This episode will take us to the 1998 Yield Tour. It was a time where the band started to familiarize themselves with their brand new drummer Matt Cameron, so setlists weren’t as diverse as we’d see in later years, especially for the album that Yield followed up in No Code that only had one song represented on this night. 1998 was really the first year since 1994 that tickets were becoming more accessible to fans due to the band’s refusal to play Ticketmaster venues. As mentioned in this show, 98 was really one of the first years that fans began to travel along with the band from location to location. Our Patron Patrick Boegel joins us as a guest on this episode and talks about the stretch of shows he traveled for during this late August time period. This is a great show where the classics were on full display. Incredible and possibly overlooked versions of Alive, Black, Daughter, Wishlist and Immortality were the big moments where the band were truly at the top of their game.
Episodes Covering Pearl Jam Concerts in 1998
This episode we continue our Around The World series with a show from the Yield tour down under in Sydney, Australia! Thanks to our Patron Paul Mereniuk for requesting this episode, you’ll hear his concert story during the show! 1998 was an interesting time for the band, they were finally out of the limelight of mainstream music and seemed to be genuinely enjoying their time performing. They took the stage this night wearing wigs saying there was a 5 for 1 deal and they got their hair done at the same place Elton John did. It showed the band was able to relax, make fun of themselves and show the crowd they were there to have a good time as well. We also see Ed get into some personal stories, something he wasn’t doing often in years prior. But while there was a lot of good going on with the band at the time, this was also a trying time that saw the end of drummer Jack Irons tenure. The Australian tour would be his last as he was having trouble sleeping and prone to constant panic attacks due to his bipolar disorder not being treated properly. This is one of a small handful of shows where we get to hear Jack play Yield songs such as Faithfull and Given To Fly that add his very unique style and presence brought to the album.
In this episode, we attempt to tackle what has long been seen as a top 10 show in the history of the band. Although they made their Garden debut the night prior to lackluster results, the band was ready to bounce back in a huge way and prove that they deserved to be on the same stage as the greatest legends in the history of music. Notable about this night was the fans continued campaign for the song Breath to be played for the first time in 4 years and finally the wish was granted. It is the moment that many recall as being the ultimate highlight of this night. Though this was only “the cherry on top of the sundae,” the show is jam packed with hits and passionate performances of other fan favorites that put this show on the upper echelon of shows in their history. We do our best to recreate the magic, but the task is a challenging one. Also! Eddie climbs his microphone wire and finds a way not to die!
In 2019, we promised to cover every MSG show in chronological order and the way we’re gonna kick it off is with the band’s first performance in the Garden back during the Yield tour in 98. Eddie said it best – “you ain’t shit until you’ve played Madison Square Garden” and that quote alone proved to be the litmus test on the first night. On a Thursday night where the crowd was luke warm at best and technical difficulties plagued the band throughout, we break down how their first moment in the world’s most famous arena might not have lived up to the hype. It was a tough position for the band to be in, but as we all know they would return to the Garden the next night for one of the most BREATHtaking performances in the band’s history.