Give Eddie a Call

demetrios

http://www.edge.ca/2015/06/17/give-eddie-a-call/



Toronto, ON, Canada / 102.1 the Edge
Alan Cross

Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam has always tended to do things a little differently–and back in the early days of the band, he tried to be really different. This was back when Pearl Jam were very much about being a “band of the people.” On October 18, 1993, he gave out his phone number during an internationally-syndicated radio show.

For the next ten days, he spent about 3 hours a day taking calls from fans who would often get to hear Eddie sing weird little songs like “Don’t Pick Up that Fork.” That phone number was disconnected just before Halloween 1993—but many people were shocked to find themselves talking to Eddie during that ten day stretch. Can you imagine him doing that today?

2-feign-reluctance

No, because there are some scary obsessed people out there!

red mos

That's probably why he has a bodyguard(s) now days too at solo shows and at PJ gigs.

Seen Bruce Springsteen 5x crowd surfs over me and my friends and 100s more in Dallas, no bodyguard.

Met other artists with no bodyguard.
Jesse is in tow for a reason I'm sure.

Not making a big issue, just saying. Met Neil young once, shook my hand and a few people also waiting. Elliot Roberts ( his manager) was the only one with him other than venue security doing their job patrolling the venue lot.

Ed is taking extra precaution for a reason I'm thinking.

Just a guess, but usually if a bodyguard is in tow, there is a reason the artists want them there.

2-feign-reluctance

I'd have two if I were him. Some of the people I've met through the years are a little whacko about Ed.

hedonist

Wonder how much of Corduroy's lyrics were borne of that time.

lexicondevil

That is pretty damn awesome that he did that back then. He should just get a burner cell and do it again for a couple of days and then ditch it. I don't think I would actually even try to call him. I would feel like I was a stalker or something.

JH6056

I'm a big fan of this guy Hozier, huge f'in fan of his actually (he's got so much more going on than just Take Me to Church). At the end of last year he was just about to upgrade from a flip phone and he gave out his number on twitter. He also fielded calls for days and then he said his phone melted lol! It did shut down from all the constant action.

But he still kept it, and then like 6 months later he was doing a twitter chat and someone said "Do you still have that flip phone?" and he tweeted a photo of him holding the phone open and on and said "You mean this phone?" and he fielded calls again for a couple of days on and off.

I thought it was awesome when Ed did it way back when (I didn't know abotu it at the time so never called), and I love that Hozier did it recently (never called him either, even though the number is still out there).

Cool that you brought this bit of history back to the front of our minds!

red mos

2-feign-reluctance said:

I'd have two if I were him. Some of the people I've met through the years are a little whacko about Ed.

Yes, they can be, especially at the solo shows.

narnia

It's perfectly understandable for Ed to have a bodyguard -
1) Several years ago he was stalked by someone who ended up crashing a car into his house.
2) John Lennon.

JustaPJFan

narnia said:

It's perfectly understandable for Ed to have a bodyguard -
1) Several years ago he was stalked by someone who ended up crashing a car into his house.
2) John Lennon.

And if I may add, most famous persons do this. It's not like he's the only one. Bono has one bodyguard. People can be cool fans, but there are creeps out here.

Last-12-Exit

Ed texted me the other day and said that was a bad idea.

PJ_Soul

A lot of very very famous people don't have bodyguards and have no probs, as someone above already mentioned. I honestly think Eddie needs one because he got more sex appeal than most rock stars, combined with being a particularly relateable rock star (demonstrated by the fact that he even gave out his phone number in the first place in '93!), and therefore attracts a lot more wackos (male and female, and that includes the super obsessed straight dudes who have gone overboard with their bromance passions about him, lol) who are obsessed with him on a really fucked up level - they seem to think they know his soul on a personal level... so scary. Besides the few scary folks, too many idiot fans want to give him big fucking hugs and shit like that.

WhatYouTaughtMe

PJ_Soul said:

A lot of very very famous people don't have bodyguards and have no probs, as someone above already mentioned. I honestly think Eddie needs one because he got more sex appeal than most rock stars, combined with being a particularly relateable rock star (demonstrated by the fact that he even gave out his phone number in the first place in '93!), and therefore attracts a lot more wackos (male and female, and that includes the super obsessed straight dudes who have gone overboard with their bromance passions about him, lol) who are obsessed with him on a really fucked up level - they seem to think they know his soul on a personal level... so scary. Besides the few scary folks, too many idiot fans want to give him big fucking hugs and shit like that.

He's also been very vocal politically. That draws the crazies as well.

LukinFan

2-feign-reluctance said:

No, because there are some scary obsessed people out there!

bingo

PJ_Soul

WhatYouTaughtMe said:

PJ_Soul said:

A lot of very very famous people don't have bodyguards and have no probs, as someone above already mentioned. I honestly think Eddie needs one because he got more sex appeal than most rock stars, combined with being a particularly relateable rock star (demonstrated by the fact that he even gave out his phone number in the first place in '93!), and therefore attracts a lot more wackos (male and female, and that includes the super obsessed straight dudes who have gone overboard with their bromance passions about him, lol) who are obsessed with him on a really fucked up level - they seem to think they know his soul on a personal level... so scary. Besides the few scary folks, too many idiot fans want to give him big fucking hugs and shit like that.

He's also been very vocal politically. That draws the crazies as well.

That's true. Especially with the pro-choice stuff - people have been known to murder for that.

badbrains

Last-12-Exit said:

Ed texted me the other day and said that was a bad idea.

No, that was me, and I told you your an "A" word.

Last-12-Exit

badbrains said:

Last-12-Exit said:

Ed texted me the other day and said that was a bad idea.

No, that was me, and I told you your an "A" word.

I have to change your name in my contact list!

Zod

I met Mike once, I walked up, introduced myself, shook his hand, and then no other words came out. My brother noticed and came over and said something, I asked for a picture and took off.

It'd be cool to meet/talked to Ed, but I'm not pretty sure I wouldn't think of anything to say.

TeeChi

Zod said:

I met Mike once, I walked up, introduced myself, shook his hand, and then no other words came out. My brother noticed and came over and said something, I asked for a picture and took off.

It'd be cool to meet/talked to Ed, but I'm not pretty sure I wouldn't think of anything to say.

I rode an elevator with Ed once. And nothing came out but malarkey. I was coming back from a 10 Club fundraiser with a poster in hand, marker in my pocket... I got on and he was all alone, no bodyguard. His bodyguard was waiting in the lobby. You could tell he was like "fu$#, fu$#, fu$#" I didn't ask for an autograph. I just tried to talk to him, asked him if he was on his way to soundcheck ... what a douche (me). Then asked what he thought of St. Johns NF. And then the fastest elevator ride in my life, the longest of his?, ended. In the lobby, I let him out first because he had his guitar and suitcase, and he looked back at me like, "You comin?" so we walked out together and I don't regret not bothering him for an autograph - I really don't care, but it was the one time I actually wanted an elevator to stall, just to shoot the shit after I got the nervous nonsense out of the way.

PJ_Soul

Getting stuck in an elevator with EV might be pretty exciting... until I have to pee, anyway, and that time might actually come the second I realize that I'm stuck in an elevator with Eddie Vedder.

WhatYouTaughtMe

PJ_Soul said:

Getting stuck in an elevator with EV might be pretty exciting... until I have to pee, anyway, and that time might actually come the second I realize that I'm stuck in an elevator with Eddie Vedder.

I almost walked directly into his bodyguard at Camden in 98. He was sitting in the crowd until he got discovered I guess. I was going to have a smoke and at an intersection I was told to stand back by a very large dude. It was Ed on his way out. I said the first thing that popped into my head which was "you are the fucking man". Not my finest moment. He turned and gave me the hang loose sign and kept going.

CountingSteps

PJ_Soul said:

Getting stuck in an elevator with EV might be pretty exciting... until I have to pee, anyway, and that time might actually come the second I realize that I'm stuck in an elevator with Eddie Vedder.

So true!

mcgruff10

I remember reading an article back in the day that said ed gave out his telephone number to fans to piss his neighbor off. Maybe it was in the book five against one? I can't remember.

and it's sad that ed does in fact need bodyguards. I live very close to bruce springsteen and have seen him walking the streets of red bank many many times. He's even worked out next to me at the gym with no bodyguards.

Lost In Ohio

JustaPJFan said:

narnia said:

It's perfectly understandable for Ed to have a bodyguard -
1) Several years ago he was stalked by someone who ended up crashing a car into his house.
2) John Lennon.

And if I may add, most famous persons do this. It's not like he's the only one. Bono has one bodyguard. People can be cool fans, but there are creeps out here.

I saw a video on YouTube... Ed came out to do a signing after a show and someone was screaming the whole time...he was like "forget this" and just left.

eyecanwalk

I was camping that night miles from a phone & we were tripping hard & someone grabbed the radio trying to find anything to hear because they were losing there shit (the trees were to loud)

OK....so I started to walk away when they went by this guy talking I turned around so fast ,to hear Ed's voice out in the middle of Torreya State park Fl (I almost thought I was hearing things) ran back, grabbed the radio, climbed a tree & sat in the forest & listened to the whole show.Needless to say it was a trip I'll never forget.I wanted to call him so fucking bad & tell him how I got the # ).

Then about 6 months later my friend comes over" hey check this out" throws me a tape & said "hey play the end of side B" I had hit record so I FF to the end dial the # just to late, if I had known I recorded HIS phone # that would have then been the best trip I ever had.(except she died 5 days later) so I had forgot about that tape until today, so thanks for reminding me. Now to find that tape??)

So if there is any you read this Ed, send me a PM.(or someone tell him)