It's my pleasure! Seeing those pics really brought a smile to my face and a bit of tears too. Baseball was a strong link between me and my dad too, and although neither of us were ever close to the levels your dad accomplished, your efforts and request really impacted me. You have my full support to hear that harmonica at Wrigley! Wish I could be there to see it, but with our little guy approaching 14 months in August, we didn't think we could do both Wrigley and Fenway. I know that as we get closer, the urge is going to get stronger and stronger to go, so who knows, if I'm lucky, maybe I'll be there too!
1992-07-21 Vancouver
1993-9-4 Vancouver
1996-9-16 Seattle
1998-7-19 Vancouver, 7-21 Seattle, Memorial Stadium
2000-11-6 Seattle
2001-10-22 Seattle
2002 -12-09 Seattle
2009-8-17 Manchester, 9-25 Vancouver
2011-6-16 Seattle (EV), 9-3/4 PJ20, 9-25 Vancouver
2012-6-27 Amsterdam (#2!)
2013-11-29 Portland, 12-4 Vancouver, 12-6 Seattle
2014-AUS - 1-26 Sydney, 1-31 Adelaide, 2-11/12 EV Sydney State Theatre, 2-13 EV Opera House
2014 - USA - Memphis, Detroit, MOLINE, St. Paul, MILWAUKEE, Denver, 25/26 Bridge School
2016 - Lexington, Philly x 2, MSG x 2, Quebec City, Ottawa, Toronto x 2, Pemberton, Fenway x 2, Wrigley x 2 2018 - Seattle x 2, Missoula, Fenway x 2
Love the song Smile, hopefully it gets played for you and your dad
2000 - Chicago, IL 2003 - Champaign, IL 2006 - Chicago, IL 1 & 2 2007 - Chicago, IL Lollapalooza 2009 - Chicago, IL 1 & 2 2010 - St. Louis, MO 2011 - East Troy, WI 1 & 2 (PJ20 Destination Weekend) 2012 - Atlanta, GA, Missoula, MT 2013 - Chicago, IL (Wrigley Field), Dallas, TX, Oklahoma City, OK 2014 - St. Louis, MO, Tulsa, OK, Moline, IL (No Code, IL), Saint Paul, MN, Milwaukee, WI (Yield, WI) 2016 - Greenville, SC (Vs, SC), Raleigh, NC, Columbia, SC, Boston, MA (Fenway Park 1), Chicago, IL (Wrigley Field 1 & 2)
2018 - Seattle, WA (Safeco Field 2), Chicago, IL (Wrigley Field 1 & 2), Boston, MA (Fenway Park 2)
2020 - Nashville, TN, St. Louis, MO, Oklahoma City, OK, Phoenix, AZ, ?? 2022 - Nashville, TN, St. Louis, MO, Oklahoma City, OK, Phoenix, AZ, Las Vegas, NV 2023 - St. Paul, MN 2, Fort Worth, TX 2, Austin, TX 1, and Austin, TX 2
2024 - Portland, OR and Chicago, IL (Wrigley Field 1 & 2)
2025 - Pittsburgh, PA1 & Pittsburgh PA2
2012 - Temple of the Dog East Troy, WI (PJ20 Destination Weekend) 2014 - Soundgarden Tinley Park, IL (with Nine Inch Nails)
2014 - Alice in Chains Davenport, IA
2016 - Chris Cornell Solo Madison, WI and Peoria, IL (official hometown show)
2016 - Temple of the Dog San Francisco, CA (both shows) 2017 - Soundgarden Dallas (cancelled) RIP Chris Cornell
2018 - Smashing Pumpkins Chicago, IL (first show)
2019 - Alice in Chains Milwaukee, WI
2022 - Jerry Cantrell Chicago, IL 2023 - Jerry Cantrell Milwaukee, WI
RIP Andrew Wood, Kurt Cobain, Layne Staley, and Chris Cornell
RIP Mom (may your star shine the brightest in the sky, our family loves and misses you very much, we'll meet again)
So... again... I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to "bump" this thread. I also want to thank those of you who have sent personal messages supporting my family and my father. It truly is inspiring and helpful and makes me SMILE.
With that said, I figured if I was going to request a song, I should do my research and offer as much information about the song Smile as I could find. I'm sure this is not new information to most of you and the genesis of the song is not a secret. However, like I said, if you're going to request a song, you should know everything about it... right?
SMILE is the 5th track from Pearl Jam's 4th studio album No Code released on August 27th, 1996. Since this is about SMILE and not the album, I won't go into some of the recording details. Although, I will say it's pretty incredible Pearl Jam completed this album and still has most of it's founding members.
SMILE has been played live 73 times by Pearl Jam and 6 times by Eddie Vedder. (79 total)
The full story behind the lyrics is documented on Jimmy Flemion's tumblr page: CLICK HERE FOR LINK The cliff notes version is as follows: (I did not write this, just FYI)
Eddie Vedder invited The Frogs to play 2 shows with Pearl Jam in Milwaukee on July 8th and 9th of 1995 @ the Marcus Amphitheater. On July 9th, Eddie came over to [Dennis & Jimmy's] house in the afternoon, and when the ice cream truck came down our street he ran with Dennis’ children, Paul and Sarah and bought them some ice cream. Later in the afternoon, they drove Eddie back to the venue for soundcheck. On the way to the summer fest grounds, Dennis played Eddie a song of Jimmy's, “This Is How I Feel” that he wrote on June 6, 1995 and completed on June 11, 1995. The lyrics read as follows:
This is how I feel when I’m happy
This is how I feel when I’m sad
This is how I feel
Nothing has appeal
This is how I feel underwater
This is how I feel after suicide
I’ll live over and over and over again
I have escaped nothing can touch me
This is how I feel without armor
This is how i feel at a party
Don’t it make you cry when the sky don’t shine
Don’t it make you cry
Don’t it make you cry
Don’t it make you smile on the other side
Don’t it make you smile
Don’t it make you smile
Don’t it make you smile
Don’t it make you smile
This is how I feel when I’m homesick
This is how I feel when I’m sick
This is how I feel
Nothing does the trick anymore
After the 2nd show on July 9th, Dennis and Jimmy were backstage sitting on a couch in Pearl jam’s dressing room. When Dennis spotted Eddie’s notebook, he picked it up. Dennis asked Jimmy what the lyrics to my song “This Is How I Feel” were. I told him. He asked Jimmy if he was o.k. with what he wrote in Eddie’s notebook. He was showing Jimmy what he was writing, adding the word “you” before the word “smile” and saying that, “When the sun don’t shine” was better than my, “When the sky don’t shine”. Dennis also drew 3 crooked hearts and swirls on the notebook page. So when Eddie sings “3 crooked hearts, swirls all around” that is what he is referring to.
So one day Eddie rang Dennis up and told him that he used what he wrote in his notebook for a song on the new Pearl Jam album, a song called “Smile”. And that is how “Smile” was born.
With all of this love and support, I've decided (if I have time) to design something.... not sure what exactly it will be. Not necessarily a poster, but perhaps along those lines. The title will be "Smile Chicago". If it turns out halfway decent, perhaps I will offer them up to anyone interested, proceeds to go to The Joe Martin ALS Foundation.
I’m very sorry to hear about your dad’s condition. I can only imagine how tough that must be for your family. I wholeheartedly support your request and will be crossing my fingers for you to hear it played at Wrigley!
After loosing my Dad in June of 2016, I posted here as an outlet to express the feelings I was going through and explained how “I’ve got a Feeling” connected me and my dad. The good people of this community kept it on the first page for most of the summer and somehow it got to the band. I hope the same happens for you and I’ll pledge to bump this thread whenever I’m on here as a reciprocal show of love.
Hearing that dedication in Boston (we were right on the field, about 20 feet from the stage) meant the world to me and my family and helped me get out of a really dark place. It will be something I’ll cherish forever. I’m looking forward to playing the bootleg for my son (now only 9 months old) when he gets older to honour the grandfather that he never got to meet. This band is so unique and they just get it.
Much love, strength, and support to you and your family, Matt
Hey, Matt! I remember your request and I'm happy to read that hearing I've Got a Feeling played for your father by the band was helpful to you. It's great that you'll be able to share this moment with your son. And it's very cool that you're paying it forward.
I have been to 3 shows in the past 20 years where smile got replaced. I’m pretty sure because Ed didn’t feel like smiling or making us smile.
This would make anyone smile. You are a good man and a better son.
There have been too many requests played not this deserving. The only way they don’t play this is if they aren’t feeling it. I hope you’ll be at the 20th if that were to happen.
I have been to 3 shows in the past 20 years where smile got replaced. I’m pretty sure because Ed didn’t feel like smiling or making us smile.
This would make anyone smile. You are a good man and a better son.
There have been too many requests played not this deserving. The only way they don’t play this is if they aren’t feeling it. I hope you’ll be at the 20th if that were to happen.
I have decided it would be a good idea to deliver all the guys a copy of my dad's baseball card. I have several copies I can put into a package. Any thoughts on the best way to get them delivered???
One thing the card leaves out is that my father played in the longest uninterrupted baseball game in history. 29 innings.
To this day... it is still the longest uninterrupted game.
There was a longer game in 1980 that lasted 32 innings. It was stopped in the 31st inning and resumed several weeks later... so... that's the longest game in professional baseball history. But the 29 inning game was never interrupted... which makes it historic. Also, to say your dad played in the 2nd longest game in baseball history is still pretty cool..
Here's a link to the video explaining the story behind how my dad got his card. If you play in the minors, you don't get a card. You have to play in the majors. A guy from church who comes over to sit with my father on Thursday is an avid card collector and didn't think it was right that my dad didn't have a baseball card.
I’m very sorry to hear about your dad’s condition. I can only imagine how tough that must be for your family. I wholeheartedly support your request and will be crossing my fingers for you to hear it played at Wrigley!
After loosing my Dad in June of 2016, I posted here as an outlet to express the feelings I was going through and explained how “I’ve got a Feeling” connected me and my dad. The good people of this community kept it on the first page for most of the summer and somehow it got to the band. I hope the same happens for you and I’ll pledge to bump this thread whenever I’m on here as a reciprocal show of love.
Hearing that dedication in Boston (we were right on the field, about 20 feet from the stage) meant the world to me and my family and helped me get out of a really dark place. It will be something I’ll cherish forever. I’m looking forward to playing the bootleg for my son (now only 9 months old) when he gets older to honour the grandfather that he never got to meet. This band is so unique and they just get it.
Much love, strength, and support to you and your family, Matt
Hey, Matt! I remember your request and I'm happy to read that hearing I've Got a Feeling played for your father by the band was helpful to you. It's great that you'll be able to share this moment with your son. And it's very cool that you're paying it forward.
Very kind of you to say, thank you very much! That moment came about thanks to beautiful people like you on in this community who supported me in that time of great despair. I'm really hoping that we all get to Smile for Andrew and his dad this August!
1992-07-21 Vancouver
1993-9-4 Vancouver
1996-9-16 Seattle
1998-7-19 Vancouver, 7-21 Seattle, Memorial Stadium
2000-11-6 Seattle
2001-10-22 Seattle
2002 -12-09 Seattle
2009-8-17 Manchester, 9-25 Vancouver
2011-6-16 Seattle (EV), 9-3/4 PJ20, 9-25 Vancouver
2012-6-27 Amsterdam (#2!)
2013-11-29 Portland, 12-4 Vancouver, 12-6 Seattle
2014-AUS - 1-26 Sydney, 1-31 Adelaide, 2-11/12 EV Sydney State Theatre, 2-13 EV Opera House
2014 - USA - Memphis, Detroit, MOLINE, St. Paul, MILWAUKEE, Denver, 25/26 Bridge School
2016 - Lexington, Philly x 2, MSG x 2, Quebec City, Ottawa, Toronto x 2, Pemberton, Fenway x 2, Wrigley x 2 2018 - Seattle x 2, Missoula, Fenway x 2
Comments
1993-9-4 Vancouver
1996-9-16 Seattle
1998-7-19 Vancouver, 7-21 Seattle, Memorial Stadium
2000-11-6 Seattle
2001-10-22 Seattle
2002 -12-09 Seattle
2009-8-17 Manchester, 9-25 Vancouver
2011-6-16 Seattle (EV), 9-3/4 PJ20, 9-25 Vancouver
2012-6-27 Amsterdam (#2!)
2013-11-29 Portland, 12-4 Vancouver, 12-6 Seattle
2014-AUS - 1-26 Sydney, 1-31 Adelaide, 2-11/12 EV Sydney State Theatre, 2-13 EV Opera House
2014 - USA - Memphis, Detroit, MOLINE, St. Paul, MILWAUKEE, Denver, 25/26 Bridge School
2016 - Lexington, Philly x 2, MSG x 2, Quebec City, Ottawa, Toronto x 2, Pemberton, Fenway x 2, Wrigley x 2
2018 - Seattle x 2, Missoula, Fenway x 2
2003 - Champaign, IL
2006 - Chicago, IL 1 & 2
2007 - Chicago, IL Lollapalooza
2009 - Chicago, IL 1 & 2
2010 - St. Louis, MO
2011 - East Troy, WI 1 & 2 (PJ20 Destination Weekend)
2012 - Atlanta, GA, Missoula, MT
2013 - Chicago, IL (Wrigley Field), Dallas, TX, Oklahoma City, OK
2014 - St. Louis, MO, Tulsa, OK, Moline, IL (No Code, IL), Saint Paul, MN, Milwaukee, WI (Yield, WI)
2016 - Greenville, SC (Vs, SC), Raleigh, NC, Columbia, SC, Boston, MA (Fenway Park 1), Chicago, IL (Wrigley Field 1 & 2)
2022 - Nashville, TN, St. Louis, MO, Oklahoma City, OK, Phoenix, AZ, Las Vegas, NV
2023 - St. Paul, MN 2, Fort Worth, TX 2, Austin, TX 1, and Austin, TX 2
2014 - Soundgarden Tinley Park, IL (with Nine Inch Nails)
2017 - Soundgarden Dallas (cancelled) RIP Chris Cornell
2023 - Jerry Cantrell Milwaukee, WI
I also want to thank those of you who have sent personal messages supporting my family and my father. It truly is inspiring and helpful and makes me SMILE.
With that said, I figured if I was going to request a song, I should do my research and offer as much information about the song Smile as I could find. I'm sure this is not new information to most of you and the genesis of the song is not a secret. However, like I said, if you're going to request a song, you should know everything about it... right?
SMILE is the 5th track from Pearl Jam's 4th studio album No Code released on August 27th, 1996.
Since this is about SMILE and not the album, I won't go into some of the recording details. Although, I will say it's pretty incredible Pearl Jam completed this album and still has most of it's founding members.
SMILE has been played live 73 times by Pearl Jam and 6 times by Eddie Vedder. (79 total)
- First Played in ConcertOctober 28, 1996 by Pearl Jam at Wembley Arena, London, England
- Most Recently PlayedMarch 30, 2018 by Eddie Vedder at Citibank Hall, São Paulo, Brazil
Including on October 17, 2014 at the iWireless Center in Moline, Illinois, during the Lightning Bolt Tour, in which Pearl Jam played the entire No Code album in order as part of their set.The full story behind the lyrics is documented on Jimmy Flemion's tumblr page: CLICK HERE FOR LINK
The cliff notes version is as follows: (I did not write this, just FYI)
Eddie Vedder invited The Frogs to play 2 shows with Pearl Jam in Milwaukee on July 8th and 9th of 1995 @ the Marcus Amphitheater.
On July 9th, Eddie came over to [Dennis & Jimmy's] house in the afternoon, and when the ice cream truck came down our street he ran with Dennis’ children, Paul and Sarah and bought them some ice cream. Later in the afternoon, they drove Eddie back to the venue for soundcheck. On the way to the summer fest grounds, Dennis played Eddie a song of Jimmy's, “This Is How I Feel” that he wrote on June 6, 1995 and completed on June 11, 1995. The lyrics read as follows:
After the 2nd show on July 9th, Dennis and Jimmy were backstage sitting on a couch in Pearl jam’s dressing room. When Dennis spotted Eddie’s notebook, he picked it up. Dennis asked Jimmy what the lyrics to my song “This Is How I Feel” were. I told him. He asked Jimmy if he was o.k. with what he wrote in Eddie’s notebook. He was showing Jimmy what he was writing, adding the word “you” before the word “smile” and saying that, “When the sun don’t shine” was better than my, “When the sky don’t shine”. Dennis also drew 3 crooked hearts and swirls on the notebook page. So when Eddie sings “3 crooked hearts, swirls all around” that is what he is referring to.
So one day Eddie rang Dennis up and told him that he used what he wrote in his notebook for a song on the new Pearl Jam album, a song called “Smile”. And that is how “Smile” was born.
Bump!
Ten Club "Ambassador" (recap-writer) - DEEP.pearljam.com
Contributor & Patron - liveon4legs.com
2018: Chicago 2 (Wrigley Field) 8/20 | 20(20)22: St Louis 9/18 | 2023: Chicago 2 (United Center) 9/7, Indianapolis (Deer Creek) 9/10 | 2024: Vegas 5/16-&-18, Indy? Wrigley 2?
EV:
2018: CURE Benefit Show (Chicago - Navy Pier) 10/15
RIP: Andy, Kurt, Chris
Today is June 6th.
Which means the origins of the song Smile began exactly 23 years ago.
And if they DO happen to play Smile on August 18th 2018, it would be 9 days off from 22 year anniversary of the release of No Code.
Kinda cool in a way.
Bump!
All the SMILES!
That made me tear up! What a wonderful tattoo!
Thank you for sharing.
I've decided (if I have time) to design something.... not sure what exactly it will be. Not necessarily a poster, but perhaps along those lines.
The title will be "Smile Chicago". If it turns out halfway decent, perhaps I will offer them up to anyone interested, proceeds to go to The Joe Martin ALS Foundation.
Stay tuned.
And it's very cool that you're paying it forward.
I love this song. Thank you for sharing how it was written.
I hope you'll get to hear Smile in Chicago.
Love it!
This would make anyone smile. You are a good man and a better son.
There have been too many requests played not this deserving. The only way they don’t play this is if they aren’t feeling it. I hope you’ll be at the 20th if that were to happen.
Fingers crossed!
29 innings.
To this day... it is still the longest uninterrupted game.
There was a longer game in 1980 that lasted 32 innings. It was stopped in the 31st inning and resumed several weeks later... so... that's the longest game in professional baseball history. But the 29 inning game was never interrupted... which makes it historic. Also, to say your dad played in the 2nd longest game in baseball history is still pretty cool..
If you play in the minors, you don't get a card. You have to play in the majors.
A guy from church who comes over to sit with my father on Thursday is an avid card collector and didn't think it was right that my dad didn't have a baseball card.
So he surprised my dad and had one made.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FACEBOOK VIDEO LINK
1993-9-4 Vancouver
1996-9-16 Seattle
1998-7-19 Vancouver, 7-21 Seattle, Memorial Stadium
2000-11-6 Seattle
2001-10-22 Seattle
2002 -12-09 Seattle
2009-8-17 Manchester, 9-25 Vancouver
2011-6-16 Seattle (EV), 9-3/4 PJ20, 9-25 Vancouver
2012-6-27 Amsterdam (#2!)
2013-11-29 Portland, 12-4 Vancouver, 12-6 Seattle
2014-AUS - 1-26 Sydney, 1-31 Adelaide, 2-11/12 EV Sydney State Theatre, 2-13 EV Opera House
2014 - USA - Memphis, Detroit, MOLINE, St. Paul, MILWAUKEE, Denver, 25/26 Bridge School
2016 - Lexington, Philly x 2, MSG x 2, Quebec City, Ottawa, Toronto x 2, Pemberton, Fenway x 2, Wrigley x 2
2018 - Seattle x 2, Missoula, Fenway x 2