Did you see Vintage Pearl Jam? Pre-1995?

whitepants
whitepants Posts: 729
edited October 2009 in The Porch
As Pearl Jam goes on their umpteenth tour this spring, I recently posted in a shameless self-promotion for Detroit thread (http://forums.pearljam.com/showthread.php?t=279020) about my first PJ concert in Ann Arbor, March 1994. I am so honored to have followed this band for so long, and I know that a lot of people would like to read some Vintage PJ Concert fan recollections; or at least I know I would. Just sitting here thinking about my 1994 experience has brought on this unexplainable euphoric feeling! :D Ok, here's a story for you...

Pearl Jam, Crisler Arena, March 1994 -

I was a second year student at Univ of Michigan (93-96), I was at work in the cafeteria when I heard that PJ tickets went on sale that day, and sold out that same day. I cried like a baby cuz I missed it. Then a few weeks later, a girl was selling her $25 PJ concert ticket for $60 - I didn't complain about the 110% 1994 price hike, I just wanted to go. I got the nosebleed ticket and was in Jammer heaven to attend in March 1994 -

Got hit by a car two days before said concert, but thankfully it was just soft tissue injury and I had a limp and a scraped up face. Fuck it, I was ALIVE and I was going to see Pearl Jam starring Eddie Vedder.

Concert came, the whole campus was pretty much dressed in plaid. We walked to Crisler, I separated from my group and sat way up a the stop, high on tylenol to dull the pain from the car accident.

I wish I had a boot for Ann Arbor 1994 because I still have 'Indifference' ringing in my head as I saw a drunk ass and kinda of angry Eddie put on a brilliant performance. Needless to say, I knew that this was a band that I would follow to my grave. We really just rocked out and since this was their second tour for Ten/Vs, the concert didn't last as long as they do now. I couldn't jump up and down due to the pain I was in, but I did my best and what stands out to me was just how serious and somber Eddie was.

Several points during the show, he just walked in circles and drinking beer or wine - I think the newfound fame and attention was freaking him out, so he was in his own world onstage.

I left the show in a haze of like 'I saw a band that will be a phenomenon', they went on to be one of the greatest bands on the planet... :D

I'm so grateful to have been there, now if only I had a boot from that show.
~*~Me and Hippiemom dranketh the red wine in Cleveland 2003~*~

First PJ Show: March 20, 1994 | Ann Arbor | Crisler Arena
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • jbalicki10
    jbalicki10 Posts: 517
    Fall 94 - Chicago Stadium - Everyone was booing The Frogs. The Drummer left and everyone cheered. Eddie Dressed in a Monk's Robe and Sung with Jimmy.
  • upina2001
    upina2001 Indiana Posts: 764
    whitepants wrote:
    As Pearl Jam goes on their umpteenth tour this spring, I recently posted in a shameless self-promotion for Detroit thread (http://forums.pearljam.com/showthread.php?t=279020) about my first PJ concert in Ann Arbor, March 1994. I am so honored to have followed this band for so long, and I know that a lot of people would like to read some Vintage PJ Concert fan recollections; or at least I know I would. Just sitting here thinking about my 1994 experience has brought on this unexplainable euphoric feeling! :D Ok, here's a story for you...

    Pearl Jam, Crisler Arena, March 1994 -

    I was a second year student at Univ of Michigan (93-96), I was at work in the cafeteria when I heard that PJ tickets went on sale that day, and sold out that same day. I cried like a baby cuz I missed it. Then a few weeks later, a girl was selling her $25 PJ concert ticket for $60 - I didn't complain about the 110% 1994 price hike, I just wanted to go. I got the nosebleed ticket and was in Jammer heaven to attend in March 1994 -

    Got hit by a car two days before said concert, but thankfully it was just soft tissue injury and I had a limp and a scraped up face. Fuck it, I was ALIVE and I was going to see Pearl Jam starring Eddie Vedder.

    Concert came, the whole campus was pretty much dressed in plaid. We walked to Crisler, I separated from my group and sat way up a the stop, high on tylenol to dull the pain from the car accident.

    I wish I had a boot for Ann Arbor 1994 because I still have 'Indifference' ringing in my head as I saw a drunk ass and kinda of angry Eddie put on a brilliant performance. Needless to say, I knew that this was a band that I would follow to my grave. We really just rocked out and since this was their second tour for Ten/Vs, the concert didn't last as long as they do now. I couldn't jump up and down due to the pain I was in, but I did my best and what stands out to me was just how serious and somber Eddie was.

    Several points during the show, he just walked in circles and drinking beer or wine - I think the newfound fame and attention was freaking him out, so he was in his own world onstage.

    I left the show in a haze of like 'I saw a band that will be a phenomenon', they went on to be one of the greatest bands on the planet... :D

    I'm so grateful to have been there, now if only I had a boot from that show.


    There are copies of that boot available...

    http://www.youkanfakoff.com/index.php

    03/20/94 - Crisler Arena: Ann Arbor, MI
    Name: Pearl Jam - Audio Archives Disc #16

    Toledo, Ohio (September 22, 1996), East Troy, Wisconsin (June 26, 1998), Noblesville, Indiana (August 17, 1998), Noblesville, Indiana (August 18, 2000), Cincinnati, Ohio (August 20, 2000), Columbus, Ohio (August 21, 2000), Nashville, Tennessee (April 18, 2003), Champaign, Illinois (April 23, 2003), Noblesville, Indiana (June 22, 2003), Chicago, Illinois (May 16, 2006), Chicago, Illinois (August 05, 2007), West Palm Beach, Florida (June 11, 2008), Tampa, Florida (June 12, 2008), Columbus, OH (May 06, 2010), Noblesville, Indiana (May 07, 2010), Wrigley Field (July 19, 2013), US Bank Arena (October 01, 2014), Lexington (April 26, 2016), Chicago Night 2 (August 20, 2018), Boston Night 1 (September 02, 2018), Nashville (September 16, 2022), St. Louis (September 18, 2022)

  • whitepants
    whitepants Posts: 729
    upina2001 wrote:
    There are copies of that boot available...

    http://www.youkanfakoff.com/index.php

    03/20/94 - Crisler Arena: Ann Arbor, MI
    Name: Pearl Jam - Audio Archives Disc #16


    I bow to you!!!!
    ~*~Me and Hippiemom dranketh the red wine in Cleveland 2003~*~

    First PJ Show: March 20, 1994 | Ann Arbor | Crisler Arena
  • breath_girl
    breath_girl Posts: 189
    My first show was Mudfest, Gimli Manitoba 08/14/1993. I'm sure a lot of you have seen this on a DVD boot that exists. It was an amazing show that started it all for me. My biggest memory of the show was trying so hard to jump up and down but the mud was so deep. At the time this was the best live show I had ever seen. I have been to a few more since then and for me they get better each show. Looking forward to many more.
  • Anon
    Anon Posts: 11,175
    Lollapalooza 1992
    Main Stage: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ministry, Ice Cube, Soundgarden, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Pearl Jam, Lush

    Side Stage: Jim Rose Circus, Sharkbait, Archie Bell, Porno for Pyros, Basehead, Cypress Hill, House of Pain, Sweaty Nipples, Arson Garden, Seaweed, Seam, Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E., The Look People, Stone Temple Pilots, Vulgar Boatmen, Truly, Skrew, Tribe, The Authority, Samba Hell, Café Tacuba, Rage Against the Machine
  • Delivered_Wings
    Delivered_Wings Posts: 123
    Indio - 1993

    The 'shoe the shoeless' show.
    Be Sound...
  • Blind3
    Blind3 Posts: 1,149
    Two in 92. I saw PJ at the Trocadero ( Philly , with Oceans, Garden, Solat, Deep, and Leash ) and at Montage Mountain( for Lollapalooza , near Scranton, PA. , with Breath ) .
    "Buy the ticket,take the ride"
    Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

    "If I wanted you to understand, I would have explained it better"
    Johan Cruijff
  • NYbenben
    NYbenben Posts: 1,020
    My first PJ show was 4/12/92 at the Limelight in NYC... i paid $12 to see them... So if anyone has a gripe about $70 tickets... i think i am one of the vets who can have a grip (but i dont)...I would gladly pay whatever to see this band play...

    I went to Lollapalooza in 92 but got rained out right before PJ came onstage at Jones Beach, NY (july 92).
    4/12/92, 8/11/92, 9/28/96, 9/11/98, 8/23/00, 8/24/00, 7/9/03, 4/30/03, 10/1/04, 10/3/05, 12/9/05, 5/12/06, 5/17/06, 5/28/06, 6/3/06, 12/9/06, EV LA 4/12-4/13/08, 6/12/08, 6,19,08, 6,20,08, 6/24/08, 6/25/08, 7/1/08

    and still jonesing for another show....
    "the waiting drove me mad..."
  • bigshasha
    bigshasha Posts: 38
    4/8/94 at the Patriot Center Fairfax VA

    It was my first PJ show, I was 12 years old. Vs. had just come out. They opened with Release in complete darkness, and closed with RITFW with the house lights on, and they played everything in the middle. They even played brand new songs Corduroy and Not For You. I vividly remember them playing footsteps, you could hear a pin drop in the arena. But the reason I will remember this show forever is because it was the day that the body of KC was found. I did not know. EV talked about the incident and dedicated a song to him. I was confused, and the person next to me told me he died that day. I believe the song that was dedicated was "Go," but I am not 100% sure. If anyone knows which song was dedicated, please let me know.
    I wanna run like the lions.
  • QuarterToTen
    QuarterToTen Cincinnati, Ohio Posts: 3,651
    07/28/92 - Riverbend Music Center: Cincinnati, OH (Lollapalooza)
    set: Why Go, Deep, Jeremy, Even Flow, Garden, Alive, Leash, Porch
    Nice shirt.
  • restlesssoul
    restlesssoul Posts: 6,952
    im not allowed to be here, but 98 was pretty vintage to, no? or should i ask again in 5 years?
    Van '98, Sea I+II '00, Sea '01, Sea II '02, Van '03, Gorge, Van, Cal, Edm '05, Bos I+II, Phi I+II, DC, SF II+III, Port, Gorge I+II '06, DC, NY I+II '08, Sea I+II, Van, Ridge , LA III+IV' 09, Indy '10, Cal, Van '11, Lond, Van, Sea '13, Memphis '14, RRHOF '17, Sea I+II '18, Van I+II, Vegas I+II, Sea I+II '24
  • smellrose
    smellrose Detroit Posts: 72
    whitepants wrote:
    A
    Pearl Jam, Crisler Arena, March 1994 -

    I was at that show, too! I do remember angry, drunken Ed:)

    My first time seeing them live was technically not their show, it was the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Smashing Pumpkins at the State Theatre, November 1991. They opened and I was hooked! The first official show I saw was April 1992 at St. Andrew's Hall. I remember tickets were only $10 and they sold out so quickly, I didn't get any. So, my boyfriend and I went down there and hung out outside until we found a couple of extras, for face value no less:) It was a cathartic experience to say the least! We parked ourselves upstairs in the left corner on the railing, far left of the stage. The thing I remember the most was when Ed climbed up to the upper level and climbed all the around on the outside railing. It was wild! I had to yank my feet up to let him climb by. That was happy, long haired, crazy Ed. The guys were all crazy good! Ah, we were all so young then:)
  • mrbako
    mrbako Posts: 54
    whitepants wrote:
    As Pearl Jam goes on their umpteenth tour this spring, I recently posted in a shameless self-promotion for Detroit thread (http://forums.pearljam.com/showthread.php?t=279020) about my first PJ concert in Ann Arbor, March 1994. I am so honored to have followed this band for so long, and I know that a lot of people would like to read some Vintage PJ Concert fan recollections; or at least I know I would. Just sitting here thinking about my 1994 experience has brought on this unexplainable euphoric feeling! :D Ok, here's a story for you...

    Pearl Jam, Crisler Arena, March 1994 -

    I was a second year student at Univ of Michigan (93-96), I was at work in the cafeteria when I heard that PJ tickets went on sale that day, and sold out that same day. I cried like a baby cuz I missed it. Then a few weeks later, a girl was selling her $25 PJ concert ticket for $60 - I didn't complain about the 110% 1994 price hike, I just wanted to go. I got the nosebleed ticket and was in Jammer heaven to attend in March 1994 -

    Got hit by a car two days before said concert, but thankfully it was just soft tissue injury and I had a limp and a scraped up face. Fuck it, I was ALIVE and I was going to see Pearl Jam starring Eddie Vedder.

    Concert came, the whole campus was pretty much dressed in plaid. We walked to Crisler, I separated from my group and sat way up a the stop, high on tylenol to dull the pain from the car accident.

    I wish I had a boot for Ann Arbor 1994 because I still have 'Indifference' ringing in my head as I saw a drunk ass and kinda of angry Eddie put on a brilliant performance. Needless to say, I knew that this was a band that I would follow to my grave. We really just rocked out and since this was their second tour for Ten/Vs, the concert didn't last as long as they do now. I couldn't jump up and down due to the pain I was in, but I did my best and what stands out to me was just how serious and somber Eddie was.

    Several points during the show, he just walked in circles and drinking beer or wine - I think the newfound fame and attention was freaking him out, so he was in his own world onstage.

    I left the show in a haze of like 'I saw a band that will be a phenomenon', they went on to be one of the greatest bands on the planet... :D

    I'm so grateful to have been there, now if only I had a boot from that show.
    My first show as well. I happened to be in the Union when the show was announced and scored GA tickets. If I remember correctly, the show was on a Sunday. After partying on a Saturday evening, we decided to head on down to Chrisler at 3AM on Sunday and were second in line for GA. My ribs were sore for a week, but I got to see them front row center. Ed burning a wine cork and putting the charred remains around his eyes during a long intro to Jeremy remains my most vivid memory. I felt as though as I was walking on air on the way back to the hill and Mary Markley. Great times.
  • NiteLite10
    NiteLite10 Posts: 144
    bigshasha wrote:
    4/8/94 at the Patriot Center Fairfax VA

    It was my first PJ show, I was 12 years old. Vs. had just come out. They opened with Release in complete darkness, and closed with RITFW with the house lights on, and they played everything in the middle. They even played brand new songs Corduroy and Not For You. I vividly remember them playing footsteps, you could hear a pin drop in the arena. But the reason I will remember this show forever is because it was the day that the body of KC was found. I did not know. EV talked about the incident and dedicated a song to him. I was confused, and the person next to me told me he died that day. I believe the song that was dedicated was "Go," but I am not 100% sure. If anyone knows which song was dedicated, please let me know.

    This was my first show too. Go sounds right as a dedication but I'm not positive.
  • stillalivejlp
    stillalivejlp Massachusetts Posts: 76
    The first time I saw them was in November 1991 at the Walter Brown Arena at BU. They opened for the Chili Peppers. I have to admit, that was a long time ago (I was 19!) and at the time I was majorly into the Chili Peppers. I didn't really even know who Pearl Jam was. Total "If I knew then, what I know now" type of thing.

    The first real PJ concert I went to was 4/10/94 at the original Boston Garden. PJ was pretty much my favorite band at that point (they usurped the Chili Peppers after I fully listened to Ten and Vs.) My sister totally stepped up and got us tickets for me and my brother and some other friends. This was a very memorable concert for me. It was a few days after Kurt Cobain died, so the mood was pretty somber. I know it must have been hard for the guys. My most memorable moment was when they played "Black". It was so emotional and raw, and I remember looking up and around - it was a sea of little lighter flames - so beautiful. :)
    Dante: "You hate people!"
    Randal: "But I love gatherings. Isn't it ironic?"
  • westsidepie
    westsidepie Posts: 627
    My first show was when Pearl Jam performed the free “Drop in the Park“ show at Magnuson Park in Seattle in 1992. I was a graduate student at the UW. The student housing I was living in was right on the edge of Magnuson Park. I just walked a little ways to the concert.
    To pie I will reply
    But mr. justam
    is who I am

    "That's a repulsive combination of horrible information and bad breath."-Pickles

    "Remember, death is a natural part of the workplace. So, when you see a dead body at work, don't freak out, just ring your death bell." "ting"-Toki Wartooth
  • Stryker
    Stryker Upstate, NY Posts: 585
    No. I was too young and not close enough to any shows. I was in 7th grade when Ten was released. Also, because I lived in upstate NY, there weren't any shows near me, and my parents sure as hell weren't going to drive me 4 hours to see a rock concert. By the time I could drive myself to a show it was 1996, and due to all the bull shit, I got shut out of tickets. It was 2 years later, during my second year of college, that I finally made it to my first Pearl Jam show. I've been making up for lost time ever since. MSG 2, Hartford, and Mansfield here I come!
  • zootown
    zootown Posts: 666
    5.7.92 Bozeman, MT- a short, yet intense set. Eddie was almost scary he was so intense. I have to admit that I thought that they would not last (silly me) as I thought that Eddie would burn out super quick...

    6/16/93 My wife's (then girlfriend) 22nd birthday...smokin show despite no encore including a Rats into Dirty Frank! Again, I think Eddie said "hi" at the start of the set, that was about all he said to the crowd that night....
    I hold the pain, release me!
  • wolfamongwolves
    wolfamongwolves Posts: 2,414
    Slane Castle, Ireland July 10th 1993, supporting Neil Young.

    Short, sweet & very intense. More drunken angry Ed. To this day, I still haven't heard a more explosive version of Porch - in person or on record. Ed brought us greetings from U2 who they'd left behind in Italy. First time hearing a few songs that would end up on vs. rearviewmirror blew my mind from the word go. First time hearing Baba O'Riley too. My cousin made us leave before Neil's encore, & I could just make out RitFW. It was 10 years later before I discovered that he was playing it w/ PJ.
    93: Slane
    96: Cork, Dublin
    00: Dublin
    06: London, Dublin
    07: London, Copenhagen, Nijmegen
    09: Manchester, London
    10: Dublin, Belfast, London & Berlin
    11: San José
    12: Isle of Wight, Copenhagen, Ed in Manchester & London x2
  • Mamasan Bren
    Mamasan Bren Posts: 962
    The 2 Voter's For Choice shows in January of '95 at the DAR in DC. l7 and Neil with Crazy Horse. I remember the bassist for L7 walking all the way around the floor seating topless. Had a ton of fun seeing them. Poured out on an absolute high into the mall grass area and strode over to the Washington Monument in disbelief on how good a concert experience we just had. Had heard Ed and Stone too I think do interview with Gloria Steinem the day before.
    1/95 DC 7/95 Chicago Tor Tol Cha 96 AlpV I II Chi St L KC 98 BSB I II 99 Phx Vegas Fresno SBern 00 BSB I II 01 (met ed) Vegas Phx Fargo St. Paul Chicago Alpine V Indy Col Virg Phi I II MSG I II (got on DVD!) 03 Calg 05 Clev Vegas LA I II SBar 06 Lon Dus Cop Nij Bel 07 Phi I II DC MSG I II Har BOS I II 08, LA3/4, SD '09, MSG I II '10, Missoula, London ONT, Wrigley, SD, LA1/2, Portland. Wrigley '16 I and II. 

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