Pearl Jam returned to live action Tuesday night at the Budweiser Gardens in London, Ontario.
The event marked the band’s first show since spring, and only one of two scheduled this summer (the other is Chicago’s Wrigley Field on Friday); a North American tour is set for the fall.
The London Free Press reports massive singalongs marked the early going after Pearl Jam opened with “Present Tense” (from 1996’s “No Code”).
The huge fan choir was encouraged by the charismatic Eddie Vedder and pretty much carried the third song, “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town.”
Before the first hour was up, the band had blitzed through its new single, “Mind Your Manners” (from the forthcoming “Lightning Bolt” album) with such punkish fire, Vedder’s microphone malfunctioned for a moment or two.
That was many of the acoustic-styled, tender moments early on before Vedder, guitarists Mike McCready and Stone Gossard, bassist Jeff Ament, drummer Matt Cameron began to thunder into the night with "Even Flow" and other hits.
The band arrived at the downtown London arena last Friday and could be heard rocking the empty venue over the weekend.
Last week, Pearl Jam announced the fall release of their tenth studio album, “Lightning Bolt,” and issued the project’s lead single, “Mind Your Manners.”
Due October 15 in North America, (October 14 internationally), “Lightning Bolt” marks the Seattle band’s first studio album since 2009’s “Backspacer.”
Pearl Jam
Budweiser Gardens – London, ON – July 16, 2013
01 - Present Tense
02 - Nothingman
03 - Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town
04 - Corduroy/London Calling
05 - Mind Your Manners
06 - Got Some
07 - Given To Fly
08 - Sad
09 - Alone
10 - Even Flow
11 - I Got Id
12 - In Hiding
13 - Lukin
14 - Not For You
15 - Black
16 - Porch
17 - Last Exit
18 - Last Kiss
19 - Parachutes
20 - Man Of The Hour
21 - Just Breathe
22 - Daughter
23 - Unthought Known
24 - Do The Evolution
25 - Smile
26 - Brain Of J
27 - Better Man
28 - Alive
29 - Rocking In The Free World (Neil Young cover)
30 - Indifference
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