Once more I found myself shacked up with a couple Digi-jammer friends.  Other than Ed's surprise rendition of Dead Man (just like San Jose 11.04.95!) and Fuckin' Up (YES!) as a closer, the show was sort of mediocre this night.  That didn't surprise any of us however, as is always the case in a multi night gig in the same city, the first show is always the lesser.  Perhaps Red Rock 95 violates this rule but I'm hard pressed to think of any other times...
 

Jone Beach, night 2 was probably the most requested fan club ticket show on the tour.  I traded one of my fan club tickets from VA beach for this one.  Seeing where I was sitting (not BAD, mind you...just not as great as my other fan club seats had been) it was no surprise.  As the rules dictate, tonight's performance blew the doors off the night prior....even with no special additions to the setlist.
 
 

Night three was added to the tour after the first two sold out so quickly.  This was the worst seat the entire tour...and yet...I had more fun at this show than at least half of the others.  I sat with another new-found friend and we had a blast together.  Both of us Stone fans meant we played constant "Stoney" watch...noting his antics or the super-model he arrived with.  As far away as we were...oddly enough it took a kind of "pressure" off.  We were content to just hang back and chill out all night.  It was refreshing!  One sour note though...It was a long standing opinion/rumor that the band would pull out some special things for this three night stint.  Some people said Oceans, others said Breath...some even mentioned obscure songs the band had done once or twice and locked away seeminly forever.  Myself, I was hoping for something like Sonic Reducer.  Well at one point Ed had a little conference with Stone...who has been known to be the deciding factor in whether to play certain songs or not (Smile, Mankind, Breath...), and all of us "lifers" are thinking...this is it, they're finally going to play Breath again...

But no...Ed comes to the mic and says that while Stone has the courage to arrive for the show via Helicopter(!) he doesn't have the courage to play Breath.  Stone went on mic and threatened to tell us what song Ed was afraid to sing (We all assumed Stoen meant Oceans, which they didn't play btw)...So we all boo and hiss but at least it was funny!  And, while we didn't get breath, oceans, OR sonic reducer, we did get Red Mosquito (which I don't think I'd heard all tour) and In Hiding...a song I just drop dead LOVE.

As usual, the true apple in the eye of the show was the encore.  They kicked it off with Go...which just FLEW it was so amazing.  They closed that first encore with a douple dollop of Smile(!) and BABA O MOTHER FUCKING REILY!!!  This last being my FAVORITE COVER OF ALLLLLLLLLLL PJ HISTORY!!!!!  That one song made the entire three night stint for me.  hands down, flat on yer back, no question about it.