Vedder and the Montessori School kids
Very cool, Mr. Vedder!
Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder sells out for Ojai kids
By Kit Stolz 05/22/2008
http://www.vcreporter.com/cms/story/detail/schoolhouse_rock_memorabilia/5983/
Last month, for the first time ever, singer-guitarist Eddie Vedder went on tour without his band Pearl Jam, playing in seven cities along the West Coast in support of his Grammy-winning Into the Wild soundtrack. He sold out the Arlington Theater in Santa Barbara, and this week he put a dozen items from the tour up for auction on eBay, where they are already drawing sizeable bids, including $714 for one of his favorite T-shirts, personally sweated on and autographed.
But the money isn’t going toward nefarious rock star activities, but rather the kids attending Montessori School on the outskirts of Ojai, where his longtime friend Karrie Keys leads a fundraising effort. Because she has been working in publicity with Vedder and Pearl Jam for the last 18 years, the parents at the school drafted her to lead the drive.
“I’m now the director of development, actively writing grants,” she says, with what sounded like a sigh. “It doesn’t bother me to do this for the school, because we’re a private school, and we try very hard to offer scholarships to all students, regardless of their ability to pay. But it troubles me that a lot of public schools today have to raise funds, too, if they want to have good programs in history or science or music. Public education should be available to everyone.”
Keys’ kids have a slightly different perspective. Her twin daughters and several of their friends went to Santa Barbara to see Vedder perform, and had the chance to meet with him backstage before the show.
“He’s really cool,” says Sanny Keys. “He talked to us about his experience with music.” Vedder sat down with the kids for 20 minutes to talk to them about his career, and also to tell them a little about Tomas Young, a veteran wounded in Iraq. Vedder wrote a potent song called “No War” for a documentary about Young, which he performed live with Ben Harper at the show.
“He was worried about his language with the kids,” Keys says. “And he was very conscious about what he was going to say to them. It was going pretty well, and then one of the kids asked him if he’d ever heard of a band called the Smut Peddlers. It was very cute — [the student] actually had an uncle in that band.”
Vedder has a long history of supporting various causes, including the environmental group the Surfrider Foundation, a fund for victims of the 2005 San Diego wildfires, a free music education program in Los Angeles started by Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, and the Bridge School, a school for the severely disabled which Neil Young backs with an annual fall concert. Keys guesses that between all the benefits Vedder and Pearl Jam have played for various causes and the money they have donated personally the total amount of money the band has raised is “in the millions.” So far the collection of items from the show – including set lists, guitar picks and an autographed microphone — has totaled nearly $2,500.
Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder sells out for Ojai kids
By Kit Stolz 05/22/2008
http://www.vcreporter.com/cms/story/detail/schoolhouse_rock_memorabilia/5983/
Last month, for the first time ever, singer-guitarist Eddie Vedder went on tour without his band Pearl Jam, playing in seven cities along the West Coast in support of his Grammy-winning Into the Wild soundtrack. He sold out the Arlington Theater in Santa Barbara, and this week he put a dozen items from the tour up for auction on eBay, where they are already drawing sizeable bids, including $714 for one of his favorite T-shirts, personally sweated on and autographed.
But the money isn’t going toward nefarious rock star activities, but rather the kids attending Montessori School on the outskirts of Ojai, where his longtime friend Karrie Keys leads a fundraising effort. Because she has been working in publicity with Vedder and Pearl Jam for the last 18 years, the parents at the school drafted her to lead the drive.
“I’m now the director of development, actively writing grants,” she says, with what sounded like a sigh. “It doesn’t bother me to do this for the school, because we’re a private school, and we try very hard to offer scholarships to all students, regardless of their ability to pay. But it troubles me that a lot of public schools today have to raise funds, too, if they want to have good programs in history or science or music. Public education should be available to everyone.”
Keys’ kids have a slightly different perspective. Her twin daughters and several of their friends went to Santa Barbara to see Vedder perform, and had the chance to meet with him backstage before the show.
“He’s really cool,” says Sanny Keys. “He talked to us about his experience with music.” Vedder sat down with the kids for 20 minutes to talk to them about his career, and also to tell them a little about Tomas Young, a veteran wounded in Iraq. Vedder wrote a potent song called “No War” for a documentary about Young, which he performed live with Ben Harper at the show.
“He was worried about his language with the kids,” Keys says. “And he was very conscious about what he was going to say to them. It was going pretty well, and then one of the kids asked him if he’d ever heard of a band called the Smut Peddlers. It was very cute — [the student] actually had an uncle in that band.”
Vedder has a long history of supporting various causes, including the environmental group the Surfrider Foundation, a fund for victims of the 2005 San Diego wildfires, a free music education program in Los Angeles started by Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, and the Bridge School, a school for the severely disabled which Neil Young backs with an annual fall concert. Keys guesses that between all the benefits Vedder and Pearl Jam have played for various causes and the money they have donated personally the total amount of money the band has raised is “in the millions.” So far the collection of items from the show – including set lists, guitar picks and an autographed microphone — has totaled nearly $2,500.
Let's say knowledge is a tree, yeah.
It's growing up just like me.
It's growing up just like me.
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Comments
funny guy.
on a search for anything pure."
Say Goodbye
jeff aTONEment
***
"See, he's got me kinda riled already...jerk..."
Stoney, about Eddie, with love! (And to his face!)