1996
August 27, 1996 - No Code
tracklist: Sometimes, Hail Hail, Who You Are, In My Tree, Smile, Off He Goes, Habit, Red Mosquito, Lukin, Present Tense, Mankind, I'm Open, Around The Bend
Pearl Jam release their fourth studio album, No Code, through Epic Records. Produced by Pearl Jam & Brendan O'Brien. Mixed by Brendan O'Brien & Nick DiDia.
September 14, 1996 - The Showbox - Seattle, WA, USA
attendance: 800 (sold out)
opening act: Gus
setlist: Sometimes, Hail Hail, Who You Are, In My Tree, Habit, Present Tense, Red Mosquito, Mankind, Off He Goes, Animal, Last Exit, Even Flow, Tremor Christ, Not For You, Immortality, Whipping, I Got Id/(Cinnamon Girl), Leaving Here
encore: Wash, Go, Dissident, Alive, Around The Bend
A "not so surprise" warm-up show. With a ticket sales announcement leaked prematurely by KNDD, many disappointed fans were left out in the cold (rain). Hoping to hear just a song or two from outside, fans put up with mean spirited Showbox staffers' harrassment and scalpers offering inflated tickets. Eddie opens the show with, "Good evening. Welcome to the R.E.M. record release party. Welcome to the Pearl Jam reunion tour. Let me just clarify that we play more than Mudhoney. Have you heard the new record? Well, you're about to again". Stone prefaces a rather rough version of "Mankind" with "All right... get ready", and Eddie says, "This is Stone's song and it's my favorite". Before a somewhat rushed version of "Off He Goes", Eddie says, "This song's either about me or my roommate. I haven't figured it out yet". Next, Eddie announces, "This next part of the show is what we call the human jukebox and they slam into "Animal". Mike really lets go during "Even Flow". Eddie slips a snippet from Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl" into "I Got Id". "Wash" is a very cool surprise, unplayed since the '94 Bridge School Benefit. Eddie hints a bit at Bowie's "C-C-C-C-Changes" before breaking into "Go". Before the lovely closing "Around The Bend", Ed chats, "It was almost worth leaving the house for this. If I came to this show, I'd probably just stay home Monday night... cuz we were nervous tonight and so we played... well, like now we're gonna be cocky and we're gonna suck. I can just feel it...".
September 16, 1996 - KeyArena - Seattle, WA, USA
attendance: 13 500 (sold out)
opening act: Fastbacks
soundcheck: Long Road, Better Man, Who You Are, In My Tree, Present Tense, Red Mosquito, Corduroy
setlist: Long Road, Hail Hail, Who You Are, Animal, Last Exit, In My Tree, Habit, Not For You, Daughter, Dissident, Even Flow, Tremor Christ, Go, Lukin, Whipping, Corduroy, Immortality, Jeremy, Black, Red Mosquito, Alive
encore 1: Off He Goes, Mankind, Rearviewmirror, Leaving Here
encore 2: Yellow Ledbetter
To prevent counterfeiting, KeyArena used bar-code readers to check every ticket that passed through the turnstiles. Which meant that it took hours for all 13 500 fans to enter the venue, which sold out in 6 minutes. The show is a technical nightmare, with microphones, guitars and lights all failing at multiple times throughout the show. Scratching the setlist after "Who You Are", Eddie tries guiding the band through the more familiar waters of older songs. Even Stone's guitar fails during "Mankind" with "Scully" (guitar tech) trying desperately to change out his equipment while Stone continues strumming and singing his heart out, appearing to be oblivious to the problems. Stone is having a blast, Jack has found his drumming groove with Pearl Jam now, Jeff is smiling and laughing during most of the show, as is Mike, although he never gets into any of his usually fantastic solos (although he tosses in a "Sympathy For The Devil" riff just before "In My Tree" and "River Of Deceit" before "Daughter"), and Eddie basically saves the show by keeping the techs and other band members functioning. His voice is clean (though the sound is poor) and he is playing guitar more often and more skillfully than at the '95 shows. Eddie tosses out a funny little "mou mou" soundcheck after "Daughter" when changing microphones. Proceeds from the concert went to the Seattle Center Arts and Peace academies and the Northwest School.
September 20, 1996 - Ed Sullivan Theater - New York City, NY, USA (Late Show with David Letterman)
setlist: Hail Hail, Leaving Here (cut)
Pearl Jam's first appearance on an unusual commercial-free night at the Late Show with David Letterman. The whole band, in seemingly good spirits, whip out a tight version of "Hail, Hail". At the close of the show, they start into "Leaving Here", but just as Eddie begins to sing, the network cut away. Ouch! Regardless, cool performance.
September 21, 1996 - Maple Leaf Gardens - Toronto, ON, Canada
attendance: 15 000 (sold out)
opening act: Fastbacks
soundcheck: Wash
setlist: Release, Hail Hail, Last Exit, Tremor Christ, In My Tree, Corduroy, Red Mosquito, Animal, Jeremy, Habit, Immortality, Even Flow, Not For You, Daughter/(Cut My Hair)/(The Real Me)/(Young Man Blues), Lukin, Rearviewmirror, Alive, Blood/(Fame)
encore 1: Who You Are, I Got Id/(Cinnamon Girl), Leaving Here
encore 2: Yellow Ledbetter
This show sold out in 20 minutes. The lyrics in "Habit" are changed from "speaking as a child of the 90's" to "speaking as someone who's taken many pucks in the face". Lots of covers songs hinted at: three The Who songs as "Daughter" outros, an intense version of "Blood" with a teaser of David Bowie's "Fame" and some of Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl" improved into "I Got Id".
September 22, 1996 - Savage Hall - Toledo, OH, USA
attendance: 9 000 (sold out)
opening act: Fastbacks
soundcheck: Deep, Around The Bend, Mankind, Smile
setlist: Sometimes, Hail Hail, Animal, In My Tree, Spin The Black Circle, Corduroy, Last Exit, Better Man, Lukin, Not For You, Jeremy, Even Flow, Mankind, Daughter/(I Believe In Miracles), Habit, I Got Id, Alive, Blood
encore 1: Go, Who You Are, Rearviewmirror, Leaving Here
encore 2: Indifference
Eddie totally botches the start of "I Got Id". He tells everyone that has to go to school the next day that he'll write them excuse notes (so they can continue to play). A stunning closing with "Indifference" with the house lights up. A solid show before a smallish crowd.
September 24, 1996 - Merriweather Post Pavilion - Columbia, MD, USA
attendance: 18 000 (sold out)
opening act: Fastbacks
soundcheck: I'm Open, Elderly Woman... (Eddie solo), Rearviewmirror, The Kids Are Alright
setlist: Long Road, Hail Hail, Animal, Spin The Black Circle, In My Tree, Corduroy, Not For You, Jeremy, Red Mosquito, Black, Habit, Rearviewmirror, Immortality (stopped), Better Man, Whipping, State Of Love And Trust, Alive, Blood
encore 1: Who You Are, Even Flow, Daughter/(No More Pain)/(W.M.A.), Mankind, Leaving Here
encore 2: Wash, Yellow Ledbetter
This show, which sold out in 6 minutes!, opens with a particularly sweet version of "Long Road". During "Not For You", Eddie chats a bit: "If you catch me missing a lyric or something... if you catch me making a mistake. It's not that I forgot. It's just that I got a lot on my mind. Like I was just thinking a minute ago, I hope these people know that this song isn't about them. I just hate to be misunderstood". "Red Mosquito" is introduced as "Song X's baby brother". Eddie makes a joke: "It looks like some of you are on grass..." (referring to the people on the lawn). "Habit" is modified to, "Speaking as someone standing in complete darkness". After the band plays the intro to "Immortality", Eddie takes a drink, the crowd goes wild, the band stops and goes on to "Better Man", entirely scrapping "Immortality". Quelling the "Eddie" chants later, he says, "Enough of that. If you could just see what you look like from here. It's just crazy... it's crazy. Just crazy. You guys are really nice..." then launches into "Blood". The "Daughter" tag includes a snippet of Embrace's "No More Pain", ("Your emotions are nothing but politics, so get control"). Before "Mankind", Stone says "Do you want to hear me sing one?" (The crowd goes nuts.) He continues (laughing), "Awww, no you don't!". Returning for a second encore, Stone asks if it rained outside, while Eddie references people holding up signs for "super rare songs". The crowd gets a very nice surprise... a super version of "Wash". Excellent show!
September 26, 1996 - Augusta Civic Center - Augusta, ME, USA
attendance: 8 000 (sold out)
opening act: Fastbacks
soundcheck: Off He Goes, Garden, Present Tense, Better Man/Save It For Later, I Can't Explain, Let My Love Open The Door, Last Exit
setlist: Sometimes, Hail Hail, Animal, Spin The Black Circle, Tremor Christ, In My Tree, Lukin, Not For You, Better Man/(Save It For Later), Corduroy, Jeremy, Red Mosquito, State Of Love And Trust, Black, Habit, Rearviewmirror, Alive
encore 1: Who You Are, Even Flow, Daughter/(Noise Of Carpet), Blood/(Fame), Leaving Here
encore 2: I Am A Patriot (Eddie solo)
The English Beat's "Save It For Later" snippet tossed into "Better Man" sound great! Eddie pays homage to Josh Ling during a quiet part of "State Of Love And Trust", "I recognize you. You were in the front row just the other night. I recognize you... how you doin'?". In a reference to the lunar eclipse, Eddie says, "It's happening right now. I just wanna rip the roof off this place". He get the crowd to yell three times, laughs and launches into "Habit". "Rearviewmirror" features the slow beginning. Chicago Bulls player Dennis Rodman attended the show and during the climax of "Alive", came onstage to offer Eddie some red wine. To the excitement of the crowd, Eddie responded by hopping on Rodman's back and riding him piggyback style across the stage while singing. Rodman later received a Walkman carved with Eddie's initials containing the concert recording and cited this as one of his most thrilling experiences. Prior to the "Noise Of Carpet" (by Stereolab) outro in "Daughter", Eddie utters the words, "black red yellow". After "Blood", Eddie retrieves a shirt tossed onstage, saying "Hey look, plaid, grunge; it's purple". Fastbacks help Pearl Jam with "Leaving Here", singing backup vocals and Eddie expressing hope that the "boys up front will pay attention to the lyrics". "I Am A Patriot" is performed solo by Eddie, accompanying himself on guitar with the rest of the band watching from the side of the stage.
September 28, 1996 - Downing Stadium - New York City, NY, USA
attendance: 33 000 (sold out)
opening acts: Ben Harper, Fastbacks
setlist: Last Exit, Hail Hail, Animal, Spin The Black Circle, Red Mosquito, In My Tree, Lukin, Not For You, Better Man/(Save It For Later), Corduroy, Jeremy, Dissident, State Of Love And Trust, Black, Habit, Rearviewmirror, Alive, Blood/(Noise Of Carpet)
encore: Who You Are, Even Flow, Daughter/(I Believe In Miracles)/(W.M.A.), Whipping, Leaving Here, Indifference
Blues Traveler's John Popper jams with Pearl Jam during "Even Flow". (Eddie gives John a big hug and a handshake at the end). "Whipping" is paused very briefly in the middle because someone seems to be hurt or fighting. Eddie says, "Is that all?" and with a quick "1, 2, 3, 4", the song resumes right where they left off. Prior to "Indifference", Eddie comments on how it seems to him from letters the band gets, the things they read and people they've met, that lots of people are meeting each other through Pearl Jam's music. He adds, "To me, that's the best part of this whole thing and I'm honored to be a part of it".
September 29, 1996 - Downing Stadium - New York City, NY, USA
attendance: 33 000 (sold out)
opening acts: Ben Harper, Fastbacks
setlist: Sometimes, Go, Spin The Black Circle, Hail Hail, Animal, Tremor Christ, Who You Are, Corduroy, Lukin, Better Man, Not For You, Jeremy, Once, Rats, Last Exit, Habit, Rearviewmirror, Immortality, Whipping, I Got Id, Black, Alive, Porch
encore 1: In My Tree, Even Flow, Daughter/(The Real Me)/(Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2)/(W.M.A.), Mankind, Long Road, Leaving Here
encore 2: Off He Goes, Present Tense, Yellow Ledbetter
A nearly three-hour show with a raging pit. The band stops playing several times in an effort to get the crowd to settle down. During "Porch", Eddie duct-tapes his entire body and jumps into the pit. (Thought we'd never see that again!). Just before the first encore, someone throws an "Eddie Vedder for President" t-shirt up on stage. Eddie looks at it and says, "Well I'll tell you the truth... I smoke pot! I didn't exhale though!". Stone asks for a chant of "Stone, Stone, Stone!" before singing "Mankind". During the encore, Mike starts playing "Yellow Ledbetter" after "Leaving Here", Eddie stops him and they go into "Off He Goes" followed by "Present Tense". Incredible setlist.
October 1, 1996 - Marine Midland Arena - Buffalo, NY, USA
attendance: 20 000 (sold out)
opening act: Fastbacks
setlist: Oceans, Last Exit, Hail Hail, Spin The Black Circle, Animal, Tremor Christ, In My Tree, Corduroy, Lukin, Better Man/(Save It For Later), Not For You, State Of Love And Trust, Rats, Jeremy, Off He Goes, Footsteps, Whipping, Immortality, Alive, Porch
encore: Even Flow, Daughter, Blood/(Heaven)/(Fame), Present Tense, Yellow Ledbetter
Pearl Jam opens with "Oceans", which hasn't opened a show since the final show of 1995. "Rats" is started, paused (Eddie notes, "OK, we haven't done this one for a while and we're gonna do it right") and the song is picked up again. Lyrical changes to "Rats" include "drag the bones of the Grateful Dead". After a lyric flub at the start of "Off He Goes", Eddie modifies the lyrics to "... I should relax". By request, "Footsteps" is played for the first time this tour. A climactic "Immortality" makes the smooth transition into "Alive". After a problematic "Porch", the song is restarted... with Eddie apologizing and saying he has a lot on his mind with the elections and all. During the "Porch" jam, Eddie pulls a kid up on stage who is wearing an old The Who shirt and swaps shirts with him. The kid stage dives into the crowd but the shirt is instantly ripped off him by the audience. Pearl Jam immediately return after "Porch", with Eddie commenting about a sign in the crowd reading "Don't delay" and launching into a version of "Even Flow" with a cool jam. "Blood" includes a handful of lines from "Heaven" by the Talking Heads prior to the "Fame" reference. A request that the crowd "listen to the words" is the lead in to a lovely "Present Tense". Great connection between Pearl Jam and the audience at this show.
October 2, 1996 - Meadows Music Theatre - Hartford, CT, USA
attendance: 24 185 (sold out)
opening act: Fastbacks
setlist: Long Road, Hail Hail, Animal, Last Exit, In My Tree, Corduroy, Better Man, Not For You, Jeremy, Red Mosquito, Black, Rearviewmirror, Lukin, Elderly Woman..., State Of Love And Trust, (Alive), Footsteps, Alive, Blood/(Fame)/(Sympathy For The Devil)/(Noise Of Carpet), Porch/(25 Or 6 To 4)
encore 1: Who You Are, Even Flow, Daughter/(The Real Me)/(W.M.A.), Leaving Here, Present Tense
encore 2: Yellow Ledbetter/(Little Wing)
Great long show with a very talkative Eddie. During "Not For You" Eddie talks about the meaning of the song, saying it's not directed towards fans, but "a different entity... someone who thinks they're more important than the people making the music; the people listening to the music; or the music itself. And this is just a reminder that they're not". Stone plays the start of "Alive", but then stops. He then comments: "I'm all wet now". Eddie says: "Alright, we have an injury in the back here. No problem, he will be taken care of really quick. But let's see... What should we do in the meantime? Suggestions please!". "Footsteps" is played and then "Alive" is played in its full. Part of the fence comes down during "Blood" and a near riot ensues. (In reality, when the barrier came down, security guards began using pepper spray. The wind was blowing into the pavilion, forcing people with seats to venture nearer the stage to escape it, making it seem like there was a mad rush to the stage). During "Porch" Eddie tries to calm the crowd down while Mike plays a little part of Chicago's "25 Or 6 To 4". Eddie says, "It's like swimming on coral... there are chairs and people below you, settle down!. "Darlin' you don't want to be up there. That's for the people up front. The people up top you guys go fuckin' nuts! But the people up front settle down". Before they start "Who You Are", Eddie again tries to calm the crowd: "It's a little crazy up here. You can sit down, it's cool. I can see you all if you sit, or stand, you can see me too. OK, the next three words for the next five minutes are Peace and Love". He changes the second line of the second verse saying, "fuck the stage divers". After the song he reiterates, "This is all good. We're going to keep playing but I want to change the policy in the front row here. Security, you listening? Usually you come over the top you get two, three chances. You guys, anybody who comes over the top, you're going out. Just stay on the floor, you got it, OK? You look good where you are. Just stay where you are". For the "Daughter" tag, Eddie gets the crowd to sing along, "like in New York" to "The Real Me".
October 4, 1996 - Memorial Stadium - Charlotte, NC, USA
attendance: 28 500 (sold out)
opening acts: Ben Harper, Fastbacks
soundcheck: Throw Your Arms Around Me, Better Man
setlist: Long Road, Last Exit, Animal, Spin The Black Circle, Hail Hail, In My Tree, Corduroy, Lukin, Not For You, Jeremy, Better Man, Red Mosquito, Black, State Of Love And Trust, (MFC), Habit, Rearviewmirror, Immortality, Alive, Porch
encore 1: Who You Are, Even Flow, Whipping, I Got Id, Leaving Here, Daughter/(The Real Me)/(Noise Of Carpet)
encore 2: Yellow Ledbetter
With the election less than a month away, this show had a definite cause: Jesse Helm's going away party (it didn't work). Concerned about the barriers breaking, people getting crushed, and the fire marshall threatening to cancel the show, someone on the crew pleads with the crowd to back up and chill out. After "Long Road", Eddie says, "... we're about 30 seconds from kicking in here and I just want to make sure that everybody watches their neighbor... that everybody keeps up. Don't do too much of this spinning pit stuff or someone's going to get hurt, and that would suck". Then later: "I would like the audience myself to just take two steps back. Can we all do that? On the count of three... one, two..." (crowd steps back and cheers). Eddie says something to the effect of, "I knew this was an intelligent crowd". The crowd does listen and the show continues without further problems. The mirrorball is set into motion during a cranked "Better Man" and drops down midway through "Rearviewmirror". After "State Of Love And Trust, Eddie plays some riffs from future Yield song, "MFC". Eddie is into a lot of Pete Townshend windmills and jumps and tags "Habit" as "speaking as my own bad self". After "Porch", journalist Gloria Steinem spoke in an effort to get people to think and register to vote (Rock the Vote). Brendan O'Brien helps out on bass on "I Got Id".
October 5, 1996 - North Charleston Coliseum - North Charleston, SC, USA
opening act: Fastbacks
soundcheck: In My Tree, Off He Goes, Mankind
setlist: Sometimes, Last Exit, Animal, Go, Hail Hail, Dissident, In My Tree, Corduroy, Better Man, Not For You, Jeremy, Black, State Of Love And Trust, Habit, Rearviewmirror, Elderly Woman..., Alive, Blood/(Fame)
encore: Present Tense, Even Flow, Daughter, Improv, Off He Goes, Mankind, Whipping, Footsteps, Yellow Ledbetter
The venue is smallish; the crowd and staff are kind and not killing each other here. Pearl Jam takes a while to warm up, not really smoking until midway into the show. During a pause near the end of "Not For You", Eddie asks, "How we doin' so far?" (crowd cheers), "You don't seem so bad yourself". A rocking "State Of Love And Trust" is intro'ed as "... a little number by request". During "Habit", Eddie pauses, looks out and says, "Speaking as an individual in a band who has never been in this town before". Taking a break after "Go", Eddie jokes about how when he was a kid he always thought seeing bands on the last night of a tour was great because they would be happy the tour is over and they would be "... drinking and dancing in the street, and they're playing really loud and it's gonna be a four-hour show..." etc.; but he says that really the second to the last show is the best, and the crowd goes wild! With Eddie's voice showing fatigue, he enlists audience assistance ("Want you... HELP ME!... in my... rearviewmirror"). "Present Tense" is explained as a song that Mike wrote great music for and Eddie, when coming up with lyrics, "... needed anything... anything to make me think. Just a starting point... so I thought of Pete Townshend. I took his initials and this one is called "Present Tense". Eddie plays a brief improv after "Daughter", about taking a drive to South Carolina and picking up his best friend. "Whipping" is dedicated to the crazy people in the front. The audience selects the next song via an "experiment in voting in November". The choices are "Leash" ("kinda Bob Dole"), "Leaving Here" (kinda Ross Perot) or "Footsteps" ("that would be Bill Clinton"). "Footsteps" is played. Eddie's final comments are, "I don't know if it's easy to like this band, but we sure appreciate the fact that you do".
October 7, 1996 - Fort Lauderdale Stadium - Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
attendance: 25 000 (sold out)
opening acts: Ben Harper, Fastbacks
setlist: Sometimes, Last Exit, Animal, Go, Hail Hail, Dissident, In My Tree, Corduroy, Better Man, Lukin, Not For You, Jeremy, Black, State Of Love And Trust, Satan's Bed, Habit, Rearviewmirror, Immortality, Alive, Porch/(Third Stone From The Sun)
encore 1: Present Tense, Even Flow, Blood, Daughter/(Noise Of Carpet)/(The Real Me)/(Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2), I Got Id, Leaving Here
encore 2: Rockin' In The Free World, Yellow Ledbetter
Before "Go", Eddie welcomes everyone in the front ("Concerned about you... you OK to this point?") and the back ("Wish you were here, but we can see ya"). Being an outdoor show, Eddie says "There's only one person that's not invited tonight, that's (tropical storm) Josephine, let's keep her out". Eddie asks for Eric to come help with trouble in the pit toward the end of "Dissident" singing "Escape is never the safest place, especially the front row". "Satan's Bed" hasn't been played since Las Cruces on September 14, 1995 and a fast version is played by request here. Eddie changes "Habit" lyrics to, "Speaking as a man who not only surfs, but catches the big waves". Eddie climbs the left light tower during "Porch"... not jumping, saying he just wanted to get a better look at the crowd. Eddie recalls the last time they were in Miami - with similar hurricane threats - and tells a story about him praying the previous night in a cheap hotel that Josephine would "take her fucking hurricane elsewhere". This 12-minute "Porch" ends a strong first set, highlighted by "Satan's Bed" and a by-now well-crafted "In My Tree". "Present Tense" is described as "(Eddie's) favorite song off the new record". Following the "Noise Of Carpet" "Daughter" tag, Eddie sings as if vinyl is on his mind, "I stayed away from work today / I think of all the records that I want to play". A fan (Kelvin) gets on stage during "Daughter" and Eddie jokes about how he managed to get onstage the last time they were in Miami - "a reunion of sorts" - but this time he came ticketless, once again proving that "anything can happen". Eddie climbs on his shoulders for the "The Real Me"/"Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2" tags which are crowd requests (he jokes about wanting to do "Frère Jacques" and "Row Row Row Your Boat"). A strong late-set "I Got Id" preludes "Leaving Here" and "Rockin' In The Free World" with help by Ben Harper and Fastbacks. Eddie wishes the Florida crowd farewell before "Yellow Ledbetter" and to "apply your strength to life... be strong!".
October 19, 1996 - Shoreline Amphitheatre - Mountain View, CA, USA (Bridge School Benefit) (Acoustic)
attendance: 20 000 (sold out)
soundcheck: Dead Man, Off He Goes, Around The Bend, Footsteps, Elderly Woman..., Nothingman
setlist: Footsteps, Sometimes, Better Man, Corduroy, Off He Goes, Nothingman, Black, Daughter/(Song X), Elderly Woman..., Yellow Ledbetter
Eddie, sporting shorter, slicked back hair, jokes: "I just told Neil I had a stomach ache" (referencing to the Golden Gate Park show in '95 - where Neil hade to step in for him after getting a stomach flu). "Corduroy" is a very different, slower version featuring a modified tune. The biggest surprise is "Nothingman"... only the second time played live. The tag, "Song X", in "Daughter" is a song from Mirrorball by "Neil Jam". Eddie introduces "Elderly Woman..." saying, "This song was written over in the foothills behind you and is the longest song title we have". Brendan O'Brien plays keyboards during Pearl Jam's set. The biggest surprise of the evening is The Who's Pete Townshend's unannounced set. Neil's set is wonderful, playing "Helpless" last with most everyone joining him onstage helping sing backup.
October 20, 1996 - Shoreline Amphitheatre - Mountain View, CA, USA (Bridge School Benefit) (Acoustic)
attendance: 20 000 (sold out)
setlist: Sometimes, Elderly Woman..., Corduroy, Off He Goes, Nothingman, Daughter/(The Real Me)/(Noise Of Carpet), Footsteps, Porch, Around The Bend
Pearl Jam comes out at sundow... very nice. Some fans down front on the left have a big banner with "PORCH" painted on it in big letters. "Corduroy", again, is the new version from last night. This "new" version of "Porch" is very, very unusual... sort of funky/reggae arrangement with some Spanish-like guitar work. Sounds excellent! "Around The Bend" is wonderful. Pearl Jam is on and off very quickly (perhaps to go see The Who's Quadrophenia later). Surprises: Bonnie Raitt and Billy Idol each played sets.
European Tour - 1996
European tour with shows in Ireland, England, Poland, Germany, Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Italy, Czech Republic, Hungary, Turkey, Spain and Portugal.
October 24, 1996 - Green Glens Arena - Cork, Ireland
opening act: Fastbacks
setlist: Sometimes, Last Exit, Spin The Black Circle, Hail Hail, Tremor Christ, In My Tree, Corduroy, Better Man, Not For You, Animal, Dissident, Daughter/(Bull In The Heather)/(W.M.A.), Habit, Rearviewmirror, Jeremy, Alive, Porch
encore: I Got Id, Lukin, Even Flow, Present Tense, Yellow Ledbetter
This is a seemingly standard show, with little interaction or chat between the crowd and the band. Eddie comments before "Better Man" about how long the trip to Ireland was and how he felt like they were still at home with the rain, green terrain, great beer and good people. Pearl Jam includes a bit of "Bull In The Heather" by Sonic Youth in the "Daughter" jam.
October 26, 1996 - The Point Theatre - Dublin, Ireland
opening act: Fastbacks
setlist: Release, Last Exit, Animal, Spin The Black Circle, Hail Hail, In My Tree, Corduroy, Elderly Woman..., Lukin, Mankind, Even Flow, Daughter/(Noise Of Carpet), Jeremy, Go, Habit, Immortality, Alive, Blood/(Fame)
encore 1: Who You Are, Better Man, State Of Love And Trust, Off He Goes, (Hunger Strike)
encore 2: Yellow Ledbetter
The band seems in a friendly, upbeat mood with Eddie being rather chatty. He tells a little story before "Habit": "We met an interesting fellow in a little basement club thing last night. You know... one of those guys who says, 'Heroin, it's not addicting. I've been doing it for eight years'... whatever, mate. This song's for you". Eddie refers to "Mankind" as Stone Gossard's "vocal debut in Ireland". "Even Flow" features a very cool, different jam by Mike. During the "Daughter" outro, Eddie suggests, "OK, so the shades are down... why not, roll them up?" leading to "Noise Of Carpet". After "Alive", Eddie notes that this is the first time Pearl Jam has played Dublin proper and he says he thinks he has agoraphobia. The crowd is given a choice between "Leaving Here" and "Yellow Ledbetter" for the final song; "Yellow Ledbetter" is played.
October 28, 1996 - Wembley Arena - London, England
opening act: Fastbacks
setlist: Oceans, Last Exit, Animal, Spin The Black Circle, Hail Hail, Dissident, In My Tree, Corduroy, Elderly Woman..., Not For You, Even Flow, Daughter/(Androgynous Mind), Jeremy, State Of Love And Trust, Sometimes, Rearviewmirror, Immortality, Alive, Blood, Porch
encore: Off He Goes, Better Man, Whipping, Smile, Leaving Here
The show begins with Eddie stepping to the mic and saying, "The waiting drove me mad. This song's called 'Oceans'". Eddie is nursing his throat a bit, drinking tea between songs, but having to stretch a lot to hit notes. Eddie leads into "In My Tree" with, "So far this feels nice and cozy. This ain't bad at all". "Even Flow" features a cool little guitar intro and Mike's solo is brilliant! Jeff says "Lemme just say this is the most fun we've had in London before". Eddie follows with a talk about how he was watching a TV show about how London dealt with sewage problems back in the 1600s, "... the point being, you've had a lot of shit here for a long, long time–and just finally you're dealing with it". "Blood" is a short, but very intense version. Introduced as "... a request that came up from the front...", "Smile" is played live before an audience for the first time.
October 29, 1996 - Wembley Arena - London, England
opening act: Fastbacks
setlist: Release, Last Exit, Animal, Hail Hail, Go, Tremor Christ, Sometimes, In My Tree, Corduroy, Better Man, Even Flow, Daughter/(Suck You Dry)/(Bull In The Heather), Footsteps, Jeremy, Lukin, Rearviewmirror, Immortality, Alive
encore 1: Habit, I Got Id, Once, State Of Love And Trust, Present Tense
encore 2: Smile, Yellow Ledbetter
Apparently even a better show than the previous night in London, with Pearl Jam in good form, a good mood, a good setlist and a good crowd–opening with "Release" in total darkness. Jeff and Eddie are super on "Footsteps" and "Rearviewmirror" is lively. Later, Eddie notes, "As far as I'm concerned, you've got a new reputation as good listeners; and this is one that we'd like to kinda share with you intimately" leading to "Present Tense". "Smile" is played for a second time on this tour, and Eddie jokes, "Last night we attempted to play this song... about half way through, one of us messed up really bad. So tonight, we are going to attempt to play it perfectly, just for you. The sentiment in the song also applies". It is a very pretty version and he tosses his harmonica to the crowd at the end. Mike is sounding great, going wild during "Corduroy" and "Yellow Ledbetter" solos. Eddie's concluding comments: "It's gonna be a while but we'll see you again... London was one of the first places to kinda make Seattle kinda something interesting... something you would listen to. Of course, now they trash us, but we don't give a fuck. You guys are great. Thank you".
November 1, 1996 - Torwar - Warsaw, Poland
attendance: 6 000 (sold out)
opening act: Fastbacks
setlist: Long Road, Last Exit, Animal, Hail Hail, Go, Red Mosquito, In My Tree, Corduroy, Better Man/(Save It For Later), Lukin, Mankind, Off He Goes, Even Flow, Daughter/(Androgynous Mind), Jeremy, Sometimes, Rearviewmirror, Immortality, Alive
encore 1: Who You Are, Black, I Got Id, State Of Love And Trust, Present Tense, Smile
encore 2: Indifference
"Even Flow" is introduced as a song that's called, "... the little piece of white trashed paper that could". During the "Androgynous Mind" outro (in "Daughter"), Eddie starts screaming the "hey, hey" part and this relatively small crowd echoes "hey" back. Eddie's fun doublespeak leads into "Sometimes". They play the slow openings to both "Rearviewmirror" (which is now most always exquisite... although the slow interlude is missing here), and to "Immortality". Back for the encore, Eddie tells the crowd they are "bad ass mother fuckers... actually that (they) are incredibly polite and welcoming... and know their English as well". After introducing Mike, "I Got Id" is introduced as a song they played when they were hanging out with "Young, Neil". After "Present Tense", Eddie says, "OK, I think we're gonna leave you with the happiest song that we know. I think there's a lyric in there... "we miss you already", and that is how we are gonna feel, leading to "Smile". Sweet!
November 3, 1996 - Deutschlandhalle - Berlin, Germany
attendance: 12 000 (sold out)
opening act: Fastbacks
setlist: Long Road, Last Exit, Animal, Hail Hail, Go, Red Mosquito, In My Tree, Corduroy, Better Man, Lukin, Mankind, (Hunger Strike), Even Flow, Daughter/(Androgynous Mind)/(Noise Of Carpet), Jeremy, Sometimes, Rearviewmirror, (Museum Song), Immortality, Alive, Blood/(Fame)/(Suck You Dry)
encore: Who You Are, State Of Love And Trust, Not For You, Present Tense, Leaving Here, Yellow Ledbetter
This show was broadcast by many radio stations around the world, opening with a recording of John F. Kennedy's famous speech "I am a Berliner". After the first few songs, Eddie asks, "How's everybody in Berlin tonight? For any of you are in the back and can't see, it's pretty damn packed in front... Is everybody OK? Do us and yourselves a favor and watch out for your neighbor... protect the women and children... we've got a long night I think so..." leading to "Red Mosquito". After "Lukin", Stone steps up and says, "Alright, I'm gonna sing one", launching "Mankind". A short version of "Hunger Strike" is a nice surprise, with the crowd loudly singing along. After "Rearviewmirror", Eddie breaks into a brief, very fast-paced spoken word ditty from the "Museum Song", by Jim Dale. Eddie has a nice intro for "Blood": "Alright we'd like to say thanks, thanks for coming out, those of you lucky enough to get tickets... We've had some interesting shows in Germany... I remember every one of them, for good and bad, but actually this show is on the radio tonight so a bunch of other people were eavesdropping... I fucked up quite a few times, thanks for covering up. This next song is called, "I'll be glad when you're dead and gone, you bastard you", or "this blood's for you". The encore begins with Eddie chatting, "Thanks, very much. I don't know what to say so I'm just going to say: I am a donut". Later, Eddie thanks Radio Fritz for playing "records that nobody else would" and for broadcasting the concert. Then, "... and now, Mike and I would like to serenade you", leading to "Present Tense". The Fastbacks help out on "Leaving Here". The band seems very ON and totally into this show, even if some of the songs seem to be played very fast. These radio broadcasts are just the greatest! An "aftershow" known as "Radio Fritz" or "Checkpoint Charlie", similar to the Atlanta '94 radio show, broadcast only in Germany, featured Eddie playing music and chatting with fans about life. Eddie's DJ set: "Pebbles" (Shudder To Think), Strength To Endure (Ramones), "Sword Of Damocles" (Lou Reed), "Sparks" (The Who, live from Woodstock '69), "Let Me Sleep (Christmas Time)" (Pearl Jam), "Bee Girl" (Pearl Jam), "Gravity" (Howard Johnson & Gravity), "Floored" (Pusherman), "Crystal Gypsy" (Sebadoh), "Jealous Guy" (John Lennon), "Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio?" (Ramones), "Let's Go!" (Ramones), "Rockin' In The Free World (Pearl Jam with Neil Young, live from MTV Video Music Awards '93).
November 4, 1996 - Sporthalle Hamburg - Hamburg, Germany
attendance: 7 000 (sold out)
opening act: Fastbacks
setlist: Wash, Hail Hail, Once, Last Exit, Animal, Dissident, Who You Are, Corduroy, (Elderly Woman...), Better Man/(Save It For Later), Whipping, Mankind, Even Flow, Black, Jeremy, Sometimes, Rearviewmirror, I Got Id/(Cinnamon Girl), Alive
encore: Off He Goes, Not For You, Glorified G, Daughter/(Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2)/(Noise Of Carpet), State Of Love And Trust, Smile, Rockin' In The Free World
Those who attended both German shows report Hamburg was a better show with a better crowd. A great version of "Hail, Hail" is sung with the lyrics, "... the lucky ones; I refer to those in front". "Elderly Woman..." is abandoned after the first few lines (saying they have a "better song"), switching to "Better Man", which includes the "Save It For Later" bit toward the end. A whipping version of "Whipping" leads to a spirited "Mankind". Eddie introduces "Even Flow" saying, "This next song's called, "I'm beginning to see the light". Pearl Jam is sounding relaxed and comfortable with "Sometimes" now. Eddie comments, "We played a little show on the radio last night... I was just thinking that tonight's been so much more real. I wish we would have recorded tonight", leading to a super version of "Rearviewmirror". Eddie intros "Off He Goes" saying it is a "... little story... and then we're gonna take requests". "Not For You" has a funky sound featuring an extended ending/improv. "Glorified G" makes an unusual appearance on this setlist. After "Daughter", Eddie asks, "Up for more?" and Pearl Jam moves into "State Of Love And Trust" with Mike very ON. Super show!
November 6, 1996 - RAI Parkhal - Amsterdam, Netherlands
attendance: 13 000 (sold out)
opening act: Fastbacks
setlist: Long Road, Hail Hail, Once, Animal, Last Exit, Dissident, In My Tree, Corduroy, Better Man, Habit, Mankind, Even Flow, Black, Jeremy, Sometimes, Rearviewmirror, Immortality, Alive, Porch
encore 1: Who You Are, Lukin, State Of Love And Trust, Present Tense, Blood/(Fame)/(Androgynous Mind)
encore 2: Rockin' In The Free World
Eddie references "freaking out" when Pearl Jam walked in and saw this huge, flat venue, saying if they'd have known in advance, they would have scheduled two shows in smaller, more cozy places. This is a great audience, singing along with "Black", "Sometimes" and "Alive" (loudly!). Eddie jokes about having a little party at his hotel room afterward but not remembering the name of it but the address is, "... 1, 2, 3, 4..." and "Porch" launches. Responding to the "Eddie" chants when the encore begins, Eddie says, "Oh, yeah. That's my name. If that's my name, how do you spell it?" The crowd responds, "E-D-D-I-E". He says, "I just asked because there's a young woman up here... she had a shirt that said, "Eddy fuck me". Well, first you gotta spell my name right. Sexual harassment...". Causing great excitement, Eddie climbs onto the speakers during "Blood" and then the ladders, swinging over the audience. The mutual admiration between Pearl Jam and Amsterdam is obvious!
November 7, 1996 - Le Zénith - Paris, France
opening act: Fastbacks
setlist: Wash, Hail Hail, Last Exit, Once, Tremor Christ, Who You Are, Corduroy, Better Man/(Save It For Later), Even Flow, Jeremy, Off He Goes, Animal, Daughter/(Androgynous Mind), Lukin, Rearviewmirror, I Got Id, Whipping, Alive/(It Ain't Like That)
encore 1: (Roadhouse Blues), Sometimes, Black, State Of Love And Trust, Porch
encore 2: Smile, Yellow Ledbetter
Another upbeat show with the band in good form but the audience is behaving badly. Eddie speaks a few lyrics from the "broken faces" part of Stereolab's "Noise Of Carpet" as an intro to "Lukin". After a cranked "Rearviewmirror", he says, "OK, in this hand is a fast song and in this hand is a slower song", (prompting the crowd to pick). Then, "Since you couldn't decide, let's put the two of them together", leading to "I Got Id" and "Whipping". A fan makes it on stage during "Alive" and sings a bit, with Mike finishing the song with some riffs from "It Ain't Like That", by Alice In Chains. The first encore begins with Eddie talking about how the band decided to enroll in a French class at the local university, but they kept coming up with excuses not to attend. After a crack about Mike visiting the grave of his dead uncle, Jim Morrison, Mike plays a little riff, prompting the band to go into a quite unexpected, short version of The Doors' "Roadhouse Blues". (Cool!). He finishes the story saying that though they never made it to the French classes, he was able to find time to write the next song, leading to "Sometimes".
November 9, 1996 - Hallenstadion - Zurich, Switzerland
opening act: Fastbacks
soundcheck: Black Red Yellow, Animal, Smile, Nothingman, Black Red Yellow, Porch, Not For You, Lukin, Rearviewmirror
setlist: Animal, Hail Hail, Once, Last Exit, Spin The Black Circle, Dissident, Who You Are, Whipping, Corduroy, Better Man, Rearviewmirror, Sometimes, Even Flow, Glorified G, Daughter/(The Real Me)/(I Am One), Go, Jeremy, Off He Goes, State Of Love And Trust, Lukin, Alive
encore: Not For You, I Got Id, Black, Leaving Here, (Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love), Rockin' In The Free World
After "Spin The Black Circle", Eddie asks, "How have you been? (crowd cheers) I would speak more but my English is not very good". Very shortly after "Better Man" is started, Eddie's guitar strap breaks and the song abruptly stops. He notices that the straps says it was made in Zurich. The song is restarted. "Sometimes" is introduced as, "This song is in between always and never". After "Jeremy", the show is paused to try to understand something the crowd is saying. Eddie asks, "Save the fucking drugs? You're going to have to hold up your hand... one at a time, please. Oh, "State Of Love And Trust". OK". They go on to play "Off He Goes" but play "State Of Love And Trust" next, with Eddie changing the words to "save the fucking drugs..." during the final chorus. As the encore begins, Eddie comments, "You think of it as being very, very cold up here, but you get a whole shitload of people in one room and you don't even notice". Then, "This song is not written for you", leads in to "Not For You". "Leaving Here" is started roughly and Eddie notes it and says it was "sorta shitty" (while Mike plays some riffs from "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love", by Van Halen), so they add "Rockin' In The Free World".
November 10, 1996 - Olympiahalle - Innsbruck, Austria
opening act: Fastbacks
This show was canceled for unknown reasons.
November 12, 1996 - PalaEur - Rome, Italy
attendance: 11 500 (sold out)
opening act: Fastbacks
setlist: Release, Last Exit, Animal, Hail Hail, Dissident, In My Tree, Corduroy, Better Man, Not For You, Even Flow, Daughter/(Androgynous Mind)/(W.M.A.), Jeremy, (Hunger Strike), Black, State Of Love And Trust, Sometimes, Rearviewmirror, Immortality, Lukin, Alive
encore: Who You Are, Once, Present Tense, Smile, Rockin' In The Free World
This is another pleasant show, with both the audience and Pearl Jam in a good mood. After "Jeremy", the band play a bit of "Hunger Strike", which is a surprise. "Sometimes" is stopped rather abruptly, the crowd cheers and Eddie says, "Thank you. I was just out of tune". The song is picked up where left off. Returning for the encore, Eddie chats a bit: "We have much more work to do. It was a very nice night for us". He asks Keith to turn the lights up: "It's the nicest night we've ever had inside the giant clam. Thanks for joining us". Eddie later expresses his feelings for Rome ("I did not get married in Paris") and dedicates "Smile" to the friends who helped him when he got married. Mike unleashes his guitar prowess during the "Rockin' In The Free World" finale, with the crowd lending spirited clapping to the final verse and Eddie draping the local soccer team's (AS Roma) flag on Jack's drum.
November 13, 1996 - Forum - Milan, Italy
attendance: 12 700 (sold out)
opening act: Fastbacks
pre-set: The Kids Are Alright (Eddie solo)
setlist: Long Road, Go, Last Exit, Hail Hail, Red Mosquito, Who You Are, Off He Goes, Corduroy, Better Man, Habit, Even Flow, Daughter, Jeremy, Sometimes, Rearviewmirror, Present Tense, Alive
encore 1: Once, State Of Love And Trust, Nothingman, Smile, Porch
encore 2: Yellow Ledbetter
Eddie plays "The Kids Are Alright" solo, prior to the Fastbacks opening. This show and this audience seem very subdued (but polite) until "Even Flow", when the crowd begins singing along, clapping and Mike wakes up his guitar! The concert grows from there... with a perfect "Rearviewmirror". Eddie says, "Cara, this is for you", and "Present Tense" is played. After "State Of Love And Trust", Eddie asks the crowd if they are having a nice time and to ask him the same question. He makes them ask twice, answers, "Of course", thanks the crowd and then they play "Nothingman" like it is an everyday occurrence and the audience sings along like it is a standard song. The harmonica really stand out on "Smile", and Jeff plays guitar while Stone plays bass. Eddie tips one of the small amplifiers on its side and stands high atop it toward the end of "Porch". Super setlist!
November 15, 1996 - Sportovní hala - Prague, Czech Republic
opening act: Fastbacks
setlist: Go, Last Exit, Animal, Spin The Black Circle, Hail Hail, Red Mosquito, Who You Are, Off He Goes, Corduroy, Better Man, Habit, Even Flow, Daughter/(Noise Of Carpet), Jeremy, Sometimes, Rearviewmirror, Present Tense, Black, Alive/(Bring It On Home)
encore: Mankind, Once, (Hunger Strike), State Of Love And Trust, Immortality, Smile, Porch
This show, starting two hours late and nearly starting a panic among the waiting crowd, is opened with Eddie explaining: "This show, it almost didn't happen tonight, so we'd like to thank a couple people. We'd like to thank the truck drivers who drove through the snow and got all the equipment here. We'd like to thank the crew who set up in about an hour. And most importantly we'd like to thank you, too". Due to the delay, opening act Fastbacks didn't play. Eddie's voice sounds a bit ragged during "Last Exit", perhaps with little time to warm up. A sweet version of "Off He Goes" features some nice guitar fills. The "Habit" phrase is "speaking as somebody who has never been to this city before". On the closing notes of "Alive", Mike inserts a few distinct bars from Led Zeppelin's "Bring It On Home". Upon returning for the encore, Eddie asks, "Hey, Stone. Was it like this with Neil? ...see, these guys have been here before with Neil Young... so they know what to expect. I had no idea... pretty exciting". Then, "This is Stone's vocal debut here in Prague". Stone starts "Mankind" asking, "Are you ready for me?" in a falsetto. After a short version of "Hunger Strike", Eddie praises the singing, saying "All right... I'll let Christopher [Cornell] know". Jeff and Stone swap guitars on "Smile", which is dedicated to a "... guy who's having his 20th birthday right over there". Eddie is back to his climbing antics... scaling the light tower during "Porch".
November 17, 1996 - Budapest Sportcsarnok - Budapest, Hungary
attendance: 10 000
opening act: Fastbacks
soundcheck: Improv, MFC, Improv
setlist: Sometimes, Corduroy, Hail Hail, Animal, Dissident, Who You Are, Black Red Yellow, Rearviewmirror, Better Man, Habit, Off He Goes, Even Flow, Glorified G, Daughter/(Androgynous Mind), Jeremy, State Of Love And Trust, Immortality, Alive
encore: Mankind, (Young Man Blues), Lukin, I Got Id, Present Tense, Once, Leaving Here, Porch
Due to ticket sales not going as well as hoped, the hungarian promoters asked the U.S. Embassy in Budapest for help! NATO soldiers, stationed in Taszár, were transported with buses to the arena. The soldiers rejoiced at the unexpected outgoing and covered the "battlefield" in green. Dedicated to the fans following Pearl Jam's tour, "Black, Red, Yellow" was played live for the first time and sounded super leading into "Rearviewmirror". The "Daughter" jam was quite moving. The encore was amazing! Fastbacks helped out on "Leaving Here".
November 19, 1996 - Istanbul World Trade Center - Istanbul, Turkey
attendance: 12 000
opening act: Fastbacks
setlist: Release, Last Exit, Hail Hail, Animal, Tremor Christ, In My Tree, Corduroy, Elderly Woman..., Habit, Even Flow, Daughter/(Bull In The Heather)/(Androgynous Mind), Jeremy, Long Road, Sometimes, Rearviewmirror, Better Man, Alive, Blood/(Fame)
encore: Who You Are, State Of Love And Trust, Once, Smile, Porch
This show is somewhat low-key, with little interaction between the band and the crowd. After "In My Tree", Eddie interjects, "Pleased to meet you", toward a fan who had hopped on stage. The "Habit" phrase is "speaking as a tourist". "Long Road" leads directly into "Sometimes" in a unique fashion.
November 21, 1996 - Palacio de los Deportes - Barcelona, Spain
attendance: 8 000 (sold out)
opening act: Fastbacks
soundcheck: Parting Ways, Improv, Around The Bend, In My Tree x 3, Hard To Imagine, Garden, Leaving Here, I'm Open
setlist: Wash, Last Exit, Hail Hail, Animal, Red Mosquito, Who You Are, Corduroy, Better Man, Off He Goes, Habit, Even Flow, Jeremy, Daughter/(Happiness Is A Warm Gun)/(Bull In The Heather)/(Androgynous Mind), Sometimes, Lukin, Rearviewmirror, Immortality, Alive, Porch
encore 1: Mankind, Once, State Of Love And Trust, Present Tense, Smile, Blood/(Fame)
encore 2: Around The Bend
"Parting Ways", a song which is not released until four years later on Binaural, is soundchecked. Eddie breaks out a bit of his Spanish to communicate: "Cuidado" (Attention) a few times to the crowd; during "Habit": "Hablando como un niño de los 90s" (Speaking as a child of the '90s). Eddie includes some lyrics from "Happiness Is A Warm Gun", by The Beatles, in the "Daughter" jam. Stone gets into the act opening "Mankind" with, "Que pasa?" (What's up?) I'm gonna sing one for you". A "hey, hey" chant between the crowd and Pearl Jam gets going during the "Blood" jam. Returning for a final encore, Eddie says, "OK, in English; this one's a lullabye, so when you go home, have nice dreams tonight", leading to "Around The Bend", and a "Adios, amigos. Buenos noches" (Goodbye friends. Good night). "Smile" from this show later appears on the '96 fan club single.
November 22, 1996 - Velódromo de Anoeta - San Sebastian, Spain
attendance: 9 500 (sold out)
opening act: Fastbacks
setlist: Sometimes, Animal, Last Exit, Spin The Black Circle, Hail Hail, Dissident, Who You Are, Corduroy, Better Man/(Save It For Later), Whipping, I Got Id, Even Flow, Daughter, Jeremy, Footsteps, Red Mosquito, Lukin, Habit, Rearviewmirror, Immortality, Alive
encore 1: Go, State Of Love And Trust, Black, Porch
encore 2: Yellow Ledbetter
This show features a truly electrifying start, opening with a sweet "Sometimes" and then launching into a hard "Animal". Eddie quips, "Come se dice... Yo tengo caca?" ("How do you say... I got shit?). This is it..." and they begin "I Got Shit". Eddie breaks out a few antics, skateboarding across the stage prior to "Go". "State Of Love And Trust" is stopped and restarted, by Mike. Eddie is climbing the speakers during "Porch" and throwing the mic over the lights and hanging.
November 24, 1996 - Cascais Pavilion - Lisbon, Portugal
opening act: Fastbacks
pre-set: Eddie, Kurt Bloch & Mike Musberger: I Can't Explain, The Kids Are Alright, My Generation; Eddie, Jeff, Kurt Bloch & Mike Musberger: Young Man Blues
setlist: Release, Last Exit, Animal, Hail Hail, Once, Dissident, In My Tree, Corduroy, Elderly Woman..., Whipping, Habit, Off He Goes, Even Flow, Daughter, Jeremy, Improv, Present Tense, Black Red Yellow, Rearviewmirror, Alive
encore: Smile, Black, State Of Love And Trust, Porch/(Can't You Hear Me Knocking)
Eddie (wearing a mask) plays four The Who songs with Kurt Bloch and Mike Musburger from the Fastbacks, introduced as "The What". (This was actually their second appearance... the first being the November 5, 1996 show at Vera in Groningen, Netherlands). Jeff (introduced as Eddie's brother, "Willy What"), joins the group for "Young Man Blues". During the of the Fastbacks, Stone joins them for "Mankind". Eddie again does the fast speaking or nursery rhyme (whatever it is) like the Berlin show during "Habit". The crowd starts a very spirited Portugal chant, which Pearl Jam picks up on and turns into a cool jam. After "Smile", Eddie acknowledges Stone for playing bass guitar, and thanks Stone's parents (who are at the show) for having Stone. During "Porch", Mike inserts a few of the Rolling Stones' "Can't You Hear Me Knocking" riffs into the jam, and Eddie climbs the speakers and dives. The (excellent!) crowd goes wild and Eddie emerges with his shirt ripped up in back. He pulls it off and tosses it to the crowd, drapes himself with a towel and that's it. A very on show!
November 25, 1996 - Cascais Pavilion - Lisbon, Portugal
opening act: Fastbacks
setlist: Who You Are, Animal, Hail Hail, Tremor Christ, Corduroy, Better Man, Not For You, Off He Goes, Mankind, Even Flow, Jeremy, Daughter/(Androgynous Mind), Sometimes, Rearviewmirror, Immortality, Footsteps, (Hunger Strike), State Of Love And Trust, Alive
encore: Once, Black, Smile, Porch, Yellow Ledbetter, Rockin' In The Free World
Eddie joins Fastbacks, wearing a silver suit and mask for "Leaving Here", introduced as Kim Warnick's "husband", while Mike watches, smiling, from the side of the stage. Eddie intro's "Better Man" as one not played the night before, notes his hurting throat and says he might need some help singing. He explains, during the quiet interlude of "Not For You", (a song for which Eddie likes to discuss the lyrics and their meaning) that the lyrics mean what you hear and if it wasn't for you, they wouldn't be there. "Mankind" is dedicated to Stone's parents (still there!), with some playful guitar. After a quick "thanks" from Stone, Eddie sings a little snippet of "Mankind" lyrics in a falsetto a capella, and an unbelievable "Even Flow" RAWKS! Eddie begins motioning with his arms to create strange shadows against the back curtain. After a mention that they might play some different stuff, a great set of "Footsteps", a bit of "Hunger Strike", "State Of Love And Trust", "Alive" follows. The crowd help sing on "Hunger Strike", with Eddie gesturing for help and applauding the crowd at the end of the song. With great amusement, Eddie hoists Mike onto his shoulders toward the end of "Alive". After thanking the fans who have followed the European tour, Eddie trades his harmonica for a Portuguese flag with a fan in the pit and drapes it over the mic stand during "Smile", then wraps it around his waist like an apron, then puts it over Stone's face, and finally places it over Jack's bass drum. Climbing the lights again during "Porch", Eddie holds a large utility broom high, then climbs down and sweeps the stage. Eddie says that "Garden" was requested but Stone says he's "forgotten how to play it". This show begins on a high note and never lets down. The super Lisbon crowd enjoyed one of the finest... what a way to end this tour!
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