I've got 2 of the boots (audience) from this year's tour now and the guys are sounding waaaaaaaaay better (especially Ed's voice) than at any point since the '06 tour to me. I mean, they've had some epic setlists since then but I don't really feel like the performances have delivered. SOLAT sounds good for the first time in years and The Real Me is awesome. I'm much more excited about Chicago next weekend than I was!

What do y'all think thus far?

I really like what I've heard so far. Really looking forward to seeing them on Tuesday

I'm waiting for the official source of the 4 Euro shows, but I've heard Shep Bush a couple times.

slower, groovier Even Flow =

band's energy seems great. stoked for Chicago next weekend!

haven't heard any boots as of yet, but i saw them in calgary, and they were on point. great show. lots of energy, they sounded tight... and mike sang backup on Unemployable! at various points in the song, every single member was singing.

glad to hear this

The Real Me is a great cover for them at this stage in their career...it goes well with how Ed sings.

Agree 100%. Somethins up this time around, like theirs a fire lit under their asses.

same here

now they just need to slow the fuck down corduroy and state of love and trust to studio recording speeds

i've only heard/seen them at toronto this year, and i think they sound better than they did last year. the msg shows i saw were insane, but this time the guitars sounded better, fuzzier, more distorted, and i think ed's voice sounded a lot better too. i hope i can catch them again next year at some point.

corduroy sounded a tiny bit slower imo. but it's hard to make any objective assessments when you're having so much fun at the show. the crowd was fantastic.

I would like to see some stats here with how many different songs they have played compared to how many shows. I have the impression they're picking from a ridiculously big range of songs.

According to someone on the pit, they've done 90 different songs over 9 shows

that's fucking INSANE, even by this band's standards

Last night was my first PJ show of 2009 and I'd agree they seemed to have more energy compared to '08.

Don't get me wrong, those MSG shows last year were absolutely OFF THE HOOK, two of the best nights of my life, I've never heard a crowd even close to that loud, it was just surreal, those shows were so much fun... but I thought in general on the '08 tour Ed seemed a little worn out at times, like he had to push himself,whereas last night he and the whole band looked like they could go on forever. Ed's voice sounded better too, I think. But especially Matt, jesus he was ferocious. I agree with those who've said the band outshined the audience last night in terms of enthusiasm. Though it's also true, one's perception depends a lot on who you're sitting next to.

http://www.blackredyellow.com/database. ... tour&id=47

90 unique songs. 27 songs per show.

Its the first post-Bush tour...
they can finally get back to rocking...
there ya fire under their ass's

Coming out of the Chicago shows I concur 1000%. Every single tour I've seen/heard them on, they've been better each time. But they are at the absolute peak of their powers. I'm just going by intuition, cause I'm busy rocking out during the show. I'll listen to the boots later. But there is something going in between Matt, Stone, and Jeff. It's like they discovered some new secret or chemical and they're launching it on us unkowing people. There's a new fuse that Matt is lighting into the rest of the band, some spark where he hits the drums and the all of the instruments and Ed's voice are slamming into each other in the coolest way. I like to think I've become quite the discerning rock listener, so I'm always ready for them to fall on their asses if they don't deliver, but man they were on another planet for the Chicago shows. You guys in Philly are in for a treat. I know I'll never see anything like it outside of a PJ show again. Like Ed said about MC, "this isn't a Ford Tauras back here, this is a Laborghini". MATT CAMERON ...... it's Matt.

Matt was coming out of his seat he was hitting the drums so hard...it was crazy!

Yep, had a great view of this from our side seats.

Randall did all five Euro shows and said it was 77 unique songs in just 5 shows

Better guitar sound, Ed's vocals in top form, great and different setlists (it may change after the album release, with 4 to 6 Backspacer songs per night), the band in a great mood... There are many parameters that give us stellar performances.

But the main one that struck me at the SBE show: Matt Fucking Cameron. As already said, he really drives the band now, and pushes everyone's game forward. His drum kit sounds different and better than on the previous tours, songs are back to their normal tempo (or even to their original drum pattern, In my Tree !), he plays crazy fills (Dissident !)...

Whoever said Matt has no groove should see the band on this tour.

I agree that matt is a man reborn in this tour

The guys sound tight, well rehearsed, and on fire quite often. I was worried that the way Ed was singing last year was the way it was going to be from now on, but no he sounds damn good so I am pleased

neat little cock tease moment from Mike at the end of Go at Outside Lands...he played the main intro/verse riff to "Outshined"