Episode 118: Columbia, SC - 06/16/08

Big news announced in Pearl Jam's camp today that coincided with 186 shows being released on Spotify. The new Deep website is a spot where fans won't only listen to their favorite boots from the 2000, 2003, 2008 and 2013 tours, but they'll be able to create their favorite playlists from all of the featured shows. We were thankful enough to be invited to be involved in it and in this short briefing, we'll explain exactly how all of that came to be! Check it out as we'll announce our next month of episodes coinciding with the new project!

7 Touko 202112min

In this episode we go back to our year long hometown series celebrating the best shows in the band's 30-year history emanating from their Seattle residence. This week we look at another important show in the lineage as this surprise Showbox show from 1996 was the tune up for that fall's No Code tour. We get EIGHT, yes, EIGHT song debuts from this night from the No Code record so there will be a lot of discussion about the earliest renditions of these songs and how they'd evolve. Sure, the first half of this show is No Code and as mentioned, basically everything is a debut (outside of previously played Habit and Red Mosquito) but we also get some important moments during the 'jukebox' set. We get the first ever extended Immortality intro and the first time Cinnamon Girl was tagged on I Got Shit. We'll also get into a larger discussion about how some of the Ten, Vs. era songs weren't clicking at the time the way they once were and also how Ed was considering new vocal changes that strayed from his mid-90s primal screaming. Donate to the show, get exclusive episodes - http://patreon.com/liveon4legs

5 Touko 20211h 30min

We're back to a more recent era in this episode as we look back at a show from the 2016 tour five years ago (yes, it's been five years) from Hampton, Virginia. While a great show with many moments to take out from it, this show may be remembered most for it happening on the day when the band had to cancel their Raleigh, NC show due to the state's LGBTQ discriminatory HB2 law. We'll go into full detail about the band's decision to cancel the show as well as John's original plans for that week and how he almost tried for Hampton. However, thinking that the Raleigh and subsequent Columbia shows would be enough, there is a certain song that John missed on this night that we'll discuss at length. This show has a very unique setlist with some throwbacks to past Virginia shows. For those who remember the Virginia Beach show from 2000, it was their first show since the Roskilde tragedy. Two major moments that came out of this show were the It's OK tag off of Daughter and opening with Long Road. Both moments were called back to in this show, including a version of Long Road in the middle of the set that is almost unprecedented. We'd also hear songs that are less common in the modern day era of Pearl Jam including Brain Of J, Habit, Sad, Breath and Inside Job. We've reached our 2021 goal less than five months into the year! But as always we are welcoming new members to our Patreon. Subscribe here to get additional content: http://patreon.com/liveon4legs

28 Huhti 20211h 45min

Can't get enough of these 90's shows, can we?!? In this episode we invite Clint Brownlee, author of the new 33 1/3rd book on Vs. onto the podcast! He'll talk about his research for the book in an extremely important era for Pearl Jam that almost tore them apart as they became the biggest band in the world. We'll also talk about the story of his first show which was the kick off to this album tour in 1993 in San Francisco. There is no perfect formula for handling fame when you're popularity is skyrocketing to peaks reached by a select few in the industry. Some bands live a lavish life on the road carelessly spending money, diving into drugs and alcohol, and bringing new women backstage after every single show night in night out. Pearl Jam reacted to their fame with the concern that they weren't prepared to reach that level of fame so fast. While Ed is donning covers of Time and Rolling Stone magazine quickly becoming one of the most recognizable faces in America, he increasingly made attempts to shy away from the spotlight. When you look at the timing of this show, two days after the release of Vs., you may be shocked to know that no one was celebrating the record breaking sales of the new album. Instead, the show and the music was used as an escape from that. Ed would address the crowd multiple times in attempt to describe how he was feeling, you got a sense of what was really happening with the band behind the scenes during this show. We'll talk about that, some interesting soundcheck moments, a recurring improv and many references to The Who! We are TWO Patrons away from our goal! Help us reach 100, donate to the show! http://patreon.com/liveon4legs

21 Huhti 20211h 35min

After a 90's heavy month in March, this week we dip back into a more recent era to talk about the 2014 US leg opener in Cincinnati. Our Patron David Ritter will join us to talk about his emotional experience from this night! The band was in a good mood mixing up the setlist with songs representing every album and stories you could fill a memoir with. This night had classic tales including one featuring a club they played back in 1992 in Cincy called Bogarts, and a crazy story where Keith Richards pull a knife on them. The performances were on point at this show too, most notably a version of Love Boat Captain with an extended jam intro and a Jumpin' Jack Flash near the end. We'll also talk about the tragedy in Cincinnati where 11 people were killed at a Who show and the nice dedication that the band made for them during this show. Remember above where I mentioned Bogarts? Well, we found the bootleg for this show and we're going to cover it this week! It'll be featured as a Patreon exclusive. Join up here to listen to this and other exclusive content - http://patreon.com/liveon4legs

14 Huhti 20211h 38min

This episode is a part two of a two-part series focusing on the Moore Theatre shows in 1995 where the band performed under the pseudonym Piss Bottle Men. If you like to listen to things linearly, the first part of this series is available through our Patreon which you can sign up to for as low as $1 per month here: http://patreon.com/liveon4legs This episode is another addition in our year long Hometown Series dedicated to telling the stories of their best Seattle shows in their 30-year anniversary. These two shows were special fan club shows meant as a warm up before heading off to a big tour in Asia, Australia and New Zealand. With Vitalogy selling over 4 million copies in the prior months late in 1994 and early 1995, these shows were the first time that the hometown fans got familiar with new drummer Jack Irons and seen some of these newer Vitalogy songs fleshed out in the way they were played on the record. This was also in the middle of the Mirror Ball recording sessions, so a certain Uncle was in town available to make a visit to his favorite nephews. However, earlier in the night the band decided to present a preview of the new collaborative record as they played Act Of Love mid-set. When Neil makes his appearance to join them, we get a little bit of a reprise to close the night. This may remind you of another instance where this happened - the Polo Fields show where Neil filled in for Ed who had food poisoning. The band would play two versions of RITFW that night.

7 Huhti 20211h 30min

March of 1992 was somewhat of a breakthrough for Pearl Jam. After returning from a successful tour overseas featuring memorable shows in Germany and Amsterdam, they found themselves in a major spotlight getting the call to perform on MTV's Unplugged. Although it wouldn't premiere for 2 months, the band's rise was imminent and their popularity in America had grew exponentially from the time they left. This show at The Cabaret Metro in Chicago, as documented in the Let's Play Two documentary, was important for so many reasons. Not only was it a hometown show for both Ed and The Smashing Pumpkins who acted as the opening act, it was a platform where they had to prove that they belonged up on that stage headlining these clubs shows and even bigger shows to come. The guys from U2 were there that night to scout them to be an opening act for what would be the Italian run of the Zooropa tour. Everything seemed to be falling into place at the time. This performance is classic 1992. You have some improvs, including Rockin' In The Free World played on the spot due to a drum issue, great performances of Ten songs and an encore where they shared the stage with the Pumpkins saluting them in their hometown. Like what you're listening to? Help support the show! We're 10 patrons away from reaching our goal! http://patreon.com/liveon4legs

31 Maalis 20211h 17min

This episode is a special Pearl Jam Fan Profile featuring former New Jersey assistant Attorney General and CNN legal analyst Elie Honig! Elie joins us to talk about where his fandom all started and what it was like to be at his first show at Constitution Hall in 1995. We'll get to learn many great stories about his fandom and he'll ask us a few questions as well such as if Pearl Jam are the most athletic band and what our takes are on Hunger Strike and Release.

30 Maalis 20211h 8min