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Craziest thing you did to get to a PJ show?
Last week I was in a rental car and ended up with a flat. As I finished my drive on a donut tire I was thinking about the last time I drove on a donut.... Aaaaah, yes, 2000, 6.5 hour drive between Boston and Philly/Camden for the 1st PJ show at the Camden E-Centre (what it was called then; who knows how many bank names it's been through by now?).
I'd already left Boston a little later than I wanted to in my efforts to get there for the support band (Sonic Youth), and it was raining and therefore everyone forgot how to drive and there was traffic. I feel like I was still well north of NYC when I got a flat tire. I was SO PANICKED, and also don't remember having AAA then, but there was a gas station with tire service right off the highway exit so I was super lucky. They put the donut on, but I had no idea that you can't drive on a donut like you can a regular tire. I was reminded last week that you're not supposed to go more than 50mph on a donut, but here I was: didn't know that, but more importantly now LATE for a PJ SHOW... so I FLEW down I-95 going at least 85mph the whole way, plus it was raining at points, so flying, speeding, in the rain... on that donut.
I'll never forget arriving and parking at the E-Centre... I have mostly, my whole concert-going life, not been one to listen to the band I'm about to see on the day of the show. I prefer to just listen to whatever and have the live songs be my fresh intro to that band that day. But on this one trip, I was listening to a '95 San Jose show when I arrived, and I'll never forget the experience of arriving breathlessly, listening to whichever live song they were on on that boot, then shutting off the car and immediately hearing live "Present Tense"! I actually paused, turned my cd player back on, listened to the cd, then enjoyed/relished shutting it off to hear live PJ. And then I rushed the hell in (Present Tense meaning that I'd missed the first 12 songs, unfortunately).
So I unknowingly took a big risk and flew for hours down I-95 going 85-90mph on a donut tire to get to a PJ show. Maybe not crazy so much as highly NOT recommended, but how about you? What have you gone through to get to a PJ show?
I'd already left Boston a little later than I wanted to in my efforts to get there for the support band (Sonic Youth), and it was raining and therefore everyone forgot how to drive and there was traffic. I feel like I was still well north of NYC when I got a flat tire. I was SO PANICKED, and also don't remember having AAA then, but there was a gas station with tire service right off the highway exit so I was super lucky. They put the donut on, but I had no idea that you can't drive on a donut like you can a regular tire. I was reminded last week that you're not supposed to go more than 50mph on a donut, but here I was: didn't know that, but more importantly now LATE for a PJ SHOW... so I FLEW down I-95 going at least 85mph the whole way, plus it was raining at points, so flying, speeding, in the rain... on that donut.
I'll never forget arriving and parking at the E-Centre... I have mostly, my whole concert-going life, not been one to listen to the band I'm about to see on the day of the show. I prefer to just listen to whatever and have the live songs be my fresh intro to that band that day. But on this one trip, I was listening to a '95 San Jose show when I arrived, and I'll never forget the experience of arriving breathlessly, listening to whichever live song they were on on that boot, then shutting off the car and immediately hearing live "Present Tense"! I actually paused, turned my cd player back on, listened to the cd, then enjoyed/relished shutting it off to hear live PJ. And then I rushed the hell in (Present Tense meaning that I'd missed the first 12 songs, unfortunately).
So I unknowingly took a big risk and flew for hours down I-95 going 85-90mph on a donut tire to get to a PJ show. Maybe not crazy so much as highly NOT recommended, but how about you? What have you gone through to get to a PJ show?
Post edited by JH6056 on
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Interesting sense of adventure he had... walking around Camden with a case of beer, I'm sure he did make friends!
We met up in upper Indiana and drove the rest of the way in his car. He was a super nice guy and the show....well the show was fantastic and I am so glad I went.
Tickets went on sale and we put in for them figuring it wouldn't happen. We got them all 3 and planned a vacation on a whim.
I'll never have that much fun again in my life, it was an amazing trip. Hiking the Dolomites, Kayaking the Adriatic, climbing in the Austrian Alps, getting lost in Venice, 3 shows that each blew away the best shows we've seen in the states, amazing food, beautiful (not obese) people everywhere...
Funniest part was, the woman I shared with, her adult daughter was also worried about her, and she was on the cell phone trying to establish a "safe word" with her mom so if I turned out to be psycho, her mom could call for help. So I could hear her daughter say "Ok, let's have "umbrella" be the safe word" and then in the room with me her mom would say "Ok, umbrella is the safe word." and I'd hear her daughter shriek on the phone "MOM! STOP REPEATING THE SAFE WORD!! No one else is supposed to know it!!!" but then they'd pick another word and her mom would repeat it.
For me, I'd texted my husband with all her info, in case he never heard from me again. I was already in the hotel room with her when my husband texted me "Oh, I deleted that text. Was it important?" No, not at all, you just won't know who did it if you never see me again now...
Needless to say she turned out to be great and we had a great time.
It can be tricky but I've been really lucky meeting up with PJ fans (either to get tix or use their extra ticket), have met nothing but really nice folks. Glad you had a great time, and what a show you saw!!!
Picked up a last minute ticket for the Lincoln show from a Canadian 10 Clubber who's friend backed out on him. He was also nice enough to offer me the other bed in their hotel room.
Drove the 3.5 hours to Lincoln show. Took a quick nap. And drove the 3.5 hours back to KC to catch my early morning flight back to Mpls.
Good times, totally worth it.
/also Ice Bowl - Alpine Valley 2000
We need to know this for the next tour, in case others want to quit their jobs!
Got up at 3am Monday, because I still had an almost 2 hour drive to the airport from Gainesville. Decided to check TM real quick before I left to see if any tickets were released. Luckily there were. Right next to the stage! So I bought a ticket and headed to the airport.
Arrived in Chicago, walked around the city since I now had my ticket secured. Had a great time sightseeing. Headed to the arena to pick up my ticket, then hung out at the pre-party near the venue. When I was walking in to the United Center they checked my bag (it was a book bag, which was my "luggage"). The guy looked at the contents and obviously looked at me like I was a lunatic since he saw a toothbrush, deodorant and a change of clothes, lol. He told me I would have to check the bag at some office. Little did he know that I was super stoked with that since I'd been carrying the damn thing all day!
Enjoyed a great concert with a great seat. Picked up my bag, then took the train back to the airport. I slept on a bench at O'Hare since I didn't book a hotel room (guess this could qualify as the "crazy" part).
Flew back to Tampa in the morning, drove back to Gainesville, and was at work the next morning.
My friends and family still say I'm crazy for doing that, but I can honestly say that was one of the best days of my life.
eV: 8/4/08, 8/5/08, 6/21/11
SG: 10/4/08<-- MET STONE!!!
I got a different job a few months after we got back.
You're so lucky, what a weekend!
Besides, sleep is overrated anyway...
Rgambs, that was still one heck of a risk, but good for you that you pulled off the financial side of quitting your job and not getting another one for months! In some ways that might be the craziest one so far
Actually I'm thinking, given the gifts so many of us apparently have for figuring out complicated logistics, seems like maybe we should all go into business with each other and open a "Do the Impossible" travel agency or something LOL! It'll take Air BnB and Uber to a whole different level, we can get strangers to room together and charge people a bunch of money to sleep in airports!!
Edited to add: and per disilluzion, we can book everyone on flights on United...
Who's in?
It was a whirlwind of a trip but totally worth it.
The next week I drove to Toronto to see pj and got halted by 100 year floods somewhere in New York lol. Again totally worth it.
Again totally worth it, first row in front of mike in a very small club.
My friend was able to get off explaining it was a mistake and he was on the way to a Pearl Jam show. The cop let him go after showing him the tickets. They arrived like 8 song into main set. Crazy day and night.