Hi all! We are coming up from Bar Harbor, Maine and thanks to the generosity of a friend and her extra GA tix, we are bringing our 10 year old son for his first show! He says he will do whatever it takes to get to the rail even if it means getting in line before dawn and waiting all day, but I would love for him to get to see some of the city and we only have that one day to be there. I hope people end up being ok if he and his Dad join me in line part way through the day. This will be our first time doing GA and I am not sure what the vibe will be like for that kind of a scenario. Thoughts?! Travel safe and see everyone at the show!
Having them have fun all day and then jumping in line sounds like a good idea to you but may not sit well with others as well. I know its not what you want to hear but I think a lot of people are going to think the same thing. Here are a couple of other discussions on the matter.
Also looking for recommendations on getting from Quebec to Ottawa -
We are taking the train. It's about 7 hours with a layover in Montreal but it is easy and should be a beautiful scenic ride. It's also cheap, Quebec City to Ottawa to Toronto is $132 CAD.
Anything you lose from being honest You never really had to begin with.
Sometimes it's not the song that makes you emotional it's the people and things that come to your mind when you hear it.
Hi all! We are coming up from Bar Harbor, Maine and thanks to the generosity of a friend and her extra GA tix, we are bringing our 10 year old son for his first show! He says he will do whatever it takes to get to the rail even if it means getting in line before dawn and waiting all day, but I would love for him to get to see some of the city and we only have that one day to be there. I hope people end up being ok if he and his Dad join me in line part way through the day. This will be our first time doing GA and I am not sure what the vibe will be like for that kind of a scenario. Thoughts?! Travel safe and see everyone at the show!
Personally I think 10 years old is way too young to be on the rail in the pit let alone all of the standing around its going to take to get there. Also there are way to many variables of something bad that could happen that I would never consider doing this. Having them have fun all day and then jumping in line sounds like a good idea to you but may not sit well with others as well. I know its not what you want to hear but I think a lot of people are going to think the same thing. Here are a couple of other discussions on the matter.
What ever you decide I hope you have blast and make some great memories with your family.
Yeah, it may not go over well if you have them join you in the line part way through the day, especially if that means someone who has been waiting all day might not get the rail as a result. You could probably show up in the mid afternoon and still end up with an excellent spot in the crowd, while still having the opportunity to see the city.
PJ: 2003 Mansfield: July 2 2004 Boston: Sept 28 & 29 2005 Montreal: Sept 15 2006 Boston: May 24 & 25 2008 Hartford: June 27, Mansfield: June 28, 2010 Boston: May 17 2013 Worcester: Oct 15, Hartford: Oct 25, 2016 Hampton: April 18, Raleigh: April 20 (cancelled), Columbia: April 21. Quebec: May 5. Boston (Fenway): August 7
Hi all! We are coming up from Bar Harbor, Maine and thanks to the generosity of a friend and her extra GA tix, we are bringing our 10 year old son for his first show! He says he will do whatever it takes to get to the rail even if it means getting in line before dawn and waiting all day, but I would love for him to get to see some of the city and we only have that one day to be there. I hope people end up being ok if he and his Dad join me in line part way through the day. This will be our first time doing GA and I am not sure what the vibe will be like for that kind of a scenario. Thoughts?! Travel safe and see everyone at the show!
Personally I think 10 years old is way too young to be on the rail in the pit let alone all of the standing around its going to take to get there. Also there are way to many variables of something bad that could happen that I would never consider doing this. Having them have fun all day and then jumping in line sounds like a good idea to you but may not sit well with others as well. I know its not what you want to hear but I think a lot of people are going to think the same thing. Here are a couple of other discussions on the matter.
What ever you decide I hope you have blast and make some great memories with your family.
I agree I personally think you could send a better message about whats important buy having a full, fun day of sightseeing and then making your way over to the venue around 5 or so? You can talk to your neighbors, take turns with kid trying to go look for t shirts and posters if its not too much of a shit show and youll still be in the first few rows. If you go all the way to the side you may even be rail or second row. But will he, and you, have the enegy to protect that spot for 3 hours? i think get there around 5 or 6, have a good spot, and if the people around you are cool maybe you put him on dads shoulders for ritfw encore and see if ed tosses a tamborine a few rows back. by that point in the night everyones face has been rocked out that no ones gonna get bent out of shape/lose thier concentration trying to get the little guy up close.. shows almost over, its just afterglow celebration time. but theres so much more in life than spedning all day in a line. youll still have an awesome spot. the most important thing i can say is :
MAKE SURE YOU PROTECT HIS EARS.. BRING EARPLUGS!!!
I have a question for those that live or have been to the venue. We are going a couple of hours early to get in line and are going with a couple that will be getting tickmaster tickets hopefully this Friday. Is there anything they can do in the area with out driving around or will we need to lend them our car for a couple of hours to get to a bar/restaurant? I will try finding out with google maps but if someone that is familiar with the location knows that would be great.
Hi all! We are coming up from Bar Harbor, Maine and thanks to the generosity of a friend and her extra GA tix, we are bringing our 10 year old son for his first show! He says he will do whatever it takes to get to the rail even if it means getting in line before dawn and waiting all day, but I would love for him to get to see some of the city and we only have that one day to be there. I hope people end up being ok if he and his Dad join me in line part way through the day. This will be our first time doing GA and I am not sure what the vibe will be like for that kind of a scenario. Thoughts?! Travel safe and see everyone at the show!
Personally I think 10 years old is way too young to be on the rail in the pit let alone all of the standing around its going to take to get there. Also there are way to many variables of something bad that could happen that I would never consider doing this. Having them have fun all day and then jumping in line sounds like a good idea to you but may not sit well with others as well. I know its not what you want to hear but I think a lot of people are going to think the same thing. Here are a couple of other discussions on the matter.
What ever you decide I hope you have blast and make some great memories with your family.
I agree I personally think you could send a better message about whats important buy having a full, fun day of sightseeing and then making your way over to the venue around 5 or so? You can talk to your neighbors, take turns with kid trying to go look for t shirts and posters if its not too much of a shit show and youll still be in the first few rows. If you go all the way to the side you may even be rail or second row. But will he, and you, have the enegy to protect that spot for 3 hours? i think get there around 5 or 6, have a good spot, and if the people around you are cool maybe you put him on dads shoulders for ritfw encore and see if ed tosses a tamborine a few rows back. by that point in the night everyones face has been rocked out that no ones gonna get bent out of shape/lose thier concentration trying to get the little guy up close.. shows almost over, its just afterglow celebration time. but theres so much more in life than spedning all day in a line. youll still have an awesome spot. the most important thing i can say is :
MAKE SURE YOU PROTECT HIS EARS.. BRING EARPLUGS!!!
I appreciate everyone's concerns but I have to say this is not at all the reaction I expected! He is a strong wise boy who is also a budding musician and very much wants to see the music being played up close and experience it in that intimate way we all hope to experience a show. Obviously as his parents we have thought long and hard about how we would handle it if this situation arose and we are quite clear that it is something we want to try to make happen for him. The shows are explicitly all ages, and I would imagine the idea of spreading the love to the up and coming generation of PJ fans would be something the band would support, not discourage. If he is lost in the sea of people in the back he will not be able to see and he is a hefty little dude who cannot perch on Dad's shoulders. I also feel that from watching the action on the rail at other shows from just up in close side seats, it is not a scene I worry about him in. People seem respectful and it isn't the same mosh pit/getting crushed vibe it used to be. If that was the case of course we wouldn't even consider it! He knows it will be rocking and crazy and he will hear things and see things that he has never witnessed. If it is too intense we can always back off and move back. But in all the shows I have been too and countless I have watched on youtube while rocking it at the gym.... it really seems those folks who make it railside are the true fans, who hear the music for the message it sends, and are absolutely the kind of people I would want my kid dancing and jamming with for 3 hours. Honestly it is the people towards the back who seem to be there for the party scene more than the music...so I actually think close to the front is a safer place for him to experience it.
For 10 years I have been parenting this kid by sending messages about what is important and he has a very vibrant home and school life...and he has his whole life to explore Quebec City but who knows how many other chances he will have to see his favorite band up close.
That said...see you at the show with our excited happy boy in tow! If he does take breaks from the line every now and then to go exploring with one of us...well...I guess all I can hope is that the people in line near us support what we are trying to do from him and don't give us too much grief. I know for sure that I would completely support a parent in a situation like that...and would have even before I was a parent...so I imagine there are others in that same boat. And if anyone questions us...we will just have to bust out a travel guitar and Noah can bust out the solo to "Sad" and put them in their place in terms of his fan status and right to be hovering at the front of the line!
And yes...already have the earplugs on the packing list!
^ Noone knows the kid better than himself and you, so if all parties are in on it then go for it. My parents took me to my first Bruce concert (GA's) when I was in grade 7, so not significantly older than your son. I loved it and haven't looked back since. Like you said, you can always scale it back to the back of the pit if it get's a little too crazy.
However the one thing I could comment on is that saving two spots in line for the day isn't really the most considerate practice. If you've got to run to the washroom or to grab a sandwich or something quick obviously that's not a problem, but doing so to have the whole day free I don't think is fair or in good nature. If it happened to be me you'd enter in front of, well, I'm not the kind of person who'd tell you to take a hike, and 0% chance I'd let it ruin my day, but if one group of people does it, then everyone will think they can do it and that is no good. I plan on going super early and ending up super close. If you want to be in, you gotta be all in baby. I expect it to be as fair for me as for someone who's 10, or 40, or 101 years old.
Hi all! We are coming up from Bar Harbor, Maine and thanks to the generosity of a friend and her extra GA tix, we are bringing our 10 year old son for his first show! He says he will do whatever it takes to get to the rail even if it means getting in line before dawn and waiting all day, but I would love for him to get to see some of the city and we only have that one day to be there. I hope people end up being ok if he and his Dad join me in line part way through the day. This will be our first time doing GA and I am not sure what the vibe will be like for that kind of a scenario. Thoughts?! Travel safe and see everyone at the show!
Personally I think 10 years old is way too young to be on the rail in the pit let alone all of the standing around its going to take to get there. Also there are way to many variables of something bad that could happen that I would never consider doing this. Having them have fun all day and then jumping in line sounds like a good idea to you but may not sit well with others as well. I know its not what you want to hear but I think a lot of people are going to think the same thing. Here are a couple of other discussions on the matter.
What ever you decide I hope you have blast and make some great memories with your family.
I agree I personally think you could send a better message about whats important buy having a full, fun day of sightseeing and then making your way over to the venue around 5 or so? You can talk to your neighbors, take turns with kid trying to go look for t shirts and posters if its not too much of a shit show and youll still be in the first few rows. If you go all the way to the side you may even be rail or second row. But will he, and you, have the enegy to protect that spot for 3 hours? i think get there around 5 or 6, have a good spot, and if the people around you are cool maybe you put him on dads shoulders for ritfw encore and see if ed tosses a tamborine a few rows back. by that point in the night everyones face has been rocked out that no ones gonna get bent out of shape/lose thier concentration trying to get the little guy up close.. shows almost over, its just afterglow celebration time. but theres so much more in life than spedning all day in a line. youll still have an awesome spot. the most important thing i can say is :
MAKE SURE YOU PROTECT HIS EARS.. BRING EARPLUGS!!!
I appreciate everyone's concerns but I have to say this is not at all the reaction I expected! He is a strong wise boy who is also a budding musician and very much wants to see the music being played up close and experience it in that intimate way we all hope to experience a show. Obviously as his parents we have thought long and hard about how we would handle it if this situation arose and we are quite clear that it is something we want to try to make happen for him. The shows are explicitly all ages, and I would imagine the idea of spreading the love to the up and coming generation of PJ fans would be something the band would support, not discourage. If he is lost in the sea of people in the back he will not be able to see and he is a hefty little dude who cannot perch on Dad's shoulders. I also feel that from watching the action on the rail at other shows from just up in close side seats, it is not a scene I worry about him in. People seem respectful and it isn't the same mosh pit/getting crushed vibe it used to be. If that was the case of course we wouldn't even consider it! He knows it will be rocking and crazy and he will hear things and see things that he has never witnessed. If it is too intense we can always back off and move back. But in all the shows I have been too and countless I have watched on youtube while rocking it at the gym.... it really seems those folks who make it railside are the true fans, who hear the music for the message it sends, and are absolutely the kind of people I would want my kid dancing and jamming with for 3 hours. Honestly it is the people towards the back who seem to be there for the party scene more than the music...so I actually think close to the front is a safer place for him to experience it.
For 10 years I have been parenting this kid by sending messages about what is important and he has a very vibrant home and school life...and he has his whole life to explore Quebec City but who knows how many other chances he will have to see his favorite band up close.
That said...see you at the show with our excited happy boy in tow! If he does take breaks from the line every now and then to go exploring with one of us...well...I guess all I can hope is that the people in line near us support what we are trying to do from him and don't give us too much grief. I know for sure that I would completely support a parent in a situation like that...and would have even before I was a parent...so I imagine there are others in that same boat. And if anyone questions us...we will just have to bust out a travel guitar and Noah can bust out the solo to "Sad" and put them in their place in terms of his fan status and right to be hovering at the front of the line!
And yes...already have the earplugs on the packing list!
With respect, Sarah
I'll be bringing my 10 year old son to Quebec for his first show as well. I completely appreciate the sentiments of your message but I would certainly not want my son on the rail. I have been on the rail for many a PJ show and it is really no place for a minor...the pushing and shoving that can go down does not translate to the youtube shows you have watched. Sometimes it just comes out of nowhere and the smaller you are the more likely you are to get hurt in an adverse event. Second, everyone in that GA pit is a fan club member that is there for the music so your son won't be around any less of a music fan if he hangs to the back. I have been all over that pit and the love for the music is equal throughout. My advice is stay to the back...it is a small pit, he will be able to see perfectly and he will have the great same experience. Lastly I wouldn't expect anyone in line to give me and my son a pass to "explore". People are travelling from far and wide to be on that rail and I would want my son to learn the lesson of "the commitment of the hardcore". There are no special passes for the little...if he wants to be on that rail then he will have to sit in that line with the rest of the fans.
i hear everyone about the line....makes sense. that said i have read in lots of other forums that people in the same group do end up covering each others spots for shifts here and there...but yes there is a difference between running to the bathroom for a few mins vs someone taking an hour to go for a big walk around town. i appreciate the feedback. i shouldn't have mentioned the youtube videos...previous poster was right to call me out on that as a bad way to judge. speaking just of the shows i have been to in person: from my vantage point on the side looking directly down into the pit, the first few rows seem to be super dedicated fans who are there for the music and for the most part do not appear to be acting like jerks. they are wild crazy beaming screaming faces having an absolute blast and it looks intense but not dangerous per say. also seems less drinking right up front because people don't want to give up spots for beer runs (and resulting obnoxious drunken behavior) than further back. he knows it will be super close contact and pushing and shoving may come into play. maybe he should wear his football gear. (just kidding.) and obviosuly we move back if needed. seems so simple to me. which is why my original post was concerning line etiquette (which i appreciate the feedback), not open season on my decision to bring my kiddo to see his fav band.
to the poster who is worried having a kid nearby will bum out his experience because he would feel he needs to be in parent mode...not sure what to say about that except i think any kid who is interested in being front and center at a pj show is probably a more fun person to hang out with than 99% of the world's population. and any parent bringing their kid to a pj show is fully prepared to deal with the fact that the kid is going to be exposed to weed, liquor, profanity, and everything in between. that is their responsibility to deal with it in whatever way is appropriate. I have also been at shows where it is absolutely mom's night out and the last thing I want to be doing is hanging out near a kid. i get it. but not the kid's fault and if it meant that much to me i would move away without thinking twice and certainly without holding grudge on the awesome little dude who is psyched to see his favorite band up close.
"and any parent bringing their kid to a pj show is fully prepared to deal with the fact that the kid is going to be exposed to weed, liquor, profanity, and everything in between. that is their responsibility to deal with it in whatever way is appropriate."
to clarify...by this i mean basically telling the kid to ignore it, we'll talk about it later, and distract with pointing out whatever crazy awesome thing is happening on stage at that moment! or....move if it is just too over the top for the kid to be witness too.
I don't care if there are kids around me in the GA. What I don't want is having a parent asking me to stop dancing and jumping because I may step on the kiddo's toe or asking me if I can let is kid pass infront of me because I won't. I won't do it for an adult either. I'm in GA for dancing and having the freedom to move if IK want to.
I don't care if there are kids around me in the GA. What I don't want is having a parent asking me to stop dancing and jumping because I may step on the kiddo's toe or asking me if I can let is kid pass infront of me because I won't. I won't do it for an adult either. I'm in GA for dancing and having the freedom to move if IK want to.
Also looking for recommendations on getting from Quebec to Ottawa -
We are taking the train. It's about 7 hours with a layover in Montreal but it is easy and should be a beautiful scenic ride. It's also cheap, Quebec City to Ottawa to Toronto is $132 CAD.
Myself and My boyfriend are coming from Newfoundland and have reserved seats.See you all there!~Should be a great show.
Mexico City 28/11/15 Chicago 20/08/16 Boston 04/09/2018 Quebec City 05/05/16 Chicago 22/08/16 Ottawa 08/05/16 Taormina 26/06/17 Toronto 10/05/16 Taormina 27/06/17 Toronto 11/05/16 Boston 02/09/2018
To the person bringing their 10 year old son. I think it's wonderful your bringing your son to experience pearl jam but holding places in line will not go over well. Prepare for the long haul all day like everyone else travelling from afar to be on the rail.Make sure to stick with him in the ga area.If you do get the rail stand behind him so you can shield him from being pushed. Enjoy the show!
Mexico City 28/11/15 Chicago 20/08/16 Boston 04/09/2018 Quebec City 05/05/16 Chicago 22/08/16 Ottawa 08/05/16 Taormina 26/06/17 Toronto 10/05/16 Taormina 27/06/17 Toronto 11/05/16 Boston 02/09/2018
To the person bringing their 10 year old son. I think it's wonderful your bringing your son to experience pearl jam but holding places in line will not go over well. Prepare for the long haul all day like everyone else travelling from afar to be on the rail.Make sure to stick with him in the ga area.If you do get the rail stand behind him so you can shield him from being pushed. Enjoy the show!
Comments
community.pearljam.com/discussion/213384/your-experience-bringing-kids-to-pj-shows/p1
community.pearljam.com/discussion/249048/bringing-kids-to-concerts-experience-10c-tickets/p1
What ever you decide I hope you have blast and make some great memories with your family.
You never really had to begin with.
Sometimes it's not the song that makes you emotional it's the people and things that come to your mind when you hear it.
2003 Mansfield: July 2
2004 Boston: Sept 28 & 29
2005 Montreal: Sept 15
2006 Boston: May 24 & 25
2008 Hartford: June 27, Mansfield: June 28,
2010 Boston: May 17
2013 Worcester: Oct 15, Hartford: Oct 25,
2016 Hampton: April 18, Raleigh: April 20 (cancelled), Columbia: April 21. Quebec: May 5. Boston (Fenway): August 7
EV Solo: Boston 8/2/08, Boston 6/16/11
I personally think you could send a better message about whats important buy having a full, fun day of sightseeing and then making your way over to the venue around 5 or so? You can talk to your neighbors, take turns with kid trying to go look for t shirts and posters if its not too much of a shit show and youll still be in the first few rows. If you go all the way to the side you may even be rail or second row. But will he, and you, have the enegy to protect that spot for 3 hours? i think get there around 5 or 6, have a good spot, and if the people around you are cool maybe you put him on dads shoulders for ritfw encore and see if ed tosses a tamborine a few rows back. by that point in the night everyones face has been rocked out that no ones gonna get bent out of shape/lose thier concentration trying to get the little guy up close.. shows almost over, its just afterglow celebration time. but theres so much more in life than spedning all day in a line. youll still have an awesome spot. the most important thing i can say is :
MAKE SURE YOU PROTECT HIS EARS.. BRING EARPLUGS!!!
'06: Irving Plaza, East Rutherford 1 & 2 '07: Lolla '08: Camden 2, MSG2, Beacon
'09 :Philly 1 & 2 '10: Buffalo, Newark, MSG1, MSG2
'11: PJ20 1 & 2 '12: Missoula '13: Wrigley, BK2, Philly 1 & 2, Hartford
'14: Ams 1 & 2, Cincy, St Louis, Detroit, Moline '15: Central Park
'16 Philly 1 & 2, MSG 1 & 2, Toronto 1 & 2, Fenway 1, Wrigley 1
'17 Brooklyn hall of fame ‘18 Fenway 1
I have a question for those that live or have been to the venue. We are going a couple of hours early to get in line and are going with a couple that will be getting tickmaster tickets hopefully this Friday. Is there anything they can do in the area with out driving around or will we need to lend them our car for a couple of hours to get to a bar/restaurant? I will try finding out with google maps but if someone that is familiar with the location knows that would be great.
For 10 years I have been parenting this kid by sending messages about what is important and he has a very vibrant home and school life...and he has his whole life to explore Quebec City but who knows how many other chances he will have to see his favorite band up close.
That said...see you at the show with our excited happy boy in tow! If he does take breaks from the line every now and then to go exploring with one of us...well...I guess all I can hope is that the people in line near us support what we are trying to do from him and don't give us too much grief. I know for sure that I would completely support a parent in a situation like that...and would have even before I was a parent...so I imagine there are others in that same boat. And if anyone questions us...we will just have to bust out a travel guitar and Noah can bust out the solo to "Sad" and put them in their place in terms of his fan status and right to be hovering at the front of the line!
And yes...already have the earplugs on the packing list!
With respect,
Sarah
However the one thing I could comment on is that saving two spots in line for the day isn't really the most considerate practice. If you've got to run to the washroom or to grab a sandwich or something quick obviously that's not a problem, but doing so to have the whole day free I don't think is fair or in good nature. If it happened to be me you'd enter in front of, well, I'm not the kind of person who'd tell you to take a hike, and 0% chance I'd let it ruin my day, but if one group of people does it, then everyone will think they can do it and that is no good. I plan on going super early and ending up super close. If you want to be in, you gotta be all in baby. I expect it to be as fair for me as for someone who's 10, or 40, or 101 years old.
With respect,
BS
to the poster who is worried having a kid nearby will bum out his experience because he would feel he needs to be in parent mode...not sure what to say about that except i think any kid who is interested in being front and center at a pj show is probably a more fun person to hang out with than 99% of the world's population. and any parent bringing their kid to a pj show is fully prepared to deal with the fact that the kid is going to be exposed to weed, liquor, profanity, and everything in between. that is their responsibility to deal with it in whatever way is appropriate. I have also been at shows where it is absolutely mom's night out and the last thing I want to be doing is hanging out near a kid. i get it. but not the kid's fault and if it meant that much to me i would move away without thinking twice and certainly without holding grudge on the awesome little dude who is psyched to see his favorite band up close.
to clarify...by this i mean basically telling the kid to ignore it, we'll talk about it later, and distract with pointing out whatever crazy awesome thing is happening on stage at that moment! or....move if it is just too over the top for the kid to be witness too.
Joking.
See you all, olds and youngs, on the GA floor!
Mexico City 28/11/15 Chicago 20/08/16 Boston 04/09/2018
Quebec City 05/05/16 Chicago 22/08/16
Ottawa 08/05/16 Taormina 26/06/17
Toronto 10/05/16 Taormina 27/06/17
Toronto 11/05/16 Boston 02/09/2018
Mexico City 28/11/15 Chicago 20/08/16 Boston 04/09/2018
Quebec City 05/05/16 Chicago 22/08/16
Ottawa 08/05/16 Taormina 26/06/17
Toronto 10/05/16 Taormina 27/06/17
Toronto 11/05/16 Boston 02/09/2018