Pearl Jam
April 23, 2003
University Of Illinois Assembly Center: Champaign, IL
Official Bootleg #30
Source: SBD
Tools: Official Bootleg > WAV (EAC) > SHN (mkwACT)
************************************
*** DO NOT ENCODE TO MP3 ***
************************************
Disc 1:
01 - Do The Evolution - 04:05
02 - Corduroy - 04:41
03 - Save You - 03:50
04 - Deep - 05:00
05 - Dissident - 04:27
06 - Small Town - 03:20
07 - Even Flow - 07:04
08 - Jeremy - 06:20
09 - Thumbing My Way - 04:35
10 - You Are - 04:49
11 - I Am Mine - 04:12
12 - Habit - 03:40
13 - Untitled - 02:10
14 - MFC - 02:33
15 - Given To Fly - 03:40
16 - Nothingman - 04:46
Total: 69:17
Disc 2:
01 - Blood - 03:08
02 - Porch - 08:14
03 - Encore Break - 01:48
(Encore 1)
04 - Driven To Tears - 04:10
05 - Better Man - 04:58
06 - Crazy Mary - 08:57
07 - Know Your Rights - 03:50
08 - Fortunate Son - 03:36
09 - Encore Break - 04:17
(Encore 2)
10 - Blue Red Grey - 03:34
11 - Black - 08:13
12 - Alive - 06:28
13 - Baba O'Riley - 05:10
Total: 66:26
Notes (from 5H):
Ed says a quick, "All right ... let's go!" and PJ opens with a slamming 'DTE'
in this smallish venue shaped like a UFO. The sold out Illinois crowd is more
than receptive to Pearl Jam, especially with this ferocious opener, great Stone
solos throughout. The fast pace continues through a welcome 'Deep' with killer
Mike solos and Ed's intense lyrical delivery. While changing instruments, Ed
greets Champaign and says he feels like a lion in a cage and asks if there are
any Christians who want to be eaten tonight. He dedicates 'Elderly Woman' to
towns like Gurnee, Rockton and Kankakee. Someone yells out "Cuba!" which amuses
him. Big response from the audience, who promptly lights up the place with
their lighters and the crowd sings the "hearts and thoughts" section.
During 'Even Flow,' a fan tosses a camera to Ed, who takes a photo of Mike
soloing and then tosses the camera back. 'Jeremy' is well-received and worth
the price of admission simply to watch Stone pogo while yelling out the whole
"ooh, ooh, ooh" section with a huge grin on his face in unison with the crowd.
This show is having the feel of stepping back in time about 10 years. 'Habit'
is dedicated to those high on crystal meth and there is no "speaking as ..."
tag. As usual, Ed plays around with the lyrics to 'Untitled' ("Lets get to
Chicago, get drunk and talk politics ..."; Assembly Hall is on campus and no
alcohol is served) leading to a high energy 'MFC' with Mike running all around
the stage. 'Blood' gets an insane response; this is the first time it's been
played in the midwest since Soldier Field. Band is animated, Ed is thrusting
the mic stand like the old days and the stage is bathed in red lights. 'Porch'
follows as the perfect closer after 'Blood.' While it isn't the 12-minute
Atlanta 94 version, it has great solos from Mike and Stone, plus Ed leading the
crowd in a call/response of noises and phrases during the bridge. Ed goes to
Stone's side and he picks up a cable, swinging it as if he would catch it over
the rafters and climb (quite amusing).
When the band hits the stage again, Ed says, "We don't have class tomorrow ...
do you?" The crowd yells, "no!" and Ed says, "Class my ass is what you're
saying" and an enthusiastic "Stone" chant gets going. Matt starts the drum beat
that would become The Police's 'Driven To Tears,' which has even the die-hard
fans in total shock. After 'Crazy Mary,' "OK class ... a bit of history,"
introduces a searing ' Know Your Rights,' with Ed jumping all over his monitor
wedges making hand gestures. The audience is in a state of bewilderment, and it
exploded as the band went into 'Fortunate Son,' giving the song an amazing
response. A very strange, high energy encore!
Ed returns, standing motionless, then looking around shrugging as if "where's
the band?" Fans are screaming out songs. Ed responds, "We're proponents of open
honest debate ... the ballots are closed ... I am your leader!" He starts
talking about 'Soon Forget' and how it was "stolen off a song off Who By
Numbers. Some one interrupts yelling "Yellow Ledbetter" and Ed responds, "Hold
your horses, shut the fuck up; cause you see we were gonna and now we won't and
that's just how we are ... you're not helping matters at all." (And it WAS on
the setlist and it WASN'T played ... lesson learned: don't interrupt.) He
continues that Pete Townshend is his hero and loves Chicago and plays, 'Blue,
Red, Grey' ... another huge surprise.
The crowd sings the second verse of 'Black' when Ed points the mic to the
crowd. Ed backs up and ends up leaning against Stone. 'Alive' has the crowd
singing note for note, pogoing and chanting the "yeah" section. By the end of
the song, the crowd is ready to blow the roof off of the place, and that's
exactly what happens when the house lights come up, the band starts 'Baba,' and
the whole place just goes completely, clinically insane, the band included.
Mike, Jeff and Stone are pogoing and running around like wild animals, doing
strange dances, Boom grinning his ass off, flailing his hair around and Matt
attacks his drums. Ed goes through at least five tambourines. Pearl Jam at it's
best.