In 2005, Pearl Jam returned to the Gorge for the first time in 12 years, and to rave reviews. The Seattle PI Even said "Eddie Vedder and the rest of Pearl Jam delivered their best local concert of the last five years while returning to the form of the group's glory days." The following year, they returned for 2 nights. It was a louder and harder show than the previous year. At the same time, it seemed more intimate. It felt like they were glad to be home with friends. Eddie had fun throwing picks, broken tambourines, and even his harmonica to the crowd. He reminisced about the old days and even pointed out a few fans up front that had been coming to the shows since the beginning. I didn’t think it would be possible to top the last show, but PJ never fails to surprise!
Click for video
Later I was happy to see they planned to release all 3 shows on CD. Between the three concerts there were sixty-nine individual songs performed! Being in the front row for these shows AND have it recorded as well made this one of my greatest concert experiences ever. These pictures are from the first 2006 show. The night closed with McCready's guitar genius on Ledbetter, Little Wing, and the Star Spangled Banner.