In Retrospecticus

I've been on a major Pearl Jam kick 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 show and I figured it was a good time to bring Touring Steve 2005 to a rest with a restrospective of 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 25 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 first 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. Where 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:

1. 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 Ten Club site!" to rumours of a gig up in Thunder Bay...which, if you'll recall, I dismissed without a second thought.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. The entire Thunder Bay experience. I couldn't have imagined this happening in a million years.
5. Standing in the Fort William Gardens vestibule and hearing Ed's voice drift out.
6. 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.
7. "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.
8. 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".
9. "Long Road" opening the Kitchener gig on the anniversary of 9/11.
10. The Kitchener set. I was literally breathless by the time it finished.
11. Driving to London with Bri after two hours' sleep and four hours in class - and then, after Bri made 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".
12. "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.) 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.)
13. Stone's dance.
14. "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.)
15. 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.
16. A "Rockin' in the Free World" that made Copps Coliseum shake like it hasn't shaken since Gretzky-to-Lemieux in September 1987.
17. 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 shockingly, we haven't sat together once.
18. 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.)
19. 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.
20. 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.
21. Meeting Domesticated Jon for the first time, then eating Pogos with him and Lindsay. Sometimes, it's the little things you remember.
22. If you'd have told me before the tour began that I'd hear Ed and Bono duet on "Ol' Man River" (from the 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.
23. 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.)
24. 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.
25. 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

I was going to write a whole, elaborate review of the Toronto concert, then decided against it, 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 kind of drivel was published in a major Toronto newspaper, even if it was the Toronto Sun - or that it got me so worked up 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

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 Ten Club 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. McCready making yet another cameo appearance...honestly, is there anything better than Sleater-Kinney and Mike McCready 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 Ten Club 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'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

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. 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.

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

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.

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

If this falls...we die. Horribly.

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

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

U2 in Toronto

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...

...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, band 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

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 Ten Club 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

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 Ten Club contingent who were in attendance. Ed opened the show with a standard issue "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away", then 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!

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

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

...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!