How/When you became a PJ fan
chris32482
Posts: 213
Earlier I posted a thread about those unpleasant people who don't like our band. Now I thought it would be cool to hear about how we all became pearl jam fan(atics)s. (I'm sure that's never been done before, right?).
Like most people, music became a big part of my life when I was in high school. For me, this was the mid to late 90's. I had totally missed out on the grunge era. Mostly I was listening to GN'R because that's what this neighbor kid who was a few years older than me was listening to. Most of my friends were older and (i thought) cooler than me, so I did what they did. I would buy CD's of bands I'd never heard just to fit in. I was a dork.
This one day I was at a music store with a buddy who was my age. We had becam friends because we liked a lot of the same things, so we didn't have to worry about trying to impress each other. So I was trying to decide what record to buy and he handed me a Pearl Jam record and said I would really like it. The album was Ten. This was probably around 1998. So I bought the album, and on the way home while listening to it in the car, i was blown away. I could not believe music this incredible existed and nobody else was listening to it. At school we had a jukebox in the cafeteria with everything from Matchbox #20 to Aerosmith, but no Pearl Jam. It was then I had an epiffany... popular music isn't always the best music. I later discovered that Pearl Jam had released a new album recently, Yield, so I ran out and bought it also. Wow. Even better than Ten. From then on Pearl Jam was my band. I didn't give a shit what was popular, nothing could even come close to the excitement and enjoyment I got from listening to Pearl Jam's music, and that remains true today.
Like most people, music became a big part of my life when I was in high school. For me, this was the mid to late 90's. I had totally missed out on the grunge era. Mostly I was listening to GN'R because that's what this neighbor kid who was a few years older than me was listening to. Most of my friends were older and (i thought) cooler than me, so I did what they did. I would buy CD's of bands I'd never heard just to fit in. I was a dork.
This one day I was at a music store with a buddy who was my age. We had becam friends because we liked a lot of the same things, so we didn't have to worry about trying to impress each other. So I was trying to decide what record to buy and he handed me a Pearl Jam record and said I would really like it. The album was Ten. This was probably around 1998. So I bought the album, and on the way home while listening to it in the car, i was blown away. I could not believe music this incredible existed and nobody else was listening to it. At school we had a jukebox in the cafeteria with everything from Matchbox #20 to Aerosmith, but no Pearl Jam. It was then I had an epiffany... popular music isn't always the best music. I later discovered that Pearl Jam had released a new album recently, Yield, so I ran out and bought it also. Wow. Even better than Ten. From then on Pearl Jam was my band. I didn't give a shit what was popular, nothing could even come close to the excitement and enjoyment I got from listening to Pearl Jam's music, and that remains true today.
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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.....”
www.cluthelee.com
www.cluthe.com
A love affair was born
Most of that free show can be found on you tube - here's Alive
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tcAUyb3xYA
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
greece? no my name is about as english as they come .. katellis is just a shortened version of it.
2009 Manchester
2010 Dublin / London
2012 Manchester I & II / Berlin I & II / EV: Manchester
2014 Amsterdam I & II / Vienna / Berlin / Leeds
vs.
and 9/29/96, I was never the same after that evening
So I was already into the seattle sound when Nevermind dropped and then my cousin told me about the new Mother Love Bone band that was coming out soon with a new singer, called Pearl Jam. By then Cobain was God to me, and I only bought Ten as a kind of gesture towards my cousin cos he seemed really excited about it. I held both bands (Nirvana and PJ) up as the ultimate in rock, with Nirvana's anger appealing to issues in my home life, but Eddies lyrics felt like he was in my head, and that PJ cared, I will always love Pearl Jam for this. One of countless teenagers that probably owe everything they are thanks to the best rock band that has ever picked up the guitar.
For Christmas of 1992, I got a gift certificate for Sam Goody Records. I bought on cassette (I didn't have a cd player) an album from R&B singer Al B. Sure, and of course, Pearl Jam's Ten. As 1993 came around, I listened to Ten more and more and more (as well as Green Jelly's Three Little Pigs...crazy ass song). I decided to attend San Jose State University for my freshman year of college. I had no idea Pearl Jam were to perform at the SJSU Arena that October. I tried to get a ticket, but I tried a few days too late. Vs. came out (I bought it on cassette as "Five Against One") and 1994 was upon us. I transferred back home, attended Pasadena City College, and dealt with all the bullshit and sadness of Kurt Cobain's suicide. I saw Pearl Jam on SNL when they performed Not For You, along with RVM and Daughter ("K" on Eddie's shirt). It was at this time (around April of 1994) I was officially a die hard fan of Pearl Jam.
My cousin got me into her clothes, put make up on me and off we were to the club (I guess it helped I was already 6' tall and my cousin had worked briefly at that place and had friends on the inside)...
It was July 13th 1991 at the Marquee Room in NYC, my first time in a club and my very first time seeing any band live, there were a couple more bands other than Pearl Jam. When they came out on stage, I was mesmerized, after that night I couldn't forget them and everytime they stopped in Florida I went to see them (chaperoned by my cousins of course) until 1996 when I quit my job grabbed my car and took off up the east coast to follow their every show
I was in 6th grade when Ten came out (I'm 27 now) and once a week during cheerleading practice (so lame, haha) our coach would let one person bring in a tape to listen to while we practiced. A girl brought her brother's copy of Ten and I was HOOKED. Never looked back
Cheerleading is definitely not lame when you are in 6th grade... or 12th :oops:
Phew I'm not the only one
Regardless of whether you remember or not... important thing is that you were there!
Remember the good ol days...lol..... when we had to call in and get tickets!!!!!
1995 San Francisco
San Jose
San Diego 2 shows
2003 Missoula
2005 Missoula
2006 Denver 2 shows with Tom Petty
Gorge 2 shows
2009 Utah
LA1
LA2
2012 Missoula : Meet and Greet : "Instant Classic show"
2013 Portland
Spokane
2018 Missoula
so everyone knows the famous story of Do The Evolution at MSG '03 with the stage bouncing and all of that...well my brother and his friend was at that show and because of that, my brother bought the DVD...my brother, my dad, and i were playing some card game...or yhatzee or something...anywho, my brother put the DVD on as something on in the background for us to watch when it wasn't our turn. So sooner or later, DTE came on and Ed was crouching and looking all freaked out...i asked my brother why he was crouching...my brother said to watch and see...so i did...ed made his speech after checking it out and said that the stage bouncing has only happened to a handful of other groups who were all great and well known (i unfortunately can't recall who) so me watching that thought "damn if they can do something that those guys did, then this band MUST be good"...
so then about a few months later, i come across some music files on the computer i acquired (my brother was going to college so he then received his own computer, so i got the family computer, and my parents had their own as well) my brother had 3 of their songs on there...there was porch, even flow, and elderly woman. i listened to them...repeatedly...find my self in a record store one day and out of curiosity searched for some Pearl Jam. i saw the Rearviewmirror Greatest Hits album and listened to it...FELL IN LOVE!
that's my story...been a hard core fan ever since...i was about 13 going on 14 at the time...now i'm 18 gunna be 19 early sept
What a great story! and i agree seeing them live once will do the trick, i didn't know who they were when I saw them live and every since then I fell in love with them and never looked back, its been 18 awesome years!!
No Code!
Yield!
Live at the Garden!
First bought PJ albums about 5 years ago (Ten & Vs), loved them but love them more now.
It was suggested to me that I give them a shot and I liked what I heard.
pearl jam stood out and i pegged them as my favorite band. i clearly remember being in 4th grade and making my mom buy me vitalogy the day it came out.
i became a superfan sometime around sophomore year of high school.
When? Beginning of 1992, bought TEN as a gift to myself the same day I took drivingslicense for car, 8th May 1992. I was 18 (have to be 18 to get drivingslicense in Sweden).
10c Member since -93. Got the first letter 13 AUG -93.
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There's already a thread about this, some 90 stories:
http://community.pearljam.com/viewtopic ... 4&t=102037
Soundgarden - 1996-10-15
Pearl Jam - 2000-06-30
Fugazi - 2000-10-10
The Mars Volta - 2003-03-24