Time to share my PJ20 experience...what is yours?

moses562

I have been wanting to share my PJ20 experience for a while now...well more like put it on the board because I have shared the story many times. I know many, many other threads have been made about this very subject but I did not feel like digging...and going through fifty million Wrigley titled threads.

And away we go...

My newly wife and I were on the couch on late August day. I told her about the PJ20 weekend and where it was. In short she said to check it out and let's see what happens. Next thing I know we have airline tickets and show tickets. I knew my wife was the one for me...even more so...because I knew before this.

We flew into Chicago...had a hotel there...got our rental car from there...etc. the drive to the outside venue was awesome...accept cor the impending rain clouds of doom. As we drove closer to our destination the rain clouds were very threatening. We stopped at a Piggly Wiggly to get trash bags...our make shift ponchos.

Our "seats" were right at the bottom of the incline...that is the WORST incline I have ever experienced...well some Seattle streets are rough.
We wore our first anniversary tshirts! We had lots of compliments and people coming up all day long. There were even other couples who were having their first anniversary too. Later in the day the shirt got us a couple of free burgers and a beer! The lady at the venue did not charge me! Was not expecting that.

We sat in the downpour claiming our spot...oh wait...before we entered the venue my wife will tell you that the car barely got to a stop before I ran out to the merchandise stand. She did not understand why I was running...she still brings it up sometimes. We laugh about it and she understands my insanity...those lines were crazy long...and I needed to get there quickly.

We were soaked but happy...the warm up bands came on...finally...or so it felt like finally. Then Pearle Jam came on and Release released all of the feelings of being wet and chilly! My wife is the best! She sat there in the rain with me...and she is not even a major fan of PJ. She took many pictures too! I am thankful for her selflessness!

We loved watchimg people slide down the mud slide. To the left of me was a part of the hill that was quickly turning into a mud slide. People would think they could make it and...bam...down they would go. Everyone around, at first, would yell at people to not go across but they would. It was pretty funny after a while...and these group of guys were going down it all night for fun. They entertained us greatly...to a degree.

One part that we often laugh about is this...there were lots of people "smoking"....so much so that we had second hand helpings...lots of second hand helpings...no passing just the smoke making its way over. We took turns driving back to Chicago that night. At one point we stopped and got some Ruffles Sour Cream and Cheddar chips. We ate those like they were going out of style. We kept talking about how good they were and that theremust have been a chip factory in the back of the gas station becausethey were so fresh. Man, we laugh about this! Oh, and while my wife was driving there eas a checkpoint along the way. I think they were looking for drunk drivers. I do not know how we did not get asked to get out of the car beacuse when the officer asked my wife her age she messed up and then stumbled to get it out. We were deliriously tired. We made it safely to our hotel room. Woke up somewhat early on Sunday...did Chicago in about 5+ hours and flew out the same day. I would have loved to have gone the entire weekend...but it is ok.

Thanks to the band and the fans! It really is one of the best nights of my life...and more so because my wife is just insanely awseome to put up with my PJ obsession.

Oh...here is one last bit...my wife and I were sitting for a bit of the show...not the whole time but just a bit...our legs could only hold us at that angle for so long...I nearly fellout when I got up when Chris Cornell came out? Nothing like a mini Temple of the Dog to get things back in order.

Was Just Breathe played? It says it was but my wife and I do not remember hearing it...we either passed out from being so tired for a bit or the smoke just made us crazy...and for the person asking if there will be "smoking" at Wrigley...yes, yes there will be. Just go and have fun...and get dome of those sweet ass chips!

moses562

...and the PJ museum was awesome...this show was my Woodstock of sorts!

PJStatTracker

moses562 wrote:

Was Just Breathe played? It says it was but my wife and I do not remember hearing it.

Great story, and what an awesome weekend!

Just Breathe was played on Sunday, Breath was played on Sat.

2-feign-reluctance

Meeting some of these characters at the pre-party, getting asked by several people if they could borrow my guitar, Wishlist not keeping track of our table and CDs, eating pickles and drinking Miller in a steady rain on day 1, sharing really bad Taco Bell at 230am, seeing someone fully asleep sitting upright in a chair in the hallway at our hotel after night 1, hearing people guess setlists over breakfast, shopping in downtown Delavan, Matt finding a near mint copy of All Things Must Pass, seeing Dimi and Wishlist Laura everywhere that weekend looking like rock stars themselves - complete with their own entourage, signing the Pj wall, buying a dry shirt & hat to replace my soaked clothes on day 1, sitting 5 rows from the stage night 1, MLB covers, seeing people passed out in the cold..

moses562

The wall was great! I wonder where that is now...

Up Here In My Tree

That's awesome, great story!

I'll always remember that weekend as it was epic. The furthest from the Pacific NW I've seen PJ, met so many amazing PJ friends and the shows....Yes, the shows. I won 1st row lottery tix for night 2 and Mike personally handed me tons of swag (pics, a song sheet and literally hundreds of PJ20 stickers), Eddie's wine bottle and, of course, the music.

Cheers!

mfc2006

spending the weekend with my wife & two of our best friends, playing the preparty (the 2nd set was insane), meeting so many awesome people, the poster extravaganza, amazing music, finally seeing Liam Finn live & being completely blown away, the Super Duper 8, making new friends, pickles, beers, ups losing our posters, taco hell, piggly wiggly & the long drive home thinking that it was all a dream. best musical weekend of my life.

moses562

PJStatTracker wrote:

moses562 wrote:

Was Just Breathe played? It says it was but my wife and I do not remember hearing it.

Great story, and what an awesome weekend!

Just Breathe was played on Sunday, Breath was played on Sat.

That's it! Thanks for the clarification.

moses562

mfc2006 wrote:

spending the weekend with my wife & two of our best friends, playing the preparty (the 2nd set was insane), meeting so many awesome people, the poster extravaganza, amazing music, finally seeing Liam Finn live & being completely blown away, the Super Duper 8, making new friends, pickles, beers, ups losing our posters, taco hell, piggly wiggly & the long drive home thinking that it was all a dream. best musical weekend of my life.

That Piggly Wiggly must have been full up all weekend!

iwasatpj20

That weekend was my birthday present to myself. I drove about three hours to my hotel outside Milwaukee and then found Alpine Valley. The people I met there were very nice, and had a nice time meeting them. I had tickets for the lawn each night, but the view to the stage was still very good since I was standing right on the rail as far up as I could. A lot of cool artifacts in the museum and I got the Ames Bros. v PJ book I bought signed, a good time.

Getting out of there was a pain, but it was a good time overall.

FE55353

It's nice to know I wasn't the only person to only be there night 1, I wish I had done both nights but life really wouldn't allow it then.

I am hoping that the Wrigley show is a combination of PJ20 nights 1 and 2. I haven't seen an honest to goodness Pearl Jam show since 2003. I have seen them co-headline/open for Tom Petty, I have seen night 1 of PJ20 (that was epic, the TOD stuff and MLB stuff plus the collaborations were beyond description), and I saw them at Music Midtown in Atlanta.

I just want 3 1/2, ok maybe 4 hours of new stuff because the new album is out and Red Mosquito, Tremor Christ and whatever else they feel like playing. That's not too much to ask is it?

My bad PJ20 memory was in the parking lot. I was getting my cooler out of the backseat of my rental car and I bumped this Escalade next to me from Iowa. No dents, not bad intentions on my part, but a light bump.

The guy starts screaming about how he will kick my ass if I do it again and spent the next 2 hours guarding his truck. My buddy brought the patio umbrella and was trying to get the guy riled up by leaning it towards his truck. Eventually things calmed down. The karma moment was when I asked him where his seat was and he said he had lawn seats that night and reserved for Sunday. I never met a bigger a-hole at a PJ concert.

Anyway I am hoping for some Southern dates so I can get my wife to another show.

Alpine Valley 6/26/1996, 10/8/2000 (Ice Bowl), 6/21/2003, 9/3/2011 (PJ20)
Milwaukee, WI 6/30/2006
Minneapolis, MN 6/30/1996
Atlanta, GA 9/22/2012

mca47

Mud up to my ankles.
Grilled pigeon.
OD girl laying in a mud puddle.
Shitty seats with shitty sound.
Awesome chick who let my buddy and I to stay in her hotel room vs the flooded campground (still owe her BIGTIME!!)
Being a mile and a half away from the stage the second night but still having a blast.
Speedy's disappearing cooler of sausage.
Massive hangover.

veddertown

Sitting at home thinking about what a great time all my friends in attendance must be having and trying not to cry like a baby when TOTD were playing.... Aah, the memories I could have had if I'd actually made it....