My Pearl Jam Honeymoon Experience

Hey guys. I don't post much here but i've had this story I've been wanting to put on here for a while because it was such an awesome experience.

To preface I have been a huge PJ fan since I was 13 in '93. Vs. got me hooked and I have loved everything they have done ever since...honestly...all of it. That was also about the time I started learning to play guitar and Pearl Jam is what made me passionate about music and playing and learning...and learning most of their songs.

So fast forward to this past summer on June 17, 2008 where PJ played Virginia Beach. My wife and I had just celebrated our first wedding anniversary and planned our late honeymoon around this concert...which was totally kick ass...first time I got to hear 'Why Go' and 'All Night" live. The most memorable thing was holding my wife while they played 'Lowlight.' The show was perfect...even for my wife who puked up her 2 sloshy fruity alcoholic beverages while Kings of Leon played their set. She's a trooper though. She shortly recovered and was not in a drunken stooper.

After the show we caught a cab to take us back to our hotel. We had asked the cabbie where most of the big acts stayed at while in town and turns out the hotel was about 8 blocks from where we were staying. So we decided to see if we could "bump" into one of the guys just by hanging out at the hotel...it did make me feel kind of "stalkerish" but, c'mon, these guys are my heroes!

So we walked around the hotel twice and stopped out front of the beach-front bar and just looked around. Then from about 30 feet away I saw something. I said to my wife, "I think that's Stone Gossard sitting right there drinking a glass of wine."

And it really was Stone Gossard.

Now, I have often thought about what I would do if I ever got the chance to meet a member of Pearl Jam. Would I be gitty with joy and/or obnoxious? Abrasive? Cool or creepy? I was about to find out. My wife then suggested we should go and sit down at a table and just get a couple drinks. I thought, okay, I can do that. So we walked in and sat down at a table next to his...trying my best to not make eye contact and remain cool. My wife then went to get drinks while I sat there not wanting to say anything for fear of just being a pest. Stone was sitting with another person who looked familiar but I didn't recognize. My wife soon came back with our drinks and asked if I said anything thing to him to which I replied, "No, I really don't want to bother him."

My wife then states she is going to speak to him anyway and immediately turns around and says, "Hello. My name is Nikki. Could you please say hello to my husband, Brandon, before he has a heart attack."

Stone laughed as did the other man that was sitting with Stone. We then introduced ourselves and shook hands. Turns out the other guy with Stone was Smitty, PJ tour manager. Stone said, "Yeah, he's like the Wolf. He solves problems (A reference to Harvey Kietel's character in 'Pulp Fiction' in case you might be wondering)."
I offered to buy some drinks but they said thanks, but no thanks.

Stone asked us if we had a good time at the show and of course we did...what are ya gonna say? ya didn't have a good time? C'mon.

I sat back down and Nikki said we should get a picture with him, but our camera died shortly after the show. So now she was off to find a sharpie at the bar to get our t-shirt signed. Then at one point, Smitty left Stone. So there's me at my table and about 10 feet away... is Stone at his table. We were both facing the same direction and I was in front of him, so I wasn't making eye contact. Then I hear, "You have a burining question. What's your burning question?" So I thought cool. He's talking to me, so now I really don't have to feel like I am bothering him.

I said, "No burning question. I just really don't wanna bug the piss outta you," and we both kind of laughed. I took my beer and sat over at his table. So this was my chance...cool...or creepy? I started telling Stone about what Pearl Jam meant to me and how it got me into playing music. I told him that if it weren't for him I would have never picked up a guitar and thanked him. He smiled and seemed to appreciate the sentiment. He asked me about the albums and if they were difficult to listen to. Of course not! Most of the time I play them straight through. I mentioned I don't always listen to 'Bugs' or 'Foxeymophandlemama.' I really wanted to tell him that if they put a record out of them just passing gas into a microphone I would probably buy it. Creepy or cool? I opted for cool and didn't say that. But him asking me that question..as someone who writes songs..or tries to..it seemed like he has some of the same insecurities with songwriting as I do. That seemed so crazy to me because here is the guy that wrote songs like 'Alive' and 'Black.' Those 2 songs alone are better than anything I've EVER written. At least that was what I took from the question...I could be wrong. I asked him about the new record and he talked briefly about working on it and that it should be out early '09 (speakin' of that, I heard him say in September on MSNBC!).

About that time Nikki returned to see me and Stone Gossard at the same table having drinks and talking, which was a total shock to her because I had been so timid up to that point. So Nikki asked Stone if he could sign our t-shirt, which he was happy to do. He signed it, "Yo Kentucky! - Stone," with a smiley in the o . We then shook hands and excused ourselves shortly after Smitty returned, finished our drinks and walked home at about 12:30 am...smiling and waving at Stone as we left. He smiled real big at us too, by the expression on his face I don't think I left the "creepy fan" impression on him. I then started calling all my friends and family about what had just happened. It was the best honeymoon for any man who is a fan of Pearl Jam could ever have. I mean I did get to tell one of my heroes why they are my hero...cheesy but true.

Hope you guys liked the story. I've been dying to get it out of me and share with the rest of the Jamily. Anyway, if you want to hear more, the next day we went back to the same hotel and got to meet some of the other guys...if you like this story I'll probably write about that one too. Take care and see ya later.