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Hard To Imagine

skyeriverwinterskyeriverwinter Posts: 1,894
edited March 2010 in The Porch
Today I woke to rain...(as I have said many times... when it rains... it pours from my soul...) so today I was full needless to say. After breakfast my son said, "Momma, can we go for a drive?". You see when I was young my mom would take us for a drive when the house...ummm...became to full... When my son was young we did the same thing...Now we itch to just go...and we never have anywhere specific to go. We, my son my daughter and I, get into the car to drive...nowhere in particular...(yes bad for the environment...good for the soul...) I reached into the center console for some music...I never look...I like the surprise...and put it into the player and took off for our drive. Out comes " Hard To Imagine" from June 22, 2008...my favorite song of all time by the way...as I am driving in the rain to nowhere...the damn breaks and I begin to rain in the car. :lol: The song was an absolute perfect fit for the weather outside and in...oh rain...I call her truth...

silly story yes but I will share none the less...
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Viva La WeinerViva La Weiner Posts: 284
    well said. The song does provide power and emotion, some stuff we need to make right the current times.
  • megatronmegatron Posts: 3,420
    june 14th 2008 is my favorite version :mrgreen: . never heard of the song til that show. what an introduction. there should be a HTI thread daily
  • demetriosdemetrios Posts: 91,415
    Very first time I ever heard this live was Halifax '05. Never thought they would open up with Hard To Imagine. When Stone started those first tiny few chords it totally goosed bumped the lights out of me. 2nd row right up front to Stone. It was Hard To Imagine that Pearl Jam would ever of played here in Atlantic Canada. It was their first ever show in Halifax! A dream of year's & tears that night, that magical moment will forever hold dear to my heart.

    Thanks guys! Hope to see you all around D's hometown Halifax! Let me know when you're back. Ever heard of the famous "It's Greek To Me Restaurant"? Well dinner & drinks are on the house next time you stop by. Trust me! :D
  • mikalinamikalina Posts: 7,206
    " Things were different then, all is different now, I try to explain... somehow.... "

    Love this song, seems to sum things up for me.
    ********************************************************************************************* image
  • CantKeepMeHereCantKeepMeHere Posts: 2,177
    I don't think I had ever even heard Hard To Imagine on a bootleg as funny as that sounds - but at the AOL sessions when Avocado came out it perked my ear then - but yes at Bonnaroo my first time seeing them I was begging for a soft opener, I really wanted LongRoad and was floored when Hard To Imagine started -
    AND IF YOU WERE THERE then you know what I am talking about when I say Creshendo and GlowSticks

    (At the peak of the song a million glow sticks fell from the sky - or folks in the way back with really good arms)
    :mrgreen:
    My Pearl Jam Fan Videos
    Best on the web - check them out
    http://www.youtube.com/user/cantkeepmehere
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    2008 Bonnaroo - 2009 Philly 2&3 - 2010 MSG 1&2
  • MASMAS Posts: 630
    June 22, 2008, Washington D.C.....Great show, with HTI as the opener..
    I was there and its my birthday....
  • giventofly0812giventofly0812 Posts: 218
    in recent days this song has taken on new meaning for me: ill give ya the back story

    i was never a relationship guy, never wanted one, never really needed one. Met this girl, shes incredible (ed vedder solo stuff fan, not huge into pearl jam) who we share a lot of similarities. There was a hook up or two thrown in there too. But problem is, shes been talking to another guy for about 4 months now. She keeps asking me why i would want a relationship all of a sudden, and ive tried to explain to her in four or five ways why, and all i could tell her after that was, for me:

    "Things were different the....all is different now....i tried to explain... i hope it works somehow"

    Amazing how PJ connects to your life at random points
    E. Rutherford 6/03/06
    Camden 6/19/08
    Newark 5/18/10
    MSG 5/20/10
    MSG 5/21/10
    Brian (Staten Island): Does Boom even speak to you guys?

    SportsNation Jeff Ament: (6:42 PM ET ) we can only speak to Boom when spoken to...
  • pandorapandora Posts: 21,855
    mine is a fan story ....
    Columbia june 08 met a great lady at the preparty. Can not remember her name but she waved my husband and I over to share a spot at her table of friends when it was just super packed, standing room only. Visiting we shared many things one was the songs we were all hoping to hear. Hers was Hard to Imagine which I had never paid that much attention too :shock: mine was Indifference which I was lucky enough to hear in the finale that night. She was going home as we were but was lucky enough to be going to DC with one of her teens for the show you speak of. I saw she got her song and I bought the bootleg in her honor and now Hard to Imagine is at the top of my list. Thanks to that great friendly fan :D
    one of the very best parts of being a Pearl Jam fan is the other fans
  • JonnyPistachioJonnyPistachio Posts: 10,217
    man, you all are sooo lucky! I have been DYING a little to death to see this song live one day! :)

    One of my favorite songs of all time!
    Pick up my debut novel here on amazon: Jonny Bails Floatin (in paperback) (also available on Kindle for $2.99)
  • RPR77RPR77 Posts: 112
    Hard to Imagine was the opener for my first show Camden night 1 2008. It is now one of my favorite songs
    6-19-08 Camden I 8-17-08 EV DC II 10-27-09 Philly Night I row 5 10-28-09 Philly Night II row 6 Dead center,10-30-09 Philly Night III section 202, 10-31-09 Philly Night IV section 310, 10-21-13 Philly I PIT, 10-22-13 Philly II PIT
    First song I heard live Hard to Imagine.
    Thank you Pearl Jam for playing Man of the Hour Philly 13 Night 1, I lost my Uncle that morning and it helped me, Cincy 10-01-14 PIT
  • giventofly0812giventofly0812 Posts: 218
    been to two shows, Continental night 2 06 and camden night 1 08 and they played at it both
    E. Rutherford 6/03/06
    Camden 6/19/08
    Newark 5/18/10
    MSG 5/20/10
    MSG 5/21/10
    Brian (Staten Island): Does Boom even speak to you guys?

    SportsNation Jeff Ament: (6:42 PM ET ) we can only speak to Boom when spoken to...
  • like.echoeslike.echoes Posts: 582
    RPR77 wrote:
    Hard to Imagine was the opener for my first show Camden night 1 2008. It is now one of my favorite songs

    And the opener for my first show as well, Mansfield I 2008. Just those opening notes made me fall in love with PJ.
    nothing's changed but the surrounding bullsh1t
  • Evacuation RulesEvacuation Rules Posts: 2,162
    East Rutherford Night 2 is the best version, hands down.
  • Mitch8415Mitch8415 Posts: 227
    Opened Chicago 8/24/09 with it... I took 5 guys that had never seen PJ live with me, and one of them tells me that after buying to boot and relistening to the show, that HTI is now his favorite PJ song because of it.
    ~ Chicago 5/16/06 ~ Chicago 8/23/09 ~ Chicago 8/24/09 ~
    ~ Kansas City 5/3/10 ~ Alpine Valley 9/3/11 ~ Alpine Valley 9/4/11 ~
    ~ Wrigley Field 7/19/13 ~ Oklahoma City 11/16/13 ~ St. Louis 10/3/14 ~
    ~ Wrigley Field 8/20/16 ~ Wrigley Field 8/18/18 ~ Wrigley Field 8/20/18 ~
    ~ Fenway Park 9/4/18 ~ Denver 9/22/22
  • maverickmaverick Posts: 1,201
    Evacuation Rules wrote:
    East Rutherford Night 2 is the best version, hands down.
    Respectfully, I beg to disagree. 10/3/2005 - Philadelphia. Listen to it. You'll like it. The ending is outstanding, especially the guitar solo at the end.
  • PappasPappas Posts: 809
    awesome song!

    i think the AOL version is the best
    Even Flow Psycho Member #039

    ******Message Pit Australian Tour Members********
    rumour starter President & Member #1

    www.myspace.com/pappas99
  • megatronmegatron Posts: 3,420
    8-24-09 chicago night 2 opener was great. mike's guitar is wailing such a sad note at the end with eddie screaming. worked well
  • MASMAS Posts: 630
    maverick wrote:
    Evacuation Rules wrote:
    East Rutherford Night 2 is the best version, hands down.
    Respectfully, I beg to disagree. 10/3/2005 - Philadelphia. Listen to it. You'll like it. The ending is outstanding, especially the guitar solo at the end.

    I don't know about that..that East Rutherford 2 was on 6/3/06 and I was at that show...
    That version that night was haunting (for lack of a better word)
  • Mike's SideMike's Side Posts: 954
    Here is my vid of it from your first show Echoes.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsSiH2dndOY
    1996 - Ft Lauderdale
    1998 - West Palm Beach 1
    2000 - West Palm Beach 1&2
    2003 - WPB,Tampa,Atlanta,Camden 1&2,MSG 1&2, Boston 3,Hershey Park
    2004 - Asheville, Kissimmee
    2008 - West Palm Beach,Tampa,Columbia,Virginia Beach, Mansfield 1&2
    2010 - Hartford,Boston,Newark, MSG 1&2
    2011 - PJ20 1&2, Costa Rica
    2013 - Wrigley,Brooklyn 1&2,Seattle
    2014 - Denver,Mountain View 1&2
    2015 - Bogata, Mexico City
    2016 - Ft Lauderdale,Miami,Tampa,NYC 1&2,Telluride,Fenway 1&2,Wrigley 1&2

  • CantKeepMeHereCantKeepMeHere Posts: 2,177
    Since you guys are talking about it - check out
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhrzFWr9Lxs
    trust me it's not your usually youtube pearl jam h2i video

    cheers
    My Pearl Jam Fan Videos
    Best on the web - check them out
    http://www.youtube.com/user/cantkeepmehere
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    </left>
    2008 Bonnaroo - 2009 Philly 2&3 - 2010 MSG 1&2
  • NYCPJNYCPJ Posts: 764
    MAS wrote:
    maverick wrote:
    Evacuation Rules wrote:
    East Rutherford Night 2 is the best version, hands down.
    Respectfully, I beg to disagree. 10/3/2005 - Philadelphia. Listen to it. You'll like it. The ending is outstanding, especially the guitar solo at the end.

    I don't know about that..that East Rutherford 2 was on 6/3/06 and I was at that show...
    That version that night was haunting (for lack of a better word)

    I was at East Rutherford 2 as well (also got it at MSG1 in 2008) -- the East Rutherford 2 version is pretty amazing. Of course, 10/3/05, overall, is one of my favorite boots, so i wont argue to hard against that version.
    6/3/06 (East Rutherford 2)
    6/24/08 (MSG1)
    6/25/08 (MSG2)
    7/1/08 (Beacon Theater -NYC)
    10/30/09 (Philly3)
    5/18/10 (Newark, NJ)
    5/20/10 (MSG1)
    5/21/10 (MSG2)
    10/18/13 (Brooklyn 1)
    10/19/13 (Brooklyn 2)
    5/1/16 (MSG 1)
    5/2/16 (MSG 2)
    3/30/20 (MSG)
    9/3/24 I(MSG1)
    9/4/24 (MSG 2)
  • Mitch8415Mitch8415 Posts: 227
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tR24e9wVXA

    Hard to Imagine

    Chicago 8/24/09 Opener
    ~ Chicago 5/16/06 ~ Chicago 8/23/09 ~ Chicago 8/24/09 ~
    ~ Kansas City 5/3/10 ~ Alpine Valley 9/3/11 ~ Alpine Valley 9/4/11 ~
    ~ Wrigley Field 7/19/13 ~ Oklahoma City 11/16/13 ~ St. Louis 10/3/14 ~
    ~ Wrigley Field 8/20/16 ~ Wrigley Field 8/18/18 ~ Wrigley Field 8/20/18 ~
    ~ Fenway Park 9/4/18 ~ Denver 9/22/22
  • circlesdowncirclesdown Posts: 308
    My greatest PJ moment, or music moment of all time, was at the Gorge in 05. They closed out the opening acoustic set with this, just after we all enjoyed a beautiful sunset. As the song picked up the intensity they each stood up to jam, one by one.
  • hrd2imgnhrd2imgn Posts: 4,895
    after 10 shows I finally got to hear it a the Vic, it was my favorite song from some bootleg I had long before they put it on Chicago Cab. I just remember hearing the opening notes. I don't give a shit that there was feedback in it either ;-) (get the shit together Smitty)

    since then I have heard it three more times and I just love how they have been playing it
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