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^^^The Day Ed Came to Town^^^
Pearl Jam means so much to so many people. Whether it’s one song or a lifetime of concerts- every fan has been touched by their unrelenting magic. This is my story of the day Ed came to town and the day I got to meet him.
I’m honoured to be part of this community – this religion. For so long I’ve enjoyed reading about our community’s encounters with the members of the band. They never fail to invoke raised hairs and tears. It was these stories that made me think maybe, one day, it could happen to me. Last night was my chance to have an encounter.
Before heading to Eddie’s Brisbane show last night I was a ridiculous-nervous mess. I remember being nervous before seeing Pearl Jam at Gold Coast Big Day Out - then at Sydney - slightly calmer - well until there was movement on their stage and I dropped my camera and a guy in front of me joked “settle down, they haven’t even started yet!”. In fairness to my anxiety levels - it had been two years since seeing Eddie and prior to that, four years since seeing the band. I guess absence makes the heart grow…well, extremely jittery. In between those years I took a pilgrimage to Seattle (albeit 20 years too late) during which my cab driver got to experience my nervousness as we briefly stopped at the “Singles” units, Mecca (10 Club Headquarters) and then dropped me off to find the Sound Garden. But nothing compared to how I felt yesterday. Yesterday I knew something big was going to happen.
The sporadic heart palpitations started during the week. At one point I thought I’d scored a fourth row ticket – cue shaking hands and thoughts of “I can’t believe I’ll be so close! I don’t think I’m ready for this. I don’t think it’s my time yet”. Turns out it was a much more comfortable 9th row and I was able to give my 10-Club tickets to friends. Then there was yesterday’s merchandise line. As we waited we heard whispers of signed posters and realised I’d missed out by two people (my brother missed out by one). The thought of getting a signed poster was enough to set things racing again. Even passing Bernard Fanning in the hall way – which would normally trip my celebrity radar - didn’t even rate. I was about to be in the presence of something great.
Through the week, after reading through the forum posts, the idea was planted of waiting around post-show to shake Ed’s hand. I wasn’t sure if it was “my time” to meet Ed, but I still set about finding out where we would wait. A friend of a friend works at QPAC and had some idea. Another friend of a friend mentioned something about meeting Ed last time. But I still didn’t really know where the actual spot was. Pre-show, as I waited for my friends to collect their tickets and my brother and his friend went inside to see Glen, I chatted to some other fans. Right at the end of our conversation I mentioned how I was planning on sticking around – it was then they said “I know where to wait” and gave me some directions. My pseudo plan now had slightly more substance.
Show time – I sat at the edge of my seat until leaping up for Porch. Everything is really a blur and like every Pearl Jam/Eddie show, it was over after what seemed like 20 minutes. It always goes so fast. No other live shows have ever compared to the emotions I feel during a Pearl Jam or Eddie show. Every new song that passes I get nostalgic for the one before and for the moments that have just passed. I love seeing other live bands and have been lucky to see so many great artists. But after each of these shows I always feel a little bit empty. It’s this emptiness that’s only filled by a Pearl Jam or Eddie experience.
Post show we went on the search for “the spot”. We thought we had found it but were not so sure when no one else seemed to be gathering around. As my friends left and crossed the road, they were pointing the area that had a small crowd. It was here we should have been waiting. When we got there we found out a van had just left, but it wasn’t carrying Eddie. As my brother, his friend and I waited, the erratic heart palpitations started again. The whole afternoon/evening reminded me of the start of the Simpsons Episode with Homer’s Triple Bypass – calm for a moment, then crazy pulsating the next. As we waited we had no guarantee of what was going to happen. Would he just come out in a van and wave as he left? At one point, we thought he was in the second van that left, maybe hiding on the floor. But the rest of the group waited and so did we. Doors opened and closed. Vans went in and out. In between this, the carpark where we were parked shut at 1:00 so my brother had to grab his car. I was so worried that Ed would come out while he was gone. But he didn’t.
Then it happened. The door opened. Ed was behind a gate. Security asked us to put our phones/cameras away. Then Ed came out of the gate shook each of our hands and gave us each a pick. More than anything, he gave us his time. He was so kind. After putting everything into his epic set he still came out to meet us. He came out and changed lives. It was so amazing to see my brother meet Ed and shake his hand. The rest is a blur. I moved away at one point to let some other people in and muttered something like “that just happened!”. I think I yelled out a nervous “thank you”. Then had a flash back of the stupid “can you believe this is happening?” face I pulled while Ed shook my hand. As he left, my heart finally returned to normal for the first time that day. I was numb and in shock.
The biggest thing running through my mind when I thought that meeting Ed could be a possibility was that there was no way anyone could really convey in that short time what Pearl Jam means to them. Should I give him a note? Make a sign? Wear a shirt with my favourite lyrics? (like they’d all fit on one shirt). Should I take something rare to get signed? But in the moment of meeting Ed none of that mattered. It wasn’t about me. It was about Ed. It was about the band. It was about being in the presence of someone who is part of something that means so much to so many and respecting that. On the forum after Ed’s 2011 Brisbane show someone poignantly posted about the world being a better place with Ed in it. Without a doubt it is. Music has such an amazing power. Ed and the boys give so much to their fans.
Of all the things I could have said or done my nervous “thank you” really said it all. Thank you for everything Ed and Pearl Jam. I am so very very thankful I get to live in this world with you and your music.
I’m honoured to be part of this community – this religion. For so long I’ve enjoyed reading about our community’s encounters with the members of the band. They never fail to invoke raised hairs and tears. It was these stories that made me think maybe, one day, it could happen to me. Last night was my chance to have an encounter.
Before heading to Eddie’s Brisbane show last night I was a ridiculous-nervous mess. I remember being nervous before seeing Pearl Jam at Gold Coast Big Day Out - then at Sydney - slightly calmer - well until there was movement on their stage and I dropped my camera and a guy in front of me joked “settle down, they haven’t even started yet!”. In fairness to my anxiety levels - it had been two years since seeing Eddie and prior to that, four years since seeing the band. I guess absence makes the heart grow…well, extremely jittery. In between those years I took a pilgrimage to Seattle (albeit 20 years too late) during which my cab driver got to experience my nervousness as we briefly stopped at the “Singles” units, Mecca (10 Club Headquarters) and then dropped me off to find the Sound Garden. But nothing compared to how I felt yesterday. Yesterday I knew something big was going to happen.
The sporadic heart palpitations started during the week. At one point I thought I’d scored a fourth row ticket – cue shaking hands and thoughts of “I can’t believe I’ll be so close! I don’t think I’m ready for this. I don’t think it’s my time yet”. Turns out it was a much more comfortable 9th row and I was able to give my 10-Club tickets to friends. Then there was yesterday’s merchandise line. As we waited we heard whispers of signed posters and realised I’d missed out by two people (my brother missed out by one). The thought of getting a signed poster was enough to set things racing again. Even passing Bernard Fanning in the hall way – which would normally trip my celebrity radar - didn’t even rate. I was about to be in the presence of something great.
Through the week, after reading through the forum posts, the idea was planted of waiting around post-show to shake Ed’s hand. I wasn’t sure if it was “my time” to meet Ed, but I still set about finding out where we would wait. A friend of a friend works at QPAC and had some idea. Another friend of a friend mentioned something about meeting Ed last time. But I still didn’t really know where the actual spot was. Pre-show, as I waited for my friends to collect their tickets and my brother and his friend went inside to see Glen, I chatted to some other fans. Right at the end of our conversation I mentioned how I was planning on sticking around – it was then they said “I know where to wait” and gave me some directions. My pseudo plan now had slightly more substance.
Show time – I sat at the edge of my seat until leaping up for Porch. Everything is really a blur and like every Pearl Jam/Eddie show, it was over after what seemed like 20 minutes. It always goes so fast. No other live shows have ever compared to the emotions I feel during a Pearl Jam or Eddie show. Every new song that passes I get nostalgic for the one before and for the moments that have just passed. I love seeing other live bands and have been lucky to see so many great artists. But after each of these shows I always feel a little bit empty. It’s this emptiness that’s only filled by a Pearl Jam or Eddie experience.
Post show we went on the search for “the spot”. We thought we had found it but were not so sure when no one else seemed to be gathering around. As my friends left and crossed the road, they were pointing the area that had a small crowd. It was here we should have been waiting. When we got there we found out a van had just left, but it wasn’t carrying Eddie. As my brother, his friend and I waited, the erratic heart palpitations started again. The whole afternoon/evening reminded me of the start of the Simpsons Episode with Homer’s Triple Bypass – calm for a moment, then crazy pulsating the next. As we waited we had no guarantee of what was going to happen. Would he just come out in a van and wave as he left? At one point, we thought he was in the second van that left, maybe hiding on the floor. But the rest of the group waited and so did we. Doors opened and closed. Vans went in and out. In between this, the carpark where we were parked shut at 1:00 so my brother had to grab his car. I was so worried that Ed would come out while he was gone. But he didn’t.
Then it happened. The door opened. Ed was behind a gate. Security asked us to put our phones/cameras away. Then Ed came out of the gate shook each of our hands and gave us each a pick. More than anything, he gave us his time. He was so kind. After putting everything into his epic set he still came out to meet us. He came out and changed lives. It was so amazing to see my brother meet Ed and shake his hand. The rest is a blur. I moved away at one point to let some other people in and muttered something like “that just happened!”. I think I yelled out a nervous “thank you”. Then had a flash back of the stupid “can you believe this is happening?” face I pulled while Ed shook my hand. As he left, my heart finally returned to normal for the first time that day. I was numb and in shock.
The biggest thing running through my mind when I thought that meeting Ed could be a possibility was that there was no way anyone could really convey in that short time what Pearl Jam means to them. Should I give him a note? Make a sign? Wear a shirt with my favourite lyrics? (like they’d all fit on one shirt). Should I take something rare to get signed? But in the moment of meeting Ed none of that mattered. It wasn’t about me. It was about Ed. It was about the band. It was about being in the presence of someone who is part of something that means so much to so many and respecting that. On the forum after Ed’s 2011 Brisbane show someone poignantly posted about the world being a better place with Ed in it. Without a doubt it is. Music has such an amazing power. Ed and the boys give so much to their fans.
Of all the things I could have said or done my nervous “thank you” really said it all. Thank you for everything Ed and Pearl Jam. I am so very very thankful I get to live in this world with you and your music.
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Comments
- be well
I know what you mean about the post pj emptiness, I thought it was just me
I'll go hunting for "the spot". Your amazing story has given me goosebumps and a little tear!
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I am still depressed that I wasn't able to go to Brisbane! I wanted more, more music - more Eddie!
Anyways, I met a lot awesome people in Melbourne and it was amazing to hear their stories. PJ has the best fans and community.