Episode 361: Tokyo, JPN - 3/3/2003

2003 Was a huge year for Pearl Jam that set up the template for what their live shows were going to look like moving forward from that point. This included longer shows, multiple surprises per night and a sonic display that kept pushing the boundaries of each and every one of their talents. While shows from State College, Madison Square Garden, Mansfield and Benaroya Hall dominate the conversation from this tour year, the show that we'll be covering for our Chronology Series is from the famed Budokan venue in Tokyo. The band is re-releasing this bootleg in tandem with Eddie's upcoming solo tour of Japan, so it was the perfect time to get back and investigate a pretty unique show and crowd from the far east. We've become so accustomed to Pearl Jam crowds from South America, Europe and the United States bringing their a-game every night, singing and bouncing along to every song in the pit that any time where this doesn't happen at a show can seem like an outlier. The Japanese crowds intake their concerts a little differently. The respectful crowd is engaged with the show, but are much more reserved than the normal concert goer. We'll analyze it in this episode as two major Pearl Jam singalongs, Better Man and Elderly Woman, do not have the same kind of flair as they normally do. We'll also get into 2003 being a heavily political year for Pearl Jam and how the satire of the Bu$hleaguer performances that mocked the former President were their way of expressing art, and we get to hear perhaps the most perfect attempt at Lukin that exists in the band's catalog! Visit the Concertpedia - http://liveon4legs.com Contact the Show - [email protected] Donate to the Show - http://patreon.com/liveon4legs Donate to our EB Fundraiser - http://give.ebresearch.org/team/807317