The Tibetan Freedom Concert at RFK Stadium
Both chronologies' headings name the night the Tibetan Freedom Concert. Both notes say several bands scheduled for the benefit's first day were moved to this one, which pushed Pearl Jam's start back.
On Sunday, June 14, 1998, Pearl Jam played RFK Stadium in Washington, which both chronologies head by that name. The Pearl Jam Concert Chronology's attendance line reads 60 000+, marked sold out, and Five Horizons' reads 66,000. Both chronologies give the same list in the same order, from "Corduroy" and "Hail Hail" to "Wishlist" and "Better Man." Both notes say the set came to an early end after "Better Man," and that, unannounced, the Red Hot Chili Peppers took the stage with Pearl Jam's equipment.
Photos
The show
RFK Stadium
Five Horizons' heading gives the date as 06/14/98 and the place as Washington, DC, and the Pearl Jam Concert Chronology's gives June 14, 1998, and Washington, DC, USA, as the place. Both headings add a parenthesis naming the Tibetan Freedom Concert. Both notes say several bands scheduled for the benefit's first day were moved to this one, and that Pearl Jam's start was pushed back as a result.
The Performance
The chronology's setlist runs "Corduroy," "Hail Hail," "Brain Of J.," "Even Flow," "Given To Fly," "Do The Evolution," "Wishlist" and "Better Man," and Five Horizons' set line gives the same entries in the same order. Near the end of "Hail Hail," both notes say, Mike smashed his guitar on the stage, though his tech, in their word, rushed from the wings to rescue it; Mike saw him and smashed it anyway. Both notes say that as the singer introduced "Brain Of J.," an object thrown from the crowd sent a drink from his hands onto his shirt, and they call his answer cool; Five Horizons places the moment as "Hail Hail" ended. Before "Even Flow," both notes say, the band seemed to discuss what to play, and the singer likened the moment to countries having trouble deciding on issues. Of "Do The Evolution," both notes say it ripped along until the middle, where everyone went off rhythm for a second. Both notes say the singer changed a line of "Wishlist," and that the reprise verse was added at the end. Five Horizons says that before "Better Man" the singer ranted, in its word, and compared the song with what was happening in Tibet, since both, it says, are about a struggle between two people. Five Horizons' note mentions a pair of gold wings on top of the singer's amp, and it says he was happy and the band played well, though short of great, while it calls the sound system lacking.
The Next Step
Seattle, thirty-eight days earlier, on May 7, is told in A First Show with Matt Cameron in Seattle. Missoula, six days later, on June 20, is told in Mike Joins Goodness in Missoula.
Recording & sound
What the Record Preserves
Twenty-four objects hang under the night's heading on the chronology's page: an image whose markup title reads Ticket and twenty-three more images. After the night's lines the chronology prints a heading for the summer tour of 1998, with a line on that tour in North America and its first leg, and three objects hang under that heading: two images and a link to a PDF file. June 14 at RFK Stadium comes down to one stadium both chronologies head alike, a benefit both name, two attendance figures, one list of entries in one order in both, notes that tell of a set cut short and of the Red Hot Chili Peppers on Pearl Jam's equipment, and twenty-four images under the night's heading.
Other Media (0)
Other accounts
No further accounts of this show have been added.
Sources & thanks (3)
- Pearl Jam Concert Chronology — 1998 page
- Five Horizons — Concert chronology 1998, entry for 06/14/98
- Pearl Jam Concert Chronology — 1998 page, the entry for the date