Pearl Jam hits the Rupp Arena stage hard and fast with Lightning Bolt, a nod to the storms earlier in the day). Jeff’s 12-string bass snarls and growls during an energetic Why Go, and then a surprise, as Satan’s Bed…
Main Set: Lightning Bolt, Mind Your Manners, Animal, Why Go, Deep, Satan's Bed, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Corduroy, Sirens, Education, Even Flow, Spin The Black Circle, Army Reserve, Daughter/(Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)), 1/2 Full, Given To Fly, Swallowed Whole, Lukin, Rearviewmirror
encore 1: You've Got To Hide Your Love Away, Just Breathe, Thumbing My Way, Comfortably Numb, Do The Evolution, Sonic Reducer, Porch
encore 2: Smile, Leaving Here, Black, Better Man/(Save It For Later), Alive, Baba O'Riley, Yellow Ledbetter
Pearl Jam hits the Rupp Arena stage hard and fast with Lightning Bolt, a nod to the storms earlier in the day). Jeff’s 12-string bass snarls and growls during an energetic Why Go, and then a surprise, as Satan’s Bed makes its once-per-year appearance. Ed thanks UK basketball coach John Calipari (with some boos) and the Kentucky Wildcats for having so many banners hanging in the rafters. Crowd is loud for the ‘Hello’ in Small Town. Education is dedicated to all the “university intellectuals,” and then Ed asks the band if they graduated from college, and says Mike was writing the next song while he should have been graduating, and then they kick into Even Flow. Ed says that it’s obvious how Kentucky loves our
horses, but “we have a thoroughbred every night,” referring to Matt, calling him “the stallion!” A very charged up Spin the Black Circle rocks the arena, Mike all over the stage. Mike shows off on ½ Full, throwing bits of flamenco-style guitar in the solo. He and Stone trade off on a breakout Swallowed Whole Matt bashes it out during the RVM jam. After the break, Ed comes out solo, attempting You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away…a few flubs, but the crowd picks it up and he gets through it. Just Breathe is dedicated to Matthew, who passed away a few days before the show, and his sister Lindsay. Mike highlights a haunting Comfortably Numb. Intense back and forth between Mike, Stone, and Jeff on the Porch jam. Stone is rocking the rhythm on Black, and Mike is on fire. Ed holds the note on the word “be” for a loooong time. The crowd takes over the first verse of Better Man, to Ed’s surprise, and he exclaims “fucking great, man…, ” inspiring a uplifting performance. Mike changes into a UK t-shirt for Ledbetter, Ed takes a swig from his beer and dribbles it all down the front of him. Mike lingers on the outro, almost like he doesn’t want it to end.
Written by: David Ritter