This Day in Bill’s Concert History – Pearl Jam in K.C., 5/3/2010

If you ever get a chance to see one of your favorite bands from the first row, I’d highly recommend it. In the Spring of 2010, Pearl Jam was on tour to support their ninth studio album, Backspacer. As a long-time member of the “Ten Club” (since 1996), I’ve been spoiled with great seats to several of their shows. The PJ show at the Sprint Center in Kansas City on May 3^rd, 2010 was the first and only time I’d seen a band that big from that close. Hard to believe it's been 5 years!

First off, the Sprint Center is a beautiful newer venue in the Power & Light District of Kansas City. I’ve always liked that town - kind of like Minneapolis or St. Louis in the fact that it’s a nice-sized Midwestern city within driving distance with plenty to do. It isn’t overwhelmingly crowded or expensive like Chicago. Anyways, the show was superb. It was my introduction to the terrific opening band, Band of Horses. But seeing rock royalty in Pearl Jam from so close was definitely the unquestionable highlight.

During the “Even Flow” guitar solo, Eddie Vedder looked at me and mouthed the words “Do you have a cup?” Why yes Ed, I do have a cup. I held out my empty cup as Ed Ved leaned over and dumped a gracious portion of his red wine in… it was kind of like the Michelangelo painting, “The Creation of Adam” where God is reaching out to touch hands with Adam. That is the extent of my one-on-one communication with Eddie, but it’s still pretty cool.

Michelangelo's "Creation of Adam" (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Setlist: 5/3/2010
Of The Girl
Animal
World Wide Suicide
Got Some
Unthought Known
Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town
MFC
Johnny Guitar
Amongst The Waves
Even Flow
Gods' Dice
Present Tense
Daughter
Wishlist
Insignificance
Do The Evolution