September 4, 2018 – Fenway Park, Boston, MA, USA

Show Notes:

A little ballpark symmetry as Given to Fly opens, just like at Wrigley 2. The Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros cover “Arms Aloft” is the first of two covers in the main set, with the lyric changed to “Arms Aloft/in…

Show Notes: 

A little ballpark symmetry as Given to Fly opens, just like at Wrigley 2. The Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros cover “Arms Aloft” is the first of two covers in the main set, with the lyric changed to “Arms Aloft/in Fenway Park” instead of Aberdeen. The first of many guest appearances on the night sees famed photographer Danny Clinch join to play harmonica on a fantastic Red Mosquito. Leatherman is scratched from the original setlist in favor of another Yield b-side, U. Following Even Flow, Ed applauds Mike for playing so well while medicated, due to a sinus infection. He then introduces the next one by saying they are going to play it “a little differently” this time. Then, for the first time since the Orpheum in 1994, Ed sings the original lyrics to Immortality:

I could take the sun
Pour a cup to share with everyone
Need to feel some comfort in this world
I won’t take it all
I won’t say that nothing’s not my fault
Cannot feel the future in the wind

I could paint the moon
With the light reflected in my room
All I need’s a mirror for the glare
I could paint the Earth, how
With the love I feel for you and her
Needn’t I to alter in the air

After Immortality, Bill Janovitz from Buffalo Tom is back out for the 2nd night in a row. Bill says it’s “wicked awesome” to be there a second time, and he and Ed trade off lyrics on main set cover #2, Buffalo Tom’s Taillights Fade. During the bridge of Not For You, Ed starts a “Let’s Go Red Sox” chant. Introducing Can’t Deny Me, Ed claims the original title of the song was “Voting Is Your Superpower,” and Mark Guiliana (drummer on Matt Cameron’s solo record Cavedweller) is invited on stage to play cowbell. Ed claims the title of the song was originally “Voting Is Your Superpower.” Jeff adds the bass line from Sweet Emotion at the end of Jeremy, as a nod to Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton, who is in attendance. The Betterman tag finds Ed pondering whether he could find a better crowd: “Maybe Philly, that’s a pretty good crowd. New York City, that’s a pretty good crowd. Some nights it just feels like you can’t find a better crowd than Boston, Massachusetts…is tonight one of those nights? Whaddya got?” Coming back out for the encore, Ed says “the next time we play together we’re gonna be in the studio, [this is] the last time we’re gonna be playing in front of people for a while,” and that tonight “we’re gonna play until David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis [former Red Sox players] come and pull us off the stage.” This prompts Youkilis to take the stage carrying a guitar, holding it in his signature batting stance. Thumbing My Way is a request for a person Matt met, as well as a friend of Ed’s. Ed asks the crowd to hold their phones up to light the stadium for Imagine. Loud “Boooom” chants after Crazy Mary, as Ed mentions Team Hawaii won the Little League World Series and that Boom’s wife is involved with the league on the island. Over the Wasted Reprise bed, Ed says he’ll miss the Monster but hopes to be back in October (the Red Sox would end up winning the World Series). Life Wasted is dedicated to John Martin from the Red Sox video crew, who was stricken with ALS. The ever-elusive Dirty Frank is teased for about 30 seconds before a debut cover, Dirty Water by the Standells.


September 2, 2018 – Fenway Park, Boston, MA, USA

Show Notes:

Band in great spirits from the start. Last line of Sometimes is changed to “You’d like it here…dear god.” After Low Light, Ed mentions Bono “losing his throat” the night before, and thanks him for his work with the Red…

Show Notes: 

Band in great spirits from the start. Last line of Sometimes is changed to “You’d like it here…dear god.” After Low Light, Ed mentions Bono “losing his throat” the night before, and thanks him for his work with the Red Campaign and other charitable/philanthropic endeavors, and asks the “Irish” crowd to wish the “Irishman” well. After a blistering Corduroy, driven by Matt, Ed takes a sip of wine and regales the crowd with a speech about the word ‘fuck’:

…you know, it can be used as a noun. Well, it can be used as a verb, which in its best way, you know, is romantic and ‘let’s fuck’. Or it can be insulting like ‘get fucked’…and I’ve got an adjective too…like ’fucking amazing’ like the Red Sox, they’re ‘fucking amazing.’ And anyone from Boston who might be booing, ‘fuck you.’ Or, you can use it as an adjective and a noun ‘you fucking fuck’ or an exclamation, which I’m realizing now because there might be kids in the audience and I’m thinking to myself ‘fuck!’ Sorry, sorry, fuck, sorry.

Before Given to Fly, Ed mentions that this is their 23rd show in Boston and dedicates it to a local named Dick, who worked putting on shows in the area and was recovering from a recent health scare. This version of I Am A Patriot starts off with the slow intro that develops into a raucous performance with a nod to the crowd, presumably full of New England Patriots fans, with Ed proclaiming “this is the one city in the world where you don’t have to introduce this one.” Ed changes into a Red Sox “Vedder 18” jersey during Porch, traversing the front of the crowd. After the first break, Ed brings out a red Fender Telecaster given to him by Tom Petty, saying “this is only the second time that I’ve taken this guitar out of my house, because a few years ago I gave Tom a guitar that he was looking for…and then a couple months later I got this beautiful red Red Sox color Telecaster in the mail from Tom, and he said ‘this was my baby for the last few tours, but I think there’s a few songs in it.’ So I brought it tonight. He played here in 2014 and he was right, there’s some songs in it. Maybe we can get his attention if we light some lights and make this place look like the church that it is for our dear friend Tom. Please sing along with me. I want him to hear. I love you Tom” leading to an emotional I Won’t Back Down. Tremor Christ seems to be added on the spot, Ed: “If I talk to the fellas, can we play a little something we don’t normally play? We’ll try it, if we fuck it up it will be my fault and it won’t be the first time and my wife’s here to attest to that.” After a soaring Black, Ed says that in July of 1991 the band stayed at a Howard Johnson’s across the street, and he and Jeff shared a room together, while Stone and Mike roomed together, and they lit incense and it was “so romantic,” then tells a story of how he snuck into Fenway and took two pictures behind home plate, fulfilling a lifelong dream. Ed comes onstage after the second break wearing a backwards #23 Red Sox batting helmet, and talks about pot being legal in Seattle, and that they rolled one up with something they found called “The Green Monster.” Bill Janovitz of Buffalo Tom joins for the debut cover of Taillights Fade. Out Of My Mind is played for the first time since the final Spectrum show in 2009, Ed making the shocking admission that the song doesn’t have set lyrics and that he just makes them up. Another Red Sox jersey is thrown at Mike during the Alive solo, but he doesn’t miss a beat and wears it on his shoulder for a few seconds before tossing it on a mic stand.


August 7, 2016 – Fenway Park, Boston, MA, USA

Show Notes:

The vibe around the park was buzzing after Friday night’s set. Pendulum, now seasoned as an opener, sounds huge and beautiful bouncing off the Green Monster. Ed wastes no time getting conversational tonight, saying “things are gonna get moving real…

Show Notes: 

The vibe around the park was buzzing after Friday night’s set. Pendulum, now seasoned as an opener, sounds huge and beautiful bouncing off the Green Monster. Ed wastes no time getting conversational tonight, saying “things are gonna get moving real quick later on, but want to be sure to savor the moment,” prior to launching into a great trio of Off He Goes, Nothing as it Seems and Nothingman.  Wishlist is a revved up version before the night kicks into second gear with Corduroy, with a prologue of Interstellar Overdrive. Many in the crowd wanted to try and grab the 2nd to last verse, but the band had the early call and response jam for Ed built into this run. A spirited In Hiding is played as the sun disappears to summer twilight, and precedes a blues-drenched Even Flow performance by Mike. Sirens soars, Ed opines “life is short” prior to the opening lyrics, this comes up again as the band brings the song to a gentle close. Ed mentions how he and Jeff were talking earlier about the fragility of life, and how it feels there is more to lose these days. Red Mosquito is scratched from the set for Tom Hamilton to join the band on stage for an encore of Aerosmith’s Draw the Line. Mike wails on an epic Immortality. After the break, Ed gives a nod to the crowd and their energy through the years. The crescent moon has, at this time, been making its way up over the Fenway facades, prompting Ed to talk about the recording of Lightning Bolt and the Boston Marathon bombing tragedy, and Yellow Moon opens the encore, written in reference to the event. Angel is for “the serious collector,” played for only the 2nd time since 1994, and reworked with a full band arrangement. Footsteps follows as the “veteran, more your Carl Yaztremski/Ted Williams…” ‘Small hands’ Donald Trump helps bring a cake on stage to help celebrate crew hand Simon’s birthday as the band prepares to play Smile. Love Reign O’er Me features an excellent keyboard intro from Boom, on a night where he is mostly subtle and in the background, given the set choices. Matt and Ed tease a bit of Temple of the Dog’s “Wooden Jesus” before launching into Breath. With the ballpark lights on after Alive, J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr) joins the band on guitar for Rockin’ in the Free World, sporting a Cookie Monster t-shirt. Mike hands off his Les Paul to Ray Cameron during the first jam, and heads up to the drum riser to assist Matt, before eventually finding his way to Jeff’s bass, which Jeff trades for some cowbell. As the breakdown jam continues, Ed grabs his glove and proceeds to play catch with the crowd. Prior to the closer, Ed introduces Dick, who they have known from the Boston shows over the past couple of decades. Yellow Ledbetter is awash in feedback by Mike, closing with the Star-Spangled Banner. Ed reminds everyone “now don’t get ejected or arrested…goodnight.”


August 5, 2016 – Fenway Park, Boston, MA, USA

Show Notes:

Pearl Jam’s first ever show at Fenway Park opens with the 1-2 emotional punch of Release and Long Road. The mellow opening sequence continues with Elderly Woman and a stellar version of Low Light where Ed holds the final note…

Show Notes: 

Pearl Jam’s first ever show at Fenway Park opens with the 1-2 emotional punch of Release and Long Road. The mellow opening sequence continues with Elderly Woman and a stellar version of Low Light where Ed holds the final note for what seems to be an eternity. All Those Yesterdays features an incredible moment for the hometown fans as Ed points out all of the pennants hung around the park as the band all sings during the ending jam. Daughter has a short “Another Brick in the Wall (Pt. 2)”  tag after W.M.A., with an enthusiastic crowd joining in. Faithfull is dedicated to David Ortiz, and Down is preceded by Ed giving a shout out to “the greatest American historian in our lifetime…one of my favorite Bostonians who didn’t wear a Red Sox uniform”, Howard Zinn. Continuing the Red Sox theme, former pitcher Bronson Arroyo is brought on to play Black. Mike goes crazy on a fiery Masters Of War (played for the first time since 2008), followed up by a full band, rocking version of I Am A Patriot. After the break, Ed says “this thing might go extra innings tonight” and shows some Polaroids from early area shows, showing how small the crowds were, and tells a story about breaking into an empty Fenway Park to take Polaroids of the field. The ultra-rare Strangest Tribe opens the encore, followed by the Into the Wild track Society, each played for only the 2nd time at a PJ show.  Before Sleeping By Myself, Eddie asks “Can I get a uke up here?”, and a ukulele is promptly brought out by yet another Red Sox player, Kevin Youkilis, to the delight of the hometown fans. A tight SOLAT is followed up by a fabulous version of Comfortably Numb, and the extended Corduroy ends the first encore. The band borrows a song from 70’s Aerosmith as they begin encore 2 with “Draw The Line,” covered for the first time. After an energetic Alive, Ed introduces Stone as “the guy that writes most of the songs and is way more handsome than he thinks”, calls Matt “our batter,” and says Mike “throws a no-hitter every time.” I’ve Got A Feeling is played for the first time since 2004 in Boston (Ed mistakenly says it may be the first time since the 1994 Orpheum show), and is dedicated to a fan, Matthew Plummer, who had recently lost his father, via sportswriter Peter Gammons, who comes on stage as well. An epic show full of classic rock covers, rarely played songs, and baseball.