Episode 245: Chicago, IL - 8/23/2009

We are less than a month away from seeing Pearl Jam take the stage for nine shows in September, and there's possibly no bigger stage than the one set for Ed's hometown of Chicago. As Wrigley Field has dominated the tour runs for the last ten years, the band is finally returning to the United Center for the first time since 2009, which is the show we'll be digging into in this episode. It was right before the Backspacer record came out, and while not every song had been released yet, it was somewhat of a showcase for songs such as The Fixer, Got Some and Supersonic. With Randy in attendance for the night two of this back to back, he gives some insight as to what was going on this weekend and some of the buzz coming out of night one. As all Chicago shows are, this is a true homecoming for Ed where he will reference fond memories of his youth on multiple occasions. He ties it in nicely when classic Who songs Love Reign O'er Me and The Real Me are played due to spending lots of cold nights listening to them on his walkman waiting for the L train. He'll also tie in a story about some of his earliest loves of music coming in the form of listening to Motown and idolizing Michael Jackson, who had died that summer. There is a nice dedication to Michael during Ed's rendition of Needle and the Damage Done, and a version of Rats featuring a short intro tease of the Michael Jackson song that's referenced at the end, Ben. And of course, he'll give nod to the Bulls championship banners in the rafters. As Ed would deem this show to be an emotional ride from the very beginning, we'll get to hear those kind of songs such as Long Road, Come Back and Man Of The Hour utilized in this set. Many thanks to Patron Andy Lore who requested this show! Our Gear Guru segments this week will get into a buzzy Mike solo on Sad, how Given To Fly and other songs guitar tone on this tour felt flat, and how Stone's rigged strumming was the backbone for a fantastic version of Love Reign O'er Me. Visit the Concertpedia - http://liveon4legs.com Join up on our raffle raising funding for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation - https://liveon4legs.com/product/door-prize-raffle-tickets/?fbclid=IwAR3Oacd-eI2fAgLow3hVg-5yU8dxW2Ga4ZxP1cvHNQnoTyCwf4tIdyQ4uDA Contact the Show - [email protected] Donate to the Show - http://patreon.com/liveon4legs