"Jeff! Jeff! Jeff! Jeff!
Jeff!"
November 6th, 2000
Key Arena: Seattle, Washington
Main
Set...
Release, Corduroy, Grievance,
Rearviewmirror, Hail, Hail, Evacuation, Dissident, Nothing As It Seems,
In Hiding, Leatherman, Jeff Chant, Better Man, Nothingman, Even Flow, Jeremy,
Lukin, Not For You, Daughter
First
Encore...
Off He Goes, Light Years,
Parting Ways, Why Go Chant, Go, Once, Crazy Mary, Immortality, Alive
Second
Encore...
Soon Forget, The Kids Are
Alright, Baba O'Riley
THIRD
(that's right!) Encore...
Yellow Ledbetter
I don't think it was going to take a rocket scientist to figure out Seattle
Night Two/Last Night of the Tour was going to be something special. I realize
I might have said that for every friggen' show I have ever been to put
on by Pearl Jam...but this is my page and I can say what I want. This time,
it's pure though. Not to say the other times I said the shows were going
to feel "special" were a lie...BUT...there was some kind of different "special"
vibe we were all feeling from the moment we woke up that day. Hell, some
people didn't even wake up...they were so excited they couldn't sleep;-)
Bowman
had told everyone the day before that we (him, Carolina, and I) were going
to be there early and he was going to bring bagels. Well, we all ended
up sleeping in because Bowman's alarm clock didn't cooperate. He and I
rushed to get ready, but Carolina Canada was slow as usual and our hopes
of being moderately late turned into being really late. I really have no
idea what time we even woke up...since the whole time I was on the west
coast, I refused to set my watch to Pacific Time...I mean the whole time
zone thing made me feel screwy anyway, but really, it didn't help to have
to think about the time and realize what time it really was back at home...
When
I reached the box office (I jetted ahead of Carolina and Bowman) I saw
some recognizable possessions sitting all by their lonesome by the box
office. Where did they go? Did they leave to go catch a bite to eat? Alien
abduction? After kind of waiting around that area for a little bit and
calling my mother, Elyse appeared (to gather up the belongings) and told
us everyone was at the other box office...which confused all of
us...because the other (main) box office was closed for the first
night...well that's because it was a Sunday...but when people are on tour...they
don't think in terms of days of the week...and the main box office ever
being closed at all seems a little...strange...LOL...
When
we went around Key Arena we didn't feel so...mentally lost and bewildered.
THERE were all the people...not as many as the first day...but still quite
a few...and a lot of familiar faces. There was some early morning drama...but
all worked out ok on our parts.
The whole
touring group decided that it would be super killer if we could all sit
in the same section (preferably side stage...) for the last night on the
tour. It was a pretty crazy day all the way around. In the back of our
minds, we knew it was our last box office day...but then there's that whole
denial thing...where the tour just can't be over and we'll be back at the
box office the next day or two days from then...
The last
box office day was nothing too eventful. I mean, we all had so much faith
in the system...we knew it was all going to work out for us...however it
was going to happen. At one point, some people took off for Dick's Cheeseburgers
and since I only eat pizza (ahaha) Dolin and I headed off to Second Avenue
Pizza to pick up some grub. The pizza was ok...way better the first time
I had it...but I was hungry, and it was pizza, so it made me happy. Bowman
tried to get the radio station to play Crown of Thorns from Vegas...didn't
work..I don't think they knew how to use their CD player..so we got a couple
of songs blasting from their van...but not Crown of Thorns. Oh well, it
was worth the try and entertaining while it lasted.
A lot
of people didn't hang at the venue all day as usual. They went to go see
Seattle...which was kind of sad. The box office was a second home at times
to us...and that last box office day wasn't really spent with everyone.
While we should have all probably loathed the box office, I embraced it.
I mean, if you aren't at the box office, where are you anyway? Off at someone's
home or some hotel room wishing 6:00 could get there so you could get to
the venue for the show??? I'd rather make the show an all-day event...go
to the venue, meet up with friends and meet new people...even if I refused
to upgrade my tickets like 15/18 of the time. I had wanted to go to Seattle
very badly since I was around 12 years old...it took me 7 years...but while
I was there, I was there for the band...not to explore...that is such a
strange reaction on behalf of myself, ya know? Wanting to go to a place
for so long...but continue to be caught up in the performances of my favorite
band...and that the place begins to look more and more like Anytown, U.S.A.
(and I will not lie...Seattle is a fucking amazing city...not that I know...i
didn't spend too much time exploring...LOL) that was simply hosting a Pearl
Jam show. Anyhow...
I am
not sure when we got word...but I know when we got word we were
all incredibly excited...Nickie helped hook us up with a buuuuuuuuuuuuuunch
of tickets...20...all in section 115. Not exactly side of the stage...but
we didn't care...they were the first section from the stage! Yee haw! And
who cares anyhow?!? We were all sitting together for the last show of the
tour!!!
The majority
of the group went to go chill before the show...a couple of us stayed around...let's
see...Bowman...Tracy...Steve...and Genough. Was that all? I think so. Everytime
I made a trip to the Seattle Center Home to use the restrooms or buy a
snack...I would get that sense of sadness...would this be my last time
here? (It was all good, we went there the next day, LOL) The "last show"
began to sink in once the sun set...and the few of us that were still at
the venue were asked to give out the remainder of the voting buttons. This
was really it, huh? When we had to give away all the buttons...it was like..."Ok...so
you mean to tell me there won't be any use for these buttons after tonight...?"
Who knew buttons could make someone so sad...LOL...
When
the venue finally allowed us in, Dan and I took on our militant "give pins
away" mode...it was hilarious. We like circled the whole venue...in like
what...? 15 minutes...I would "attack" people who looked cool or who were
wearing other buttons and ask them to sign the petition, but more importantly,
"Would you like a free Pearl Jam related voting button?" LOL that line
got them. "Sure!" They'd take one and I'm like, "No!!! There's 8...a whole
set! Get all 8!" Haha I'm probably the reason they were on E-Bay...emphasizing
the "set";-) I made some kid's night who said he was going to put them
all over the back of his jacket. LOL. Great! Dan and I got rid of like
all of them...and then...oooooh shit! Do we hear a pre-set?!? Dan and I
ran...like almost knocked people over to get to our seats........made it...out
of breath...to our seats for Wellwater...and I am so out of shape...I thought
I was going to die of a heartattack. Not until after tour did I find out
Mr. Dan was a trackstar...haha...
So...no
Ed...we ran for nothing. I threw all my shit down in one of our seats...and
meandered around our 20 seats...and I had failed to notice I dropped my
camera. Ed comes out eventually (duh, like we didn't suspect it or anything)
and fuck...where is my camera?!? I start spazzing...I was torn...should
I be concerned about the camera...which belongs to my parents...or watch
Ed on stage?!? Such dilemmas! Well, I attempted to enjoy Ed w/Wellwater...but
you know...I was kind of sidetracked. I mean, I was concerned the camera
was missing, but I was more concerned with the pictures that were already
on the camera...people pictures...and you can't retake pictures of itty
events that happen throughout that day you were in Seattle. I had to wait
until Wellwater finished to find my camera...what had happened was before
Wellwater, I was checking to see how many pictures were left on my film
and get the next roll ready so I could change it mid-show. Well, I sat
up and moved to "meander" and I grabbed my bag and purse, but failed to
hold onto my camera. What didn't happen though was a "crash" from my camera
falling...and I knew...because I was surrounded by tour kids, that it wasn't
stolen. So anyhow, Rich and I went to go scope out the seat I was sitting
in. No camera...no camera around it...I did some investigating, leaned
down, looked under the seat...saw a camera string...and for a split second,
my goofy mind that "maybe it belongs to the woman sitting behind that seat..."
but then I remembered not everyone brings a camera to a Pearl Jam concert...trailed
down the camera string...and <whew> there was my camera...hanging by
the string off the seat...
Chilis
came out. I used to like them. Like back in 1996. But needless to say,
I slept during their set. Or attempted to. At least I got to rest my eyes.
No one
had really discussed the opening number...because we all knew that the
opener was not going to be a shotty one. Last night of the tour. Long Road?
No way. No Way? Haha yeah right, like I could help myself. But that would've
been rad, eh? They opened with...drumroll, please...Release. Good song
to open with...since I have only seen Release three times...and in the
back of my head...I knew it would be Release...even though I was praying
for Oceans. Not that I can bitch about that either, since I have gotten
Oceans as an opener before (Greenville 1998)...and I knew that Oceans being
played was a slim to none chance...a girl can still hope can't she?
Corduroy.
The last one of 2000. Ouch. Don't mean to sound like a bitch, but I was
so overjoyed when they got Rearviewmirror out of the way early on in the
set...I don't hate Rearviewmirror...but closing the main set with Rearview
or playing it at encore...it gets a little tiring. Lucky for us, they closed
the set the first night with Rearview...ok enough about Rearview...
Nice
to fit a little lesser played Binaural song on the last night...Evacuation...too
bad no attempt at tackling Thin Air.
Ok, ok...I'll
get to the good stuff already;-) So the band goes into Leatherman (which,
still, do this day, baffles me as to why they decided to play it this year.
I thought it was going to be a 1998 thing only...not that I am complaining...you
guys know me better than that...but I still find it strange. But of course,
I welcomed it.) and blah blah blah...I was standing next to Rich and the
next thing I knew, he is determined to get his dream of a Jeff chant going.
Next thing I know, it's pretty quiet in the whole arena...compared to the
usual "ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhs!" and shit that go on...and Rich starts by himself,
"Jeff! Jeff! Jeff! Jeff!" and then the next thing you know, the 20 of us
are all giddy and screaming "Jeff! Jeff! Jeff! Jeff! Jeff!"...and bam...Ed's
looking at us like we're fucking terds trying to figure out what the hell
we were saying. I'll never forget the look on his face...ok, so I can cheat
because of the video...but still...the look on his face was priceless.
He turns to us...does his weird bewildered look...and says, "I can't hear
ya..." and the crowd, of COURSE thinks Ed is talking to them...but noooooooo...Ed
is talking to us! The crowd screams...Ed thanks them but says, "No, there's
this group over here...they're chanting something...shhhhh..." and since
Ed is such a rockstar, the place quieted down enough so the Jeff Chant
could be heard. Finally, the band members figured out what we were saying.
Matt started playing along with us (can we say this is the best chant since
Jack Irons' chant?!? I think so!) and Ed went and hugged the Jeffster.
I don't remember much during that time but me just jumping up and down
and screaming and chanting with all my might...and dudes...if you have
the video...I'm the girl in the white...oh hell yeah I rock...LOL...
Ed then
goes on to talk about how long the band has been together and yada yada
yada...we were all so thrilled at that point. We stopped the show! Yee
haw!!! And after ALL that...they were still hella cool enough to give us
the Man triology. Sweeeeet! Next song...Ed bitched about...Even Flow. You
know...we all get in those periods where we could live without Even Flow...but
if Ed hates playing it so much...don't fucking play it dude! Play it as
often as Release...it might cut down on the amounts of fans coming to shows...which
means smaller venues for us. That would be sweet...smaller venues all because
of an Even Flow downsize;-)
Better
Man, Nothingman, Even Flow, and Jeremy...does it get anymore crowd pleaser
than that? No, I do not think so. Jeremy was good to hear though...I don't
wish I got to hear Jeremy more though. They played it cool because the
band are cool cats like that...played it just when it needed to be played...not
as a mandatory Pearl Jam setlist requirement...
They
closed the main set with Daughter and perhaps the most intense tag we have
all ever witnessed. Everyone that has written of this show has discussed
the whole chanting and insane microphone throw down (ok, I am the only
one to talk about the micro-throw)...and said that Ed was feeding off the
crowd's energy. I'm not trying to start shit...but I don't think that is
how it went. From my perspective...I had 20 mofos all into it and I remember
Rich trying his best to make Ed continue the tag. The damn song was ENDING...and
I swear...Ed made some kind of eye aim in our section's direction and had
to have seen Rich's plea for more...because he was done...the song was
done...but all of a sudden...wham...bam...boom! Listen to it if you don't
remember. If you don't agree with me, that's cool...but I also thought
Ed just randomly threw a maraca in Chicago '98...but...go watch the video
and you see a gentle toss to the Jesster, thank you very much. What this
has to do with Seattle? I don't know, maybe I need to continue on...
They
came out...and Ed did a lot of talking and everyone was surprisingly respectful
(I have to give mad props to the Seattle 2 crowd for that, they knew when
to shut the hell up) and Ed went on to dedicate Off He Goes to Anthony
Hurley who was one of the victims at Roskilde. I think at that point...we
all figured this was going to be a killer encore...and maybe we would hear
a little something that had been missing all U.S. tour...
The dedication
was so touching...and it made me feel proud my band is so fucking caring...and
then...man...going into Light Years. It was incredibly intense...the most
intense encore opener I have ever witnessed.
While
I wish the first night's performance of Parting Ways complete with strings
was going to be the only performance...it was nice to hear it again with
strings. Mad props to all string players in the world...especially those
who actually still play them...LOL...
Uh oh...what
happened next? Another quiet break in the audience...a couple of songs
prior to this, Rich had it spread around the group that SOMETIME he was
going to get a damn Why Go chant going...and that we would sing "Why Go
Home" just like the Edster...it got so quiet after Parting Ways. Time for
some chanting man! So Rich just said "Why Go Home" once...and it was history
from there. I guess we were really loud that time...the singing helped
I guess...cause a lot of people said the Why Go chant was louder than the
Jeff chant. Anyhow, Ed was like...oh man...not you guys AGAIN...but didn't
grant us our wish of Why Go...instead said, "We are home..." and them some
mumbling I still can not decipher on the recording or video...and went
into Go...did Rich not pick the perfect time to go into the Why Go chant?
I mean...right before Go? Weird. Anyhow, Mike did some killer damage at
the end of Go. Wild man!
Once...into
the tour 2000 staple...Crazy Mary. Then...Immortality...into ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have to agree with the majority of Pearl Jam fans...the fans seemed to
be more excited about it than the band...I was just shocked as all hell
that they could still play it after such a break! ;-) Everyone in the section
was ear to ear smile..."about time" looks on their faces. The band played
Alive. Our sign for things were getting back on track...everything was
going to be ok...? It was weird though...to freak out so much after Alive...a
song that used to be like Better Man and the people that make out during
it. People that aren't hardcore and love Alive must have really been freaked
out by the people that knew it's significance...
Ukulele
time. Last Soon Forget of 2000 tour. Aw. But...was Iron Man not the sweetest
thing you heard?!? Damn it was hilarious! Ed should put together a song
of covers on the ukulele...we all know we'd buy it!
The most
disappointing thing of the night was Ed discussing how much money they
had to waste on security because the city of Seattle was being assholes
towards the band and their death-metal fans...LOL. It was really disheartening
though. I flashed my mind back to the first night...my seat was the first
row from the floor...and so I saw a lot of the security twirling around
in circles with nothing to do but look at their watches and ask each other,
"When is this going to end...???"
The thing
I was angry about missing after Chicago was The Kids Are Alright with the
whole band. Yee haw. Jess got to see it! I was so happy! And then...what
is that??? The Kids Are Alright into Baba O'Riley?!?!?!? You've got to
be kidding me!!!!! I think at that point in time I realized...wow...this
is the last one...and just got so caught up in Baba...ask Rich...I was
actually pogoing...yeah...I know...weird, eh?!?
There
was no way in hell any of us were going to let the band get off that easy...with
two encores. PLEASE. I've never been at a show with more than two encores...so
I was crossing my fingers and toes hardcore...
Ledbetter.
Third encore. Tears all around me. Sadness. The band exchanges hugs...and
then...they leave us. That was it. No more tour. No more friends gathering
at the box office. No more upgrade games. No more everyday discussions
about your favorite band. No more exploring in cities you've never been,
too. And most importantly, no more of Stone's plaid pants!!! :-(
I can
not complain at all, though. I witnessed 18 shows in 2000. Traveled to
many places I had never been to. Had some crazyass adventures. And most
important of all...met some of the coolest people I have ever...known...
Here's
to tour 2002 everyone (I apologize for my current lame catchphrase): yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
hawwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!
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