How to Run a fanclub and Treat Superfans by Pearl Jam
 

figured with all these phoned in performances and setlists, further continuing education was called for...

Pearl Jam Superfan Creates Band's Setlist
By Dan Hyman
July 6, 2012 10:00 AM ET

Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam
Angel Delgado/Clasos.com/LatinContent/Getty Images

Brian Farias knows that there are people who have seen Pearl Jam more than the 108 times he has. However, on June 27th, the 46-year-old Rhode Island native did something that diehard fans of the band can only dream of: he created the setlist for an entire Pearl Jam show.

"I thought I was hearing things when [frontman] Eddie [Vedder] offered it to me," Farias recalls. He was selected by Ten Club, Pearl Jam's longtime fan group, to be flown to Amsterdam to attend a pair of shows and meet the band. He is one of what the Ten Club calls its "charter members" – because, as Farias puts it, he's "been there since the very, very beginning." He was a fan club member for Mother Love Bone, the grunge outfit fronted by the late Andy Wood that gave rise to Pearl Jam. "I kinda got rolled over into Ten Club," he explains.

Farias’ first Pearl Jam experience occurred before the band had even released Ten, their landmark 1991 debut. "It wasn't even on their itinerary," he recalls of the Providence, Rhode Island show at Club Baby Head. "The paid admission was only 12 people or something. It's one of those small venues where the stage is only knee-high. Even at that, Eddie was swinging from the ceiling."

Last week, while on his flight to Amsterdam, Farias had no idea that he'd soon be making what some fans are now calling the "greatest Pearl Jam setlist of all time." But once Vedder gave him the opportunity, Farias’ real work began. As he explains, the challenge became how best to balance his own "selfish" desires with songs that audience members would enjoy, while also taking into consideration what the band was capable of playing. "It was really stressful," he admits of the setlist-building process, "because it's something you know is never gonna happen again. You’re only getting one shot at it."

Farias estimates he went through 40 or 50 drafts before deciding upon a final setlist. The band, he says, came through: they played 90 to 95 percent of his requests. He does admit there were a few songs the band opted out of playing; however, Vedder promised him that at the next show he attended, if he gave the band a week's notice, he would hear the tracks.

In the end, Farias concocted a setlist for the ages. The second of the two Amsterdam shows – or as he calls it, "my show" – included deep cuts ("Alone," a b-side from the Vs. single "Go"), vintage rarities ("Crown of Thorns," a rarely-played Mother Love Bone number) and crowd favorites ("Alive," Daughter"). In fact, there was only one song, Farias says, that he absolutely needed to hear: "Bugs." The obscure Vitalogy cut, on which Vedder plays accordion and rambles about insects, had only been played once in concert, and it was the only album cut that Farias had never heard. Vedder was initially hesitant. "Brian, we didn't bring the accordion. I don't have it with me," the singer told Farias. But, as Farias explains, "Ed being Ed, always going above and beyond, he went back to his hotel and learned a way to do it on guitar. He turned it into a totally beautiful, different song."

To top off the experience, Farias was brought out for a bow with the entire band at the end of the show. "The bow meant more to me than everything," he says. "For the Pearl Jam audience to give me that much love, I can't imagine what Eddie feels."

Now, even a week after the fact, the reality of the experience still hasn't sunk in for Farias. "It still doesn't seem real," he says. "As more time goes on, it gets even more emotional. It's better than winning the lottery. All the money in the world, I couldn't bribe Eddie Vedder to let me make his setlist. It was like programming your iPod and then Pearl Jam show up in your yard and play it for you."

Setlist:

"Wash"
"Last Exit"
"Animal"
"State of Love and Trust"
"Severed Hand"
"Corduroy"
"I Got Shit"
"Daughter/WMA"
"Nothing As It Seems"
"Got Some"
"Dissident"
"Once"
"Glorified G"
"Deep"
"The Fixer"
"Bugs"
"Better Man"

Encore 1:

"Release"
"Hail, Hail"
"Alone"
"Footsteps"
"Rearview Mirror"

Encore 2:

"Crown of Thorns"
"Sonic Reducer"
"Alive"
"Baba O’Riley"
"Yellow Ledbetter/Little Wing"



Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/ne...#ixzz20AjYXX7f

No offense, but what the heck does this have to do with Bon Jovi?

Nothing. Which is why I just moved it.

Here is what is has to do with Bon Jovi:

Lessons on how to treat your fans with respect regarding touring. This is how another super popular band does it. it relates directly to bon jovi and their touring catastrophies of late and their disrespect for both their own music and their fans.

this is just one lesson in how to do it better

please put it back in bon jovi touring so smarter folks than me can sound off on why it would be so hard for bon jovi to do anything like this...

This again? Bon Jovi's audience is NOT the same as Pearl Jam. How many "hits" did PJ really have? 3? 4?

I read about this Marc and thought it was the coolest thing.

Seriously cool but has f-all to do with Bon Jovi and I fail to see your point.

Sounds like it's a one-off thing.

BJ once let a fan be tour manager. Also, do I REALLY want a Bon Jovi set list made up by a fan whose been in backstage since whenever it was founded? Guaranteed captain crash would show up somewhere in it.

Aloha !

The problem is that you're tape loop and the only reason you come on here seems to tell others how awesome either Pearl Jam or The Black Crowes are compared to Bon Jovi, while you fail to understand that they're completely different bands. And no matter how often the smarter folks will explain this to you, you fail to get it and it gets really tiring to see the same irrelevant topics show up every time you feel the urge to educate everyone on here.

This. Bon Jovi's fanbase is split up by three different generations and of all fans I reckon about 10 are able to build a setlist. The others will just put their favourite songs in because omg lol i love it wowzie.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

yeah i guess i dont understand why they are so different...seems more and more like a very weak excuse to give the band a pass....i understand they have to play the hits, and they have different generations of fans....

dont understand why they cant do something like this?

they just wont....

and seems like most here have just accepted that and give the pass that its okay to completely ignore most of your songs and put on a broadway show every night...

saying they are a diff band is not a reason...its an excuse...

saying there are diff generations fans who will want to hear the songs they like doesnt make it a bad idea...

instead of just complaining about the state of affairs and how no one would travel to shows how about we come up with some ideas on how to realistically make it better...

this was one idea that worked great...

tour manager for a day isnt bad just doesnt address the big problem imho....

Pearl Jam doesn't have hits the size of Bad Name and Wanted and Prayer and It's My Life and Who says and I can go on and on. Pearl Jam doesn't play Yellow Ledbetter, 80 percent doesn't leave the show disappointed. BJ doesn't play Prayer? Watch what happens. There's a good amount of songs that simply have to be in the set and they're not going anywhere. IMHO it's the second tier "hits" that need to be swapped out. But Seb's right, there are so many types of fans that everyone will never be happy.

The things you hear fans say will astound you. I know someone who thinks Always was the last great written song and the rest was a sell out move. I know someone who described "The Distance" with "Finally they write a rock song". Everyone has a totally different view on them based on what they like best about them. Pearl Jam don't have that disadvantage due to the lack of BIG radio play.

I absolutely love Pearl Jam and that is one of the coolest things ever. You could only dream on doing this for Bon Jovi.

However, as many have said, it just really isn't the same. The bands are too different.

yeah i agree on the first part not the last...

the bands arent too different unless you are talking about who is leading these bands...i understand jovi has to play certain songs but i still am waiting to hear exactly why this is so impossible aside from the fact that everyone wants to give them a pass for laziness and the inability to see the benefits of rehearsal...

It's not that they're lazy and refuse to rehearse. When they put in the time and deliver on their promises to the die-hards no one gives a crap. It's not lazy, it's realistic.

Give us a setlist that you think will please the first timers, the casual fan, and the hardcore fans.

They did a weird show last year in America sometime I remember. The likes of 'I Got The Girl'/'Radio...'/'Summertime' etc. were played early on whereas 'Bad Name' was not.

I've just tried and it's very difficult. Will try again later as I like making setlists.

http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/bon-jo...-63d20e9f.html The Mohegan Sun show had Bad Name. Even with all the changes it still had the major hits.

its not difficult - pick 15 hits, 5 semis, and 5 rare and then ROTATE, the point isnt to make ONE setlist that fits the bill....the shame here is that everyone has been programmed like Clear Channel to think there can only be one setlist that has to be meticulously chosen and then beat to death because a band has big hit songs....

people need to wake up and expect more from these excellent musicians...

just for a second, shhhhhhh, and relax, and think about it....there is literally no reason for what is happening ...they even have like 80 songs preprogrammed so please dont give me production issues...it just isnt that hard....

instead of deciding bands that care about their catalog and play their songs just suffer from lack of hits lets do a bit deeper dive and look at the constellation of evidence that we, as fans, are being taken advantage of by lack of rehearsal, poorly produced albums, and a complete and utter creativity void in the live show (aside from the awesome screens of the arena shows on the last tour)

you can love but lets be realistic and clamor for better - dont we deserve it?

I think if i created a bon jovi setlist the band would hate it. It would be full of pre slippery and other songs they don't like playing.

Aloha !

It's not simple, from all the dream setlists posted on this board there's not a single one that would satisfy both die hards, casual fans and average fans and would have a decent flow.

No one here is programmed like Clear Channel, we're just realistic while you're living in some dream world that makes you think the band can get away with everything as long as it'll include your beloved rare songs. People who come to see Pearl Jam come to see Pearl Jam, people who come to see Bon Jovi come to hear Bad Medicine. It's a whole different beast but it seems that this concept is one you fail to grasp.

You're still comparing apples to oranges, the bands you cite as examples have completely different audiences. But if you're so convinced you can write a setlist that'll please everyone, go ahead. Make your setlist, and I'll tell you why it won't work.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

I agree with you Seb, it is impossible to do a set like that! We have a two different bands here, one with 10 super hits and one with one hit, so like someone sad, we go to BJ concert to hear Bad Medicine or I believe......., PJ fans go to their concert to hear PJ......

Prayer
Bad name
New Song
Lost Highway
Its My Life
I Believe
Runaway
Captain Crash
New Song
Bad Medicine
Bed Of Roses
I'll Be There For You
Mystery Train
New Song
Lay Your Hands On Me
Who Says
Undivided
Tokyo Road
New Song
Keep The Faith


Let It Rock
Always
Wanted
Fun Cover song

I don't know a single person who would be diassapointed by this setlist. Has stuff for casuals, diehards and backstagers too. Also has a good flow and no more than 2 songs in a row that a casual fan wouldn't recognize. This setlist would work.

this......cant.....be.....possible.....

it seems like it is...

but....it....just....cant.....be....

its IMPOSSIBLE to accomplish....apples are not oranges.....an NO ONE would ever go to a Bon Jovi concert and expect anything other than hits....its just impossible...

so while this seems like it may be one of many workable setlists....it just cant be as everyone seems to have lost their ability to even imagine something better.....

kudos to you for trying though - lost causes are sometimes found....if you wake up :)

Aloha !

FFS you're ranting on and on about something no one agrees with over here and yet you feel we're the ones who have to wake up. Again, post your setlist and I'll tell you why it won't work.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan