On Tuesday, October 14th, WVUA-FM travelled to the FedEx Forum in Memphis, TN for Pearl Jam’s anticipated return to the city.
Previously the band had not played Memphis since 2000. The energy from the crowd was felt throughout the entire night.
Since there was no opening act, the show was just a Rock and Roll evening with Pearl Jam, which is what some fan’s dreams are made of (just like mine!)
I did not realize how large The FedEx Forum was until I was escorted into the photo pit.
It was one of those moments you see in movies where your breath is taken away and all you can do is take in the moment.
But enough emotions for now. Let’s get down to the real story.
Pearl Jam graced the stage in the darkest of light cues, but with enough energy to quickly get the crowd standing.
Their set consisted of a variety of songs from their extensive catalogue and the crowd was more than happy to hear some of the surprises Pearl Jam pulled out of their hats.
Setlist:
Pendulum
Wash
Low Light
Why Go
All Night
Mind Your Manners
Even Flow
Lightning Bolt
Sirens
1/2 Full
Garden
Alone (RAREITY! Only been played 44 times. Played at their first show in 1990)
Wishlist
Given to Fly
Let the Records Play
Spin the Black Circle
Black
Rearviewmirror
Encore:
Nothing as It Seems
Come Back
Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town
Do the Evolution
Breath
Porch
Encore 2:
Once
Crazy Mary (Victoria Williams cover)
Better Man
Alive
Rockin’ in the Free World (Neil Young cover)
Yellow Ledbetter
Also on the setlist, but not played were:
No Way
Ghost
During Alone, the crowd roared throughout FedEx Forum and people were yelling random numbers that represented how many years they’ve waited to hear the song. The guy beside me yelled 22. We high fived.
Given To Fly is always a crowd favorite and I am almost positive the building shook. Then again, I was jumping, so it might not have been as shaky as I remember. (Ha!)
Before Let The Records Play and Spin The Black Circle, Ed told a story about Mike and Matt going to Sun Studios down the road. The people that worked there said the drummer for Pearl Jam came in the day before and they were a little confused. Then, they realized it was Dave Kruzen and they laughed. (Kruzen was in the band very early in their career.) Then the songs were dedicated to Memphis. During STBC, Mike always runs around the stage and it is the coolest thing.
When Come Back is played (I have seen it live twice) there are always a few people who cry. I understand why, though. It is a sad song.
Small Town always renders the best crowd responses, especially when the song says, “I just wanna scream… HELLLOOOOO!!!!” It gets real.
Breath is always a nice, personal surprise for me. It is one of my favorite Pearl Jam songs.
During Crazy Mary, the lyric goes, “Take a bottle. Drink it down. Pass it around.” Ed was sick, so instead of passing his wine bottle around, he acquired a new bottle and filled the cups of the Faithfull on the front row.
The night ended with the house lights coming up for Alive, Rockin’ In The Free World, and Yellow Ledbetter. Ed threw tambourines into the crowd. (One of my goals in life is to catch one.)
As the crowd left the FedEx Forum, there were smiles all around and light hearted laughter. Some people went back to their hotels and from there, either went back home, or headed to Detroit for another Pearl Jam show two days later.
Pearl Jam is a band who truly shows what it is like to stand the test of time in the industry. Their fans, albums, and performances prove that.
Kudos to you, Pearl Jam. Kudos.
