Options
What a Great Time to be a Fan
Although it's nearly impossible to state anything new on this site, most everything has been covered hundreds or even thousands of times, I wanted to throw my two cents out there. Our favorite band, Pearl Jam, is playing at an epic level right now. I'm 31 years old, and I firmly believe that in my musical lifetime (highschool'ish until now) there has been no greater rock band than Pearl Jam. They deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as The Who, The Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, The Dead, The Ramones, Jane's Addiction, AC/DC, REM, and on and on. They are fast becoming living legends. Their live shows are almost overwhelming with emotion. There is a perfect symbiotic relationship with the band fueling the crowds' energy and the band in turn feeding off the frenzied masses. It's an amazing experience that even non-PJ fans can appreciate and acknowledge.
I became a fan, a real fan, of Pearl Jam in 1998. Yield struck me in a way that none of their previous releases had. However, as I began to grow enamored with Yield, I went back through the catalog and fell in love with each and every one of the albums. It wasn't until I saw Pearl Jam live at Memorial Stadium in 1998 though, that I really knew how great this band was. Since that time I've seen Pearl Jam 23 more times. Each one a special experience and never taken for granted. However, there are just some shows that stick out and stay in your memory longer than others.
For me that show has always been November 6th, 2000 at Key Arena, the final show of the Binaural tour. It was a fantastic show, as many of you already know. I've been incredibly fortunate to see Pearl Jam in some amazing circumstances. I was front row center at the Mount Baker Theater, and I saw them the next night in Vancouver, BC at the Commodore Ballroom. I've seen their past three performances at the Showbox, and I spent the whole night at Benaroya Hall to get tickets to that beautiful acoustic set. I was at the Gorge in '05 and '06. But none of them ever matched the experience of Seattle night 2.
None of them. That is until this past weekend. Thankfully I was able to witness Pearl Jam's final two nights at the historic Spectrum. Both nights were spectacular with a perfect balance of obscure, fan friendly deep cuts and anthemic crowd pleasers. The Halloween show was, for me, the greatest live show I've ever seen. Yes, Seattle night 2 has been unseated, I think. Halloween had a much lighter feel to it than Seattle 2. There is absolutely no doubt that this band is loving what they're doing and getting better with age. On that November evening in Seattle, there was a certain feeling that this could really be it. That made the show very intense and special, but very somber at the same time. The final show at the Spectrum was completely opposite the Seattle show. It felt like a momentous celebration of a storied venue, and a statement that, "Hey, we're loving what we're doing right now, and we're really fuckin' good at it." I am on such a Pearl Jam high right now that it's hard to focus on anything else. I love this band!
Let's hope for a DVD of the Spectrum shows!
I became a fan, a real fan, of Pearl Jam in 1998. Yield struck me in a way that none of their previous releases had. However, as I began to grow enamored with Yield, I went back through the catalog and fell in love with each and every one of the albums. It wasn't until I saw Pearl Jam live at Memorial Stadium in 1998 though, that I really knew how great this band was. Since that time I've seen Pearl Jam 23 more times. Each one a special experience and never taken for granted. However, there are just some shows that stick out and stay in your memory longer than others.
For me that show has always been November 6th, 2000 at Key Arena, the final show of the Binaural tour. It was a fantastic show, as many of you already know. I've been incredibly fortunate to see Pearl Jam in some amazing circumstances. I was front row center at the Mount Baker Theater, and I saw them the next night in Vancouver, BC at the Commodore Ballroom. I've seen their past three performances at the Showbox, and I spent the whole night at Benaroya Hall to get tickets to that beautiful acoustic set. I was at the Gorge in '05 and '06. But none of them ever matched the experience of Seattle night 2.
None of them. That is until this past weekend. Thankfully I was able to witness Pearl Jam's final two nights at the historic Spectrum. Both nights were spectacular with a perfect balance of obscure, fan friendly deep cuts and anthemic crowd pleasers. The Halloween show was, for me, the greatest live show I've ever seen. Yes, Seattle night 2 has been unseated, I think. Halloween had a much lighter feel to it than Seattle 2. There is absolutely no doubt that this band is loving what they're doing and getting better with age. On that November evening in Seattle, there was a certain feeling that this could really be it. That made the show very intense and special, but very somber at the same time. The final show at the Spectrum was completely opposite the Seattle show. It felt like a momentous celebration of a storied venue, and a statement that, "Hey, we're loving what we're doing right now, and we're really fuckin' good at it." I am on such a Pearl Jam high right now that it's hard to focus on anything else. I love this band!
Let's hope for a DVD of the Spectrum shows!
Post edited by Unknown User on
0
Comments
A dvd of the Philly shows would also be great.
These are some of the gifts that the band and their music have given me in my life. Gratitude, Love, Respect, Passion, Commitment, Trust and the list just goes on and on. THANK YOU PEARL JAM!
Seattle 09-16-96, Vancouver 07-19-98, Seattle 11-05-00, Seattle 12-09-02, Vancouver 05-30-03, Vancouver 09-02-05, Gorge 07-23-06, Seattle 09-21-09, Seattle 09-22-09, Vancouver 09-25-09
I only went to the Halloween show, some have asked me if regret not being there for the others.
NOT ONE BIT !
I think for me the whole experience of leaving Cincy at 3am and driving 9 hours , going straight to the 10c window to get my tickets and then going to the hotel for a shower, then a cheese steak , then to the Spectrum made that night really intense and special for me.
Would I have loved to be able to see all 4 ? Hell yeah. But I would have had to give up going to Cali at the start of the tour, and then I would have missed out on front row for LA 3.
It all worked out in the end, and I had a great time.
Cant wait for the Spectrum DVD's, then I will be able to experience all four nights, and by then will be even MORE excited to watch the show I did attend.
sorry, that was much longer then I meant for it to be.
thanks PJ, thanks 10c.
"To question your government is not unpatriotic --
to not question your government is unpatriotic."
-- Sen. Chuck Hagel
They sure do deserve to be in the same league just the fact that they do a ton more for their fan base compared to the one's you mentioned they didn't do a 1/3 of what PJ does for us and i SAW two of the above mentioned as complete lineups ....to me PJ is the best band to come around ...
that has nothing to do with the quality of their music, aka the only thing that matters
Awesome ! have great time ! be safe .
"To question your government is not unpatriotic --
to not question your government is unpatriotic."
-- Sen. Chuck Hagel
I've listened some of the 2009 bootlegs and the shows have been amazing.
I think they will be remembered as a great band in the future. They deserve it.
It's growing up just like me.
pearl jam is the best rock band since led zep-and they might make better records
and the events of the past week just solidified that belief
unfortunately, the world is catching on :P
Knowledge is not wisdom.
Wisdom is not truth.
Truth is not beauty.
Beauty is not love.
Love is not music.
Music is the best."
~ FZ ~
And here's another twist: I'm 42 and have caught many bands at their beginning just like I caught PJ. Notably Metallica in '83 (easy for us in the Bay Area), Motley Crue's first album in '81, GnR in '87. The whole grunge thang....
After the Partridge Family and Monkees got me "aware," I was doomed: KISS ALIVE in '75 as an 8-year old boy, Destroyer '76, Love Gun '77, Alive II in '77 (Top 10 rock albums EVER) -- great googly moogly!!! Zepplin was pretty much wrapping it up at that point (thank god for the Plant/Page resurgence mid-90s!)
But in the early 80s as my musical horizons were expanding, a lot of bands were already well established. AC/DC Highway to Hell ('79) and Back in Black ('80), Ozzy's Blizzard ('80) and Diary ('81) which sucks you into Sabbath of course, Heaven and Hell ('80) Mob Rules ('81), Stones Tattoo You ('81), Rush broke out with Moving Pictures ('81), Iron Maiden with No. of the Beast (82), Van Halen was already huge but Diver Down ('82) was awesome, Scorpions Blackout ('82), Judas Priest's Point of Entry ('81) and Screaming for Vengence ('82). The Police Ghost in the Machine ('81). Dio's Holy Diver ('83).
The hype around these new album releases raised awareness for so many of these bands, if their back catalogs hadn't already.... The Wall was still sloshing around major in the early 80s. The Who were releasing stuff still, but the pull of their earlier albums was still strong ... like Zepplin's cannon, like The Beatles' cannon....
So where am I going?
Think about that 8-year old boy that just picked up BACKSPACER! OH MY GOD, he's in for a ride, so much music he'll explore now!!!! I kinda wish it was all so new to me right now! And that lil' shit can have ALL of this stuffed on an iPod with INSTANT access. I had to pick up the needle and drop it down oh so gently!
Halloween show was my 40th and without a doubt, the best.