The PJ sell-out debate ends here

Jeanwah wrote:

doompony wrote:

03/16/10: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
set: The Fixer, The Real Me, Porch
TFT Notes: Pearl Jam play a surprise 3-song set at Target’s national manager’s meeting. “The Fixer” was the first single featured in a Target commercial, filmed live from the Showbox. The Who’s “The Real Me” is dedicated to Snowboarder Shawn White who as a Target sponsored athlete was also at the event. Ed spoke for a few minutes before “Porch” about how the partnership with Target came about, saying how before all the guys in the band got to play music for a living, they all just loved playing music and it was important to them that when it came to the business side of things that they wanted to make sure they conducted business ethically and Target let them do that. Continuing, Ed said the partnership only worked because there was mutual respect about how to work together and there wasn’t a focus on the bottom line, and that they each learned a lot from each other.

Yet in an interview, Stone mentioned something along these lines: that with the exclusive Target deal each of the band members make $.05 for every album sold vs the $.02 for every album sold otherwise. Therefore bottom line was very much a key issue, even something he felt comfortable talking about. I'll have to find the interview, I know it was posted on here.

yes, he did say that. and it's $5, not $.05. And the issue with that is......? If you could have the same job but make more than double what you currently make, what would you do??

Game, Set, Match.

Jeanwah wrote:

Did you even read the release above? I underlined the obvious for you.

yes, I did, but thanks for checking. Ed said one thing, Stone said another thing. Maybe it wasn't their main focus, maybe it was. Bottom line? WE SHOULDN'T CARE.

Johnny Sitar wrote:

Jeanwah wrote:

Did you even read the release above? I underlined the obvious for you.

yes, I did, but thanks for checking. Ed said one thing, Stone said another thing. Maybe it wasn't their main focus, maybe it was. Bottom line? WE SHOULDN'T CARE.

I agree with you...we SHOULDN'T care ... we're not running their business, they are...and if you want to debate that to death...go ahead....I don't care...

bhigh901 wrote:

Target did a much better job of distributing Backspacer than the fanclub did... I have no problem with a small set at a corporate meeting to say thanks for all your hard work.. Anyone else remember going to pick a copy up at Target because the copy you preordered from the band months earlier didn't make it. Wait a minute... Maybe that was a conspiracy to sell more copies? Perhaps.. Whateva.. The songs are still passionate and the band still rocks.. Eddie already said years ago that he was no fucking Messiah anyway..

dude it worked on me... i had to go buy it in a store on release date because i couldn't wait. i have 3 copies

I couldn't wade through this thread, but its not unreasonable to want to be paid for your work, even if you are fortunate to have a job you like and enjoy the work. They were blessed with talent, and share plenty back to the community. Have you looked at the Activism page lately? There are a lot of links of theirs on the 'gave' part of that page.

JeffSide wrote:

It's truly a sad day in the history of PJ.
Although they really sold long before today, They are just shoving it in people's faces now.
A few of us are trying to put our finger on when they jumped the shark.
Some say 2006, When they brought out the lasers during the shows and Ed was drinking water out of his wine bottle at every show.
I think it was even earlier... When Jack was booted.
So after going to 100 plus shows starting at Cameo 1992, I bid PJ adu.

R.I.P.
Pearl Jam
1990-2010


...1990-1998 Ed is rolling over in his grave...

So, in your opinion, they 'sold out', 'jumped the shark' and have been 'rubbing it in people's faces' for 12 years and yet you still keep coming back for more? I just don't get the people on these boards who love attacking the band and saying stuff like that. If you have somehow felt betrayed or let down my a music group for over a decade, why not just let go? It's not a bad marriage, it's fun with guitars...

And think about yourself in 1998 and yourself now (especially as you are the only person you have really earnt the right to judge here, not Ed, as I'm sure you don't know the guy). I know I had a lot of ideas and ideals 12 years ago that I would disagree with or even be thoroughly embarrassed about now. It's evolution baby, as "1998 Ed" would say

I don't mean to be personal or confrontational, or blindly stick up the band, I just feel that we as fans have a certain line we cannot cross. We can judge critically but do we really know enough to make sweeping statements based upon moral judgements. Probably not...

I can see people's point of view that that they soldout and maybe they have but who cares they still play better music than most of the acts out there.What bothers me is that as they gotten bigger it seems that the fans that were withthem from the beginning is being pushed out.lets face it their ealier stuff is much better that what they have put out in recent years.
I think its best to live and let live ,if they want to push merchandise of all types and play to TARGET big wigs that there right,but dont turn around and complain about other bands selling out, Do what i do turn on the tunes ,light a number and remember the good times. Enjoy the show fellow PEARL JAMMERS,

force-10 wrote:

COMMUNISM AND SOCIALISM DO NOT WORK IN THE REAL WORLD, AT LEAST NOT FOR HUMANS.

I don´t care what they charge. I paid to see them last time in seattle and LA. I don´t regret paying. The only thing I regret is that maybe going to Philly instead for the 4 shows.

complaining about high prices is communism now? what will they think of next?

the only reason why 99% of us know about pearl jam is because they "sold out" in the early 90s. if it weren't for them selling out, the only people that would be aware of the band would be the teens that saw them play small shows in seattle.