May 3rd, 2003
Bryce Jordan Center
State College, Pennsylvania
Sparta

Main Set...
Release, Save You, Animal, Corduroy, Cropduster, Elderly Woman, Even Flow, Grievance, I Am Mine, Improv, Rearviewmirror, Nothingman, Daughter/Highway to Hell/Hell No We Won't Go/Another Brick in the Wall, Lukin, Whipping, MFC, Jeremy, Improv, Blood
First Encore...
Hide Your Love Away (Ed solo), Gimmie Some Truth (Ed solo), Breath, Do The Evolution, Black, Alive
Second Encore...
Last Exit, Mankind, Down, Better Man/Save It For Later, Satan's Bed, Leaving Here
Third Encore...
Crazy Mary, Porch, Fortunate Son, Rocking In The Free World, Yellow Ledbetter

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I was drawn to this show for a few things...location, fell on a Saturday, and it was the last show of Leg 1. Knowing what a last show of the leg could potentially be like...nothing could have prepared me...hell, anyone...for this show.

We had semi-caravaned from Buffalo straight to State College (I say semi...for a reason but it's too much drama for a re-cap, haha). We ended up making it to State College at like 1/4 to 5. Yeah. We were tired. Then we got a call from Mr. Dan Grenough and he told us that there were people in line already. So everyone but me, Dolin, and Getto departed for the line. The three of us were the spoiled bitchasses of the day: we slept in until 11. Totally forgot about the fact Philly 2 and Hershey tickets went on sale at 10...but we were tired. Sleep was more important.

We went and picked up Panera for a couple of people and then headed to the fan club line. It was a beautiful day. Sunny. Warm. And many many many people were there. Not only strangers, but friends, too.

The coolest thing to come...thanks to our buds waiting in line for so long...was actually getting our tickets. A whole bunch of us ended up front row right next to each other. Carl, Gems, Rich Wilson, me, Steve, Getto, and Dolin. All in a row. All next to each other. All in front row. All in front of Jeffy-poo. It was gonna rawk. Bowman and Bob were 2nd row. Doerr was far right by Stone in the front row. Jersey Mike was 9th row on Stone's side. A bunch of party peeps like Frank, Julie, and John were in a phatty side stage section on Jeff's side.

After we got our tickets, we left and got some Ben and Jerry's ice cream and then went and took naps. Naps are very good. Eventually made it to the venue. Skipped Sparta's last set. Just not interested. Too loud. Hurt my ears from OUTSIDE.

Still can't believe we all sat together...LOL...

So the show started...with freaking Release!!! A beautiful version even! Unbelievable!

Next they began to rawk. Save You...Animal...Corduroy. Niiiiice!

We got an Improv...we always like those. We also got Rearviewmirror quite early in the set. Following RVM came Nothing Man which I did not even expect to hear that night.

The Daughter tags were awwwwwwwwwwwesome. Who ever would have thought you'd see Ed sing Highway to Hell? And then Hell No We Won't Go? Rad.

What came next is what made me duck and cover (ok, I didn't really do either, but I did get kinda scared)...Lukin into Whipping. Too great.

MFC followed and I am AWWWWLL about that. After Jeremy...I believe there were problems with Mike's guitar junk so they went into a second Improv. Set closed with Blood which rocked our socks off.

Ed came back alone for first encore. There was a chair waiting for him so we were all confused. Thrown off by what he was going to play. He ended up playing You've Got To Hide Your Love Away...saying he was doing an acoustic "bit" for the Amish. Ended up screwing it up a bit...but it's Ed and he does it and he's allowed to do it. Hehe. Sorta just assumed that was it for Ed solo...but no...he went into Gimmie Some Truth. Which I was THRILLED about because my favorite versions of Gimmie Some Truth are the acoustic ones. I just think they the acoustic versions are...more effective...?

BREATH came next! Woo! Even with Ed's lyrical problems...this version was way better than what I heard in Philly 2000. I'm all about hearing Breath.

After Do The Evolution...our little group started a "Let Stone Sing" chant. We wanted to hear Mankind...damn it. We forgot to make the signs that Getto wanted to hold (which would have read, "Stone: Put Down Your Purse and Sing Mankind"). Ed was like looking at us with the whole, "What the fuck are you saying?" look on his face. So we all point at Stone...so he gets it...and he's sorta still like, "What?" So we're just going apeshit---we WANT TO HEAR MANKIND. I fucking took my hand like I was holding a microphone and put it in front of my face. I don't know...the whole thing was great...

...until that bastard, Stone (who did NOT hear this chant), started playing Black. I thought that was it. "Oh well. We're not going to get Mankind...good try anyway."

Alive closed the first encore.

Last Exit opened the second encore. Was sooooooooo good to hear this song again. I think it was placed perfectly on the set.

Then...Stone comes up to the mic. I could hardly believe what I was seeing, "Every once in a while, I get the call." And that fucker starts Man-freaking-kind...LOL, and they mess up. I was just holding my breath, "Don't give up..." (the song hasn't been played at all this year, hence a little rusty). But he tried again. was sorta slow. He screwed up the lyrics...but knew he was doing it and corrected himself fast (a-hem, unlike Mr. Vedder). Anyhow, Mankind MADE that show...made my NIGHT.

Down came next and I say "weeeeeee" to that! After Better Man (which was after Down) Ed asks for ideas on what to play. Everyone starts shouting out crap (including Dirty Frank which is when I looked at Ed, shook my head "no" and mouthed "no"...haha which is mean cause the Dirty Frank chanters were right behind us.) Anyhow, could have peed my pants when they started playing Satan's Bed.

Granted, it was the WORST version of Satan's Bed known to mankind...but it was fucking HILARIOUS! I almost felt bad because I was laughing so hard I kept bending over the rail laughing. Ed kept looking to us...to Rich W....to figure out the lyrics...so I really felt bad about the laughing. But it was priceless and I seriously couldn't help it. I give them huge props for playing it...and I suggest Ed looks over his lyric sheets for a refresher. Lordy lordy.

Set closed with Leaving Here which is always a fun song live.

We KNEW we would get a third encore...but we had no idea the party would continue on for as long as it did. I sort of figured two more songs...but hell no...they didn't go.

Crazy Mary...Porch...Fortunate Son...

And it kept going!!! Rocking in the Free World and then Yellow Ledbetter...which McCready threw out a bit of Bushleaguer. Fuck yeah.

Not sure at what point Ed said something about his wine...he said the show would not end until he finished his bottle of wine. Which was pretty much the case with this show... as Ledbetter ended...Ed finished up the wine and flipped it over to indicate it was gone...and the show was finished.

Getto got a pick from Ed. Carl got a tamborine. I got a Jeff pick. Jersey Mike...all the way in 9th row...caught a Stone pick (amazing, I saw that thing fly and I can't believe he got it but it sure did go to the right person!). This show was unbelievable. UNBELIEVABLE.

Longest Pearl Jam show ever...most time (3 hours and 22 minutes) and most songs (36 including the improvs). I still sort of can't believe it happened. And it made me think...

Damn...what is going to happen at these shows on 2nd leg???

 
 

05.05.03

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