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Through “God Has a Hangover,” Pearl Jam Shine at Tour Opener

6/12/08, 12:08 pm EST

The persistent rain clouds in South Florida parted just in time for Pearl Jam to launch their twelve date US tour last night in West Palm Beach, FL. Playing for the first time since headlining last summer’s Lollapalooza festival, Pearl Jam showed no signs of rust other than a mistimed start to the opening “Oceans.” The band quickly recovered to rock out “Severed Hand,” “Save You” and “God’s Dice” in short order.

Click here for more live photos of Pearl Jam’s tour kickoff show in West Palm Beach

Playing with fiery intensity Pearl Jam nailed hard hitting classics such as “Dissident” and “Even Flow” midway through the night. Long unbound from playing only commercial material, Pearl Jam plucked deep cuts such as “Sad” and “Faithful” from their extensive catalogue and knocked out old favorites “Glorified G,” “Do the Evolution” and “Why Go” for a thundering close to the opening set.

Pearl Jam carried the momentum into the first encore with a lean “Inside Job” and a lengthy jam session on “Rearviewmirror.” Eddie Vedder then embarked on a short solo stint and quipped that “we were looking forward to the sunshine of Florida, but instead it has pissed on us like god has a hangover.” The remark prompted a mini cover of the Tom Waits classic “Rains on Me” before Vedder induced the crowd to sing along on his anti-war number “No More,” from the Body of War soundtrack.

The sweat-soaked band returned in full to cap the evening with “Alive” and the staple closer “Yellow Ledbetter.” The members of Pearl Jam stood patriotically by as guitarist Mike McCready tagged the Hendrix inspired “Star-Spangled Banner” to the end of “Ledbetter” and the crowd reveled in his brilliance. Pearl Jam plays again tonight in Tampa, FL before headlining this weekend’s Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, so stay tuned to Rock Daily all weekend for coverage of Bonnaroo and more Pearl Jam.

[Photo: Joshua Prezant]


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Comments

the jam | 6/12/2008, 2:36 pm EST

pearl jam always puts on a great show. Can’t wait to hear the new album they’re working on.

PJ!!! | 6/12/2008, 2:50 pm EST

Cannot wait to see Pearl Jam on Monday in Columbia!!!

Jim from Drexel Hill | 6/12/2008, 2:51 pm EST

CAN’T WAIT TO SEE EM IN NJ, THEY ROCK!

Really? | 6/12/2008, 3:10 pm EST

No detective work here RS? Pearl Jam played a song (Who You Are) last night for the first time in just over 10 years and no mention of it in this write up? Stellar work as always.

Sacha from L.A. | 6/12/2008, 3:27 pm EST

Marry me Pearl Jam.

Anonymous | 6/12/2008, 4:58 pm EST

I wish Pearl Jam was playing along the West Coast…instead of wasting their talents on a bunch of toothless, NASCAR loving, mullet wearing rednecks.

Boston Lou | 6/12/2008, 5:10 pm EST

great show… thanks for the review

free boston lou!

cibra | 6/12/2008, 8:28 pm EST

come to montenegro!!! do you even know where it is? anyone? PJ are the best ever!

jammer | 6/12/2008, 8:49 pm EST

i need them to come into SYDNEY!

Neil H. | 6/12/2008, 9:51 pm EST

Hey asshole they have not played the Southeast in years. Its about time. And were not all rednecks. See you guys at Bonnaroo. Your west coast ass might enjoy it come on over. And if you subscribe to Rolling Stone they just gave Bonnaroo the number 1 festival in the country. OH its in Southeast!!

Anonymous | 6/12/2008, 10:04 pm EST

Hey Anonymous,

That’s rather judgemental. Too bad you let your egocentric point of view darken your psyche. I am greatful a great band like PJ does not share the same dreadful posture as you.

who you are | 6/13/2008, 12:41 am EST

I called the opening song “oceans”, and to disblief…I was thinking that they were going to play “Who You Are” this tour. I was shocked to see it played the first night. I am sure they did Jack Irons justice. : ) See you in N.Y

Agreed | 6/13/2008, 1:36 am EST

Anonymous | 6/12/2008, 4:58 pm EST

I wish Pearl Jam was playing along the West Coast…instead of wasting their talents on a bunch of toothless, NASCAR loving, mullet wearing rednecks.
____________

exactly my thoughts when I read their show schedule

Liam | 6/13/2008, 4:06 am EST

don’t feel too bad i live in northern ireland where they have never played!!!!

Richard Cockery | 6/13/2008, 10:51 am EST

Brilliant Show Mates. It was just Brilliant to here “Who You Are” It’s been a bloody long time since they pulled up their knickers and played that one.

Can’t wait to see the lads headline at “The Roo” this weekend.

YLB | 6/13/2008, 12:24 pm EST

I’m so glad they are playing the South instead of wasting their time on a bunch of emo, airhead, emotionally flaky, intellectually shallow, plastic, botoxed, fake baked yuppies out West.

glen | 6/13/2008, 2:00 pm EST

13th show for me amazing cant wait to see them on my 30th bday in hartford!!!!

banerx | 6/13/2008, 8:22 pm EST

Hope they’ll come back to rock the Philippines again.

Ashkorsair | 6/14/2008, 5:06 am EST

PJ has no comparison whatsoever in the world.
they truly are one of the last great rockbands the world has ever seen.

ondarha | 6/14/2008, 8:39 am EST

jeez – I waited patiently for months to see this show; broke my arm from my elbow to my shoulder a month ago (plates & pins & lots of stitches), & thought I was good to go – til it got infected last week (NO reason…bad karma??), had to reopen the wound, & my doc said I couldn’t go – couldn’t get my arm wet (it was POURING rain all day), or risk getting bumped (plus I have an IV picc line running out of my other arm); needless to say, I cried when I went to pick up my tickets at Cruzan, and cried all the way home before I handed my tix over to my nephew…sigh…guess I have to settle for their bootleg. PJ ROCKS – hope I don’t have to wait another 3 or 4 years again!!
(Oh, btw – I don’t know anybody down here who has a mullet)

5011 | 6/14/2008, 2:46 pm EST

I wish Pearl Jam was playing along the West Coast…instead of wasting their talents on a bunch of toothless, NASCAR loving, mullet wearing rednecks.
__________ __

e xactl y my thoughts when I read their show schedule

Ah yes, some more of that uniquely American blend of ignorance and arrogance…

Do you really believe this?

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to kick my sister out of bed and head on over to my cosmetologist’s trailer to have my mullet tended to…

5011 | 6/14/2008, 2:47 pm EST

I wish Pearl Jam was playing along the West Coast…instead of wasting their talents on a bunch of toothless, NASCAR loving, mullet wearing rednecks.
_____ _____ __

e xactl y my thoughts when I read their show schedule

Ah yes, some more of that uniquely American blend of ignorance and arrogance…

Do you really believe this?

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to kick my sister out of bed and head on over to my cosmetologist’s trailer to have my mullet tended to…

5011 | 6/14/2008, 2:50 pm EST

I wish Pearl Jam was playing along the West Coast…instead of wasting their talents on a bunch of toothless, NASCAR loving, mullet wearing rednecks.
_____ _____ __

exactly my thoughts when I read their show schedule

Ah yes, some more of that uniquely American blend of ignorance and arrogance…

Do you really believe this?

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to kick my sister out of bed and head on over to my cosmetologist’s trailer to have my mullet tended to…

Addison | 6/14/2008, 3:02 pm EST

I was at the show, sitting in the back, and I have to say that it was pretty amazing. What’s funny, is that I went to the show with a Nascar loving mullet redneck, and watching his response to playing “No More” and many of the deep cuts was humourous. I was so happy that they played the deep cuts instead of just running through the hits. Eddie also did some great hillbilly mocking, putting on his hunting cap, and saying “I came here all the way from the northwest, and now I look like Larry the fucking cable guy…And it can happen to you!”

Epic night.

chris | 6/14/2008, 4:27 pm EST

5011 is obviously an idiot, I have nothing against the west coast but West Palm Beach full of rednecks??? there is only one place in the west Beverly Hills that is as rich as this area lol I was there def a great show weather turned out perfect

5011 | 6/15/2008, 2:53 am EST

Chris,

I’m a Southerner and lived in Florida for a while…..

I was quoting and making a joke about comments made by previous posters….

Chris | 6/15/2008, 10:40 pm EST

Can’t wait for the Hartford show! It’s going to be awesome!

emsjm | 6/16/2008, 6:28 pm EST

Lived in new york until 1998, it’s not all rednecks down here. Long overdue,they played down here. Doubt Pearl Jam would want Anonymous as a fan, what an asshole.

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