*** Charlottesville Fanviews Here 10/29/13 ***

southernmanfan

DriftingByTheStorm wrote:

rival_AK71 wrote:

They must rehearse or something.

Yeah. Or something.
Seems to be the hallmark of this tour. TIGHT!
Eddie botched last verse of Whipping horribly.
But that was IT.
Everything else was 150% and with nary a lyric sheet used.
Band never missed a. Note.
Fucking crazy how good (nay, GREAT) they are right now.
On FIRE.

Could not agree with you more having seen 5 shows of Leg 1

alphawolf

annie shot this from 4th/5th row in front of jeff

eddie swinging on the light and then falling...never missing a beat

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gtodu4efxcnivvq/IMG_2144.MOV

ikiT

That clip illustrates how amazing Charlottesville was absolutely perfectly.
I'm loving Stone's SMIRK.

alphawolf

it was an incredible show!

heres a little over two minutes of MOTHER

https://www.dropbox.com/s/by9uz309mhjnnic/IMG_2132.MOV

southernmanfan

alphawolf wrote:

it was an incredible show!

heres a little over two minutes of MOTHER

https://www.dropbox.com/s/by9uz309mhjnnic/IMG_2132.MOV

Thanks for postong this. I also have some and will be posting them shortly. Magical night indeed!

I loved Thumbing and Sad....unreal delivery of those...

PJForceofNature

Can't wait for the boot!!!

DV28676

You guys were celebrities! This is Scott, got in line with you around 7:40, I was excited just to tell other people that I had seen your boys playing cards for half the day. Being that I was around their age when I started listening to PJ, I thought it was way beyond cool. Congrats again to ya: definitely not downhill for you, brother!

Thanks, Scott. Even though it was a long day, the boys really enjoyed the line activities and the cool folks that we met. I wrote a story about this experience and added this tag after seeing your post:

I was joking about the rest of my life being downhill now. With my amazing kids and wonderful wife, each day is a joy. I'm looking forward to the incredible things my boys continue to do and of course, seeing Kimble Dann grow up as I advance into my senior citizen days. Just seeing her smile and laugh is enough for me right now. I can only imagine all the joy she'll bring to us as she ages. (Maybe she'll make me pass out someday -- in a good way, hopefully.)

If anyone would like to read the full story, PM me and I'll email you the PDF. I think the story turned out pretty well (if I do say so myself...)

DV28676

Great story. Thanks for sharing. I was thinking that it touched Eddie in a way that made him think about himself at that age and what it would mean to him to have his father take him to a concert that they both enjoyed as much as your boys and you did.

lowas3

Iowas3,

I believe that you are right. As we age, it becomes natural to see a child and begin to think, "Well, at that age I [insert thoughts here]." Also, I do think Eddie could see in their eyes the sincerity for which my boys hold their music and his words and felt compelled to do something special for them.

DV28676

Can't tell you how moving all this is. I'm so happy for you, your wife, your kids ... and for Mr. Vedder, for finding such a connection in your sons. Congratulations!

<!-- e --><a href="mailto:jwilliams15@gmail.com">jwilliams15@gmail.com</a><!-- e -->

Thanks, J. Your heartfelt words mean a lot. We hope to see you in a show down the road. Thank you for reaching out to my family. (We wish we lived in such a great place as your area of Montana).

DV28676

Loved reading Dane's story! So happy for you guys! And you know, what Eddie said about knowing they can play til they're 80 and still have fans... it honestly is so refreshing knowing that people your childrens' age are out there enjoying this band now, and they'll be able to pass the torch when they grow up and have children of their own!

One thing that stood out to me in Dane's account was how humble he comes across. Several times he mentions how grateful, thankful, and blessed he & his brother felt. Being a former teacher myself, and seeing first-hand how cruel and disrespectful a lot of kids can be, it gives me hope for the younger generation. You've raised some good, young men!

HesCalledDyer

I know how everyone becomes biased about their children. However, I know in my heart that I am biased for good reasons. My boys really are exceptional. I've lost count of the number of times that people will single out one of my boys that they know from a sports team or something similar and say, "There's just something special about that boy..." I was retrieving Danoh early one day when he was in kindergarten and the principal saw me and waved me over to speak with him. He said in a low voice (like it was a secret), "Hey, I don't know what y'all are doing with Dane, but keep it up. I've never met such a smart, talented, well-mannered child in all my years in schools. You and your wife should write a parenting book." The book would be pretty sparse because that is about 98% Danoh and 2% parenting.

I must share this because it happened just yesterday on our way to the PJ show in OKC:

We stopped at a Sonic to stretch our legs, grab a drink, and use the facilities. I was closing my door and saw that a fellow in an old beater truck across the way had opened his rear door and a small ice chest fell to the ground and burst open with food stuffs and empty wrappers spreading out all over the pavement. As I thought, "Poor guy," my boys, who were out goofing off after being cooped up in the car, hustled over to help the man gather up his food and trash. I looked at Kimmie and we just smiled. We didn't even need to say anything to each other. We just swelled up with pride.

DV28676

Amazing...thanks for taking the time to share that experience..sitting down to talk to Eddie Vedder..wow..just..wow..you guys were definitely one of the many highlights that night.
Way to go Mom and Dad..2 more true music fans..

wndowpayne

I know that Charlottesville was a great night for many reasons -- and especially from our perspective -- and it's hard to set aside my bias, but after hearing and seeing so many folks comment how much they enjoyed our boys' role in the show (and most of which was without the folks knowing we would even read or hear their thoughts), I think I am starting to see that the connection Eddie made with Dane and Heath might have helped increase the level of intimacy that propels a show to a different level. Or those folks and I might just all be loco...

However, the views on the TicketMaster site include a favorite moment entry and many of the people wrote that their favorite moment was the time the boys were pulled onto the stage.

DV28676

Awesome review!

calvo17

Thanks. I let the boys read that.

DV28676

Lol. Good taste in songs, LTRP, even "real" fans are talkin smack about that one.
Can definitely vouch for your kids enthusiasm and integrity.

We were side stage and my girl must have looked at me half a dozen times that night, pointed at Heath & brother, and yelled in my ear, "those kids up front, they know the words!" .... I'd be all "yeah. Uh uh." And she'd be all, "NO! They know ALL the words! To ALL the songs!" ...

Funny a kids firs thought when tapped by security is "what did I do wrong?" Lol. You looked cute kid. Too cute. Hah.
Glad he sees it as the greatest day of his life. To be surpassed again someday, surely.

DriftingByTheStorm

Thanks. We were finally able to hear LTRP last night in OKC. Heath was jacked about that one.

There's a reason that the boys know all the words to all the songs. It's because from the moment they could sense sound, that is the only music that they heard coming from any music device we had. When Kimmie and I began dating over 16 years ago, I said, "This is not going to work unless you like Pearl Jam." She said, "But I can't understand very many of the words." I said, "That's fine. Let's stop and learn them." I remember stopping in a Wal-Mart parking lot in League City, Texas and writing down the words to Evenflow for her to sing.

Early on, the words "Pearl Jam" was synonymous with "music" to my boys. They'd ask someone, "What kind of Pearl Jam do you listen to?" I'm sure that was because we never said, "Turn on some music." We'd only say, "Turn on some Pearl Jam."

DV28676

Thanks for posting your son's wonderful review! Your sons are very fortunate to have such cool parents. My dad took me to my first PJ show when I was 12 (Charlotte '96). I never took it for granted, but I appreciate a lot more now that I'm older. Your sons will never forget it and will love you for it forever. Do they play instruments yet?

moleculardreaming

I'm sure that you're right and they will appreciate it more later, but after the Charlottesville show it would be hard to imagine how they could. They honestly know what a tremendous privilege it was to have the honors that they did that night.

As for being cool parents, I'll agree with you there. Even though we are pretty old for parents (I'm 47 and Kimmie is 44) I think we rate right up there at the top of parent cooldom. However, we have a ten month old baby girl who might not agree with you when she is fourteen and I'm sixty-one.

They are both interested in playing instruments. Danoh has tinkered with the guitar some and I think it'll start snowballing now. Heath really likes to sing also.

DV28676

That is so cool! I think I have photos of ed giving wine, but they're probably blurry. I was about 10' to your left.

CJMST3K

Thanks. Even if it they are blurry, we'd love to see them. Please PM me and I'll give you our email address.

DV28676

So glad Dan and Heath wrote their experiences in their words, and thanks Dad for sharing them with us! Such an amazing experience, and their attitudes about it are just great: grateful, amazed, but very grounded-sounding and not all manic about it. Very cool!

I like how your 12 yr old left out that he poured most of the wine down your 9 yr old's throat, but your 9 yr old is clear he did not enjoy it! LOL! Now if you can just keep them from being interested in alcohol until they're, oh, 37 yrs old?

I was lucky to have a similar experience when I was a young teen with someone I had crazy respect for, and really it was a great foundation on which to have an attitude about most of life that "anything is possible", which is an excellent attitude to have. There was one experience that I went back to in my mind throughout high school and beyond, that always fueled my backbone and reminded me that I'm an ok person (or better than ok) when circumstances tried to make me feel bad about myself, and I hope for your boys the whole experience will be a great, positive touchstone to just build more great life experiences on top of.

And Dad, when Ed does write that song that you inspired, make sure to come back and tell us about it...

JH6056

Thanks. I'll sure let you know when the song evolves. It should be number one on the billboard charts coming off their new album. Of course I'm joking, but it is a pretty good idea. I couldn't believe myself when the question came out of my mouth about whether I could make a song suggestion to him. He said, "Sure," then wrote it down and thanked me. It is two pretty simple ideas which are both really of his own doing -- I just suggested that he put them together and create a song from those two things.

That'll be their last bit of alcohol until they're of age. As a former coach, I was always proud to tell my athletes that I never drank until I was of legal age. However, it'll be a pretty cool story when others are sitting around campfire telling about the first time that they stole some booze out of the old man's liquor cabinet. Then Dane or Heath can one-up by saying, "Well, my first time was when Eddie Vedder poured me some out of his wine bottle from stage and I took my first sip while thousands of fans in the arena cheered for me. How about your first time, Kyle/Josh/Luke?"

I look for this to help boost their confidence and that is immeasurable. They're not lacking confidence by any means at all, but it's hard to have enough sincere, real confidence in one's own self.

I asked Kimmie several days ago if she'd trade that experience for somebody awarding each of our boys a $25K scholarship for college. She thought about it for a second and said, "Even though that would really help, I'd need to say the experience of the Charlottesville show." I upped that to $50K each and she said the same thing. So if that is the case, that experience was worth over a $100K to us -- to try and put a price tag on it.

DV28676

this thread is great!

i'm happy to read the two boys accounts of the night.
so funny and adorable they thought they were in trouble when security came up to them.

although i've already said i'm jealous ..... if it had to be those two boys .... i feel better that they knew all the words!
you better, being up front and 'from the womb' and all!

that was SUPPOSED to be my first pj show. Image

stupid parents weren't as cool as these boys parents.

blondieblue227

Thanks. If it's any consolation, my parents couldn't have been any better while raising me but they just didn't have the background to know what was cool or not regarding music (or much else really). I feel fortunate to have been enlightened enough to share what I know is cool with my boys. We can only pass on to our children what we know. My boys shake their heads at the music that kids of today think is cool. Dane and Heath can both tell you that rap music is a misnomer. What are perhaps the two most important components of music? Singing and playing instruments -- well, rappers don't sing or play instruments so the sound they make can't really be considered music. That's the idea that I put in their heads long ago.

Is it as adorable as with my boys in that the first thought in my mind was that I was in trouble as well?

DV28676

i loved seeing the kids on stage...getting wine...learning they all met the band...what a dream!
stories for a lifetime from charlottesville!
my highlight of the night no doubt...

alphawolf

Thanks. Dream is the right word. It's been almost three weeks and we still can't believe it. Stories for a lifetime for sure. My buddies are going to be sick of hearing about this pretty soon. I'll be spinning the topic back to that in any way possible. "Speaking of cities that begin with C...", or "Yep. Those are pretty leaves all right. They kinda remind me of the leaves I saw in Virginia when we flew up there to see Pearl Jam in October of 2013...", and "You say that chainsaw is loud? Well, not as loud as the crowd in Charlottesville when my boys were up on stage at the Pearl Jam concert..." Yep. They'll be sick of hearing that from me pretty soon...

DV28676

Wow! Something you all will treasure forever!

southernmanfan

There's no doubt that will be the centerpiece for quite a while and we'll always be able to wink at each other and say, "Remember when Eddie said..."

kladkins

If anyone is interested, I have many videos from the show, including when Ed first mentions the boys and their dad in the front row. I would be happy to post any/all of the videos.