Your 1st Show & Your Turning Point Show

StillHere

Hey guys

the pit today seems to be all about the live shows

and it got me thinking about my first show and my turning point show...the show that really got me hooked for life

and would love to know what yours were

i'll start

my first show was either philly or montage mtn in 92 ...whichever came first..tend to think it was philly, they both kinda blur together for me now

lucky if the set was oh i dunno an hour long? probably not even

and i have to admit, sadly, that i really didn't even know who Pearl Jam were at the time, i was just tagging along, but we were all like hey...those guys were pretty good huh? ..whatta think?

and that singer..holy cow..not only is he freaking GORGEOUS, but all that sound came out of that little guy? wow! (and being with a bunch of guys..they were all like yeah, sure, right..yeah he's pretty good) :roll:

it wasn't till a few years after that till i became a real fan..but still no shows... listening to the lps (my son's tapes) ...but those first shows were in the back of my mind, and i'd wished i'd have paid a lot more attention at the time, especially later on, when i'd realized that it had been the first time i had heard SOLAT or Leash and Porch with Bodies/Sometimes All the Time - awesome...but mostly what i remembered was MUD..MUD...MUD everywhere

soo....i liked them a lot...but was still a die hard dead head..and still hadn't gotten to the point where i was nuts over Pearl Jam.

anyway..of all things..(gonna show my age now) my son was getting into grunge a lot...Nirvana, RHCP, Soundgarden...then TOTD and finally Pearl Jam..and I heard that voice...oh that voice.. I knew that voice..who could ever forget? And so I asked...and I was hooked..or so I thought.

I went along this way a long long time, singing along with the albums...liking them a lot..but still...no more shows...too busy...kids..job...school...on and on and on...

Cut to 2000...ya...again..took in another show..a great show..of course..but i'm in a weird place ...still not paying a whole lot of attention...stupid me

THEN..finally.... summer of 2003..Camden NJ...I was finally paying attention....ed told a few stories..the betterman "dedicated to the bastard that married my mother" story...he got a little angry...i saw some of the man...not just the singer...some story time...some other ramblings...and some GREAT GREAT GREAT music...and i finally really got into the show...and mike..holy freak mike! and... the first time i'd seen (or remembered) YLB played as the last encore...and it seemed to go on forever and ever and ever..and i remember i wasn't even watching the band any longer..i had my eyes closed and i was swaying and twirling and i was hearing the music but i was inside myself..and it was taking me places.....and it was then that i realized..hey.(who needs drugs when you've got this right?)...wtf have you been doing...you've been to the shows but you've never actually been AT the shows..not really....and this....this is what i've been missing all these years? what was i thinking?!?

so...2003 was my turning point....great show...looking back not the very best show...but the one that made it for me..and imo..they are all the best show at the time. it was my first "Wow! I GET IT" show...and that's all she wrote...been hooked .....really hooked...never turning back...ever since...can't get enough..bonafide pj freak ever since that day

i can never replace what i would have had if i'd been in the right frame of mind from the start..but hey, i've got it now....and that's all i need

i have to credit eddie for my love of pearl jam in the early years...that first show when i heard that voice and saw all that gorgeous hair and met the angry young man....i have to give credit where its due...i was totally immersed in eddie ... well...can't deny that i still am, most of the time....but i've developed a strong appreciation for the rest of the band..there wouldn't be a pearl jam without any single one of them..mike..god..mike makes that guitar cry better than anyone..jeff..well...that's another story all together, stone and matt..yeah its all there...but eddie...eddie pulled me in...ed's words have touched me and reached me at times when nothing else ever could have...i know its a cliche..i know that everyone says it..(and i've heard ed say that he's not in a particularly good place about that, but he may have outgrown that too) but its true...if it was possible for someone to be right inside your head with you....then....well...i don't need to say it (hey, you might not say it, but you KNOW its true)

and to my son..i have to say thank you...for listening ..and for sharing...and for being there WAY before i was..and for begging me to take him to Pearl Jam shows instead of the Dead and Jerry shows I'd been hauling him to all those years.. ....he taught me a thing or two didn't he? and now i beg HIM to take me to shows ...not really..we just go together...you may have noticed, depending

so..that's my story..not as interesting and full of excitement and drama as a lot are...but it got me here..and that's what's important. today. in my life..i can't imagine my life without pearl jam. they make me laugh, they make me cry..they make me happy.

see you at the show

ed solo in june..pj20 in the fall..and whatever lies in between

thanks for letting me share...i hope you will too

H.Chinaski

Seen them in 92' at lollapalooza and loved it and then not again until 95' in Chicago and that's when they really got me.

Narciso

Lollapalooza 1992 was my first, but Drop in the Park was the shit!

morgie2

1st show was Boston 2 in 1994 (the night before the Orpheum). Just an incredible tour and time. Kinda went away till my next show (Boston 2 in 2006!!!). Don't even ask me why so long. Loved Avocado so I went, and it hooked me for life. Imagine "discovering" Yield and No Code for the first time in 2006!!!

EvoLukin

4/02/94 was the first. And 4/03/94 hooked me for life!

PearlJamPatriot

MSG 1998 night 2 was my 1st show., although I wanted to go to Springfield, MA '94 but was too young and had no means to go. Tried like hell to get tickets for Hartford '96. But couldnt get through on the phone. So MSG '98 ended up being my 1st. It was an amazing show and is a classic. They finally played Breath after a long campaign for them to play it.

StillHere

thanks guys

looks like i talk too much tho huh?

snow_board_rider

My first show was at the 1st Memorial Stadium show. I was in the mosh pit all night so I didn't get to really SEE the show. My turning point show was the 2nd Memorial Stadium show where I just sat and had my first religious experience of seeing PJ live.

restlesssoul

A NIGHT I WILL NEVER FORGET! So glad I went. Was a big, big fan up until that point, but this show did me in. I got to see a Neil Young tag in daughter and a Who song with Baba. IT BLEW ME AWAY. I didn't think anyone else listened to "teenage wasteland" ( as I called it at the time) Then to see 15,000 people sing along to it and scream "We're all WASTED" in unison. It was an unforgettable, unbelievable night for an 18 year old me. I've never looked back. I have the show on dvd (poor, poor quality) I have a bootleg cd, and of course the poster signed numbered out of 300 framed with ticket stub!!! I look at it daily.

Thanks for making me reminisce STILL the only time I've seen Leaving Here.



07/19/98 - Pacific Coliseum: Vancouver, British Columbia [113m]
attendance: 14,000-15,000
support act: Frank Black
soundcheck: Not for You, MFC, Off He Goes, Last Kiss, I Got You, Hail Hail
set: Sometimes, Go, Hail Hail, Brain of J, Dissident, Even Flow, Given to Fly, Corduroy, MFC, Lukin, Wishlist, Jeremy, Daughter/(Hey Hey My My), Not for You, Off He Goes, Better Man, Rearviewmirror, Black, Last Exit
enc 1: Do the Evolution, Nothingman, Alive, Leaving Here
enc 2: Yellow Ledbetter, BABA O'RILEY!!!!
notes: Band is relaxed and playing well; however, the crowd is a little too sedate. The set is cut short with "Last Exit," Eddie inciting the crowd by doing these Vegas-style lunges towards the crowd. This all changes with an incredibly intense 'DTE' and is culminated when, during 'Alive,' Eddie walks around the stage, applauding the kids dancing in the empty seats in the back, and CLIMBS INTO THE CROWD for more than a few minutes. The band returns to play 'Yellow Ledbetter,' and are about to leave when Eddie goes over to the band members and asks them if they feel like one more, picks up a tambourine, and, yep, 'Baba O'Riley' bringing the house down.

Goatboy

Well I was hooked years before my first show. Like many others I didn't get to see them until the 98 tour. Couldn't make it to randalls island in 96 for a reason that escapes me now. 1998 was the first major tour back with ticketmaster and the weeks leading up to the shows seemed to take forever. I just remember sitting there before the house lights went up literally shaking in my seat... I couldn't believe those 5 guys were going to walk out on stage and play that music that was such a huge part of my life for years. I still remember that moment when they walked out. Release was the first song...it sent shivers down my spine.

that moment, when they walk out on stage and you hear the first note.....damn thats fucking awesome!

Forrest

I've been smitten with them since fall of 1991 and my first show was 11-5-93 in Indio, CA.

restlesssoul

Forrest wrote:

I've been smitten with them since fall of 1991 and my first show was 11-5-93 in Indio, CA.

at the end of the show, were you wearing shoes?

StillHere

restlesssoul wrote:

Forrest wrote:

I've been smitten with them since fall of 1991 and my first show was 11-5-93 in Indio, CA.

at the end of the show, were you wearing shoes?

i'm not sure what that means...if anything...but i never am

Forrest

I was wearing shoes and would have been happy to join in with Ed and kick all the shoe-less m-f-ers who had thrown their shoes at him.

restlesssoul

StillHere wrote:

restlesssoul wrote:

Forrest wrote:

I've been smitten with them since fall of 1991 and my first show was 11-5-93 in Indio, CA.

at the end of the show, were you wearing shoes?

i'm not sure what that means...if anything...but i never am

INDIO 93

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nd9iOpMSOns

restlesssoul

Forrest wrote:

I was wearing shoes and would have been happy to join in with Ed and kick all the shoe-less m-f-ers who had thrown their shoes at him.

right on!

hell of a first show!

PearlJamPatriot

restlesssoul wrote:

Forrest wrote:

I've been smitten with them since fall of 1991 and my first show was 11-5-93 in Indio, CA.

at the end of the show, were you wearing shoes?

This show, originally planned for the LA area, was problematic with respect to parking and cold temperatures. The unruly crowd was moshing in line during the soundcheck and to PA music! Before PJ started, a roadie sang a hysterical rendition of ‘Copa Cabana.’ The audience is launching shoes at the stage even before and during the opening acts. In fact, during Eleven’s set, a shoe hits Jack Iron’s bass drum, he stops the song and says that if he finds out who threw it he would make him pay for the damages (quite pissed). Finally, PJ hits the stage, with the audience behaving outrageously. Prior to ‘Deep,’ Ed remarks, “Kill your local rapist, but torture him first, then serve him to your enemy for dinner.” Later: “The first guy I met today gave me this book and asked if I wanted to know the secret for living forever.” Tossing it into the crowd, he says, “Why the fuck would I want to live forever?” During ‘Porch,’ Ed invites the audience to spit at him. The agitated crowd, continuing to throw stuff onto the stage, leads Ed to comment that “… me and Jeff are going to the front gate and when you exit, we are going to beat the shit out of every barefoot person here” and “… throw a gun so I can shoot you.” The band eventually plays from behind their amps so they won’t be hit by the flying shoes. This audience was awful. The recording of ‘Blood’ from this show is released on the ‘Daughter’ single. ‘Fuck Me in the Brain’ was released later on the third fan club single (as ‘Ramblings’). The guys deserve a medal for playing this long and this well despite the rowdy crowd.

Forrest

The shoe tossing still bothers me...how dare they hit my Eddie!!! It was an amazing show regardless of the shoeless. They were really cool to play through it....love those guys!

StillHere

oh yeah that...poor guys

hey they tried to turn it around right

what a sucky crowd that was

i would have been ashamed to have been a part of that

Loulou

First show was 1998 Adelaide, was awesome but wasn't until I saw them again in 2003 Adelaide that I realised that they weren't just one trick ponies, they would be around for a very long time. 2009 Adelaide, 2009 Melbourne and 2009 Christchurch were very important to me too though because I had just gone through some very tough stuff and those concerts helped to lift my spirits and my little bubble was with us without us knowing so that made it even more magical to look back on.

restlesssoul

more first show stories please!

StillHere

yep more please

DewieCox

8/18/00 and 8/18/00

EDIT per request: I was already pretty into them by the time I'd seen them, heard plenty of live stuff to know that they could bring it.

When Ed came out and dedicated Throw Your Arms Around Me to his brother it hit a note with me as I was attending with my little brother. After the official boots came out my bro would sneak into my truck at some point every year on my bday and slip that bootleg in and get that track ready to roll for me as a surprise. Had the pleasure of attending 2 more PJ shows in 03 with him and got to share in the excitement of scoring VFC tickets, for a show he would never attend. He bought a new 12 string acoustic that same day so we went and found a spot on some of our family's wooded land, smoked a j, played and sang some tunes we knew, and just kept talkin about the awesome PJ experience comin up. He died in a car accident about 12 hours later. So glad we had something as awesome as PJ and music in general to bring us together, while he was here.

Mikee J

Brixton Academy London July 13th 1993, for the first time. I have special one lasting memory of it. Ed stood on a monitor at the front of the stage doing a Jesus christ pose with a Soundgarden top on. Then, not so long ago I stumbled across that very moment on Youtube, but seems to have been deleted now.... :(

StillHere

DewieCox wrote:

8/18/00 and 8/18/00

hey dewie...you're not getting away with that

c'mon, you walk hard...spill it

StillHere

Mikee J wrote:

Brixton Academy London July 13th 1993, for the first time. I have special one lasting memory of it. Ed stood on a monitor at the front of the stage doing a Jesus christ pose with a Soundgarden top on. Then, not so long ago I stumbled across that very moment on Youtube, but seems to have been deleted now.... :(

i remember seeing that
i'm sure i downloaded it
awesome...

clashman

my first show was after my turning point! waited three years to see them in europe!
1996, zürich. was with a bunch of friends, who were not that much into pj. some of them were scared because of G.A. i told them that pj always starts with a mellow opener such as release. but as eddie went on stage wearing a devils mask and hearing a ruff plugged inn guitar, i knew it would be different. animal,hail hail, once, last exit, stbc followed. ed was skating back on stage for the encore.
2 years later i took a flight to new york to see them again, good choice. loved BOTH evenings. first show msg was great too, wonderful long road version!

StillHere

DewieCox wrote:

8/18/00 and 8/18/00

EDIT per request: I was already pretty into them by the time I'd seen them, heard plenty of live stuff to know that they could bring it.

When Ed came out and dedicated Throw Your Arms Around Me to his brother it hit a note with me as I was attending with my little brother. After the official boots came out my bro would sneak into my truck at some point every year on my bday and slip that bootleg in and get that track ready to roll for me as a surprise. Had the pleasure of attending 2 more PJ shows in 03 with him and got to share in the excitement of scoring VFC tickets, for a show he would never attend. He bought a new 12 string acoustic that same day so we went and found a spot on some of our family's wooded land, smoked a j, played and sang some tunes we knew, and just kept talkin about the awesome PJ experience comin up. He died in a car accident about 12 hours later. So glad we had something as awesome as PJ and music in general to bring us together, while he was here.

oh freakin a dude i'm so sorry
i am happy that you have those wonderful memories with your brother though
that can never be taken from you

TunnelThroughDenial

Good question. I think I have a pretty interesting PJ show career so far. It was pretty nice to grow up in Seattle and finish High School in 1990 right when this was all happening. We all listened to MLB before there was a PJ, we had Bleach before we knew of Nevermind, so it was an exciting time.

I moved from Seattle to Eugene, OR in 1990 so I missed the best of the best but all of my friends were seeing PJ at RCKNDY, were in the Alive and Evenflow videos, etc. . . I kept hearing about this and decided to move back home to play guitar in a rock band with my friends and start seeing these shows.

My 1st show was 9/5/93 at the Gorge with Blind Melon opening and Neil Young closing. I had a great time there but the audio was crap from where I was sitting, I was far away, and it was just OK. They were just playing songs for their upcoming LP, Five Against One

My 2nd show was the one that turned me. I was able to scalp for $100 (yes I know - I did it too) a ticket for the so called Piss Bottle Men show at the Moore Theatre. I think there were two nights in a row and I was at the 2nd show on 2/6/95. We entered just as they were starting to play Release, and stood in the first row behind the orchestra pit so the heads in front of us were at waist/chest level - a perfect close view. They were in the midst of the Vitalogy tour, it was all local Seattle fan club people for the most part, and Neil Young came out to do Mirror/Merkin Ball songs as an encore. The energy was just insane and although I was a major fan by then this sealed the deal.

Honorable mention shows I have been lucky enough to see also:

ARO.Space - secret club show on Capitol Hill in Seattle. Matt Cameron's first show with the band. That was my 3rd show on 5/7/98. Ed told the story of an LP he had bought that day called Last Kiss and they played it too. He also showed us his new Michael Jordan bong. Read about it here - pretty cool http://www.fivehorizons.com/tour/98/arospace.shtml

Back to back Memorial Stadium shows in Seattle 1998 featuring Mr. Pickles batting practice

Somewhere in there I saw Mad Season play their 1st ever show at the Crocodile Cafe in Seattle and had a beer at the bar next to McCready

I saw them play Phoenix in 2000 - you may know that from the Long Road on Touring Band. Center stage 5th row

I was there two nights at the Gorge in 2006

I saw the two Key Arena shows in 2009 starting the Backspacer Tour.

And oh yeah, I was in LA when Cornell came out for Hunger Strike.

My biggest regret - I could have gone to Drop in the Park but we had band practice that morning and my buddy insisted we practice instead so we could be as good as PJ. We wound up scrapping practice and walking down to the lake where we could hear the sound of the show across the water. Oh well. I think I've done well otherwise!

Next up - two Ed Benaroya shows this summer.......

TouringFan2000

my first show was merriweather post pavilion in 1996. i just couldn't afford to go to a show before that. but my turning point had already happened: the release of Ten. i was hooked the first time i heard PJ on the radio ... and the merriweather show definitely lived up to my hopes and expectations. i remember being blown away by seeing/hearing the band live. the music, the energy, the commitment ... all just made me realize that i HAD to get to every show i possibly could from then on.

usamamasan1

first was 11/91. Had no idea who PJ was they were opeing for RHCP. didn't really "fall in love" with them until my 5th show at the Regal Theater, Chicago, 1994.