December 9th, 2002
Key Arena
Seattle, Washginton
Brad & Mudhoney

Main Set...
Release, Breakerfall, Save You, Gods' Dice, Cropduster, Green Disease, Lukin, Not For You, Black, I Am Mine, Love Boat Captain, Daughter/War, Even Flow, Thumbing My Way, Light Years, You Are, Insignificance, Rearviewmirror
First Encore...
Last Exit, Brain of J, Bushleaguer, I Got Shit, Elderly Woman, Do The Evolution
Second Encore...
Yellow Ledbetter, Don't Believe in Christmas

---

After filling my belly up with Zeek's Pizza for the second night in a row...I was ready to see Pearl Jam again. Now, I have to be completely honest with myself and with anyone who may be reading this: this second night was going to be my final test in my Pearl Jam faith. The first night was a decent show, but it didn't leave me legitimately yearning for more. It had nothing to do with the band...it was me...my gosh, I sound like someone trying to explain a break-up. In any case, the first night left me feeling it was a good show, nothing sucked, but nothing was special and I really felt like I would no longer be traveling anywhere to see Pearl Jam outside of the state of Michigan. There was a lot riding on the second night...for me.

I had lucked out when tickets went on sale and pulled myself a 6th row center ticket. I had not been closer than the 10th row the entire 2000 tour...so some closeness was desperately wanted by me. I feel, 100%, it does not matter where you sit. If you sat in the same front row seat all the time, I think the novelty and the specialness would wear out: everyone should get their chance to sit in a special seat. Anyhow, when I went to my seat, I know a big smile plastered across my face instantly. I was quite close and I was quite happy about it.

During Brad's set, Glenn and two others sat beside me in the 6th row. The thing about Brad playing is it made the place seem so much smaller and intimate...especially since they played a really lax set the second night. I kept thinking about how close I was sitting and then thinking back to seeing Brad in Detroit and being on the rail...what is better? Heh.

I'm not a big Mudhoney fan. I think I own one cd. Don't listen to it or anything. Don't hate them, but do respect them. However, I didn't feel like standing. The jerks behind me didn't want anyone standing anyway, "We paid 300 for these tickets." Yeah, they were stupid.

How happy was I when five guys came on stage and started playing Release? Oh, I was very very happy! Ed did screw up, didn't he? I didn't care. Release is probably the best tearful opener they have...the only opener that comes close to Release is Oceans (wow, I'm being opinionated aren't I?).

Good solid beginning of the set (not mistakeless, but good song choices). What I still can not get over is the fact that Ed FORGOT how to play Lukin. Stone had to show him how to play it. See, that's why Stone's my favorite. Never fear, Stone has control of the situation...well except when his equipment fucks up in Montreal...

Stone was soooo animated this night! Really! I couldn't stop looking at him...he was jammin'! I mean, he wasn't Stone Gossard 1992... but he was way more rocking out than in recent years. And I hate to be girly, but he was wearing Ben Sherman shoes and I decided that he is the fashion guru in Pearl Jam. He rocks the partay like no other member rocks the partay.

Not For You...great to hear! Love Boat Captain would have been way more enjoyable if the jackass next to me wasn't such a... jackass. He wanted to switch seats with me...and I wasn't having it (I had a seat on the aisle, so I had more room) so I think he was pissed off so he stood as close to me as he possibly could and kept raising his hands and bumping me. It was pissing me off. He heard Ed introduce Love Boat Captain and he started screaming like a banshee. Thank goodness he later disappeared...probably off to the beer tent...and never returned. The security girl hated him, too, and she told me if he was bothering me, she'd kick him out for me. Made me feel much better about the situation.

Love Boat Captain rawked. Daughter with the War tag was neat...and even though I wasn't at the Showbox shows to witness the intense original performance of this tag...I could tell it was weak. And then they played Even Flow...again...just because they knew I wanted it so bad...

LIGHT YEARS! So happy about that! Light Years shines on so much brighter live than it does on Binaural. There were many a-times during the 2000 tour where I would close my eyes during the song and just bask in where I was...or in the case of Camden...pray that I would get some cool air blown on my face.

You Are next...woo! Rearviewmirror closed the main set...and I enjoyed it:-) I recalled later that I had vowed I would never bitch about hearing Rearviewmirror anymore...well I never "bitched" about it...I just got tired of it closing every single main set.

Came back and played Last Exit...sweet...and oh, oh, oh...Brain Of J! Pumpin' it up! And THEN Bushleaguer...haha how radass! But then they had to go right for my heart...and play I Got Shit. Ouch. Seriously.

Encore closed with Elderly Woman (see screaming "hello" when the show is coming to a close...stupid! heh) and Do The Evolution.

I was a bitch during Yellow Ledbetter. Why? Traditionally, they don't play songs after Ledbetter...so it marked the end...and I didn't get a Baba. And it was the end. I think I sang. But I stood completely still with a pissed off look on my face. I didn't really realize it until I saw a camera pan the audience and I was like all "grr" and stuff. I hope that never shows up anywhere cause I'll be really embarrassed...

...I didn't get my Baba O'Riley...but I did get one more song...Don't Believe In Christmas...which is a great, fun song. I figured it would be on the Christmas single...which meant we wouldn't be getting it in time for Christmas (wow, a shocker).

This show renewed a bit of faith in the band for me. On my plane ride home, I couldn't wait to get on the plane and listen to Riot Act (an album I was struggling with loving) and I couldn't wait to hear copies of the show so I could have copies of Riot Act songs live. The love didn't stick too long, though. The buzz after tour usually lasts a long time for me...these shows affected me for a week or two and I was consumed by other things in my life. I hate to talk about that sort of thing here [love for Pearl Jam not being as intense as it used to be]...but perhaps it can explain my pessimism...

But just remember...I haven't give up :-)
 
 

02.09.03

---