October 1st, 2004
Sovereign Center
Reading, Pennsylvania
GOB, Death Cab for a Cutie

Ed Solo Pre-Set...
Don't Be Shy, Growin' Up
Main Set...
Love Boat Captain, Animal, Brain of J, Do the Evolution, Nothing as it Seems, Insignificance, The Amerikan in Me, Gimme Some Truth, Given to Fly, 1/2 Full, Sad, Go
First Encore (acoustic)...
Soon Forget, Elderly Woman, Masters of War, Nothingman, Crazy Mary
Second Encore...
Last Kiss, Daughter, Bleed for Me, The New World, Alive
Third Encore...
Yellow Ledbetter

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Well. Here I was. Again.

A long drive across two of the most boring states in the union --- Ohio and Pennsylvania. All for that band.

Again.

The show was on a Friday. Kirk and I decided to trek out to Reading together. Kirk had to attend school until 5 (Central), though, before he could meet up with me. Needless to say, we left Detroit around 1am Friday morning.

I drove until about 5 or 6am where we got to a generous friend's hotel room outside of Pittsburgh. We slept there for about 3 or 4 hours and we were on our way again. Destination: venue.

The drive to Reading was awful. I officially decided that day that I despise driving during the day. We got to Reading (a shithole, by the way) in time to meet Doerr, Dan, Rich, and Brian at some dive bar that Doerr hung out at when he was a young lad in college.

We got to the venue only to find the usual suspects. Yes. This is what traveling to see this band is all about!

As we patiently (haha right) waited for doors to open, we were thoroughly entertained by some action across the street. Pro-Life crusaders held up signs of aborted fetuses. Hello? My 52nd Pearl Jam show and I have avoided aborted fetuses...even at a Voters for Choice show. Perhaps they got confused --- Vote for Change --- VFC --- Voters for Choice. Idiots. With nothing better to do on a Friday night...not that I should talk.

Getting out of my car...I realized...shit. Poster stress ahead. The worst aspect of Pealr Jam shows...yet I have an easy time of letting that dumb shit slip my mind at the end of every tour. Obviously for good reason. It's so stupid, but I just have to have a poster for every show I attend. I definitely do not have enough wall space for those posters...but that is besides the point.

After we all figured out our poster drama...and all got into the venue...we went to our seats in order to catch Ed's pre-set. Kirk and I had pretty shady seats. Not that I am bitching. I was in the venue---and those tickets were a bitch to get. We ended up moving before the band hit the stage behind Simon and Amie. The whole row behind them was abandoned (side stage, Jeff's side). Dan joined us, too. It was a grand old time in that section.

I was way amped about this show. I hadn't been up to anything "fun" since starting my new job...and this little weekend was exactly what the doctor ordered. My favorite band. And being with my favorite Pearl Jam friends. Doesn't get better than that.

The band opened with Love Boat Captain. Good way to start the night. Burning set after that...just look at it! I was THRILLED when they played Gimme Some Truth. Love their cover. Even if Ed screws up the lyrics---that is one song where that matters not to me. The thing that did indeed piss me off was the lovely keyboard accompaniment. GO AWAY!!!!!! You don't belong!!!!!!! I want my band back, damn it!

Highlight of the main set: premiere of Sad. Fucking great song. And seeing it live made me appreciate it in a whole new way. Love it, love it, love it!

The acoustic encore...so-so. I'm not a fan of the first encore being acoustic. It's an awkward spot in the set. Or perhaps I was just tired from the drive. All those "slow" songs in a row...it's just too much. Gimmie some rock, yo! Ok, and then coming back for the next encore and pulling Last Kiss out of your ass??? What the hell? Damn glad they played that to the "back." Definitely never hurts my feelings when they do that.

The New World...my favorite of the covers they brought out for the tour.

Show ended in a classic way...good old Yellow Ledbetter.

Even though I sound real negative about that encore nonsense, I thought it was a really good show. I am definitely happy I was there. And come on! Sad! The only thing I truely was not thrilled about was the drive to Toledo...but that's a whole other story...
 
 

10.17.04 & 11.13.04

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