Monday, November 23, 2009

Nov 22 -- HSBC Arena, Buffalo, NY

The last dance......just for a little while. Notice that they didn't choose to end in a very somber mood by playing Blood Brothers. So this was the final show of what has been an EPIC two-year tour. For the first and only time, Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ was played in its entirety. Oh yeah, and happy birthday Stevie!!

1. Wrecking Ball
2. The Ties That Bind
3. Hungry Heart
4. Working On A Dream
5. Blinded By The Light
6. Growin' Up
7. MARY QUEEN OF ARKANSAS
8. Does This Bus Stop At 82nd Street?
9. Lost In The Flood
10. THE ANGEL
11. For You
12. Spirit In The Night
13. It's Hard To Be A Saint In The City
14. Waitin' On A Sunny Day
15. The Promised Land
16. RESTLESS NIGHTS
17. Surprise, Surprise
18. Green Onions (sign collection)
19. MERRY CHRISTMAS BABY (sign request)
20. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (sign request)
21. I DON'T WANNA HANG UP MY ROCK & ROLL SHOES (sign request)
22. Boom Boom (sign request)
23. My Love Will Not Let You Down
24. Long Walk Home
25. The Rising
26. Born To Run
27. Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out

28. I'LL WORK FOR YOUR LOVE
29. Thunder Road
30. American Land
31. Dancing In The Dark
32. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
33. Higher And Higher
34. Rockin' All Over The World

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Europe 2009 Officially Announced

Europe 2009 Officially Announced

My first Dave Matthews Band show (Brixton Academy, Jun 26) and I get an official DVD release!!! Fuck yeah!!!

Nov 20 -- 1st Mariner Arena, Baltimore, MD

1. Wrecking Ball
2. Prove It All Night
3. Hungry Heart
4. Working On A Dream
-------
BORN TO RUN
-------
13. Waitin' On A Sunny Day
14. Spirit In The Night
15. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (sign request)
16. The E Street Shuffle (sign request)
17. For You (Solo Piano)
18. Radio Nowhere (sign request)
19. My Love Will Not Let You Down
20. Long Walk Home
21. The Rising
22. Badlands

23. Ramrod (sign request)
24. Hard Times
25. Land Of Hope And Dreams
26. American Land
27. Dancing In The Dark
28. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
29. Higher And Higher
30. Glory Days

Great News from E Street!!

Even though there's only two shows left to go on this very very long tour, we Springsteen fans still have something to look forward to. While there won't be any new music anytime soon (for a pretty long time, I reckon), there will be the Darkness box set coming out in 2010!! Jon Landau recently told Rolling Stone that it'll contain a new making-of documentary and some live footage. It's unclear whether the live stuff will be a full show or not, but there have been strong rumors going around that it's gonna be. And if it is, it's gonna be FUCKING SICK because we all know how legendary those '78 shows were!!!!

Another release will be a live DVD from the current tour. Again, it's not stated what show(s) it'll be, but most probably it'll be from the 5 night stand at Giants Stadium. What I'm really hoping for are the full album shows, Born To Run, Darkness and Born In The USA, which actually sounds pretty realistic. But if management wants to make us wet our pants, they could also release WIESS and The River shows from Madison Square Garden!!! Then, I don't have to complain about not being able to see Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band live again!!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Nov 18 -- Sommett Center, Nashville, TN

1. Wrecking Ball
2. Seeds
3. Trapped
4. Something In The Night
5. Hungry Heart
6. Working On A Dream
-------
BORN TO RUN
-------
15. Waitin' On A Sunny Day
16. Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town (sign request)
17. Two Hearts (sign request)
18. Darlington County
19. You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)
20. Lonesome Day
21. The Rising
22. Badlands

23. RING OF FIRE (sign request)
24. No Surrender
25. Bobby Jean
26. American Land
27. Dancing In The Dark
28. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
29. Higher And Higher

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

My 1ST PEARL JAM CONCERT REVIEW



Proof that this was the best concert yet I've ever attended in my life: Right now, I'm suffering from severe post-concert depression. It always happens to me; I took quite a long time to recover from the Hyde Park shows, and this will be no different, probably worse. The only difference is that I got some fucking exams coming up next week and I can't afford to drown myself in sorrow now!! But then again, it's good that I took the effort to travel to the show, if not, I'll never forgive myself as long as I live. And the trip to Perth was WORTH IT.

I'll start with the openers. Liam Finn. I've never heard any of his music prior to this, but I thought he was pretty good. The fella seemed like he was possessed on stage for most of the time. I was totally floored by his drum playing. Sometimes he'll play a few bars and then let it loop for the rest of the song, while he goes on to play the guitar. He was also helped by a female singer, whose name I don't remember. During those 30mins, they also did a kick-ass cover of Neil Young's Cinnamon Girl. That was a pleasant surprise :)

But an even bigger surprise occurred near the beginning of the Ben Harper & Relentless7 one hour set. Some guy in sunglasses and leather jacket casually walked onstage and traded vocals with Ben on Under Pressure. That guy was the sole reason why I came to Perth in the first place. He looked cool as a motherfucker. The (still very small) crowd went apeshit. I just had a feeling there and then that this was gonna be a really memorable night. Having seen the same band for the second time this year, I actually preferred this performance to their previous one in London. Somehow, Ben and the guys seemed less tense and it looked like they enjoyed themselves more. Maybe because of Eddie Vedder helping them out. Their set was more or less similar to the Hyde Park one, but it was nice to hear songs like Fly One Time, Boots Like These and Up To You Now again.

Now for the main event. By 8pm, the sky had turned dark, and the stadium lights were switched on. The GA section was very very packed and people just kept streaming in non-stop. I was sitting at the right side of the stage, and I was afraid I was gonna get a restricted view. But luckily the crew brought Matt Cameron's drums set forward so I got a pretty clear view. The only thing I couldn't really see was Boom Gasper and his keyboards. Pearl Jam walked onstage to a piano instrumental, and this was when I screamed my lungs out. Instead of starting the show with a slower song (so no Oceans), they decided to kick things off into high gear by launching into Breakerfall. Wise choice. I bet most of the casual crowd didn't recognize the song. Great vocals from Eddie, though the sound mix wasn't really good yet. But it got much better as the show progressed. Then without taking a breather, the band played Why Go, followed by Corduroy. That's when the crowd really got into it. I've heard so many bootleg versions of those two songs, but to hear them live for the first time....WOW!!!! Jeff Ament's bass and Matt's drums really pushed the songs forward, and you don't really get that 'live' sound from the official recordings.

Gonna See My Friend sorta ended the high energy 'four pack' before Eddie started talking. It was nice to hear Small Town, and everyone sang along to the words. Amongst The Waves is a personal favorite of mine, and I have to admit I got a little emotional during that song. Then came Even Flow, the first of many more hits. Here, we got to see Mike McCready's face-melting guitar solo. Eddie then decided to play an obscure PJ song from the Yield record, Pilate. Not a fan of that, but they did an awesome version. Daughter was another fun sing-along, and Eddie incorporated a bit of W.M.A. at the end. Big Wave was one of the many surprises I got during the show. I knew they'd play it sooner or later, given that the song is about surfing! I Am Mine was dedicated to Nick Cave, whom Eddie said was one of the best writers ever. It was also the first (and only) fuck-up of the night. It seemed like Eddie kinda stumbled on the lyrics of the first verse and then called for a re-start.

Second surprise was when Grievance was played. My top five PJ song. Totally blown away by it, especially the part when Eddie screamed. Garden was another rarely played song, but didn't get much response from the crowd around me. Speaking of the crowd, my area was seated the whole time. Damn, I was surprised how polite everyone was. The only hardcore fans were the 10c members, who were all standing at right at the front. The Fixer got a huge response, always great as usual. A very fast version of Save You ended the main set after only 1hr 20min. The first encore began with a stunningly beautiful version of Just Breathe, dedicated to a fan who couldn't make the '06 shows due to a motor accident. Then, Ben Harper returned the favor by coming out and playing slide guitar on Red Mosquito :D Again, I was blown the fuck away.

But the highlight of the entire show has got to be PJ covering Love Reign O'er Me. They have done The Who proud on this one. The band TOTALLY FUCKING NAILED the song. Eddie's vocals were spot on, and he sang like his life depended on it; in fact he sings like this on every song. The band was tight as shit. I was so fucking overwhelmed after that. Whipping was another big surprise; I think it's a really underrated song, but when played live, it really kills. Do The Evolution was the perfect song to conclude the 1st encore, with Stone Gossard contributing some killer riffs. He's a weird fella, didn't really move around much, but he really played some great shit.

The second encore had Liam Finn dueting with Eddie on Throw Your Arms Around Me. It was an impromptu decision, but the crowd helped to sing along for this one. The last four songs of the show were just fucking amazing. The big guns were brought out; Given To Fly, Better Man, Alive, and Yellow Ledbetter. It doesn't get any better than this!!! No matter how you look at it, these songs always work live in the end. Everyone sang their hearts out on Better Man and Alive. Even Eddie seemed surprised. Soon, the house lights went up, and it was just a beautiful sight, to see the whole stadium. Yellow Ledbetter ended with a beautiful outro by Mike. And that was it, after almost 2.5 hrs and 28 songs (with a pretty good representation from every album). The band took their last bow and left the stage.

Who cares if I didn't get to hear most of my favorite songs? I wasn't at all disappointed. Just like what Bruce and Neil had done to me back in June, this concert was another life-changing experience. I don't really know how to describe it in words, but Pearl Jam has given me a new outlook on life. They're living proof that you don't need big fucking theatrics and pyrotechnics to put on a great Rock & Roll concert. This is live music in its purest form. To quote a line off the brilliant song Unthought Known, "This is living."

Is Eddie Vedder the greatest frontman ever? Fuck yeah!!! I enjoyed those parts where he talked to the crowd in between songs. He poked fun at Britney Spears, saying that at one point, he'd do some lip-synching, just so he had time to drink and smoke, haha. Eddie also pointed out a 12yr old kid right up front and told the crowd to take care of each other. What a great guy. He and the band looked really happy to be playing in Australia after so long, and they're just getting started; I'm sure the other cities like Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane will get even better shows. Now that the good times are over for me, the only thing I'm looking forward to is the official bootleg of the show, hopefully two weeks from now. Thank God for Pearl Jam.

1. Breakerfall
2. Why Go
3. Corduroy
4. Gonna See My Friend
5. Small Town
6. Amongst The Waves
7. Even Flow
8. Pilate
9. Unthought Known
10. Daughter/W.M.A.
11. Big Wave
12. Force Of Nature
13. I Am Mine
14. Grievance
15. Garden
16. The Fixer
17. Save You

18. Just Breathe
19. Red Mosquito (feat. Ben Harper)
20. Love Reign O'er Me
21. Whipping
22. Got Some
23. Do The Evolution

24. Throw Your Arms Around Me (feat. Liam Finn)
25. Given To Fly
26. Betterman/Save It For Later
27. Alive
28. Yellow Ledbetter


Got Some


Unthought Known

Monday, November 16, 2009

Nov 15 -- Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI

1. Cadillac Ranch
2. Badlands
3. Hungry Heart
4. Working On A Dream
-------
BORN TO RUN
-------
13. Darlington County
14. Waitin' On A Sunny Day
15. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
16. Loose Ends
17. Jole Blon
18. Growin' Up
19. Into The Fire
20. The Rising
21. No Surrender

22. LIVING PROOF
23. Kitty's Back
24. American Land
25. Dancing In The Dark
26. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
27. Higher And Higher

Nov 13 -- Palace At Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI

"Good Evening Ohio!!" That was what Bruce said at the start. He also made another Ohio reference during the rap section in Working On A Dream. Little Steven actually had to correct Bruce, telling him that they were in Detroit. Damn, how embarrassing was that?!

1. Wrecking Ball
2. Prove It All Night
3. Johnny 99
4. Hungry Heart
5. Working On A Dream
-------
BORN TO RUN
-------
13. Working On The Highway
14. Waitin' On A Sunny Day
15. Raise Your Hand
16. RAMBLIN' GAMBLIN' MAN (Bob Seger cover)
17. Detroit Medley
18. Because The Night
19. Lonesome Day
20. The Rising
21. Badlands

22. Hard Times
23. Born In The U.S.A.
24. American Land
25. Dancing In The Dark
26. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
27. Higher And Higher

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

My 1st Pearl Jam Concert Preview

So, it's finally here!!! I've been waiting five years for this shit. Pearl Jam is undoubtedly one of the very best bands in the world today, and their live shows are unrivaled. They're one of those bands that always feed off the energy from the crowd. And when it comes down to setlist, no two shows are ever the same. In fact, they mix up their setlists so much that we really don't know what they might bust out next. What song could they open with in Perth? My guess is Oceans! They haven't played this in a long time, and besides, Perth is so near the ocean, and it only makes sense. Oh yeah, Eddie loves to surf in Australia too!

Man, I really want 'em to play all my favorite tunes; I Got Id, Immortality, Go, Blood, Smile, Grievance, Lukin, Big Wave, In Hiding, Given To Fly, Rearviewmirror, You Are, and of course the big one, Red Mosquito, which I'm sure Ben Harper will provide slide guitar to!!! I know they won't play all of those, but as long as Last Kiss isn't played, then I'm happy :) And how bout those kick-ass covers? Let's see: Crazy Mary, The Real Me, Love Reign O'er Me, Rockin' In The Free World, Fuckin' Up, Baba O'Riley. This one's a long shot, but I know the guys are capable of playing this, and they probably will one day: Cortez The Killer.

If this Saturday's show is as good as any of those four Philly shows.......I'll just go fucking nuts!!! Right now, I'm listening to the O2 London bootleg (great performance btw) to psyche myself up. What a way to end the year full of great live music. Till next Monday :)

Nov 10 -- Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH

1. Wrecking Ball
2. Prove It All Night
3. Hungry Heart
4. Working On A Dream
-------
BORN TO RUN
-------
13. Waitin' On A Sunny Day
14. Raise Your Hand
15. Red Headed Woman (sign request)
16. Pink Cadillac (sign request)
17. Back In Your Arms (sign request)
18. Radio Nowhere (sign request)
19. Lonesome Day
20. The Rising
21. Badlands

22. No Surrender
23. Bobby Jean
24. American Land
25. Dancing In The Dark
26. Can't Help Falling In Love
27. Higher And Higher
28. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

The Price You Pay

Just listened to the bootleg version performed at NYC the other day. Wow. I'm really starting to love this song more and more. The last line where he screams "I'm gonna tear it down and throw it away" just fucking kills me every time. Definitely one of the best songs Bruce has ever written. I confess I really haven't been listening to the River album lately, and I should!

Monday, November 9, 2009

Nov 8 -- Madison Square Garden, New York, NY


This will go down in history as one of the most significant shows in the band's career.

1. Wrecking Ball
2. The Ties That Bind
3. Sherry Darling
4. Jackson Cage
5. Two Hearts
6. Independence Day
7. Hungry Heart
8. Out In The Street
9. CRUSH ON YOU
10. You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)
11. I Wanna Marry You
12. The River
13. Point Blank
14. Cadillac Ranch
15. I'm A Rocker
16. Fade Away
17. STOLEN CAR
18. Ramrod
19. The Price You Pay
20. Drive All Night
21. WRECK ON THE HIGHWAY
22. Waitin' On A Sunny Day
23. Atlantic City
24. Badlands
25. Born To Run
26. Seven Nights To Rock

27. SWEET SOUL MUSIC (sign request)
28. No Surrender
29. American Land
30. Dancing In The Dark
31. CAN'T HELP FALLING IN LOVE
32. Higher And Higher

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Nov 7 -- Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

Update: Just listened to the bootleg performance of WEISS. What can I say other than it's fucking amazing?? It's really cool to hear the opening horn notes of The E Street Shuffle, exactly like the album version! The main highlight has got to be NYC Serenade. This is my first time hearing the live version. Roy Bittan especially shines on this one. So does the violins played by Soozie Tyrell. You gotta hear it to believe it. The closing number is a Jackie Wilson cover, Higher And Higher. What a great song to end the show, with an amazing horn section blasting away at the back. Elvis Costello also contributed vocals on this one :)







Tonight's show was a special one, with WEISS being played in its entirety for the first time ever. Tomorrow's one will be even better, with The River being played! Yes, the whole fucking double album!!

1. Thundercrack
2. Seeds
3. Prove It All Night
4. Hungry Heart
5. Working On A Dream
6. The E Street Shuffle
7. 4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
8. Kitty's Back
9. WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY
10. Incident On 57th Street
11. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
12. NEW YORK CITY SERENADE
13. Waitin' On A Sunny Day
14. Raise Your Hand
15. Does This Bus Stop At 82nd Street? (sign request)
16. Glory Days
17. Human Touch
18. Lonesome Day
19. The Rising
20. Born To Run
21. Wrecking Ball
22. Bobby Jean
23. American Land
24. Dancing In The Dark
25. Higher And Higher (feat. Elvis Costello!)

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Nov 3 -- Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC

1. Seeds
2. Darlington County
3. Hungry Heart
4. Working On A Dream
-------
BORN TO RUN
-------
13. Waitin' On a Sunny Day
14. I Fought The Law
15. Sherry Darling
16. So Young And In Love
17. BROWN EYED GIRL
18. Lonesome Day
19. The Rising
20. Badlands

21. Hard Times
22. Bobby Jean
23. American Land
24. Dancing In The Dark
25. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
26. Higher And Higher

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Nov 2 -- Verizon Center, Washington, D.C.

1. Outlaw Pete
2. Prove It All Night
3. Hungry Heart
4. Working On A Dream
-------
BORN TO RUN
-------
13. Waitin' On A Sunny Day
14. STAND ON IT (sign request)
15. Seven Nights To Rock
16. Growin' Up (sign request)
17. Pink Cadillac (sign request)
18. Lonesome Day
19. The Rising
20. Badlands

21. Hard Times
22. No Surrender
23. American Land
24. Dancing In The Dark
25. Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
26. Higher And Higher