Can too much Pearl Jam be a bad thing?

goldrush · April 2008

I'm starting to wonder about this. Can too much PJ be a bad thing?

I know that if I think rationally a time must come when my need/greed to own everything PJ are linked to (every pj release, side project, bootleg...) will have to be sacrificed because of the need for some kind of financial stability but I'm not sure how I will cope with this.

Last year I flew from Sydney to Chicago for the Vic and Lolla shows and I'll be flying from London to NYC for both MSG show in June. I can't really afford it but I bought the show tickets first and that meant I had to book the flights.

When the 2000 and 2003 bootlegs came out, I bought them all even though it wasn't exactly cheap. After playing them all my ex-girlfriend, who was a big fan of the band, now refuses to listen to them as she's sick of hearing the songs. We split up not long afterwards after 10 years together and my relentless playing (and paying for) Pearl Jam had a direct influence on it for her.

There is no other band or artist that I am completely obsessed with. They are by no means the only band that I listen to but they are the only ones who I really feel can do no wrong. I sometimes think that after all these years to still be excited about going to a show or getting a new cd is a really great thing and a sign of how much they mean to me but I have started to wonder about this more recently.

Anyway, enough of the rambling. It's just a thought...

HermanBloom · April 2008

Yes; your title says it all: too much of anything is bad.

pjfan31 · April 2008

Um No.... You are living the dream. If you have the money spend it... You can't take it with you.

I wish I had the $$$ i would do the same as you my friend. Enjoy the shows.

Dissidentman · April 2008

But what about the 'ol chestnut "Too much is never enough"?

Big Ed · April 2008

....is never enough.

philipnavarre · April 2008

Yeh, People think I was insane just to fly from Portland to Berkley to see the Vedder solo shows. I told them it was worth every cent. I would have preferred to see a show in Portland and sleep in my own bed that night but I must admit, over the years some of my best shows were at different cities in the road like Red Rocks '95, New Orleans '95 Cardiff/Glasgow/London/Manchester '99 and Lolla last year except that crowd was to many people for my taste.

cippociappo · April 2008

Yeah, I'm starting to ask myself the same questions...

I don't play ONLY PJ just because I force myself to listen to other bands... I would load my iPod only with pearl jam!!!

Good Lord, I'm sick

U R A Crazy Breed · April 2008

"some times you just gotta say,what the fuck" TC risky biz

losing a girl after that long sucks,but you need to find a PJ chick who will bask in the love with you.

some people will tell you to be "mature" and save your money for old age.

I say fuck that and live life to the fullest NOW while you are still here and young enough to enjoy it!!you never know if there WILL BE a tomorrow.

we'll eat cat food when we are old but we will have some dam good stories for the grandchildren!:D

snipes824 · April 2008

there can't be too much if you diversify the music you listen to. just last year sometime i had to take a huge break from pearl jam because i legitimately had too much of them and basically listened to them exclusively. now that i listen to a ton more music now and not just PJ, it's all good.

goldrush · April 2008

Crazy Breed wrote:

"some times you just gotta say,what the fuck" TC risky biz

losing a girl after that long sucks,but you need to find a PJ chick who will bask in the love with you.

some people will tell you to be "mature" and save your money for old age.

I say fuck that and live life to the fullest NOW while you are still here and young enough to enjoy it!!you never know if there WILL BE a tomorrow.

we'll eat cat food when we are old but we will have some dam good stories for the grandchildren!:D

Funnily enough, my new girl is a total PJ chick and she's coming to NYC with me for the MSG shows! It was actually her idea but she knew how easy it would be for me to agree to it - that's when i started to wonder about this whole obsession thing.

The best advice I ever had when I was travelling the world was:

"It's better to have no money and a ton of memories than to be rich with regrets"

and that has been my excuse ever since...

Murderers. · April 2008

If something is TOO much, then it's obviously a bad thing. Speaks for itself really.

U R A Crazy Breed · April 2008

goldrush wrote:

"It's better to have no money and a ton of memories than to be rich with regrets"

dam i like that saying!!

NY PJ1 · April 2008

never enough

nfanel · April 2008

only in the sense i don't appreciate it as much. in '06 i saw 5 shows in a week and by the last one it was great but i was tired and it wasn't as exciting. for me the first show of a tour is always the best... i appreciate it a lot more after a little break...then i'm wow'ed all over again.

rhinomagic · April 2008

Periodic absences of Pearl Jam from my stereo makes me appreciate them more when I decide to re-visit their music.

Their sound is crisper and newer when I do that.

.

Yellow Ledbelly · April 2008

Listening to Pearl Jam and Pearl Jam alone for extended periods of time is not good in my opinion because you miss out on some much other good music.
I've been through periods (and will again), sometimes lasting a couple of weeks, when I constantly listen to PJ and it's great. But I've always listened to the music I want to hear and when its time for a new direction, sound, band, style or whatever I always know it. Go with the flow and Pearl Jam will always be there when its their turn again

augustwest · April 2008

too much of everything is just enough

patrickredeyes · April 2008

I think you can get/have a burned out kind of feeling. Just tired of the traveling and stuff. All that can add up and you just feel your done for a while. I love seeing PJ but I can't do a week of shows anymore. I'm just wiped out and not myself. I'm happy to just be doing MSG shows this June. Seeing NYC for the first time also. Can't wait.

Olivavu · July 2018

Since the gig in London last Tuesday, I've listened to over 500 Pearl Jam tracks. It hasn't been too much.

PJ_Soul · July 2018

Yes, for some people. There are healthy obsessions and unhealthy obsessions. I don't think anything is exempt from the unhealthy side of things, depending on who you're dealing with. There are some badly obsessed PJ fans for sure, where they kind of start being motivated more by a sense of desperation rather than fun.
And I'd say that those who can only feel disappointed after shows now because of the setlist have probably crossed over to the dark side after seeing way too many shows for their own good, and getting way into collecting songs. I've known a few PJ fans like that.

iammine16 · July 2018

PJ_Soul said:

Yes, for some people. There are healthy obsessions and unhealthy obsessions. I don't think anything is exempt from the unhealthy side of things, depending on who you're dealing with. There are some badly obsessed PJ fans for sure, where they kind of start being motivated more by a sense of desperation rather than fun.
And I'd say that those who can only feel disappointed after shows now because of the setlist have probably crossed over to the dark side after seeing way too many shows for their own good, and getting way into collecting songs. I've known a few PJ fans like that.

I am in a way lucky being from Vancouver that I haven't gone to too many shows that I cant remember them. The Seattle shows will be my 10th and 11th and I remember every moment from my previous 9 shows. The magic of seeing them is still there for me.

Can too much Pearl Jam be a bad thing?

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