Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder / Photo by Eric Nowels

NEW YORK CITY: Pearl Jam's two-night stint at Madison Square Garden was the most highly anticipated run of the band's brief 13-date jaunt, and when it comes to energy and surprises, Pearl Jam never disappoints and certainly delivered in NYC. Tuesday night's (June 24) performance was extremely loud and raucous, energetic and moving. However, after no less than 15 tunes made their tour debuts over the last three shows, the band trotted out only three.

The setlist was similar to what Pearl Jam had been performing for the whole tour, but the crowd's energy lifted the band to an above-par performance. The first encore began with the Who's "Love Reign O'er Me" and never let down from there.

CJ Ramone was brought out to play bass on the Ramones' "I Believe In Miracles," and the show ended with a particularly powerful third encore of "All Along the Watchtower" (with Mike McCready performing like a cross between Jimi Hendrix and MC5's Wayne Kramer circa 1968) and a melancholy, reflective rendition of "Indifference," slowly bringing what had been a break-neck-paced show to a gentle and satisfying end.

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Click to Page 2 for more from Pearl Jam's second night at New York City's Madison Square Garden