SEPTEMBER 18, 1998
MERRIWEATHER POST PAVILION
COLUMBIA, MARYLANDMain Set...
Hail, Hail, Animal, Given to Fly, Daughter/I Believe in Miracles/WMA, Corduroy, Wishlist, Immortality, State of Love and Trust, Even Flow, Footsteps, Mankind, Alive, Better Man, Leatherman, Jeremy, Do the Evolution
First Encore...
Elderly Woman, Brain of J, Untitled, MFC, Crazy Mary/Rearviewmirror, Black, Porch
Second Encore...
Last Kiss, Yellow Ledbetter
4:30. That is how I am going to begin the re-cap for the Merriweather show. 4:30? That was the time I had to wake up so I could fly out to the Washington, D.C. area.
Before the show, Luke Adolph, and his girlfriend, Hope, found me. I introduced them to Matt Corbett and we walked to Scott Kaufman's car. So before the show had even started, I met Chris Doerr, Ed (I don't know Ed's last name, he runs Full of Code), Sher (who also runs Full of Code), and Donna (DCPearl I believe). Matt and I spent some time talking to Chris, but had to say our good-byes so Matt could go meet up with Mike Dolin. Though I was sad to leave the little pre-gig party (LOL), I knew I'd see all those folkies later. We found Mike Dolin really easily at the bridge. The buzz around us at that time was that no cameras allowed. So I re-packed my bag/purse to make sure my camera was deep down in there and nice and hidden:-)
Want to hear my trick, ladies? My trick to quick and easy entrance into a venue is to find the cutest/coolest/youngest looking guy working the gate. Even if he's not typically wonderful..go to that guy anyway! Young guys do not want to go through the embarrassment of making a teenage girl empty out her bag/purse! Worked like a charm---as it has before...hehe! Camera in hella easy!
After a lot of lollygagging, Mike, Matt, and I made it down to the pavilion. Mike got a good idea of where his ticket was, since I had an extra ticket next to Quinn (Brown) that was not in use. So Mike figures out the seat next to Quinn is better, I hand over the ticket, and we're all on our way. Thanks to Matt for my awesome seat...somewhere around 18th row, center. Nice view the whole night (except for the one guy with a hat on two rows in front of me that was quite the dancer).
I am not sure of when Ben Harper hit the stage, but he came on stage along and played a little acoustic number. The sound was so low though! We almost couldn't hear him! (Anyone else have this experience?)
Ben Harper was an ok opener. I bet like tons of you guys are going, "OK?!? Just OK?!?!" Yeah..."ok"...I am not impressed by Ben Harper...he is good and all...but I am just not into him. But he did put on a good show. Of course the place freaked out when they played "Voodoo Chile". Tons of excitement on the crowd's part.
In-between Harper and PJ's set...I kind of looked around me...as did Matt. Matt notices the guy behind him with recording equipment, so they discuss taping. As they were talking, I noticed the girl sitting behind me had a camera...so I was like, "cool"!
Matt also took the time to ask the person next to him if he would be un-rowdy for the show since Matt was taping...Matt said he would hook him up with a copy of the show. So they needed to exchange e-mail addy's...of course, they needed something to write them on...and since I'm so prepared and stuff...I break out a Pass It Around card...the kid recognizes it and asks Matt if he runs Pass It Around and Matt says no, but that I did. So he introduces himself (Jeff), and I introduce myself...and we converse before Pearl Jam...Jeff was really cool!
Pearl Jam time creeped toward us...and instead of the familiar Color Red, Aye Davinta was played. What an awesome change! (Haha, you know you're mental when the intro song excites you...)
We all had been trying to decide if Pearl Jam was going to come out hard or soft. I suspected hard...and hard is what he got...Hail, Hail...awesome opener, that's for sure!
Daughter joined the set early...at least in my opinion. It was played fourth (after Hail, Hail, Animal, and Given to Fly). Brokedown into I Believe in Miracles--which brought back memories of Toledo:-) WMA as well...way cool!
They played an awesome version of State of Love and Trust. The song was totally right on! Mike blew us all away yet again during Even Flow and it was also very sad because Ed picked up his cup of wine (at least I think it was wine) and he tripped and fell backwards...wine spilling all over the place. I felt so bad for the guy! Yeah, none of us cared that he fell...I mean we cared...but we were not like, "What a dork, he fell!"...I mean the guy is Eddie Vedder...hero of many youth (whether he likes it or not). But I am sure he felt embarrassed about the whole ordeal...I know I would be in front of 18,000 people...even if they were fans and friends. Anyhow...
After Even Flow, they brought out a little Footsteps and Mankind...woo hoo Stone!
Now, during Alive...it hit me that I had been awake for over 20 straight hours! I was in some desperate need for sleep! I knew that surviving the rest of the show was unfortunately going to be a difficult task...
Some other highlights...the obvious...Leatherman...I love that song live! The improv before MFC was awesome too...like the same one from the second night at Alpine Valley. (Haha I remember at Alpine Valley...they started playing it...and my mom looks at me...I look at Ezra...who looked at me...we were all confused...'Hey shouldn't we know this?' LOL) The little bit of Crazy Mary was cool to hear as well. Porch...ahh...love that song. Last Kiss! I never would have thought I would have seen Pearl Jam play this song live again! Guess I was wrong! Ended the show with a little Yellow Ledbetter...and do not moan and groan! Yeah...it's a typical closer, but that song is still cool (In my opinion...yet again)...and Mike's guitar playing is just insane on this song...so nah to all you Yellow Ledbetter haters:-P
It's a shame my pictures did not turn out to well. The lighting is awesome on them...but I did not use the flash, so the shutter speed was really slow, so the pictures are like super duper action shots...oh well...
After the show Matt and I said our good-byes to Mike...set a meeting place for the next night...and drove the two or so hours back to Matt's house in Richmond. Needless to say, I was exhausted...and sleep is always pleasant when you hit your pillow (LOL or someone else's) with ringing in your ears and Pearl Jam on the brain...
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