Search - Pearl Jam :: 8/20/00 - Cincinnati, Ohio

Magical Evening, Top Notch Concert

Paul Allaer | Cincinnati | 02/28/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For those lucky enough to be at Riverbend that warm August night, it would prove to be an unforgettable evening. Pearl Jam showed us why, despite sagging album sales, it remains one of THE premier rock bands.Without resorting to any special effect or pyotechnics, the band strolled on stage, quasi non-chalantly, and strummed into the beginning notes of "Of A Girl", one of 9 songs they ended up playing from the underrated "Binaural" album. What a daring move! Rather than starting with a stomp-along crowd pleaser, PJ starts with a mid-tempo, introverted song, unfamiliar to many in the crowd. Beautiful! PJ works its way through many choice cuts, primarily form "Binaural" (including a haunting "Nothing As It Seems") and "Yield". Regretfully, only one selection (albeit a torrid one! "Habit") from "No Code", in my opinion the best overall PJ album.What makes this concert and CD "Cincinnati only", comes when Eddie Vedder returns to the stage after the Encore break, and starts talking to the crowd, making jokes, but then turning serious, explaining that "the name of the city Cincinnati has come up lately, you know, for some difficult reasons [referring to the parallels between the Who tragedy in 1979 at the Riverfront Coliseum and the tragedy at PJ's concert in Denmark earlier that summer], and I'm gonna play this next song because of our new bond", soloing into The Who's "The Kids Are Alright". An unforgettable moment!! [I am not sure whether the "new bond" Vedder talks about, is his bond to Cincinnati, or his bond to Pete Townsend.]Meanwhile, guitarists Stone Gossard and Mike McCready are in top form all night. The CD must be heard through headphones in order to appreciate all the "noodling" that makes PJ sound as full "live" as in the studio. Good examples are "Of A Girl" and "Black".At the second encore, Vedder again comes out alone, this time, to play another "Binaural" track, the short and almost-sounding-like-a-throwaway-on-the-album "Soon Forget", even hushing the crowd to be quiet. What other band would dare do this, when the crowd was ready to tear doen the building after a rebel-rousing "rearviewmirror" just minutes ago? Superb!Looking at the bigger picture, the depth of PJ's catalogue, as demonstrated in the different set lists on the CD's of the tour, is nothing short of mind-boggling. Also, I really believe that in 10 or 20 years from now, PJ's decision to release all its summer concerts (both Europe and North America) on CD at fan-friendly prices will not only be viewed as a "significant moment in rock", but also will cement once and for all the band's place in history for its musical accomplishments, to the extent that any still doubted PJ's place."

An Amazing Show from An Amazing Band

Curt Whitacre | Cincinnati, Ohio United States | 03/04/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"So maybe this disc doesn't have the man/ape symbol on the back (signifying the band's favorite shows); that doesn't matter. This was one of the two Pearl Jam shows I was lucky enough to go to this summer (the other being Columbus, which DOES carry the aforementioned symbol) and one of the most memorable concerts I have ever experienced. I had fan club tickets, so I was insanely close to the stage... and what a show for that.For those not in the know, "The Who" held a tragic concert in Cincinnati over twenty years ago: a concert which resulted in the most deaths ever in an American concert. Over the summer, frighteningly similar events occurred at a Pearl Jam show, an event which almost led to the ending of the band's career. P.J. perservered, though, and proceeded to put on the tour of a life time. When fans handed a vinyl bootleg of the fateful "Who" concert to Eddie, I knew the significance of the show was grasped by all.The show itself was extremely intense. Pearl Jam plowed through the early portion of their set list (including the most amazing rendering of "Of the Girl" I have ever heard) without saying as much as a word to the crowd. The band was as energetic as ever: Mike played guitar behind his head and Ed was up to his usual antics and it was clear that Pearl Jam was here to rock. After the first stage break, though, Ed came out and ruminated about the significance of this show and proceeded to wow the crowd with The Who's "The Kids are Alright" an entirely fitting song, considering the circumstances. Ed ended this solo with a great Pete Townshend "windmill" imitation, and the rest of the show followed in a similar fashion. Ed shared wine with fans, performed what was perhaps the best "Soon Forget" live (after introducing Cincinnati to his good friend, the ukele), and Mike ended Yellow Ledbetter with, not one, but, two cover tags.I've seen Pearl Jam live a number of times, but their first show in Cincinnati since their tour with Soundgarden definately ranks in as the best. Emotions were high and, as a result, the music was unforgettable. Can't wait for the "Touring Band" DVD and the upcoming rarities collection. It is most definately a good time to be a Pearl Jam fan."

Great fan oriented show - rarities and Eddie Solo TWICE!

metheb | Seattle, wa United States | 02/27/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This was my second favorite show of all the gigs I attended on the first leg. I'd give it 4.5 stars if I could but I can't.The band was on in Cincinatti, very tight and introspective keeping any banter with the crowd to a minimum until after the first encore break. 'Of the Girl' is a great opener and really sets the tone for this show.Highlights on the first disc are 'go' with McCready playing the solo behind his head, 'God's Dice,''Faithful,' and the surprising version of 'Rival' where Eddie flexes his bicepts and laughs.The second disc begins with Eddie telling a story about the first time they played the venue (Riverbend) during their Lollapalooza stint with Soundgarden and how Eddie climbed up into the scaffolding. He remarks about how it was one of the last times he'd done it. Then Eddie plays a stunning solo version of 'The Kids are Alright.'The band joins him for the remainder of the first encore tearing through 'Evolution' and 'jeremy' and slowing down with the rarely played 'Black' and a great version of 'Soldier of Love' the b-side to 'Last Kiss.'Eddie comes out alone once again and introduces 'Soon Forget' by telling the crowd "Ukulele, this is Cincinnati. Cincinnati, this is ukulele," and saying that clapping really messes him up and asks them to refrain.McCready is the star of 'Yellow Ledbetter' throwing in riffs from Van Halen's 'Ain't Talkin' Bout Love' and Ted Nugget's 'Stranglehold.'This show is evidence that Pearl Jam is on."