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What was your first Pearl Jam show, and what made it so memorable?

truckin24truckin24 Posts: 2
edited May 15 in The Porch
Hello everyone, I am still newer to these forums and am still trying to figure it all out, but I have been a PJ fan for years. I always explain to people how special my first show was whenever the topic of the band comes up. I know that many people have seen tons of great shows, and I was curious to hear stories about peoples first shows, and whether or not you had a moment at the first show where you knew that this band was different than other live bands.

My personal example would be hearing "Low Light" directly into "Why Go" live for the first time. I will never forget the feeling I had, it seemed like the band and the crowd just knew each other so well. Such a powerful moment. I just wanted to open this up to hear more stories like that from people, and maybe even for myself to discover some new shows to listen to. 

So please, tell your first show stories!
Philly 1 (09/07/2024)
Philly 2 (09/09/2024)
Atlanta 2 (05/01/2025)
Post edited by truckin24 on

Comments

  • Leezestarr313Leezestarr313 Temple of the cat Posts: 14,423
    edited May 15
    Mine was Berlin Nov 3 1996. It was memorable because it was the first one. I finally got to see them. And it was amazing. I remember when Ed said "Good evening", and the whole room burst, and it was goosebumps all over. It was a rush at 18. It is on Youtube, too. Since then, I was able to see them 27/ 28 (one time we spent the show outside in Wrigley but were right there) more times, in different countries. And I met my husband because of them, on here and at PJ20. It's been a trip so far, and the first one was the beginning of it all. Personally, I love the Red Mosquito from that show, but the whole thing is pretty freaking good.


    Post edited by Leezestarr313 on
    Please, Pearl Jam, consider a Benaroya Hall vinyl reissue!
    http://community.pearljam.com/discussion/148993/please-pearl-jam-consider-a-vinyl-benaroya-hall-re-issue


  • Douglas12373Douglas12373 Posts: 387
    3/29/94, St Petersburg FL, ended up being a pretty well known bootleg. 

    I was a fan after Ten but missed them on that tour. Lined up at midnight to buy Vs and of course it was an amazing record, which basically solidified them as one of the most exciting new bands of the era. 

    They were already trying to help/do something about scalping and ticket BS, so this show was announced on the radio. Basically, go to your local ticket outlet RIGHT NOW, PJ tix are going in sale in an hour. Luckily my buddy heard it and called everyone. We lined up at the local record store and luckily everyone got tix, 2 ticket limit, cash only.

    show day, we drove down to St Pete from Gainesville. Eddie has said it many times but they were a relatively new band still who were playing way bigger venues than a new band normally would be able to play. They came out with a ferocity and level of intention that still to this day I’ve seen from very few bands ever in almost 40 years of going to shows. They had something to prove and holy shit did they prove it. We got an incredible setlist that was almost all of Vs and most of Ten plus a few new ones that would land on Vitalogy (Last Exit, Not for You, Whipping)

    Definitely check this show out, if nothing else it has one of the fiercest most jammed out versions of Porch ever. Incredible show that they somehow topped just a few nights later at the famous Fox Atlanta show that was released a few years back
  • More CoffeeMore Coffee Posts: 628
    January 15th 1995, the Washington DC VFC show with Neil Young and L7.
    I won my opportunity to buy a pair of tickets by mailing in one (1) post card, an REM postcard I had gotten through their fan club years prior.
    Constitution Hall is a small venue.  Our seats were on Mike's side. 
    Neil played Fuckin' Up during his set.  It was LOUD.  L7 was on fire. PJ came on super late and totally crushed it. 
    Check out the video on YouTube. 
    I didn't know it at the time, but my lungs were filling up with a rancid case of pneumonia while I rocked out. 
    I had to sit down during Black and I fell asleep.  My buddy punched me to wake me up.  
    The show was on a Sunday night.  I was admitted into the hospital a few days later because I began to cough up blood. 
    I'm still here, and Tuesday, 5/13 in Raleigh was my 58th show. 
    support The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
    http://giving.chop.edu/site/PageServer?pagename=give_GiveTheGift
  • spankyMPspankyMP NY to NC to NH Posts: 1,999
    9/29/96. Randall's Island. 3 hour show making up for the rain shortened night before. All general admission. A buddy and I made it all the way up to the front, he got pulled up on stage and was able to run across. The "pit" was crazy. Ed had to tell us to chill multiple times. I had to look up to get air. Crazy! I was already a die hard, but this locked it in forever!
    Randall's Island 9/29/96, Continental Arena 9/8/98, MSG 9/10/98, Jones Beach 8/23/00, 8/24/00, 8/25/00, Nassau Coliseum 4/30/03, MSG 7/8/03, 7/9/03, Continental Arena 6/1/06, 6/3/06, MSG 6/24/08, 6/25/08, Spectrum 10/30/09, 10/31/09, MSG 5/20/10, 5/21/10, PJ20 9/3/11, 9/4/11, Charlottesville 10/29/13, Charlotte 10/30/13, Global Citizen 9/26/15, Raleigh 4/20/16 :( Baltimore 3/28/20 :( Austin 9/18/23, 9/19/23, Forum 5/21/24, Baltimore 9/12/24, Fenway 9/17/24, Nashville 5/6/25, 5/8/25
  • ComeToTXComeToTX Austin Posts: 7,990
    9/16/95 here in Austin.  The most memorable thing was that the show was moved to the afternoon when it was rescheduled and the original tickets had 7:30 as the start time so people were coming in during the closer (indifference) and wondering why people were starting to leave.
    This show, another show, a show here and a show there.
  • Spiritual_ChaosSpiritual_Chaos Posts: 31,233
    edited May 15
    Verona, Italy in 2006

    Memorable because:

    • It was the most hyped up show beforehand on that European tour
    • My Morning Jacket opened
    • Release at the start in the pouring rain


    Post edited by Spiritual_Chaos on
    "Mostly I think that people react sensitively because they know you’ve got a point"
  • helplessdancerhelplessdancer Posts: 5,289
    the first time 1 saw them(1996) mike smashed his guitar to pieces during blood>fame, which ended the main set.
    i was completely hooked.
  • Leezestarr313Leezestarr313 Temple of the cat Posts: 14,423
    Spiritual_Chaos said:
    Verona, Italy in 2006

    Memorable because:

    • It was the most hyped up show beforehand on that European tour
    • My Morning Jacket opened
    • Release at the start in the pouring rain



    Oh, lucky!
    Please, Pearl Jam, consider a Benaroya Hall vinyl reissue!
    http://community.pearljam.com/discussion/148993/please-pearl-jam-consider-a-vinyl-benaroya-hall-re-issue


  • JimmyVJimmyV Boston's MetroWest Posts: 19,443
    4/10/94, Boston Garden 

    Legendary three night run in Boston. They were huge. Catalog at the time was Ten, Vs., Footsteps and Yellow Ledbetter, SOLAT and Breathe, Crazy Mary, maybe a few more. The Boston Garden was sacred ground. Cobain had died a few days earlier. Everything felt heavy, important, thick with history. So glad they are still here with us all these years later. 
    ___________________________________________

    "...I changed by not changing at all..."
  • matt3846matt3846 Atlanta Posts: 198
    April 16, 1992, Legion Field at UGA in Athens Georgia. Best $3 I ever spent!


  • brianluxbrianlux Moving through All Kinds of Terrain. Posts: 43,140
    I've only been to one (thanks to a good friend), but what a show!

    Pearl Jam Concert September 30 2012 - Adams Event Center Missoula MT USA - LO4L Concertpedia

    "It's a sad and beautiful world"
    -Roberto Benigni











  • julieooliernjulieooliern Posts: 1,059
    Spiritual_Chaos said:
    Verona, Italy in 2006

    Memorable because:

    • It was the most hyped up show beforehand on that European tour
    • My Morning Jacket opened
    • Release at the start in the pouring rain


    Damn, fantastic first show 🤘
  • julieooliernjulieooliern Posts: 1,059
    San Francisco ‘95 Vitalogy tour

    •Golden Gate Park
    •Over 100°, way oversold tickets
    •Ed ate a bad tuna sandwich from a gas station the day before and ended up in the ER getting IV fluids. He stopped after a short set and Neil took over. 
    •I ended up in the med tent just like Ed but for dehydration d/t alcohol and stuff 😉
  • darthvedderdarthvedder Posts: 2,630
    edited 7:37AM
    7/11/98 Las Vegas

    Originally scheduled to be an outdoor show at Sam Boyd Stadium on the UNLV campus, Ed would say during the show that they didn't sell enough tickets (hard to believe now) so they moved the show indoors to the Thomas & Mack Center. It's a good thing because the temperature got up to 115 degrees that day.

    I remember waiting a long time for the show to start. The crowd reacted poorly, booing both opening acts Zeke and X. I embarrassingly admit that I booed, too, being new to concerts and thinking it was standard operating procedure.

    Pearl Jam took the stage really late and played only 22 songs, starting with MFC and ending with Last Exit. Both an uncommon opener and an uncommon closer. But I didn't know any different and really enjoyed the show. We got the "man" trilogy with Nothingman, Leatherman, and Better Man, but not consecutively.

    My buddy and I took a taxi to the show from our hotel on the Strip but decided to walk back after the show. Not our brightest decision because it was still hot after the show. One thing I remember is coming across a bunch of mutant desert toads at an apartment complex on our walk back.
    Post edited by darthvedder at
  • LoujoeLoujoe Posts: 11,012
    Lollapalooza Waterloo village NJ
    The Chocolate Thai made it forgettable 

    Remember it being a short set and jumping in the pit for RITFW. I went solo and glommed on to a pair of cool girls. Remember handing her my corduroy jacket before I hopped in the pit. I think EV saw it and decided to write a song about it ;)

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