Eddie Vedder at United Palace Night 2!

I swore up and down that I was not going to the 2nd Eddie Vedder solo show in NY last night, but when a friend offered me a last minute $24 ticket, what could I say?

So I hopped the A train back uptown (waaaaay uptown!) and settled into my seat in the balcony for night 2. Again, I missed Liam Finn's set (disappointing) and after spending about 2 minutes pouting like a spoiled brat in the balcony, the show started and I realized that the sound in the balcony is actually great! The show proved to be amazing. Eddie seemed to be much more animated and talkative last night and busted out some surprising songs such as Broken Hearted, Picture in a Frame and Girl from North Country (a Dylan cover).

Eddie was full of amusing little quips last night, and surprisingly the moment that made me emotional last night was NOT during a song, but rather, it was when Ed was talking about his 4-year-old daughter, Olivia. He said she loved the Into the Wild soundtrack but had not been allowed to see the movie because she's still to little. She knows the movie involves a scene with a bear, however. Eddie said that once he was singing Guaranteed for his daughter and upon hearing the lyrics "Don't come closer or I'll have to go" she became upset. "What do you mean?" she asked him. Eddie said that rather than trying to explain to his little girl (who was 3 at the time) that the boy in the movie had issues with his parents, he decided to tell her that those lyrics were about the bear! I thought his story was so endearing that I smiled so big a tear fell from my eye. I'm a sap. What can I say.

Also in attendance last night were Bruce Springsteen, Jim James from My Morning Jacket, Tom Colicchio from Top Chef, and Mark Messier of the NY Rangers. See, everyone loves Eddie Vedder!

My only complaint is that it appears all the "casual" fans sit up in the balcony caring more about drinking $7 beers and getting up to pee every 2 minutes than listening to the concert. Several of them insisted on shouting random things at the top of their lungs throughout the show, inciting Eddie to pause and express frustration at their complete lack of common courtesy. Perhaps I'm a Jamily elitist, but I'd really prefer it if the "casual" fans (the rude jerky ones at least) stayed home. For realz!

Anyway, thanks Jed for making me go last night. I had a great time!!

Here's the full setlist:
MAIN SET: Walking the Cow, Trouble, Sometimes, I Am Mine, Dead Man Walking, Man of the Hour, Setting Forth, Guaranteed, No Ceiling, Far Behind, Rise, Millworker, Picture in a Frame, Goodbye, Broken-Hearted, Driftin' (stopped and started over twice), Hide Your Love Away, Girl from North Country, Thumbing My Way, Porch
1ST ENCORE: Wishlist, Here's to the State of Mississippi, Society (w/ Liam Finn), No More (Stopped, then started again), Arc
2ND ENCORE: Hard Sun (w/ Liam Finn)