A Personal Essay on Pearl Jam, Memory, and My Brother

shanil.v

Hey everyone — I’m Shanil. Like many of you, I’ve been a Pearl Jam fan since the early ’90s, and this band has been woven into some of the most meaningful parts of my life. I wanted to share a piece I wrote that may resonate with many of us now in the 50+ crowd.

It’s a long-form reflection on how Pearl Jam became the emotional bridge between me and my younger brother — in high school, on road trips, at shows across North America, and, years later, through grief after his passing. The songs we grew up with became the only language that could hold both the joy and the ache.

If you’ve ever had a PJ song transport you back to a version of yourself you thought you’d lost, this might connect:

🔗 https://medium.com/crows-feet/when-music-becomes-memory-grieving-my-brother-through-the-songs-we-shared-692b998f0a30

I’d love to hear what song, lyric, or show has stayed with you the most through the years.

Thanks for letting me share something personal with fellow fans who understand how much this band means.

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If this piece resonates, I also write about astronomy, memory, and storytelling on Substack — but no pressure at all. Grateful to share this with people who get it.

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