Rolling Stone asking for Greatest Live Act

You've got a totally valid point - they had hits ("Mayor of Simpleton," too), and were signed to a major label. On some level, though, I'm not sure they get the credit they deserve, and I think the inability to play live is part of that.

On an unrelated note...

About five minutes ago an email popped into my inbox addressed to "Dear Night Ranger Fan" that announces their tour dates. How the hell did I end up on a Night Ranger mailing list?!?!? BYH, is this your fault?

 

I was there. The night before in San Antonio, for a variety of reasons, was probably my favorite Pearl Jam show. I've seen like 18, I think.

The aforementioned Houston show I'd rank somewhere in the middle.

 

Funny.

Did you get the feeling too that they would have played a lot longer if they had been able to?

 

Not sure, but 23 songs seems on the shorter side for a Pearl Jam show.

 

Looking back at the set list, it looks like a pretty complete show, but I had heard that PJ played long shows. Had even heard them compared to Springsteen in that regard.

 

Back in the day, they'd flirt with 3-hour shows on a regular basis. As time went on, I'd say 2 1/2 hours is more the norm.

However, the longest show in Pearl Jam history occurred later on that 2003 tour, in State College, Pa., of all places: http://pearljam.com/show/bryce-jordan-center-may-03-2003

Great bootleg, if you can get it.

 

I haven't really thought this through, but the three that come to mind are White Zombie, Aerosmith and Morrissey.

Other good ones: Fleetwood Mac, Rusted Root, Allman Brothers, Metallica, The Killers, Dar Williams, George Clinton, and a shocker from last summer Maroon 5. Honestly one of the best shows I've ever seen. I knew every song and they put on a great show. Another one like that -- Foghat. I saw them in 1999 and they completely rocked. And then Loverboy went on. And then the water bottles started flying. Very ugly scene.

I saw the Ramones once and they sucked. I saw them nine months later and they were amazing.

The Indigo Girls are one of my favorite bands, yet everytime I see them, they seem to find an entire set list of songs I don't know.

 

Most hostile response to an opening act that I can remember was the second time I saw the Pogues (with Shane McGowan) at a cramped concert hall in downtown Toronto. The crowd was well overserved (surprise, surprise) before the first note was played.

The opener was Phranc, the female folkie (if that's even the right word) and things were bad right from the start. By the time she got to her third or fourth song - announcing it as about "polar bears in Central Park" - the crowd had had enough. My leather-lunged buddy - who had had about 10 pints of Guinness at the bar next door - hollered at her to "get off the fucking stage!" (That part was mentioned in the Toronto Sun review the next day.) And she did.

Best opening acts I have seen: the Gunners blowing The Cult off the stage; Georgia Satellites opening for Tom Petty (they were fucking unreal live, best club show I ever saw was the Satellites at Entex in Toronto the night Roy Orbison died); Katrina and the Waves opening for Don Henley; Gutterboy (great, long-gone NYC band) opening for the Stray Cats; Stevie Ray Vaughan opening for Dire Straits and Motorhead opening for Alice Cooper.

Good to see some love on this thread for Great Big Sea, among Canuckistan's finest musical exports. Never seen them (shame, shame, I know) but as I said, I saw the Pogues twice and that would be a similar experience.

Two bands I never saw live but whose live albums - and bootlegs - make a damn good case for their prowess on stage: the J. Geils Band (Full House is one of the great live albums ever) and The Blasters.

 

I've always loved the Indigo Girls live.

I saw a girl get booed off the stage at a Neil Young concert. I have no idea who it was.

I also saw the Georgia Satellites open for Tom Petty. Good show. I gave acid to the brother of the girl I was with, and she got kind of angry. Arena was empty during the Georgia Satellites' opening set, so they encouraged everyone to come down to the floor, which we did. Then the rest of the crowd showed up for Tom Petty and it got a little ugly.
Good time.

 

Huggy, J. Giels Band was unbelievable live act, especially when they were on the rise in the 1969-1972 time period. Saw them at Connecticut College. They blew the doors off the venue.

 

I don't doubt it, M-G....their live albums are just smoking. Missed a chance to see them during their Freeze Frame days but I am sure that was a far cry from their live set as documented on Full House ("Whammer Jammer...lemme hear ya, Dickie!") and Blow Your Face Out.

 

Phranc... wow, had forgotten all about her. LA's pre-eminent Jewish lesbian folk singer of the era.

Most hostile reaction I ever saw was the Swinging Madisons opening for Madness in a ballroom at UCLA. The Madisons were wearing clear plastic tuxedos. I only specifically remember one song, entitled "Hey Little Jesus, Get Out of that Hole." (Sample lyric: "Take off that crown/Ooo, that smarts!") They weren't really going over that well, and in the middle of a song the singer started making fun of Madness. Instantly there was a swarm of guys in trench coats and fedoras rushing the stage, determined to beat the guy to death on the spot. They somehow made it through the rest of the set.