Never has one band been such a source of creating friendships and bonds that will last a lifetime. I love the music first and foremost, but the community that has been born from that music is the icing on a really big fucking cake. Thank you for 20 years PJ...here's to 20 more!
Mesa I - 11/93 * Toledo - 9/96 * Chicago - 6/98 * St Louis - 7/98 * Indy - 8/98 * St Louis & San Diego - 10/00 * Mt View II - 10/01 * Irvine I & II, San Diego - 6/03 * Chicago I - 5/06 * San Diego & SF III - 7/06 * Lolla - 8/07 * EV Chicago - 8/08 * Chicago I & II - 8/09 * Kansas City & Indy - 5/10 * PJ20 X2 - 9/11 * Atlanta 9/12 * Wrigley Field 7/13 * Moline & Milwaukee 10/14 * Wrigley Field I & II 8/16 * Wrigley Field I & II 8/18 * Ohana Encore I & II 10/21 * EV & The Earthlings Chicago II 2/22
Won the lottery PJ20 Night 1 - Front Row in front of Jeff - Forever grateful to Ten Club
***I wanna live my life with the volume full***
You know when you experience something for the first time and it blows your mind, that's what listening to these guys is like all the time.
Even my 13 year old daughter and 16 yr old son have been rocking out to Pearl Jam for the last 10 years. And may we ALL continue to do so for many decades to come.
thanks to their music i am alive today ...really.. in between Ten and Vs i was going through some really tough times as teen in the mid 90's... family ,no direction. etc etc ... the music of the mid 90's was the only thing that kept me a float .. more so pearl Jams then any other .. and for that i thank them every time i purchase a CD,concert poster, tickets etc etc .... its a way of life for me ...its a second skin
"...Dimitri...He talks to me...'.."The Ghost of Greece..".
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
Too hard to explain, all i know is ever since i heard them for the first time in 8th grade i was hooked. I had never and still havent heard anything like them. its not only how the music sounds and what it means but also the great live performances, the the social impact they have through charities and awareness, and a great group of fans and community. So whether its listening to their music, playing their music on guitar, collecting posters, or dressing my baby in a PJ onesie they are still a big part of my life.
Wow this is a hard one! Well lets start pearl jam is pretty much my life i cant go a day without listening to them. pearl jam has gotten me thought quite some hard times in my life, and there music just inspires me!! Without pearl jam i have no idea what i would have done!! THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!
"Makes much more sense to live in the present tense"
Mansfield 08 1
Boston 2010
Montreal 2011
EV Prov 11
Worcester 1 13
Worcester 2 13
Hartford 13 Boston 16 - 1 Boston 16 - 2 Boston 18 - 1 Boston 18 -2 MSG 24 - 1 Boston 24 -1 Boston 24 -2
they are a religion, a poetry, one of the most important things that happened for me, starting with Yield
i've learned to love their music and attitude.
Because their lyrics & music speak to me when nothing else can.
Because their songs help me understand my own self better.
Because I can let out emotions, but also find comfort in their music.
Because the guys genuinely care about their fans and causes they believe in.
Because they constantly inspire me and I am constantly getting new things out of songs
Because they give 2000% at shows
Because I can honestly say the happiest I have ever been was at the 2 MSG shows I attended
I could go on....
but, Ben Bridwell seemed to sum it up best: "Pearl Jam's the best band!"
"Sometimes you find yourself having to put all your faith in no faith."
~not a dude~
2010: MSGx2
2012: Made In America
2013: Pittsburgh, Brooklynx2, Hartford, Baltimore
2014: Leeds, Milton Keynes, Detroit
2015: Global Citizen Festival
2016: Phillyx2, MSGx2, Fenwayx2 2018: Barcelona, Wrigleyx2
first off, THANKS TO DIMI FOR YOUR CONSTANT GENEROSITY!!!!
pearl jam has done a lot for me:
made me want to be a better person, helped me become a better musician, has helped me through some of the toughest times in my life, inspired me to be more socially/politically active, has helped me meet a ton of amazing people, constantly changes my mood for the day, ignited a passion for listening to all things vinyl, taught me alternate tunings....
i could go on & on....
basically, i feel like they have helped to make me a better person. thank you, Pearl Jam.
PJ's music allows me to look back fondly on the past, appreciate what is happening now in the present, and look forward to what may happen in the future.....thank you for 20 years of great music and a lifetime of special moments!!! Thanx again D!!
'93 Toronto
'94 Detroit
'10 Columbus
'11 Detroit (Eddie solo), Toronto 1 and 2, Ottawa, Hamilton
'13 London, Pittsburgh, Buffalo
'14 Detroit
'16 Ottawa, Toronto 1 and 2, Chicago 1 and 2 '18 Chicago 1 and 2 '22 Hamilton, Toronto
It's already been sung, but it can't be said enough.
All you need is love
Is this just another phase? Earthquakes making waves,...
Trying to shake the cancer off? Stupid human beings,...
Once you hold the hand of love,.. it's all surmountable.
Pearl jam is my religion
Arms up in a V praising the greatest band in the world!!!
Happy B-Day PJ
Keep the love alive D!!!
Mansfield, MA - Jul 02, 2003; Mansfield, MA - Jul 03, 2003; Mansfield, MA - Jul 11, 2003; Boston, MA - Sep 29, 2004; Reading, PA - Oct 01, 2004; Hartford, CT - May 13, 2006; Boston, MA - May 24, 2006; Boston, MA - May 25, 2006; Hartford, CT - Jun 27, 2008; Mansfield, MA - Jun 28, 2008; Mansfield, MA - June 30, 2008; Hartford, CT - May 15, 2010; Boston, MA - May 17, 2010; [EV - Providence, RI - June 15, 2011; EV - Hartford, CT - June 18, 2011]; Worcester, MA - Oct. 15, 2013; Worcester, MA - Oct. 16, 2013; Hartford, CT - Oct. 25, 2013; Boston, MA - August 5, 2016; Boston, MA - August 7, 2016...
I like Pearl Jam because they have become a part of my life. Like a best friend or family member they have been with me for well over 2/3 of my life and I honestly believe I would be a much different person if it were not for them.
Great contest D and thank you Pearl Jam for 20 years of being a massive part of my life. You are all much more than musicians. You're role models, influences, positive people that so many of us look up to. You rock.
First off....thanks D for your generosity!!! The love keeps on coming. One of the many reasons I love Pearl Jam is because they inspire people like Dimitris to do things like this lottery.
Pearl Jam has always moved me, even the very first time I heard 'em, because they stirred something inside. I think that there is an essensce in the musician that, when the music is true, gets captured and relayed thru the words and sounds they create; not necessarily the words or the chords but a sum greater than the parts that insinuates from where the music came. Pearl Jam has always resonated that truth to me, one that worked it's way thru whatever temporary mood or place I was in and spoke to my spirit. The guy who in earlier in the thread quoted from Shawshank Redemption captured in perfectly....it's reached into here (points to heart) and promotes hope. They're not my religion; they don't want to be. However, Pearl Jam's music has always served like the rusty signs left in 'Man of the Hour' and given small clues to the forever elusive meaning of life. Josh Homme spoke in an interview in one of the newsletters/deep mags about Pearl Jam's ability to capture in their music their collective lives and experiences that occur from album to album. He's right on and along those lines I feel blessed to have watched them grow. It's been nothing short of fekkin brilliant to share this journey with them over the past twenty years.
So, I toast (a beer that I'll drink later today....it's still before noon here ) to Pearl Jam and to each of us, the fans.
Yield was released on February 3, 1998, which was also my 16th birthday. Not wasting any time that day, I went directly to Newbury Comics after getting out of school, where my friend and I bought our copies with much anticipation. I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but that first listen blew my mind away. Listening to it LOUD was fantastic. I was amazed at how the band seemed reborn after the ups and downs they had faced together the past few years. My friend unfortunately passed away a few years later but every year now on this day I spin Yield, crack open a few and get nostalgic about growing up, growing older and letting Pearl Jam provide the soundtrack to my life, for better or worse. Pearl Jam is much more than 5 guys playing music. It sums up in many ways who I am as a person, where I've come from and where I need to be going. Yield, for me, is at the heart of this idea.
"FF, I've heard the droning about the Sawx being the baby dolls. Yeah, I get it, you guys invented baseball and suffered forever. I get it." -JearlPam0925
Yield was released on February 3, 1998, which was also my 16th birthday. Not wasting any time that day, I went directly to Newbury Comics after getting out of school, where my friend and I bought our copies with much anticipation. I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but that first listen blew my mind away. Listening to it LOUD was fantastic. I was amazed at how the band seemed reborn after the ups and downs they had faced together the past few years. My friend unfortunately passed away a few years later but every year now on this day I spin Yield, crack open a few and get nostalgic about growing up, growing older and letting Pearl Jam provide the soundtrack to my life, for better or worse. Pearl Jam is much more than 5 guys playing music. It sums up in many ways who I am as a person, where I've come from and where I need to be going. Yield, for me, is at the heart of this idea.
Beautiful...
"...Dimitri...He talks to me...'.."The Ghost of Greece..".
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
meh. I'm not really that into them. I got that CD with the goat on it when it came out because my girlfriend at the time liked that "Don't call me daughter" song, but that's all I know of them. Besides, I'm pretty sure they're just ripping off Creed and Nickelback. This is the Kanye West fan-forum, right? No? I knew I should have taken that left turn at Albuquerque. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8TUwHTfOOU
Pearl Jam came into my life when I was young, misunderstood, bullied and going through things at home that were confusing and dark (not puberty - that was AWESOME). I'm sure it was Ed's Golden Baritone that got me in the door, but Mike, Jeff, Stone and Dave and Matt and Dave and Jack and Matt kept me in the club.
"If you are flammable and have legs, you are never blocking a fire exit." - Mitch Hedberg
great music and awesome shows. Hearing PJ through my older brother before i even really knew what music was, they have always been a part of my life.
Dallas TX 10/17/00
Oklahoma City 4/3/03
Dallas TX 6/9/03
Memphis TN 6/20/09 (Eddie)
Kansas City MO 4/3/10
Little Rock AR 8/28/10 (Eddie, WM3 rally)
St Louis MO 7/1/11 (Eddie)
Dallas TX 11/15/12 (Eddie)
Tulsa OK 11/18/12 (Eddie)
Tulsa OK 11/19/12 (Eddie)
Dallas TX 11/15/13
Oklahoma City 11/16/13 Tulsa OK 10/8/14 St Louis MO 9/18/22 Oklahoma City 9/20/22 Ft Worth TX 9/13/23 Ft Worth TX 9/15/23
I began listening to Pearl Jam freshman year of high school in 1991. In 1993 I met the girl who would later be my wife. 20 years later they are the only 2 things from that most influential time period of my life that are still with me. Friends, family, jobs, etc., they all come and go but PJ hasn't.
Like my wife and I, PJ and I have had some misunderstandings, arguments, and disagreements but we have made it through coming out even stronger then the last.
We still don't share all the same views on life, politics, etc. but that doesn't matter. That stuff is all a distant second to the music, the live shows, the love for us all as fans. Opposites do attract, if they didn't life would be boring.
That's the amazing thing about this band to me. Their ability to touch me and reach me and keep me hanging around like nothing else can. I am older now, wiser now, a husband now, a father now, and don't waste my time or energy or thoughts with things that don't mean much to me or that I can't live without and PJ is one of the few.
As far as I can remember, back to when I was a little girl...Love, sense of security, someone to talk to about all of the things you find difficulty talking about with was missing. Guidance, laughter & happiness, all the essentials a young child needs to have a successful productive life weren't there. I'm sure my father abandoning my mother & I in the first year of my life played a significant part in the way I felt, rejecting all signs of emotional attachment. Later growing up into a teenager where people just didn't feel the need to be around me because I was, from what they would say...'different'. I always just needed to be my 'own' person, nothing like anyone else, but still trying to be like everyone else. I carried this sadness secretly within me, it's still there (just a little these days), everyday of my life asking myself constantly, 'Where do I fit into this world? Do I even belong here? Will there ever be someone out there for me?...Someone who understands me, gets me, feels me?...'
I grew up in South Jersey. A small town, ironically so. You know, a place where your born there, you grow up, get married, have kids & live & die there, end of story. I used to say, 'Geezzz, I gotta get out of this place!' Well, the closest escape from that one square mile town of Magnolia was to hop on the Speed line & head to the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia. I spent most of my days & nights as a 'street kid'. In & out of the underground clubs, panhandling for cash between 4th & 3rd on South Street so I could buy me some fries from Ishkabibbles then take a short walk to Brocco's on 5th & Bainbridge to pick up a 40 oz of Old E. That's right, I said it, Old E. Then back up to the alley nestled right on the side of JC Dobbs watching young graffiti artists paint a display of their emotions on a dirty ass wall through a few cans of spray paint, eating fries & illegally drinking beer.
At that time in my life, reckless & out of control as I was, wouldn't have known that this young, passionate, full of life or even maybe at that time, lacking life & searching for the very same things I was searching for, where playing right around the bend? See how 'powerful lyrics' can have such an amazing effect on your life? I speak fluent Pearl Jam all of the time . I surely didn't know...But, there they were, always around me. Skating in Love Park. Exiting out of the back of the Troc, ( after an evening of a, what will definitely go down in history as one of the 'greatest' shows Pearl Jam ever played) as I walked through the front doors getting ready to dance the night away to sounds of house music spun by DJ Robbie Tronco. JC Dobbs & the alley right on the side. Even the Tunnel in NYC where I tripped into the 'Jeremy' boy on the stairs in main hall. I guess it was meant to be, being a part of my life...
So still, after all of these fateful events, I didn't know the first thing about Pearl Jam & their music. Until one night, when the phone, which never rang, didn't ring & I had no money to take the train into the city & do absolutely nothing anyways. I stayed home, turned on the tv, MTV...& there they were. 'Pearl Jam live Unplugged'. Pulled up the rocking chair, (which I still have to this day. Thanks Nanny, I love & miss you dearly) grabbed my smokes & the warm bottle of Dewar’s off of the dresser, that I found in my grandparents basement that had to have been there for at least 10 years & began to watch & listen closely...
I can truly & honestly say that that was the first & only time ever in my life where I didn't feel like I was alone, while sitting in my room all alone. I know you can understand what I'm saying? Here were these five young men, 120 miles away, sharing their emotions, thoughts, experiences, passions, through lyrics & music. It was everything I ever thought, felt, breathed my whole entire life. All my answers to questions I thought would never be answered were satisfied within one hour. One hour of my life after searching for 17 years. Just one hour. Amazing, isn't it? It changed me, or I should say, it started this movement inside of me to finally unleash my 'true' self. The person who was inside of me all along that I never wanted to surface because I was scared to be me. They showed me within that one hour, that I wasn't alone, I would never be alone. & to this day, Pearl Jam has continuously stayed in all of our lives because that is was is meant to be. They need us just as much as we need them. That's what keeps us 'alive'. It's what keeps us all growing & striving for a better way of life. We were all born & destined to have this special connection.
From all of the years listening to Pearl Jams music, I grown into a fine young woman. An individual but doesn't stand alone anymore. I've broken & changed the cycle from my families past & became an amazing mother to two beautiful children. I've traveled the country & seen places that I would have never seen if it wasn't for the love of Pearl Jam. Geezz, after last years show in Utah, we decided to pack it all up & move away from that one square mile town, take a journey across the country & start a new life in God's country. How's that for inspiration? I know who I am because of them. I understand that in my most desolate moments of my life I will never be alone & I will never loose my faith in life. It's deep inside within me & my love for them will always remain in my heart, in my soul forever. Mahalo, you've made a tremendous impact on my life, in all our lives. Thank you for an amazing 20 years. It means more to me than words can ever say...
There you go 'D'!...That's how I feel all wrapped up in a nutshell . 'Viva la Pearl Jam!'
No other band in the world elicits an emotional response from the music they way they do! They make me laugh they make me cry!
Can't go a day without them!
Toronto - 2009
Hartford - 2010
Ed Solo - Hartford - 2011
Toronto X 2, Ottawa & Hamilton - 2011
Ed Solo - Jacksonville - 2012
London, Pittsburgh & Buffalo - 2013
No shows in 2014 :-(
so great all of your posts...make me more happy for this giveway thing..thank you all
"...Dimitri...He talks to me...'.."The Ghost of Greece..".
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
I, like many others who have posted to this thread, began listening to PJ 20 yrs ago. They came along at a time in my life trying to identify myself and who I was. Through HS and college, I listened. I bought the CDs & singles, but never got a chance to see them live. There came a point when this band from Seattle decided they wouldn't play venues sold by Ticketmaster... I vowed never to listen to them again and was completely pissed as I knew as a broke college student I couldn't travel from little ol Indiana to see them, so what was the point?
Little did I know then (I was a know-it-all 20 yr old) that this was one of those "life lessons" which I had yet to learn...
Standing up for what you believe is right and having the balls to do it...only later (after I finally got my chance to see them in 2000 in Indy) did I realize what it took for them to pull it off.
Been back since then, and I don't think that I'll ever stray again. Heck I've even got my wife to go to one of their concerts and recognizing songs of theirs now. And she had the idea of putting the headphones on her pregnant belly playing PJ to our unborn children (instead of Mozart) and creating a rock n' roll baby room!
Thanks for 20 yrs guys! Here's to at least 1 or 2 more tours! And thanks to D for his generosity!
Cheers!
"Then the Spirit of God hovered over the water, and God said, Let there be music, and there was Pearl Jam."
Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?
Comments
Won the lottery PJ20 Night 1 - Front Row in front of Jeff - Forever grateful to Ten Club
***I wanna live my life with the volume full***
Even my 13 year old daughter and 16 yr old son have been rocking out to Pearl Jam for the last 10 years. And may we ALL continue to do so for many decades to come.
thanks to their music i am alive today ...really.. in between Ten and Vs i was going through some really tough times as teen in the mid 90's... family ,no direction. etc etc ... the music of the mid 90's was the only thing that kept me a float .. more so pearl Jams then any other .. and for that i thank them every time i purchase a CD,concert poster, tickets etc etc .... its a way of life for me ...its a second skin
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
2008: 6/19, 6/24, 6/25
2009: 6/14 (EV), 10/27, 10/28
2010: 5/17
2011: 6/21 (EV), 6/22 (EV), 9/11, 9/12
2012: 9/2
2013: 10/15, 10/16, 10/19, 10/21, 10/22, 10/27, 11/23, 11/24
2014: 10/19
2016: 5/1, 5/2, 5/8
2018: 8/20, 9/2, 9/4
Mansfield 08 1
Boston 2010
Montreal 2011
EV Prov 11
Worcester 1 13
Worcester 2 13
Hartford 13
Boston 16 - 1
Boston 16 - 2
Boston 18 - 1
Boston 18 -2
MSG 24 - 1
Boston 24 -1
Boston 24 -2
i've learned to love their music and attitude.
thanks for everything!
Because their songs help me understand my own self better.
Because I can let out emotions, but also find comfort in their music.
Because the guys genuinely care about their fans and causes they believe in.
Because they constantly inspire me and I am constantly getting new things out of songs
Because they give 2000% at shows
Because I can honestly say the happiest I have ever been was at the 2 MSG shows I attended
I could go on....
but, Ben Bridwell seemed to sum it up best: "Pearl Jam's the best band!"
~not a dude~
2010: MSGx2
2012: Made In America
2013: Pittsburgh, Brooklynx2, Hartford, Baltimore
2014: Leeds, Milton Keynes, Detroit
2015: Global Citizen Festival
2016: Phillyx2, MSGx2, Fenwayx2
2018: Barcelona, Wrigleyx2
pearl jam has done a lot for me:
made me want to be a better person, helped me become a better musician, has helped me through some of the toughest times in my life, inspired me to be more socially/politically active, has helped me meet a ton of amazing people, constantly changes my mood for the day, ignited a passion for listening to all things vinyl, taught me alternate tunings....
i could go on & on....
basically, i feel like they have helped to make me a better person. thank you, Pearl Jam.
www.cluthelee.com
www.cluthe.com
'94 Detroit
'10 Columbus
'11 Detroit (Eddie solo), Toronto 1 and 2, Ottawa, Hamilton
'13 London, Pittsburgh, Buffalo
'14 Detroit
'16 Ottawa, Toronto 1 and 2, Chicago 1 and 2
'18 Chicago 1 and 2
'22 Hamilton, Toronto
All you need is love
Is this just another phase? Earthquakes making waves,...
Trying to shake the cancer off? Stupid human beings,...
Once you hold the hand of love,.. it's all surmountable.
Pearl jam is my religion
Arms up in a V praising the greatest band in the world!!!
Happy B-Day PJ
Keep the love alive D!!!
Great contest D and thank you Pearl Jam for 20 years of being a massive part of my life. You are all much more than musicians. You're role models, influences, positive people that so many of us look up to. You rock.
Pearl Jam has always moved me, even the very first time I heard 'em, because they stirred something inside. I think that there is an essensce in the musician that, when the music is true, gets captured and relayed thru the words and sounds they create; not necessarily the words or the chords but a sum greater than the parts that insinuates from where the music came. Pearl Jam has always resonated that truth to me, one that worked it's way thru whatever temporary mood or place I was in and spoke to my spirit. The guy who in earlier in the thread quoted from Shawshank Redemption captured in perfectly....it's reached into here (points to heart) and promotes hope. They're not my religion; they don't want to be. However, Pearl Jam's music has always served like the rusty signs left in 'Man of the Hour' and given small clues to the forever elusive meaning of life. Josh Homme spoke in an interview in one of the newsletters/deep mags about Pearl Jam's ability to capture in their music their collective lives and experiences that occur from album to album. He's right on and along those lines I feel blessed to have watched them grow. It's been nothing short of fekkin brilliant
So, I toast (a beer that I'll drink later today....it's still before noon here
PJ forever. \m/
10-4-96 \ 5-6-10
9-6-98 \ 5-7-10
4-19-03 \ 9-22-12
10-6-04 \ 7-19-13
6-24-06 \ 12-6-13
10-1-14 \ 4-16-16
\ 4-26-16 \
keep on rockin'...
and
PEARL JAM
"what a long, strange trip it's been"
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
Pearl Jam came into my life when I was young, misunderstood, bullied and going through things at home that were confusing and dark (not puberty - that was AWESOME). I'm sure it was Ed's Golden Baritone that got me in the door, but Mike, Jeff, Stone and Dave and Matt and Dave and Jack and Matt kept me in the club.
Oklahoma City 4/3/03
Dallas TX 6/9/03
Memphis TN 6/20/09 (Eddie)
Kansas City MO 4/3/10
Little Rock AR 8/28/10 (Eddie, WM3 rally)
St Louis MO 7/1/11 (Eddie)
Dallas TX 11/15/12 (Eddie)
Tulsa OK 11/18/12 (Eddie)
Tulsa OK 11/19/12 (Eddie)
Dallas TX 11/15/13
Oklahoma City 11/16/13
Tulsa OK 10/8/14
St Louis MO 9/18/22
Oklahoma City 9/20/22
Ft Worth TX 9/13/23
Ft Worth TX 9/15/23
Like my wife and I, PJ and I have had some misunderstandings, arguments, and disagreements but we have made it through coming out even stronger then the last.
We still don't share all the same views on life, politics, etc. but that doesn't matter. That stuff is all a distant second to the music, the live shows, the love for us all as fans. Opposites do attract, if they didn't life would be boring.
That's the amazing thing about this band to me. Their ability to touch me and reach me and keep me hanging around like nothing else can. I am older now, wiser now, a husband now, a father now, and don't waste my time or energy or thoughts with things that don't mean much to me or that I can't live without and PJ is one of the few.
Thank you so much PJ, salud!
I grew up in South Jersey. A small town, ironically so. You know, a place where your born there, you grow up, get married, have kids & live & die there, end of story. I used to say, 'Geezzz, I gotta get out of this place!' Well, the closest escape from that one square mile town of Magnolia was to hop on the Speed line & head to the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia. I spent most of my days & nights as a 'street kid'. In & out of the underground clubs, panhandling for cash between 4th & 3rd on South Street so I could buy me some fries from Ishkabibbles then take a short walk to Brocco's on 5th & Bainbridge to pick up a 40 oz of Old E. That's right, I said it, Old E. Then back up to the alley nestled right on the side of JC Dobbs watching young graffiti artists paint a display of their emotions on a dirty ass wall through a few cans of spray paint, eating fries & illegally drinking beer.
At that time in my life, reckless & out of control as I was, wouldn't have known that this young, passionate, full of life or even maybe at that time, lacking life & searching for the very same things I was searching for, where playing right around the bend? See how 'powerful lyrics' can have such an amazing effect on your life? I speak fluent Pearl Jam all of the time
So still, after all of these fateful events, I didn't know the first thing about Pearl Jam & their music. Until one night, when the phone, which never rang, didn't ring & I had no money to take the train into the city & do absolutely nothing anyways. I stayed home, turned on the tv, MTV...& there they were. 'Pearl Jam live Unplugged'. Pulled up the rocking chair, (which I still have to this day. Thanks Nanny, I love & miss you dearly) grabbed my smokes & the warm bottle of Dewar’s off of the dresser, that I found in my grandparents basement that had to have been there for at least 10 years & began to watch & listen closely...
I can truly & honestly say that that was the first & only time ever in my life where I didn't feel like I was alone, while sitting in my room all alone. I know you can understand what I'm saying? Here were these five young men, 120 miles away, sharing their emotions, thoughts, experiences, passions, through lyrics & music. It was everything I ever thought, felt, breathed my whole entire life. All my answers to questions I thought would never be answered were satisfied within one hour. One hour of my life after searching for 17 years. Just one hour. Amazing, isn't it? It changed me, or I should say, it started this movement inside of me to finally unleash my 'true' self. The person who was inside of me all along that I never wanted to surface because I was scared to be me. They showed me within that one hour, that I wasn't alone, I would never be alone. & to this day, Pearl Jam has continuously stayed in all of our lives because that is was is meant to be. They need us just as much as we need them. That's what keeps us 'alive'. It's what keeps us all growing & striving for a better way of life. We were all born & destined to have this special connection.
From all of the years listening to Pearl Jams music, I grown into a fine young woman. An individual but doesn't stand alone anymore. I've broken & changed the cycle from my families past & became an amazing mother to two beautiful children. I've traveled the country & seen places that I would have never seen if it wasn't for the love of Pearl Jam. Geezz, after last years show in Utah, we decided to pack it all up & move away from that one square mile town, take a journey across the country & start a new life in God's country. How's that for inspiration? I know who I am because of them. I understand that in my most desolate moments of my life I will never be alone & I will never loose my faith in life. It's deep inside within me & my love for them will always remain in my heart, in my soul forever. Mahalo, you've made a tremendous impact on my life, in all our lives. Thank you for an amazing 20 years. It means more to me than words can ever say...
There you go 'D'!...That's how I feel all wrapped up in a nutshell
Can't go a day without them!
Hartford - 2010
Ed Solo - Hartford - 2011
Toronto X 2, Ottawa & Hamilton - 2011
Ed Solo - Jacksonville - 2012
London, Pittsburgh & Buffalo - 2013
No shows in 2014 :-(
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
Little did I know then (I was a know-it-all 20 yr old) that this was one of those "life lessons" which I had yet to learn...
Standing up for what you believe is right and having the balls to do it...only later (after I finally got my chance to see them in 2000 in Indy) did I realize what it took for them to pull it off.
Been back since then, and I don't think that I'll ever stray again. Heck I've even got my wife to go to one of their concerts and recognizing songs of theirs now. And she had the idea of putting the headphones on her pregnant belly playing PJ to our unborn children (instead of Mozart) and creating a rock n' roll baby room!
Thanks for 20 yrs guys! Here's to at least 1 or 2 more tours! And thanks to D for his generosity!
Cheers!
Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?
Gotta love the guys that do that for you, ey?