra-rare track is dusted off as Santa Cruz is played for only the second time, just Ed on the acoustic. It’s introduced as “a song written about a place, and then I realized if the words were adjusted, it would illustrate how we’re feeling.” The lyrics are changed to “east” instead of “south,” “I need the mountains to set me free, waterfalls to wash my soul,” and “I’ve got a feeling I just can’t hide, pulling into Telluride.” Ed plays I Won’t Back Down solo as well, but electric. Smile is dedicated to audience member David and his friends, in honor of a friend who passed away. Given to Fly lyric is changed to “made it to the mountains…” Ed references the show programs and “great faces on the back” who are in charge of the festival, and dedicates Comfortably Numb to festival organizer Jennifer (it’s her birthday). After Black, Ed compares the stars to the ones you can see from the Hawaiian Islands, leading into Crazy Mary, with Boom and Mike trading solos. Ed ends the thank-yous with “sleep good…there’s a lullaby…” and Yellow Ledbetter ends the night.

Written by: Joey Goodsir


October 22, 2014 – Pepsi Center, Denver, CO, USA

Show Notes:

“Good evening, welcome to the last night of the tour, glad you could make it.” Ed holds the last line of Low Light for 17(!) seconds. Matt quickly transitions from Last Exit into Why Go. Afterwards, Ed mentions the elevation…

Show Notes: 

“Good evening, welcome to the last night of the tour, glad you could make it.” Ed holds the last line of Low Light for 17(!) seconds. Matt quickly transitions from Last Exit into Why Go. Afterwards, Ed mentions the elevation and the legalization of  marijuana, and how Denver and Seattle are “sister cities on the right side of history.” Lightning Bolt is dedicated to Hannah, who recently had a kidney transplant, and Ed adds “…towards the great mountains…” Before Setting Forth, he talks about friendships built through music, dedicating it to the McCandless family, some of the sisters are in attendance. My Father’s Son is “to all the good fathers out there, for hopefully not becoming one of the bad ones.” After a frantic Even Flow, Ed mentions he was filming for his three brothers and shouts out Pete Cameron in attendance, saying Matt “is one of the greatest humans to ever get behind a drum kit.” Ghost follows, with a nod to Jeff for writing it. Ed goes up to the high register early on Present Tense. Introducing Eruption, Ed mentions the conversation from earlier about building childhood relationships with artists through music. Of The Earth, played for the first time since 2012, has an extended ending. Sirens is for “Todd, Kelly, and a little one named Alex,” adding that the singalong ending will be “the last time we’ll get to hear that for a while.” Stone thanks Ed prior to Don’t Gimme No Lip. Ed plays a slow, beautiful, melodic rendition of Lukin before the band kicks in and plays it the fast way, a very unique performance. Mike breaks one of the orbs during Porch.

After the break, Ed comments “we’ve got lights to break, songs to play, and different ways of saying goodbye,” and points out that the Canadian flag is slightly bigger than the American flag. Future Days is just Ed and Boom, and it’s dedicated to John and Ruth, Ed says “it’s not just the soldier, it’s their whole family.” He sends a wine bottle to the last row before Sleight of Hand. Mike has a wonderful solo on Breath. Ed sings the original “…get out of my fucking face” lines in Leash until about halfway through, when the “lucky face” line reemerges. He thanks everyone for staying, saying “we didn’t know until yesterday that 24 years ago today was our first gig in Seattle,” and as the crowd sings Happy Birthday, he adds “we’re proud to be in a long relationship…had to divorce a couple of drummers, but Jeff and Stone have been together for 30 years, thank you for the ride of our lives.” Mike has everyone hanging on every note of the Black solo, with a plaintive We Belong Together tag. As Boom begins to play Wasted Reprise, Ed continues:

“So I was thinking back today…October 22, we played our first show, not to be self-congratulatory, but October 23, it was a Sunday I think, we went in and recorded the 8 songs we had, or maybe 9 songs…October 24, I went back to work in the gas station in San Diego, it was like a crazy dream, except I had the tape! I had the tape, and working the midnight shift, and I could play the tape…and it really happened, and who knew what would happen, but I will tell you this, October 25 I think was the day I gave my 30-day notice. It’s a good feeling to just be able to say “I’m outta here…” 

As Mike intros Baba O’Riley, Ed exclaims “here’s to The Who…50!” Yellow Ledbetter is prefaced with Ed thanking the whole crew, adding

“This is our way of saying goodbye…it guess it has to happen at some point, this is goodbye…no! It’s like Hawaiian-style, you don’t say goodbye, you say ‘a hui hou,’ see you next time, ‘shaka, a hui hou!’”