Show Review

“You can play in every country all over the world, but you ain’t shit until you play Madison Square Garden,” Eddie Vedder had reminded us back in 1998. Truer words were never spoken. Pearl Jam hasn’t played at the Garden since then, instead booking Jones Beach Amphitheatre on their 2000 tour. So New York City was long overdue for their return visit.

The mood outside the Garden could only be described as one of great anticipation. With their tour winding to a close, this was an opportunity for the band to give it their all. Quickly, it became obvious that most expected the show to be one of the best of the tour…and they did not disappoint.

The set opened with “Love Boat Captain,” a popular tune off the bands’ new Riot Act, and promptly followed by “Save You” and “Green Disease” from the same album. But the Garden roared when Eddie pulled out “In My Tree,” off No Code, the most unique of their seven albums. Another favorite amongst fans was the addition of the seldom played, “Low Light.” Perhaps Yield’s answer to “Elderly Woman,” it was followed up by “Faithful” and “Wishlist,” also off Yield.

“Lukin,” and a rousing “Grievance” preceded the lesser-known “1/2 Full.” Those in attendance less familiar with the extensive catalog suddenly burst out, as the familiar chords of “Black” filled the arena. Arguably the best song off Ten, some fans even say the powerful song may be the band’s greatest piece, though those die-hards were a little disappointed when Eddie neglected to add on his signature verse of “We belong together.” The band finished the set with “RearView Mirror,” adding in a lengthy jam session by Eddie’s bandmates. Times like these, McCready and Gossard really shine, while Eddie takes a tour around the stage to acknowledge those fans sitting behind Cameron.

When they took the stage again, the band passed around a bottle of wine, each member taking a healthy swig before starting the encore set with “You Are.” After finishing “Thumbing My Way,” the band broke out into the popular “Daughter.” As the song came to end, fans waited to hear Eddie transition into “WMA” or perhaps “Another Brick in the Wall,” though to their surprise, Eddie prompted the crowd to sing along, “With My Two Hands,” a Ben Harper song. And sitting just behind Gossard, off to the side of the stage was Ben himself. The crowd cheered as Harper made his way to the front of the stage, with Eddie pushing him to take the mic. He performed the remainder of the song with PJ playing right along, and Eddie backing the vocals.

“Crown of Thorns” was another unexpected choice, followed by “Breath,” the most common sign displayed in the crowd during years past. Remarking how fortunate he was for having met his bandmates, Eddie broke out the widely known “Betterman,” a song written prior to the formation of the band. They finished this encore set with “Do the Evolution,” a song played far more intensively live, then on the CD track.

They returned for the second encore with a fresh bottle of wine and some interesting news. Eddie expressed his concern about the bands safety in a jovial fashion by explaining, “something happened just now, and you know, its easy for us to get freaked out, cause we want everything to be safe…the stage was bumping up and down…” He called up a technician from the Garden staff, brought him on stage, and he told Eddie that the MSG stage had only shook on 3 other occasions…the Grateful Dead, Iron Maiden, and Bruce Springsteen.

After a common “Crazy Mary,” Vedder invited Harper to return to the spotlight for a duet of “Indifference.” This alone, is well worth the purchase of the tour CD. Continuing the collaborations, he brought Tony from the Buzzcocks up on stage to play guitar alongside McCready for an electrified version of “Sonic Reducer.”

For the would-be finale, the band pulled out “Baba O’Reiley,” a classic Who cover. On their feet, the crowd chanted “Teenage Wasteland,” and the arena shook again. As the song came to an end though, the lights turned on. After nearly 3 hours, Stone, Cameron, and Ament made their way off stage. Vedder remained perched on the mic, and McCready suddenly broke into the chords of the cult classic, “Yellow Ledbetter,” a song having no official lyrics. As Stone and the rest left the stage, they seemed surprised as they turned around, Vedder calling them back. The crowd sang along some piecemeal lyrics and the band played on. As the song concluded, Ament slid out from his guitar and took a seat on a speaker, where Cameron joined him. McCready played on, lending credence to the theory that he was actually built in Stone’s basement from spare truck parts and vinyl records.

The show finally ended just short of midnight. Vedder thanked the fans again, not meaning to say goodbye, as he was sure the majority would be in the crowd for the following evening’s show. It’s hard to believe that Pearl Jam can consistently keep giving more to their fans, and playing harder then ever before, but they did this night in the best of venues.

Photos courtesy of Pearl Jam and Kerensa at Pearl Jam Synergy.

Complete setlist

Set List: Love Boat Captain, Last Exit, Save You, Green Disease, In My Tree, Cropduster, Even Flow, Gimme Some Truth, I Am Mine, Low Light, Faithfull, Wishlist/(Why Can't I Touch It?), Lukin, Grievance, 1/2 Full, Black, Spin The Black Circle, Rearviewmirror;

1st encore: You Are, Thumbing My Way, Daughter/(With My Own Two Hands featuring Ben Harper), Crown Of Thorns, Breath, Better Man, Do The Evolution;

2nd encore: Crazy Mary, Indifference with Ben Harper, Sonic Reducer with Tony from the Buzzcocks, Baba O'Riley, Yellow Ledbetter