Post subject: European Tour 2012 - It's Over. Thoughts?
Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 4:29 am
Got Some
Joined: Sun Dec 19, 2004 8:19 am Posts: 2405
First, I wasn't there. Just followed the sets as they happened over at the official board. I have no idea which show was really the best. The overall consensus seems to be Amsterdam 2, but I liked Berlin I on paper best.
Sounds like Eddie was on and off sick the entire tour. I smoked for 7 or 8 years. It make you more susceptible to illness and the illness harder to shake. I think Ed needs to quit smoking if he wants to continue performing their older material well.
And it seems like they are becoming a band that understands that performing their old material is what people are expecting. Check it out: Ten - They played all of it. Oceans showed up once, but everything else made multiple appearances. Vs. - If you count the WMA tag, they played all of this. Vitalogy - Aside from the filler, they played all but Tremor Christ, Whipping, and Satan's Bed. I think Whipping is the only surprise there. They really need to consider Tremor Christ a bit more. It's an interesting song, and it would be appreciated by many. No Code - Everything but Who You Are, I'm Open (never really been done properly anyway), and Around the Bend. Ed plays that last song solo enough now, but it would be nice to see Who You Are pop up occasionally. Yield - I don't think we'll see No Way (only non-Red Dot song not played) played again until PJ30. Nice to see All Those Yesterdays played. Is Push Me Pull Me becoming common so Ed doesn't have to sing?
Post -2000: Binaural - It's a fan fave, isn't it? Yet only 5 of the 13 tracks were played, and aside from Insignificance, which was done twice, those were only played once. Really too bad. Riot Act - Only 6 of 15. Even if you eliminate Arc (that's an Ed solo thing now) and Bushleaguer (Jeb needs to run for this to happen), it's less than half the album. By the way, why do they never play Get Right? It's been nearly a decade. Avocado - They played 7 of 13. Sadly, they didn't play the album's most interesting tunes - Marker and Army Reserve. I was shocked that Gone didn't get played. Backspacer - They played 7 songs from it, but 2 of them only got played once (Supersonic and The End) while the other 5 were played at either every show or every other show. I'm fine with SoS being an Ed solo thing, but why no Force of Nature, Johnny Guitar, or Gonna See My Friend?
As far as Lost Dogs go, they played Hitchhiker for the first time ever the second night of the tour, then never revisited it. Alone made an appearance thanks to Brian. Other than that, nothing exceptionally rare. I guess they did some neat covers, if that's your thing.
The positives: The sets are still varied 13 shows, 94 Pj songs, 25 covers. Not too bad. From the reports, the band seems to be having fun. It's fucking Pearl Jam. The negatives: All but abandoning the last decade of work, though that might be in the positive column for many.
Post subject: Re: European Tour 2012 - It's Over. Thoughts?
Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 6:44 pm
AnalLog
Joined: Sun Feb 26, 2006 3:28 am Posts: 28541 Location: PORTLAND, ME
inglishteecher wrote:
Avocado - They played 7 of 13. Sadly, they didn't play the album's most interesting tunes - Marker and Army Reserve. I was shocked that Gone didn't get played.
not playing Gone, Unemployable, and(or?) Parachutes was really surprising to me.
Post subject: Re: European Tour 2012 - It's Over. Thoughts?
Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2012 11:39 pm
Master of Meh
Joined: Fri May 19, 2006 11:00 pm Posts: 13226 Location: Adelaide, AUS
EllisEamos wrote:
inglishteecher wrote:
Avocado - They played 7 of 13. Sadly, they didn't play the album's most interesting tunes - Marker and Army Reserve. I was shocked that Gone didn't get played.
not playing Gone, Unemployable, and(or?) Parachutes was really surprising to me.
Lots of the S/T material went MIA as soon as Backspacer was released, suffering the same fate as most of their post-Yield material.
Gone's only been played once since Backspacer's release - and that was at Philly.
Post subject: Re: European Tour 2012 - It's Over. Thoughts?
Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 12:42 am
Got Some
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 1:36 am Posts: 2312 Location: Kitchener & Hamilton Ontario Canada Gender: Male
I really enjoyed following and reading the setlists and they seemed pretty solid on paper. Not sure if I want to download the audience recordings that have surfaced or wait til the official boots pop up.
Post subject: Re: European Tour 2012 - It's Over. Thoughts?
Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 2:12 am
Mike's Maniac
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 4:51 am Posts: 6944 Location: Long Island Gender: Male
The sets I thought were ok. They still mix it up, but they have a new formula to include a rarity in the main set and then give some fan and radio favorites. The 2nd encores just have no suspense anymore. I think it's time to retire the fixer, I like it but it needs to go. The problem with backspacer is Ed and the Band never got it right live and I don;'t think Ed can sing certain songs live from it . Gonna see my friend should be played more, but Ed can't get the lyrcis right and I guess the band never cared to included it more. Force of Nature is good track, the fact the is disappeared after the 2010 U.S tour mystifies me.
Post subject: Re: European Tour 2012 - It's Over. Thoughts?
Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 2:41 am
Master of Meh
Joined: Fri May 19, 2006 11:00 pm Posts: 13226 Location: Adelaide, AUS
I feel like my appreciation for the band has gone into serious decline after the 2006 tour. That was the last time I felt as though they were doing something that I genuinely enjoyed. Even if I wasn't nuts about that album, the songs still sounded great live and the band were playing consistently excellent shows.
I do like a few of the setlists from this run quite a bit, particularly Amsterdam 2 and Copenhagen, but I agree that the encores (and general setlist pacing) have become mind-numbingly predictable over the last few years.
I hope the new album gives them some much-needed focus and drags them out of the self-celebrating funk they've been mired in for the last few years.
Nice little break down - thanks. I liked these set lists a lot more than the recent Canada tour.
I personally think they should have cracked open at least one new song - who gives a shit if it is all over Youtube - wouldn't that have been a bonus? I don't follow their argument for not playing new songs live. Surely a "great live band" should test material and see how it flies. I was listening to the Orpheum Show this morning and thinking it would be beneficial to do this.
Post subject: Re: European Tour 2012 - It's Over. Thoughts?
Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 3:09 pm
Former PJ Drummer
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:37 pm Posts: 15767 Location: Vail, CO Gender: Male
The fact that they ignore most of my favorite songs and albums.....bleh. Bothers me. I really hope this is due to the whole pj20 celebrate/high five/pat ourselves on the ass lookback shit....
They do a good job of playing classics and throwing the fans a bone but it has become predictable as far as PJ goes.
marker, army reserve, sleight of hand, evacuation, rival, insignificance, tremor christ, who you are, red mosquito, no way,cropduster, all those yesterdays, etc..etc... should be in regular rotation. You know - the songs that make them great.
Post subject: Re: European Tour 2012 - It's Over. Thoughts?
Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 10:04 pm
Banned from the Pit
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2010 5:41 pm Posts: 9
When fans have been following a band like PJ for 20+ years, it's tough for some things to not become predictable.
That said, PJ needs to take a cue from Neil Young and just not play certain songs, regardless of whether the fans want to hear them.
Songs need time to rest, otherwise they lose their effectiveness. From 94 - 98, Corduroy was special. It had a heaviness to it and was cathartic when played live. Now that Ed and the band are in a much different head space and financial situation, the song has become an obligation to play. They speed through it and Mike does his little outro solo and we're off to the next song in the setlist.
Challenge the audience - PJ fans are smart. They'll "get" it. Find some new covers to lay on us. I've heard RITFW enough to last me a lifetime. Play it when you mean it, otherwise don't play it.
Post subject: Re: European Tour 2012 - It's Over. Thoughts?
Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 10:05 pm
Former PJ Drummer
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 7:37 pm Posts: 15767 Location: Vail, CO Gender: Male
SuperNintendoChalmers wrote:
These days they're teetering if not a full,on nostalgia band.
Perhaps. However, there were quite a few people who left the alpine shows saying it was the worst show they have ever seen. ALl because they did not play the hits or they played songs that nobody knows. So, thats good.
Post subject: Re: European Tour 2012 - It's Over. Thoughts?
Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2012 10:43 pm
Yeah Yeah Yeah
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:38 pm Posts: 4388
62strat wrote:
SuperNintendoChalmers wrote:
These days they're teetering if not a full,on nostalgia band.
Perhaps. However, there were quite a few people who left the alpine shows saying it was the worst show they have ever seen. ALl because they did not play the hits or they played songs that nobody knows. So, thats good.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 10 guests
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot post attachments in this forum