Episode 19: Camden, NJ – 7/5/2003

The 2003 Riot Act tour has been seen by many as one of the pivotal tours in Pearl Jam’s entire legacy. Historic shows such as State College, The Mansfield Experiment and the show that spurned the Live At The Garden DVD all took place in a very busy year for them.

Camden Night 1 fell right in between Mansfield and MSG during an amazing run for the band. On a hot summer night a day after the 4th of July, what better than seeing your favorite band with a fireworks display going off in the background? When the band notices and rearranges the set accordingly, you know you’re in for something special.

As a disclaimer, this episode does get a little heavy into politics discussing how the band was handling their critics at a time where the country was at odds over a war. We do get a little bit into how our current situation in this country compares to what was happening then, but we do our best to try and understand both sides of the spectrum. Tied in with that we talk a lot about Eddie and Johnny Ramone’s friendship and how even through their differences they were able to find common ground.