Search - Pearl Jam :: 15/6/00 - Spodek Arena, Katowice, Poland

A newbie's guide to Pearl Jam

Me | 03/23/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you're one of the people who's heard and liked one or two Pearl Jam songs on the radio, but never really bought any Pearl Jam albums, this show just might be a great collection for you to own. In the very least, you'll get a lot of Pearl Jam's best-known material (Betterman, Last Kiss, Alive, Even Flow, Not For You, Wishlist, Given To Fly, Nothing As It Seems...) on 2 CD's really for the price of one. Even more likely, however, you will discover that Pearl Jam is not only an incredible live act, but also one of the best bands of the 90's. Suffice to say that this is the show that transformed me into a big fan of this incredible band."Long Road", probably Pearl Jam's best opening song (along with "Release"), starts this awesome show with an incredibly emotional performance from Eddie Vedder. The usual set of rockers follow, starting with a great rendition of Binaural's Breakerfall, and continuing on with such live staples as Corduroy and Animal. After Brain of J, Eddie introduces the moody, dark Nothing As It Seems, which leads to probably the best live version of Given To Fly I've ever heard, with Matt Cameron really nailing the drum part. After yet another rocker (Gods' Dice), the band goes into the beautiful and rarely played Present Tense, the only number from No Code to make this set. I still prefer the studio version of that song better, but this live rendition is as good as they come. After great renditions of Not For You and Betterman, the band goes into the could-have-been-radio-single Thin Air, a hard rocking Even Flow (with a mini-improv in the beginning), and an awe-inspiring version of Nothingman that is ALONE absolutely worth the album's purchase. The second CD, meanwhile, has even more great performances of some incredible songs. The standout track here is DOUBTLESSLY the deluxe, best-I've-ever-heard, 7 minute version of Rockin' In The Free World,a must-own. Small Town, Last Kiss and Wishlist are all great soft songs, while Pearl Jam's fabulous takes on Do The Evolution, Rearviewmirror and Go give the disc a good dosage of rock. Footsteps, a rarely performed Jeremy B-Side, features Eddie playing harmonica, which adds to the song significantly. Mike McCready especially lets loose on Rockin' In The Free World, finishing off a great setlist and a perfect evening.If you listen to this CD and like it, I would suggest that you get its companion piece, the second Katowice show. Not only will you get the big radio singles not played on this night (like Jeremy and Daughter), but also a much better look into the fabulous material from Pearl Jam's No Code. Between these 2 shows, Pearl Jam actually plays 50 distinct songs, which is another great reason to buy both of them."

Best of the Set

Carl Bloom | Portland, OR United States | 10/13/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought a stack of CDs from this series, and this is THE BEST in my opinion. The band rocked and grooved on every track, including some nice improvs that hold together. At times it feels like every song is the final one of the show, the grand finale jam--yet they pick up and begin again. After kicking off with LONG ROAD, it seems like they can't rise any higher--and even songs which did not quite click at other shows (Wishlist, Nothing as it Seems) are played with precision and life. Other standouts include new songs Rival and Thin Air. I even enjoyed Last Kiss, which is not on my list of favorites. Live and kicking, it outshines Milan and others."

Unforgettable show

Mike Chadwick | Gdynia,Poland | 08/09/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Especialy for all polish fans (i am one of them...).What more can i say - all songs are groovier and more harder than studio versions and also "rocking in the free world" (Neill young's cover) is wonderfull...Eddie vedder is fantastic frotman - his stories telled to the audience are funny and really charming - he is not a star, he is just a normal nice man who just sings and plays in such a famous rock band.....
Fantastic show!!!!"