Don't know if this has been brought up before? (Yes, Mom, I did a search.) [Edit: I know it's a small potato, but it's a spud nonetheless.)
A request would be to not date the membership pack merch (not all of it, anyway). It's fine for people who renew in the first 2, maybe even 3 quarters of the year, but those of us with later renewal dates end up being behind (for lack of a better word). It feels like it projects "I was in the club for that year", rather than "I am in the club for this year". I've just received the 2012 pa-- screw that, I'ma call 'em Goodie Bags from now on -- for my upcoming year in the club, however, 11 of these 12 months will be in 2013. I've thought of using the grace period and waiting until early January to renew, but should there be a big announcement, new fanclub-only things (preciousesssss), etc., I'd be a slobbering mess of sadness. I don't want to risk it. No one needs to clean that up. Plus, I think I'd miss a year's goodie bag. I imagine that a lot of people like the date-stamping, though. I'd probably like it if my renewal date was in March. I'm under the impression we can't change our renewal dates without potentially missing out on things ... or can we? :-?
I don't know if this is for PJ merch too but repressing of Temple of the Dog and Benaroya Hall Vinyl would be fantastic . Also an anniversary pressing of Mother Love Bone on vinyl for the first time? would be mind blowing. Maybe PJ should do a Pre-PJ box set with Green River, MLB, and Temple of the Dog
I don't know if this is for PJ merch too but repressing of Temple of the Dog and Benaroya Hall Vinyl would be fantastic . Also an anniversary pressing of Mother Love Bone on vinyl for the first time? would be mind blowing. Maybe PJ should do a Pre-PJ box set with Green River, MLB, and Temple of the Dog
That's a really good idea! But only if each album could also be attained on vinyl individually... some people can't afford a big box-set price, or may hate one of those bands but love another.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
Completely agree with the autographed merch ideas - I would much rather buy from the band and know that the sigs are 100% legit than get something second hand and wonder about its authenticity. Love the idea EV hd on his solo tour.
i rarely post or visit in the forums, so thank you for the opportunity to chime in.
i came here today because i received the email on the new ticketing process and thought it was time to come catch up.
my suggestions are: could you please fix the PJ app? since i am hardly on an actual computer, it would be great to be able to visit the forums when i have spare time to catch up. for about a year i guess, the screen became very big, not fitting anything on the screen,, so its a pain to read, so i just kinda gave up visiting.
also, i know there are many people trying for tickets but i have been shut out of getting tickets for the past few years...i am in NJ, which is in a high demand area, so its even harder. i even got shut out of getting the second chance tries, and then even the public sale lol...havent been very lucky i guess. i miss my PJ and am due for a fix!!! maybe there can be some fan club only shows? that would be awesome....!!!
everything else is fine with me. i get some merch from time to time and never have had any problems so nothing to suggest there.
thanks again for the thread for us all to give some input. you guys rock! xoxoxo
PS: i just got a new car last month and immediately signed up with sirius so i can have my pearl jam radio! love love love it................!!!!!!!!!!!
I really wish they'd give us a heads-up earlier in the year when they're planning a tour. In 2009 everyone started complaining when they announced the Toronto and Chicago shows and 10C said, "we are tentatively planning a fall west coast tour" I, and most people here, would totally understand if plans changed but a tentative heads-up with when PJ would hit the road would be greatly appreciated. A lot of us have to book holidays for the year in Jan/Feb and would like to save some time to travel to a couple shows.
2003 - June 15 Fargo 2005 - Sept 1 George, Sept 8 Winnipeg 2006 - May 9/10 Toronto, June 26/27 St. Paul, July 22/23 George, Oct 21/22 Mountain View 2007 - Aug 2/5 Chicago 2008 - June 22 Washington, June 24/25 New York 2009 - Aug 21 Toronto, Aug 23/24 Chicago, Sept 21/22 Seattle, Oct 27/28/30/31 Philadelphia 2010 - May 15 Hartford, May 17 Boston, Oct 23/24 Mountain View 2011 - Sept 3/4 Alpine Valley, Sept 11/12 Toronto, Sept 17 Winnipeg, Sept 19 Saskatoon 2012 - Sept 30 Missoula 2013 - July 16 London, July 19 Chicago, Oct 12 Buffalo, Dec 2 Calgary, Dec 4 Vancouver, Dec 6 Seattle 2014 - Oct 16 Detroit, Oct 19 St. Paul, Oct 20 Milwaukee 2015 - Sept 23 (Colbert)/Sept 26, New York 2016 - Apr 28/29 Philadelphia, May 10/12 Toronto, Aug 20/22 Chicago
Let Me Sleep in the top drawyer tattooed in 94 TOTD back to MLB to PJ from the beginning. Thanks for everything to 10club and Pearl Jam. All i really want is the old school lunchbox(with thermos) in the merchandise department. This goes back to Ask George. My letter was printed which will always be awesome, but man I want that lunchbox. Limited edition box-set case but not so limited I can't get one. If anybody reading remembers this or has any idea what the hell I'm talking about Quote and +1. Let our voices be heard Old School Lunchbox Old School Lunchbox Old School Lunchbox
Let Me Sleep in the top drawyer tattooed in 94 TOTD back to MLB to PJ from the beginning. Thanks for everything to 10club and Pearl Jam. All i really want is the old school lunchbox(with thermos) in the merchandise department. This goes back to Ask George. My letter was printed which will always be awesome, but man I want that lunchbox. Limited edition box-set case but not so limited I can't get one. If anybody reading remembers this or has any idea what the hell I'm talking about Quote and +1. Let our voices be heard Old School Lunchbox Old School Lunchbox Old School Lunchbox
I would like a PJ lunch box.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
my suggestions are: could you please fix the PJ app? since i am hardly on an actual computer, it would be great to be able to visit the forums when i have spare time to catch up. for about a year i guess, the screen became very big, not fitting anything on the screen,, so its a pain to read, so i just kinda gave up visiting.
This... Or create a mobile friendly website...
Give a monkey a brain and he'll swear he's the center of the Universe...
Why alienate your fans from other fans and the band's music?
There has been an increasing trend to isolate Pearl Jam fans from one another and some poor decisions regarding access to Pearl Jam's music. Granted, overall Pearl Jam has provided great access to their music during their career, but let me point some things out.
Let's begin with the transition of the forums to being geared toward fan club members. Pearl Jam is a successful band that should pretty easily be able to support a fan club without making unnecessary restrictions to force people toward purchasing fan club membership. One of the most important things for a band like Pearl Jam to have is a strong, vibrant, growing and accessible fan base. People who take an interest in the band and its music for whatever reason should be able to freely communicate and learn more about the band in a place like the band's forum. A person making the effort to look for a band's forum should be welcomed and have all the opportunity in the world to learn more and make some new friends with similar interests. This does nothing but help the band's fanbase and promote its growth. Instead, requiring fan club membership to post and stuff is more like running into a wall against further becoming a fan. In our own home we'd have two people who would post on the PJ board pretty regularly (and used to) were it not changed to the membership model. Instead, we now have one person who checks it from time to time and another who quit visiting. Both are pretty hardcore PJ fans.
Then there are things like Pearl Jam radio. It's a great idea and a great offering. What a great way to please Pearl Jam fans and to potentially draw in new ones. Again, two pretty hardcore PJ fans in our household used to love turning on PJ radio and listening. We loved telling new people to check it out and we were having people comment on how good their live music was. Now that it's membership only, there's two Pearl Jam fans in our household who don't listen to it and don't suggest that other people should either. That's a much bigger net loss to the fanbase and to Pearl Jam than any possible profit from even a couple potential fan club memberships.
And there's reasons we left the fan club in the first place. The tickets we obtained from the fan club placed us so far away from the stage on the floor that one of us literally spent the entire concert unable to see the band. Shipping charges for merchandise are usually pretty absurd, even when the merchandise wasn't so ugly we wouldn't possibly consider buying it. Fan club singles either didn't arrive or were ridiculously late. We did not really feel like we were any more "in touch" with the band when we were in the fan club than we were after leaving and our main regret became missing out on PJ Radio (now called Ten Club Radio).
I do miss the older culture that seemed to surround the PJ community. Take a look at the general forums on pretty much any day and you'll likely see a front page full of postings about vinyl, posters, how hot Eddie is, merchandise, and complaints. It rarely varies much from that format these days and that's sad. However, it's also a symptom of turning the place into a "fan club only environment." Signs of "collectorism" are everywhere which usually also points toward a dying community.
Here's really what I'd expect from a fan club compared to not being in one: More insider information, more communication from the band, maybe some discounted merchandise options, looks behind the scenes, a newsletter, maybe better ticket access, some holiday messages or something like that, some "did you knows?" and maybe a present now and then
And here's some free things I think everyone should have access to that they don't: Pearl Jam radio that encourages people to buy their commercial material and helps people get and stay hooked, a vibrant community open to all... new and old, news about PJ from PJ radio
To be honest, I don't feel like I've ever been quite so distant from the band for multiple reasons. One is simply the fact that I disliked their latest album. Other reasons are mentioned here. I also don't feel like when I was paying for fan club membership that I was getting real value for doing so. I wasn't getting those behind the scenes looks, and I'm sick and tired of materialistic and shallow posts on the general forum every day. Most of the injection of new and excited forum posters and the like is gone because they've been so walled out. Make a collectors forum or a posters forum or something and somehow get the general forum back to being focused on actual Pearl Jam band stuff and music and memories. Let's somehow get back camaraderie and good times instead of posters, vinyl, derp and duh. Let's open the doors back up and invite everyone in to share the music, passion and antics that have always been Pearl Jam. I could go on and on (and already have), but that's more than enough for now from this old fart who has been around since '92. Haha
Why alienate your fans from other fans and the band's music?
There has been an increasing trend to isolate Pearl Jam fans from one another and some poor decisions regarding access to Pearl Jam's music. Granted, overall Pearl Jam has provided great access to their music during their career, but let me point some things out.
Let's begin with the transition of the forums to being geared toward fan club members. Pearl Jam is a successful band that should pretty easily be able to support a fan club without making unnecessary restrictions to force people toward purchasing fan club membership. One of the most important things for a band like Pearl Jam to have is a strong, vibrant, growing and accessible fan base. People who take an interest in the band and its music for whatever reason should be able to freely communicate and learn more about the band in a place like the band's forum. A person making the effort to look for a band's forum should be welcomed and have all the opportunity in the world to learn more and make some new friends with similar interests. This does nothing but help the band's fanbase and promote its growth. Instead, requiring fan club membership to post and stuff is more like running into a wall against further becoming a fan. In our own home we'd have two people who would post on the PJ board pretty regularly (and used to) were it not changed to the membership model. Instead, we now have one person who checks it from time to time and another who quit visiting. Both are pretty hardcore PJ fans.
Then there are things like Pearl Jam radio. It's a great idea and a great offering. What a great way to please Pearl Jam fans and to potentially draw in new ones. Again, two pretty hardcore PJ fans in our household used to love turning on PJ radio and listening. We loved telling new people to check it out and we were having people comment on how good their live music was. Now that it's membership only, there's two Pearl Jam fans in our household who don't listen to it and don't suggest that other people should either. That's a much bigger net loss to the fanbase and to Pearl Jam than any possible profit from even a couple potential fan club memberships.
And there's reasons we left the fan club in the first place. The tickets we obtained from the fan club placed us so far away from the stage on the floor that one of us literally spent the entire concert unable to see the band. Shipping charges for merchandise are usually pretty absurd, even when the merchandise wasn't so ugly we wouldn't possibly consider buying it. Fan club singles either didn't arrive or were ridiculously late. We did not really feel like we were any more "in touch" with the band when we were in the fan club than we were after leaving and our main regret became missing out on PJ Radio (now called Ten Club Radio).
I do miss the older culture that seemed to surround the PJ community. Take a look at the general forums on pretty much any day and you'll likely see a front page full of postings about vinyl, posters, how hot Eddie is, merchandise, and complaints. It rarely varies much from that format these days and that's sad. However, it's also a symptom of turning the place into a "fan club only environment." Signs of "collectorism" are everywhere which usually also points toward a dying community.
Here's really what I'd expect from a fan club compared to not being in one: More insider information, more communication from the band, maybe some discounted merchandise options, looks behind the scenes, a newsletter, maybe better ticket access, some holiday messages or something like that, some "did you knows?" and maybe a present now and then
And here's some free things I think everyone should have access to that they don't: Pearl Jam radio that encourages people to buy their commercial material and helps people get and stay hooked, a vibrant community open to all... new and old, news about PJ from PJ radio
To be honest, I don't feel like I've ever been quite so distant from the band for multiple reasons. One is simply the fact that I disliked their latest album. Other reasons are mentioned here. I also don't feel like when I was paying for fan club membership that I was getting real value for doing so. I wasn't getting those behind the scenes looks, and I'm sick and tired of materialistic and shallow posts on the general forum every day. Most of the injection of new and excited forum posters and the like is gone because they've been so walled out. Make a collectors forum or a posters forum or something and somehow get the general forum back to being focused on actual Pearl Jam band stuff and music and memories. Let's somehow get back camaraderie and good times instead of posters, vinyl, derp and duh. Let's open the doors back up and invite everyone in to share the music, passion and antics that have always been Pearl Jam. I could go on and on (and already have), but that's more than enough for now from this old fart who has been around since '92. Haha
I disagree with almost everything you just said, but I do agree that 10C should offer more insider info and communication from the band. It seems like they've almost made a game of not giving us info.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
Great idea. Many ideas that have sprung to mind have been said already and loads of other great topics have been raised. I would love to see something along the lines of Song X from the old Five Horizons site with a download each month, something exclusive like demos that never made it to record. I remember seeing that Bayleaf started out as a PJ song for the Binaural sessions and would love to hear what it sounded like amongst others. I'm sure there are loads of archives of demos, rehearsals, instrumentals, etc that we would relish hearing. There's simply not enough PJ DVD's around either. The only 2 full shows besides Unplugged were both from 2003! PJ could release a SVT type DVD for each album, one like Touring Band for each tour and full shows from every leg of every tour in the goods section and they would sell like hot cakes.
Also it's been 12 years and counting since PJ played in Scotland which breaks our little tartan hearts...
Please visit our capital Edinburgh and play a stunning show at the castle, the most spectacular surroundings you could imagine and a unique experience for the band as well as us, it's a perfectly intimate 8600 capacity venue that would be hard to match for atmosphere and the welcome would blow you away!!
Here's my Brian F style unusual setlist request. Just to save you time of course...
Main:
Oceans, Last Exit, Whipping, Deep, Rats, In The Moonlight, Immortality, RVM, Insignificance, Sad, Leash, Once, Footsteps, Alive, Porch, Smile, Yellow Ledbetter/Little Wing (full instrumental).
Enc 1:
Release, Lukin, Not For You, Tremor Christ, Garden, Strangest Tribe, Go, Blood.
Enc 2:
Indifference, Even Flow, Breath, Crown Of Thorns, All Those Yesterdays, Black, Corduroy.
Like a book among the many on a shelf...
Dublin 02 Arena - 22/6/10. Belfast Odyssey Arena - 23/6/10. London Hyde Park - 25/6/10. Berlin Wuhlheide - 30/6/10.
Manchester MEN - 20/06/12. Manchester MEN - 21/06/12
I would happily pay a small ransom of a fee that would go to charity to have a group autograph of Pearl Jam.
For the convenience of customers buying tickets under the new system, can the credit card already be saved under their profile, like how amazon.com allows your cc to be saved for 'quick purchases'.
~*~Me and Hippiemom dranketh the red wine in Cleveland 2003~*~
First PJ Show: March 20, 1994 | Ann Arbor | Crisler Arena
Has the band/management ever thought about releasing other people's music through their record label? Would it be possible with all the file sharing technology we have today, that the band's record label might release fan made music? I think it would be a great way to get music out there that may have otherwise gone undiscovered. I would think it is safe to say there are many PJ fans who are also struggling musicians. As a musician myself I find it very hard to have a day job and play live music. But I am always making music and I would wager there are many more like myself out there making music that are unable to pursue the dream of making music for a living because of day to day responsibilities (families, kids, jobs, etc.). Maybe a PJ compilation of fan made music download/cd. Just a far fetched idea I had and saw this thread today and thought this would be the place for my idea (and I'm not sure if anyone has already suggested this or not). Thanks for reading.
Play more than two nights in major markets. Eight shows at MSG. Or four in Chicago. Four in Philly, that kind of thing. Ideally a theater tour (charge more $ if you have to). A taping section for tapers (it won't cut into the bootlegs, ask The Grateful Dead people).
Bootlegs from years before 2000, if possible.
Better t-shirt selection, more subtle, classic, mature.
I would love nothing more than the chance to get autographed merchandise in the goods section. Maybe the guys could all sign a book or photo and give the proceeds to a charity of their choice!!!
Yay, this thread is a nice surprise after having been away from the message boards for a little while. So, where do I start? I think that the opportunity for fans to get a chance to get backstage would be great. I understand that letting every TenC member at each show back would not be feasible. However, maybe something like 20 or so random Ten C members at each show might get the opportunity to "meet the band" or at least some of the band. I know that myself and many other fans are saddened by those who do get this great opportunity, only to hock their autograph goods on eBay. I think that this is an honor that should be reserved for true fans, not somebody that is "connected." Also, as mentioned elsewhere in this thread, the price of goods somewhat stings a bit. Not only on the site, but at the venues as well. It is nothing for my family to drop $100-$200 on concert merchandise. I have finally started ignoring the urges of my PJ addiction and started passing on some amazing merchandise due to the cost. I understand the band is a business in a sense, but I think many of us still hold on to that Pearl Jam who sued Ticketmaster in the 90s. So, to see some of the overwhelmingly high-priced merchandise is somewhat disheartening. Another thing is that it would be great to receive autographed goods from the fan club. I think this is one of my biggest pet peeves is that the fans are often the ones that get shut out of this great opportunity. Maybe an autographed photo with our membership??? I know this might diminish the value of an autograph. However, those of us who truly love these guys will not be selling an autograph, whether it is worth $2 or $200. Some pre-sales with some reasonably priced autographed merchandise might be a great idea. Lastly, the chance for those of us who had to let our memberships go back in the day for whatever reason to get the membership number back would be amazing. Life gets in the way, I know it did with me, and I could not afford the fee some years back during the renewal time, so I had to let mine go. However, I never stopped being a die-hard PJ fan. I know these memberships have to be on file some where in Seattle. Not everyone that had an old number would renew, so it would not turn Ten C and seniority on it's head, but it would be a nice thing to do for those who would take the opportunity. Thank you for listening.
"...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.....”
Yay, this thread is a nice surprise after having been away from the message boards for a little while. So, where do I start? I think that the opportunity for fans to get a chance to get backstage would be great. I understand that letting every TenC member at each show back would not be feasible. However, maybe something like 20 or so random Ten C members at each show might get the opportunity to "meet the band" or at least some of the band. I know that myself and many other fans are saddened by those who do get this great opportunity, only to hock their autograph goods on eBay. I think that this is an honor that should be reserved for true fans, not somebody that is "connected." Also, as mentioned elsewhere in this thread, the price of goods somewhat stings a bit. Not only on the site, but at the venues as well. It is nothing for my family to drop $100-$200 on concert merchandise. I have finally started ignoring the urges of my PJ addiction and started passing on some amazing merchandise due to the cost. I understand the band is a business in a sense, but I think many of us still hold on to that Pearl Jam who sued Ticketmaster in the 90s. So, to see some of the overwhelmingly high-priced merchandise is somewhat disheartening. Another thing is that it would be great to receive autographed goods from the fan club. I think this is one of my biggest pet peeves is that the fans are often the ones that get shut out of this great opportunity. Maybe an autographed photo with our membership??? I know this might diminish the value of an autograph. However, those of us who truly love these guys will not be selling an autograph, whether it is worth $2 or $200. Some pre-sales with some reasonably priced autographed merchandise might be a great idea. Lastly, the chance for those of us who had to let our memberships go back in the day for whatever reason to get the membership number back would be amazing. Life gets in the way, I know it did with me, and I could not afford the fee some years back during the renewal time, so I had to let mine go. However, I never stopped being a die-hard PJ fan. I know these memberships have to be on file some where in Seattle. Not everyone that had an old number would renew, so it would not turn Ten C and seniority on it's head, but it would be a nice thing to do for those who would take the opportunity. Thank you for listening.
PS: Please come back to Memphis, TN!!!
Good point on the backstage stuff. Say a few qualifications must be met such as:
1) If you want to meet the band, go to a specific place at a specific time and be prepared to wait. You meet them on the band's terms, when they have the time.
2) You must have been a member for so many consecutive years - no chance of people joining just for that chance
3) You must show your ID and the name must match up to what they have in their records as the ticket buyer... no chance to pass off the tickets/chance to someone else.
4) No guarantee OF meeting the band OR of certain people being available. All it is is a chance...the possibility of something happening.
I'd support an idea of a lotto to buy random autographed stuff. Say you could get a sticker, a bootleg, a t-shirt, whatever...make it a $20 donation to CCFA and limit one entry per member.
I think people would be willing to make that donation and MAYBE get something back.
As far as re-gaining numbers? I think a lot of us spent a lot of money knowing there'd be a very slim (maybe none) chance of that person seeing the band in a year...but they still spent it. I don't know how I feel on that one. Maybe if it was something like $300 to regain...not everyone would do it.
Presidential Advice from President-Elect Mike McCready: "Are you getting something out of this all encompassing trip?"
I feel it would benefit the ten club if they announced a tentative schedule of the bands tour schedule 12 months out, (announcement of tour(s) by Jan 31st of that year), before publicly announced, allowing club members the opportunity to purchase tickets in advance for the shows and then allowing the public to purchase tickets after the ten club members have been closed out of the lottery system to these shows via the ten club. This way a high number of members would be allowed and the remaining would be allocated to the public, preventing a large collective complaint towards the ten club. The system they have set up now would really work well and if a member was shut out of that particular show, they would be reimbursed and hopefully have another show they are attending. It allows travel time and arrangements to be set in motion for both the ten club members and band members. I know there is more to this process than what appears, yet I think with advance notice, members could really plan for their particular shows and all arrangements involved. Same can be said for band members and their families.
I feel it would benefit the ten club if they announced a tentative schedule of the bands tour schedule 12 months out, (announcement of tour(s) by Jan 31st of that year), before publicly announced, allowing club members the opportunity to purchase tickets in advance for the shows and then allowing the public to purchase tickets after the ten club members have been closed out of the lottery system to these shows via the ten club. This way a high number of members would be allowed and the remaining would be allocated to the public, preventing a large collective complaint towards the ten club. The system they have set up now would really work well and if a member was shut out of that particular show, they would be reimbursed and hopefully have another show they are attending. It allows travel time and arrangements to be set in motion for both the ten club members and band members. I know there is more to this process than what appears, yet I think with advance notice, members could really plan for their particular shows and all arrangements involved. Same can be said for band members and their families.
While I don't think it's realistic to expect an announcement 12 months out, a bit more advance notice would be nice before tickets go on sale. Some people need two or three weeks or whatever to budget for tickets or make sure their credit card balance allows for the ticket purchases. Also, please get PAY PAL as a payment option!!! We don't all love to wrack up credit card debt.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
I agree with earlier announcements....can be long in advance of ticket sales as far as Im concerned! I live in Ireland and believe theres going to be a US tour at some stage this year......when the f???? Its going to cost the guts of $1000 for flights but the earlier we know the earlier we can book and schedule travel plans.......lot easier to do for those in the US but I think there are a lot of fans out there who travel really really long distance that would benefit from mini a lotmum 4-5 months warning! Also.....random announcements (which i know will always exist) are really annoying. would be good to have an indication of the different locations they will play all at once!
It would be great to have plenty of advance notice on tour info. I have to submit my vacation time by the end of January, and I would love to have some idea of the tour times so I know when to take off. :?
I agree, advance notice would be great. Announcement in December and the tour taking place in June/July like it was last year, I thought that worked well time-wise.
Also, if there's a European and a US tour scheduled for a year, or a US and an Australia one, it would be great if we could get informed about that. I understand that not all can be booked at once, but e.g. mentioning that a Euro tour will be coming that year as well when the US one is announced would make it a lot easier to travel & choose options for shows.
I agree, advance notice would be great. Announcement in December and the tour taking place in June/July like it was last year, I thought that worked well time-wise.
Also, if there's a European and a US tour scheduled for a year, or a US and an Australia one, it would be great if we could get informed about that. I understand that not all can be booked at once, but e.g. mentioning that a Euro tour will be coming that year as well when the US one is announced would make it a lot easier to travel & choose options for shows.
"...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.....”
Comments
A request would be to not date the membership pack merch (not all of it, anyway). It's fine for people who renew in the first 2, maybe even 3 quarters of the year, but those of us with later renewal dates end up being behind (for lack of a better word). It feels like it projects "I was in the club for that year", rather than "I am in the club for this year". I've just received the 2012 pa-- screw that, I'ma call 'em Goodie Bags from now on -- for my upcoming year in the club, however, 11 of these 12 months will be in 2013. I've thought of using the grace period and waiting until early January to renew, but should there be a big announcement, new fanclub-only things (preciousesssss), etc., I'd be a slobbering mess of sadness. I don't want to risk it. No one needs to clean that up. Plus, I think I'd miss a year's goodie bag. I imagine that a lot of people like the date-stamping, though. I'd probably like it if my renewal date was in March. I'm under the impression we can't change our renewal dates without potentially missing out on things ... or can we? :-?
i rarely post or visit in the forums, so thank you for the opportunity to chime in.
i came here today because i received the email on the new ticketing process and thought it was time to come catch up.
my suggestions are: could you please fix the PJ app? since i am hardly on an actual computer, it would be great to be able to visit the forums when i have spare time to catch up. for about a year i guess, the screen became very big, not fitting anything on the screen,, so its a pain to read, so i just kinda gave up visiting.
also, i know there are many people trying for tickets but i have been shut out of getting tickets for the past few years...i am in NJ, which is in a high demand area, so its even harder. i even got shut out of getting the second chance tries, and then even the public sale lol...havent been very lucky i guess. i miss my PJ and am due for a fix!!! maybe there can be some fan club only shows? that would be awesome....!!!
everything else is fine with me. i get some merch from time to time and never have had any problems so nothing to suggest there.
thanks again for the thread for us all to give some input. you guys rock! xoxoxo
PS: i just got a new car last month and immediately signed up with sirius so i can have my pearl jam radio! love love love it................!!!!!!!!!!!
2005 - Sept 1 George, Sept 8 Winnipeg
2006 - May 9/10 Toronto, June 26/27 St. Paul, July 22/23 George, Oct 21/22 Mountain View
2007 - Aug 2/5 Chicago
2008 - June 22 Washington, June 24/25 New York
2009 - Aug 21 Toronto, Aug 23/24 Chicago, Sept 21/22 Seattle, Oct 27/28/30/31 Philadelphia
2010 - May 15 Hartford, May 17 Boston, Oct 23/24 Mountain View
2011 - Sept 3/4 Alpine Valley, Sept 11/12 Toronto, Sept 17 Winnipeg, Sept 19 Saskatoon
2012 - Sept 30 Missoula
2013 - July 16 London, July 19 Chicago, Oct 12 Buffalo, Dec 2 Calgary, Dec 4 Vancouver, Dec 6 Seattle
2014 - Oct 16 Detroit, Oct 19 St. Paul, Oct 20 Milwaukee
2015 - Sept 23 (Colbert)/Sept 26, New York
2016 - Apr 28/29 Philadelphia, May 10/12 Toronto, Aug 20/22 Chicago
This... Or create a mobile friendly website...
There has been an increasing trend to isolate Pearl Jam fans from one another and some poor decisions regarding access to Pearl Jam's music. Granted, overall Pearl Jam has provided great access to their music during their career, but let me point some things out.
Let's begin with the transition of the forums to being geared toward fan club members. Pearl Jam is a successful band that should pretty easily be able to support a fan club without making unnecessary restrictions to force people toward purchasing fan club membership. One of the most important things for a band like Pearl Jam to have is a strong, vibrant, growing and accessible fan base. People who take an interest in the band and its music for whatever reason should be able to freely communicate and learn more about the band in a place like the band's forum. A person making the effort to look for a band's forum should be welcomed and have all the opportunity in the world to learn more and make some new friends with similar interests. This does nothing but help the band's fanbase and promote its growth. Instead, requiring fan club membership to post and stuff is more like running into a wall against further becoming a fan. In our own home we'd have two people who would post on the PJ board pretty regularly (and used to) were it not changed to the membership model. Instead, we now have one person who checks it from time to time and another who quit visiting. Both are pretty hardcore PJ fans.
Then there are things like Pearl Jam radio. It's a great idea and a great offering. What a great way to please Pearl Jam fans and to potentially draw in new ones. Again, two pretty hardcore PJ fans in our household used to love turning on PJ radio and listening. We loved telling new people to check it out and we were having people comment on how good their live music was. Now that it's membership only, there's two Pearl Jam fans in our household who don't listen to it and don't suggest that other people should either. That's a much bigger net loss to the fanbase and to Pearl Jam than any possible profit from even a couple potential fan club memberships.
And there's reasons we left the fan club in the first place. The tickets we obtained from the fan club placed us so far away from the stage on the floor that one of us literally spent the entire concert unable to see the band. Shipping charges for merchandise are usually pretty absurd, even when the merchandise wasn't so ugly we wouldn't possibly consider buying it. Fan club singles either didn't arrive or were ridiculously late. We did not really feel like we were any more "in touch" with the band when we were in the fan club than we were after leaving and our main regret became missing out on PJ Radio (now called Ten Club Radio).
I do miss the older culture that seemed to surround the PJ community. Take a look at the general forums on pretty much any day and you'll likely see a front page full of postings about vinyl, posters, how hot Eddie is, merchandise, and complaints. It rarely varies much from that format these days and that's sad. However, it's also a symptom of turning the place into a "fan club only environment." Signs of "collectorism" are everywhere which usually also points toward a dying community.
Here's really what I'd expect from a fan club compared to not being in one: More insider information, more communication from the band, maybe some discounted merchandise options, looks behind the scenes, a newsletter, maybe better ticket access, some holiday messages or something like that, some "did you knows?" and maybe a present now and then
And here's some free things I think everyone should have access to that they don't: Pearl Jam radio that encourages people to buy their commercial material and helps people get and stay hooked, a vibrant community open to all... new and old, news about PJ from PJ radio
To be honest, I don't feel like I've ever been quite so distant from the band for multiple reasons. One is simply the fact that I disliked their latest album. Other reasons are mentioned here. I also don't feel like when I was paying for fan club membership that I was getting real value for doing so. I wasn't getting those behind the scenes looks, and I'm sick and tired of materialistic and shallow posts on the general forum every day. Most of the injection of new and excited forum posters and the like is gone because they've been so walled out. Make a collectors forum or a posters forum or something and somehow get the general forum back to being focused on actual Pearl Jam band stuff and music and memories. Let's somehow get back camaraderie and good times instead of posters, vinyl, derp and duh. Let's open the doors back up and invite everyone in to share the music, passion and antics that have always been Pearl Jam. I could go on and on (and already have), but that's more than enough for now from this old fart who has been around since '92. Haha
Dublin 02 Arena - 22/6/10. Belfast Odyssey Arena - 23/6/10. London Hyde Park - 25/6/10. Berlin Wuhlheide - 30/6/10.
Manchester MEN - 20/06/12. Manchester MEN - 21/06/12
Older boots.
Video boots.
Dave, Dave and Jack info and Merch. I know, asking alot. My voice is now heard.
Thank you.
For the convenience of customers buying tickets under the new system, can the credit card already be saved under their profile, like how amazon.com allows your cc to be saved for 'quick purchases'.
First PJ Show: March 20, 1994 | Ann Arbor | Crisler Arena
Bootlegs from years before 2000, if possible.
Better t-shirt selection, more subtle, classic, mature.
http://wishlistfoundation.org/shop/catalog/images/W-45LO-YEL-01.jpg
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
I would love nothing more than the chance to get autographed merchandise in the goods section. Maybe the guys could all sign a book or photo and give the proceeds to a charity of their choice!!!
PS: Please come back to Memphis, TN!!!
fade away...
I am at peace with my lust.....for Eddie.
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”
Good point on the backstage stuff. Say a few qualifications must be met such as:
1) If you want to meet the band, go to a specific place at a specific time and be prepared to wait. You meet them on the band's terms, when they have the time.
2) You must have been a member for so many consecutive years - no chance of people joining just for that chance
3) You must show your ID and the name must match up to what they have in their records as the ticket buyer... no chance to pass off the tickets/chance to someone else.
4) No guarantee OF meeting the band OR of certain people being available. All it is is a chance...the possibility of something happening.
I'd support an idea of a lotto to buy random autographed stuff. Say you could get a sticker, a bootleg, a t-shirt, whatever...make it a $20 donation to CCFA and limit one entry per member.
I think people would be willing to make that donation and MAYBE get something back.
As far as re-gaining numbers? I think a lot of us spent a lot of money knowing there'd be a very slim (maybe none) chance of that person seeing the band in a year...but they still spent it. I don't know how I feel on that one. Maybe if it was something like $300 to regain...not everyone would do it.
Also, if there's a European and a US tour scheduled for a year, or a US and an Australia one, it would be great if we could get informed about that. I understand that not all can be booked at once, but e.g. mentioning that a Euro tour will be coming that year as well when the US one is announced would make it a lot easier to travel & choose options for shows.
"..That's One Happy Fuckin Ghost.."
“..That came up on the Pillow Case...This is for the Greek, With Our Apologies.....”