Oh, you write so beautifully! Thank you and you're right. It don't come easy, we play a big part there. About In Hiding... well, not much to add, I can still feel that breath, the one that makes all the difference.
Mine has only been a couple of years as well. Had a couple of shit things happen in my life and had spent about 5 years just existing and going through the motions then I saw a YouTube clip on Facebook of Eddie singing Throw your arms around me, and it was wow this guys voice is amazing who is he. I had heard of Pearl Jam and knew and liked there big radio hits so I dug deeper into their catalog and fell in love with pretty much everything I listened to. Bought some tickets to the Big Day Out in Melbourne and made some of my friends come with me then bought a Eddie solo ticket also and for the first time in my life travelled on my own to see him. Both were great but it gave me the bug to see them again so I joined the 10 club and won the lottery to Memphis, bought a ticket to Detroit and St Paul and travelled to America on my own to the amazement of everyone who knows me. Now I am planning another solo trip again to USA then Canada and the UK and finishing up in South America to see PJ in Chile and Argentina, all up about 6 weeks. I am another example of this band changing lives, I am a totally different person I was 2 years ago and all for the better
BDO, Melbourne, 2014. EV Solo, Melbourne, 2014. Memphis, 2014. Detroit, 2014. St Paul, 2014. Global Citizens Festival, NYC, 2015. Columbia, 2016. Jazz Fest, New Orleans, 2016. Philly 1 & 2, 2016. MSG 1 & 2, New York, 2016. Ottawa, 2016. Toronto 1, 2016. Amsterdam 1 & 2, 2018. London 1, 2018. Padova, 2018. Rome, 2018. Prague, 2018.
Oh, you write so beautifully! Thank you and you're right. It don't come easy, we play a big part there. About In Hiding... well, not much to add, I can still feel that breath, the one that makes all the difference.
a buddy of mine from years past told me to listen to that night's "top 7 at 7", it would have been in 1992, our local radio station's daily best of. there was this new band he wanted me to hear. Jeremy came on. I was like "holy fuck". me and that guy and our group were always cruising around when the top 7 came on and would cheer when PJ would come on, or Soundgarden. Bought the tape instantly. and TOTD. then the cd's. then the import cd's. then I saw them at Gimli 1993. I watch that dvd often.
this band has been such an immense part of my life. mentioned at my wedding even by my best man. everybody I know, knows me as "the pearl jam guy" and people I work with joke about my supposed man-love for Ed. my kids are always asking "is this pearl jam/eddie vedder?" when I put some music on.
more often than not, it is.
but back then, listening to the radio, I remember.........
There are 2 times in my life where I remember EXACTLY where I was & what I was doing when I first heard a new band...1st was "Teen Spirit", sitting on my bed in Orlando getting ready to feed my dog Jetta, and heard it on the radio....2nd? About a month after hearing Nirvana, I drove to Daytona to visit a friend. We were getting ready to go to the beach and as we were getting ready, my buddy put on a cassette..."Once" came on & the rest is history.
Teen Spirit is my other one too. But it was seeing the video. hadn't heard the song yet. we were at my future best man's house. The Muchmusic Power Hour came on. We all went silent. It was like watching a revolution in music video form.
I'm interested in hearing your story about the "moment" you realized that PJ would be in your life from that time on...when it went from a like to a love.
Was it an album, song, live performance on TV, or in your hometown, interview, Video, magazine article.
Can you narrow it down to one instant?
For me it was that performance of Animal at the VMA'S in...1993?...intense, and more important than I thought rock and roll could be.
Mine has only been a couple of years as well. Had a couple of shit things happen in my life and had spent about 5 years just existing and going through the motions then I saw a YouTube clip on Facebook of Eddie singing Throw your arms around me, and it was wow this guys voice is amazing who is he. I had heard of Pearl Jam and knew and liked there big radio hits so I dug deeper into their catalog and fell in love with pretty much everything I listened to. Bought some tickets to the Big Day Out in Melbourne and made some of my friends come with me then bought a Eddie solo ticket also and for the first time in my life travelled on my own to see him. Both were great but it gave me the bug to see them again so I joined the 10 club and won the lottery to Memphis, bought a ticket to Detroit and St Paul and travelled to America on my own to the amazement of everyone who knows me. Now I am planning another solo trip again to USA then Canada and the UK and finishing up in South America to see PJ in Chile and Argentina, all up about 6 weeks. I am another example of this band changing lives, I am a totally different person I was 2 years ago and all for the better
I don't remember the initial Ten era moment. Although I had seen no live shows, and wasn't in the 10 club, they were a staple on the radio and I had all the cassettes and CDs. I rode the train up and through Binaural, got divorced, missed Riot Act, and sort of got back on board for avocado, but I was fading. The rebirth for me was the PBS Austin City Limits telecast that I stumbled into the middle of quite by accident right at the beginning strains of Red Mosquito. I got 2nd leg Backspacer tickets a week later, 5 years on, I've been to a bunch of shows.
It's strange how I don't remember the 10 moment. I do have ALOT of PJ moments. That's what makes them awesome. I bought vs. on cassette pretty close to the release date, (it said vs on it), I wore that shit out in a VW rabbit with a pretty decent, pretty loud stereo. You could definitely hear me and Dave Abbruzzese and Jeff Ament coming down the street.
The Atlanta radio broadcast before Vitalogy took it to a new level.
When I went on my solo trip to PHX, I left my house at 4.30 am to go to the airport. There was a giant yellow moon coming up out of the Chesapeake Bay, Enormous. It looked almost like a cartoon.
Mine has only been a couple of years as well. Had a couple of shit things happen in my life and had spent about 5 years just existing and going through the motions then I saw a YouTube clip on Facebook of Eddie singing Throw your arms around me, and it was wow this guys voice is amazing who is he. I had heard of Pearl Jam and knew and liked there big radio hits so I dug deeper into their catalog and fell in love with pretty much everything I listened to. Bought some tickets to the Big Day Out in Melbourne and made some of my friends come with me then bought a Eddie solo ticket also and for the first time in my life travelled on my own to see him. Both were great but it gave me the bug to see them again so I joined the 10 club and won the lottery to Memphis, bought a ticket to Detroit and St Paul and travelled to America on my own to the amazement of everyone who knows me. Now I am planning another solo trip again to USA then Canada and the UK and finishing up in South America to see PJ in Chile and Argentina, all up about 6 weeks. I am another example of this band changing lives, I am a totally different person I was 2 years ago and all for the better
Thanks for the comments everyone, i am really proud of my journey over the last couple of years. They also helped me lose about 18 kg, going walking every day with them on my IPod, so I am a healthier happier person thanks to PJ. Loving this thread and reading everyone's stories and great to know I am not alone in them being an inspirational influence on people lives.
BDO, Melbourne, 2014. EV Solo, Melbourne, 2014. Memphis, 2014. Detroit, 2014. St Paul, 2014. Global Citizens Festival, NYC, 2015. Columbia, 2016. Jazz Fest, New Orleans, 2016. Philly 1 & 2, 2016. MSG 1 & 2, New York, 2016. Ottawa, 2016. Toronto 1, 2016. Amsterdam 1 & 2, 2018. London 1, 2018. Padova, 2018. Rome, 2018. Prague, 2018.
even though I saw PJ once in '98, 2x in 2000 really the 2003 summer tour was when it turned into something more. Got the card with the date and prices (still have it in fact) and sent my money orders in for 6 shows. 1st show was 4/28/03 at the Spectrum which is still my favorite PJ show of all and the loudest crowd I've ever heard at any concert. state college was next, then vegas, 2 Camden then the trade-up from MSG to Holmdel. 6 great shows, 6 great but different tailgates with friends. great music, great times just a great fucking summer.
hearing ten did it. but didn't get truly infected until i saw them in 93 at exhibition stadium . and went terminally infected in 96 with the no code tour after seeing them at maple leaf gardens. you knew there was no hope for the patient when i flew with my girlfriend now wife to see them in maui in 98. there are no addiction centers to cure this any where.
I heard Jeremy in 2008, at the end of my sophomore year of high school, and I'm sure I'd heard it before, but this particular time it just clicked. Listening to that song over and over became getting Ten, became getting the entire catalog and just delving into 17 years of the band--it was so exciting! I guess I knew it would be more than just a band after hearing Given to Fly for the first time. I was so struck by that song, and knew this band was something that has been incredibly special in my life. And then finally seeing them live in 2010 was easily one of the most excited I've ever been in my life. I would have never guessed at those first show that I'd eventually even see them abroad in England! Shows have taken me to some amazing places, and I've made wonderful friendships because of this band.
But this is much more than music to me because what it has gotten me through. I constantly have "moments" when I'm at the other side of certain challenges, or come to the realization how much their music has helped me throughout the challenges of the last couple years for me. It's been a bumpy road for the past 4 years, for various reasons, but PJ is my constant, and I am forever grateful for that.
"Sometimes you find yourself having to put all your faith in no faith."
~not a dude~
2010: MSGx2
2012: Made In America
2013: Pittsburgh, Brooklynx2, Hartford, Baltimore
2014: Leeds, Milton Keynes, Detroit
2015: Global Citizen Festival
2016: Phillyx2, MSGx2, Fenwayx2 2018: Barcelona, Wrigleyx2
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this band has been such an immense part of my life. mentioned at my wedding even by my best man. everybody I know, knows me as "the pearl jam guy" and people I work with joke about my supposed man-love for Ed. my kids are always asking "is this pearl jam/eddie vedder?" when I put some music on.
more often than not, it is.
but back then, listening to the radio, I remember.........
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www.headstonesband.com
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www.headstonesband.com
I do have ALOT of PJ moments. That's what makes them awesome.
I bought vs. on cassette pretty close to the release date, (it said vs on it), I wore that shit out in a VW rabbit with a pretty decent, pretty loud stereo. You could definitely hear me and Dave Abbruzzese and Jeff Ament coming down the street.
The Atlanta radio broadcast before Vitalogy took it to a new level.
But this is much more than music to me because what it has gotten me through. I constantly have "moments" when I'm at the other side of certain challenges, or come to the realization how much their music has helped me throughout the challenges of the last couple years for me. It's been a bumpy road for the past 4 years, for various reasons, but PJ is my constant, and I am forever grateful for that.
~not a dude~
2010: MSGx2
2012: Made In America
2013: Pittsburgh, Brooklynx2, Hartford, Baltimore
2014: Leeds, Milton Keynes, Detroit
2015: Global Citizen Festival
2016: Phillyx2, MSGx2, Fenwayx2
2018: Barcelona, Wrigleyx2