Hey there. I've never started a thread and this one may prove why, but what the hell. So, one of my favorite boots is Uniondale 2003. Just a great CD to listen to. Problem is, I was at the show and rank it pretty low on the shows I've attended. Most shows seem to line up - although there are certainly more times where the show is great but the bootleg is average.

So my questions is - are there any other excellent bootlegs where the show itself was underwhelmeing (by PJ standards) for one reason or another?

Just a stupid topic until we get some concrete news on the new album.

I went to Chicago 1, Grand Rapids, and Cleveland in 2006.

Ranking them for being there would be
1. GR
2. Chicago
3. Cleveland

Ranking them on CD:
1. Cleveland
2. GR
3. Chicago

Cleveland is a great show to listen to, but really wasn't that great being in attendance.

I went to both Chicago shows in 2006 and greatly preferred the second. But on CD the first one is much superior. GR was just a special show all around - it had a different, relaxed vibe than most shows, not unlike State College in 2003.

Haven't posted in a long time, but this thread made me think about shows I haven't thought about in a while. And I remembered one...

It seems like every time I go back to listen to a show that I attended I find something I'd forgotten about. But the one full show that I think is better than what I saw when I was there is Detroit 2000. Granted, I was near the back of the arena, next to girls who were more interested in talking about shoes than watching the show, and that was a bit distracting... But last time I listened to it (which was probably a couple years ago by now) I was impressed. The setlist is weird and great. Go as opener, SOLAT and Tremor Christ as 4 and 5, Last Exit in the middle of the set, Given to Fly near the end, and the debut of Parting Ways. There are moments of sloppiness all over, but a weird energy that makes it an interesting and fun show to listen to. I'll have to listen to it tomorrow to see if I feel the same way.

uniondale is a good call. I remember being really impressed with that one and leaving feeling it was average--now it's probably my favorite show. I guess that bushleaguer stuff put a real pall over that one.

It's funny when the best PJ concerts are mentioned and people bring up PSU and then a bunch of dolts bring up Uniondale. Clearly, those people only listened to the bootleg because there was no comparison in person, between the two.

well cds can't always capture the vibe of being there. Nevertheless, I'd greatly prefer listening to the uniondale show

I felt that way with Mansfield 1 08. I left the show kinda dissapointed but when I listened to the recording it was alot better.

Mansfield 03, night three. Granted it was amazing as it was the longest show ever, complete with an acoustic set to begin the show.

But the acoustic set kicked off sooo early that half the people were still getting into their seats and it was an odd vibe. Also, the songs in the main set were performed very quickly, the encore was full of second rate covers just so they complete their mission and they still missed some of their old gems. On top of it all the band looked drained

listening back, the acoustic preformance is amazing and the show is pretty quality as well.

Yeah, it's weird, of those three shows night 3 is the best cd but night 1 was the best live experience.

Wow, in my opinion the first Boston show is stellar on CD and the third is woeful.

In my defense I never listen to disc 3 of night 3. And night 1 is still stellar on CD but the gap between live show and CD isn't as great. It was a GREAT experience and a GREAT cd.

Jones Beach 3 recently blew me away on cd, while I never really held it in that high regard as a live show, longterm. I think I've underrated the whole 2000 tour, actually...

The 4 Japanese shows I went to in 03. Comparing across shows, the culture shock of a dead crowd meant I just didn't 'feel' it as I did at other places (especially GA in Europe). On record, however, it's stellar- dead crowd meant the sound just came across that much cleaner on the boots.

Jones Beach 3 was awesome. That performance of Jeremy was the most "into" the song I've seen them in th last 12 years. The breeze off the ocean...the emotion of the delivery of the songs from Ed...definitely one of my more favorite stops on that tour that I saw.

This is correct. That's one version of Jeremy I can still listen to and get fired up about. By the end of it they're just killing it, and the recording brings across the energy so well. That's how it sounded to hear it that night, it brings me back to how if felt, and re-energizes the song for me any time I hear it. The whole Off He Goes, Black, Jeremy, Immortality is a great end to the set. Tons of life in those versions at a time when Black and Jeremy had become stale. They were on fire at that point.

Haha, woeful may be a bit harsh, though Fortunate Son with Corin Tucker can make any disc woeful. I don't honestly listen to discs 2-3 ever but disc one more than makes it a great live show with acoustic perfomances of some amazing, rare songs.

Disc one is alright, I'll give you that. But the electric set is as sloppy and uninspired as I've ever heard the band, they just sound tired. Ed's lyrical bumbling through Tremor Christ is wince-inducing and the rest of it isn't much better.

Thunder Bay 2005. Winnipeg the night before was a far better show in person, one of the best I've seen, but I never listen to the boot. I never felt "the vibe" at the TB show, but I love listening to the boot.

I hope this thread sticks around: it will be a nice balance weight for all of the I-was-there-so-therefore-it-is-the-best-bootleg remarks that come up during tour time.