Pearl Jam - Madison Square Garden - 5/21/10

So I got a late call from my good friend Bryan DeSalsa on Friday with a ticket to Pearl Jam's Friday night show at the Garden. Never seen em live. Always wanted to. Tried to 2 years ago when they were in town and got burned for $300 fake tickets. I blame myself. My first and last time getting burned by New York.

Friday's show, while I have nothing to compare it to, was a borderline life changing event. The floor of the garden literally shook, Eddie Vedder shed a tear while the crowd sang "Better Man". They played "Hunger Strike". The crowd was electric. They closed with "Yellow Ledbetter" and a rendition of the Star Spangled Banner that would give Jimmy Hendrix a run for his money. They played almost 3 hours straight through. I can't say enough about this show, other than i must have said "ARE THEY SERIOUSLY PLAYING THIS RIGHT NOW?!" at least 35 times. Say what you want about Pearl Jam, but they put on a show for their fans like nothing I have ever seen. And the energy they put out still gives me the chills. Check out the review and set list from Billboard:

Pearl Jam - MSG - 5/21 - Billboard Review
Set List:
Corduroy
Hail, Hail
Do The Evolution
World Wide Suicide
Got Some
Breath
Nothingman
I'm Open
Unthought Known
Grievance
Amongst The Waves
Present Tense
Not For You / Modern Girl
Push Me, Pull Me
Rats
Daughter / W.M.A.
The Fixer
Why Go

1st Encore

The End
Just Breathe
Lukin
Black Red Yellow
Sweet Lew
Given To Fly
Spin The Black Circle
Rearviewmirror

2nd Encore

Wasted Reprise
Better Man / Save it for Later
Black
The Real Me (The Who)
Hunger Strike (with Band Of Horses' Ben Bridwell)
Alive
Kick Out The Jams (MC5)
Yellow Ledbetter