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September 21, 2005
Oil sucks ass...
So the price of gas is going up again because of another hurricane hitting the Gulf of Mexico today. What really blows my mind is the fact that the oil companies are still able to make the rise in gasoline look like its OPEC’s fault and not theirs. We have an industry here that is being pumped full of crude oil, albeit maybe not light sweet crude but still oil, and there isn’t enough refining capacity to actually process the oil I don’t think many people are aware but there hasn’t been a new refinery opened in the States in 30 years! Demand for gasoline has been steadily increasing year to year but the capacity to refine the oil hasn’t changed much at all.
The government then decides to use some smoke and mirrors and blame OPEC for not producing enough oil when in fact OPEC right now is trying to find buyers for the oil, does this make sense? The government then steps in to play the hero by talking about laws to increase fuel efficiency of cars and oil companies profiteering, which is a load of shit. If the government has had 30 years to prepare for the current market demand but instead of doing so they just added more red tape to the process of opening a refinery plant so the oil companies can control the price of gasoline directly by limiting the amount they can produce. What a system eh?
Don’t even get me started on why gas stations are even allowed to raise their prices as soon as the price of oil rises on the mercantile exchange. The current gasoline in the pumps was not purchased at the inflated prices that should take a few days to trickle down to the pumps.
I just had to rant about this because it’s finally starting to piss me off ;)
The moral of the story is oil companies are evil and I wish I owned one :)
Posted by Daryl Martin at 04:53 PM | Comments (1)
September 14, 2005
Pearl Jam - Hamilton, ON (2005/09/13)
So, I’ve now seen Pearl Jam for a second time in Hamilton, ON. After this concert the only regret that I have is that I didn’t buy more pre-sale tickets to the London, ON show and the upcoming Toronto show. Seriously, I should have went 4 times because they put on such an amazing show. My seats for this show were a bit better than the Kitchener show. I was on the same side of the stage, in the bowl, a 8 rows back from front but I had a perfect view of the stage.
Sadly enough I missed the first half of the opener because of bad directions off Google but as I was making it for my seats I got to hear the first half of Porch. By the time I found my seats Spin the Black Circle started so I decided to enjoy that song in the stairway as I didn’t want to disturb anyone while I try to get around them to my seat. From then on, the concert was just one big blur of energy….
Pearl Jam really knows how to win a crowd over, no questions about that. When I saw some other big acts like NIN and Radiohead they never said more than two words, but still had a great show. Small things like Eddie bringing out a mirror to reflect a spotlight during a solo shining it on the crowd to read peoples signs and get people moving really get things going. I mean, something as simple as that drove the crowd into a frenzy and got the nose bleed sections on their feet with the arms up.
One of the best parts for me was when Eddie told the story of one of his childhood friends and how he couldn’t be his best man as his wedding because of the concert in Hamilton because he had the crowd scream apologies and well wishes to the newlyweds. While Eddie was talking to the crowd the whole band dressed up in tuxes and sang Harvest Moon (with the help of the opener Sleater-Kinney) for the newlyweds. At the end of the show when the lights come on Eddie invited Sleater-Kinney out onto the stage again to finish the night with Rocking in the Free World. The crowd was in a complete frenzy for the whole song….I was no exception!
Anyway, great show and a great time! I just wish I get to see them again soon and hopefully I will when they tour with their new album!
Here is the set list…
Porch, Save You
Spin the Black Circle
Animal
Given to Fly
Sad
You
Corduroy
Half Full
Daughter
Lukin
Insignificance
Present Tense
MFC
Jeremy
Better Man
Rear View Mirror
Encore Break 1
Thumbing My Way
I Am Mine
Harvest Moon
Black
Alive
Encore 1
Last Exit
Don’t Go
In My Tree
Small Town
Indifference
Rocking in the Free world
Yellow Ledbetter
Posted by Daryl Martin at 05:04 PM | Comments (0)
September 12, 2005
Pearl Jam - Kitchener, ON (2005/09/11)
I finally got to see Pearl Jam for the first time last night in Kitchener, ON. It was one of the most energetic concerts I have ever seen and one of the most responsive crowds I have ever seen, it was a sight. I was in the bowl, first row, so I had a great and completely unobstructed view of the stage (and the crowd). 10 minutes before Pearl Jam went on the stage the crowd was already on its feet, screaming, chanting and clapping for Eddie and the gang. It was an amazing sight to behold when they took the stage and 5800 people lost their shit, including myself.
No introductions were needed, no small talk, no hellos; they just ripped into 5 high energy songs one after another putting the crowd into a literal frenzy. The most amazing sight was during “Do The Evolution”, when Eddie sings “There’s my church, I sing in the choir:”, everyone put their hands up in the air in praise, no cues needed, no signs telling the crowd to do it, it was amazing. After Indifference even Eddie commented on the crowds energy by comparing it to the lyrics “How much difference does it make” by saying something along the lines of “It’s amazing to see people to do things in Unison, When you do that for something important it scares the shit out of people”, and again the crowd went mad.
From what I heard/read and from Pearl Jams reaction on stage, by calling Edmonton a bunch of pansies compared to us, we had one of the best concerts in a long time. I know what you’re thinking, everyone thinks their concert is the best but even Eddie said “Fuck those Motherfuckers in Edmonton” and not to mention calling the US crowds a bunch of pansies. I think it was a great concert because it was in a small venue, 5800, and it was in a pretty small town that never had Pearl Jam before. The only concert I think to top this one will be in St. John’s, NF (with respect to crowd energy) but even then it will be close.
My highlights were when they covered “Gimme Some Truth” and Alive in the first encore. It’s actually hard to pick a favorite moment because every song played was a crowd pleaser which everyone sang along to, well that happened for just about every song they played! The last time I was this pumped in a concert was when I saw Radiohead and I was front row/center for the whole thing and I’ve seen a lot of shows inbetween
I look forwad to seeing them again on Tuesday in Hamilton. I wonder if the crowd will be nearly as good!
Anyway, here is the set list!
Long Road
Last Exit
Animal
Save You
Do The Evolution
Given To Fly
Love Boat Captain
Corduroy
Insignificance
Gimmie Some Truth
Faithfull
Jeremy
Even Flow
Leatherman
Habit
Blood
1st encore:
Soon Forget
Can't Keep
Man of the Hour
Small Town
Daughter/(WMA)
Black
Alive
2nd encore:
In My Tree
Indifference,
Better Man
Baba O'Riley
Yellow Ledbetter
Posted by Daryl Martin at 04:46 PM | Comments (0)