I couldn't go to the 1996 show as I started college and was broke , I remember it being a beautiful day and seeing Cracker on the side stage was kinda cool since I really dug Low, I remember chucking at the cheesiness of Cheap Trick a couple of times. I went with my buddy and his girlfriend, drove up from London, as I had just moved back there from Guelph the day before :?
We were on the outskirts of the pit about 4-5 songs in and she passed out, I remember my buddy picked her up, tossed her on her shoulder and started heading out of the pit area and I had to make a split decision, should I stay and enjoy the show from where I was at or go with them.......and I stayed we had a designate meeting spot anyway.
I remember the 400 south being stop and go for an hour too because there was construction and both my guests were passed out :evil:
I remember getting a fully body buzz when they played Black, I couldn't even feel the top of my head I was just floored by how powerful that song is live.
I actually have a friend in Barrie still and when I visited him last November I asked him if we could cruise over that area as it had been 10+years since I was in Barrie and it's all gone. The fields and parking lots where we partied before the show are all 1 or 2 story business plazas, the back of the park where you would go and get high before you went to the main stage is a large big box plaza with a Best Buy, and the part of the park where the main stage is a giant pit of dirt where, I presume, the dirt for the big box plaza and business parks went.
Funny though that the old wooden booth that was at the front corner of the park is still sitting there to this day
Molson Park was pretty fucking sweet to see a show at back in the day
1998 ~ Barrie
2003 ~ Toronto
2005 ~ London, Toronto
2006 ~ Toronto
2008 ~ Hartford, Mansfied I,
2009 ~ Toronto, Chicago I, Chicago II
2010 ~ Cleveland, Buffalo
2011 ~ Toronto I, Toronto II, Ottawa, Hamilton
2013 - London, Pittsburgh, Buffalo
2nd show, and I was 19. Such a good day.
I'm a huge Hayden fan, loved seeing him on the side stage.
Most vivid PJ memories are of Eddie swinging on the low hanging rafters during Cheap Trick, and that when they came on stage they didn't kill the house music, they just walked out and started into Corduroy; if you weren't paying attention you would have missed the big entrance.
Also remember the insanity of trying to push my way through the sea of huge shirtless dudes to get to the stage. The downside of a 30,000 person GA section while "pits" at PJ shows were still alive and well. Well worth the struggle though.
August 22nd is my son's birthday too- he was 15 then. He was def. a Pearl Jam fan back then and still is! That sounds like a great show. The first time I saw PJ was in Toronto on my birthday.
Basically. It was a venue built on a field outside of Barrie (a city an hour north of Toronto). The field had a pretty good slope downwards towards where the stage was built, that gave everyone pretty good sight lines all the way to the back. It's the same venue that held Lollapalooza up until 1996, and also had some other good shows. I saw Beastie Boys there, Neil Young with Oasis, etc.
Basically. It was a venue built on a field outside of Barrie (a city an hour north of Toronto). The field had a pretty good slope downwards towards where the stage was built, that gave everyone pretty good sight lines all the way to the back. It's the same venue that held Lollapalooza up until 1996, and also had some other good shows. I saw Beastie Boys there, Neil Young with Oasis, etc.
all the good Edgefest's were there, which was the alternative radio station 102.1 in Toronto's day long festival, usually on Canada day
those were fucking good times in 1990s
1998 ~ Barrie
2003 ~ Toronto
2005 ~ London, Toronto
2006 ~ Toronto
2008 ~ Hartford, Mansfied I,
2009 ~ Toronto, Chicago I, Chicago II
2010 ~ Cleveland, Buffalo
2011 ~ Toronto I, Toronto II, Ottawa, Hamilton
2013 - London, Pittsburgh, Buffalo
1998 ~ Barrie
2003 ~ Toronto
2005 ~ London, Toronto
2006 ~ Toronto
2008 ~ Hartford, Mansfied I,
2009 ~ Toronto, Chicago I, Chicago II
2010 ~ Cleveland, Buffalo
2011 ~ Toronto I, Toronto II, Ottawa, Hamilton
2013 - London, Pittsburgh, Buffalo
Edgefest in the 90's, a few of the Warped tours up on the flats in the early aughts. What a great venue.
In a nearlier post I mentioned that i took some photos of the PJ show there. For those who don't know, all the opening bands played up on the flats. Cracker, Hayden, another band that started the day who's name escapes me. I've got a bunch of pictures of Hayden from that day along with the few PJ ones I have. Still trying to find them. I also remember that from the flats you could see the main stage. the only thing separating it was a 15 foot high chain link fence. I remember Pearl Jam soundchecking I Got ID and I couldn't believe it. I remember lining up to get into the main stage and it was funny (not at the time) because there were 4 or 6 points around the main hill that had entrances through the fence and when you saw another gate open and yours hadn't yet it was a feeling of utter hopelessness that all those people were getting to the front of the stage and you couldn't do anything about it. Cheap Trick was really cool to see but man...Pearl Jam. I still get goosebumps.
]amazing day - most of the bands played side stages outside of the main stage area - so you could walk around and sit and enjoy - remember having a smoke with one of the security guards in the beer tent listening to the sound check - having a beer for breakfast - once we got inside we held our spot from that point on for about 8 hours until the show ended
it was my first show- I had 4 small children at this point but they were old enough to finally get out
at this point in my life there wasn't a day that pearl jam wasn't incorporated into my day (not much has changed really) - when cheap trick were playing and I saw the band up in the scaffolding watching the show, and I remember thinking "there they are, that's them, god I love these guys" and I looked around and nobody else seemed to notice - so I just leaned back and smiled taking in the moment - although one thought popped into my head - "Ed's wearing a waist pouch?" lol
cheap trick really brought me back to my jr high/high school days so really enjoy them
when the band hit the stage I was overwhelmed by the moment - the line "the waiting drove me mad" really hit home - I can't tell you what the set list was - I just remember being lost in the music like I never had been before - and I remember times when the crowd disappeared and it was just me and the song in my head
it was the most elevating live music experience I had ever had - and I'd had quite a few
I remember Ed standing on the speakers in front of us - way up high - and the light hit his eyes and nothing has ever been so crystal blue - like beacons shining out to the crowd - and I remember thinking "God don't jump" because for a second that look was in his eye - I know most people probably wanted him to jump but it was a surging crowd - I tried taping the show and gave up - I tried taking pictures and gave up - I realized fussing around with equipment can take you out of the moment - but I did snap a couple just for memory's sake - I also remember blowing sand out of my nose for about a week after the show
nothing has ever been more worth the heat, the wait, the standing - it will always be one of the really special days that I hold dear
and cheers to what had to have been the dirtiest crowd to ever hit the McDonald's on the 400
You can see the framing for the stage as well as the main crowd/pit area in the aerial photography just up and to the right of where it says "Park Place".
This was the one and only time I went to Molson Park, but it was an amazing venue....
Barrie 08/22/98 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
and cheers to what had to have been the dirtiest crowd to ever hit the McDonald's on the 400
Ha! We walked down there too . . must have been the busiest that McDick's had been in a long time . . everyone was high/drunk/tired and filthy. I remember going into the washrooms and saw I was caked in dirt. Amazing.
And those are awesome pics! Keep 'em coming people . . I want to see more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Barrie 08/22/98 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
Man, this was a fun show. I think it was the 5th show out of 6 for me on that Yield tour. A lot of the specifics of the day is a blur (15 years and a lot of beer have taken their toll), but I remember the set and that long-ass drive back to Detroit after the show vividly.
This was my first Pearl Jam show. More than anything, I remember the energy of the crowd and the crazy amount of dust. I was absolutely filthy after this one, but it was awesome show. I also remember Cheap Trick being crazy loud. If only concerts today were this exciting.
My 2nd show. Def one of the greatest weekends of my life. I was 19 years old at the time. Was at a significant bump in the road in my relationship with my High School sweetheart at the time and her making the show with my friends and hers together was in limbo. Anyhow it all worked out in the end from a dramatic teenage last minute makeup and me and my EX had one of the greatest nights of our lives. We ended up losing our group of friends at some point during the show and ended up climbing up the scaffolding that was in the middle of the crowd to get a birds eye view. In the end after 5 years together she eventually became my "Black" girl. However this weekend was definitely one of the greatest of my youth and I have very fond memories of that whole weekend. We slept in our parked SUV with all our friends after the show at Molson Park and drank, smoked greens all night and listened to PJ on the radio. It was a night I would compare to the great night had in "Dazed and Confused". Hard to believe 15 years have passed.......... My only regret is I never got the poster from that show!!!! Would love to be able to get my hands on one someday or even a reproduction.
1. Toronto, Ontario 09-21-1996 (MAPLE LEAF GARDENS)
2. Barrie, Ontario 08-22-1998 (MOLSON PARK)
3. Toronto, Ontario 10-05-2000 (AIR CANADA CENTRE)
4. Toronto, Ontario 06-28-2003 (MOLSON AMPHITHEATRE)
5. Boston, Massachusetts 09-28-2004 FLEET CENTER (NOW TD GARDEN) VFC TOUR
6. Boston, Massachusetts 09-28-2004 FLEET CENTER (NOW TD GARDEN) VFC TOUR
7. Hamilton, Ontario 09-13-2005 (COPPS COLISEUM)
8. Toronto, Ontario 09-19-2005 (AIR CANADA CENTRE)
9. St. Johns, Newfoundland 09-24-2005 (MILE ONE)
10. St. Johns, Newfoundland 09-25-2005 (MILE ONE)
11. Toronto, Ontario 05-09-2006 (AIR CANADA CENTRE)
12. Toronto, Ontario 05-09-2006 (AIR CANADA CENTRE)
13. Sydney, Australia 11-07-2006 (ACER ARENA)
14. Sydney, Australia 11-08-2006 (ACER ARENA)
15. Melbourne, Australia 11-13-2006 (ROD LAVER ARENA)
16. Melbourne, Australia 11-14-2006 (ROD LAVER ARENA)
17. Adelaide, Australia 11-21-2006 (ADELAIDE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE)
18. Adelaide, Australia 11-22-2006 (ADELAIDE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE)
19. Perth, Australia 11-25-2006 (SUBIACO OVAL)
20. New York, New York 06-24-2008 (MADISON SQUARE GARDEN)
21. New York, New York 06-25-2008 (MADISON SQUARE GARDEN)
22. Toronto, Ontario 08-21-2009 (MOLSON AMPITHEATRE)
23. Buffalo, New York 05-10-2010 (HSBC ARENA)
24. Toronto, Ontario 09-11-2011 (AIR CANADA CENTRE)
25. Toronto, Ontario 09-12-2011 (AIR CANADA CENTRE)
26. Hamilton, Ontario 09-15-2011 (COPPS COLISEUM)
27. London, Ontario 07-16-2013 (BUDWEISER GARDENS)
28. Buffalo, New York 10-12-2013 (FIRST NIAGARA CENTER) FORMERLY HSBC ARENA
29. Detroit, Michigan 10-16-2014 (JOE LOUIS ARENA)
30. Ottawa, Ontario 5-8-2016 (CANADIAN TIRE CENTRE)
31. Toronto, Ontario 5-10-2016 (AIR CANADA CENTRE)
32. Toronto, Ontario 5-12-2016 (AIR CANADA CENTRE)
Man what a great show and a great night. You guys are bringing back some great memories, not that I have to try hard to remember that night. It was my 2nd show (I've seen them 15+ times since but none compare to this).
Most memorable:
-My buddy who had been in a pit before tried to warn me, but I never would have guessed it would be so chaotic. We were 30 feet from the front when they started and I was being tossed around like a rag doll, and I am 6'2", 200+ lbs.
-The incredibly cute, like 4 foot tall girl who asked to sit on my shoulders during the mid set slow tunes, and had to make a quick exit when they cranked it back up and the crowd started surging
-within the first 5 minutes my buddy and me witnessed a collapse, and i was trying to push back the crowd (yeah right) while he helped to people to their feet. It doesnt sound like much now, but if you were there you would know that he may have saved their lives
-Eddie stopping a shoe like 2 inches from his face, then flipping the bird to the guy who threw it without missing a beat during Ledbetter. 2 minutes later Ed smiled and waved sarcastically at the guy while security dragged him out
-As someone else said, realizing that sandals are not very good footwear for a pit. But nonetheless I stayed in there the whole night.
The only downside was that at one point a crowd surfer landed on my head. I had a sore neck for a week.
Aside from kids and marriage, hands down one of the top experiences of my life thus far.
My only regret is I never got the poster from that show!!!! Would love to be able to get my hands on one someday or even a reproduction.
Yeah a poster would be awesome (and hence why I have used it as my avatar since joining the forum 8 years ago - as an homage to the show) and so would a '98 North American Tour soccer jersey . . . I wish I had checked out the merch table and bought one back then . . I would love to have a poster and a jersey....
Barrie 08/22/98 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
Here's the pit pic I took...Anyone recognize anyone?
Umm...that might be my cousin, right dead center! I was there with him, but it only took about 10mins for us to get separated up there. It was VERY rough in the front during this show...
ETA: Confirmed it with him, and yes, that's him (dark hair, grey shirt). We drove in from Buffalo, NY for that show (my first, his 2nd after 10/1/96). He claimed that had to be within the first few songs because he retreated back toward the soundboard not very long into the show.
Found one of my disposable camera pics Still looking for more.
Found any more??????
Barrie 08/22/98 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
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WhatYouTaughtMe
I have no idea what's going on right now! Posts: 4,957
My first show. A great one, great vibes, great weather and a sea of people! My favorite venue I have ever watched a concert at. Will never forget.it.
Found one of my disposable camera pics Still looking for more.
Found any more??????
Yup. Went digging where I thought they were. Found them, scanned them, and put them on Imgur. I'll be honest though. The Pearl Jam ones are crap. Apparently, the flash on a disposable Fuji Film camera is not the best. The daytime pictures of Hayden turned out fine though.
Found one of my disposable camera pics Still looking for more.
Found any more??????
Yup. Went digging where I thought they were. Found them, scanned them, and put them on Imgur. I'll be honest though. The Pearl Jam ones are crap. Apparently, the flash on a disposable Fuji Film camera is not the best. The daytime pictures of Hayden turned out fine though.
Nice. I am more interested, to be honest, of shots of the crowd/venue than the band . . . just wanted to get a feel of what it was like again and some of those crowd shots throw me right back to that day. So cool.
Barrie 08/22/98 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
Looks like i'm the guy floating on the upper right (surfin' through the crowd and being pushed in front and escorted on the left side of the stage) and the surfin' guy bottom right is my buddy Eric Metivier... what a day!!!! Waited so long to be in front.. did'nt have my ID cards so no beers for us :( ... Amazing experience...
Thanks for the memories!
Post edited by chain on
Toronto 96-09-21 / Montreal 98-08-20
Barrie 98-08-22 / Montreal 00-10-04 / Montreal 03-06-29
Montreal 05-09-15 / Quebec 05-09-20 / Montreal 11-09-07
Worcester 13-10-15 / Denver 14-10-22 / Quebec 16-05-05
Ottawa 16-05-08 / Ottawa 20-03-20 / Quebec 20-03-22
I doubt we'll ever see more/any video of this show . . . the only vid I've seen is the MuchMusic clip of "Animal" that was up on YouTube (apologies if that's the one demetrios posted above ^^^^^^, I can't watch videos on my work machine).
This is one of those shows that will probably just have to live in our memories forever unfortunately . . in a time before smartphones, it was tough to film a concert, especially from GA!
And Drowned Out . . would love to see some more pics if you can scan 'em!
Barrie 08/22/98 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
Only PJ show my wife (then girlfriend) went with me. She didn't like them then, and still doesn't now. Sometimes you have to look past peoples faults.
)
You were a brave man to stick with her despite that glaring personality fault
Barrie 08/22/98 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
2nd show, and I was 19. Such a good day. I'm a huge Hayden fan, loved seeing him on the side stage. Most vivid PJ memories are of Eddie swinging on the low hanging rafters during Cheap Trick, and that when they came on stage they didn't kill the house music, they just walked out and started into Corduroy; if you weren't paying attention you would have missed the big entrance. Also remember the insanity of trying to push my way through the sea of huge shirtless dudes to get to the stage. The downside of a 30,000 person GA section while "pits" at PJ shows were still alive and well. Well worth the struggle though.
My best friend is Hayden's 1st cousin. We spent the early part of the afternoon with Hayden, and I just remember the glorious sunshine and perfect temperature throughout the afternoon. I remember the entire park was fun to walk through, and glad that we arrived early to beat the vast majority of the crowd that eventually settled in behind us. I'm glad the 18 year-old version of me had the sense to put forth the effort to be about 3 people deep away from the stage, right between Ed and Stone. The band was extremely animated and their energy reflected it. The Montreal and Barrie shows complemented each other very well.
To quote the 10C from Newsletter #8: "Please understand we have a lot of members and it is very hard to please everybody. If you are one of those unhappy people...please call 1-900-IDN-TCAR."
"Me knowing the truth, I can not concur."
1996: Toronto - 1998: Chicago, Montreal, Barrie - 2000: Montreal, Toronto - 2002: Seattle X2 (Key Arena) - 2003: Cleveland, Buffalo, Toronto, Montreal, Seattle (Benaroya Hall) - 2004: Reading, Toledo, Grand Rapids - 2005: Kitchener, London, Hamilton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Quebec City - 2006: Toronto X2, Albany, Hartford, Grand Rapids, Cleveland - 2007: Chicago (Vic Theatre) - 2008: NYC X2, Hartford, Mansfield X2 - 2009: Toronto, Chicago X2, Seattle X2, Philadelphia X4 - 2010: Columbus, Noblesville, Cleveland, Buffalo, Hartford - 2011: Montreal, Toronto X2, Ottawa, Hamilton - 2012: Missoula - 2013: London, Chicago, Buffalo, Hartford - 2014: Detroit, Moline - 2015: NYC (Global Citizen Festival) - 2016: Greenville, Toronto X2, Chicago 1 - 2017: Brooklyn (RRHOF Induction) - 2018: Chicago 1, Boston 1 - 2022: Fresno, Ottawa, Hamilton, Toronto, NYC, Camden - 2023: St. Paul X2, Austin X2 - 2024: Vancouver X2, Portland, Sacramento, Noblesville, Philadelphia X2, Baltimore
Comments
I couldn't go to the 1996 show as I started college and was broke , I remember it being a beautiful day and seeing Cracker on the side stage was kinda cool since I really dug Low, I remember chucking at the cheesiness of Cheap Trick a couple of times. I went with my buddy and his girlfriend, drove up from London, as I had just moved back there from Guelph the day before :?
We were on the outskirts of the pit about 4-5 songs in and she passed out, I remember my buddy picked her up, tossed her on her shoulder and started heading out of the pit area and I had to make a split decision, should I stay and enjoy the show from where I was at or go with them.......and I stayed
I remember the 400 south being stop and go for an hour too because there was construction and both my guests were passed out :evil:
I remember getting a fully body buzz when they played Black, I couldn't even feel the top of my head I was just floored by how powerful that song is live.
I actually have a friend in Barrie still and when I visited him last November I asked him if we could cruise over that area as it had been 10+years since I was in Barrie and it's all gone. The fields and parking lots where we partied before the show are all 1 or 2 story business plazas, the back of the park where you would go and get high before you went to the main stage is a large big box plaza with a Best Buy, and the part of the park where the main stage is a giant pit of dirt where, I presume, the dirt for the big box plaza and business parks went.
Funny though that the old wooden booth that was at the front corner of the park is still sitting there to this day
Molson Park was pretty fucking sweet to see a show at back in the day
2003 ~ Toronto
2005 ~ London, Toronto
2006 ~ Toronto
2008 ~ Hartford, Mansfied I,
2009 ~ Toronto, Chicago I, Chicago II
2010 ~ Cleveland, Buffalo
2011 ~ Toronto I, Toronto II, Ottawa, Hamilton
2013 - London, Pittsburgh, Buffalo
I'm a huge Hayden fan, loved seeing him on the side stage.
Most vivid PJ memories are of Eddie swinging on the low hanging rafters during Cheap Trick, and that when they came on stage they didn't kill the house music, they just walked out and started into Corduroy; if you weren't paying attention you would have missed the big entrance.
Also remember the insanity of trying to push my way through the sea of huge shirtless dudes to get to the stage. The downside of a 30,000 person GA section while "pits" at PJ shows were still alive and well. Well worth the struggle though.
Thanks
Basically. It was a venue built on a field outside of Barrie (a city an hour north of Toronto). The field had a pretty good slope downwards towards where the stage was built, that gave everyone pretty good sight lines all the way to the back. It's the same venue that held Lollapalooza up until 1996, and also had some other good shows. I saw Beastie Boys there, Neil Young with Oasis, etc.
all the good Edgefest's were there, which was the alternative radio station 102.1 in Toronto's day long festival, usually on Canada day
those were fucking good times in 1990s
2003 ~ Toronto
2005 ~ London, Toronto
2006 ~ Toronto
2008 ~ Hartford, Mansfied I,
2009 ~ Toronto, Chicago I, Chicago II
2010 ~ Cleveland, Buffalo
2011 ~ Toronto I, Toronto II, Ottawa, Hamilton
2013 - London, Pittsburgh, Buffalo
2003 ~ Toronto
2005 ~ London, Toronto
2006 ~ Toronto
2008 ~ Hartford, Mansfied I,
2009 ~ Toronto, Chicago I, Chicago II
2010 ~ Cleveland, Buffalo
2011 ~ Toronto I, Toronto II, Ottawa, Hamilton
2013 - London, Pittsburgh, Buffalo
In a nearlier post I mentioned that i took some photos of the PJ show there. For those who don't know, all the opening bands played up on the flats. Cracker, Hayden, another band that started the day who's name escapes me. I've got a bunch of pictures of Hayden from that day along with the few PJ ones I have. Still trying to find them. I also remember that from the flats you could see the main stage. the only thing separating it was a 15 foot high chain link fence. I remember Pearl Jam soundchecking I Got ID and I couldn't believe it. I remember lining up to get into the main stage and it was funny (not at the time) because there were 4 or 6 points around the main hill that had entrances through the fence and when you saw another gate open and yours hadn't yet it was a feeling of utter hopelessness that all those people were getting to the front of the stage and you couldn't do anything about it. Cheap Trick was really cool to see but man...Pearl Jam. I still get goosebumps.
it was my first show- I had 4 small children at this point but they were old enough to finally get out
at this point in my life there wasn't a day that pearl jam wasn't incorporated into my day (not much has changed really) - when cheap trick were playing and I saw the band up in the scaffolding watching the show, and I remember thinking "there they are, that's them, god I love these guys" and I looked around and nobody else seemed to notice - so I just leaned back and smiled taking in the moment - although one thought popped into my head - "Ed's wearing a waist pouch?" lol
cheap trick really brought me back to my jr high/high school days so really enjoy them
when the band hit the stage I was overwhelmed by the moment - the line "the waiting drove me mad" really hit home - I can't tell you what the set list was - I just remember being lost in the music like I never had been before - and I remember times when the crowd disappeared and it was just me and the song in my head
it was the most elevating live music experience I had ever had - and I'd had quite a few
I remember Ed standing on the speakers in front of us - way up high - and the light hit his eyes and nothing has ever been so crystal blue - like beacons shining out to the crowd - and I remember thinking "God don't jump" because for a second that look was in his eye - I know most people probably wanted him to jump but it was a surging crowd - I tried taping the show and gave up - I tried taking pictures and gave up - I realized fussing around with equipment can take you out of the moment - but I did snap a couple just for memory's sake - I also remember blowing sand out of my nose for about a week after the show
nothing has ever been more worth the heat, the wait, the standing - it will always be one of the really special days that I hold dear
and cheers to what had to have been the dirtiest crowd to ever hit the McDonald's on the 400
Bing Map link to the venue:
http://binged.it/12EaHKK
You can see the framing for the stage as well as the main crowd/pit area in the aerial photography just up and to the right of where it says "Park Place".
This was the one and only time I went to Molson Park, but it was an amazing venue....
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
Ha! We walked down there too . . must have been the busiest that McDick's had been in a long time . . everyone was high/drunk/tired and filthy. I remember going into the washrooms and saw I was caked in dirt. Amazing.
And those are awesome pics! Keep 'em coming people . . I want to see more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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
2. Barrie, Ontario 08-22-1998 (MOLSON PARK)
3. Toronto, Ontario 10-05-2000 (AIR CANADA CENTRE)
4. Toronto, Ontario 06-28-2003 (MOLSON AMPHITHEATRE)
5. Boston, Massachusetts 09-28-2004 FLEET CENTER (NOW TD GARDEN) VFC TOUR
6. Boston, Massachusetts 09-28-2004 FLEET CENTER (NOW TD GARDEN) VFC TOUR
7. Hamilton, Ontario 09-13-2005 (COPPS COLISEUM)
8. Toronto, Ontario 09-19-2005 (AIR CANADA CENTRE)
9. St. Johns, Newfoundland 09-24-2005 (MILE ONE)
10. St. Johns, Newfoundland 09-25-2005 (MILE ONE)
11. Toronto, Ontario 05-09-2006 (AIR CANADA CENTRE)
12. Toronto, Ontario 05-09-2006 (AIR CANADA CENTRE)
13. Sydney, Australia 11-07-2006 (ACER ARENA)
14. Sydney, Australia 11-08-2006 (ACER ARENA)
15. Melbourne, Australia 11-13-2006 (ROD LAVER ARENA)
16. Melbourne, Australia 11-14-2006 (ROD LAVER ARENA)
17. Adelaide, Australia 11-21-2006 (ADELAIDE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE)
18. Adelaide, Australia 11-22-2006 (ADELAIDE ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE)
19. Perth, Australia 11-25-2006 (SUBIACO OVAL)
20. New York, New York 06-24-2008 (MADISON SQUARE GARDEN)
21. New York, New York 06-25-2008 (MADISON SQUARE GARDEN)
22. Toronto, Ontario 08-21-2009 (MOLSON AMPITHEATRE)
23. Buffalo, New York 05-10-2010 (HSBC ARENA)
24. Toronto, Ontario 09-11-2011 (AIR CANADA CENTRE)
25. Toronto, Ontario 09-12-2011 (AIR CANADA CENTRE)
26. Hamilton, Ontario 09-15-2011 (COPPS COLISEUM)
27. London, Ontario 07-16-2013 (BUDWEISER GARDENS)
28. Buffalo, New York 10-12-2013 (FIRST NIAGARA CENTER) FORMERLY HSBC ARENA
29. Detroit, Michigan 10-16-2014 (JOE LOUIS ARENA)
30. Ottawa, Ontario 5-8-2016 (CANADIAN TIRE CENTRE)
31. Toronto, Ontario 5-10-2016 (AIR CANADA CENTRE)
32. Toronto, Ontario 5-12-2016 (AIR CANADA CENTRE)
Most memorable:
-My buddy who had been in a pit before tried to warn me, but I never would have guessed it would be so chaotic. We were 30 feet from the front when they started and I was being tossed around like a rag doll, and I am 6'2", 200+ lbs.
-The incredibly cute, like 4 foot tall girl who asked to sit on my shoulders during the mid set slow tunes, and had to make a quick exit when they cranked it back up and the crowd started surging
-within the first 5 minutes my buddy and me witnessed a collapse, and i was trying to push back the crowd (yeah right) while he helped to people to their feet. It doesnt sound like much now, but if you were there you would know that he may have saved their lives
-Eddie stopping a shoe like 2 inches from his face, then flipping the bird to the guy who threw it without missing a beat during Ledbetter. 2 minutes later Ed smiled and waved sarcastically at the guy while security dragged him out
-As someone else said, realizing that sandals are not very good footwear for a pit. But nonetheless I stayed in there the whole night.
The only downside was that at one point a crowd surfer landed on my head. I had a sore neck for a week.
Aside from kids and marriage, hands down one of the top experiences of my life thus far.
Yeah a poster would be awesome (and hence why I have used it as my avatar since joining the forum 8 years ago - as an homage to the show) and so would a '98 North American Tour soccer jersey . . . I wish I had checked out the merch table and bought one back then . . I would love to have a poster and a jersey....
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
Umm...that might be my cousin, right dead center! I was there with him, but it only took about 10mins for us to get separated up there. It was VERY rough in the front during this show...
ETA: Confirmed it with him, and yes, that's him (dark hair, grey shirt). We drove in from Buffalo, NY for that show (my first, his 2nd after 10/1/96). He claimed that had to be within the first few songs because he retreated back toward the soundboard not very long into the show.
'00: 8/23 8/24 8/25
'03: 4/30 7/2 7/3 7/8 7/9 7/11
'04: 10/1
'06: 5/13 5/27 5/28 6/1 6/3
'08: 6/24 6/25 6/27 6/28 7/1
'09: 10/30 10/31
'10: 5/15 5/18 5/20 5/21 6/25
'11: 9/3 9/4
'12: 9/2 9/22
'13: 7/19 10/18 10/19 10/21 10/22 11/23 11/24
'14: 10/19
'15: 9/26
'16: 4/8 4/9 4/11 4/28 4/29 5/1 5/2 8/5 8/7
'17: RNRHOF 4/17
'18: 9/2 9/4
'21: 9/18
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
Here's the album: http://imgur.com/a/I3ye7#0
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
Thanks for the memories!
Barrie 98-08-22 / Montreal 00-10-04 / Montreal 03-06-29
Montreal 05-09-15 / Quebec 05-09-20 / Montreal 11-09-07
Worcester 13-10-15 / Denver 14-10-22 / Quebec 16-05-05
Ottawa 16-05-08 / Ottawa 20-03-20 / Quebec 20-03-22
Good sense of the dust kicked up at the beginning of the show, camera was filthy:
I have more pics somewhere, these are the three I have scanned and on my fb...not sure about crowd shots tho..
This is one of those shows that will probably just have to live in our memories forever unfortunately . . in a time before smartphones, it was tough to film a concert, especially from GA!
And Drowned Out . . would love to see some more pics if you can scan 'em!
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
You were a brave man to stick with her despite that glaring personality fault
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
"Me knowing the truth, I can not concur."
1996: Toronto - 1998: Chicago, Montreal, Barrie - 2000: Montreal, Toronto - 2002: Seattle X2 (Key Arena) - 2003: Cleveland, Buffalo, Toronto, Montreal, Seattle (Benaroya Hall) - 2004: Reading, Toledo, Grand Rapids - 2005: Kitchener, London, Hamilton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Quebec City - 2006: Toronto X2, Albany, Hartford, Grand Rapids, Cleveland - 2007: Chicago (Vic Theatre) - 2008: NYC X2, Hartford, Mansfield X2 - 2009: Toronto, Chicago X2, Seattle X2, Philadelphia X4 - 2010: Columbus, Noblesville, Cleveland, Buffalo, Hartford - 2011: Montreal, Toronto X2, Ottawa, Hamilton - 2012: Missoula - 2013: London, Chicago, Buffalo, Hartford - 2014: Detroit, Moline - 2015: NYC (Global Citizen Festival) - 2016: Greenville, Toronto X2, Chicago 1 - 2017: Brooklyn (RRHOF Induction) - 2018: Chicago 1, Boston 1 - 2022: Fresno, Ottawa, Hamilton, Toronto, NYC, Camden - 2023: St. Paul X2, Austin X2 - 2024: Vancouver X2, Portland, Sacramento, Noblesville, Philadelphia X2, Baltimore