April 18th, 2003
AmSouth Amphitheater
Nashville, Tennessee

Sleater-Kinney

Ed Pre-Set...
Throw Your Arms Around Me
Main Set...
Oceans, Love Boat Captain, Breakerfall, Gods' Dice, Save You, Do The Evolution, Cropduster, Light Years, MFC, Deep, Even Flow, Daughter/ABITW/Androgynous Mind, Insignificance, Parting Ways, Better Man/Wild Thing, Rearviewmirror
First Encore...
Free Jazz, Elderly Woman, Know Your Rights, Bushleaguer, Alive, Sonic Reducer
Second Encore...
Leaving Here (w/Sleater-Kinney), Fortunate Son (w/Sleater-Kinney & Steve Earle), Rockin' In The Free World (w/Sleater-Kinney)


Yeah...um...how can I even begin a re-cap on this show???

The chances were high that I was going to be front row for this show because I was using Rich W.'s extra fanclub ticket and his number is lower than mine (aka: decent). I think quite pessimistically, though, and always think that certain things (like being front row at a Pearl Jam concert) are never going to happen. Well. I ended up front row....sorta between Jeff and Mike. Not too shabby of a location for my first front row:-)

Loaded up on water before Sleater-Kinney hit the scene. I knew I probably was not going to dig Sleater-Kinney...but I tried to keep an open mind for my buds who are all into 'em. I joked beforehand and said I hated "rock music" but now I kind of think that is really true...

I was entertained though...cause "The Female Stone" had on some really nice pants. I was trying to figure out who they were by. I know. Bad, aren't I?

It was total Rock City around me. All of us pretty much ended up being directly by each other in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rows. I love it when we all get the chance to sit close to each other:-)

Ah yes. I forgot. Ed did this little number...you may have heard of it before...it's called Throw Your Arms Around Me. Sigh. My first show in 2000, I got my first Throw Your Arms Around Me ever...then I got it again later in Seattle. I never would have imagined I would get it in Nashville. I love that song so much it's hard to even express how much. Thank you Eddddddie.

We had heard the soundcheck before the show...which consisted of Present Tense like three times, Parting Ways, and Oceans. WHAT a soundcheck! Excitement for the show is always there pre-show...but when a souncheck like that happens...boy oh boy!

In our hearts, we all really hoped that Oceans would open the show...but just because they soundchecked it...it did not guarentee it would be played. We were lucky mofos...because those five guys came out and christened the show (and my first front row show) with my most favorite opener ever...
Oceans!!!
I was really psyched because I have only seen Oceans once (Greenville 1998). As much of a Jack Irons fan I am---I think Matt Cameron's drumming on Oceans is the best of all the drummers (yes, I did a test to see which I liked the best a couple of years back, and yes, I am a dork).

Wow. Then they started to pick up the pace and played Love Boat Captain. At the end of LBC, everyone sang the last chorus and Ed didn't even touch it...it was amazing. They totally rocked our asses for the next couple of songs. Hearing Oceans... I was content. At that point I had it in my head, "Alright! This is a good show!" I didn't care what fell after that, I was happy:-) But then they went into Light Years. Man I love that song live. I don't think I appreciated it to full potential back in 2000.

MFC...into DEEP! This was my first time ever seeing Deep! And it ruled. Yes it did.

Now...I am not a big fan of the Even Flow live performance. It's not that I hate the song...and I don't believe in that hodge podge that if they didn't play it they would play something more "desirable" instead. This Even Flow renewed any and all faith I ever had in that song live. Oh my gosh. The best part was Stone telling Mike to keep working on the solo. He made the best faces in the world and he was cracking everyone's asses up (Stone was just gettin' warmed up, I tell ya!). Great great great version of Even Flow.

Daughter featured a loud Another Brick In The Wall tag. It was followed by Insignificance and...Parting Ways!!!! Two of the songs they soundchecked---they actually played! I think a lot of us thought we were hearing things;-)

Next came Better Man...with get this...a Wild Thing tag! Hah! Totally saved that song;-) Rearviewmirror closed the set...

The first encore break started with some "Free Jazz" which was quite entertaining. First official song was Elderly Woman...which a lot of people hate on...but I never get sick of this song live (it's no Corduroy but it's a fun sing-a-long). I think this was also the point in the show were this smelly kid with a mullet came and decided he needed to stand behind me. And it wasn't that he just smelled of BO---his breath stank, too. This kid can kiss my ass.

Know Your Rights came next. And I tell you...I have never seen Eddie so intense---ever. He looked like he could kill someone. It was wild AND crazy. Great version, though.

When I left for these shows...of course, I wanted to hear Bushleaguer but because of recent events...I did not think that was going to happen anytime soon. I was disgruntled about it because it's one of my three all-time favorites off of Riot Act. I could hardly believe my eyes when Ed came out in his silver jacket and Mr. George W in hand. Ed made sure to point out how gentle he was being with the mask...and at the end of the song, he even kissed good old Dub-ya.

Alive came next. A song I appreciate much more now since the 2000 tour...since they stopped playing it after Roskilde. It wasn't so much I like the song more live now because of WHY they stopped playing it---but because it gave it a nice rest. The crowd was amazing during this entire show...and a "hey" (ala old school Alive) was started. Really helped make this song.

And the set closed it...
SONIC REDUCER!!!!!

I had mentioned earlier in the day that I had never seen Sonic Reducer before...just ever-so-casually. Cause I never believe I am going to hear the songs on my wishlist. I freaked out when they went into it...man, Sonic Reducer...I still can't believe it...

The final encore featured Sleater-Kinney and Steve Earle (on Fortunate Son): Leaving Here, Fortunate Son, and Rockin in the Free World. Wow. What an encore!!! Leaving Here with Sleater-Kinney was incredible! I thought it was way cute...I probably enjoyed it most of the three songs. I was really geeked to hear Fortunate Son because I think they do a grand job at covering the song. And you can't go wrong closing the set with Rocking in the Free World.

And I must not forget...the best part of this show: discovering that not only Stone Gossard has re-learned how to move and play the guitar...BUT he was sporting Diesel jeans. I swear I was going to fall over... LOL, I think I'm in love;-)

Needless to say...when this show ended, I needed water...my throat hurt...and my hands hurt so bad from clapping. And I had a show the next night to go to...rock on!
 
 

04.20.03
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