how i came close to dying after my first pearl jam concert - 15 years ago - (w/pics)

ciaochow

August 14, 1993. Sunfest. Gimli, Manitoba.

Patiently I waited all day in ankle-deep mud at the gate in front of the stage through an atrocious list of opening acts waiting for Pearl Jam to take the stage. As the sun was setting, a dishevelled Eddie Vedder walked on stage and proceeded to smoke and drink his way through the set as the band fought back the blood-thirsty, world-famous Manitoba mosquitoes. Steam generated by the body heat in the crowd rose into the cool night air. My most cherished memory of that show is hearing Daughter for the first time.

The next morning I was bruised and exhausted from the beatings of the relentless moshpit. My brother, my best friend, and I drove home in her car listening to the single Pearl Jam album there was at that time, on repeat. A few hours into the ride, my friend told me she needed to sleep and gave me a quick lesson on driving stick before putting me behind the wheel. It was the first time I'd driven a manual car. It was also the last.

Four hundred kilometres from the venue and still another three hundred from our home in Northern Manitoba, I lost control of the vehicle and rolled the car into a ditch. My brother climbed out the back window of the car and sat by the side of the road, trembling and in shock, while my friend and I lay unconscious and broken. Requiring medical treatment available only in Winnipeg, we were all forced to endure a five-hour, semi-conscious ambulance ride into the city. I drifted in and out of consciousness as I listened to my friend in the stretcher next to me scream out in agonizing pain. It was horrific.

The next thing I remember is laying on a stretcher in the hallway of a hospital. I remember the brightness of the fluorescent lights in the ceiling and the distraught face of my dad slowly coming in to focus as I opened my eyes. He had been scheduled for business meetings in Winnipeg that day and happened to be in the city when my mom got the call about the accident. He brought me his sweatpants and a t-shirt to change in to. I had pissed my pants when I went unconscious.

My friend was hospitalized for six months with a dislocated pelvis. I escaped with only bloodied eyes, whiplash, and a broken wrist. To this day I'm haunted by the accident and the pain it caused my best friend (who has never forgiven me).

Nearly fifteen years later, I'm a day away from a stint of e.v. solo shows. Luckily, I only have a few hours to drive to get to these shows. Believe me, I'm driving automatic and I'm driving slow.

***************

A couple of weeks after the accident I'm smiling and wearing my Pearl Jam shirt:
http://i348.photobucket.com/albums/q337/parasol20XXX/meat17-afteraccident.jpg

A photo of the car (picture scanned from a slide):
http://i348.photobucket.com/albums/q337/parasol20XXX/thecar-afteraccident.jpg

petrocs

holy crap...glad you're still here and that you are still enjoying life!

PearlJamOnToast

Whoa...puts things in perspective. Glad your still around...enjoying shows.

BlackCorduroy

Wow, I'm happy that you're Ok and able to enjoy many more Pearl Jam concerts:). I can't believe your friend still hasn't forgiven you though, it's not your fault.

ciaochow

BlackCorduroy wrote:

Wow, I'm happy that you're Ok and able to enjoy many more Pearl Jam concerts:). I can't believe your friend still hasn't forgiven you though, it's not your fault.

Thanks!

Yeah, I found this girl on Facebook and added her as a friend thinking that we should reconnect and put the past in the past. A mutual friend messaged me to say that she was still mad and wasn't going to add me as her friend. The girl I was in the accident with also instructed this mutual friend to unfriend me, which she then did.

Grudges after fifteen years. Sad.

2-feign-reluctance

petrocs wrote:

holy crap...glad you're still here and that you are still enjoying life!

no kidding. not to steal any thunder, but i've had a couple intense moments in a mosh pit where i felt like i was going to my doom. i also remember getting dropped once whilst crowd surfing at an our lady peace show. i had made it from off the stage to the back of the crowd when it seemed we ran out of people to push me along! hit the back of my head on the floor.

ciaochow

2-feign-reluctance wrote:

no kidding. not to steal any thunder, but i've had a couple intense moments in a mosh pit where i felt like i was going to my doom. i also remember getting dropped once whilst crowd surfing at an our lady peace show. i had made it from off the stage to the back of the crowd when it seemed we ran out of people to push me along! hit the back of my head on the floor.

Damn! You gotta be more careful when riding the human wave. Or - invest in a helmet?

TrixieCat

Wow...what a story.
I am so happy you all made it out alive.
I am also so sorry to hear that your former friend has not forgiven you. That would hurt more, I would think.
I hope one day you and the friend can find some peace.

jammergirl

good lord, its not like you were drunk driving! your ex-friend needs to get over it. so she's never made a mistake in her entire life, huh? well good for her.

eh..need more coffee...glad you're okay!

Igivesuchgoodparadym

Parasol20XXX wrote:

Thanks!

Yeah, I found this girl on Facebook and added her as a friend thinking that we should reconnect and put the past in the past. A mutual friend messaged me to say that she was still mad and wasn't going to add me as her friend. The girl I was in the accident with also instructed this mutual friend to unfriend me, which she then did.

Grudges after fifteen years. Sad.

No worries. You're still alive. And we're your friends.

Cree Nations

fuck...what a story.
Glad you are ok and hopefully some day your friend forgives you.

Enjoy the shows and take care!

restlesssoul

wow, glad you are okay now. you look scary in that picture!

there is a mudfest dvd out there, you should get it to relive the day!

vduboise

Life is way too short! I thought it was brave of you to try to re-connect with this friend. Its sad that she forced your friend to un-friend you. that was just petty. In 15 years people change and grow and put the past behind them and move on. She should have never let you drive if you have never driven a manual car. Especially at night when y'all are tired. She should have just pulled over at a rest stop for a few hours.

Glad you made it to future concerts.

-V

Parasol20XXX wrote:

Thanks!

Yeah, I found this girl on Facebook and added her as a friend thinking that we should reconnect and put the past in the past. A mutual friend messaged me to say that she was still mad and wasn't going to add me as her friend. The girl I was in the accident with also instructed this mutual friend to unfriend me, which she then did.

Grudges after fifteen years. Sad.

TrixieCat

Parasol20XXX wrote:

Thanks!

Yeah, I found this girl on Facebook and added her as a friend thinking that we should reconnect and put the past in the past. A mutual friend messaged me to say that she was still mad and wasn't going to add me as her friend. The girl I was in the accident with also instructed this mutual friend to unfriend me, which she then did.

Grudges after fifteen years. Sad.

I didn't see this...I am so saddened by this.
You know, it is one thing for the misunderstandings and gossiping and assumptions that are made of people's characters on this board, but these are your real life friends. I am truly so sorry you have to deal with this.
She is only hurting herself.

yoke

2-feign-reluctance wrote:

no kidding. not to steal any thunder, but i've had a couple intense moments in a mosh pit where i felt like i was going to my doom. i also remember getting dropped once whilst crowd surfing at an our lady peace show. i had made it from off the stage to the back of the crowd when it seemed we ran out of people to push me along! hit the back of my head on the floor.

same thing happened to me but it was concrete... I saw some stars for a little while oh and it was at Randalls Island in 96 when it happened. I still made it through the show, even though I somehow lost a pant leg.

ciaochow

restlesssoul wrote:

there is a mudfest dvd out there, you should get it to relive the day!

Thanks - a fellow PJ fan sent me a copy some years ago. I should get it out except I don't have a VCR anymore! It was a great one.

washedinblack91

my goodness what a story.. im glad you got out with just minor injuries, could have been a lot worse :( that sucks that your friend won't forgive you, she WAS the one who wanted you to drive without that much experience.. but oh well, you've picked a perfect band, i've found out that the fan base is much nicer than others. everyone i've met at a show has been more than a pleasure to talk to and i'm now friends with the complete strangers i've met at shows i actually met someone from winnipeg at an ed show if it makes you feel any better, i'll be your facebook friend

Hinny

There's actually a place called Gimli?

crowpoint01

Hinny wrote:

There's actually a place called Gimli?

"08/14/93 - Gimli Motorsport Park: Gimli, Manitoba (Sunfest '93) [100m]
attendance: 47,000
set: Even Flow, Why Go, Deep, Jeremy, Animal, Glorified G, Daughter/(Gimme Shelter), Go, State of Love and Trust, Garden, Blood, Alive, Black, Once, Porch, Indifference, Sonic Reducer, Rockin' in the Free World, Baba O'Riley
notes: This show is frequently referred to as "Mudfest" due to a downpour prior to the concert. One of the reasons that this show is so incredible is that PJ was jumping out of their collective skins to be able to cut loose for more than 90 minutes. Currently touring with Neil Young, they were confined to an early 45 minute set. They were offered this slot (and are the only non-Canadian band ever to play this large festival) and it became their night. Despite Ed's drinking, PJ is very high energy and intense.
setlist scan " source http://www.fivehorizons.com
Thanks for sharing your story Parasol.
We all walk the long road...........

Edit- Ok wow was there really 47K people there???

Mrs.Vedder78

Parasol20XXX wrote:

Thanks!

Yeah, I found this girl on Facebook and added her as a friend thinking that we should reconnect and put the past in the past. A mutual friend messaged me to say that she was still mad and wasn't going to add me as her friend. The girl I was in the accident with also instructed this mutual friend to unfriend me, which she then did.

Grudges after fifteen years. Sad.

I'm glad that you got out of that in one piece, and it sounds like she was the one who needed to take the nap and gave you a crash course on how to drive something that can't be learned in a few minutes... it was an accident!

I'm glad you were able to put the past behind you, to sad they didn't.

ciaochow

Hinny wrote:

There's actually a place called Gimli?

Last time I checked it has the largest Icelandic population outside of Iceland.

That's nothing - believe it or not, there is a town in Newfoundland called Dildo.

Mike Gossard

PM me your address. I can send you a DVD of that show if you dont have it already. It's a pro shot DVD, awesome show.

Fahka

wow, accidents suck!!!!


I feel sorry for you guys, im glad u made it out with minimal injuries. Can't believe ure friend hasnt forgivin u yet! Im sure u didnt MEAN to roll the car over. Im sure the friend will realize that one day



Glad to hear u are safe