I had been in college at North Texas in Denton in 1990(just outside of Dallas) and was in the music program, and while there met a man named Dave Abbruzzese, who was my drum instructor. Dave was in a band that I use to see all the time...but sadly they broke up suddenly.....well come to find out his favorite drummer was leaving this band and offered to hook Dave up with a job.....That drummer was Matt Chamberlain. I knew Matt from the Dallas scene also cause he had played with Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians, and he also played in Ten Hands.(another fave band from the area)
anyways...forward a year or so.....and Pearl Jam are playing with the Chili Peppers and Smashing Pumpkins in Dallas. So I get home from school, and there is a message from Dave. He put me on the guestlist for the show at Trees that night. I was confused....the show wasnt at Trees...it was at the Bronco Bowl, so I headed over to Trees.....and find out they booked a last minute gig. AWESOME!!!! So we headed over to the Bronco Bowl, saw PJ open and left early.(we had seen the previous show in Houston a few days earlier) then hauled ass to Trees and saw one of the sicketst shows Ive ever seen in that dingy little bar. It was one of the few times I wqitnessed Eddie's crazy stage antics with him climbing to the top of the speaker stack and diving off. I was in front of Mike all night and just marveled at his fingers on the neck of his guitar....sublime show....and one of my fondest memories.
Thanks Dave!
That sounds like quite an experience. Are you still in touch with him at all? I've always felt that the Pearl Jam everyone grew to love, and even to this day still craves, is the Dave Abbruzzese Pearl Jam.
1st time - NeilJam - The first time I saw Pearl Jam live was at the Polo Fields in Golden Gate Park in 1995. Bad Religion opened for them and had a fantastic set. I had never even listened to them before but after seeing them, it made me a fan. Unfortunately, Eddie was sick and stopped after 7 songs. At this point Neil Young came up and did his best to make it up to the crowd by thoroughly rocking out with the remaining member of PJ. It was a strange and incredible first concert to experience. Went with 3 friends, one of which got heat stroke and was in the Medical tent the entire concert. Her brother was in there with her so her friend and I ended up by ourselves the entire concert. She was a petite blonde who asked to get on my shoulders and stayed there for pretty much the duration of the concert. For some reason we had no problem getting all the way up to the front of the stage. Might have been because of the bikini top she was wearing.
But the show that iced the cake for me was 12/8/93 at the Seattle Center Arena (now Mercer Arena). Show was completely off the hook, especially the "I've Got A Feeling" done for Lennon. Hopefully this boot will make it to a VS. special reissue or something. And I met this great gal Kristin Camp that day, who is responsible for me ever even joining the 10c. Sure would like to find her one of these days.
April 17th 1994...the Paramount Theater in NYC...the day after SNL.
"If you want a friend, feed any animal." - JA
"Don't let it get you down, you know, still give your love, just give it away...I love singin' that part." - EV
8/93 Neil Young, Pearl Jam, and it was supposed to be Blind Mellon but Shannon Hoon had just died. It was the day after the MTV music awards that PJ and Neil Young did keep on rockin in the free world. They did it that magical night at Portland Meadows as well!
Like many here, my 1st show was with the RHCP BSSM show in '91 with the Smashing Pumpkins too at the AJPalumbo Center in Pittsburgh. PJ was great playing like a 30-45 minute set. Corgan and SP got booed off the stage and seats were flying, literally. Crazy kickass show that had me hooked on PJ ever since. Got free tickets from a local DJ.
======================================================================
"What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal." Albert Pine.
My first PJ show was at the New Regal Theater in Chicago, March 13, 1994. I got the tickets through the 10C by sending in a money order. The location of the show was a secret when I got the info for the tickets. That night EV said from the stage that something like 301 people got their tickets through the 10C - I can't remember the exact number.
Some things that I remember, or won't forget about that show:
Before the show started, EV appeared at the side of the stage with a whole crowd of people behind him. Everybody was wearing their coats like they had just arrived. EV came out on stage with his coat on and was going like "Whooa" and then told everybody that he had a bad cold but he was going to do the show anyway. EV did the show with snot pouring out of his sinuses. I was wondering if he was ripped on cough syrup that night.
The Frogs opened that night. EV came out and did one of their songs with them.
During the show, EV managed to climb out on the woodwork that ran along the side wall of the Regal. There was no way back to the stage except by falling into the crowd while the rest of the band was still cranking it. Somebody from the crew got him out of there and back on the stage. I was wondering or worrying that EV might have been on some kind of a death wish trip.
Mike was bouncing all over the place. At one point near the end in between songs he went up to the mic and said something. Whatever he said came out as garbled gibberish - the whole place started laughing, including Mike. Mike had his shirt off and started making out with a girl in the front row. At the end of the show when the lights came on, somebody from security came and got the girl and took her backstage - the guy that was with her stood there with a WTF look on his face while the place emptied out.
One of the encores was the Dave A/EV song Angel from that year's xmas single. Dave sat in a chair and played guitar while EV sang the song after mentioning that it was a song that you could only get by being in the 10C.
Three Vitalogy songs were played that night before that cd was released - Spin the Black Circle, Not For You, and Last Exit. I wrote a stamp and envelope letter to the 10C trying to describe those songs and asking what the names of them were, and I also thanked the 10C for the ticket. I got 3rd row for that show. I had been going to concerts in Chicago since 1974 - this was the closest I had ever been to the stage - I felt the sound pounding into my chest, it felt good.. Thanks again, 10C.
My first show was '93 in Berkley, CA at the Greek Theater. Henry Rollins opened. I was still in high school and was impacted greatly. Seen them in various forms and venues around the country 30 times, the last time being Lolla '07. I can't wait to see them in September.
8/93 Neil Young, Pearl Jam, and it was supposed to be Blind Mellon but Shannon Hoon had just died. It was the day after the MTV music awards that PJ and Neil Young did keep on rockin in the free world. They did it that magical night at Portland Meadows as well!
One of my favorite musicians of all time........Shannon Hoon died in October of 1995.
Also I didn't see PJ until 1996 at Maple Leafs Gardens in Toronto.
Well, went to Woodstock......the whole talk of the crowd was that PJ were the special unannounced guests.....well they never showed and it proved to be a BS rumor....
The whole Green Day mudfight was fucking awesome though
The first time i actually got to see PJ wa Randallas Island nite 2 in 1996 for the NO CODE tour (getting tickets was a BITCH, due to the whole boycott of tickmaster at that time)
The very 1st time was on the RHCP tour 91 & then saw them at lolla 92, but the 1st time with 10C tickets was at The Paramount show in 94 haven't stoped since and i don't plan on stoping till they do ...
St. Petersburg, FL. Bayfront Arena. March 28, 1994. My first show ever, drove down from Tallahassee, was a student at Florida State University. First show ever, and what will always stand out is Eddie during Blood I believe(it was a long time ago) puts a black bag over his head during the solo and puts a noose around his neck and starts hanging himself on stage. LOL It was fucking awesome. I was about 30 rows back on the floor and on at least one occassion grab a joint from someone in the first row and smoked it. Fucking great.
Can't wait for Philly 28th and 30th. This is a great thread. I don't post much.
Ed had me when he did the Empire Carpet song, from that moment on I was not just a regular fan anymore...I was now a member of the accursed named cult...I was now part of the _ _ _ _ _ _!
I cannot even type the word, but God JAMit, will fInalLY let it be known!
I was also way up in the nosebleeds. My first real Tenclub seats were not until Milwaukee 95, I think 6th row...what a start. first actual TC tickets were for Soldier Field. Never thought about joning a band fanclub until I heard they sent out x-mas vinyls.
As Pearl Jam goes on their umpteenth tour this spring, I recently posted in a shameless self-promotion for Detroit thread (http://forums.pearljam.com/showthread.php?t=279020) about my first PJ concert in Ann Arbor, March 1994. I am so honored to have followed this band for so long, and I know that a lot of people would like to read some Vintage PJ Concert fan recollections; or at least I know I would. Just sitting here thinking about my 1994 experience has brought on this unexplainable euphoric feeling! Ok, here's a story for you...
Pearl Jam, Crisler Arena, March 1994 -
I was a second year student at Univ of Michigan (93-96), I was at work in the cafeteria when I heard that PJ tickets went on sale that day, and sold out that same day. I cried like a baby cuz I missed it. Then a few weeks later, a girl was selling her $25 PJ concert ticket for $60 - I didn't complain about the 110% 1994 price hike, I just wanted to go. I got the nosebleed ticket and was in Jammer heaven to attend in March 1994 -
Got hit by a car two days before said concert, but thankfully it was just soft tissue injury and I had a limp and a scraped up face. Fuck it, I was ALIVE and I was going to see Pearl Jam starring Eddie Vedder.
Concert came, the whole campus was pretty much dressed in plaid. We walked to Crisler, I separated from my group and sat way up a the stop, high on tylenol to dull the pain from the car accident.
I wish I had a boot for Ann Arbor 1994 because I still have 'Indifference' ringing in my head as I saw a drunk ass and kinda of angry Eddie put on a brilliant performance. Needless to say, I knew that this was a band that I would follow to my grave. We really just rocked out and since this was their second tour for Ten/Vs, the concert didn't last as long as they do now. I couldn't jump up and down due to the pain I was in, but I did my best and what stands out to me was just how serious and somber Eddie was.
Several points during the show, he just walked in circles and drinking beer or wine - I think the newfound fame and attention was freaking him out, so he was in his own world onstage.
I left the show in a haze of like 'I saw a band that will be a phenomenon', they went on to be one of the greatest bands on the planet...
I'm so grateful to have been there, now if only I had a boot from that show.
3 Times between Oct. 1991 and July 0f 1992
10-26-91 Cleveland
4-2-92
7-29-92
5-4-95 Hovercraft / Cleveland
8-26-98
4-25-03
5-20-06
8-21-08 E.V. Chicago
10-31-09 Philadelphia
5-09-10 Cleveland
5-10-10 Buffalo
6-26-11 E.V. Detroit
10-11-13 Pittsburgh
10-12-13 Buffalo
10-29-13 Charlottesville
4-18-16 Hampton
8-22-16 Chicago
This is one of the bestest threads in the history of the message pit. Keep the vintage reports coming guys, I'm loving them. This thread should be stickied. *sniff*
i agree.
*~Pearl Jam will be blasted from speakers until morale improves~*
I was SOOOOO fortunate to live in Dallas and was a music junkie and hung out in Deep Ellum back in the day when it was a cool area. There were tons of bars that supported local music and up and coming bands. One of my favorite bars was Trees and PJ played there on Dec. 11, 1991. I swear there could not have been more than 150 people. Maybe less. Eddie climbed a wall. lol!
I remember Black, Garden, SOLAT, Breath...they stole my soul, and I needed it at the time.
8/93 Neil Young, Pearl Jam, and it was supposed to be Blind Mellon but Shannon Hoon had just died. It was the day after the MTV music awards that PJ and Neil Young did keep on rockin in the free world. They did it that magical night at Portland Meadows as well!
It's funny how time plays with your memory - Shannon Hoon actually died in 1995, and PJ's first show after the MTV VMA's was at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver.
paid $150 for pair of floor GA tix..went with now-ex girlfriend.
awesome experience.
Amen to that Springfield show. I had prepaid with ticketMASTER $150 for 4 tickets before they went even on sale. I ended up like 7 rows from the very back of the arena , but it was all good cuz such a small place. Funny thing was I had the trouble getting my other ticket used, had broke up with the girl I was seeing, and none of my other female friends were into them so my friend Ted had his girl bring an extra friend.
Twice in 1991 (I believe. It could have been '92) at the Offramp in Seattle. My favorite memory is Eddie driving by in a pick up truck (like a Chevy Love) while we waited in line outside, then he came by on a skateboard and shook our hands, etc. My friends and I had grown up with Andy Wood so were very familiar with most of the band and their histories and were really looking forward to these shows. It was a thoroughly exciting time. I also saw them at Rockandy back in those early days.
My favorite show had to be A Drop in the Park, which I've seen some folks here were there. What an amazing show!
This was my first show as well. Sr year in high school.
I know right before they played Daughter, Ed said that the band might not be able to make it thru the entire show given the circumstances and we the crowd would understand why...(thankfully they did and the show rocked).
It was my first PJ show, I was 12 years old. Vs. had just come out. They opened with Release in complete darkness, and closed with RITFW with the house lights on, and they played everything in the middle. They even played brand new songs Corduroy and Not For You. I vividly remember them playing footsteps, you could hear a pin drop in the arena. But the reason I will remember this show forever is because it was the day that the body of KC was found. I did not know. EV talked about the incident and dedicated a song to him. I was confused, and the person next to me told me he died that day. I believe the song that was dedicated was "Go," but I am not 100% sure. If anyone knows which song was dedicated, please let me know.
This was my first show too. Go sounds right as a dedication but I'm not positive.
First ever concert was Lollapalooza '92, UBC Thunderbird Stadium. PJ played second, I believe, but the house was packed already.
Also lucky enough to see PJ and Blind Melon open for Uncle Neil in '93. I remember the sound being awful, but PJ rising above it. Neil was sensational, too.
7-9-1995- summerfest Milwaukee. Great first show! won tickets from a local radio station and got to see Pearl Jam in row 2! i have been hooked ever since! got into a brutal knife fight after the show... dont worry i won... oh wait... my bad that was after a Cher concert.
Do you know what it's like to fall in the mud and get kicked... in the head... with an iron boot? Of course you don't, no one does. It never happens. Sorry, Ted, that's a dumb question... skip that.
7-9-1995- summerfest Milwaukee. Great first show! won tickets from a local radio station and got to see Pearl Jam in row 2! i have been hooked ever since! got into a brutal knife fight after the show... dont worry i won... oh wait... my bad that was after a Cher concert.
were you the dude/Dudette I wrestled for jack's drumstick? well more of a tug of war, it was fucking hilarious the roadies threw the stick out after everyone but a few of is were gone, me and my bud, and this dude and his girl friend. the stick careens into the space about 20 feet from both of us, we see each other like a wild west stand-off, and both sprint to dive on it. I got a part, she got a part, we both get up like were' holding each others wang. we just look at each other and then my friend and her boy friend jump on, so four of us on one drumstick in the aisle. We look at each other again and pretty much are like okay what now? She then goes how about we break it in half, and split it! At that point my friend yanks the thing and twists his body between us all and ass bumps them off it. I ran like a bitch with it to the lot! With them chasing us screaming wait we can share it... Still have that stick, my most prized possession, even more then the pick Ed reached down, grabbed my sisters hand and put it in her hand then closed her fingers around it with her hand (that was fucking so cool to watch).
Comments
That sounds like quite an experience. Are you still in touch with him at all? I've always felt that the Pearl Jam everyone grew to love, and even to this day still craves, is the Dave Abbruzzese Pearl Jam.
But the show that iced the cake for me was 12/8/93 at the Seattle Center Arena (now Mercer Arena). Show was completely off the hook, especially the "I've Got A Feeling" done for Lennon. Hopefully this boot will make it to a VS. special reissue or something. And I met this great gal Kristin Camp that day, who is responsible for me ever even joining the 10c. Sure would like to find her one of these days.
"Don't let it get you down, you know, still give your love, just give it away...I love singin' that part." - EV
"this next one is DEEP"
remember that vividly
ed climbed around the small venue as he did back in his youth. My first concert, my first herb. Jah
opened for the RHCP...I think it was the screaming trees who also opened.
blood sugar sex magic
"What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal." Albert Pine.
Some things that I remember, or won't forget about that show:
Before the show started, EV appeared at the side of the stage with a whole crowd of people behind him. Everybody was wearing their coats like they had just arrived. EV came out on stage with his coat on and was going like "Whooa" and then told everybody that he had a bad cold but he was going to do the show anyway. EV did the show with snot pouring out of his sinuses. I was wondering if he was ripped on cough syrup that night.
The Frogs opened that night. EV came out and did one of their songs with them.
During the show, EV managed to climb out on the woodwork that ran along the side wall of the Regal. There was no way back to the stage except by falling into the crowd while the rest of the band was still cranking it. Somebody from the crew got him out of there and back on the stage. I was wondering or worrying that EV might have been on some kind of a death wish trip.
Mike was bouncing all over the place. At one point near the end in between songs he went up to the mic and said something. Whatever he said came out as garbled gibberish - the whole place started laughing, including Mike. Mike had his shirt off and started making out with a girl in the front row. At the end of the show when the lights came on, somebody from security came and got the girl and took her backstage - the guy that was with her stood there with a WTF look on his face while the place emptied out.
One of the encores was the Dave A/EV song Angel from that year's xmas single. Dave sat in a chair and played guitar while EV sang the song after mentioning that it was a song that you could only get by being in the 10C.
Three Vitalogy songs were played that night before that cd was released - Spin the Black Circle, Not For You, and Last Exit. I wrote a stamp and envelope letter to the 10C trying to describe those songs and asking what the names of them were, and I also thanked the 10C for the ticket. I got 3rd row for that show. I had been going to concerts in Chicago since 1974 - this was the closest I had ever been to the stage - I felt the sound pounding into my chest, it felt good.. Thanks again, 10C.
Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam.
One of my favorite musicians of all time........Shannon Hoon died in October of 1995.
Also I didn't see PJ until 1996 at Maple Leafs Gardens in Toronto.
The whole Green Day mudfight was fucking awesome though
The first time i actually got to see PJ wa Randallas Island nite 2 in 1996 for the NO CODE tour (getting tickets was a BITCH, due to the whole boycott of tickmaster at that time)
This thread makes me want a time machine. Oh, to have been old enough to go to concerts before '95...
Can't wait for Philly 28th and 30th. This is a great thread. I don't post much.
1993-08-14
Gimli Motorsport Park; Sunfest '93
Gimli, Manitoba
"OH Canada...You are so Beautiful when you are Drunk." Eddie
1993-08-14 Gimli Mb Motorsport Park
03-05-30 Vanc;05-09-08 Wpg
05-09-07 Sask Sk;05-09-04 Calg
05-09-05 Edm Alb;05-09-02 Vanc
06-07-02/ 03 Denver 1 + 2;06-10-21/22 Bridge 1 +2
4/3 + 4/2/08 Vanc Vedder ; 6/24+25 MSG /Toronto 09/buffalo 10/EV Chic 1-2
Ed had me when he did the Empire Carpet song, from that moment on I was not just a regular fan anymore...I was now a member of the accursed named cult...I was now part of the _ _ _ _ _ _!
I cannot even type the word, but God JAMit, will fInalLY let it be known!
I was also way up in the nosebleeds. My first real Tenclub seats were not until Milwaukee 95, I think 6th row...what a start. first actual TC tickets were for Soldier Field. Never thought about joning a band fanclub until I heard they sent out x-mas vinyls.
4-2-92
7-29-92
5-4-95 Hovercraft / Cleveland
8-26-98
4-25-03
5-20-06
8-21-08 E.V. Chicago
10-31-09 Philadelphia
5-09-10 Cleveland
5-10-10 Buffalo
6-26-11 E.V. Detroit
10-11-13 Pittsburgh
10-12-13 Buffalo
10-29-13 Charlottesville
4-18-16 Hampton
8-22-16 Chicago
i agree.
I remember Black, Garden, SOLAT, Breath...they stole my soul, and I needed it at the time.
It's funny how time plays with your memory - Shannon Hoon actually died in 1995, and PJ's first show after the MTV VMA's was at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver.
Just sayin'.
Amen to that Springfield show. I had prepaid with ticketMASTER $150 for 4 tickets before they went even on sale. I ended up like 7 rows from the very back of the arena , but it was all good cuz such a small place. Funny thing was I had the trouble getting my other ticket used, had broke up with the girl I was seeing, and none of my other female friends were into them so my friend Ted had his girl bring an extra friend.
My favorite show had to be A Drop in the Park, which I've seen some folks here were there. What an amazing show!
I know right before they played Daughter, Ed said that the band might not be able to make it thru the entire show given the circumstances and we the crowd would understand why...(thankfully they did and the show rocked).
I do believe the dedication song was Go.
Also lucky enough to see PJ and Blind Melon open for Uncle Neil in '93. I remember the sound being awful, but PJ rising above it. Neil was sensational, too.
were you the dude/Dudette I wrestled for jack's drumstick? well more of a tug of war, it was fucking hilarious the roadies threw the stick out after everyone but a few of is were gone, me and my bud, and this dude and his girl friend. the stick careens into the space about 20 feet from both of us, we see each other like a wild west stand-off, and both sprint to dive on it. I got a part, she got a part, we both get up like were' holding each others wang. we just look at each other and then my friend and her boy friend jump on, so four of us on one drumstick in the aisle. We look at each other again and pretty much are like okay what now? She then goes how about we break it in half, and split it! At that point my friend yanks the thing and twists his body between us all and ass bumps them off it. I ran like a bitch with it to the lot! With them chasing us screaming wait we can share it... Still have that stick, my most prized possession, even more then the pick Ed reached down, grabbed my sisters hand and put it in her hand then closed her fingers around it with her hand (that was fucking so cool to watch).