August 22, 1998 - Barrie, ON (15th Anniversary Thread)

Chad Grattan

100 Pacer wrote:

Chad Grattan wrote:

I don't have much time, and will post the full story later... But Ed gave me his pick after I Got Shit and I almost put a hole in my hand I held it so tight the rest of the show... By far, my best PJ experience ever!!!

Was it the orange guitar pick with the word "ed" on it?

Yes, sir! All of my buddies that petered out early were back in the dust wondering who got it where we were (right in front of Ed, my armpits were bruised for weeks)... Then when we met out at the Molson Park sign, I showed them and palm was bruised from holding it so tight! Haha! I was so jazzed that I actually drove the whole way home (10 hours) to PA because I couldn't wait to show everyone and tell the story. Longest and coolest day of my PJ life! I was 19.

I believe Ed handed out a handful that night. I kept thinking you have to give me one! And I swear in I Got Shit he looked at me and said (off mic) "Next one.".... it was insane.

100 Pacer

Chad Grattan wrote:

100 Pacer wrote:

Chad Grattan wrote:

I don't have much time, and will post the full story later... But Ed gave me his pick after I Got Shit and I almost put a hole in my hand I held it so tight the rest of the show... By far, my best PJ experience ever!!!

Was it the orange guitar pick with the word "ed" on it?

Yes, sir! All of my buddies that petered out early were back in the dust wondering who got it where we were (right in front of Ed, my armpits were bruised for weeks)... Then when we met out at the Molson Park sign, I showed them and palm was bruised from holding it so tight! Haha! I was so jazzed that I actually drove the whole way home (10 hours) to PA because I couldn't wait to show everyone and tell the story. Longest and coolest day of my PJ life! I was 19.

I believe Ed handed out a handful that night. I kept thinking you have to give me one! And I swear in I Got Shit he looked at me and said (off mic) "Next one.".... it was insane.

That's a great story. I was lucky enough to score the same pick a couple of nights prior at the Montreal show. I can still remember how much Ed enjoyed interacting with those of us up front at the Barrie show. He was practically grinning, he was in such a great mood.

shepajo

This was also my first show at 19 years old. I remember all of my friends going up to Buffalo in 1996 and I could not go because of sporting obligations in high school so I was bummed. But this was my day. I remember it being a beautiful day and a handful of us drove up from western ny. I remember waiting by the gate for the doors to open to go into the stage area for pearl jam. I ran up front and was on the rail for all of cheap trick and up until rearview mirror during pj. I had mistakenly worn sandals that day and the crowd was just going nuts during rearview so i had to head to the back. But was one of my most memorable shows of my 40+. I just remember looking back and seeing a sea of people and that image will never be forgotten. Cannot wait for this fall tour!!!!

nevmiles

lcusick wrote:

August 22nd is my son's birthday too- he was 15 then. He was def. a Pearl Jam fan back then and still is! That sounds like a great show. The first time I saw PJ was in Toronto on my birthday.

Happy birthday to your son!!!!!!!!!!!!

nevmiles

evsgjamm wrote:

Keep the stories, photos and old-ass SYMPATICO websites comin

You like that website I made, eh? :roll: I made that back in 2000 when my parents finally got the internet at home and had some webspace with their sympatico account. I honestly didn't even know it was still up online until I did an image search for "Pearl Jam Barrie 98" and it took me to my site

I know my parents still have their sympatico e-mail address, so obviously their webspace is still active!

Dead Man Walking

nevmiles wrote:

Dead Man Walking wrote:

I brought a disposable camera and snapped a bunch of photos. Only a handful turned out.

I just remember Ed just constantly looking out into the dust and smiling. I think part of him wished he was in there with us.

Scan & post please! I'd love to see more pics from the show....

I'll see if I can find them. I think a year ago or so I posted a pic from that show. It was the last picture on my camera. I was at the very front and I just lifted the camera over my head and took a picture of everyone behind me. When I got it developed I couldn't believe there were people with bloody noses! Hahaha it was a crazy pit that night.

polaris_x

shit ... you guys have good memories ... all i remember was long lines at the parking lot and at the beer tents ... i also remember not being able to survive that pit for too long ...

Dead Man Walking

Here's the pit pic I took...Anyone recognize anyone?

Gibson

First Pearl Jam show and best concert experience of my life.

Front to back, solid show.

It will always have a spot in my heart as a top five.

nevmiles

Dead Man Walking wrote:

Here's the pit pic I took...Anyone recognize anyone?

Fuckin' crazy!

Can't see me or any of my friends

Got any other pics of the show? The guys on stage? The venue? The crowd?

edit: I see you mentioned you'd see if you could find them

smarchee

ah, my first Pearl Jam show, 15 years ago tonight

I couldn't go to the 1996 show as I started college and was broke , I remember it being a beautiful day and seeing Cracker on the side stage was kinda cool since I really dug Low, I remember chucking at the cheesiness of Cheap Trick a couple of times. I went with my buddy and his girlfriend, drove up from London, as I had just moved back there from Guelph the day before :?

We were on the outskirts of the pit about 4-5 songs in and she passed out, I remember my buddy picked her up, tossed her on her shoulder and started heading out of the pit area and I had to make a split decision, should I stay and enjoy the show from where I was at or go with them.......and I stayed we had a designate meeting spot anyway.

I remember the 400 south being stop and go for an hour too because there was construction and both my guests were passed out :evil:

I remember getting a fully body buzz when they played Black, I couldn't even feel the top of my head I was just floored by how powerful that song is live.

I actually have a friend in Barrie still and when I visited him last November I asked him if we could cruise over that area as it had been 10+years since I was in Barrie and it's all gone. The fields and parking lots where we partied before the show are all 1 or 2 story business plazas, the back of the park where you would go and get high before you went to the main stage is a large big box plaza with a Best Buy, and the part of the park where the main stage is a giant pit of dirt where, I presume, the dirt for the big box plaza and business parks went.

Funny though that the old wooden booth that was at the front corner of the park is still sitting there to this day

Molson Park was pretty fucking sweet to see a show at back in the day

scratched vinyl

2nd show, and I was 19. Such a good day.
I'm a huge Hayden fan, loved seeing him on the side stage.
Most vivid PJ memories are of Eddie swinging on the low hanging rafters during Cheap Trick, and that when they came on stage they didn't kill the house music, they just walked out and started into Corduroy; if you weren't paying attention you would have missed the big entrance.
Also remember the insanity of trying to push my way through the sea of huge shirtless dudes to get to the stage. The downside of a 30,000 person GA section while "pits" at PJ shows were still alive and well. Well worth the struggle though.

lcusick

nevmiles wrote:

lcusick wrote:

August 22nd is my son's birthday too- he was 15 then. He was def. a Pearl Jam fan back then and still is! That sounds like a great show. The first time I saw PJ was in Toronto on my birthday.

Happy birthday to your son!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks

mcgruff10

35,000 people?~! wow. was this in a huge field?!

scratched vinyl

mcgruff10 wrote:

35,000 people?~! wow. was this in a huge field?!

Basically. It was a venue built on a field outside of Barrie (a city an hour north of Toronto). The field had a pretty good slope downwards towards where the stage was built, that gave everyone pretty good sight lines all the way to the back. It's the same venue that held Lollapalooza up until 1996, and also had some other good shows. I saw Beastie Boys there, Neil Young with Oasis, etc.

smarchee

scratched vinyl wrote:

mcgruff10 wrote:

35,000 people?~! wow. was this in a huge field?!

Basically. It was a venue built on a field outside of Barrie (a city an hour north of Toronto). The field had a pretty good slope downwards towards where the stage was built, that gave everyone pretty good sight lines all the way to the back. It's the same venue that held Lollapalooza up until 1996, and also had some other good shows. I saw Beastie Boys there, Neil Young with Oasis, etc.

all the good Edgefest's were there, which was the alternative radio station 102.1 in Toronto's day long festival, usually on Canada day

those were fucking good times in 1990s

smarchee

Dead Man Walking

Edgefest in the 90's, a few of the Warped tours up on the flats in the early aughts. What a great venue.

In a nearlier post I mentioned that i took some photos of the PJ show there. For those who don't know, all the opening bands played up on the flats. Cracker, Hayden, another band that started the day who's name escapes me. I've got a bunch of pictures of Hayden from that day along with the few PJ ones I have. Still trying to find them. I also remember that from the flats you could see the main stage. the only thing separating it was a 15 foot high chain link fence. I remember Pearl Jam soundchecking I Got ID and I couldn't believe it. I remember lining up to get into the main stage and it was funny (not at the time) because there were 4 or 6 points around the main hill that had entrances through the fence and when you saw another gate open and yours hadn't yet it was a feeling of utter hopelessness that all those people were getting to the front of the stage and you couldn't do anything about it. Cheap Trick was really cool to see but man...Pearl Jam. I still get goosebumps.

tacet

]amazing day - most of the bands played side stages outside of the main stage area - so you could walk around and sit and enjoy - remember having a smoke with one of the security guards in the beer tent listening to the sound check - having a beer for breakfast - once we got inside we held our spot from that point on for about 8 hours until the show ended

it was my first show- I had 4 small children at this point but they were old enough to finally get out

at this point in my life there wasn't a day that pearl jam wasn't incorporated into my day (not much has changed really) - when cheap trick were playing and I saw the band up in the scaffolding watching the show, and I remember thinking "there they are, that's them, god I love these guys" and I looked around and nobody else seemed to notice - so I just leaned back and smiled taking in the moment - although one thought popped into my head - "Ed's wearing a waist pouch?" lol

cheap trick really brought me back to my jr high/high school days so really enjoy them

when the band hit the stage I was overwhelmed by the moment - the line "the waiting drove me mad" really hit home - I can't tell you what the set list was - I just remember being lost in the music like I never had been before - and I remember times when the crowd disappeared and it was just me and the song in my head

it was the most elevating live music experience I had ever had - and I'd had quite a few

I remember Ed standing on the speakers in front of us - way up high - and the light hit his eyes and nothing has ever been so crystal blue - like beacons shining out to the crowd - and I remember thinking "God don't jump" because for a second that look was in his eye - I know most people probably wanted him to jump but it was a surging crowd - I tried taping the show and gave up - I tried taking pictures and gave up - I realized fussing around with equipment can take you out of the moment - but I did snap a couple just for memory's sake - I also remember blowing sand out of my nose for about a week after the show

nothing has ever been more worth the heat, the wait, the standing - it will always be one of the really special days that I hold dear

and cheers to what had to have been the dirtiest crowd to ever hit the McDonald's on the 400

nevmiles

mcgruff10 wrote:

35,000 people?~! wow. was this in a huge field?!

Bing Map link to the venue:
http://binged.it/12EaHKK

You can see the framing for the stage as well as the main crowd/pit area in the aerial photography just up and to the right of where it says "Park Place".

This was the one and only time I went to Molson Park, but it was an amazing venue....