Honolulu 06 - my first show
Avocado Surf Co.
Posts: 60
This was such an incredible experience, I thought I'd post a separate thread. I'm still wondering if everything actually happened or if I died and it was heaven. Considering how tired I am and how rainy it is today, I assume I'm still alive. I've been a PJ fan for 16 years and never had a chance to see them. I might be dead.... Life can't be this good... anyways,
U2/PJ announced their show a long ass time before PJ announced their solo show, so the wife and I already had our vacation booked. We were gonna be on the Big Island on the 2nd and not able to see the show. We were a little bummed, but not too bad. We'd really come for PJ/U2 and a nice vacation, in that order. Then the rain started. We've been in Hilo for a few days. Rained out of everything. Volcano drives are no fun in the rain. Nothing's fun when you mix freaked out tourists in rentals with rain. So we decided on Saturday morning to hop to Oahu and see the show. That's what credit cards are for! Live life like you're gonna die! Other such words echoed in my head while I sat in the Starbucks on the wireless buying tickets. Ticketmaster still had some nosebleed's left. We were pumped!
We got on a plane about an hour later and went to Oahu. There's like 4 sports games, a marathon, 3 concerts, and a quilting bee in town so there's ZERO rental cars. Sarah (the wife) stumbled into Avis and managed to get their last car. A minivan. We slept in the minivan after the concert in the arena parking structure like homeless people. It rocked, but I'm getting ahead of myself. So we got a car and went straight to the arena to pick up the will-call tickets. We had about 4 hours till they started playing. A line formed by one of the doors, so, like sheep, we lined up.
In 2 hours, you can get really chatty with your line neighbors. The girl behind us (Vanessa) was there by herself. The 2 behind her (Jack (father) and Justin (son, age 12)) were on about concert 13 for the year. Over the 2 hours we learned that Vanessa had bought tickets to try to get friends to go with her. They wouldn't. We told our story of how we'd decided to go that morning and it was our first concert and bla bla bla. So Vanessa offers us her spare 10C tickets on the 18th row, dead center. We immediately freaked the fuck out. We traded her our nosebleed seats. She also had a seat on row 5, so we were separated throughout the concert, but that's besides the point. From row 300 to row 18, just like that. Pearl Jam Karma. Sarah and I were beside ourselves.
2 hours passed. We talked with everyone. We heard the preset (kinda). It was awesome. Jack and Justin were just great. If I'm ever a father, I hope to be of that high a caliber.
The show was incredible. Smile's my favorite song. Big Wave and Oceans aren't far behind. Love Boat Captain, Black, and Crazy Mary are some of Sarah's top 5. We heard all of these. And Hawaii 78!!! One of my all time favorite Iz songs soundchecked and played in the set!!!!!! Wow. Just wow. I took something like 700 pictures during the show (got bless my little supercharged camera's burst mode). I posted a few to my flickr account. When I get back to town I'll post all of them. There's about 17 there for now. http://www.flickr.com/photos/revlimit Right now, I think this is about the best one, but I haven't really looked at all 700 on a screen bigger than 2.5", so I might find some other gems. http://static.flickr.com/106/313545910_b873d05cca.jpg
After the show, we met up with Jack and Justin again. Justin caught Jeff's armband and a pick, one he needed for his collection. Jack caught a Mike pick and said he had a handful at home. He held it out and said "here, enjoy". Sarah and I probably both looked at him with the big eyes of "are you fucking serious!??!?!?!" Words just aren't enough. I'll never be able to pay back all this PJ Karma, but I'll spend my life trying.
We then got together with a small group that was right behind us (Jerry, Lisa, and Donna) and went over to the Hard Rock where about 40 other concert goers had gathered. Good times. Good times.
Can't wait to hang out with everyone next weekend at the U2 show. Man. This is without a doubt the best vacation ever. And to think we'd have missed the show yesterday if it hadn't rained for 20 hours straight...
I love you all.
-Adam & Sarah
U2/PJ announced their show a long ass time before PJ announced their solo show, so the wife and I already had our vacation booked. We were gonna be on the Big Island on the 2nd and not able to see the show. We were a little bummed, but not too bad. We'd really come for PJ/U2 and a nice vacation, in that order. Then the rain started. We've been in Hilo for a few days. Rained out of everything. Volcano drives are no fun in the rain. Nothing's fun when you mix freaked out tourists in rentals with rain. So we decided on Saturday morning to hop to Oahu and see the show. That's what credit cards are for! Live life like you're gonna die! Other such words echoed in my head while I sat in the Starbucks on the wireless buying tickets. Ticketmaster still had some nosebleed's left. We were pumped!
We got on a plane about an hour later and went to Oahu. There's like 4 sports games, a marathon, 3 concerts, and a quilting bee in town so there's ZERO rental cars. Sarah (the wife) stumbled into Avis and managed to get their last car. A minivan. We slept in the minivan after the concert in the arena parking structure like homeless people. It rocked, but I'm getting ahead of myself. So we got a car and went straight to the arena to pick up the will-call tickets. We had about 4 hours till they started playing. A line formed by one of the doors, so, like sheep, we lined up.
In 2 hours, you can get really chatty with your line neighbors. The girl behind us (Vanessa) was there by herself. The 2 behind her (Jack (father) and Justin (son, age 12)) were on about concert 13 for the year. Over the 2 hours we learned that Vanessa had bought tickets to try to get friends to go with her. They wouldn't. We told our story of how we'd decided to go that morning and it was our first concert and bla bla bla. So Vanessa offers us her spare 10C tickets on the 18th row, dead center. We immediately freaked the fuck out. We traded her our nosebleed seats. She also had a seat on row 5, so we were separated throughout the concert, but that's besides the point. From row 300 to row 18, just like that. Pearl Jam Karma. Sarah and I were beside ourselves.
2 hours passed. We talked with everyone. We heard the preset (kinda). It was awesome. Jack and Justin were just great. If I'm ever a father, I hope to be of that high a caliber.
The show was incredible. Smile's my favorite song. Big Wave and Oceans aren't far behind. Love Boat Captain, Black, and Crazy Mary are some of Sarah's top 5. We heard all of these. And Hawaii 78!!! One of my all time favorite Iz songs soundchecked and played in the set!!!!!! Wow. Just wow. I took something like 700 pictures during the show (got bless my little supercharged camera's burst mode). I posted a few to my flickr account. When I get back to town I'll post all of them. There's about 17 there for now. http://www.flickr.com/photos/revlimit Right now, I think this is about the best one, but I haven't really looked at all 700 on a screen bigger than 2.5", so I might find some other gems. http://static.flickr.com/106/313545910_b873d05cca.jpg
After the show, we met up with Jack and Justin again. Justin caught Jeff's armband and a pick, one he needed for his collection. Jack caught a Mike pick and said he had a handful at home. He held it out and said "here, enjoy". Sarah and I probably both looked at him with the big eyes of "are you fucking serious!??!?!?!" Words just aren't enough. I'll never be able to pay back all this PJ Karma, but I'll spend my life trying.
We then got together with a small group that was right behind us (Jerry, Lisa, and Donna) and went over to the Hard Rock where about 40 other concert goers had gathered. Good times. Good times.
Can't wait to hang out with everyone next weekend at the U2 show. Man. This is without a doubt the best vacation ever. And to think we'd have missed the show yesterday if it hadn't rained for 20 hours straight...
I love you all.
-Adam & Sarah
Baby humpback, baby humpback!
Down the sewer, down the sewer!
Down the sewer, down the sewer!
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Comments
I think I met Jack and Justin at Bridge school, they were sitting at the end of our row. They seemed like great people! Pearl Jam fans are the BEST!!!
I am Hawaii bound for PJ/U2, can't wait! You story has got me totally stoked. Maybe I'll run into you at the Pre-party in the Aloha Stadium parking lot.
Have a great vaca in paradise!
R.i.p. My Dad - May 28, 2007
R.i.p. Black Tail (cat) - Sept. 20, 2008
I lived in Honolulu for three years, and trust me; this is a big week there. To have a week with Pearl Jam and then PJ and U2! Good shows almost never come to the islands.
ENjoy the rest of your week. I hope the weather clears up for you.
I love stories like that
oh man .... im getting so excited for sat. show
I can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Michael Franti
Hey ... at least you got a car.
Thats a good thing.
I have heard that it could take two hours to get from waikiki to the venue because of traffic. So be prepared.
Hopefully we will run into you
Michael Franti
Hey... looks like I'm crashing at my Aunt and Uncle's pad in Waipahu... it's free other than the dinners I'm treating them to.
I've got a car on reservation... the cheapest thing they got.. an Evo or something like that. Hey, it's transportation.
I'll see you at the airport on the 8th... we'll get some local poke and Spam and rice or something, no?
Mahalo and aloha... OI!!! OI!!! OI!!!
Hail, Hail!!!
I have met mostly cool people at Pearl Jam gigs... sure, you run into the occasional dicks now and then, but... whatever... the cool people with cool stories far outweigh them.
...
And while you're out there... go to the North Shore and check out Waimea. See what the local do at the river mouth and how they dig out the turns to create a perpetual wave to sponge ride on. But, don't jump off the big rock is you are a haole and there are locals around... when you jump, they jump right after you... so you HAVE to dive deep.
Oh, and don't buy the pot off the street... it's a bust.
Hail, Hail!!!
I hope sometime I'll have same luck at a PJ gig.
Thanx for sharing those great pics.
"... Tan suato mi'jo!!"
-Salomón & Artemisa Vargas
What a great time we had. Words aren't enough. 2 shows, 12 days, 3 hotels, and a ton of memories. *sigh* happiness.
Now to download a boot...
Down the sewer, down the sewer!
Next year!
Can't wait to hang out with you and your boy again, Jack. Aloha!
Down the sewer, down the sewer!
I think I'll post this same thing in the 12/2 fanview thread. Hope that's allowed.
Down the sewer, down the sewer!