Episode 256: Hartford, CT – 10/25/2013

This episode has been a long time coming. On its 10th anniversary, we are covering an absolute classic Pearl Jam show from Hartford, Connecticut in 2013. Randy has talked a lot about this show in the past, and this episode will be a platform for him to share his memories of his experience, and perhaps get up on a soapbox a little bit. This show is living proof that this small city in Connecticut is one of the best Pearl Jam crowds you can find. We’ll talk about that extensively throughout the episode, but what you’ll witness is every time the crowd cheers, Ed is completely beside himself. One massive standing ovation after Last Exit perfectly set the tone for what this night would end up being.

While the crowd certainly is the #1 theme, it does share the #1 spot with the other important theme from this show. Less than a year after the fatal tragedy happened at Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, CT, this was Ed’s first moment to be able to react publicly to what had took place. After meeting with fathers of kids who were killed earlier that day, he gave an impassioned speech standing up for gun control and pleading the crowd to continue being loud about it. Songs like Long Road and Come Back reflect the mood of this theme.

Another theme that derives from Hartford shows is over one song that has connected the band to the city since 2010. What was once an OTOTO (one time, one time only) performance was now being brought back for a second time – the Van Halen rocker Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love. This song will set up a bit of a contentious discussion in this episode about the idea of them playing it. On one side you’ll hear praise for the band giving this city some special love for making it a theme, on the other side you’ll notice pushback for covering a band they have no business covering. And if you enjoy that conversation, you’ll probably love the segue into Got Some as well.

Gear Guru segments this week will focus on Lighting Bolt era songs Let The Records Play and Yellow Moon, as well as a little Jeff Ament talk focusing on his fretless bass from Alone.