Pearl Jam Tour Update: New York, NY

Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder / Photo by Eric Nowels

With the average setlist Tuesday, there was much anticipation and speculation as to what would be played Wednesday (June 25). The show opened with "Release," rarely heard on this tour, and the crowd was screaming, dancing, and energetic despite the song's slow pace. The first handful of tunes were strong and high energy; "Worldwide Suicide," "Severed Hand," "Corduroy," and the rare "Cropduster" were sweaty sing-alongs that plastered smiles across the face of everyone in the room.

When the band played "All Night," however, it typified the uneven energy that would define the whole night. "Garden" was a strong performance and featured the original orchestration after undergoing a few changes on the '06 tour, followed by two energy stoppers, "I'm Open" and "Wishlist." Momentum picked up again with a blazing "State of Love and Trust" and a funky "Rats" that featured McCready throwing in licks left and right not heard on the record.

The encores were fairly pedestrian, though Ace Frehley took lead and shredded away on "Black Diamond," which featured Mike McCready and Matt Cameron sharing singing duties. Frehley did his part melt every face in the room as if he were onstage with KISS in 1976. Despite the lack of surprises and magic that everyone had been expecting, the energy and passion displayed by both the band and the fans was unrivaled by any other shows on the tour.

Two devout Pearl Jam fans contrast the two nights:

And while he was in town, Newman dropped into Spin's Manhattan HQ for a quick visit. Check out a mini tour filmed just minutes ago: