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My Pearl Jam Story
coachchris
Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada Posts: 749
Hey guys, it's a long read but I hope it's worth it! I posted this story on the old board and thought I'd share it on the new board 
Just some good vibes during the quiet times around here....
My wife and I are from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada and moved to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in 02.
In 03 we went to Vancouver to see PJ and take our first trip through the rocky mountains.
I proposed to her the day before seeing PJ (her first show). At the concert, the next night, we scored 1st row right in front of Mike. My wife suggested we make a sign up that said "Just Engaged" and I thought it was a brilliant idea so I took out my confirmation sheet and my red sharpie and made the sign. During RITFW I held up our sign and Eddie looked over at us and had a surprised look on his face. He was smashing two tambourines together and started walking towards us. He got down on one knee as if proposing himself and said "Congratulations and best of luck to the both of you" What an amazing moment....
Fast forward two years.
The wedding date was set for Sept 3rd. I'm at work and I get an email from 10c telling me of the Canadian Tour. I only look at Vancouver assuming they aren't in fact doing a Canadian Tour but rather a couple dates, most likely Vancouver being the only show within reach. Sept 1st.... "my wife will never let me go to this show....OH MY GOD their TOURING Canada? Sept 5th they're in Edmonton??? FATE!!!"
So I head home after a long night at work and wake my wife up (6:30am) and tell her PJ is coming to Edmonton two days after we're married. She then says "it would be cool to go on a little tour with them" God I love that girl...
Edmonton - Two days after the wedding and I won two extra tickets off the radio for my brother and a friend to go as well. 2nd row center seats a great setlist and the start of the Honeymoon Tour 2005.
Saskatoon - We waited all afternoon outside the security gates just hoping for a glimpse of the guys. A smile, a wave...anything. We met up with a great guy named Todd and a bunch of other guys who were travelling across Canada in a van decorated with PJ everywhere and all the dates.
We had a large Canadian flag ready that read "Thank You PJ" and it had been to all the shows and was going across Canada as well. Security came up to us and said "I don't know what you're waiting for, they already went in those doors over there about ten minutes ago"
I was so disappointed for the first time ever concerning PJ. The security area was well blocked off and there was only 5 of us standing around. Like I said we were waiting for a smile or a wave....anything. I heard so many great stories about the band being so down to earth and my experience in Vancouver two years previous led me to believe the same but I was so upset they couldn't just wave from behind the security gates or something. Seemed so "rockstar" to me.
The show was amazing again. 1st row dead center. Eddie was directly in front of us for Porch and my newly wed wife was rubbing Eddie's calf. Now I'm really choked
Our friends had made us up a couple Honeymoon tour 2005 t-shirts and so I held it up in the front for the guys to see. Mike saw right away and asked "can I have your shirt?" it was my wife's shirt but without hesitation I tossed it up to him. He tucked it in his back pocket of his jeans and then proceeded to talk to us the remainder of the song. He pointed to his own wedding ring mouthing "me too". After the song he took off his own t-shirt and brought it over to us and handed it down to us as if it was a trade. Apparently this was in a sense his honeymoon tour as well. Not seeming so rockstar anymore....hehe.
After the first encore Eddie comes walking towards us and is wiping himself down with a towel, looks at my wife and I and tosses it down to us. It was all sweaty, so I just wrapped it up in Mike's shirt without really looking at it.
The concert ends and we just kind of stand in shock at what has all happened and not believing we still have two more shows left to see. A guy asked me after the show "did Eddie sign it?" and I said "no, it's just his sweaty towel", "still I have to see it, can I look at it?" Being a trustworthy guy, I handed him the towel and he held it up in awe. On the back of the towel, I see the words "Congratulations, Love Eddie" OH MY GOD!!! he did sign it!!! The guy handed it back to me and shook my hand as well as my wife's congratulating us.
On to Winnipeg....
We left Saskatoon right after the show trying to make it to Winnipeg and we were making great time but then trouble hits. The guys travelling across Canada in the van ran out of gas!! We pull up to see 5 of them at the back of the van in a good jog pushing it down the road at 2am. We helped them push it into a little gas station and promised to return with gas if we came across a gas station in the next while. We did find one 20 minutes down the road. Fill up a Gerry can and back we went to help out fellow Jammers.
Winnipeg - First row in front of Mike. The crowd was phenominal as previously stated in many of the reviews. I was standing beside Kim (Smile girl) we had stood relatively close to each other in Edmonton and Saskatoon in fact but for the first time we were side by side recollecting our stories. Eddie came over and said "Can you sing?" Kim shyly answered "What?" (like you never heard him hehehe) he said "Do you want to sing?", Kim says "ok" and on the bootleg you hear me yell "get up there!" as I'm helping her over the barricade What an amazing moment. I'll never forget seeing the smile on her face and looking over at us as if it were all a dream. Found some great bootlegged video footage of it all unfolding.
Thunder Bay - My hometown got rocked. Eddie looked at me and said "you're still here?" "Last one I replied". Highlight of the show for me was seeing him rocking on his chair to Black. Many nights I've sat rocking in my chair in tears the same way listening to it. He sang it with such emotion and kept looking at his guitar pik in his hand as if it was something to be cherished. Was so emotional for my wife and I. At the end of the show I tossed up my Honeymoon Tour T shirt and it opened up before it reached the stage. Eddie saw and asked a security guy "get me that shirt". Security handed it up to him and he opened it up to see what it was. Once he saw the Honeymoon Tour 2005 he looked at us and brought the shirt close to his chest and said "I'm humbled"
We get home and order the bootlegs. Along come the pictures for the Saskatoon show. There's a picture of myself and Kim holding up the Canadian flag "Thank You PJ" with it and another of Eddie signing the towel for my wife and I backstage on his hands and knees.
So that's our PJ Honeymoon Tour 2005 recollection. Sorry it's so long but I hope you've enjoyed reading our story.
I take back the 5 minutes I ever thought the guys were rockstars. You are truly the most amazing people, playing truly moving and beautiful music. Thank you so much for everything you did. It was more then we could have ever dreamed of and more then anyone could ever ask of all of you. See you on the road again soon!!
Just some good vibes during the quiet times around here....My wife and I are from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada and moved to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in 02.
In 03 we went to Vancouver to see PJ and take our first trip through the rocky mountains.
I proposed to her the day before seeing PJ (her first show). At the concert, the next night, we scored 1st row right in front of Mike. My wife suggested we make a sign up that said "Just Engaged" and I thought it was a brilliant idea so I took out my confirmation sheet and my red sharpie and made the sign. During RITFW I held up our sign and Eddie looked over at us and had a surprised look on his face. He was smashing two tambourines together and started walking towards us. He got down on one knee as if proposing himself and said "Congratulations and best of luck to the both of you" What an amazing moment....
Fast forward two years.
The wedding date was set for Sept 3rd. I'm at work and I get an email from 10c telling me of the Canadian Tour. I only look at Vancouver assuming they aren't in fact doing a Canadian Tour but rather a couple dates, most likely Vancouver being the only show within reach. Sept 1st.... "my wife will never let me go to this show....OH MY GOD their TOURING Canada? Sept 5th they're in Edmonton??? FATE!!!"
So I head home after a long night at work and wake my wife up (6:30am) and tell her PJ is coming to Edmonton two days after we're married. She then says "it would be cool to go on a little tour with them" God I love that girl...
Edmonton - Two days after the wedding and I won two extra tickets off the radio for my brother and a friend to go as well. 2nd row center seats a great setlist and the start of the Honeymoon Tour 2005.
Saskatoon - We waited all afternoon outside the security gates just hoping for a glimpse of the guys. A smile, a wave...anything. We met up with a great guy named Todd and a bunch of other guys who were travelling across Canada in a van decorated with PJ everywhere and all the dates.
We had a large Canadian flag ready that read "Thank You PJ" and it had been to all the shows and was going across Canada as well. Security came up to us and said "I don't know what you're waiting for, they already went in those doors over there about ten minutes ago"
I was so disappointed for the first time ever concerning PJ. The security area was well blocked off and there was only 5 of us standing around. Like I said we were waiting for a smile or a wave....anything. I heard so many great stories about the band being so down to earth and my experience in Vancouver two years previous led me to believe the same but I was so upset they couldn't just wave from behind the security gates or something. Seemed so "rockstar" to me.
The show was amazing again. 1st row dead center. Eddie was directly in front of us for Porch and my newly wed wife was rubbing Eddie's calf. Now I'm really choked
Our friends had made us up a couple Honeymoon tour 2005 t-shirts and so I held it up in the front for the guys to see. Mike saw right away and asked "can I have your shirt?" it was my wife's shirt but without hesitation I tossed it up to him. He tucked it in his back pocket of his jeans and then proceeded to talk to us the remainder of the song. He pointed to his own wedding ring mouthing "me too". After the song he took off his own t-shirt and brought it over to us and handed it down to us as if it was a trade. Apparently this was in a sense his honeymoon tour as well. Not seeming so rockstar anymore....hehe.
After the first encore Eddie comes walking towards us and is wiping himself down with a towel, looks at my wife and I and tosses it down to us. It was all sweaty, so I just wrapped it up in Mike's shirt without really looking at it.
The concert ends and we just kind of stand in shock at what has all happened and not believing we still have two more shows left to see. A guy asked me after the show "did Eddie sign it?" and I said "no, it's just his sweaty towel", "still I have to see it, can I look at it?" Being a trustworthy guy, I handed him the towel and he held it up in awe. On the back of the towel, I see the words "Congratulations, Love Eddie" OH MY GOD!!! he did sign it!!! The guy handed it back to me and shook my hand as well as my wife's congratulating us.
On to Winnipeg....
We left Saskatoon right after the show trying to make it to Winnipeg and we were making great time but then trouble hits. The guys travelling across Canada in the van ran out of gas!! We pull up to see 5 of them at the back of the van in a good jog pushing it down the road at 2am. We helped them push it into a little gas station and promised to return with gas if we came across a gas station in the next while. We did find one 20 minutes down the road. Fill up a Gerry can and back we went to help out fellow Jammers.
Winnipeg - First row in front of Mike. The crowd was phenominal as previously stated in many of the reviews. I was standing beside Kim (Smile girl) we had stood relatively close to each other in Edmonton and Saskatoon in fact but for the first time we were side by side recollecting our stories. Eddie came over and said "Can you sing?" Kim shyly answered "What?" (like you never heard him hehehe) he said "Do you want to sing?", Kim says "ok" and on the bootleg you hear me yell "get up there!" as I'm helping her over the barricade What an amazing moment. I'll never forget seeing the smile on her face and looking over at us as if it were all a dream. Found some great bootlegged video footage of it all unfolding.
Thunder Bay - My hometown got rocked. Eddie looked at me and said "you're still here?" "Last one I replied". Highlight of the show for me was seeing him rocking on his chair to Black. Many nights I've sat rocking in my chair in tears the same way listening to it. He sang it with such emotion and kept looking at his guitar pik in his hand as if it was something to be cherished. Was so emotional for my wife and I. At the end of the show I tossed up my Honeymoon Tour T shirt and it opened up before it reached the stage. Eddie saw and asked a security guy "get me that shirt". Security handed it up to him and he opened it up to see what it was. Once he saw the Honeymoon Tour 2005 he looked at us and brought the shirt close to his chest and said "I'm humbled"
We get home and order the bootlegs. Along come the pictures for the Saskatoon show. There's a picture of myself and Kim holding up the Canadian flag "Thank You PJ" with it and another of Eddie signing the towel for my wife and I backstage on his hands and knees.
So that's our PJ Honeymoon Tour 2005 recollection. Sorry it's so long but I hope you've enjoyed reading our story.
I take back the 5 minutes I ever thought the guys were rockstars. You are truly the most amazing people, playing truly moving and beautiful music. Thank you so much for everything you did. It was more then we could have ever dreamed of and more then anyone could ever ask of all of you. See you on the road again soon!!
Adolescence in essence is all about trust.
Leaving is for the answering machine.
Leaving is for the answering machine.
Post edited by Unknown User on
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"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
Berlin - August 15, 2009
Lisbon - July 10, 2010
Berlin - June 26, 2014
Zurich - June 23, 2022
http://www.last.fm/user/Kloddz
Dublin 02 Arena - 22/6/10. Belfast Odyssey Arena - 23/6/10. London Hyde Park - 25/6/10. Berlin Wuhlheide - 30/6/10.
Manchester MEN - 20/06/12. Manchester MEN - 21/06/12
Sydney 14/02/2003
Sydney 07/11/2006
Sydney 18/11/2006
Sydney 22/11/2009
EV Sydney 18/03/2011
EV Sydney 19/03/2011
EV Sydney 20/03/2011
Melbourne 24/01/2014
Sydney 26/01/2014
EV Sydney 13/02/2014
whats your secret for getting front row?
I thoroughly enjoyed the read. Thanks for sharing it.
I can only hope I have just half as cool of a PJ experience as you had someday!!
~not a dude~
2010: MSGx2
2012: Made In America
2013: Pittsburgh, Brooklynx2, Hartford, Baltimore
2014: Leeds, Milton Keynes, Detroit
2015: Global Citizen Festival
2016: Phillyx2, MSGx2, Fenwayx2
2018: Barcelona, Wrigleyx2
That's what I was wondering. What's you're member number? 1X ??
The show was amazing again. 1st row dead center. Eddie was directly in front of us for Porch and my newly wed wife was rubbing Eddie's calf. Now I'm really choked
www.cluthelee.com
www.cluthe.com
what stood out to me tho was the band ... they played fucking thunder bay!! ... that is beyond cool ...
I always remember your username because my husband is called coach chris often!!
Where I'm not ugly and you're lookin' at me
oh...and, CONGRATS to you & your wife!
Sammi: Wanna just break up?
The trick for the other shows is go to places like Saskatoon and Thunder Bay to see the guys play
My mem # is 122xxx so pretty good imo but usually gets me 12-15 in the USA like Vegas or Seattle...
Glad everyone enjoyed our story, we love telling it and still can't believe how fortunate we have been!!
I know I love reading the other good vibe stories on here and ours is just a splash in the pan in comparison to some I've read. My favourite still being the chance encounter in the hotel elevator with Ed, and Olivia pressing her favourite number. I don't remember exactly the story but remember loving it if someone can post a link?
Leaving is for the answering machine.
No worries on the beer. When you see what Dimitris does around here, a couple free tickets is nothing
Leaving is for the answering machine.
BELFAST~~23-6-10
"Troubled souls unite, we got ourselves tonight,"
Montreal 10/04/00
Toronto 10/05/00
Toronto 06/28/03
Kitchener 09/11/05
Ottawa 09/16/05
Toronto 08/21/09
Toronto 09/11/11
Ottawa 09/14/11
Buffalo 10/12/13
Ottawa 05/08/16
Chicago 08/20/18
Ottawa 09/03/22
Nashville 09/16/22
Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Calgary and Edmonton. Thanks for coming back and making it all possible!!!
Leaving is for the answering machine.
Guys in Jason Leung's book. ( the Jammers you helped.. ) This All Encompassing Trip. Great story!