How memorable was your first Pearl Jam show?

Satans Red Mosquito

I ask, because my first was Bonnaroo 2008. The way I explain it to people is that it was like a religious experience, I was a fan and wanted to see them and decided Roo was 1.5 hours away and I'm 20, I'll do it, and I couldn't have got more hooked if a junkie was main lining heroine into me. Especially Eddie's rant during Porch, so powerful. I still get chills I think about it or hear metamorphosis 2 by Phillip glass.

BinFrog

After not being able to see them for a few years early on, for various reasons (bad touring schedule, being at camp when they came around on Lollapalooza), I finally got a chance to see them on 10/2/96 in Hartford. It was everything I had hoped it would be. I have worn that bootleg out and I have every little moment and speech memorized at this point.

Leezestarr313

My first show was Berlin 1996. I remember that I was super stoked cause I went there alone with two friends. My brother had gotten me the tickets. It was a weird, crazy, and somehow solemn moment when the opener finally left and Ed came out and said "Hello, good evening" or something like that. It's been so long ago that unfortunately, I don't have a lot of recollection from it. But I can relive with the help of youtube
It was a hell of a show!

CopperTom

I still remember mine quite well.

shetellsherself

I wish I could remember all the details but it was so long ago that I just have this emotional sense of amazement and risk and can still feel the energy from that show. It was in May 1992 in a tiny place that was also a bowling alley. I wasn't allowed to be there but being 17 and a senior high school I didn't care. Packed in like sardines, volume insane from the speaker right in front of me I was hooked. Done.

FrankieG

My first show was not that memorable.

It was 2003, I was 12 years old. My dad's friends backed out on him last minute so he decided to take me and my brother to the show. The only song I wanted to hear was Do the Evolution. I wanted to hear that song more than any other song cause that was my favorite PJ song when I was 12. I really didn't know the other songs. They opened with wash, I turned to my dad "what song is this?". The answer was not Evolution. I wasn't disappointed but I tried to see the video screens over the people in front of us while waiting for the next song. This continued through out the whole set.

My first show was Holmdel 2003. I was completely oblivious about the songs being played in 'album order'. I didn't know the names of most songs, nevermind what albums they were on.

Then the encore starts. Ed tells some story about Bruce and plays a song (Growin Up). I didn't know how rare that song was at the time, but then it happens. The unmistakable opening riff of DTE. And that's when I became an addicted PJ fan. I don't remember how I 'rocked out' as a 12 year old, but I'm sure it looked rediculous. Next was Daughter, a song I actually knew because it was my mom's favorite song at the time! And next Alive, a third song I knew, (probably the only other one I knew ha).

Hunger Strike -> NO CLUE how special that was.

The rest of my memories from the show are from listening to the bootleg about 1000 times since then. I had a 1 CD portable played with headphones that I would take on car rides. I can still sing all the guitar parts for almost the entire Porch solo.

So maybe I guess my first show was memorable, even if I don't remember living most of it 'in the moment'.

Zod

It depends. The first time I saw them was lolla '92 in Vancouver and it was a short set and a very long time ago. I really don't remember too much about it anymore. My first headling real Pearl Jam show was Missoula '98 and I remember it very much. It was an outdoor show at Grizzly Stadium. They had an outdoor merchbooth so I bought a poster before I went in (and put in the car). We got to missoula two days before the show and an epic storm had blown over and flooded everything. The day of the concert was pristine early summer weather.

Grizzly Stadium has this cool hill behind it where people without tickets could watch from. The concert was epic, the crowd was epic, some dude proposed to his g/f on stage. I crowdsurfed during Yellow Ledbetter and found my friend who I hadn't seen since the first song crowd surfing too.... lol (and no I would never be disrespectful and crowd surf again.. but I was only 20 at the time...)

good times...

JonnyPistachio

1996 in Ft.Lauderdale
It was very memorable because it was not just my first PJ show, but my first real concert ever. And it was during that ticketmaster fiasco. It was a surreal experience to me that they sounded so good live. I wasnt expecting them to be that good!

on2legs

Randall's Island 2 in 96. Very memorable.

Given To Nap

Milwaukee Summerfest 1995. My seat was squarely behind a pole. I was able to move over at some point though so it ended up being awesome!

mrussel1

My first was Lolla, Orlando 92. But I don't know if I even count that because they went on so early and I was so far away it seemed.

First real show was the Bayfront Center, St Pete, 94. It was unmitigated chaos, like nothing else. I don't know if those who started seeing PJ in the 2000's can even fathom what is was like back then. I'm not saying it was good, but any of the 'alt' bands from that era had shows that were really fun, but really dangerous. They totally over-sold shows back then.

I also remember it because it was my girlfriend's 21st birthday and I ditched her to go to the show. She was a little judgmental on my partying, so I didn't want anything to lame out the night. Alas, that was pretty much the end of that relationship.

If anyone has a bootleg of the St Pete show (their only visit to that city I believe), please let me know. I've never run across it.

BinFrog

That St Petersberg show is one of the most commonly traded bootlegs...

mrussel1

BinFrog said:

That St Petersberg show is one of the most commonly traded bootlegs...

Sorry, I mean [SBD]. I know Jam-River has a nice audience recording, but I'm spoiled these days.

Norman

mrussel1 said:

My first was Lolla, Orlando 92. But I don't know if I even count that because they went on so early and I was so far away it seemed.

First real show was the Bayfront Center, St Pete, 94. It was unmitigated chaos, like nothing else. I don't know if those who started seeing PJ in the 2000's can even fathom what is was like back then. I'm not saying it was good, but any of the 'alt' bands from that era had shows that were really fun, but really dangerous. They totally over-sold shows back then.

I also remember it because it was my girlfriend's 21st birthday and I ditched her to go to the show. She was a little judgmental on my partying, so I didn't want anything to lame out the night. Alas, that was pretty much the end of that relationship.

If anyone has a bootleg of the St Pete show (their only visit to that city I believe), please let me know. I've never run across it.

I was at that Lolla show. What a lineup. My first show was at the Edge on 4/24/92. It was insane. Eddie seemed possessed jumping from the second floor rafters into the crowd fighting off the security guard while on the ibeam above the crowd. The energy was incredible. I have still never seen a performance from anyone that was tantamount to that night.

morello

^^^ So cool reading about you guys who were at the early shows! :-)

Me, in a relative baby. My 1st PJ show was Auckland November '09 but it got me hooked bad seeing I've now got 24 shows under my belt(including EV solo), only 2 in my home country & many, many 1,000s of miles travelled.

Ledbetterman10

I remember every last instant and listened to the bootleg a thousand times.

mrussel1

Norman said:

mrussel1 said:

My first was Lolla, Orlando 92. But I don't know if I even count that because they went on so early and I was so far away it seemed.

I was at that Lolla show. What a lineup. My first show was at the Edge on 4/24/92. It was insane. Eddie seemed possessed jumping from the second floor rafters into the crowd fighting off the security guard while on the ibeam above the crowd. The energy was incredible. I have still never seen a performance from anyone that was tantamount to that night.

Hey, I think I saw you there! Were you the white kid, late teens, early 20's, wearing shorts, looked really hot and sweaty? I think you were complaining about cotton-mouth??

Final Bow

My first show is unforgettable.

red mos

The first time I saw Pearl jam was amazing. It was surreal. Goose bumps tears of happiness singing every word. It is such an amazing experience seeing your favorite band for the first time.

SVRDhand13

Gorge 2 2006

Travelled across the country, into sweltering heat, on the edge of a mountain, to see my favorite band perform a great set that closed their US tour. Severed Hand, a song I was obsessed with at the time and is my username, opened the show. Best performance of Crazy Mary I've ever heard. First Little WIng with lyrics. EV climbed the soundbooth that was close behind me to play Given to Fly in the encore.

A night I will never forget.

TA243471

They were so happy that I went, that they made a box set out of it. The Gorge!

Norman

mrussel1 said:

Norman said:

mrussel1 said:

My first was Lolla, Orlando 92. But I don't know if I even count that because they went on so early and I was so far away it seemed.

I was at that Lolla show. What a lineup. My first show was at the Edge on 4/24/92. It was insane. Eddie seemed possessed jumping from the second floor rafters into the crowd fighting off the security guard while on the ibeam above the crowd. The energy was incredible. I have still never seen a performance from anyone that was tantamount to that night.

Hey, I think I saw you there! Were you the white kid, late teens, early 20's, wearing shorts, looked really hot and sweaty? I think you were complaining about cotton-mouth??

That was me

weddingparade

i was gonna get in the doors no matter what and had already thought about scalpers...
then my hs buddy says he rented a private suite for the show and invited his whole wedding party to attend for free(his 10th anniv gift to us)free drinks. doobies in the private washroom. i knew all the words and my buddy was like WTF u r crazy man
50 shows later im still alive

dtr0624

M.I.A. 9/2/12. i looked forward to it for months. no way i was missing it. everything about that day was perfect. bein with a bunch of friends equally as passionate as me. waitin in line for gates to open. gettin rail and the all day wait. seeing run dmc reunite. then pj opened with go and that was all she wrote. lost my voice in the rain. caught 2 of mikes picks. teared up during black. they were on fire and ill never forget it. it was incredible.

TunnelThroughDenial

You be the judge. Gorge 1993. Check Ed's moves starting just after 1:10.00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgsSc9LWHv0

mcgruff10

on2legs said:

Randall's Island 2 in 96. Very memorable.

Me too! I got there at noon and sat in the sun all day. Ended up on the rail between mike and ed. Best show ever

Leezestarr313

weddingparade said:

i was gonna get in the doors no matter what and had already thought about scalpers...
then my hs buddy says he rented a private suite for the show and invited his whole wedding party to attend for free(his 10th anniv gift to us)free drinks. doobies in the private washroom. i knew all the words and my buddy was like WTF u r crazy man
50 shows later im still alive

This sounds awesome!

KD109226

Toledo 1996.

Got 4 GA tickets from the 1-800 number on the anti-ticketmaster tour. Went with college roommates, and we taped the show (audio).

My wife was in the seats, her first show too. We met four years later and have now been married for ten years.

I'm having the tickets framed as we speak for an anniversary gift. Pretty cool because our names are on them.

rssesq

jersey, 98, Oceans opener,
Big Mac broke the home run record during the show and Ed let us all know.

#'s 85 and 86 are coming up in Amsterdam. 16 years and still road trippin. The hotels are much nicer now though.

weddingparade

Leezestarr313 said:

weddingparade said:

i was gonna get in the doors no matter what and had already thought about scalpers...
then my hs buddy says he rented a private suite for the show and invited his whole wedding party to attend for free(his 10th anniv gift to us)free drinks. doobies in the private washroom. i knew all the words and my buddy was like WTF u r crazy man
50 shows later im still alive

This sounds awesome!

that no code tour was really something else. who knew then?
>-

jonsey30

Stupid me, never went to a show until last year. But it was Wrigley, so it was super memorable. From standing outside all day in that 100 degree heat because we didn't have tickets, to the jubilation of standing at will call when they released a block of Field tickets at like 5:15, to hearing my first notes of Release, then the 2.5 hour storm delay while being shoved into a tiny corridor, the 2 hour adventure back to the hotel on the Red line in that sardine can of a train. Then we tried to go to Shedd aquarium and the Field museum the next day, and had to spend much of the day taking breaks on benches because we could barely walk after dancing all night. And now I have the Wrigley marquee picture on my wall so I can always remember that trip.