Episode 49: Seattle, WA – 1/17/1992

This episode covers the very first vault show from the Moore Theatre in 1992. The band trekked across North America in support of Ten throughout the Fall and early Winter of 1991. After a two-week break in the beginning of January 1992, the boys returned to Seattle for a homecoming show at the legendary Moore Theatre. The band sounds incredible from start to finish. Ed’s voice is in perfect shape after 14 days off and the entire band seems to be relaxed and loving the atmosphere of playing in front of an energetic hometown crowd of about 1,350.

The footage used in the “Even Flow” music video was professionally filmed at this show, while a number of famous early photos by Lance Mercer were captured here as well. A rough audience recording of the show was all that existed among bootleg collections for nearly 20 years, until the band decided to open up the mysterious “Vault” in 2011. A remastered version of the original recording was circulated at the PJ20 festival, much to the delight of diehard fans and those aware of the magic of this show. Single CDs in cardboard sleeves simply titled “VAULT #1” were distributed at the destination weekend.

This show also marked the first time the band covered The Who’s “Baba O’Riley,” although the song is omitted from the vault recording. John Farrar and Chris Buckley team up to host their first show together, exploring this early performance that offers a glimpse into the band’s early era and formative years just before they exploded to superstardom.