August 31, 2024 – Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL, USA

Show Notes:

The red curtains are pulled back and the band takes the stage to some ambient music, and Stone starts the Garden riff immediately. Ed says “Good evening…let’s play two…” as the song is starting. Porch is a huge surprise early…

Show Notes: 

The red curtains are pulled back and the band takes the stage to some ambient music, and Stone starts the Garden riff immediately. Ed says “Good evening…let’s play two…” as the song is starting. Porch is a huge surprise early in the set, with a new visual of two tall buildings (could be Chicago’s WIllis Tower) seen from below. Mike goes off on the jam early, Jeff comes over and plays off him, with Stone focused in front of Matt. Ed shouts “Wrigley Field!” before he comes back in at the end. Wishlist has a quick tempo, with Ed changing the lyric to “…as fortunate as Ernie [Banks]…” Ed talks about Beth Murphy and dedicates Come Back to her and Marian Robinson, Michelle Obama’s mother, who had passed earlier in the year. Following, Ed talks about the early days of PJ in Chicago at the Metro and the Aragon, Chicago Stadium, Soldier Field, and more, “but this is Wrigley Field…it takes the cake.” There’s another lyric change in Not For You: “…small our ballfield, perfect for two.” Before Running, he thanks [Cubs CF] Pete Crow-Armstrong for letting them play center field, and dedicates it to Ian Happ [Cubs LF]. There’s a cute story that follows Running as well, Ed talks about how he wanted to take his daughter Olivia to Wrigley for her first game, and whenever they would see Cubs gear in Seattle he would point it out to her. They went to Wrigley when she was three and when they saw everyone, Olivia said:

“Dad! Everybody Cubs!”

He responded “Yes, dear, these are our people.” After Even Flow, Ed talks about his Uncle John taking him to Bears training camp in 1978 and meeting Walter Payton (Ed wearing his usual Payton jersey at this show). He said Walter told him he looked like a surfer, and told him “…careful on this big waves.” Walter’s son Jarrett, a Chicago radio and TV personality and former NFL player himself, is brought on stage and has a moment with Ed. Following Given to Fly, the ambient sounds and visual that usually start Scared of Fear are happening, but then it’s Dark Matter instead. In Hiding is always welcome, with Stone bouncing up and down. As the Better Man intro finishes, Ed adds “…Thursday singers were good, Saturday’s are better…” The band does the full Save it for Later reset, and Ed improvs some lyrics at the end:

“Did I tell you that I needed you? Oh fuck, I fucked up, I didn’t tell you that I needed you/

and now I, and now I, and now I can’t live….I can’t give you what you, what you need/

and you’re gone, you’re gonna be leaving me/

I apologize, on my knees I apologize, on my knees I apologize, on my knees I apologize…”

Ed windmills at the end, and the song stretches out over eight minutes. Ed starts RVM with a plucky, staccato intro. Matt and Jeff drive the bridge, and Ed dances around clapping before kicking back in at the end, being very emotive as he sings the last chorus.

After the break, Ed mentions that there is a curfew and they “have a lot of songs to play,” and tells one last story about never having more than $40 in his pocket, “and my bank account was…zero. But you can have a great fuckin’ time in Chicago with a bike and just a few bucks,” and mentions some local Chicago neighborhoods and parks. He adds that the city has really felt alive the last few days and thanks the crowd, and introduces Throw Your Arms Around Me with “…you might have heard this one on a show about waiting tables in Chicago,” as it was featured on The Bear. Glen Hansard comes out next and sings lead on Falling Slowly, making its debut at a Pearl Jam show. Glen stays and helps out on Smile as well. Alive is shortened a little just like on night one, due to the curfew. Ed has a sparkly Cubs helmet and talks about how grateful they are. As Mike is bringing Ledbetter to a close, he transitions into “Little Wing” and the band joins in for the last performance of the night. Ed closes with “…love you, Chicago…see you next time.”


August 29, 2024 – Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL, USA

Show Notes:

Returning to a ballpark for the first time since 2018, Pearl Jam opens night 1 at Wrigley to no one’s surprise with Release. Instead of “Dear dad…”, Ed sings “Uncle John…” in the last verse. Of the Girl has a…

Show Notes: 

Returning to a ballpark for the first time since 2018, Pearl Jam opens night 1 at Wrigley to no one’s surprise with Release. Instead of “Dear dad…”, Ed sings “Uncle John…” in the last verse. Of the Girl has a nice tempo, with Mike going off on the leads. Ed introduces Off He Goes with “…this is for all your friends that instead of saying ‘see you later,’ they say ‘see you on the flipside.'” Immortality always elevates a set when it’s early like this, Mike lets loose a searing solo and Matt brings the thunder at the end. Given to Fly has the lyric “…made it down to Wrigley Field…” and the crowd is into it. Before Why Go, Ed says “…we’re already home.” After Scared of Fear, Ed talks about listening to Stevie Wonder and tells the story from the recording of Earthling about how Stevie was running late, and thanks him because it led to Waiting For Stevie, which makes an early appearance here. Stone and Jeff jam together in front of Matt, and Mike destroys the solo. Ed adds some lyrics onto the end of the Daughter tag, “…a woman’s right to choose is her own.” He speaks afterwards:

“Are most of you Chicagoans? In the old days, there might have been a few people in the crowd that came to see our group that were maybe older than us…now that’s less likely, because we are old ourselves! But if you grew up in Chicago, before the Cub game came on on WGN, in the morning there was a guy called Phil Donahue…he loved Chicago, he loved this place, I got to know him, work with him [on 2007’s Body of War], I got to love him, and we lost him about a week ago. I’ve been thinking of him nonstop, and I just felt like here, in Chicago, we need to raise our glass and raise our arms for our friend Phil Donahue, a great, great Chicagoan. We love you Phil.”

He also mentions Howard Zinn and Down is played for the first time in 2024. Afterwards, he talks about Mike:

“We’ve been in a group for more than 30 years, 33, 34…and I didn’t realize until fairly recently that our good friend, Michael McCready, the master of the Stratocaster, that’s he’s fucking left-handed! [Mike motions that he writes and swings a bat left-handed] You write left-handed, even uses a left-handed bat…but he throws right…okay you’re all fucked up. But whatever crazy shit happened in your life, and I don’t know why you’re so infected, but we’re so grateful…it comes out in crazy, crazy ways. So, Mike McCready, we’ve played Wrigley Field three times before, who knows how many times we’ll get to play it again, I challenge you to be above any other time ever…”

Mike responds “I accept your challenge” and Ed exclaims “Game 7, World Series, you’re starting, let’s go!” and they tear into Even Flow. Mike immediately plays behind his head as the solo begins, going down to the rail for a little while before going back up on stage, still playing, showcasing his patented mix of technical wizardry and raw emotion as Stone, who’s moved over to Mike’s side, and Jeff look on. Mike uses the mic stand as a slide, dropping to his knees, an amazing display. U follows, played for the first time since Fenway Park in 2018, with Matt adding some of his own technical skill at the end. Mike’s hot streak continues on Black, another powerful performance. Ed improvs at the end, “hold me now, let me help you through, hold me now, one last time…just a dream I had, just a dream, just a dream, dream…” Josh is helping out on percussion during DTE, and not to be outdone, Stone breaks off two excellent, melodic leads of his own. After the break, Ed comes out solo and wishes Happy Anniversary to his friends Joe and Eliza before Just Breathe. He stays out by himself, talking how other musicians say that Wrigley Field is their favorite place to play, and adding some of his own memories, adding “it’s very powerful to play here.” He continues, talking about how he once heard from Tom Petty when Petty played Wrigley, and that Petty told him “…wish you were here,” but now it’s Ed who wishes that Tom was here. He asks the crowd if they can help make a moment and thousands of fireflies are lit up for I Won’t Back Down. After State, Ed says they’re going to try something different:

“There’s a song called Won’t Tell, they’ve been playing it a little bit on the radio, there’s a woman in the front row who said that she could sing it. Now, it took me about I don’t know how many years for me to get from the front row to the stage, ma’am it just took you about ninety seconds,”

The fan, named Abby, is brought up on stage and introduced by Ed, and Jeff is recognized. Ed tells Abby “just jump in, the water’s fine,” and they both jump right in, Abby singing along to Won’t Tell with Ed! They dance and jump around together, and they take a bow as the song ends. Ed picks up his guitar and starts to play Better Man, but changes his mind and starts Corduroy instead. Ed leads a long call-and-response with the crowd clapping along. Ed puts some passion behind the Setting Sun vocals. The lights are up for Alive, which transitions right into RITFW, and Ed’s wearing a Cubs jersey and hat. He finishes off the song with “We love you Chicago! Thank you!”


September 7, 2023 – United Center, Chicago, IL, USA

Show Notes:

After Daughter, Ed says “We missed you….hello front row, hello back row, hello other back row” (pointing to the back of the arena) and asks for the spotlight on him to be turned down, joking “I feel like I just…

Show Notes: 

After Daughter, Ed says “We missed you….hello front row, hello back row, hello other back row” (pointing to the back of the arena) and asks for the spotlight on him to be turned down, joking “I feel like I just got pulled over” and asks for the lights to be like “excuse me for saying this, maybe we’re about to…fuck.” Come Back has a very poignant dedication to David and Susan and Laura and Max, Ed calls it “a little prayer.” Afterwards, a middle finger is shown on the screens towards a Trump building, which gets a big crowd roar, and Ed tells a story about Dennis Rodman meeting his grandma and the ESPN documentary The Last Dance, leading into Present Tense. Mike is already standing and hurls his chair back off the stage at the earliest opportunity. During Who Ever Said, clips from the visualizer video are shown on the screens. Ed says “this is a request” and Tremor Christ is a huge surprise! It’s a little rocky at first, but they figure it out. Crowd takes the last chorus of Even Flow and Matt gets a shoutout from Ed during the song. Ed says it’s time for another request and it’s Green Disease…keep making these requests please! Mike takes over Immortality. Another deep cut returns next, Marker in the Sand, the first performance since 2016! Night 1 was light on Ten, but they make up for it on this night, with 8 songs off the record, including 3 of the last 4 in the main set. Ed does a little improv after the We Belong Together tag on Black, with the lyrics “Chicago…I saw the sun rise…” After the break, Ed brings Chris Chelios out (who had pretended to be a guitar tech on night 1), and talks about the recent passing of Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz, asking for the phone fireflies to come out. Ed says that Wirtz wanted one last thing, and a Chelios highlight reel is shown on the screens and then it’s revealed that Chelios will get his jersey in the rafters in February 2024. The whole band comes out on stage wearing Blackhawks #7 jerseys, Mike quickly throws his into the crowd, and Given to Fly is dedicated to Chelios. Mike goes down to the front row during Once, and afterwards Ed talks about the 9-year-old girl with the sign from night 1, saying she knew every word and wishing her a happy birthday. Smile is played to the back. Garden makes its tour debut after being one of the stories of 2022. Prior to Street Fighting Man, Ed talks about Charlie Watts and what a loss it was when he passed. Josh plays guitar on the Stones classic. Mike and Ed chase each other around the stage during Baba, Jeff thinks about joining them but decides better of it. As the song ends, Ed slams his mic stand on the stage over and over. Mike brings the evening to a close with a gentle Ledbetter outro and then exits the stage on the wrong side and has to run behind to catch up. 12 more tour debuts tonight, with a third of the set from Ten.


September 5, 2023 – United Center, Chicago, IL, USA

Show Notes:

Release opens the first show at the United Center since 2009. After Low Light, Ed says they’re “so blessed to be back in Chicago…we have a lot of family and friends in the audience tonight,” joking that the “people in…

Show Notes: 

Release opens the first show at the United Center since 2009. After Low Light, Ed says they’re “so blessed to be back in Chicago…we have a lot of family and friends in the audience tonight,” joking that the “people in the front row I see more than my family, so I guess you qualify…” He says they hope to “get back outside someday,” referring to Wrigley, which elicits a cheer from the crowd. The band exits and Ed plays Just Breathe solo. Retrograde is the kick-down-the-chairs song tonight, the ending is thunderous, Mike putting on a show early creating a cacophony of sound. Corduroy gets the crowd going with a call-and-response and Ed holding the first note of “Everything has chains…” for a long time. After, he says “we’re gonna start this one together…I’m thinking we might fuck it up…it’s gonna be my fault, I’m telling you right now…at least I got the balls to fuckin’ try it…” leading into Gods’ Dice, the first performance since 2018. After the first line Ed exclaims “…got it!” and they get through it, Jeff with a huge smile on his face the whole song. Quick Escape is introduced as:

“a bit of a science-fiction tale about a species that…there were signs every day that they were destroying their own planet, but they didn’t listen, and next thing you know they’re on another planet…it was a shit fuckin’ planet…no other planet was like the one that they had…it’s just science fiction, that’s all…”

Ed recognizes Jeff as the one who turned them on to the TV show The Bear, which is set in Chicago, and Ed talks about working at restaurants and says:

“…I still wake up with waiter nightmares, 30-plus years later…and then I wake up and I think ‘oh my god, thank god I’m in a band'”

Animal, used twice on the show, follows. Before a beautiful Light Years, a touching moment as Ed talks about a very recent loss in his family, his great-aunt Sandy, saying they were just up north for her services yesterday, and her picture is shown on the screens. Mike has a long behind-the-back section of the Even Flow solo. Chris Chelios makes a cameo on stage after Dance of the Clairvoyants, and Ed gives a shoutout to opening band Inhaler. Josh impresses on In My Tree, helping out on percussion. Ed throws in a quick “Detroit!” after the “pistons” line in Comatose. Ed gets choked up a little before RVM:

“Yesterday we received a very respectful and dignified and heartfelt petition to play a certain song for a certain individual, and I recognized his face, and he meant so much to this community of people who sometimes travel together…and share their friendships and energies, and use us as an excuse to have a good life and see the world…they described this gentleman, who hailed from the Netherlands…the most bright light, a great man, and a friend to all, and it was very moving because when he lost his battle with cancer, he didn’t have a lot of family, and some of the community we’re connected to were able to cross swords and make it nice for his services and his funeral and take care of it properly…it’s a beautiful story so we’re honored to honor him. This is what he wanted to hear.”

After the first verse Ed shouts “…this is for you, Frans!” After the break, he tells a long story about going to visit his grandmother’s old house and meeting the people who live there now, saying he wished he had bought it back in the day to preserve it, but then he met the person who lives in his grandmother’s old room and they raised 5 kids there, and his pictures with them are shown on screen. The family is at the show and are shown on screen as well, very emotional, and Ed plays Throw Your Arms Around Me solo. Jeff has a Bulls jersey on. Ed runs off stage as Inside Job starts, only making it back just in time to sing. Mike has his head back and eyes closed for the whole intro. A Cubs “W” flag is shown afterwards, and Ed says if he got another tattoo he would get that on his forehead. Wishlist is played for the back, and there’s a huge crowd roar as a sign is shown that says “9th Bday, first show.” Not For You has the original album outro for the first time in a long time, no Modern Girl tag. The phone fireflies are out for Better Man, leading Ed to comment “…fuckin’ beautiful, man” during the song. Boom and Josh are mentioned afterwards, but Josh isn’t on stage, he’s down in the sound booth and has to come up and make an appearance. Mike goes out into the front row for the Alive solo. For the last song, Ed says “…let’s see what happens” and Cheap Trick’s “Surrender” returns for the first time since Wrigley 2016. As the song is closing, Ed shouts “Mikey’s alright! Jeff is alright! Matt is alright! Josh is alright! Stone is alright! Boom is alright! You are alright! Chicago’s alright! Chicago’s alright!”


August 20, 2018 – Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL, USA

Show Covered by Podcast

Show Notes:

Ominous weather all day culminates with a 2 hour rain delay, bringing back memories of 2013. Ed enters wearing swim trunks, says “Good evening,” and asks the crowd to give themselves a big hand. Given to Fly lyric is altered…

Show Notes: 

Ominous weather all day culminates with a 2 hour rain delay, bringing back memories of 2013. Ed enters wearing swim trunks, says “Good evening,” and asks the crowd to give themselves a big hand. Given to Fly lyric is altered to “made it out to Wrigley felt the rain in the breeze.” Right on cue, rain begins pouring harder and continues through the next four songs. After Mind Your Manners, Ed asks to see the crowd and plays call-and-response. He refers to Boom and a Hawaiian expression that rain is a blessing, and explains that this night is the answer to his childhood dilemma: “it rains in heaven.” Do the Evolution lyrics are flubbed, Ed asking the crowd during Stone’s solo to “sing in the rain.” Rain is wonderful and appropriate. Throw Your Hatred Down is dedicated to the South Side, “with love.” Even Flow gets extended due to another blooper (to the dismay of Stone) and Ed improvises lyrics to make light of the situation. He praises Mike who, in his plaid pants, had his behind-the-back solo moment, shouts out Buddy Guy, and spots a “The Incredible Matt Fucking Cameron” sign, trying different versions of the phrase. “Goodbye Girl” intro to Immortality. Jeff, with “META-PHOR” still on his amps, referencing the Missoula controversy, shines during ‘Jeremy.’ After Lukin, Ed plays a reprise with “I’m going to Wrigley” lyrics. After the break, Ed comes onstage wearing a Chris Chelios jersey and announces that the band will no longer tour from April to October because he’s been offered a dream job to “smoke some pot and put up some numbers” in the scoreboard. White Stripes’ Lots of Chicago references during We’re Going to Be Friends. Chelios then appears with the late Stan Mikita’s jersey, and Come Back is played in his family’s honor with the 2016 World Series trophy in the background. “Go Cubs Go” call-and-response during Corduroy. Ed asks the band not to leave the stage during the “encore” transition due to approaching extended curfew. Smile is played by request. Dirty Frank chants are answered with the first live performance of Ten-era rehearsal track Evil Little Goat. Baba closes, with Danny Clinch playing harmonica and Ed destroying his blue telecaster. Poor Stone misses the band photo, and Ed thanks each section of the field by Cubs player name.


August 18, 2018 – Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL, USA

Show Covered by Podcast

Show Notes:

Ever conscious of the band’s relationship with the weather at Wrigley, the opening lyrics of Wash are changed to “oh please don’t let it rain today…this city’s so fuckin pretty.” Low Light is played as the sun sets, always a…

Show Notes: 

Ever conscious of the band’s relationship with the weather at Wrigley, the opening lyrics of Wash are changed to “oh please don’t let it rain today…this city’s so fuckin pretty.” Low Light is played as the sun sets, always a special moment. The Wrigley crowd belts out Small Town, and Ed remarks “you sound warmed up.” 2 songs in the uptempo section make their 2018 debuts, Breakerfall and Getaway. Leaving Here early in the main set is a surprise, Ed asking everyone to “keep a high modicum of respect for your fellow man, and certainly the women.” After a fantastic Present Tense, Ed comments, “nice to play a song like that under the beautiful moon of Wrigley Field,” and continues, saying that he sees a sign that reads, “Play ‘Black, Red, Yellow’ you Evanston pussy.” Teasing, Ed responds “We played it two years ago…where were you? Mike, will you just rip his head off with the guitar during this next song?” and Mike obliges with a ridiculous Even Flow solo. Missing is played next, as a perfect and heartfelt tribute to Chris Cornell. Ed introduces Matt, saying, “it’s like being the greatest pitcher and the greatest hitter” (referring to Matt’s roles in PJ and Soundgarden). Not For You is extended, with a call and response section where Ed asks the crowd to “say hi to [Cubs manager] Joe Maddon,” and they go back and forth with “heyyyy Joe,” then talks about how he “sure found joy in this place as a 6/7-year-old.” After Wishlist, Ed talks about this guitar that he has never taken on the stage before, given to him by Tom Petty during his last tour and that the Wrigley stops meant so much to him. Ed asks the crowd to light up their phones so that “we can all see you..get Tom to come back and visit,” then treats the crowd to a solo electric version of I Won’t Back Down. In the encore, Dennis Rodman brings Ed a ukulele after Just Breathe and thanks Chicago for their support and for always believing in him. The two ‘Singles’ soundtrack songs are played back to back. Ed is giddy as he talks about the Cubs to open the second encore, giving a huge thanks to Tom Ricketts (Chairman of the Cubs) for saving the 2013 show. Ed brings Tom out to the stage with the World Series trophy as the video screens replay a dramatic Cubs walk-off. The celebration continues as Yellow Ledbetter closes the show. Ed switches the lyrics to “I want to come this way again” and signs off with “Thank you, Chicago…sure is nice being in centerfield.”


August 22, 2016 – Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL, USA

Show Covered by Podcast

Show Notes:

Ed walks out onto the stage and proclaims that “it’s gonna be a looooong night,” setting the tone for the final show of 2016. The first 13(!) songs are all from the 90’s, paying service to the long-time fans that…

Show Notes: 

Ed walks out onto the stage and proclaims that “it’s gonna be a looooong night,” setting the tone for the final show of 2016. The first 13(!) songs are all from the 90’s, paying service to the long-time fans that have made Chicago such a memorable place to see them play. Unique setlist construction in the beginning of the show, as Footsteps, Off He Goes and Better Man are played in the 2, 3, and 4 spots. Ed gives a shout-out to the folks on the rooftop at Wrigleyville, saying it was there that he witnessed a “certain smoking utensil” for the first time. Prior to Corduroy, Ed’s voice fills the air with a snippet from Jane’s Addiction song “Summertime Rolls” for the first time since touring Lollapalooza in 1992 24 years ago. After Animal, Ed toasts the crowd and says they are so grateful for being asked to play there again. When they were asked, Ed responded “we’d have to sleep on it…when I did, I woke up in the middle of the night and had a dream that the Chicago Tribune headline said ‘lightning strikes twice,’” calling back to the infamous weather delay from the 2013 show. Black, Red, Yellow is played for only the 7th time, dedicated to the Chicago Bulls. Bulls legend Dennis Rodman joins them on stage and attempts to recite his answering machine playback line featured on the studio version. I Am Mine breaks the streak of 90’s material. Another rarity is broken out later in the set, as the unreleased Of The Earth makes an appearance. This version has a ton of power behind it, with a jammy and explosive bridge creating a euphoric, thunderous moment when the bridge transitions back into the lead riff. The momentum comes to a halt during Lukin, as Ed stops the song to call out an overzealous fan shoving his fingers in a woman’s face. The fan is escorted out by security as the crowd gives him the “hey hey goodbye” treatment. Then they pick up exactly where they left off, finishing Lukin with intensity. In the encore, Ed jokes that the fan who was kicked out looked like Steve Bartman (infamous Cubs fan known for interfering with a fly ball during an important playoff game), and makes mention of the flags around the ballpark, dedicating Throw Your Arms Around Me to all the travellers. A fan named Bob gets to sing along during Even Flow and gets some credit from Stone, before Stone takes the mic himself to sing lead on Don’t Gimme No Lip. The encore ends with more throwbacks to the early 90’s, ripping through loud and furious renditions of Sonic Reducer and Blood. Boom’s B3 is prominent on Crazy Mary, as he matches the sound of the Wrigley Field organ during his solo and tags the Rolling Stones’ Paint It Black. Ed tells a story about the late Cubs Hall of Famer Ernie Banks and how during the 2013 Wrigley show, Ernie asked to keep Ed’s mitt which he said had a lot of love in it. Ed received his mitt back that night and proclaimed that a lot of magic is gonna happen there in the next few months (the Cubs would break their 108 year World Series curse that October). Ed’s Cubs anthem All The Way is played for the final time, as after the Cubs won the World Series he stated that he’d never play it again. A cover of Time Has Come Today, originally performed by The Chamber Brothers, is debuted late in encore 2. Rockin’ in the Free World has a lyric change, “Cubs colors on the streets,” and I’ve Got A Feeling, the song that closed out the show from The Metro, just down the street from Wrigley, in 1992 closes out this show. An instant classic, full of fun covers and 90’s fan favorites.

Written by: Randy Sobel


August 20, 2016 – Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL, USA

Show Covered by Podcast

Show Notes:

The first of the two Wrigley 2016 shows starts off with Low Light, as Ed pleads with the weather: “clouds roll by…” Immediately after, Ed shares “the last time felt like a once in a lifetime experience…and then when the…

Show Notes: 

The first of the two Wrigley 2016 shows starts off with Low Light, as Ed pleads with the weather: “clouds roll by…” Immediately after, Ed shares “the last time felt like a once in a lifetime experience…and then when the lightning hit, I was hoping it was a once in a lifetime experience…but nature is working with us tonight, and I think you’ve earned it…is there a guy named John in the front? Where’s John? Just want to point out someone here up front because he was the first guy in line two days ago…four days ago…and he wanted to be in front for this song because it meant a lot to him and he’s going through some stuff, and we’re gonna help him out,” leading to an emotionally charged performance of Release. After Release, the band launches into a cover of The Beatles’ Rain, another not-so-subtle nod to the weather the last time they played Wrigley. When Lightning Bolt starts, Ed remarks “gutsy move playing this one…” Amongst The Waves is dedicated to “Lake Michigan on a windy day.” Before Light Years, Ed wishes Gord Downie, the singer of the Tragically Hip who had recently been diagnosed with brain cancer, well on the last night of their farewell tour, saying “I just want to send them our energy from our gathering up to their gathering and wish the best to Mr. Gord Downie, we love ya.” Masters of War is performed electric, which gives the typically folk-tinged ballad an ominous, harder-edged feel. During the Save it for Later tag on Better Man, Ed hilariously goes off on a fan in the front row wearing a Whitesnake t-shirt, luckily the women next to him were wearing a “Janet Fucking Weiss” shirt and an “Unfuckwithable” shirt, which Ed gushes over.

After the break, Ed talks about the meaning behind the song Bee Girl, and how kids are exposed even more now, referring to Instagram as “Instaounce” and wanting them to be unfuckwithable, referring to the shirt again. During Just Breathe, Army Sgt. Kyle Johnson proposes to his girlfriend Amy, assisted by Ed, who changes the line to “he’s a lucky man.” Let Me Sleep is introduced as “a little number from a long time ago…it was written in Seattle the first winter I was there and it was snowing, which is rare for Seattle but the song was actually informed from experiences here, and growing up waiting on that fucking L train at 2:30 in the morning with 25 below windchill, thinking I was maybe not gonna make it through the night and wishing I had money for a cab.” Steve Gleason is brought out before Inside Job and delivers a message to the crowd, inspiring a powerful performance:

If you want my opinion, this stadium and this field are most sacred ground. Like all of you, I’m inspired and strengthened by the music of these guys. Mike and I have been friends for almost fifteen years and I’m grateful for the relationship that my family has with the Pearl Jam family. This next song is one of my all-time favorite songs ever. Everyone who has a heartbeat will face adversity but when you experience those moments, like the message in this song, please remember this, how we choose to feel is how we are and personally, I feel fucking awesome.

Before Comfortably Numb, Eddie thanks Steve and talks about being young and living in Chicago, saying:

“I was young and broke but I would get a bottle…and a cassette Walkman and headphones and sit there on the rocks and look at the water and look at the sky and look at the stars…I was looking in the sky and seeing like a whole world of possibilities, you know I was young with a whole world of possibilities but what were the options? You just didn’t know where any thread to any kind of future would be and this music was something that helped me and probably you too. It helped us imagine the possibility.”

Prior to All The Way, Ed waxes poetic about the Cubs, then a triumphant Baba O’Riley closes out the night.

Written by: Paul Wirt


October 17, 2014 – iWireless Center, Moline, IL, USA

Show Notes:

“We’re gonna do something a little different tonight”, says Ed as the band finishes up In My Tree. In a relatively small venue, after an Elderly Woman opener, the band proceeds to play No Code in its entirety.  Who You…

Show Notes: 

“We’re gonna do something a little different tonight”, says Ed as the band finishes up In My Tree. In a relatively small venue, after an Elderly Woman opener, the band proceeds to play No Code in its entirety.  Who You Are has an amusing start, as Jeff starts playing the bass line to In My Tree by accident before correcting himself. Off He Goes is gorgeous. Mike absolutely destroys Red Mosquito. I’m Open makes its first appearance since 2010. Around The Bend shuffles nicely, with a great melodic McCready lead.

After Given to Fly, Ed says they only have 2 songs left in the main set, which the crowd doesn’t like, so Ed says they’ll play a couple more and then “make some shit up.” He makes good on the promise, with a whopping 23-song main set, including a dedication to Rick Nielsen from Cheap Trick, who lives nearby, after Infallible, with Ed teasing a little bit of Surrender after asking Mike if he was playing Rick’s guitar. Ed talks about Around the Bend again after Even Flow, saying that a fan in the front helped him with the opening lyric, and goes on to say that it was written for Jack Irons’ son Zach, but he didn’t want it to be just a lullaby

“…you can hear it as a lullaby or you can hear it as a serial killer singing to the person he just killed…how I want your soul to keep, off around the bend…”

Gone is played for the first time all year, by request. After the break, Ed asks, “We were just in the back, as if it were a kitchen just cooking up the next course…is everyone still hungry?” Then he asks the crowd “Who actually lives in Moline?” and says “I came up with a dish just for you guys,” and plays a new song that he says he wrote 10 minutes before the show, explaining

“it’s a similar song to Better Man…this woman is in a relationship with a complete and utter asshole, prick, abuser, misogynist motherfucker…unlike Better Man, this one leaves.”

Bee Girl is played as a request for a young girl named Allie in the crowd who is at her first show. Ed changes the words in In Hiding to “it seems so fucking simple now…sorry Allie!” Jeremy features a very loud crowd singalong. Mike wails on Eruption, which leads right into a great version of Alive. Matt lays down a great groove on Fuckin’ Up with both Mike and Stone soloing during the ending jam, sometimes parallel. After Yellow Ledbetter, Ed takes some time to give some extra shout-outs and thank you’s.


July 19, 2013 – Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL, USA

Show Covered by Podcast

Show Notes:

The band makes their first appearance at the ballpark where Ed spent his youth watching games. The weight of the moment is not lost on them, as you can see Ed getting choked up as he sings the “oh dear…

Show Notes: 

The band makes their first appearance at the ballpark where Ed spent his youth watching games. The weight of the moment is not lost on them, as you can see Ed getting choked up as he sings the “oh dear dad” lyric in Release. Hold On is played for only the 3rd time. Ed addresses the crowd after Low Light:

“It’s one of those shows that was getting organized around this time last year, but it feels like we’ve been waiting a lifetime for it. Of all the places in Chicago…this isn’t just the crown jewel of Chicago, it’s the crown jewel of the whole planet Earth. It’s exactly as I pictured it, including some potential weather that we’ll have to get through as a team tonight. So we’re pacing ourselves and we hope you do the same. With all due respect to the gentleman who plays here tomorrow, they’re gonna have to kick us off the stage tonight.”

An emotionally charged Come Back is dedicated to a woman named Sarah who died at the age of 30. With the threat of thunderstorms impending, Ed addresses the crowd again:

“We’re gonna do this next one, and then the next one, and another one, and then three more, four more. More and more and more. But there might be shifts in weather that could hit us hard. There’s electrical equipment on the stage that doesn’t make it safe to be out here, but we’re gonna do one more and then take a little break and be right back.”

Lyrics of Elderly Woman are changed to “…glad I saw this place, thank you John for taking me…” as a nod to his uncle who brought him to Cubs games as a child. Ed says that the bad weather will only last a half hour, but it will take a half hour to get everyone to safety, reassuring everyone that the curfew has been extended. After three grueling hours of hard rain, the band finally takes the stage again around 11:45. Ed comes out wearing a Jose Cardenal jersey and puts a twist on a famous quote used at the friendly confines:

“Ernie Banks used to say let’s play two, I think we can say let’s play ‘til two!”

He tells a story about how Banks asked him to write a Cubs anthem, All The Way, which he then plays. Memorable Cubs highlights are played on the video screen during the performance. At the end of the song, Ed brings out Mr. Cub to sing along. Ernie Banks speaks:

“It’s a beautiful day, let’s play two! I’m happy that you’re in my house, it’s the most beautiful place. I love it, I could sleep here. This is Eddie’s glove he had when he was five and I’m taking it because I’m gonna keep it.”

The band comes back out and rips into All Night, a tongue-in-cheek way of foreshadowing what’s to come. Ed implores the crowd to sing Do The Evolution “South American style” and they comply. Corduroy’s bridge is extended, with the crowd singing “everything has chains…” while the band jams straight through it. Two brand new songs off the forthcoming Lightning Bolt album are played, Mind Your Manners and Lightning Bolt, with the latter making its live debut. Lightning Bolt is an instant hit with the crowd, featuring a powerful, long lasting solo off the axe of Mike McCready. After cracking a few jokes about Mike’s testicles, Ed asks “Four Balls Michael” if he wants to try one out, leading to an overpowering rendition of Eddie Van Halen’s Eruption solo. Naturally, the only way to follow that up would be to break out an accordion to play…Bugs! Ed has fun with it, as the crowd remain in disbelief of what they are seeing. Rearviewmirror ends the main set in a big way, the bridge guitar parts are reminiscent of Pete Townshend and Matt Cameron caps it off with an incredible drum solo.

To begin the encore, Ed introduces Brendan O’Brien to play keys on the debut of Future Days. The Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns combination is a special moment, only the third time they’ve been packaged together by PJ. McCready is once again a major highlight, providing a soul crushing solo. Over the Wasted Reprise bed, Ed mentions watching the Cubs on a black and white TV, adding that when he went to the stadium for the first time, he saw all the colors of the field and it was like his field of dreams. Strapped for time in the wee hours of the night, much of the back end of the set is cut. Black segues into Rockin in the Free World to cap off one of the most memorable shows in Pearl Jam’s catalog. A show that began at 7:30 PM and ended at 2 AM.