Touring Steve 2005

In Retrospecticus

2005-10-19T09:28:00.000-04:00

I've been on a major Pearl Jam kick as of late; throw in an ill-advised downloading session yesterday morning and the fact that it's been exactly a month since my seventh and final Canadian gig (Toronto), and I figured it was a good time to bring Touring Steve 2005 to a rest with a restrospective of the Canadian tour--or at least the seven gigs I attended. In the end, I didn't end up writing about Thunder Bay. I actually started a review, but eventually discarded it; in the end, I decided it was better that way. But since this whole, crazy adventure warranted one final statement, here it is: the seven shows in summation, plus the top twenty-five things I'll remember from my two weeks on the road with Pearl Jam. Enjoy!

Thunder Bay. Imagine your wildest dream coming true. For me, it was seeing Pearl Jam in the building where I grew up--and on Friday, September 9. 2005, it came true. So what if it wasn't the best show I've ever seen? As I wrote somewhere else, "One day, I might see another Buffalo '03--but I will never see another Thunder Bay." That, in essence, says more about this gig than any 2,000-word review ever could. (Tonight's PJ virgin: Brad...along with at least a half-dozen of my closest friends who were scattered around the Gardens.)
Kitchener. An absolute piledriver of a set was almost ruined by an acoustic 1st encore featuring, in order, "Small Town", "Daughter" and "Black". Still, it'd be hard for me to hate on any show which featured both "Long Road" (my #1 all-time Pearl Jam song) and "Baba O'Riley". (PJ virgin: Dan Sundy.)
London. First, I got to take Bri's Pearl Jam virginity; then, I got to hear "Hard to Imagine" live; and afterwards, when I thought I'd seen it all, Stone Gossard (replete with outrageous plaid pants) shook his ass for 8,000 people. My favourite show of the tour. (PJ virgin: Bri. But you already knew that.)
Hamilton. Just a killer show start-to-finish, replete with a shock "Porch" opener, the Pearl Jam/Sleater-Kinney Lounge Act (i.e., "Harvest Moon") and the best version of "Rockin' in the Free World" I've ever heard Pearl Jam play. Having Corin Tucker on-stage in a Wayne Gretzky Team Canada jersey didn't hurt, either. (PJ virgin: Heather Johnson.)
Montreal. Scene of the underrated 2003 Riot Act gig...but despite a raucous crowd, the band was subdued (which I'll attribute to the one-year anniversary of Johnny Ramone's death; Ed, in particular, seemed on the brink of tears the entire night). Two Cat Stevens covers and a wicked version of "Crazy Mary" redeemed things somewhat; plus, Cam and I got to hear "Man of the Hour" together, which was a pretty special moment. (PJ virgin: Cam.)
Ottawa. Whoa--where the hell did that come from? Ottawa got a setlist for the ages, one in which "Wash" (which opened) wasn't the rarest song played! "Sleight of Hand" came totally out of left field, while "Rockin' in the Free World" had the Corel Centre shaking louder than it's ever shaken...because really, the resident hockey team doesn't have the kind of fans who make a building shake. A push between Ottawa and London for the setlist of the tour; probably my second-favourite show. (PJ virgin: Talia, while Jon and Lindsay were also in attendance.)
Toronto. Some fool in a cowboy hat running on stage during "Rockin' in the Free World" are proceeding to mutter a bunch of gibberish into the microphone. Rumour has it he's in another band. (Aside: seeing Eddie and Bono sing a duet on "Ol' Man River" at U2's fourth and final Toronto show was the most surreal two minutes of my life as a music fan--bar none.) (PJ virgin: Jen.)

And the top 25:

The entire gestation period, from Jeff's subtle allusion to a Canadian tour in the Christmas newsletter to Sherkin's frantic "they're playing 'O Canada' on the TenClub site!" to rumours of a gig up in Thunder Bay...which, if you'll recall, I dismissed without a second thought.
That Morning (a.k.a., Tuesday, April 26), when I awoke at 7:30am to find a tour announcement in my inbox. After scanning the dates, I woke Bri up; in retrospect, this probably imperiled our relationship, but at the time I seriously didn't care.
Four-and-a-half brutal months of anticipation, during which I started this blog, prayed nightly that "Long Road" would open the Thunder Bay concert and drooled over the prospect of seeing my favourite band seven times in eleven nights. Learning that Sleater-Kinney would open six of the shows almost made me foam at the mouth.
The entire Thunder Bay experience. I couldn't have imagined this happening in a million years.
Standing in the Fort William Gardens vestibule and hearing Ed's voice drift out.
Seeing the Pearl Jam travelling circus set up shop in my hometown; I actually own a poster with the words "PEARL JAM" and "THUNDER BAY" written on it.
"Present Tense" opening the Thunder Bay concert. Sure, I'd been lobbying the Big Guy for "Long Road"--but still, if consolation prizes exist in the realm of "Pearl Jam opening songs" then "Present Tense" is definitely it.
Ed climbing to the back row of the Fort William Gardens, then singing "Last Kiss" to a stunned audience. Afterwards, Eddie Spaghetti's son Quattro practically upstaging the entire proceedings with his ad-libbing during "Rockin' in the Free World".
"Long Road" opening the Kitchener gig on the anniversary of 9/11.
The Kitchener set; I was literally breathless by the time it finished.
Driving to London with Bri after two hours' sleep and four hours in class--then, after Bri made herself a new best friend, we heard Ed open the show with a cover of "Growin' Up" and then Pearl Jam start their set with "Oceans".
"Hard to Imagine". I'd been waiting five years to hear this one live, and was assuming it was either never going to happen--or happen totally out of the blue. (For the record, don't think I didn't see the very obvious Labatt joke--I just choose to be a better person than that.) It happened in London; when the first notes hit I fell to my knees in supplication, grabbed Bri in a massive bear hug, raised my arms in the general vicinity of Eric Sherkin and then took it all in. ("Hard to Imagine" was actually on the written setlist in Thunder Bay, of all places, but got cut.)
Stone's dance.
"Porch" opening up the Hamilton gig. (By the way, Heather Johnson does the greatest concert dance I've ever seen. I plan on seeing many more shows with her if for no other reason than watching her dance like that again.)
The Pearl Jam/Sleater-Kinney Lounge Act. At the time, it felt spontaneous; by the time we'd heard it at four consecutive shows it felt cliched, but that couldn't detract from the first playing.
A "Rockin' in the Free World" that made Copps Coliseum shake like it hasn't shaken since Gretzky-to-Lemieux in September 1987. That's a long time for a building not to shake that hard.
Mine and Sherkin's three days on the road, with nothing but our opinions and Sherkin's iPod. Finding a good road trip buddy is a challenging proposition...and since we're on the subject, did you know that Sherkin and I met in line at the cash register of the Fireside Grill during frosh week? He was carrying a backpack with a Pearl Jam patch on it; I was in a talkative mood, one thing led to another and we've seen Pearl Jam together thirteen times. And shocking, we haven't sat together once.
Cam and I hearing "Man of the Hour" together. (On a personal note, hearing "Man of the Hour" and "40" within seventy-tour hours was pretty special.)
Hitting the town following the Montreal show--then making our way back to Cam's apartment, where I informed my professors I wouldn't be coming back to teacher's college. I left a message on my dad's answering machine the following morning, along with the news that I'd scored tickets to three Leaf games; I'll let you guess which portion of the message never made it to mom.
Crazy Dancing Hippie Chick in Ottawa--just the perfect complement to Sleater-Kinney's set. (For the record, their best show was easily Montreal, followed by Toronto; not sure where I'd rank Ottawa in the greater scheme of things, but this tour did nothing to dillute my love of all things Sleater Kinney). Then, we got a Pearl Jam gig in which "Wash" opened, "Don't Gimme No Lip" was debuted and "In Hiding" was played with me in attendance (first time in eighteen shows). Plus, "Sleight of Hand"...seriously, this was a gig for the ages.
Meeting Domesticated Jon for the first time, then eating Pogos with him and Lindsay. Sometimes, it's the little things you remember.
If you'd have told me before the tour began that I'd hear Ed and Bono duet on "Ol' Man River" (from the Kern/Hammerstein musical Show Boat) during U2's September 17 Toronto show, I'd have given you a strange look. When I saw Ed wander on stage I shouted, "That's Eddie fucking Vedder!" (being for the benefit of Miss Johnson, who is virtually blind without her glasses), then stood mouth agape for the rest of the night. Oh, and U2 was pretty good as well.
Toronto--a.k.a. the last of my seven shows. Getting a call from the Hockey Hall of Fame offering me a job while I was waiting for the GO Train, then getting to the Air Canada Centre three hours early to score myself a poster. (Oh: and this made my day.)
Ed's playful U2 references all night long, including a "Bad" riff which almost induced cardiac arrest in me. Still, when Bono ran on stage, grabbed a tambourine and started ad libbing during "Rockin' in the Free World", it was totally unexpected. I know I tend to speak in superlatives, but I've literally never seen a building go off like the ACC did when this occurred--just an amazing moment. Oh, and finally having "Yellow Ledbetter" close a Pearl Jam tour for me; heard it live six times in Canada and never got sick of it.
Outside after the gig, letting it all sink in.

With that, Touring Steve 2005 is officially retired. To anybody who's stopped by, thanks for reading; knowing at least some people were interested in my travels made it that much easier for me to write about them. When I started this blog, it was with the view of conveying just how much Pearl Jam means to me--and while I'm not sure I've done an adequate job, I needed to give it a shot. Hopefully by the time Touring Steve 2006 gets up and running, I'll have improved enough as a writer to fully plumb the depths of my inner being; in the meantime, I'm glad to have Touring Steve 2005 as a lasting testament to the best trip I've ever taken. Here's to the next time.

Review #7: Homecoming

2005-09-25T18:25:00.000-04:00

I was going to write a whole, elaborate review of the Toronto concert--then decided not to for two reasons. One, I started writing one last weekend which got wiped out by a wonky wireless connection. Two, for various reasons this show has already been dissected by the Pearl Jam fan community and deemed the worst show of the Canadian tour--an accusation which might be valid if you weren't at the actual concert, but one that 20,000 people would have difficulty corroborating. I've read countless theories as to why the Toronto show was so hit-heavy (including an utterly moronic argument that the band was playing it safe because U2 was sitting sidestage), but the fact that the majority are coming from people who weren't at the concert essentially invalidates them. The point is: Pearl Jam was on fire last Monday night. And it should also be noted that my friend Jen, who lost her Pearl Jam virginity that night, is still talking about it like she witnessed the second coming. So go figure.

Also, in response to that pathetic review that appeared in the next day's Sun (which actually featured Eddie Vedder on its cover), two items. One, Lisa Ladoceur is the only person left the Air Canada Centre thinking Bono upstaged Pearl Jam's entire two-and-a-half hour gig. Two, if you're going to compare Pearl Jam with U2, why stop there? "Sure, Les Miserables is a great musical...but it's not a U2 concert." "Sure, the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-2 at the Air Canada Centre last night...but when you consider that this is the same venue in which Bono & Co set up shop back in September, does anything really matter anymore?" I'm still baffled that such an untalented writer is actually employed by a major Toronto newspaper--and that the pathetic slandering she produced actually got me mad enough to still be talking about it a week-and-a-half later. I don't have the desire to launch a pointless Pearl Jam vs. U2 debate--the two bands have way too much respect for one another--but figure it's worth noting that Bono's improvised lyrics during "Rockin' in the Free World" said, in essence, that Pearl Jam had made him believe in rock n' roll again. It's too bad Ms. Ladoceur couldn't have seen the light, as well.

As for the show, it was great; sure, the setlist was pedestrian (especially when compared to the previous gig in Ottawa), but sometimes a good performance trumps a standard setlist. Toronto was one of the nights--and if you don't believe me, just ask Jen.

Review #6: Ottawa

2005-09-25T12:34:00.000-04:00

Attending Pearl Jam's concert in Ottawa wasn't a "smart" decision, either--especially since I should have been in class all day Friday. But by the time Sherkin and I were following a Ferrari Spider into downtown Ottawa, I was all-but-officially done with OISE/UT: my professors had been notified, my parents had been called (even though my dad, bless him, never passed the message on to my mom) and I'd already started making the mental adjustment to life without school. Plus, going to Ottawa offered the tantalizing prospect of popping the Pearl Jam cherry of one Talia Gusen...and really, when you're offered the opportunity to see your favourite band with so esteemed a fellow music fan as Talia, you really have no excuse not to take it.

So--on Friday afternoon, Sherkin and I found ourselves at the Rideau Centre food court with absolutely no plans whatsoever--we're talking no accommodations, one TenClub ticket still unaccounted for, no real sense of when we'd be leaving the next day...really, apart from a vague plan to make it to Kanata in time for Ed's preset, everything was up in the air. Within five minutes of our arrival it started raining, hard, which essentially negated any ambition I had of wandering around downtown Ottawa. Instead, I killed time inside the Rideau Centre; at one point I ventured outside to photograph the capital, but was immediately chased back in by the downpour. Eventually, Sherkin and I came up with some sort of battle plan; we picked up Talia at her parents' house (who were about to host a pre-wedding party for Talia's cousin--I was actually greeted by a doorman), drove--literally--down the street to get Eric's friend Robyn (who claimed the spare ticket) and eventually made it to a random East Side Mario's in Kanata where we met up with Jon and Lindsay, who'd moved to Ottawa from Thunder Bay two weeks earlier. Confused? The gist: we got to the show in time to hear Ed play "Last Kiss".

Sleater-Kinney weren't as good as they were in Montreal--it would have been difficult, mind--but their set was notable for including "Steep Air", the one song off of The Woods I had yet to hear live. Plus, it featured Mr. McCreedy making yet another cameo appearance...honestly, is there anything better than Sleater-Kinney and Mike McCreedy covering Danzig? The stage, then, was set--and after last night's slightly disappointing show, I was looking for Pearl Jam to make amends.

To say that they did would constitute an understatement of epic proportions. When the band walked on stage--with Stone carrying an acoustic guitar and Boom assuming his place behind the keyboards--I was immediately confused...because yes, I'm at the point where I can identify what the band is going to play based on what guitars are being used. When Stone began strumming, my mouth dropped. I immediately yelled, "Ohmigosh...is this 'Wash'?!!" but didn't think it was possible. But it was--it was "Wash", and I was actually hearing it live. OH. MY. GOD. Instantly, all bets were off...and when Pearl Jam followed this up with "Go", "Hail, Hail", "Animal" (again!), "Brain of J." (first time I'd heard it all tour) and "Corduroy", it was clear that the gig was rockin' really fucking hard tonight.

During "Corduroy", something happened to Ed which seemingly nudged the show to another level. No one knows for sure what it was--speculation over at The Sky I Scrape is that he got an electric shock from his microphone--but everybody in the building witnessed Ed's reaction: he kicked his mic' stand over, glared furiously over at the soundboard, started hammering his guitar with furious abandon...and in the process he pulled his bandmates onto a higher plane. Matt Cameron, for one, began hitting his drums harder than should ever be allowed; as the song built to its climax the rest of the band huddled around his drum riser and brought it all home in spectacular fashion. Just an incredible start to the evening's proceedings.

We were only getting started. After "Corduroy", Ed mumbled something into the mic' and then went right into "Immortality"--which, again, culminated with an incredible minute-long jam with Mr. Cameron pointing the way and then leading the band forward. When the song finished, Ed mentioned something about requests...and out of nowhere the opening riff of "In Hiding" rang through the Corel Centre. "In Hiding"! I'd been waiting over seven years to hear this one live, even though Ottawa was my eighteenth Pearl Jam concert (I only saw them once on the Yield tour, when they were alternating "In Hiding" with "Faithfull"; we got "Faithfull"). The verdict? It was just as glorious as I imagined it would be. "In Hiding", "Immortality", "Brain of J", "Wash"...I could only imagine what the Red Mosquito forum was saying. The thing is, the strangest moment was still forthcoming. After "In Hiding" Stone Gossard stepped to the microphone and announced that he was going to sing. The TenClub sections went nuts; after Stone's histrionics in London it was probably only a matter of time until he finally took the microphone, and watching the man sing is always hysterical. Plus, I hadn't heard "Mankind" since State College.

Well, I still haven't heard it since State College...because Stone & Co. proceeded to shock the entire Pearl Jam fan community by pulling out "Don't Gimme No Lip" for the first time ever! A live debut! Unbelievable! Stone was bouncing around the stage like Richard fucking Simmons, and everybody around us was singing along with him. "Don't gimme no lip! Don't gimme no lip!" What a show we had on the go.

After this, there was really only one place for us to go: straight into "Even Flow". Tonight's version isn't as electrifying as last night's--in Montreal the band broke down the bridge until Matt Cameron was the only one left playing, then built it back up into the final chorus--but still served as a perfect follow-up to the madness of the previous three songs. Up next: "Green Disease", another shock (and another first for me, at least on this tour), before "Insignificance" brings us back down to earth (which isn't a criticism of the song--just isn't as big a shock as, say, the live debut of "Don't Gimme No Lip"). Eventually, "Rearviewmirror" brought the set to a delirious climax; whereas last night's version of "Porch" almost meandered towards the finish line, tonight's "Rearviewmirror" practically burned our eyebrows off. What a set.

Encore time--and alas, out come the stools. Then Ed and Jeff appear, Ed toasts Jeff (who responds by taking a mighty swig of wine)--and yup, "Bee Girl", another first for me and Sherkin. This was followed by the acoustic "Miracles", which to me works a lot better than its electric cousin...and then, out of nowhere, "Sleight of Hand" (first time I'd heard it since Toronto 2000), a soaring, ethereal version. "Crazy Mary" was outstanding yet again, while "Alive" brought the encore to a roaring conclusion. We're on fire tonight--this is easily a top-five all-time Pearl Jam concert for me.

Back for a second encore, which opens--gloriously--with "Given to Fly". Some Pearl Jam fans were grumbling about an apparent lack of variety to the Canadian setlists, citing "Given to Fly" as one of the main offenders. I would argue that the song should be in every setlist: it's genuinely a live monster. Then "Not for You", bringing a massive smile to Sherkin's face, and "Daughter" (sans tag) led to the evening's Sleater-Kinney ensemble. First up: "Harvest Moon" (which, again, robbed the Hamilton version of a little bit more of its sponteneity), followed by "Fortunate Son" and "Rockin' in the Free World". And then--naturally--"Yellow Ledbetter" to close, with smiles all around, the audience singing its heart out, before the band quit the stage for good. UNBELIEVABLE SHOW! Like, seriously: this was easily one of the best Pearl Jam shows I've ever seen. On our way out we ran into Emily Darling's hero boyfriend Derek, who was winding up his own Canadian mini-tour; after exchanging incredulous words we filed out of the Corel Centre and into the midst of a torrential downpour.

So. After the show I retired to Jon and Lindsay's gorgeous new condo for Pogos. I don't remember falling asleep--I was absolutely shot. At that time, I had no idea how was I supposed to wake up the next morning, drive back to Toronto and see U2...but with images of Stone Gossard bouncing around the stage singing "Don't Gimme No Lip" still fresh, I wasn't too concerned.

Review #5: Montreal

2005-09-25T10:00:00.000-04:00

I'm officially way behind with my show reviews...I mean, Montreal was what, ten days ago already? Just amazing how times flies--it's been almost a week since my own personal mini tour ended! Pearl Jam wraps up its Canadian tour tonight in St. John's, NF (the second of two nights in Newfoundland...go figure), so I'm making a point of trying to get at least two more reviews up by the end of the day. We'll see if today's slate of NFL games will allow for it to happen.

Anyway. Following Pearl Jam all the way to Montreal probably wasn't the smartest idea in the world...I mean, when I booked my tickets back in late April I assumed I'd be attending teacher's college in the fall. When the show rolled around, I was--at least technically speaking--but really, when you consider that I once drove twenty-five hours to see Pearl Jam there really wasn't any way I'd be missing them in a city six hours away...especially since Montreal is one of my favourite cities in the entire world. Sherkin and I pulled into town around mid-afternoon, proceeded to miss the Rue de la Montagne exit and ended up taking an hour-long detour in which psychotic French drivers were prominently involved. I know I complain a lot about Toronto drive...but really, after seeing how people operate in motor vehicles in Montreal I should be a lot more grateful.

I'd seen Pearl Jam in Montreal twice previously. The 2000 show was probably the most disappointing Pearl Jam concert I've ever seen: the setlist was sleepy, the band was still ironing out a lot of kinks (it was the first stop on the second leg of their North American tour) and the audience was way lame. But the 2003 show utterly redeemed it--bizzare setlist, incredible energy from the band and a vociferous audience made it an underrated masterpiece from a tour that was full of classic gigs. On this particular tour, Montreal was the closest stop to a whole slew of Pearl Jam fan meccas including New York, Philadelphia and Boston. If nothing else, we knew the audience would be jacked. Tonight's Pearl Jam virgin was my cousin Cameron. He and I had seen, like, everything together; honestly, if you run down a list of all the events I've been to in my life there's about a 50/50 chance that Cam was there with me. Yet somehow, he hadn't seen Pearl Jam.

So. Our seats tonight were about twenty-five rows away from the stage and right underneath the Bell Centre's scoreclock. At 7:30pm Ed strolled on stage with acoustic guitar in hand...and proceeded to play "Don't Be Shy" by Cat Stevens, probably the #1 song on my preset wishlist (I'd missed it before the first Boston show in 2004). Sleater-Kinney then followed with what was easily their best gig of the tour. For one, it featured Matt Cameron's hilarious cameo on "One Beat". For another, it featured a raging cover of the Danzig song "Mother" with none other than Mr. Michael McCreedy lending a hand on guitar...and for another, it went from there straight into "Dig Me Out", which brought their set to a brilliant climax. The stage, then, was set.

Pearl Jam opened with "Release"--no surprises there, since it hadn't opened a show since Western Canada. The sing-a-long was, as usual, spine-tingling...honestly, is there a better opening song in all of the Pearl Jam catalogue than "Release"? From there, it was straight into a series of skull-crushers (including "Animal" for a fifth time in five shows); the band was on fire, the audience was loud--the signs were all pointing towards another classic night in Montreal. And then Ed announced that tonight marked the one year anniversary of Johnny Ramone's death, and Pearl Jam went into its tired-sounding cover of the Ramones' "I Believe in Miracles". (Can someone please explain this to me? Ed's version with Zeke is about ten times better than Pearl Jam's...why do they insist on slowing it down so much?) For the rest of the set, the momentum was all over the place. I'm not going to criticize Ed or anybody else for deliberately loading the setlist with tribute songs--a good five or six numbers were preceeded with mentions of the late Ramone--but from a purely objective standpoint, there was a serious lack of energy to the evening's proceedings. Given the audience on hand, this was somewhat surprising.

Again, I don't want to criticize--I'm just sayin'. Also, am I the only one who doesn't know what to think about "Porch"? I've just never really gotten this song, ya know? I dislike the album version (it sounds woefully unfinished, like the band had a great idea and then didn't know where to go with it), I've disliked about 50% of the live versions I've heard...I mean, I've heard "Porch" open a show (Hamilton), close a show (Minneapolis '98), played in the middle of a seventeen-song encore (State College) and still have no idea where it fits. But anyway: tonight, it was one of those versions that didn't quite catch fire--and after the sleepy middle portion of the set, a balls-to-the-wall set closer was definitely in order. "Porch" just kind of limped to the finish. I cannot in any way fault the playing this evening, but Montreal was definitely one of those instances where Pearl Jam like they usually do.

Which didn't stop them from trying. Ed returned for the encore alone and offered up a gorgeous version of "Trouble" (two Cat Stevens songs in one night!), before the rest of the band rejoined him and proceeded to play..."Man of the Hour". It was here that the show, for at least a few minutes, entered rarified territory--at least as far as Cameron and I were concerned. Earlier this summer our grandfather passed away; we ended up delivering a eulogy together at the funeral, which I capped off with a verse from "Man of the Hour". As the song started, Cam leaned over to me and said, "This is the song from the speech, isn't it?" (he'd never heard it before). I nodded, and together we shared a quiet moment. It was really, really nice to hear it together. And for fear of becoming overtly sentimental, this was followed by fucking "Last Kiss" ("one of Johnny's favourites," according to Ed, so I won't be too critical) and a recapitulation of "Harvest Moon", which brought things back down a notch. "Crazy Mary" followed (brilliant version tonight, with Mike and Boom initiating a call-and-response between each other's instruments) before a staggering "Alive" brought the first encore to a close. There--much better.

The second encore, meanwhile, opened with "Whipping" ("Whipping"!), kicked ass and took names with "Down" and an oddly-placed "Blood", brought out the cigarette lighters for "Black" (great version)...and then "Baba O'Riley". Pearl Jam's version of "Baba O'Riley" is legendary amongst fans for a very good reason--but tonight, it just didn't explode like it normally does. Rather, it sounded perfunctory; considering some of the versions I've heard in the past, it was therefore doubly disappointing. "Ledbetter" finished things off, with the crowd screaming itself horse and McCreedy offering a sweet little flouirsh to the ontro--and it's over.

Okay: so in the end, the show was somewhat redeemed. And again, I'm not about to criticize the band for its song selection this evening...I mean, Ed seemed like he was genuinely struggling to get through parts of the show. From a purely objective standpoint, however, this wasn't the best of what Pearl Jam has to offer; while there was no faulting the actual playing, the show didn't have the manic energy of the band's very best displays. Or maybe I'm being unnecessarily hard...I mean, Cam walked out of the show acting like he'd just witnessed the second coming. I guess the point is this: taken as a single concert, Montreal was really frigging good, but in light of the previous three nights it wasn't quite up to scratch. Again, that's fine: I'm not going to be too critical of Pearl Jam on what was obviously a very difficult night for the band. (Johnny Ramone's death wasn't the only thing weighing heavily on their minds: before "Baba" Ed announced that a good friend of Matt's had recently died, and right before Matt quit the stage he uttered "Thanks Piggy" into the mic.)

Afterwards, Sherkin, Cameron and I retired to an Irish pub near Concordia University, downed a few overpriced pints (honestly, $18 for two pints and a tip?) and retired to Cameron's apartment--where I proceeded to swallow hard, open up Hotmail and fire off four individual E-mails to my instructors informing them I wouldn't be coming back to the following week. Sleep took place on a couch...but honestly, given how exhausted I was I probably could have slept on a hardwood floor and been equally comfortable. No matter my qualms with tonight's show, it's really freaking hard to find fault with the Montreal experience as a whole...and when it includes a Pearl Jam concert, it seems pointless to quibble at all.

Pictures from Toronto

2005-09-23T15:59:00.000-04:00

Not surprisingly, I didn't take nearly as many photographs in Toronto as I did in other cities...because, really, what would be the point? I actually got to the Air Canada Centre a full two hours before the show with the intention of scoring my TenClub tickets, picking up a poster (which I managed to do...barely) and taking a few pictures of the surrounding area--then realized how excessively dorky that would be, and settled on taking a few select photos instead.

So here they are: the final batch of "Touring Steve 2005" pictures. Don't miss the U2 review below--it's incredibly long-winded, much like Bono himself.

Probably the greatest act of civic disobedience I'll ever witness.

2005-09-23T15:58:00.000-04:00

The doors connecting the ACC with Union Station. For some reason, I didn't want to appear "uncool" by actually photographing the entire facade.

2005-09-23T15:57:00.001-04:00

If this falls...we die. Horribly.

2005-09-23T15:57:00.000-04:00

Ed during "1/2 Full"--just a classic arena rock moment.

2005-09-23T15:56:00.000-04:00

Trust me: this was not intentional. But it still looks damn cool ("Wishlist").

U2 in Toronto

2005-09-23T13:01:00.000-04:00

Because Tim Jebb has actually resorted to E-mailing me about writing a U2 review...here it is. And because today officially marks Day #3 of my post-school life (if only for the time being), I figured I'd give a nod to the previous twenty-one years of my life and write the review in the form of an exam question...because really, I am that cool.

Question: "U2 is the most perplexing live act you've ever seen." Discuss this statement using specific evidence from the band's Saturday, September 17, 2005 concert in Toronto to support your case. Feel free to rant.

U2 is officially bigger than music--which makes writing about them virtually impossible. How to write about a band for which everybody has an opinion? How to critique music which, for the most part, is almost totally new to me? How to evaluate a performance which fluctuates between a club show, a Big Tent Revival and a political rally with stunning ease? The answer: I don't know. The best I can do for you is try, and then wait nervously for Tim to unload a vicious anti-world assault in the comments section.

It took the intervention of one Bri Johnson to turn me onto U2. Before that, I'd written off virtually everything I'd ever heard from U2 as either boring, pretentious or both; I felt comfortable with my disdain for the world's so-called "biggest band" and was reasonably confident that nobody could ever get me to listen to them with an open ear. Bri changed all of that: before long, I owned my very own copy of Achtung Baby and a pair of tickets to see U2 at the Air Canada Centre. When Pearl Jam announced their Canadian tour, I was slightly nervous that the cumulative effect of seven Pearl Jam shows in eleven days would lessen the U2 experience. The result: it did. But not for the reasons I suspected.

Going in, my biggest concern was that Bono's ego would overshadow the entire performance. So when Bono made his grand entrance--atop the oval, bathed in an orange spotlight, arms raised a la Rocky Balboa--my first thoughts were, "You fucking asshole." It was frankly so off-putting that the first three songs ("City of Blinding Light", "Vertigo" and "Elevation") were spent recovering...honestly, I was convinced that all of my worst fears were about to be fulfilled. It took a blood-pumping version of "The Electric Co." to right the ship, then an anthemic "Beautiful Day" to set it back on course. Then, and only then, was I able to feel good about being there. After "Beautiful Day" Bono made a weird, rambling speech about the Edge having been sent from "the Future" and how, when asked how the Future was, replied: "It's better." (Honestly, it was better than any Gord Downie rant I've ever heard--until my BHBHGGFBJ explained to me that the Edge's daughter had leukemia. Then it suddenly made sense.) This led to "Miracle Drug", which Bono dedicated to the Hospital for Sick Children (a manoever which, needless to say, won me right over). Next up: "Sometimes You Can't Make it On Your Own", during which the band dropped its histrionics and concentrated on simply performing the song. The result was the emotional and musical high point of the entire show; when Bono hit "that note" it was a stirring affirmation of what U2 is capable of achieving in a live venue.

"Love and Peace or Else" sounds plodding on How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb; here, it was a highlight, with the stage bathed in red light and Adam Clayton laying down the phatest bass line since the White Stripes had their hardest little button to button. But then, during the outro, Bono strapped on a while headband inscribed with a cross, a Star of David and another symbol I couldn't make out, then proceeded to drone to the audience: "Jesus is a Jew for Sure" (or something to that effect). Once again, the show came to a thudding halt, its momentum derailed by yet more pointless Bono-isms. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "Bullet the Blue Sky" sounded perfunctory, but "Miss Sarajevo"--gorgeous, ethereal, with the Edge providing chilling piano accompaniment--redeemed them both instantly...can you see how this is going? Seldom was the momentum sustained for more than a couple of songs; seldom, however, could the band's tangents derail what the music was trying to say.

Following "Pride" (unfortunately transposed into a lower key), the Universal Declaration of Human Rights scrolled across the screens. It was at this exact moment that U2 alienated me...and I can't pretend to understand why. I mean, on one hand there is absolutely nothing wrong with a band getting all political-like; as a Pearl Jam fan, I'd be lying if I said I didn't applaud musicians who use their fame to promote positive political measures. That said, being political doesn't mean being heavy-handed--and that, sadly, is what U2 is. (If this sounds like a discursive against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, well...it's not. Bear with me.) While I'm now thoroughly convinced that Bono's well-documented humanitarian efforts are nothing if not completely genuine, I don't necessarily appreciate going to a rock concert and being preached to. Some people don't have a problem with it--I mean, there are reasons that U2 sold out four straight shows in under an hour. This does not mean, however, that I have to dig it as well.

Anyway. So when the flags of the various African nations began cascading down during the intro to "Where the Streets Have No Name", I was already numb to U2's pontificating. Instead, I figured, why not enjoy the music? Y'know, which is what I came to hear in the first place. "Where the Streets Have No Name" seemed like a good place to start: if there is a single better introduction in rock n' roll history, I'm definitely not aware of it. Afterwards, Bono went off on yet another long-winded rant--this one about the Make Poverty History campaign (which, again, is a worthy cause, and again, I'm not necessarily down with him beating me over the head with it). At one point he mentioned Eddie Vedder, and the audience roared. U2 then played "One", and once again I was suitably moved. The song is absolutely majestic, and with a 20,000 person-strong sing-a-long is nothing if not epic. Afterwards, during the outro, Bono started singing--of all things--"Ol' Man River" from the musical Show Boat, an obvious nod to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. And see, this is the kind of politicizing I can handle: the kind where the music, not the singer, does the talking ("Play C3, let the song protest," as Ed once sang.) The effect, I felt, was far more profound than any of Bono's earnest speechifying. And then all of a sudden Eddie Vedder himself wandered out on stage, and the Air Canada Centre erupted. Eddie strolled over to the mic', and as Bri and I stood with mouths agape he started singing along with Bono. Eddie Vedder and Bono were singing a duet in front of us! Honestly, nothing could have prepared me for this moment; when Bono mentioned that Vedder was in the house, I had no inkling whatsoever that this might translate into a live appearance. But there he was, and there they were: two rock n' roll legends singing one of musical theatre's all-time classics together. Eventually, Ed quit the stage (to more rapturous applause), the song ended and U2 walked off. Just an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime moment.

(For the record, yes, I've read the Toronto Sun's ridiculous review of Pearl Jam's September 19 show at the Air Canada Centre, in which Bono returned the favour by lending a hand during "Rockin' in the Free World". This led the Sun's music critic Lisa Ladoceur--in a gesture which betrayed incredible stupidity--to pronounce that Bono's briefest of cameos upstaged Pearl Jam's entire two-and-a-hour hour show. Two points. Firstly, Ms. Ladoceur is the only person who left the Air Canada Centre thinking that. Secondly, if that was in fact the case, then Eddie Vedder did the exact same thing with U2's concert. Did a two-minute guest appearance upstage an entire two-hour show? Of course it didn't. Nobody would be stupid enough to make that suggestion...well, unless they work for a major Toronto newspaper. And yet I digress.)

At this point, U2 had me (and yes, it took some help from Eddie Vedder...but really, in this case the ends should be more important than the means.) Returning for the first encore, they went straight into..."Discoteque"?! Bri was flipping out; I was certainly surprised, since I was pretty sure it was the first time it had come out on the Vertigo tour (it was). Bono was decked out in what looked like jackboots and a leather cap, but we were too far away to tell for sure. At one point, he hilariously broke into a bit of "Relax" with the stage lights going crazy. Classic stuff. Then "The Fly" (replete with Pop-era letters with missing words...like, deep, man) led straight into "With or Without You", the first U2 song I ever pronounced as being "good" (although I've changed my mind since then). The second encore, meanwhile, began with "All Because of You" (a truly atrocious song), the ultra-rare "Fast Cars", a gorgeous acoustic "Yawheh" (with Bono and the Edge walking to the top of the arc and joining together in a total Mick-and-Keef moment)...and then the moment that I was waiting for: where we'd find out if they were going to play "Vertigo" a second time.

We knew it was possible: every single gig on the European tour featured a second playing of the Official iPod Anthem. Would I have walked out? I think so, yes--honestly, no matter what people say about how effective it is, hearing the same song twice in the same show would probably cause me to blow a blood vessel, especially knowing that some people had dropped $180 per ticket for the experience. But then Larry Mullen Jr. began playing that ubiquitous drum beat, Bono and Adam switched instruments and--yes!--"40". I'd recited the chorus at my grandfather's funeral back in July; that, coupled with me and Cam hearing "Man of the Hour" together in Montreal on Thursday, made it the most fitting conclusion possible. And yes, it was absolutely awesome hearing it live--the audience carried the "how long to sing this song?" part until everybody had quit the stage and the lights had been turned back on. It was a truly majestic ending.

And that, I think, is what made me finally appreciate U2. If you've read either of my two blogs, you'll know I have a lot of conflicting thoughts about this band--and honestly, anybody who's as big as U2 is bound to inspire conflicting opinion, especially in someone who thinks way too much (guilty as charged). In the end, I didn't like their show as much as I liked any of the seven Pearl Jam concerts I attended this month--although that said, I won't fall victim to a stupid, pointless comparison between the two bands. When I see a concert, I want to see a concert: a band on a naked stage with minimal lighting blowing through its catalogue. What U2 offers is a show: a standard setlist, a few of the requisite hits, a lot of bells and whistles, a bunch of video screens...I mean, apart from a giant inflatable woman they touched upon virtually every significant stadium rock cliche there is. Clearly, this works for a lot of people: there is a reason that U2 has sold out nine (or is it eleven?) shows at New York's Madison Square Garden. For me, it took some getting used to. Once I got used to it (and was able to overlook Bono's occasional egotistical flourish) I was able to enjoy U2 for what they were: a great band with great songs. At some point, I would love to see them drop the theatrics and just play a concert--because that, I could guarantee, is something I'd pay good money to see. (I'm not holding my breath, mind.)

As for Bono, I applaud him for taking a stand where so many others will not. I still don't think his politicking has a place in an arena rock show--but since you can't separate it from the rest of the U2 experience, I guess I'll sigh and grudgingly accept it. I think what I'm trying to say is this: I liked U2 a lot. I also left with a lot of concerns, not just about the band but about the audience, the world, the state of rock n' roll...honestly, this concert got me thinking on any number of fronts. And that, I would argue, is just about the biggest compliment I could pay.

Review #4: If I Had a Hammer...

2005-09-23T12:18:00.000-04:00

...I'd ring it in the evening, around the same time as Eddie Vedder took to the stage with an acoustic rendition of "Throw Your Arms Around Me". And I wasn't there. Sherkin and I spent most of Tuesday deciding how to get to Hamilton; when we learned that the last GO bus left Hamilton too early we decided to drive, and ended up getting stuck in one of the worst traffic jams either of us had ever seen. (Surprisingly, it was all show traffic...like, all of it. Clearly, nobody in Hamilton would be seeing Pearl Jam.) For that reason, we missed Ed's preset (and I, for one, have never heard "Throw Your Arms Around Me") and most of Sleater-Kinney's set as well. At least we weren't going directly to the concert: our first stop was Heather Johnson's house, and after we picked her up she guided us along an alternate route to Copps Coliseum.

En route to Hamilton, I also fielded one of the greatest phone calls I will ever receive. It was Bri--no surprises there--asking where we were. When I told her "Oakville" she responded, "Is tonight sold out?" When I told her I didn't think so, she said: "Okay...we're coming!" Much confus'd, I asked what she meant. Turns out her housemate Michael (who's the fucking man, by the way) came home that day, asked how the London show was and, yadda yadda yadda, the two of them and Michael's girlfriend/Bri's best friend Alana were en route to Hamilton. My BHBGGF, who prior to last night hadn't even seen Pearl Jam once, was now on her way to a second show in as many nights...and you say I'm not a positive influence! (The three of them ended up getting scalpers' tickets for $40 a pop.)

Tonight's seats weren't floors; rather, they were "in the wings" four rows away from Stone--basically, closer than I was in Thunder Bay, and slightly elevated. We arrived as Sleater-Kinney were starting into "Let's Call it Love". Having missed not just Ed's pre-set but most of Sleater-Kinney's set as well, I was slightly peeved.

Pearl Jam did their best to rid me of my peevedness. Firstly, and most shockingly, they opened with "Porch" (I'm reasonably confident this hasn't been done before, ever). Secondly, they played with such unrelenting force that you'd be forgiven for thinking that they didn't have slow songs in their catalogue. Seriously, it was one hard-hitting number after another. "Better Man" was a surprise highlight for me, with a bit of Sleater-Kinney's song "Modern Girl" tossed into the outro; "Rearviewmirror", meanwhile, was just as intense as London's version. Ed was in a chatty mood all night long; I'm pretty sure hasn't toasted an audience half as many times as he toasted Hamilton last Tuesday (more on this in a minute).

Once again, stools--and tonight, a complete shock. After "I Am Mine", Ed announced that a childhood friend of his was getting married that night in Seattle--and that he was unable to attend on account of us. This led, somehow, to Pearl Jam donning tuxedos, Sleater-Kinney returning to the stage as backup singers and the group performing an absolutely gorgeous version of "Harvest Moon" by Neil Young. Just an utterly surreal moment; seriously, it was magical, a totally off-the-cuff moment of inspired madness. This led, oddly, into "Black" (serious thematic dissonance here), and then a madcap version of "Alive". The second encore opened with "Last Exit" and "Go" (which is, like, getting slapped twice, hard, once on either cheek), then eventually meandered into "Rockin' in the Free World"--during which the fabulous Ms. Corin Tucker threw on a Wayne Gretzky Team Canada jersey and made my tender heart go all a'flutter. By this point in the proceedings, our man Ed was drunk. I know it's been said that the wine bottle is a prop, but tonight's show offered serious evidence to the contrary...like, Ed was literally stumbling around the stage and at one point fell flat on his back while trying to climb atop his monitors. (This clearly upset Alana, who cited Ed's drunkeness as one of the three reasons she didn't like Pearl Jam.) Then "Ledbetter" to close, the audience collectively blowing its vocal chords...honestly, the Hamilton show was loud. And that's it! For the first time since Friday, I don't have a Pearl Jam concert to look forward to the next day...and for the first time ever, I'm at least slightly relieved.

So. A rushed review, this, but I'm of the opinion that I'm now officially in the "it's more important to write something" stage. But where does this leave Hamilton? The answer: an odd classic. On one hand, there was virtually nothing to distinguish it setlst-wise, apart from an unusual "Sad" / "U" double-shot. But the songs they did play rocked, the audience was vocal, the band clearly into it...I mean, if that isn't the most of what you could ever want from a concert I don't know what is. And seeing Corin Tucker in a Gretzky jersey? Who could ask for anything more?

Review #3: London Calling

2005-09-22T14:16:00.000-04:00

Firstly, I now have the singular honour of having a world-renowned lingerie designer leave comments on a concert review. Secondly, after the Kitchener concert Dan and I drove back to Toronto; I didn't get to sleep until after 5am, woke up two hours later, attended four hours of class, came home, threw some things in a bag, picked up my BHBHGGFBJ and headed to London...honestly, the rock n' roll lifestyle is hugely overrated. Whereas the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium resembles a community centre, the John Labatt Centre in London looks like a turn-of-the-century office building; seriously, if you didn't see the back side of the building you'd have had no idea there was a hockey rink inside of it. The London show sold out in ninety seconds; that, plus a huge TenClub contingent, made for some tantalizing possibilities.

Tonight, my Pearl Jam virgin was Bri (who I'd mistakenly thought had seen them on their 1998 tour). Once again, the TenClub delivered a pair of killer seats--twenty rows away from the stage, Mike's side, directly behind a woman who spent the entire show in the throes of hissy fitdom because she couldn't see properly (more on her in a second). At 7:30 Ed came on, announced the first song was a request...and proceeded to blindside us with a cover of "Growin' Up" by Bruce Springsteen! Sleater-Kinney then blew through another fantastic set, replete with "Step Aside" and "Sympathy". If these weren't harbingers of great things to come, then what could be?

Still, nothing could have prepared us for what happened next: Pearl Jam walked on stage and opened with fucking "Oceans", a song neither me nor Eric had ever heard live. "Oceans"! Just like that, the bar was infinitely raised. This was followed by an emphatic salvo of hard rockin' tunes, capped off with a surprising run-through of "Glorified G". We were barely done catching our breath when Ed mumbled something into the mic' and...no way, you're kidding me?!! "Black Red Yellow"?!!! Honestly, you would have surprised me less if you'd told me I'd be seeing Eddie Vedder and Bono sing "Ol' Man River" together later that same week. "Black Red Yellow"! From that point forward, all bets were off. "In My Tree" got a surprise second run-out in the 519 (much to Bri's delight), "You Are" reaffirmed its status as the best song off of Riot Act, "Not For You" featured about eight flying splits from Mr. McCreedy...and then the most intense versions of "Bleed for Me" and "Rearviewmirror" I'd ever heard brought the set to a close. Just an incredible opening hour from Pearl Jam; the vibe was similar to the previous night's, and once again I was praying for the band to eschew the acoustic guitars and keep on rocking.

Alas, out came the stools. But when Pearl Jam came back, they shocked us with a searing take on "Nothing As It Seems" (which I, for one, hadn't heard since the Binaural tour), then with a lilting version of "Off He Goes". See, this is how the acoustic set has to work: it has to sustain the energy from the main set, not drag it down. I'm convinced it's possible; the London show affirmed my belief. In fact, as long as "Small Town" isn't included, I'm thoroughly convinced it can be a high point of the entire performance.

After "Off He Goes", Ed announced that the next song was saved for special occasions. Not really thinking I'd hear "Hard to Imagine", I nonetheless yelled out, "C'mon Ed, do it for me!" The band was milling about on stage...and then Stone played Those Notes. Instantly my blood froze; I remember sort of falling to my knees and raising my arms, then finding Sherkin in the row behind us and screaming "Yeeeaaaaah!!!", but to be honest the next four minutes remain a blur. "Hard to Imagine". I was hearing it! I was actually hearing it! It was also during "Hard to Imagine" that hissy fit lady in front of us got up, grabbed her husband by the arm and stormed out of the venue...but it didn't matter: the song was building to its climax, Mike was chiming in with a gorgeous guitar solo, my entire being was spinning--this was to all intents and purposes the culmination of my life as a Pearl Jam fan. In one fell swoop, the London show shot up the list of my all-time favourite concerts. "Hard to Imagine". Wow.

From there, nothing else mattered--even though the band followed it up with "Alive", just the absolutely perfect 1-2 combination to end the first encore. The second encore, meanwhile, featured Stone Gossard's already-legendary "what I really wanna do is dance!" routine, which I won't recount here for fear of trivializing it; honestly, you had to be there (not even the bootleg can possibly do it justice). We were in totally uncharted territory here--at this point, anytime seemed possible. "Rockin' in the Free World" brought the show to its delirious climax, the audience erupted, the band waved goodbye and they were off. It was around this point that the blood started flowing again.

Outside the venue, there was the same sort of triumphant, post-show feeling as there was in Buffalo in 2003. Plans to meet up with my cousins fell through, and Bri, Sherkin and I drove back to Toronto in a kind of daze. We'd just witnessed an historical Pearl Jam performance. We knew it--and what's more, we think the band knew it, too. The London gig had the same sort of free-spirited vibe as the State College show did, and while it wasn't dragged out to three-and-a-half hours in length it was nonetheless a showcase for what this band, on its best nights, is capable of producing. And we still had one more night to go before we--and they--got to rest.

Review #2: Kitchener

2005-09-21T23:02:00.000-04:00

I still haven't given up on writing a Thunder Bay review. I promise you that it's coming; I'll try and get it out around the same time as Guns N' Roses releases Chinese Democracy. In the meantime, here are three capsule reviews from Pearl Jam's three Southwestern Ontario shows. First up: Kitchener!

Kitchener
Let the record reflect that I was already exhausted by the time of the Kitchener concert--the first of three consecutive shows in three different cities. Tonight's Pearl Jam virgin was my buddy Dan, he of the Chris Martin complex (who also happens to front a very good up-and-coming band called Linehaul), who used to live at Le Stoppe on Brock Street along with two crazy Pearl Jam fans. After stopping off in Forest Hill to pick up Eric Sherkin, it was off to Mennonite Country for yet another Pearl Jam concert in an intimate venue.

Said venue, the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium, felt more like a community centre than a hockey rink...like, seriously, imagine your local neighbourhood community centre, drop a 6,500-seat arena in the middle of it and you've got the Kitchener venue. Our seats were about twenty rows away from the stage--not bad, considering the massive TenClub contingent who were in attendance. Ed opened the show with a standard issue "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away", the introduced Sleater-Kinney. I'd actually forgotten that Sleater-Kinney was joining the tour until the previous day in Thunder Bay, when--in WalMart, of all places--it suddenly hit me: "I'm seeing Sleater-Kinney tomorrow, too!" Not surprisingly, their set ruled...honestly, I wish more people could be introduced to this incredible band.

Pearl Jam, meanwhile, were playing their first gig on 9/11 since their legendary Madison Square Garden show of 1998, the Queen's University frosh week concert of 1999 (IME/WMM) and the 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. For some reason, these various factors led people to believe that "Long Road" would open the show. I'd written individual blog entries on how badly I wanted to hear "Long Road" open in Thunder Bay; when that failed to materialize, I assumed the predictions were accurate. Sure enough, Pearl Jam opened their set with the most glorious version of "Long Road" I've ever heard, Ed's voice surging joyously with the final chorus. From there, it was off into one of the most intense sets I've ever seen Pearl Jam perform--tight, sharp and hard-hitting, my blood was literally pumping extra hard when the band concluded with (appropriately) "Blood". Dan-o, meanwhile, was bringing the rock in a manner consistent with his rock star good looks...I mean, when a PJ newbie is singing along to "Long Road" you know you've got a special sort of project on the go.

Alas, the show sputtered to a halt with the acoustic set. Let it be known that I've been suspicious of these little interludes since they were introduced last year...I mean sure, they let Pearl Jam experiement with songs that might not otherwise make the set, but they also effectively bring the energy level way down. Such was the case this evening: despite a couple solo ukelele songs from Ed (including "Can't Keep", a first for me), Pearl Jam plodded through "Small Town", "Daughter" and "Black" one after the other with all the inspiration of an accouting convention, which essentially negated the massive momentum they'd generated earlier on in the night. For that reason, I was slightly annoyed from that point forward; I was put off enough that I didn't really enjoy "Baba O'Riley", which to me felt perfunctory and not genuinely anarchic (see: Buffalo or Toronto '03). Sure, "Ledbetter" was a nice closing song--but I felt as though, with the Kitchener gig, Pearl Jam had been on the verge of something truly special, and that they took the foot off the pedal at the exact moment where they should have been throttling down. The set was predicting it; the audience was demanding it; and Pearl Jam are more than capable of delivering it. Instead, the show was merely satisfactory. Luckily for me, there was still lots of time to make amends.

It Was Broughten!

2005-09-20T00:51:00.000-04:00

Tonight, for the second time in three days, I was privy to a duet between Eddie Vedder and Bono--this time on "Rockin' in the Free World". Thus concludes my own personal Canadian tour--seven shows, eleven days and one tired kid. I'll have more--much, much more--to say tomorrow; in the meantime, I've got to sleep.

Setting the Stage

2005-09-19T15:44:00.000-04:00

Pearl Jam has been giving us some ridiculous setlists so far on this Canadian tour. Take Ottawa, for instance: the band opened with "Wash", then played "Go", "Hail, Hail", "Animal", "Brain of J.", "Corduroy", "Immortality", "In Hiding", "Don't Gimme No Lip" (live debut!) and "Even Flow" in rapid succession. The show was already a classic by the tenth song! Tonight, I'm expecting nothing less...and this article over at Billboard is doing nothing to lessen the anticipation (check out the second-last paragraph). For one last time, here's what I be predicting:

Pre-Set: "Driftin'" (a man can hope, can't he?)
Opener: "Long Road"
Set Closer: "Rearviewmirror"
Show Closer: "Yellow Ledbetter"
Surprises: "Hard to Imagine", "Harvest Moon" (which can hardly be considered a surprise at this point...)
Covers: "Baba O'Riley" has been played at the past two Toronto shows...what's one more?
"Jeremy", yes or no: no
U2, yes or no: no (although I'd love to think so...imagine Bono and Eddie singing a duet on "Fortunate Son"?)

In four-and-a-half hours, we'll know the answers.

DAY 12: Toronto

2005-09-19T09:02:00.000-04:00

...and so it ends back where it all started almost two weeks ago: in Toronto, where I'm seeing my seventh and final Pearl Jam concert later this evening. I saw Pearl Jam at the Air Canada Centre back in 2000; at the time I claimed it was the greatest concert I've ever seen, due largely to the cover of "Baba O'Riley" that ended the first encore, but since then I've reappraised. Tonight's show is completely sold out...I mean, at one point they were selling folding chairs up in the press box, and now even those are gone. So the audience should be jacked. I think a lot of people are bringing their own, personal "mini tours" to an end with this one--this bodes well for the energy level inside the room.

In the meantime, Bri and I are thinking about doing a "tour of Toronto" later today...y'know, because this is what dorks do. Check back later!

DAY 11: Toronto

2005-09-18T23:52:00.000-04:00

Alright: so I promised a whole slew of show reviews this afternoon, but failed to take into account the fact that our internet would go down and stay down for the rest of the day. For that, I apologize--for once, it wasn't simply a matter of me being lazy. Tomorrow is the twelfth and final day of my Pearl Jam adventure...which means I'll be arriving at the Air Canada Centre at around two o'clock to pick up my tickets, then be returning for doors in order to get my hands on a poster. Then it's one last night in holy communion with PJ before signing off for yet another tour (this has been the fifth individual tour in which I've seen the band). This being the biggest gig of the tour, I'm expecting nothing less than a jaw-dropping show tomorrow night.

DAYS 9 & 10: Toronto

2005-09-18T09:50:00.000-04:00

For the first time since two weeks ago, I'll be spending consecutive evenings in the same city...and I couldn't be happier. This road trip has seriously taken it out of me; I was reasonably tired after the second Pearl Jam concert, so I'm actually a little bit surprised that I'm a, still alive; b, reasonably coherent; and c, not totally put off Pearl Jam's music for the next six months. In fact, I can't wait til tomorrow night at the Air Canada Centre...and yes, I'm currently trying to find a good reason not to go to the Quebec City show on Tuesday as well. (Actually, here's one: I'm broke. But that's never stopped me before.)

Anyway. Yesterday's photo blitz documented the second "travel" leg of the tour, which took me to Montreal and Ottawa, dropped me into the living rooms of my cousin Cameron (Montreal) and my newly domesticated friends Jon and Lindsay (Ottawa) and locked me and Eric Sherkin into the same car for something like eleven hours out of forty-eight. I've still got a bunch of reviews to write, some actual traveller's notes from Montreal (seriously, I need to spend more time in that city--I can't believe I had such immediate access when I was living in Kingston and didn't make better use of it) and a few general wrap-up points. In fact, since today is an in-front-of-the-TV day, I might even get around to doing some of these things...we shall see.

OH. MY. GOD.

2005-09-18T00:05:00.000-04:00

(And no, this isn't my reaction to having spent two-and-a-half hours in the presence of Him.)

Let's say you're me. You've spent the past eight days seeing Pearl Jam six times in six different cities--so tonight, it's time for a change of pace: U2's fourth and final show at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. Let's say that, following "Where the Streets Have No Name", Bono thanks Eddie Vedder for contributing to the Make Poverty History campaign--then casually mentions that he's in the attendance. Then let's say that U2 plays "One", then keeps noodling on the final riff while Bono starts singing--of all things--"Ol' Man River", from the 1927 Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein II musical Show Boat.

Then let's say Eddie Vedder walks on stage and joins him.

No, I am not making this up: this really happened tonight at the Air Canada Centre. Eddie Vedder and Bono sang a duet on "Ol' Man River". Just an utterly surreal moment...seriously, not even Eddie's presence in the house this evening could have prepared me for what I saw. I'll write a full review tomorrow; in the meantime, I figured I should throw out this particularly juicy bone.

Pictures from Ottawa

2005-09-17T18:10:00.000-04:00

We followed this Ferrari Spider into downtown Ottawa...and yes, I felt obligated to take a picture.

2005-09-17T18:09:00.000-04:00

"Don't waste your film." -- Random passer-by, while I was lining up this shot.

2005-09-17T18:08:00.001-04:00

The Corel Centre in Kanata, ON, where the Maple Leafs do awful things to the Senators come playoff time.

2005-09-17T18:08:00.000-04:00

Sleater-Kinney, with the fabulous Ms. Corin Tucker in the spotlight.

2005-09-17T18:07:00.000-04:00

You should have seen her rocking out...seriously, this made my rock out during "Baba O'Riley" at Toronto 2000 look utterly pedestrian by comparison.

2005-09-17T18:06:00.001-04:00

If this falls...we die. Horribly.

2005-09-17T18:06:00.000-04:00

Ottawa, Eddie Vedder; Eddie Vedder, Ottawa.

2005-09-17T18:05:00.000-04:00

"Darkness!"

2005-09-17T18:04:00.001-04:00

"Green Disease"

2005-09-17T18:04:00.000-04:00

"Insignificance" (Sherkin, this is what you missed)

2005-09-17T18:02:00.000-04:00

Ed under the spotlight.

2005-09-17T18:00:00.000-04:00

A sight for sore eyes.

2005-09-17T17:59:00.000-04:00

Domesticated Jon: a picture twenty-five years in the making.

2005-09-17T17:58:00.000-04:00

The picture of domestic bliss.

Pictures from Montreal

2005-09-17T17:54:00.000-04:00

Sherkin, Sherkin's friend Carly and Cameron before the concert at a sports bar across from the Bell Centre.

2005-09-17T17:53:00.000-04:00

Le Centre Bell...or the Molson Centre, or whatever.

2005-09-17T17:52:00.001-04:00

If this falls...we die. Horribly.

2005-09-17T17:52:00.000-04:00

Sleater-Kinney...yes, I actually have been seeing them.

2005-09-17T17:51:00.000-04:00

"I Believe in Miracles". This show took place a year after Johnny Ramone's death.

2005-09-17T17:50:00.001-04:00

Arms raised, but not in a "v".

2005-09-17T17:50:00.000-04:00

Unknown song...but look at how cool this picture is!

2005-09-17T17:48:00.000-04:00

"Last Kiss"

2005-09-17T17:47:00.000-04:00

I'm getting better.

2005-09-17T17:46:00.001-04:00

"Black"

2005-09-17T17:46:00.000-04:00

Note the topless fat man with the Rangers jersey. (This was during "Yellow Ledbetter", by the way, but I feel as though the identity of the song is irrelevant.)

2005-09-17T17:45:00.000-04:00

Sherkin and Cameron post concert.

2005-09-17T17:31:00.000-04:00

I miss student living.

2005-09-17T17:30:00.000-04:00

The view from Cameron's back porch...seriously, how much do I love this city?

Ottawa Setlist

2005-09-17T09:33:00.000-04:00

Clearly, this past week of rock n' roll fantasy camp has taken its toll on me: I just finished gushing over the brilliant Ottawa setlist and didn't even think to write it down. Here it is, with songs I'd never heard live before in bold and songs never played live before in bold and italics:

Ed solo, before Sleater-Kinney: Last Kiss
set: Wash, Go, Hail Hail, Animal, Brain of J, Corduroy, Immortality, In Hiding, Don't Gimme No Lip, Even Flow, Green Disease, Insignificance, I Got Shit, Jeremy, Black, Better Man/(Save it for Later), Rearviewmirror
1st encore: Bee Girl (Ed and Jeff), I Believe in Miracles, Sleight of Hand, Small Town, Crazy Mary, Alive
2nd encore: Given to Fly, Not for You/(Modern Girl), Daughter (no tag), Harvest Moon (with Sleater-Kinney), Fortunate Son (with S-K), Rockin' in the Free World (with S-K), Yellow Ledbetter

U2 is going to have to work mighty, mighty hard to scale the peaks that Pearl Jam is hitting regularly on this Canadian tour...just an astounding performance thus far, with more still to come.

Whoa...

2005-09-17T08:53:00.000-04:00

Where the hell did that come from? Last night I heard an incredible four--count 'em, four--songs I'd never heard live before: "Wash" (opener!), "Bee Girl", "Don't Gimme No Lip" (live debut!) and "In Hiding" (a top-five request of mine ever since the Yield tour). Plus, we got "Immortality", "Brain of J", "Sleight of Hand"...I mean, it was nothing if not an amazing setlist last night. Great performance, too, replete with one of the best Ed Ved political raps ever. More on this later today, when I get back to the T-Dot. I realized last night that I'd spent seven nights in seven different places: Thunder Bay, Kitchener, London, Hamilton, Toronto, Montreal and now Ottawa. Just an incredible week; I'll have a photo update later this afternoon.

DAY 9: Montreal-Ottawa

2005-09-16T10:51:00.000-04:00

I'm in Montreal, still basking in the glow of hearing Eddie Vedder cover not one, but two Cat Stevens songs. Good show last night, although somewhat subdued...which is strange, because the audience was lit. Heading to Ottawa tonight of show #6, then back to Toronto to converse with Bono's ego. More later.

DAY 8: Montreal

2005-09-15T09:16:00.000-04:00

...and so it resumes in the happiest city on earth: Montreal, Quebec, site of the legendary 2003/04 Walkhome Exec road trip, mine and Margaret Greenberg's abortive attempt at seeing Rent during the summer of 2004 and the Mike Deans night of January 2000. Sherkin and I are driving up this morning, seeing Pearl Jam this evening and committing various and sundry acts of debauchery later that same night. Pearl Jam's 2003 concert in Montreal was one of the underrated shows of the Riot Act tour, and the Bell Centre is potentially the loudest arena I've ever visited with the exception of Madison Square Garden. Those two facts, combined with Montreal's well-earned reputation as a kick-ass city, means tonight should be a great, great concert.

Also, I know I promised concert reviews, but I ended up getting bogged down in unrelated matters. I'll try posting a review of tonight's show as soon as we get back to my cousin's place; unfortunately, by that time we might be physically and mentally impaired to the extent that reviewing a concert would be utterly futile. More later.

DAY 7: Toronto!

2005-09-14T16:57:00.000-04:00

That's right: I'm actually home for a day. And while I'd initially planned on spending it at the Rogers Centre watching the Toronto Blue Jays play the Boston Red Sox, a combination of fatigue, bad weather, the spectre of fighting U2 traffic and a recent lack of quality time with my BHBHGGFBJ (who, incidentally, actually came to the Hamilton show last night, even though she knew she wouldn't be sitting with me...her and her housemate and her housemate's girlfriend got scalpers' tickets for $40 a pop) made me decide to stay home, instead. It's a nice change.

Some bummer news: the Ear to the Ground festival, which was to feature Sleater-Kinney and a slew of other cool bands, has been cancelled. After missing two-thirds of Sleater-Kinney's set last night I decided to definitely attend Ear to the Ground; its cancellation means I'll get to spend all day Sunday watching football, but I'd have rather spent it communing with Mlles. Tucker et al. This is a sad day for the Toronto music scene...honestly, if something as cool as Ear to the Ground can't take off in Canada's biggest city then I don't know what to think anymore.

I'm going to fire off a few capsule reviews of this weekend's shows--and yes, that includes Thunder Bay as well, because I've essentially given up trying to properly articulate what that show did to me. London will be a challenge, as well...I mean, as far as I'm concerned the show began and ended with "Hard to Imagine", so it'll be difficult to give a proper summation of what else went on. But I'll try.

Updating Blitz #1

2005-09-14T13:04:00.000-04:00

After a well-earned eight-and-a-half hour sleep, I've got the first of at least two major updates for y'all to vibe with. The following are pictures from Kitchener, London and Hamilton. You'll notice that there aren't many pictures of the actual concerts...I mean, I'd rate Sleater-Kinney as one of my ten favourite bands in the world, and yet they aren't featured in a single picture up on Touring Steve 2005 (well, except as Pearl Jam's back-up singers). There are two reasons for this. One, I don't like taking pictures during shows--I like rocking out. Two, I can't figure out which setting(s) to use in order to capture what's happening. Can anybody lend a hand? Right now everything is either turning out really blurry or really dark. I need sharp, focussed lighting! Anyway--enjoy.

Pictures from Hamilton

2005-09-14T12:59:00.000-04:00

One of the most famous goals in Canadian hockey history was scored in this building.

2005-09-14T12:58:00.000-04:00

You can see this one! Mike is hiding behind the Vedderman; couldn't tell you which song is being played.

2005-09-14T12:57:00.000-04:00

You can see this one, too--I think this was "Daughter".

2005-09-14T12:55:00.000-04:00

This isn't the best picture, but still: when Pearl Jam and Sleater-Kinney are on stage together performing "Harvest Moon", you don't worry if your photos turn out slightly blurry.

2005-09-14T12:52:00.000-04:00

This isn't great, either, but it still gives a sense of what it was like in the audience during "Rockin' in the Free World". You might be able to pick out Corin Tucker stage left; she would later pull on a Team Canada jersey with "#99 - GRETZKY" on the back.

Pictures from London

2005-09-14T12:15:00.000-04:00

The John Labatt Centre. Yes, this is a hockey rink.

2005-09-14T12:14:00.001-04:00

Bri with her new best friend

2005-09-14T12:14:00.000-04:00

Bri and Erin Parker; Parker and I have known each other for over twenty years!

2005-09-14T12:12:00.000-04:00

Indifference is sexy...unless you're like me, and you're fucking ugly.

2005-09-14T12:10:00.000-04:00

Our seats inside the John Labatt Centre. God bless the TenClub.

2005-09-14T12:05:00.000-04:00

A concert shot! And you can see it! This was "Rockin' in the Free World".

Pictures from Kitchener

2005-09-14T11:24:00.000-04:00

The Kitchener Memorial Auditorium. It looks and feels a lot like a community centre.

2005-09-14T11:22:00.000-04:00

Dan with Sherkin, prior to Dan losing his Pearl Jam virginity.

2005-09-14T11:21:00.000-04:00

Sherkin and I. This was our eighth time seeing the same Pearl Jam concert; we have yet to sit together.

2005-09-14T11:20:00.000-04:00

An actual advertisement inside the venue...aren't those Germans hilarious?

2005-09-14T11:19:00.000-04:00

Ed performing "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" to, among others, a Duke basketball fan. This is the only picture of the actual concert that came even close to turning out.

Say What??

2005-09-14T01:47:00.000-04:00

My sixteenth Pearl Jam concert is in the bag, and it wasn't without incident. Consider, for instance...

"Sad" and "U", neither of which I'd ever heard live before, being played back-to-back neaer the top of the set;
"Porch" as an opener;
No "Even Flow" (only the second time I've ever seen a Pearl Jam concert in which it didn't make an appearance);
Corin Tucker sharing vocal duties on "Rockin' in the Free World" while wearing an oversized Wayne Gretzky Team Canada jersey; and
Pearl Jam and Sleater-Kinney appearing together as the world's greatest ever wedding band (with the members of Pearl Jam decked out in tuxedos) and singing "Harvest Moon" by Neil Young for a friend of Ed's (in case you think I'm making this up, let me assure you: it's far too weird to make up).

All of these things and more happened tonight at Copps Colisum (site, incidentally, of Mario Lemieux's legendary goal in the 1987 Canada Cup). Full review to come tomorrow, along with a massive update including pictures, reviews and reflections. Ole!

Oh! And tonight's setlists (we missed the pre-set and most of Sleater-Kinney because of ridiculous traffic conditions...and yes, the knowledge that Ed played "Throw Your Arms Around Me" upsets me greatly--since, y'know, we missed it):

set: Porch, Save You, Spin the Black Circle, Animal, Given to Fly, Sad, U, Corduroy, 1/2 Full, Daughter/(I Believe in Miracles), Lukin, Insignificance, Present Tense, Untitled/MFC, Jeremy, Better Man, Rearviewmirror
1st encore: Thumbing My Way, I Am Mine, Harvest Moon, Black, Alive
2nd encore: Last Exit, Go, In My Tree, Small Town, Indifference, Rockin' in the Free World, Yellow Ledbetter
Sleater-Kinney's set: ...Rollercoaster, Let's Call it Love, Entertain (so mad we missed most of their set)

Setlists

2005-09-13T16:14:00.000-04:00

I just realized something: I've been forgetting to post setlists. The setlist dork in me is shocked and disturbed by this trend, and so I'll make it up starting...now (with "holy shit!" moments in bold):

Thunder Bay
Ed solo, before Supersuckers: You've Got to Hide Your Love Away
set: Present Tense, Corduroy, Save You, Animal, Given to Fly, Cropduster, Even Flow, Small Town, Light Years, Lukin, State of Love and Trust, Down, Driven to Tears, Jeremy, Breakerfall, Porch
1st encore: Nothingman, I Am Mine, Black, Alive
2nd encore: Last Kiss, Rockin' in the Free World, Yellow Ledbetter
brief notes: Both Ed and Mike joined the Supersuckers on-stage, Mike with a cover of "Cowboy Song" by Thin Lizzy, Ed on "Poor Girl" and "I Believe in Miracles" (during which he pulled a fan wearing a Ramones t-shirt out of the crowd to lend a hand with back-up vocals, before Ed jumped on his back and piggybacked around the stage while singing). "Present Tense" is a shock opener, but the rest of the set is fairly standard; in fact, this was the first Pearl Jam concert I ever saw where I heard zero songs I'd never heard live before. Also, from where we were sitting (seventh row floors) the crowd seemed quiet; the band seemed to recognize that this wasn't a "Pearl Jam crowd" per se, and responded with a bunch of radio hits (including a "Last Kiss" in which Eddie scaled the seats behind the stage and sang facing the entire audience--way cool, by the way). "RitFW" was utter chaos, with the Supersuckers joining Pearl Jam on stage and Eddie Spaghetti's young son Quattro helping up with flashing devil horns and "yeah!"s screamed into a microphone. Empirically, this probably isn't even a top ten show; subjectively, it was the most special concert I'll ever attend.

London
Ed solo, before Sleater-Kinney: Growin' Up
set: Oceans, Breakerfall, Corduroy, Hail Hail, Animal, Glorified G, Black Red Yellow, In My Tree, Better Man, You Are, Not for You, Jeremy, Wishlist, Even Flow, Bleed for Me, Rearviewmirror
1st encore: Nothing As It Seems, Off He Goes, Hard to Imagine, Alive
2nd encore: Go, Grievance, Small Town, State of Love and Trust, Smile, Rockin' in the Free World
brief notes: "Growin' Up" is a Bruce Springsteen song (from Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ). Lots of surprises tonight, none greater than "Hard to Imagine" (although "Black Red Yellow" came close...too bad it's just not that great a song). The band was more into tonight's performance than I think I've ever seen them...I mean, Mike did about eight splits during "Not for You" alone! "Tree" gets a second straight outing in the 519, while "Better Man" features what sounds like "Modern Girl" by Sleater-Kinney as a tag. Searing versions of "Bleed for Me" and "Rearviewmirror". The second encore had a very State College, "where do we go now?" vibe, and featured an hysterical moment in which Stone, clad in plaid pants, did the phunkiest butts-wigglin' dance you've ever seen with Matt and Jeff providing accompaniment. Incredible show...just incredible.
Sleater Kinney's set: The Fox, Wilderness, Step Aside, Modern Girl, Rollercoaster, Jumpers, Sympathy, Let's Call it Love, Entertain

DAY 6: Hamilton; London Cliff Notes/Hamilton Pre-Game

2005-09-13T09:10:00.000-04:00

For the record, I am utterly exhausted. I was tired before Sunday, when this three-night trek around Southwestern Ontario began; now, after the second of three concerts, I'm actually starting to question the sanity of this entire operation. Still, the rock 'n' roll gods demand total commitment; when they receive it, they deliver things such as London 2005.

Seriously, how good was last night's concert? How can a show in which "Black Red Yellow" is not the biggest rarity be held up against the competition? How can I personally try to write about a concert in which "Hard to Imagine" was followed up with "Alive"? Just an incredible night in London, made even better by virtue of Bri being there for her first-ever Pearl Jam live experience. It's quite a way to get started.

So: Hamilton tonight, and another Pearl Jam virginity is being taken (Heather Johnson, a.k.a. "Hojo"). I've got class in an hour--still no decision--and so this entry is a bit rushed...but tonight I'm calling "Release" for sure (we got "Oceans" last night, to our total and utter shock), and beyond that I'm in absolutely no position to say. Last night Pearl Jam delivered the kind of show which few bands are capable of equalling; when it features two bona fide rarities, a slew of underutilized and unequivocally awesome album tracks and the best version of "Rearviewmirror" I've ever heard, making predictions for what's to come next seems futile.

Hard to Imagine

2005-09-13T05:50:00.000-04:00

Last night in London I finally, finally heard "Hard to Imagine" live, and in the process experienced rock 'n' roll nirvana. More tomorrow; in the meantime, having slept two hours in the past forty-three and with a BHBHGGF almost as tired as I am, there's bed to attend to.

DAY 5: London; Kitchener Cliff Notes/London Pre-Game

2005-09-12T17:31:00.000-04:00

First of all: fuck, I'm tired--seriously, getting two hours' sleep is way overrated. Second of all, I still haven't made a final decision regarding teacher's college; I'll keep you all posted. And third of all, it's almost that time again--time to hit the long road and journey to yet another Pearl Jam show, #3 of this Canadian tour and the second of three in a row. Kitchener will be hard to top from an energy point-of-view, but the silly acoustic first encore at least allows the possibility that London might top it. (Seriously, why is Pearl Jam insisting on doing an acoustic set? It totally saps the show of its energy; yes, they're also pulling out some really obscure stuff, but wouldn't it be just as effective played electric?) A few predictions: "Release" to open, "Ledbetter" to close (it's been played at all but two of the Canadian shows so far), and either "Hard to Imagine" or "Footsteps" to utterly blow my mind.

I'll write actual reviews of the first four shows on Wednesday, when my life hits a brief, yet very welcomed lull. As far as Kitchener goes, the least you need to know is that the set was stupifying, the "Small Town" / "Daughter" / "Black" trio as trite as live Pearl Jam gets (which isn't saying much, but still), hearing "Baba" will never grow tired and--above all--Matt Cameron utterly owned the show. If you've ever wanted to hear rock drumming at its undisputed peak, order the bootleg...seriously, it was jaw-dropping stuff. With that, I'm off! More later tonight, or first thing tomorrow.

Kitchener Setlist

2005-09-12T04:23:00.000-04:00

I'm going from memory here, so this might not be quite accurate. I'll try and fire off a review tomorrow; however, since I'm currently scheduled to spend eight hours in class (realistically I'll make five) I might have to bump it back to Tuesday. I'd assume I'll have withdrawn from teacher's college by then.

Pearl Jam:
Ed solo, before Sleater-Kinney: You've Got to Hide Your Love Away
set: LONG ROAD, Last Exit, Animal, Do the Evolution, Given to Fly, Love Boat Captain, Corduroy, Insignificance, Gimme Some Truth, Faithfull, Jeremy, Even Flow, Leatherman, Habit, Blood (missing two, I think)
1st encore: Soon Forget (aborted), Can't Keep, Small Town, Daughter/(W.M.A.), Black, Alive
2nd encore: In My Tree, Indifference, Better Man, Baba O'Riley, Yellow Ledbetter

Sleater-Kinney:
set: The Fox, Wilderness, Jumpers, Modern Girl, What's Mine is Yours, Rollercoaster, Oh!, Let's Call it Love, Entertain (should be complete)

Just an absolute piledriver of a show tonight; the set proper might rank as the most intent Pearl Jam set I've ever witnessed (I kept turning to Dan and going "Wow! WOW!"), but I wish they'd have canned the acoustic interlude tonight--this was a show that demanded high energy songs, and I'm not so sure that the relentless pace needed to be slowed. Still, you can't argue with any playing of "Baba O'Riley", especially when the audience is so loud it forces the band to stick around for one more.

DAY 4: Kitchener

2005-09-11T13:31:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure I've actually recovered well enough from Friday night's Thunder Bay show (review forthcoming...promise! I've even started a draft!) to make it through another Pearl Jam concert tonight...but this, alas, is the price you pay for rock 'n' roll immortality. Tonight, Pearl Jam rocks Mennonite Country in a venue whose forthcoming events include, among other things, Oktoberfest at the Aud and a three-day long German shepherd dog show. On a semi-related notes, you ever have one of those "damn, I wish I had a camera!" moments? I had one yesterday up in Thunder Bay when Heppler and I happened across the biggest, baddest Dodge truck y'all have ever laid eyes on--and it was in the parking lot of Wal-Mart. Just the ultimate Thunder Bay shot...honestly, not even my infamous "Awesome Kong" picture from the summer of 2000 is as good as this picture I didn't end up getting.

Returning to Thunder Bay is still a surreal experience for me; throwing a Pearl Jam concert into the mix merely exacerbated it. In a way, it'll be nice getting back to the regularly scheduled Pearl Jam experience: in anonymous arenas in cities with virtually no connection to me whatsoever. In that regard, Kitchener seems like as good a place as any to start. More to follow.

Kitchener Pre-Game

2005-09-11T02:53:00.000-04:00

Eventually, I'll write what promises to be a rambling, incoherent review of last night's Thunder Bay concert. I scribbled a few nights on the flight home this evening, the upshot of which is as follows: I can't describe what I experienced. Seriously. On an empirical basis, it wouldn't even crack the top five Pearl Jam concerts I've ever seen; subjectively, however, it was above and beyond any concert-going experience I've ever had. My notes say something along the lines of, "I might eventually witness another Buffalo '03; I will never have another Thunder Bay '05." That, I think, sums it up better than anything else: last night's show was simply once-in-a-lifetime.

For that reason, writing about it will prove as elusive as...well, hearing "Hard to Imagine" live, for instance. So until that time, here are a few random notes on tomorrow night's Kitchener show--staged, as last night's gig was, in an intimate venue (c5,000 seats, give or take):

Tomorrow is September 11. Pearl Jam has never played on September 11 since...uh, September 11; its previous 9/11 gig was the legendary MSG 2 show in 1998, where "Breath" was pulled out for the first time in four years and Eddie wound up hanging over the stage from his microphone chord. No telling what this could eventually mean.
Predicted Opener: "Long Road" (still hasn't opened a show yet, for what it's worth), although "Love Boat Captain" has obvious thematic relevance
What I'd Like to Hear Open: "Long Road"
Predicted Closer: "Rockin' in the Free World" (again, seems relevant...more relevant than, for instance, "Why do I keep fucking up?")
What I'd Like to Hear Close: "I've Got a Feeling" (oh, why not?)
Five Songs I'd Love to Hear: "Footsteps", "In Hiding", "Tremor Christ", "Hard to Imagine", "Insignificance"

Also, tomorrow will be Dan Sundy's first-ever Pearl Jam show. I'm proud to say that I'm slaying a grand total of seven Pearl Jam virgins in 2005. Last night was Brad Jorgensen's turn; tomorrow it will be Dan's turn, and Monday night my BHBHGGFBJ loses her Pearl Jam virginity, as well. Trust me to insinuate that taking people to see Pearl Jam is somehow equated to sexual virility.

Pictures from Thunder Bay

2005-09-11T02:29:00.000-04:00

I didn't know where to draw the line when it came to posting my pictures from the weekend that was--so I went completely overboard. Enjoy!

The Fort William Gardens' marquee. For some reason, seeing this sign didn't quite convince me that this was actually happening.

2005-09-11T02:26:00.000-04:00

Seeing the tour trucks, I think, is what made me realize it was actually was.

2005-09-11T02:22:00.000-04:00

Ever wonder what Seth Cohen would look like after scoring seventh row tickets to a Death Cab for Cutie concert in his hometown? Well, now you know.

2005-09-11T02:20:00.000-04:00

For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)

2005-09-11T02:19:00.001-04:00

Me, fighting the heathens.

2005-09-11T02:19:00.000-04:00

Guess who took the shot.

2005-09-11T02:18:00.001-04:00

Stone!

2005-09-11T02:18:00.000-04:00

"This is your hometown..."

2005-09-11T02:17:00.000-04:00

Heather and Jay post-Pearl Jam

2005-09-11T02:16:00.000-04:00

Kristy and Kim

2005-09-11T02:15:00.000-04:00

The next day, flying home. One of the most breathtaking sights I've ever seen...seriously, not even this picture can convey how beautiful a sunset it was.

2005-09-11T02:11:00.000-04:00

'Nuff said.

DAY 3: Thunder Bay-Toronto

2005-09-10T19:25:00.000-04:00

Still recovering from last night's bonanza at the Fort William Gardens. I'll be back with a much more comprehensive breakdown later tonight, once I'm no longer hogging other people's internet minutes. For the time being, four words: "Present Tense" as opener. Be back after the flight.

DAY 2: Thunder Bay

2005-09-09T20:39:00.000-04:00

IT. IS. HERE. And because I'm about five minutes away from leaving, this update will be necessarily short.

Today, Pearl Jam is playing Thunder Bay. Like, for real: I've been to the venue, I've seen the trucks and I've got a pair of seventh row seats with my name on them. I'd have written a longer pregame, but having lacked internet access until five minutes ago it wasn't possible. With that...

THUNDER BAY PREGAME (and bear in mind, I'm in blackout mode--these could be WAAAY out)
-- Predicted Opener: "Small Town"
-- What I'd Like to Open: "Long Road" (duh), "Small Town", "Sometimes" (opened the first Pearl Jam show I ever saw)
-- Predicted Closer: "Yellow Ledbetter"
-- What I'd Like to Close: "Baba O'Riley", followed by "Yellow Ledbetter"
-- The One Song I'd Expect to Hear: "Small Town"
-- Five Songs I'd Kill to Hear: "Long Road", "Hard to Imagine", "Jeremy" (I have my reasons), "In Hiding", "Tremor Christ" (only song off Vitalogy I haven't heard live)

...and that's it. I'm off! In two hours I'll be in the midst of the strangest concert going experience of my life--and later today, you'll be the first to hear what it was like.

DAY 1: Toronto-Thunder Bay

2005-09-09T20:38:00.000-04:00

In short: it came, it went...and at least one of the stories is a candidate for "top five stories of 2005" status. More later--I'm in rapid update mode.

T-Minus 2, ctd.

2005-09-08T00:00:00.000-04:00

This morning at 11:00am, I finished my master's degree. My essay, all forty-four pages of it, is currently sitting on a living room chair awaiting submission--which, all being well, will take place between 9:30-10am tomorrow. At some point, I'm going to try and put into words just what this means to me--or how it feels, rather. A couple months ago I wrote an entry about post-assignment guilt, that strange sensation you get once you've finished with a major assignment yet haven't had time to make the necessary mental adjustments. Right now, for instance, I feel incredibly guilty for sitting here and not working on my essay; it's going to take a while to get used to the fact that I no longer need to write it.

So. This time tomorrow, I'll be in Thunder Bay--most likely Chez Heppler, watching Randy Moss make his Oakland Raiders debut against the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. This time on Friday, meanwhile, I'll be at the Fort William Gardens seeing Pearl Jam. Again, I have no idea if I'll ever be able to articulate just what this concert will mean to me. I've tried a bunch of times, yet don't feel as though I've succeeded in conveying anything beyond sheer excitement. In the end, maybe it's best that I can't explain it; maybe if I could, it would cheapen the experience. Regardless, in two nights I'll be in the midst of the most surreal concertgoing experience of my life, bar none. Seeing the Tragically Hip play "Grace, Too" in a Toronto club? In a Minneapolis zoo? Hearing "Jungleland" live? Having Wide Mouth Mason dedicate "The Game" to me? Nothing will ever compare.

Tomorrow, this blog will get underway with my first pregame...and yes, in case you're wondering, I intend to write pregame analysis for each of the seven shows I'm seeing. Full-frontal nerdity, that...which is exactly what you'd expect from a blog of mine, isn't it?

T-Minus 3...and, 2

2005-09-07T11:27:00.000-04:00

I'll be finished my major reasearch paper within an hour.

I know, I know: you've heard that one before. ("I know it's already been sung," as it were...and yes, I know I'm a loser.) But for once, I'm actually serious. Last night I fired off draft #7 of 7--overkill, I know, but it's what I do--and made a list of five or six points to address. As of 8:30 this morning I've finished looking at three of them; within an hour I'll be finished with the rest of them, and my master's degree will be officially in the books...exactly 359 days after I sauntered into Sidney Smith Hall for my first HIS 1997 class last fall.

Which gives me virtually no time to prep for teacher's college: I have orientation first thing Thursday morning. Then, tomorrow night, I'm flying off to Thunder Bay for the start on my Pearl Jam adventure...and yes, in case you're wondering, some serious skippage is going to be necessary in order for me to pull this thing off. But whatever: if you can't round off a year-long degree program by taking one week to follow your favourite band around the country for a while, I don't know what I believe in anymore (and yes, in case you're wondering, there's been some tension at the dinner table as of late). This time tomorrow I'll be somewhere deep inside OISE, almost certainly in the company of my long-lost buddy Duff Jones (SOAR 2003 and 2004, and a red through-and-through)...and twenty-four hours after that I'll be at the Hoito, counting down the seconds until Eddie hits the stage for his preset. In many instances, the anticipation is actually better than the end product, if that makes any sense. Not this time--I want nothing more than for Friday night to be here now.

Another entry later, I hope. Oh, and check out my other blog later tonight as well--I'll have my NFC North preview up, along with a pick-off for Week #1 of the NFL season.

T-Minus 4

2005-09-06T00:40:00.000-04:00

This time Friday, I'll be seeing Pearl Jam at the Fort William Gardens. This time tomorrow, Touring Steve 2005 will be officially up and running as I document my week-and-a-half long adventure following Pearl Jam across Ontario, with a show in Quebec thrown in for good measure. In the meantime, I'll be devoting as much ink (well, "ink") as possible to a band which I've obsessed over since I was seventeen years old, when my parents unsuspectingly allowed me to see Pearl Jam in Minneapolis, MN. The rest, as they say, is history: Friday will be my thirteenth Pearl Jam concert and the first of seven shows I'll be seeing on the band's current sixteen-date Canadian tour.

This blog, then, will be a virtual tour diary to a week-and-a-half of rock 'n' roll fun. I'll be filling it with stories, reviews, setlists, pictures...anything I can think of, really, that will simultaneously convey to you two things: one, just how big of a nerd I am (especially where Pearl Jam is concerned); and two, just how much fun I'm having following my favourite band around my home province. Sure, it doesn't have the cachet of, say, a six-month trip to Australia--but to me, this is without question my once-in-a-lifetime road trip adventure. Hopefully this blog gets that point across.

It all kicks off Friday night in, of all places, Thunder Bay, the city where I was born and raised and lived until I was twenty-one, and where I would never, ever have imagined Pearl Jam playing in a million years. Four nights from now, I'll be on the floor of the Fort William Gardens--a building in which I quite literally grew up, by the way--being proven wrong. If you're as excited to read about it as I am to write about it, then this blog is already off to a pretty good start.

Warm Up Gig: System of a Down

2005-09-02T02:40:00.000-04:00

Okay...so this isn't a "review" per se, at least not yet. The reason: because I'm utterly exhausted, even though my exposure to tonight's pit was limited to a couple songs ("Suggestions" and "Deer Dance") and the occasional peripheral action, notably during the skull-crushing finale. For System of a Down is a band whose music demands active engagement, even if said participation is limited to the occasional balled-fist salute and a low "roar" in the manner of Serj Tankian. Put differently, my legs are giving out on me even while I'm sitting, and as such I feel it's time for bed.

But before I do that, some crib notes:

Bad Acid Trip. Now...okay. If you know me, you'll know I tend to speak in superlatives, so I'll choose my words carefully: Bad Acid Trip is one of the top five worst bands I've ever seen. Seriously, feel free to leave comments naming other, terrible acts I've seen (Paul, you should be particularly adept at this...c'mon, Ether Net?). Few of them will compare.

The Mars Volta. I didn't know what to expect from them, apart from a few excessively long songs--and on that note, they delivered with aplomb. The Mars Volta channels the ghosts of the Fillmore Auditorium to an unerring degree; I've never done LSD, but I can only imagine the effect of seeing the Mars Volta on a bad acid trip (*rimshot*).

System of a Down. Seen 'em once before, on the Toxicity tour back in 2002. I left that show nonplussed; on one hand I was suitably impressed, but on the other I wanted more. I felt as though System of a Down is a band whose live show could move mountains. Certainly their music is powerful enough--yet that night at the Kool Haus, I felt as though the band was simply running through its paces. Tonight, the band's performance felt a lot more spontaneous, even though I'm willing to wager they're playing an identical set night in, night out (which, upon further review, they are). Also, whereas the Kool Haus gig featured an underwhelming sixteen songs, tonight's featured...get ready for it...twenty-eight! That's a Pearl Jam show!

The set, from what I can remember*:

Soldier Side
B.Y.O.B.
Revenga
Know
Needles
Deer Dance
Suggestions
Psycho
Chop Suey!
Kill Rock 'n' Roll
Sad Statue
Violent Pornography
Mr. Jack
Cigaro
This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm On This Song
Bounce
ATWA
Forest
Lost in Hollywood
Question!
War?
Prison Song
Aerials
Toxicity
Science
Suite-Pee
Sugar

(* -- This should be accurate...y'know, seeing as how I copied it straight from the band's official site.)

Huh. All things considered I've written a lot more than I thought I'd be able to produce. Still, I'll be back tomorrow with more extensive comments. Oh, and if I was forced into picking a highlight, it'd be a toss-up between "Mr. Jack" and the opening salvo...yes, "B.Y.O.B." was bloody epic.

Pearl Jam Locker Room Talk

2005-09-01T03:54:00.000-04:00

In one week's time I'll be flying off to Thunder Bay to start my Pearl Jam adventure...and yes, it is becoming very difficult to concentrate on unrelated matter. This build-up to the Canadian tour is bringing out the best in Pearl Jam fans, a group of people who can only be reasonably referred to as utterly insane. Seriously, how someone hasn't made a Trekkies-style movie about Pearl Jam fans is beyond me; the hours I spent in box office queues during the 2003 tour convinced me that the people who follow Pearl Jam around the country (and yes, I count myself among their numbers) deserve their own documentary.

All this pent-up fandom leads to the Pearl Jam fan's equivalent of locker room talk. It usually boils down to bickering about one of two things: membership numbers and shows attended. Honestly, surf on over to the message board at the band's official website and you're pretty much guaranteed to find at least two or three threads bearing titles such as "you know you're a real fan if..." or "what's your TenClub #?" This leads, invariably, to people squbbling about the nature of their relationship with the band, and whether someone who's seen Pearl Jam eight times is a "better" fan than someone who's never seen them at all...if nothing else, it makes for an engrossing read:

Person X: "I've seen Pearl Jam twelve times!"

Person Y: "Oh yeah? Well, I was at MSG II in 1998."

Person X: "Oh yeah?? Well, I was at State College."

Person Y: "So? What's your fan club membership number?"

Poor Talia: yesterday she found herself mediating an MSN discussion between me and a guy from the Jack Johnson forum dealing--naturally--with the number of shows we'd attended. For the record, I'd seen twelve to his six (which will be nineteen to his twelve in two-and-a-half weeks' time). If we were less mature, we'd probably have dropped the middleman and gone straight to a one-on-one pissing contest in which the goal, ultimately, is to prove greater allegiance to the band. Before we know it, someone over at Synergy is actually going to devise a mathematical formula whose answer, invariably, is "I'm a bigger Pearl Jam fan than you are". Because apparently being a fan isn't good enough: you have to be the best fan, with the biggest bootleg collection, the lowest TenClub number and an impressive roster of shows attended. Something to reflect upon as I finish writing a blog entry in which I brag, tacitly, about how big of a fan I am.

An Ode to the Long Road

2005-08-11T13:02:00.000-04:00

In exactly four weeks' time I'll be flying up to Thunder Bay for the start of my latest Pearl Jam adventure--and yes, the anticipation is already killing me. I still can't believe I'm less than a month away from seeing Pearl Jam at the Fort William Gardens; as I've stated here and on my other blog numerous times, if you'd have told me at last year's Boston concerts that the next time I'd be seeing Pearl Jam would be in my hometown I'd have laughed in your face. Back in July, when Bri and I went up to Thunder Bay for my friend Christie's wedding, we stopped off at the Gardens' box office to pick up tickets I'd ordered for my friend Ryan, and while we were there I felt...I don't know if "eerie" is the right word, but I'm also not sure if I can explain how strange it felt to be there. Between now and September 9 I'm going to attempt to properly articulate what this show will mean to me. Or maybe I won't--maybe trying too hard will actually cheapen the experience, which is the absolute last thing I want to do. I want this concert to be meaningful. Intuitively, I know it will be--it's live Pearl Jam, after all--but for me, this is a once in a lifetime event. Am I expecting too much? Possibly--but if you're getting that impression, it should only emphasize how truly excited I am for this show.

And while we're at it...as much as I doubt that members of Pearl Jam are scouring random blogs for setlist requests, if Mssrs. Vedder, etc. are currently reading these pages maybe I humbly request that "Long Road" open the Thunder Bay concert? The general consensus among Pearl Jam fans is that it will open the next show, in Kitchener (9/11)...but from a purely selfish perspective, I can't imagine a more appropriate opener for my hometown concert:

And I wish for so long...cannot stay
All the precious moments...cannot stay
It's not like wings have fallen...cannot stay
But still something's missing...cannot say

Holding hands are daughters and sons
And their faiths are falling down, down, down
I have wished for so long
How I'd wish for you today

We all walk the long road...cannot stay
There's no need to say goodbye

All the friends and family,
All the memories going 'round, 'round, 'round
I have wished for so long,
How I wish for you today.

And the winds are roaring,
And the skies keep turning grey
And the sun is setting,
The sun will rise another day.

I have wished for so long,
How I wish for you today.
I have wished for so long,
How I wish for you today.

"Long Road". Probably my favourite Pearl Jam song of all-time, although "Hard to Imagine" occasionally gives it a run for its money. (Right now, the big difference between the two is that I haven't ever heard "Hard to Imagine" live. So far I've heard "Long Road" twice, in Wantagh and Jones Beach.) But in terms of the Thunder Bay concert, its lyrical significance should be obvious...and for fear of launching into a biographical sketch and subsequently putting even more weight on this one particular show, I think I'll leave it at that.

September 18

2005-08-02T11:40:00.000-04:00

My cross-province rock n' roll extravaganza kicks off in exactly a month and a week...and once again, I've got something to add to the intinerary. At this point it seems I can do no wrong: not only has Sleater-Kinney been announced as one of the opening bands, but they've also confired a second, separate Toronto date on September 18 as part of the inaugural Ear to the Ground festival at Exhibition Place! Ear to the Ground is being advertised as "not just a music festival, but a multi-disciplinary festival featuring music, film, art, theatre, dance and spoken word." Sounds great--count me in! (And by the way, this has Eddie Vedder guest appearance written all over it...not that that's my reason for wanting to go, but it certainly doesn't hurt.)

This, of course, leads to a dilemma: what to do on September 18? I'd originally penciled in the Jays/Yankees game for that afternoon, and depending on the pennant race (i.e., if the Jays are still in it) it clearly takes precedence over everything else. But that said, I'd also be perfectly happy staying home to watch the Vikings/Bengals game...or splurging on tickets to the opening Leaf preseason game against the Ottawa Senators that night at the ACC. To reiterate:

Toronto Blue Jays/New York Yankees at Rogers Centre
Toronto Maple Leafs/Ottawa Senators at the Air Canada Centre
Sleater-Kinney at Ear to the Ground at Exhibition Place
Minnesota Vikings/Cincinatti Bengals from the comfort of my living room

All on the same day...which is saying nothing of the rumours that Pearl Jam is planning a Live @ Much session that evening. Man, I love Toronto.

Itinerary, Updated

2005-07-01T11:57:00.000-04:00

Just in case you think I've come down from this ultramega high that I've been on since learning that Sleater-Kinney would be opening the second half of Pearl Jam's Canadian tour, let me assure you: I have not, and I don't anticipate coming down until somewhere around September 19. If you still haven't picked up your copy of The Woods, what are you waiting for? Until then, here's an updated itinerary for my month of September:

Sept. 1: System of a Down w/the Mars Volta and Bad Acid Trip at the Air Canada Centre, Toronto
Sept. 9: Pearl Jam w/the Supersuckers at the Fort William Gardens, Thunder Bay
Sept. 11: Pearl Jam w/Sleater-Kinney at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium, Kitchener
Sept. 12: Pearl Jam w/Sleater-Kinney at the John Labatt Centre, London
Sept. 13: Pearl Jam w/Sleater-Kinney at Copps Coliseum, Hamilton
Sept. 14: Toronto Blue Jays vs. Boston Red Sox at the Rogers Centre, Toronto
Sept. 15: Pearl Jam w/Sleater-Kinney at the Bell Centre, Montreal
Sept. 16: Pearl Jam w/Sleater-Kinney at the Corel Centre, Ottawa
Sept. 17: U2 at the Air Canada Centre, Toronto
Sept. 18: Toronto Blue Jays vs. New York Yankees at the Rogers Centre, Toronto
Sept. 19: Pearl Jam w/Sleater-Kinney at the Air Canada Centre, Toronto
Sept. 23: Les Miserables at the Princess of Wales Theatre, Toronto
Sept. 26: The Rolling Stones w/Beck at the Rogers Centre, Toronto

Some people travel to exotic places; me, I go to Kitchener and Thunder Bay. Wake me up before September begins.