United (Center) We Stand.....

Pearl Jam's "Red State Conspiracy" Tour rolled into Chicago to play the United Center May 16th & 17th. This conjures up memories way back when of June 29 1998. I had just finished up my freshman year so my friend Matt and I decided we would take a trip up to the windy city and take in our second PJ show ever. Of course such a simple plan turned out to be much more complicated. Our mothers and girlfriends decideded they want to come along for the ride. So what to do? The only rational thing of course. We all piled into a mini-van and made the 18 hour trek northbound from North Carolina. Lee Anne & I in the back, Matt & Leah in the middle seat, mamas Seel & Smith in the front. The ride up started out civil but by the end degraded into arguments as we were driving through the ghetto looking for our hotel. Oh good times!

But none the less, we took in all the good sites and finally Matt and I made it to the United Center. This was back when the UC was among the first of the new style arenas. 3 levels, just massive...especially looking up from our floor seats and was packed (including the seats behind the stage). It is still the biggest place I have seen a concert. Frank Black aka Black Francis of Pixies fame was opening backing his first Catholic's record (still his best solo output). Among the highlights of the PJ show were the cover tags on Daughter & Betterman, along with Do The Evolution. EV at one point commenting on playing spots in Chicago, "The only one left is Wrigley Field. Of course it'll be a day show ... and we'll play two." He was also given a Bulls jersey by Dennis Rodman with the number 3 and Vedder printed on the back. The night closed with a burning rendition of the Who's Baba O'Riley, the lights on so you could see everyone in the arena going nuts. The song featured Jeff Ament machine gunning the crowd with his bass Pete Townshend style and EV leaping off the speaker stacks and smashing his Gibson SG.

After the show we were hanging out outside and saw Jeremy Piven walk out with two hot chicks on his arms. Oh to be a celebrity! Anyway, the following is the set list:

set: Long Road, Do the Evolution, Brain of J, Hail Hail, Go, Dissident, Even Flow, Given to Fly, Corduroy, Rearviewmirror, In Hiding, Jeremy, Daughter/(Ray of Light)/(Another Brick in the Wall), Nothingman, MFC, Off He Goes, Present Tense, Alive
enc 1: Wishlist, Better Man/(Save it for Later), State of Love and Trust, Black, Last Exit
enc 2: Baba O'Riley, Yellow Ledbetter