Search - Pearl Jam :: 11/2/00 - Portland, Oregon

THE BEST SHOW SO FAR...

Dan Swan | Lincoln City, Oregon United States | 06/02/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have purchased 19 of the 72 shows, (1-3-5-6-7-12-17-19-20-23-24-25-26-62-64-69-70-71-72)and listened closely to each concert several times. After which; I came to the conclusion that the Portland Oregon show to be the best one so far. The band seemed relaxed, energized, and in top form for this performance. Perhaps, because; near the end of this lengthy world tour, the band can at last "see" the end, but with the finale still four days away; the band felt no real pressure to "Perform". This lack of any pressure gives way to a really great rock n' roll show. Being an Oregonian, and not able to make this show; I approached my listen to this disc with a critical ear. Trying to disregard the proximity of the event, and perhaps more critical because of it; I detected immediatly the aforementioned easygoing attack the band gave their performance. This is perhaps the shortest set of the tour, but "So Far"...is the show with the most energy, and reckless abandon. The later being the key element which made Pearl Jam a celebrated "LIVE" band. I plan to buy the entire tour for two reasons. One: To show my support of the only band in history with the balls to release an entire tour; and Two: Of the hundreds of bands I've seen perform live throughout my 44 years; Pearl Jam is the band with the most integrity, both in their lyrics, and their music. A great band. And "THIS SHOW" #69, is a great show!"

Sounds even better on CD....

Dan Swan | 04/20/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have been to four Pearl Jam concerts in the last few years, and this was the best one I've seen, by far. I would definately rate this bootleg in the top ten of the US Tour. Its incredible seeing the band live, especially in the good old northwest. Even though its the end of the tour, they had incredible energy, playing only 5 hours south of their hometown. The versions of RVM and Black were incredible, and the improve leading into RVM is amazing, you have to hear it. They rock in the opening 6 songs of the concert, and Eddie has some interesting points on the election, and about Paul Allen. (Who owns the Rose Garden.) At the end of the concert, the whole Garden is screaming Fuckin Up with two fingers in the air. Overall, an amazing show. I'd recommend it to any and all Pearl Jam fans. If your a fan, get this show. Cause there is only one show better, the 2nd Seattle."

In the shadow of wealth...

Jesse B. Wendel | Eugene, Oregon United States | 04/05/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Pearl Jam is at heart more than just a band for music's sake. They also possess a keen awareness of the world at large, of politics, of the issues their own fans are concerned about. And so it was a pleasure to hear Ed Vedder comment on Paul Allen's enormous wealth before launching into a beautiful version of Soon Forget...and even more ironic that such a diatrabe took place in the house that Allen himself built, the Rose Garden. That was just one touching moment from an evening full of highlights. This show is difficult to compare to others in the bootleg series. I'll start by saying that it is by far one of the shortest shows out of the 72, and I heard many complaints about it at later shows from other fans, but the fact remains that this was a tight, focused show. It was short because it was packed with energy--perhaps not as much emotion as the shows in Las Vegas or Seattle--but there was a sense that the band was charged up and ready to play. It's filled with amazing solos--to the point where it seems as though each song meanders off into fiery madness at some point. Notable examples of this come in Grievance and State of Love and Trust, and the last song, F***in Up (a Young Neil song, as Ed says)becomes a crowd singalong. Add a new song (the cd says it is an improv, but it is a clearly rehearsed, focused improv, so I will call it a song), several interchanges between Ed and the crowd (unfortunately, the Rose Garden may be nice, but crowds usually aren't as charged as they may be in places like Boise or Seattle), and you have a pretty good show--maybe not as good as the majestic tour finale in Seattle, but worth the price nonetheless."