I am like most kids born in the early 70s who were late teens/young adults when PJ exploded on the scene. MTV/radio introduced me to the first few singles in Australia. I loved others that followed but I always thought of them as my brothers’ band. We’d share CDs and I knew they would always buy the PJ albums. They also got to see the band in Australia in 1995. By then I’d moved to Canada, and sort of stopped paying attention. Other than “oh nice new single from PJ” on the radio, that was about it.
Fast forward to about 2 years ago. I saw the documentary Buck, and heard Just Breathe while blubbering during the closing credits. Due to my own father/divorce/dysfunctional family issues the documentary had a huge impact on me. Then hearing at song at the end was nearly enough to make me lose it completely. I said to my husband “that voice sounds familiar…” and before I could finish he said yes, it’s Pearl Jam and btw I have that album it’s really good. So I promptly spent the rest of the weekend listening to Backspacer. Then I realized we had a few albums and revisited the band, thinking how could I have not payed more attention over the years. All the shows I could have gone to! Argh! A friend/co-worker suggested I join the fan club (so hello everyone!). I’m still discovering new favourites and ironically, having rediscovered them in my 40s, with a PJ ballad, I now think my favourite tunes are the noisiest tunes! It’s encouraging to see the band still full of energy and enthusiasm for playing live because as far as concerts go, I have a lot of catching up to do!
I have since managed to catch one live show, and got to see Eddie on his recent Aussie solo tour. What made that last show special was I got to take my little brother, who had had a really crappy year getting divorced, struggling financially as a single dad, etc. I was in Australia to visit with my Mum during her chemo treatment. I didn’t catch Pearl Jam’s big day out show in Sydney, due to timing but but I popped up to see my brother and catch an EV solo show. Getting to share that show with my little bro was perfect.
Having enjoyed many Phish shows and road trips to see that band, it’s great to have found another band that doesn't rely on radio hit singles, videos, has the same loyal fan base and treats fans to a different set list each night. There really is a Pearl Jam song for any mood.
I remember seeing the Even Flow video in heavy rotation in early 1992, probably as a part of the MTV Buzz Bin. That did little for me, but I grew to love the Jeremy video that blew up that summer, and by September I had my grubby, 14-year-old hands on the Ten cassette.
Also in that Columbia House tape shipment: Badmotorfinger, Use Your Illusion I & II and And Justice For All. I already had acquired Nevermind earlier in 1992. I think Ten got the most play on my Sony Walkman, however, and the same was true of Vs. a year later, but by then I had a CD player!
Post edited by 18th Pale Descendant on
08.06.2000 • Greensboro
06.26.2006 • St. Paul
11.30.2012 • Fort Lauderdale [EV]
10.29.2013 • Charlottesville
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KV4053
Mike's side, crushed up against the stage Posts: 1,439
worked at a record store. Ten promo came in. took it home. life was never the same.
I know I was born and I know that I'll die. The in between is mine.
Heard a cover of indifference by a local band at a school concert in 96. That led me to find out more on my 14.4 dial up modem and remember he Jeremy video on Much Music (when my town finally got it on cable - 1997 I think). borrowed Vitalogy from some schoolmates after hearing not for you at another show. Bought yield and remember the evolution video and bought the rest through the next few years until binaural and then took a little hiatus . living in rural Nova Scotia I didn't see them in concert until they came in 2005 (Halifax to the Max ...- get me another Keith's !) and then it caught me again after that show so I've been on board since then
Halifax '05, Toronto '09, Toronto 2 '11, Hamilton '11, London '13, Chicago '13. Buffalo '13 , Leeds '14, Detroit '14, New York (GCF) '15, Ottawa '16, Toronto 1 '16, Toronto 2 '16
Roommate my freshman year of college had Ten. Have bought every album on release day since then. The rest is history. Definitely a life changing find! Thanks PJ!
Born in 1990, so I was too young to catch on in the beginning but growing up I would hear the hits on the radio and always enjoyed them. Then after seeing the story behind "Jeremy" and the music video on a VH1 special, I started exploring more and it's been all Pearl Jam since.
Manchester II - 6/21/12 / Philadelphia - 9/2/12 / Brooklyn I - 10/18/13 / Brooklyn II - !0/19/13
Was driving with my dad from BC to New Orleans to clean up after Hurricane Katrina. Gave me lots of time to listen to all the CDs I had. After I got through all the usual crap I used to listen to, I finally tried Pearl Jams RVM greatest hits that was sent to me as a free gift from Columbia House. Have been hooked instantly ever since, after going though the 2 disc set I made sure to buy all the studio ones I could find for way home. There was no doubt my dad was sick of them when we got back, but i still cant get enough. Thanks Pearl Jam ^:)^ Am now tempted to do the drive again for ACL...
February 1992, cousin's 18th, his friends playing Metallica, The Black Crowes, Nirvana and this new band called Pearl Jam ont he new CD player he got. As soon as "Ten" started I was in awe. Demanded my parents buy me the CD ASAP! I was 10 at the time.
PJ - Sydney 1998; Sydney 2003; Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle 2006; Melbourne, Sydney 2009; Gold Coast, Melbourne, Sydney 2014.
EV - Canberra, Newcastle, Sydney 2011; Sydney 2014.
about 2.5 years ago I broke my arm in Italy when I was on a holiday with friends to go downhill mountainbiking. When I arrived at the hospital in Italy they told me they could not treat it right there since it was a complicated fracture. When I arrived back home the doctors told me I might not be able to fully extend or fully use my arm anymore, he said I would probably never be able to play guitar. Back then I was 22 years old and didn't play guitar but the not being able to fully extend my arm and use it feld horrible. Especially since I could not do any sports the following months I started to get bored and watch some movies.
Right at that time PJ20 was released, and I thought: "I got a few songs on my iPod from those guys and think they are pretty good so lets check that out". After watching PJ20 and especialy the "Black Unplugged" part, I sort of connected and feld some unresolved emotions from puberty came back up again. The amazing voice and pure emotion from eddie in that song just blew me away.
Before that I was never a huge music fan, but always liked to listen to music on the bus from school but never got this excited about something. Anyway I got my surgery and with some rehad and a lot of PJ music to discover I staid motivated and it turned out fine.
Half a year later I went to my first concert ever: Amsterdam 2, at some point during the concert I kept thinking this is unbelievable. It inspired me so much, I decided to buy a guitar and start to learn to play, and now go to around 10 concerts a year. I know it's cliché to say this but f*ck Pearl Jam changed my life.
Thinking back I still regret I had some songs on my iPod but was always too lazy to dive into the rest of their music
After the Hair Metal implosion of the late 80's, I was listening to tapes in the car (while delivering pizza) because the radio was not to be trusted! After a steady diet of Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and The Doors with a lot of Fugazi thrown in I found a rock station I could trust to not throw Poison and Motley Crue at me every hour. I heard "Alive" and knew that somebody out there was still writing Rock n Roll!
In 2008 a friend told me about this film, 'Into the Wild', that he'd just watched and lent me the DVD...you know the rest!
2010: London 2012: Manchester I, Manchester II, Manchester (EV) 2014: Milan, Leeds, Milton Keynes 2017: London II (EV) 2018: Amsterdam I, London I, Prague, London II 2019: London (EV) 2022: London I, London II, Budapest, Krakow, Amsterdam
Lots of really cool introduction stories here, with a surprising mix of recent discoverers and not-so-recent.
I was first introduced to Pearl Jam when I received a Vitalogy cassette tape as part of a Secret Santa gift exchange with my Youth Group. That's gotta be fairly original, right? :P
Heard Hunger Strike on Seton Halls Pirate radio 89.5 WSOU. Ed's voice was so powerful in that song! I went and bought Ten after that and have been a devoted disciple since.
At university... Friend came over with the Ten CD which had just been released. Blew me away. Totally like nothing I had ever heard (gotta remember, hair metal and corporate rock were still huge then). This was my first exposure to the Seattle sound (along with Soundgarden... whose CD Badmotorfinger I had bought before Ten)... Nirvana's Nevermind hadn't even been released yet.
Ottawa 2011
London 2013 "The Dundas Hookers on Crack" Show
Late bloomer for me, relatively speaking. Watching Hockey Night in Canada in the living room with the family back in 1999-2000 ish and during a stoppage of play, this song came on and I was captivated. I was heavy into music, but new music at that time was Frogstomp, Creed (puke), Matt Good, Marcy Playground etc.... but I knew my best friends older brother was into music before I was. The next day I went to their house and we started shuffling through his early 90's CD's looking for that SOUND I heard ... after a few discs, Track 2 from a 1991 album with a pinkish/red cover.... ohhhhohohoh EEEVEN FLOWWWWWW. I was ALIVE & felt RELEASE like I'd never felt it before. ONCE I walked out of that house, my life was changed forever. (too tired to continue having song title fun)
I was doing my A levels and heard a song on the radio called Alive by a new band Pearl Jam whilst driving into school. Went out and bought the single straight away and haven't looked back since!!
I was lying with my girlfriend at the time (about 20 years ago, we were 17/18), on her bed in her parents' house. Ten was playing in the background; she was very much in to Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Nirvana. At one point she started singing along to Once.........."backstreet lover on the side of the road....." and I was absolutely hooked. Fell in love straight away and have been ever since. Unfortunately not with her, but that's a different story!
I like reading about people getting into the band after their wave of super-popularity in the '90's. Although, my discovery happened during the height of that maelstrom.
Wasn't until I was in junior high that I sought out any music, in general. Ten was the first album I bought and the best investment ever made!
But before that I was aware of the name, mostly because the other kids in school talked about them. Granted, I didn't have MTV so any exposure to popular music was limited.
Two peripheral memories of the band stand out. Some awards show announced the name "Pearl Jam" and by the time I looked up at the TV, they showed some other hair-metal group. I just assumed they were one and the same.
The second memory was accompanying someone to the mall and helping him decide which PJ album to buy (his only choices were Ten and Vs.). Naturally, I told him "start with the first one, whatever that is."
However, my formal introduction to Pearl Jam occurred watching SNL in April '94 when they just happened to be the musical guest. Needless to say I was completely blown away. I don't even remember if I liked the music at the time.
As time goes by, I'm probably blowing it out of proportion, but I remember it affecting me in a way I couldn't comprehend. I thought, this must be what heavy metal music is like! There was screaming and loud visceral sounds (I didn't stay up for "Daughter"). My untrained ears could not make out the underlying melody or differentiate the guitars. They were intimidating in a way, and yet I connected with how down to earth they looked compared to groups my older siblings listened to years back.
Somewhere along the way, "Jeremy" was the official song that ignited my fierce devotion and that summer I bought Ten and never looked back. From then on it was Pearl Jam, first and foremost, and everything else second-tier. And that still hasn't wavered to this day.
A local radio station has a program called new noise at 9...pretty sure that was my first taste. Bought the cd but became completely hooked when I saw them on mtv unplugged. It originally aired 22 years ago yesterday!
In January of 1991, 14 year old me was talking with one of my dad's best friends from college. He knew I was all about music, and told me about his nephew. Remember vividly him telling me that his nephew, Mike was playing with a couple of the guys from a band called Mother Love Bone (was not familiar with them, but had heard the name). He then went on to tell me that they had got this surfer guy from California to sing for them, and he thought they really had a chance to make it big.
Didn't actually hear them for a few more months, but got updates about name changes and how I should check em out from my dad's friend.
Can't remember when I finally heard them, but alive was my first exposure.
My Dad bought the import Jeremy single at a record store in Cleveland. It had Yellow Ledbetter on it which had gotten some local radio play and my Dad heard the DJ say "it was a rare find". (At the time). My Dad was excited to get it. Jeremy, Yellow Ledbetter, and Footsteps is all I listened to a lot. Asked for Ten for my 12th birthday. Been hooked since.
"There's a $10,000 bill in it for you."
"Oh yeah? Which president's on it?"
"Uh, all of them. They're having a party. Jimmy Carter's passed out on the couch."
I was alone and far away when I heard The Band start playing...on the lip, late take off.
Well done!
And perfect for me, speaking of late takeoffs - I'd heard Black for the first time in early 1999 and loved it from voice to lyrics to music. Didn't think much more about it until I read a review of the best albums of the 90s. Usually I don't put much stock in the opinions of professional critics, but something hit me when I read about Ten. I bought that and Yield as my formal introductions, and in retrospect, it was such a beautiful illustration of the journey from their beginning to the then-present.
Evolution, baby!
Joined the old Sony BBS shortly after. That place, with this music, were the catalysts for some amazing slices of life that I'm still scarfing down
edit - ha! pleatherman and I both said "formal introduction". Fitting term.
I enjoy how everyone's personal story is pretty unique. We took separate journeys but wound up in the same spot!
TV certainly has played a vital role for more than a few of us. When PJ20 shows up on television every now and again, it makes me wonder if it will have a lasting effect on any newcomers, or perhaps channel surfing is a thing of the past? What do I know, I'm old!
Thinking back, I remember the Atlanta '94 broadcast being a major catalyst for me. It was re-broadcast several times during that spring/summer. I remember thinking how dangerous the band seemed. I find that funny now that I'm more familiar with the band members. But back then what did I know, I was young!
I enjoy how everyone's personal story is pretty unique. We took separate journeys but wound up in the same spot!
TV certainly has played a vital role for more than a few of us. When PJ20 shows up on television every now and again, it makes me wonder if it will have a lasting effect on any newcomers, or perhaps channel surfing is a thing of the past? What do I know, I'm old!
Thinking back, I remember the Atlanta '94 broadcast being a major catalyst for me. It was re-broadcast several times during that spring/summer. I remember thinking how dangerous the band seemed. I find that funny now that I'm more familiar with the band members. But back then what did I know, I was young!
I became a fan when I heard Ten, but PJ20 was actually what finally made me get a 10C membership. It is a pretty crappy documentary (why SO much about Mother Love Bone???), but it still inspired me to connect with the rest of the fans, so that's pretty sweet.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
I was a little behind the times since I was born in 1987 and was a little young when the band was blowing up. In the summer of 2008 my brother bought a house and there was a garage sale down the street that had Ten for $1. He asked me if I wanted the cd and I figured it was only $1 and I knew Jeremy, Alive, Even Flow, and Black from the radio. I also remembered I Am Mine, World Wide Suicide, and Life Wasted from when the music videos were released. It took me a few months to finally listen to Ten but when I did I was blown away and immediately went out to buy Rearviewmirror. After hearing that I had to buy all of the studio albums and even found out about the bootlegs. (which has been an expensive habit) I joined the Ten Club in April of 2010, a week before I drove down to Kansas City to my first show. I've now been to 7 shows in 5 different states over the past 4 years. My family thinks I'm crazy so I'm glad that there are a few other "special" people out there in the world who understand the power of Pearl Jam! )
Sometimes you find yourself Having to put all your faith In no faith
Comments
Fast forward to about 2 years ago. I saw the documentary Buck, and heard Just Breathe while blubbering during the closing credits. Due to my own father/divorce/dysfunctional family issues the documentary had a huge impact on me. Then hearing at song at the end was nearly enough to make me lose it completely. I said to my husband “that voice sounds familiar…” and before I could finish he said yes, it’s Pearl Jam and btw I have that album it’s really good. So I promptly spent the rest of the weekend listening to Backspacer. Then I realized we had a few albums and revisited the band, thinking how could I have not payed more attention over the years. All the shows I could have gone to! Argh! A friend/co-worker suggested I join the fan club (so hello everyone!). I’m still discovering new favourites and ironically, having rediscovered them in my 40s, with a PJ ballad, I now think my favourite tunes are the noisiest tunes! It’s encouraging to see the band still full of energy and enthusiasm for playing live because as far as concerts go, I have a lot of catching up to do!
I have since managed to catch one live show, and got to see Eddie on his recent Aussie solo tour. What made that last show special was I got to take my little brother, who had had a really crappy year getting divorced, struggling financially as a single dad, etc. I was in Australia to visit with my Mum during her chemo treatment. I didn’t catch Pearl Jam’s big day out show in Sydney, due to timing but but I popped up to see my brother and catch an EV solo show. Getting to share that show with my little bro was perfect.
Having enjoyed many Phish shows and road trips to see that band, it’s great to have found another band that doesn't rely on radio hit singles, videos, has the same loyal fan base and treats fans to a different set list each night. There really is a Pearl Jam song for any mood.
Also in that Columbia House tape shipment: Badmotorfinger, Use Your Illusion I & II and And Justice For All. I already had acquired Nevermind earlier in 1992. I think Ten got the most play on my Sony Walkman, however, and the same was true of Vs. a year later, but by then I had a CD player!
06.26.2006 • St. Paul
11.30.2012 • Fort Lauderdale [EV]
10.29.2013 • Charlottesville
LIVEFOOTSTEPS.ORG/USER/?USR=435
EV - Canberra, Newcastle, Sydney 2011; Sydney 2014.
Right at that time PJ20 was released, and I thought: "I got a few songs on my iPod from those guys and think they are pretty good so lets check that out". After watching PJ20 and especialy the "Black Unplugged" part, I sort of connected and feld some unresolved emotions from puberty came back up again. The amazing voice and pure emotion from eddie in that song just blew me away.
Before that I was never a huge music fan, but always liked to listen to music on the bus from school but never got this excited about something. Anyway I got my surgery and with some rehad and a lot of PJ music to discover I staid motivated and it turned out fine.
Half a year later I went to my first concert ever: Amsterdam 2, at some point during the concert I kept thinking this is unbelievable. It inspired me so much, I decided to buy a guitar and start to learn to play, and now go to around 10 concerts a year. I know it's cliché to say this but f*ck Pearl Jam changed my life.
Thinking back I still regret I had some songs on my iPod but was always too lazy to dive into the rest of their music
Atlanta 9.1.98
Dallas 11.15.13
Ft. Worth 9.15.23
2012: Manchester I, Manchester II, Manchester (EV)
2014: Milan, Leeds, Milton Keynes
2017: London II (EV)
2018: Amsterdam I, London I, Prague, London II
2019: London (EV)
2022: London I, London II, Budapest, Krakow, Amsterdam
I was first introduced to Pearl Jam when I received a Vitalogy cassette tape as part of a Secret Santa gift exchange with my Youth Group. That's gotta be fairly original, right? :P
"Let's check Idaho."
London 2013 "The Dundas Hookers on Crack" Show
Keep them up 10c
2010 WATCH IT GO TO FIRE!!
Wasn't until I was in junior high that I sought out any music, in general. Ten was the first album I bought and the best investment ever made!
But before that I was aware of the name, mostly because the other kids in school talked about them. Granted, I didn't have MTV so any exposure to popular music was limited.
Two peripheral memories of the band stand out. Some awards show announced the name "Pearl Jam" and by the time I looked up at the TV, they showed some other hair-metal group. I just assumed they were one and the same.
The second memory was accompanying someone to the mall and helping him decide which PJ album to buy (his only choices were Ten and Vs.). Naturally, I told him "start with the first one, whatever that is."
However, my formal introduction to Pearl Jam occurred watching SNL in April '94 when they just happened to be the musical guest. Needless to say I was completely blown away. I don't even remember if I liked the music at the time.
As time goes by, I'm probably blowing it out of proportion, but I remember it affecting me in a way I couldn't comprehend. I thought, this must be what heavy metal music is like! There was screaming and loud visceral sounds (I didn't stay up for "Daughter"). My untrained ears could not make out the underlying melody or differentiate the guitars. They were intimidating in a way, and yet I connected with how down to earth they looked compared to groups my older siblings listened to years back.
Somewhere along the way, "Jeremy" was the official song that ignited my fierce devotion and that summer I bought Ten and never looked back. From then on it was Pearl Jam, first and foremost, and everything else second-tier. And that still hasn't wavered to this day.
Didn't actually hear them for a few more months, but got updates about name changes and how I should check em out from my dad's friend.
Can't remember when I finally heard them, but alive was my first exposure.
"Oh yeah? Which president's on it?"
"Uh, all of them. They're having a party. Jimmy Carter's passed out on the couch."
Columbus 2000
Columbus 2003
Hershey 2003
Toledo 2004
Cincinnati 2006
Chicago/Lollapalooza 2007
Columbus 2010
Chicago/Wrigley 2013
Pittsburgh 2013
Portland 2013
Cincinnati 2014
http://community.pearljam.com/discussion/200639/turntable-help
And perfect for me, speaking of late takeoffs - I'd heard Black for the first time in early 1999 and loved it from voice to lyrics to music. Didn't think much more about it until I read a review of the best albums of the 90s. Usually I don't put much stock in the opinions of professional critics, but something hit me when I read about Ten. I bought that and Yield as my formal introductions, and in retrospect, it was such a beautiful illustration of the journey from their beginning to the then-present.
Evolution, baby!
Joined the old Sony BBS shortly after. That place, with this music, were the catalysts for some amazing slices of life that I'm still scarfing down
edit - ha! pleatherman and I both said "formal introduction". Fitting term.
TV certainly has played a vital role for more than a few of us. When PJ20 shows up on television every now and again, it makes me wonder if it will have a lasting effect on any newcomers, or perhaps channel surfing is a thing of the past? What do I know, I'm old!
Thinking back, I remember the Atlanta '94 broadcast being a major catalyst for me. It was re-broadcast several times during that spring/summer. I remember thinking how dangerous the band seemed. I find that funny now that I'm more familiar with the band members. But back then what did I know, I was young!
Having to put all your faith
In no faith