Episode 88: Wrigley Field – 8/22/2016

Could this be the best of the five shows played at Wrigley Field? It’s a question worth asking. With all that’s gone down in Wrigleyville between rain delays to dedications, special and uninvited guests, this can easily be argued as the best of the bunch. Joining the show is our old friend Matt Helbig to help put this massive night into perspective.

Both John and Matt were in attendance for this show and right off the bat, you’ll notice that they were absolutely stunned by some of the songs they came firing out with. Oceans to open, Footsteps as a #2, Better Man #4 and an old tribute to Jane’s Addiction to lead into Corduroy. This set would have Andre Dawson asking what year is this? Because the first 13 songs could’ve easily been selected from a 1998 setlist and no one would notice. The band went back to their roots for this show and the crowd was rewarded with old favorites like Sonic Reducer and Blood that you wouldn’t expect to get busted out on the big stage.

As much as this was a night for old cuts, it was also a night for deep cuts as well. The band went into their back catalog to bust out some cherished fan favorites including Black, Red, Yellow that brought Dennis Rodman up on stage. The unreleased crowd-pleaser Of The Earth also made its way onto the set and managed to be one of the top moments of the night. Add those two in with Stone Gossard taking the mic for a little Don’t Gimme No Lip and you have a crowd of collectors left satisfied.

Overall, this 36-song monster of a setlist that’s only had 4 years of life is already considered an all-timer by many hardcore fans. And consider that the Cubs went on a magical run that broke the curse of the Billy Goat that fall, it’s safe to say that Pearl Jam spread some magic and left it out on that field to be shared by all.