May 2nd, 2003
HSBC Arena
Buffalo, New York
Sparta

Ed Pre-Set...
You've Got To Hide Your Love Away

Main Set...
Love Boat Captain, Brain Of J, Hail Hail, Save You, Corduroy, Small Town, I Got Shit, Even Flow, Faithfull, Deep, Given To Fly, Spin The Black Circle, Wishlist, Green Disease, Insignificance, Black, Go
First Encore...
Free Jazz, Driven To Tears, Better Man, Crazy Mary, Do The Evolution, Alive
Second Encore...
Soon Forget, Smile, Fortunate Son, Sonic Reducer, People Have The Power
Third Encore...
Baba O'Riley, Yellow Ledbetter

---

I was ready for a rocking time. Even though I was tired, I was still amped. I ended up with front row tickets (again, thanks to Rich Wilson). I guess it was worth the wait all day in the cold. The weather was horrid. Good thing I packed my winter coat this past weekend, cause I certainly used it the day of the Buffalo show. I even grabbed my blanket and had to fist fight Bowman for it (what a bum).

We didn't get to the venue in a super-timely manner because we all went back to Amy's hotel room and napped/watched tv. We weren't in a super rush to get to the venue. When we got there, though, I had to get posters. As did others. The stand on the first floor was sold out so off some of us went to get posters on the 2nd floor. I found Dolin and we combined our posters and began to roll them when we heard that age old line, "Good evening." Aw, fuck. Ed pre-set before Sparta. We ran to the first section we could find and we were greeted by a grumpy son of a bitch (which surprised me since all the other venue employees we met in the fan club line were supurb---they got us port-o-johns and coffee...for real!). He would not let Dolin and I down to the floor or stand anywhere because we had not gotten "floor wristbands" yet. Would have been nice if the people who took our tickets told us we had to enter on the first floor to get wristbands. Getto later made me feel bad because it had slipped my mind that he was waiting for us to bring posters back to him so he could go put them in the car. After the posters sold out on the first floor, I just sorta assumed Bob was going to relay the info to him and he would just run Bob's poster back to the car. So because we didn't bring the posters back, he missed the pre-set. I think he was just busting my balls-that-I-don't-have...but I still felt bad. I told him he could have my next front row ticket...LOL...but it turns out he didn't need my ticket the next night to be in the front row...

Anyhow...Ed performed You've Got To Hide Your Love Away solo. Nothing amazing. A pre-set's a pre-set.

Hung around the concourse while Sparta was on. Wishing I could eat some ice cream (I knew if I had ice cream right before the show I would end up with a tummy ache). Then I saw I had a nice text message from Kirk wishing us all a good show and then a voicemail from SarahCanada saying she was at the show. Haha. Rad.

We all went down to the floor and got into position. Show opened with Love Boat Captain...which is probably going to become this tour's Of The Girl or something. Not that I am complaining. It's a decent opener. Second song surprised us all...freaking Brain Of J!!! Yes! And someone had even mentioned earlier in the day about how nice it would be to hear Brain of J. Hail, Hail, Save You, and Corduroy came next, nice huh?

And then...eventually...I Got Shit!!! Fuck yeah! Into Even Flow and then Faithfull. Deep?!? This was about when I started thinking, "Man, this band rules."

I also got Green Disease which is one of my fav's off of Riot Act so that put a smile on my face...

Haha, band played "Free Jazz" again. Too funny. Crazy Mary featured some great jamming between Mike and Boom. Very very nice. Second encore began with Soon Forget...which was sung to a Bill Gates mask.

Smile came next. Got to check the whole bass/guitar switch-a-roo up close:-)

Next three songs were covers...and I do not have any complaints about that AT ALL. I love PJ covers. People Have the Power was awesome...and a girl was pulled from like 4th row to hold the lyric sheet. Very cool.

And I couldn't believe it...a third encore! Shit like that doesn't happen EVERYDAY you know! Baba O'Riley...and THEN Yellow Ledbetter!!!

Man o man!

At some point during the set, Ed had mentioned the place had a curfew and said McCready was going to pay the fees/fine. Haha priceless.

Show was awesome...and while we expected State College might be something special...I don't know...after this show, I had no idea how great the show the following night was going to be...
 
 

05.05.03

---