Eddie Vedder live in Baltimore

I'll start with the obvious: he wore flannel.  Man-crush continues...

Made the trip from Williamsburg up to Baltimore Monday.  The destination?  The stunning Lyric Opera House in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood of downtown Baltimore.  I stayed at the Peabody Court Hotel less than a mile from the venue.  My view from my 9th floor room was pretty good: the "Washington Monument".  A gift from the state of Maryland in honor of our first president:


Before the concert, and after settling into my room, I hailed a cab to take me to the harbor and Fells Point. There is a "beer nerd destination" there called The Wharf Rat.  Two beer engines for handpulled cask ale; anad plenty of smooth and creamy English Ales, brewed as Oliver Ales.  In true English pub fashion, it offers counter service.  Come to the counter and place your order, then go sit down.  No waiters.  Your bartender is your cook is your server.  

The beers?  Really tasty.  QUITE tasty. Sometimes an English ale can come across as bland and somewhat boring, but all the ones I tried were favorful and full-bodied. Bishop's Breakfast (oatmeal stout), Oliver ESB, Oliver Manchester Cream Ale, Oliver Irish Red Ale.  Yum.

I'd go back in a heartbeat.

From there, another cab to the Lyric Opera House.  The concert is nigh.  Beforehand, the "event staff" was going up and down the lines imploring people to take their cameras back to their cars. Do NOT bring them in.  Apparently, bootlegs and unauthorized photos are the bane of his existence.  Even cameraphones were threatened.  WHAT?  Go back to my hotel to drop off my phone?  Methinks not.

Anyway, the concert was absolutely OUTSTANDING.  Eddie Vedder. One man.  Many guitars.  A mandolin.  A ukelele.  A bass drum.  A harmonica.  That's it.  Seriously.  (Outside of the instances when opening act Liam Finn joined him onstage, or the writer of "Society" joins him in a duet.)  

I know I don't physically purchase tickets to a concert that I think would be subpar, so it seems every description of my concerts are glowing, but really....this concert was out of this world.  The setlist:

Walking the Cow
Brain Damage (intro)
Sometimes
Trouble
Around The Bend
I Am Mine
Far Behind
No Ceiling
Guaranteed
Rise
Picture In A Frame
You're True
Atlantic City
Driftin'
You've Got To Hide You're Love Away
Let My Love Open The Door
Parting Ways
Elderly Woman Standing Behind a Counter in a Small Town
Porch
-----
Society
Throw Your Arms Around Me
Golden State
Forever Young
Wishlist
Arc
-----
Hard Sun

A lot of singalong-y tunes. And a Pete Townshend song? I LOVE IT!  Another in a long line of fantastic concerts I've gone to, but this one is rising to the top of the list.

It's a mystery to me
we have a greed
with which we have agreed

You think you have to want
more than you need
until you have it all you won't be free

Society, you're a crazy breed
I hope you're not lonely without me

When you want more than you have
you think you need
and when you think more than you want
your thoughts begin to bleed

I think I need to find a bigger place
'cos when you have more than you think
you need more space

Society, you're a crazy breed
I hope you're not lonely without me
Society, crazy and deep
I hope you're not lonely without me

There's those thinking more or less less is more
but if less is more how you're keeping score?
Means for every point you make your level drops
kinda like it's starting from the top
you can't do that...

Society, you're a crazy breed
I hope you're not lonely without me
Society, crazy and deep
I hope you're not lonely without me

Society, have mercy on me
I hope you're not angry if I disagree
Society, crazy and deep
I hope you're not lonely without me