Tracklist
01. Release
After Dave Dobbyn's opening set, Neil Finn plays a short solo set, later accompanied by his son, Liam. Eventually, a newly blonde Ed joins Neil and they play 'Stuff and Nonsense' (Split Enz song), 'World Where You Live' (Crowded House song) and 'History Never Repeats' (another Split Enz tune). Ed leaves the stage and Neil's excellent set continues. Neil calls for his guests to return for the second encore, and Ed comments, "Neil asked me if I wanted to do one of our (PJ's) songs, but I think it's more fun to do his. But it's tough to turn down an opportunity to play music with people like this"
The rumor that had all Seattle a-buzz came to fruition tonight, the last night of Cheap Trick's three night stand. A very rested and relaxed looking PJ took the tiny Croc stage after a really warm introduction by Rick Nielsen. The set is notable for the fact that 1) no radio hits, and 2) almost all were songs with Eddie on guitar. This has to be the most adventurous setlist in years.
Mike is apparently cross-dressing again, wearing a feathery black stole around his neck briefly at the start and end of the show. He also sports a tight, black (spandex?) shirt with a silver bead design (spelling out "Rolling Stones") in the front with a low circular neckline. Ed welcomes everyone to the last night of the tour and says, "... besides the hurricane's gonna kill us all so let's go out with a bang."
Before 'Baba,' Ed thanks Rancid and challenges them to play a Who song. Rather than tossing the tambourine into the crowd during 'Baba,' he throws it frisbee-style at the backdrop, and he joins in on guitar for a rousing ending. A rocking show with the band having fun, despite the heat.
Ed says, "Hi, it feels like we're in the White House ... we haven't played a place with carpet in a while; I think this place is the last bastion of sanity in town. Music is the choice; we're here tonight, you're gonna hear words and entertainment, not in any particular order; Hovercraft's gonna come out (applause ... someone shouts 'Ed for President') ... It's not gonna happen, unless you agree to release the tapes that say, 'Ed was sitting in his hotel room smoking pot out of a bong (applause)" and he goes into 'I Am a Patriot.'
After 'Last Kiss,' Ed introduces Matt and plugs Wellwater Conspiracy again; then he says, "We're playing a benefit tomorrow. Hovercraft is opening, my wife's in the band. I'm real excited I get to see her, we've been on the road so long; this is Jeff, this is Stone, and they've been together as long as my wife and I," and Jeff and Stone get really red and hug each other.
Before 'Even Flow,' he comments, "It's take no prisoners time;" he gets the words right and laughs about it. The 'Habit' saying is "Speaking as a someone who pahked the cah at the Gahden," (a reference to the Boston Garden) delivered with an exaggerated Boston accent. Before "Present Tense,' Ed says he was reading this thing in the hotel room, and he wanted to see if it said anything about the concert coming up, and he pretends like he's reading this pamphlet, and says: "As yet another summer of drunken musical orgies comes to a close at the Great Woods Amphitheatre ... Pearl Jam and Ben Harper: sold out, SUCKER ..."
For the encore, he comes out and says, "What an unbelievably shitty Seattle day it's been!" (it had rained earlier in the day). "Actually, there's a couple of things in common between Boston and Seattle: you got history and old buildings, and we got Jimi Hendrix. So, fuck you ... and we got Mike McCready, and also, via San Diego, we got Matt Cameron."
At the start of the encore, many people in the crowd raise "thank you" signs (the thank you for PJ playing 'Breath the previous night) and Ed says, "Ah, so you all were in New York?" and makes a joke about how all of the Connecticut people must be in the back of the venue. 'Breath' is introduced as "one we haven't played in a while but it sounded pretty good last night" and they seem to really enjoy playing it.
Returning for the encore and yet another sea of "Breath" signs on ever single level of the Garden, Ed tells the crowd they are never satisfied: "You fucking cocksuckers. [shakes head] You fucking bitch! You know, we come up here as a collective band and we give and we give and you just fucking want more ... and you know what? You deserve it. This is like some kind of organized religion here; I've never seen anything like it. Do you see what's happening? ... the third night in a row, right? [applause] Well, fuck you. We're gonna play it!"leading to the first playing of 'Breath' since 1994.
When PJ returns for the encore, fake security guards come out with tons of archive boxes and Ed jokes about Ken Starr wanting show passes and that they traded passes for the records ... a very, very long speech about how we have no business knowing, etc. Ed introduces the second encore as a "song about how we feel" and Mike plays the very start of 'Yellow Ledbetter' and stops with Ed saying "I'm sorry, I fucked up," and they play 'Soldier of Love' instead.
After 'Daughter,' Eric (guitar tech) brings out a ping pong paddle, placing it on Ed's amp and Jeff tosses a guitar pick and Ed hits it into the crowd ... in honor of Mark McGwire breaking the home run record (it happened while they were performing 'Daughter'). 'Wishlist' lyrics are modified to, "I wish I was as fortunate as New Jersey" and "I wish I was the verb to trust and never let me down."
A near full moon tonight and an outdoor venue. Before 'Given to Fly,' Ed tells the crowd to check it out and he notes, "It's nice to be here ... beautiful moon ... nice and hot ... a really good night for singing."
After 'Brain of J,' Ed steps up and says, "I hate to say it, but you guys are kinda quiet," but after the first encore he says, "I knew you guys would liven up."
'Oceans' is a beautiful opener, with a film on the backdrop showing water ripples and Ed includes the "oh, Beth" line. After 'Even Flow,' Ed comments on how this was the second show held in this venue, with Janet Jackson being first, and that they're gonna "burn up the stage" and "cleanse the place."
The start of 'Porch' is botched; Ed quits singing until Stone catches the rhythm. Ed jumps into the crowd during Mike's solo during 'Porch,' tripping over one of the monitors climbing back onto the stage. At the beginning of the encore, Ed comes out, pumped and jumps over the amp beside Matt's drum kit. With no music and the crowd screaming, he does a little step like 1,2 cha cha cha, looks at the crowd and says, "What am I doing?" and starts laughing, repeating "What the fuck am I doing?"
Ed is very crowd-friendly and comes into the crowd during 'Porch.' The security guard seemed less than thrilled to go after him. [A shirt is tossed onstage reading "stop skateboard harrassment" and Ed says, "Oh, you have that down here, too!" following with, "Well, I think we need to stop concert harrassment," leading to more comments about security being too tight the previous night (NC) and tonight.] He says we were well behaved and their tactics weren't necessary.
Mike and Ed are in particularly great spirits. 'Corduroy' features a great Townshend leap by Ed with his white Gibson SG. The 'Wishlist' lyrics include "I wish friends would always be friends until the bitter end." Ed notes, "We've been tryin' to feel y'all out ... we think you can handle this," introducing 'Footsteps.' During 'Brain of J,' a someone in the third row passes out and while everyone is helping her, Ed is watching throughout the whole song (not dancing) to make sure she is OK. He even throws one of his water bottles out to one of her friends for her and comments, ""We've got people passing out up here ... I can only imagine what its like in the back" (big roar from back of the lawn).
