July 19, 2013

Wrigley Field

This concert was not just any show. Despite a devastating 2.5 hour delay just 6 songs into the set due to thunderstorms, I think the band and crew went above and beyond to make this a very special evening. Somehow we still got to hear 31 songs, most of which were performed after the storm from midnight until 2:00 am!

The set list included 3 songs from their upcoming album Lightning Bolt; 2 were debut performances. (The irony of the album title was not lost on anyone there.) We also got to hear 7 covers and many rare songs including the crazy little tune Bugs which Ed pulled out an accordion to perform – for just the third time ever live. You can check out the full set list here.

Before the Storm

After the Storm

While we waited for the band to come back on stage we got wet, sober and tired. As midnight approached, I was certain the show would have to be cancelled, but finally after a second storm front passed, the crew swarmed on stage to uncover the equipment.

Ed started things back up with All the Way, a song he wrote for the Cubs. Afterwards the legendary Ernie Banks joined him on stage holding a baseball mitt that once belonged to a 5 year old Ed. It was a very touching moment to watch Ed with his idol in a place that held so many special memories for him. I was thankful for the screens so I could see the expressions on his face.

Some other highlights:

• Ed crowd surfing for a few seconds during Porch until a panic stricken security guard hauled him back.
• Ed commenting before Faithful how their faithful fans make their concerts about more than just the music. He said his brother told him that the Pearl Jam fans he saw outside the venue seemed like really cool people you would want to hang out with.
• Ed making some funny comments about Mike’s balls – that he thought Mike had 2 really big balls, but it turns out he actually has 4 balls so he gets to take a base
• Mike squeezing in some sweet free styling despite the time crunch
• Discovering a hidden merchandise booth with a short line upstairs where I snagged the Chicago sweatshirt I wanted
• Eating a slice of decadent deep dish pizza the day we got to Chicago which I think may have included the yearly allotment of cheese for a family of 4

I was exhausted for most of the concert due to the 40 degree heat earlier in the day and the long delay. On top of that it felt like it was an hour later to us because we were still on Eastern time. It was no surprise that I didn’t have the energy to rock out quite as much as I normally do, but I still appreciated every moment. I won’t forget this one for a long time.

July 16, 2013

The Pearl Jam show in London last night was awesome. Our seats turned out to be amazing! We were in section 102 on Stone’s side of the stage and just slightly behind it. The tickets were marked Limited View, but I actually had the best view of my 5’2″ concert-going life.

There was no opening act so the band came on stage around 8:00 pm. They started slow with Present Tense followed by Nothingman and then Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town. There weren’t many covers – Rockin’ in the Free World was the only full cover song, but they also played sections of London Calling and Modern Girl. We got in on the first live performance of their new single Mind Your Manners which was as fun live as I expected it to be.

Overall we heard 30 full songs, ending with Indifference rather than the more common closer Yellow Ledbetter. The last song is always bitter sweet for me because I never want it to end. It was a little easier to bear this time knowing that we’d be seeing them again in Chicago on Friday.