A phone call from Eddie…

StardogChamp79

I remember reading or hearing on a podcast somewhere that back in the 90’s that Eddie used to call fans just to chat. I am not sure how much truth there was to that. But could you imagine seeing a number on your phone now from Seattle and thinking it’s SPAM (I screen my phone calls) and not answering only to find out that Eddie it is on the other side of the line. I guess it was different times back then before the craziness, before all the posters and the merch hoopla. Can’t imagine how that phone call would go…

PureandEasy

I heard those stories too, but that was WAY before cell phones, and way before spam calls was even in our vernacular.  Might want to brush up on the band and their time frame.  If this did happen, you would not have ANY idea where the call was coming from and back then, people always answered their phones - their landline phones.  

StardogChamp79

Oh right! I knew it was in the 90’s but I have never heard of another artist doing that still to this day. I believe the 90’s were a special time and we all know that but I can’t imagine my mom saying to 11 yr old me there is some guy named Eddie on the phone for you. Although those times are a changing I think that part of Eddie still lives on in a way and how he reacts to other performers. You can see it at Ohana more with how he responds/reacts to bands. Two years ago when White Reaper was playing there is was side stage with his phone videoing them just like a kid. Very cool!

edwho

I googled "when did eddie vedder give out his phone number on the radio?" and got this: 

https://www.ajournalofmusicalthings.com/the-days-when-eddie-vedder-gave-out-his-phone-number/
 and this thread:
https://community.pearljam.com/discussion/142113/self-pollution-radio-1995

Hope it helps. 

JH6056

StardogChamp79 said:

Oh right! I knew it was in the 90’s but I have never heard of another artist doing that still to this day. I believe the 90’s were a special time and we all know that but I can’t imagine my mom saying to 11 yr old me there is some guy named Eddie on the phone for you. Although those times are a changing I think that part of Eddie still lives on in a way and how he reacts to other performers. You can see it at Ohana more with how he responds/reacts to bands. Two years ago when White Reaper was playing there is was side stage with his phone videoing them just like a kid. Very cool!

When I was 13 we went to see the Rolling Stones, and through a hysterical series of events during the show involving someone behind us trying to throw a bouquet of roses onstage, missing, hitting us, roses everywhere, I told my friend Kathy to give me her gum, for some reason I think it's funny to write her home phone # (yay landlines!) on a piece of paper, stick it to a rose with gum, and throw it onstage.  It was a  school night, it was an incredible show, and after the show we went back to my friend's house and went to sleep. 

At 4:00am her mom knocked on her door and said "Um, Kathy... the Rolling Stones are on the phone asking for you???"  We got up and Kathy got on the phone and I listened on another line (yay landlines!) and a very British, very intoxicated guy was like "Kathy! Come party with us! It's the Rolling Stones! Come to our hotel!" Kathy & I were thinking 13yr old versions of "What the actual fuck??!!" but Kathy said "Well, thanks, but we're 13 yrs old and we have school tomorrow so we can't go out."  Pause on other end, then even more excited in what we look back on as a disturbing thing "Kathy! BRING YOUR FRIENDS! Come party with us! We're the Rolling Stones! Come to our hotel!!!"

We are pretty sure they were somehow really connected to the tour (roadies or friends of roadies) but whether there were any actual Stones or not, we laughed about it, went back to bed, and were on time for our 8:20am 1st period high school class later that morning.

I'd completely forgotten that story, then Kathy tells it at my 40th birthday party to everyone, including my new at the time boyfriend (now husband) and let's just say I was like "And THAT will be the last story Kathy tells today!"

With Ed, I always thought he gave out his number once and people like broke the phone lines at the time, and sometimes he answered?  Did he really actually proactively call fans?

It's true, it's incredibly rare or not done, especially at that level of fame.  The only modern day version I know is someone not as famous as Pearl Jam at all but Hozier (Take Me To Church guy, but he's got so many other brilliant songs, total poet) has a flip phone and on his 1st tour every now and then he'd tweet or post on FB/IG a photo of the phone open and people would know it was on and he'd talk to as many people as he could for maybe an hour?  Eventually he stopped because people were telling him what their international phobe bills were like and also I think the constant texts melted the flipphone, if that's possible

edwho

StardogChamp79 said:

Two years ago when White Reaper was playing there is was side stage with his phone videoing them just like a kid. Very cool!

Roger Waters Radio KAOS tour had a phone booth on the floor and at one point took calls from fans. 

edit: remembering more...DJ Jim Ladd was on this tour and took calls also.