How memorable was your first Pearl Jam show?

2

Comments

  • go prego pre Posts: 642
    ICE BOWL
    There's a trapdoor in the sun.
  • wvueers1wvueers1 Phoenix, AZ Posts: 61
    Went by way too fast . . . thank goodness for the boot.
    Fan since the beginning, but 1st PJ concert ever -- Phoenix, AZ 11-19-13

    Love boat captain
    Take the reigns,.. steer us towards the clear.

    M.Y.T.H. is
    Belief in the game controls that keeps us in a box of fear

    tumblr_mtr7i1ZXuo1r0d33so1_400.gif
  • jlaustinjlaustin Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 2,355
    jonsey30 said:

    Stupid me, never went to a show until last year. But it was Wrigley, so it was super memorable. From standing outside all day in that 100 degree heat because we didn't have tickets, to the jubilation of standing at will call when they released a block of Field tickets at like 5:15, to hearing my first notes of Release, then the 2.5 hour storm delay while being shoved into a tiny corridor, the 2 hour adventure back to the hotel on the Red line in that sardine can of a train. Then we tried to go to Shedd aquarium and the Field museum the next day, and had to spend much of the day taking breaks on benches because we could barely walk after dancing all night. And now I have the Wrigley marquee picture on my wall so I can always remember that trip.

    Wrigley was my first show, too, Jonsey! The whole experience was great! 5+ hours in the merch line on Thursday. Resting up on Friday and getting in line around 5:00, taking it all in. Crying during Release, cooling off during the rain delay, crying again through Black and CD/COT. Dancing my ass off and singing my head off! An experience I'll never forget!

    Biggest regret, bailing on seeing them at the Blind Pig in 91 - I'm an idiot! Trying to make up for lost time now!
    2013 Wrigley, Pittsburgh, Buffalo
    2014 Cincy, Detroit, Moline, & Milwaukee
    2015 Central Park
    2016 Lexington, Ottawa, Toronto 1 & 2, Boston 1 & 2, Chicago 1 & 2
    2017 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
    2018 Seattle 1 & 2, Missoula, Chicago 1

  • Mike D88Mike D88 Tampa Posts: 722
    edited March 2014
    It took years before I saw my first show, Tampa '08. It wasn't remarkable show, but you'll recall they started the lottery for rows 1, 2, 9, and 10 that tour. I figured I'd pull somewhere near the back of the floor. I grabbed my tickets from the box office and... Nope.

    Front row, dead center. I was not prepared for that, and with my terrible 10C # (That has since lapsed!), still feel kinda guilty about it to this day.
    Post edited by Mike D88 on
    i-Brzk3Rdjpg
    2008 Tampa - 2013 Buffalo - 2016 Tampa - 2016 Fenway II
    Audioslave 2005 MSG
  • PorchgirlCOPorchgirlCO Colorado Posts: 1,375
    edited March 2014
    Norman said:

    mrussel1 said:

    My first was Lolla, Orlando 92. But I don't know if I even count that because they went on so early and I was so far away it seemed.

    First real show was the Bayfront Center, St Pete, 94. It was unmitigated chaos, like nothing else. I don't know if those who started seeing PJ in the 2000's can even fathom what is was like back then. I'm not saying it was good, but any of the 'alt' bands from that era had shows that were really fun, but really dangerous. They totally over-sold shows back then.

    I also remember it because it was my girlfriend's 21st birthday and I ditched her to go to the show. She was a little judgmental on my partying, so I didn't want anything to lame out the night. Alas, that was pretty much the end of that relationship.

    If anyone has a bootleg of the St Pete show (their only visit to that city I believe), please let me know. I've never run across it.

    I was at that Lolla show. What a lineup. My first show was at the Edge on 4/24/92. It was insane. Eddie seemed possessed jumping from the second floor rafters into the crowd fighting off the security guard while on the ibeam above the crowd. The energy was incredible. I have still never seen a performance from anyone that was tantamount to that night.
    I was on the second level right in front of Eddie at that Edge show when that meathead bouncer put him in a headlock! Then Ed jumped into the crowd and surfed to the stage and said something like "I'm not only pissed that he did that to me...but that he would do that to any human being!"

    Wish there was a bootleg or even a setlist for that night!
    Post edited by PorchgirlCO on
    I'll ride the wave where it takes me...

    Orlando 4/24/92 & 8/23/92, Miami 3/28/94, Ft Laud 10/7/96, Alpine Valley 6/26/98, Missoula 9/30/12, EV Jax 11/24/12 & 11/25/12, Chicago (Wrigley) 7/19/13, Charlottesville 10/29/13, Charlotte 10/30/13, Tulsa 10/8/14, Lincoln 10/9/14, Denver 10/22/14, Jacksonville 4/12/16, Greenville 4/16/16, Telluride 7/9/16, Boston (Fenway) 8/5/16 & 8/7/16, Seattle (Safeco) 8/10/18, Boston (Fenway) 9/2/18 & 9/4/18, Dana Point 10/1/21 & 10/2/21, MSG 9/11/22, Denver 9/22/22, Austin 9/18/23 & 9/19/23.
  • jason_94jason_94 Toledo, OH Posts: 1,872
    March 22, 1994 Cleveland State Convocation Center

    20 years ago today I had the great privilege of attending my 1st Pearl Jam show. What a night. We were sitting to the right of the stage in the lower level. We were the last row of the lower level, so, about half way up the small 9K seat arena. I remember looking down at that GA floor wishing so bad that I was down there but being so grateful to just be in the building!

    I was just reading an article I had saved from the Plain Dealer on 2/18/94. The show was announced on that Friday at 5:30 and tickets went on sale at 6:00 and it sold out at 6:29. There was a 2 ticket minimum & obviously, there was no internet at that time.

    On this wonderful anniversary of mine, I am listening to the bootleg of this show (even though it is a very poor quality & hard to listen to at times lol ) and maybe even throwing on my "Freak" shirt from the show.

    I will try & post pictures of the articles I have and poster as soon as I figure out how to do it now on the new forum.

    Anyone else on here at this show 20 years ago? It would be cool to hear some other stories!


    SET 1
    Release
    Go
    Animal
    Dissident
    Even Flow
    Glorified G
    I Won't Back Down
    Daughter
    Jeremy
    Why Go
    Alone
    Oceans
    State Of Love And Trust
    Black
    Blood
    Alive
    Porch

    ENCORE 1
    Rats
    Rearviewmirror
    Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town
    Leash
    Rockin' In The Free World
    Sheraton Gibson
    Indifference
    3/22/94 Cleveland, OH
    9/21/96 Toronto, ON
    8/26/98 Cleveland, OH
    5/09/10 Cleveland, OH
    9/03/11 East Troy, WI PJ20
    9/04/11 East Troy, WI PJ20
    7/19/13 Chicago, IL Wrigley Field
    10/11/13 Pittsburgh, PA
    10/12/13 Buffalo, NY
    12/06/13 Seattle, WA
    10/16/14 Detroit, MI
    10/17/14 Moline, IL
    8/20/16 Chicago, IL Wrigley Field
    8/22/16 Chicago, IL Wrigley Field
  • NormanNorman Posts: 109

    Norman said:

    mrussel1 said:

    My first was Lolla, Orlando 92. But I don't know if I even count that because they went on so early and I was so far away it seemed.

    First real show was the Bayfront Center, St Pete, 94. It was unmitigated chaos, like nothing else. I don't know if those who started seeing PJ in the 2000's can even fathom what is was like back then. I'm not saying it was good, but any of the 'alt' bands from that era had shows that were really fun, but really dangerous. They totally over-sold shows back then.

    I also remember it because it was my girlfriend's 21st birthday and I ditched her to go to the show. She was a little judgmental on my partying, so I didn't want anything to lame out the night. Alas, that was pretty much the end of that relationship.

    If anyone has a bootleg of the St Pete show (their only visit to that city I believe), please let me know. I've never run across it.

    I was at that Lolla show. What a lineup. My first show was at the Edge on 4/24/92. It was insane. Eddie seemed possessed jumping from the second floor rafters into the crowd fighting off the security guard while on the ibeam above the crowd. The energy was incredible. I have still never seen a performance from anyone that was tantamount to that night.
    I was on the second level right in front of Eddie at that Edge show when that meathead bouncer put him in a headlock! Then Ed jumped into the crowd and surfed to the stage and said something like "I'm not only pissed that he did that to me...but that he would do that to any human being!"

    Wish there was a bootleg or even a setlist for that night!
    I was also on the second level, but Mike's side. A bootleg would be sweet. I forgot what he'd said when he got back to the stage. I do remember after the show the band climbed onto the awning from a window on the second floor above the exit to watch everyone leave. Then they got noticed by everyone leaving and then scooted back inside when they realized the crowd wasn't going to leave with them watching. I see you also went to the Ft. . Lauderdale show in 96. Another amazing show. As someone already said, that no code tour was exceptional.
  • Frankie79Frankie79 Cornwall, UK Posts: 203
    Hyde Park, London 2010 was my first show, the most memorable thing was people telling me I'd never make it back to the front to find my friend after a piss/beer break. But I kept pressing through til I found her. Also we got lost on the way back to my brothers, I think we got in around 2.
    Great show, loved hearing SOLAT for the first time. Can't wait for Leeds and MK
    Hyde Park 25/06/10
    MEN Arena 20-21/06/12
    Leeds 08/07/14
    Milton Keynes 11/07/14
    Mexico City 28/11/15
    EV London 6-7/6/17
  • AggAgg Posts: 462
    Wrigley was my first show also, so it was pretty memorable. Everything about the weekend was amazing. My sister and I took a flight out to Chicago from Philly on Thursday morning, and we must have had at least 20 other people wearing PJ shirts on our flight. Our hotel had even more fans and you could tell how excited everyone was. The show itself was amazing...I'll never forget tearing up when I realized they were starting with Release. I wouldn't change any part of the weekend (not even going straight from the airport with my luggage to the merch line and waiting 3 hours in the 100 degree heat).
    2013: Wrigley Field, Pittsburgh, Brooklyn 1, Brooklyn 2, Philly 1, Philly 2, Baltimore
    2014: Cincinnati
    2015: Global Citizen Festival
    2016: Philly 1, Philly 2, MSG 1, MSG 2, Fenway 1, Fenway 2, Wrigley 1, Wrigley 2
    2017: Rock N Roll Hall of Fame Induction
    2018: Krakow, Chicago 1, Chicago 2, Boston 1, Boston 2
  • jp307677jp307677 Boston Posts: 415
    Mansfield (Boston) #1 in 2000. If it wasn't for this first show, I wouldn't love this band like I do today.
  • My first was Bridge School 2010. I had never heard PJ before, didn't know any of their songs (except "Last Kiss"). It was my first time at Bridge School, and I was mainly excited to see Uncle Neil, who I am a HUGE fan of. Well, when PJ started to play, that was it for me! (funny thing is, the first song was "Last Kiss"!)
    "A beacon on dry land"
  • hrd2imgnhrd2imgn Southwest Burbs of Chicago Posts: 4,860
    3-10-94, 20 years old, soph in college. Liked PJ, considered them "heavy enough" for my tastes as I was a metal head, huge Metallica fan, like a lot of hair metal,G N'R, Crue, Tesla etc..... Went to the show after 2 years of listening to ten, likng the album a lot, Vs. had just come outish, camped out at my first midnight sale for the CD, GO and Animal were my alternative metal dreams...Indifference was a mind blower since first listen,Blood seemed like the heaviest song I had ever heard at times.....Loved the rage in Ed at the time. So my sis got us nosebleeds at the last show ever in Chicago Stadium, the house MJ/Pi/Grant/Phil built out of relevance into the future called the United Center (booooo). Nose bleed seats as tickets were in demand more than ever(tickets are hard to get now because we have so many TC members who travel, back then they were the thing so it was damn near impossible). Literally last row by the concession stand, but a nice view from the west of stage. Jeff's b-day, Ed and his hometown....from the second I heard release live I was done, it was all Pearl Jam everyihtng Pearl jam from that moment on. No cares or worries for posters, just wanted a shirt! That freak shirt may be the ugliest thing I own, but I have worn holes into it. Ed was like a pied piper for me tat day, him talking about growing up in the area...when he sang the Empire Carpet song, a jingle to the local carpet place- 588-2300 Empireeeeeeeee to prove his roots I was convinced this is the coolest band ever. No bands I saw before them ever had a connection with me and where I grew up, and Ed was that. Loved the Jordan action figures on the fat stacks, the cake fight, watching the Frogs and going what the fuck is with the dragon suit dude, Urge being pretty solid......but Release into Go...that was just unreal. New songs like Not For You and Tremor Christ, STBC....Tom Petty cover I won't back down. What a great night, and man was that place loud.

    Now if I had known then what I know now......didn;t even know about the New Regal show FUCKKKKKK, and I was still new to the live band and had scored in the lottery to the West Lafayette show at Purdue where I was at college....gave my tickets to my roommate and best friend so they could have a chance to see them (never again!) missed WASH and a bomb threat.

    But with 95 came Soldier Field, Milwaukee, then the 96 cluster fuck which led to the priority list and front row center to Alpine 98.........man what a trip 20 pluse shows after the first.
  • nippleholicnippleholic Toronto Posts: 1,083
    My first show was a classic and got me hooked instantly:

    http://youtu.be/KA0kD7MIBWc
    2003: Buffalo, Toronto
    2004: Boston (x2), Toledo, Grand Rapids
    2005: Kitchener, London, Hamilton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto
    2006: Toronto (x2), Grand Rapids, Cleveland, Detroit
    2008: New York City (x2), Hartford, Boston II
    2010: Buffalo, Newark, New York City (x2), Nijmegen, Berlin, Werchter
    2011: Alpine Valley I, Alpine Valley II, Montreal, Toronto (x2), Ottawa, Hamilton
    2012: Amsterdam (x2), Berlin (x2)
    2013: London, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Brooklyn (x2)
    2014: Detroit
    2016: Quebec City, Ottawa, Toronto (x2), Chicago (x2)
    2018: Amsterdam (x2), Padua, Rome, Prague, Krakow, Berlin, Barcelona
    2022: San Diego, Los Angeles (x2), Oakland (x2), Fresno, Sacramento, Las Vegas, Ottawa, Hamilton, Toronto
    2023: Fort Worth (x2), Austin (x2)

  • FrankieGFrankieG Abingdon MD Posts: 9,095
    BUMP for nostalgia... 7/14/03 -> 7/14/14 B-)
    FrankieG said:

    My first show was not that memorable.

    It was 2003, I was 12 years old. My dad's friends backed out on him last minute so he decided to take me and my brother to the show. The only song I wanted to hear was Do the Evolution. I wanted to hear that song more than any other song cause that was my favorite PJ song when I was 12. I really didn't know the other songs. They opened with wash, I turned to my dad "what song is this?". The answer was not Evolution. I wasn't disappointed but I tried to see the video screens over the people in front of us while waiting for the next song. This continued through out the whole set.

    My first show was Holmdel 2003. I was completely oblivious about the songs being played in 'album order'. I didn't know the names of most songs, nevermind what albums they were on.

    Then the encore starts. Ed tells some story about Bruce and plays a song (Growin Up). I didn't know how rare that song was at the time, but then it happens. The unmistakable opening riff of DTE. And that's when I became an addicted PJ fan. I don't remember how I 'rocked out' as a 12 year old, but I'm sure it looked rediculous. Next was Daughter, a song I actually knew because it was my mom's favorite song at the time! And next Alive, a third song I knew, (probably the only other one I knew ha).

    Hunger Strike -> NO CLUE how special that was.

    The rest of my memories from the show are from listening to the bootleg about 1000 times since then. I had a 1 CD portable played with headphones that I would take on car rides. I can still sing all the guitar parts for almost the entire Porch solo. :D

    So maybe I guess my first show was memorable, even if I don't remember living most of it 'in the moment'.

    2003: 7/14 NJ ... 2006: 6/1 NJ, 6/3 NJ ... 2007: 8/5 IL ... 2008: 6/24 NY, 6/25 NY, 8/7 EV NJ ... 2009: 10/27 PA, 10/28 PA, 10/30 PA, 10/31 PA
    2010: 5/20 NY, 5/21 NY ... 2011: 6/21 EV NY, 9/3 WI, 9/4 WI ... 2012: 9/2 PA, 9/22 GA ... 2013: 10/18 NY, 10/19 NY, 10/21 PA, 10/22 PA, 10/27 MD
    2015: 9/23 NY, 9/26 NY ... 2016: 4/28 PA, 4/29 PA, 5/1 NY, 5/2 NY, 6/11 TN, 8/7 MA, 11/4 TOTD PA, 11/5 TOTD PA ... 2018: 8/10 WA ---- http://imgur.com/a/nk0s7
  • JimmyVJimmyV Boston's MetroWest Posts: 18,810
    My first show was very memorable when it happened. Twenty years later...not so much. :-)
    ___________________________________________

    "...I changed by not changing at all..."
  • Get_RightGet_Right Posts: 12,439
    edited July 2014
    mcgruff10 said:

    on2legs said:

    Randall's Island 2 in 96. Very memorable.

    Me too! I got there at noon and sat in the sun all day. Ended up on the rail between mike and ed. Best show ever

    same 9/29/96
    I will never forget being in that pit. Crazy!
  • wall05wall05 Posts: 304
    edited July 2014
    Camden night 1 08

    I remember it very well, but it was the least memorable show I saw that week honestly. That's only because I had just seen Iron Maiden at MSG like 2-3 nights prior and again like a day later in Camden with the Powerslave stage set up and such a classic setlist and it was really hard to compete with that, especially with how obsessed I was with Maiden at that time. I definitely liked it a lot. Enough to get tickets to 3 out of 4 nights of the Spectrum shows (didn't get a ticket to the 30th till after the show on the 28th and was actually just given a ticket to that show for free by an unbelievably generous ten clubber), but it wasn't till the Philly 09 run that I became obsessed.
    Post edited by wall05 on
    2008 - Camden, NJ 1
    2009 - Philadelphia, PA x4
    2010 - Newark, NJ, New York City, NY x2
    2012 - Philadelphia, PA
    2013 - Chicago, IL, Philadelphia, PA x2, Hartford, CT
    2016 - Philadelphia, PA x2, New York City, NY 2, Fenway 2
  • prljmr316prljmr316 Denver, CO Posts: 162
    Denver 4-1-2003, who could forget that one. Loved the Eddie rant and Bu$hleager episode. My friend threw the "Weapon of Mass Illumination" from the upper deck that Eddie was referring to if you get a chance to hear the boot. Feel bad for the poor foolish souls that walked out on the band, the maybe 50 out of 15,000. Plus the best version of Black I have heard to date in my opinion, (not that I've even come close to hearing them all).
    John Strohmeyer
  • SpagsSpags Leigh-on-Sea, UK Posts: 2,924
    Wasn't great. Seated at the very back of Wembley Arena in 1996 night 2. No Code was a great album that I was really into at the time, but the show and that feeling of not being connected, mixed with the let down of impossibly high expectations not being met actually put me off the band for a few years. I was very spoilt with some amazing gigs by other bands around then and PJ just didn't compete that night.

    Now days they're insanely good live of course.
    Nature drunk and High
  • lolobugglolobugg BLUE RDGE MTNS Posts: 8,175
    very...September 17, 1995.... Mike smashed his guitar to pieces, Eddie smashed his mike stand and Ed and Joey Ramone dueted on Sonic Reducer. It later appeared on the 1995 fan club single. All in all I would say it was very memorable. my top show of all time to this day.

    livefootsteps.org/user/?usr=446

    1995- New Orleans, LA  : New Orleans, LA

    1996- Charleston, SC

    1998- Atlanta, GA: Birmingham, AL: Greenville, SC: Knoxville, TN

    2000- Atlanta, GA: New Orleans, LA: Memphis, TN: Nashville, TN

    2003- Raleigh, NC: Charlotte, NC: Atlanta, GA

    2004- Asheville, NC (hometown show)

    2006- Cincinnati, OH

    2008- Columbia, SC

    2009- Chicago, IL x 2 / Ed Vedder- Atlanta, GA x 2

    2010- Bristow, VA

    2011- Alpine Valley, WI (PJ20) x 2 / Ed Vedder- Chicago, IL

    2012- Atlanta, GA

    2013- Charlotte, NC

    2014- Cincinnati, OH

    2015- New York, NY

    2016- Greenville, SC: Hampton, VA:: Columbia, SC: Raleigh, NC : Lexington, KY: Philly, PA 2: (Wrigley) Chicago, IL x 2 (holy shit): Temple of the Dog- Philly, PA

    2017- ED VED- Louisville, KY

    2018- Chicago, IL x2, Boston, MA x2

    2020- Nashville, TN 

    2022- Smashville 

    2023- Austin, TX x2

  • SuziemaySuziemay Posts: 11,164
    edited July 2014
    My first show was definitely memorable, in that I was alternating between thinking I was going to die and thinking it was the best show ever. Manchester 2000. It's still one of my favourite boots (first and only time I've heard Light Years, loved Timeless Melody). I posted this in the first show poll thread:

    Wasn't a big fan at the time, but went with someone who was a PJ nut. Was in the pit just to the left of Ed and I thought I was going to die. The pit was packed in so tight, there was no space to move at my own free will. If people around me were jumping, I was jumping too. And for some reason, the only spot for my head was right by the shoulder of some middle-aged dude I didn't know, so I think I may have rested my head on his shoulder a few times during the show LOL.

    Then we missed the last train back to London and slept in the train station in our soaking-wet clothes.

    I think I loved most of the show, except the bits that I thought I was going to die! I definitely remember being mesmerized by Ed.
  • JH6056JH6056 Posts: 2,427
    JimmyV said:

    My first show was very memorable when it happened. Twenty years later...not so much. :-)

    Yes, exactly that! :)

    I've found 2 things re: how people remember concerts of a band they are very passionate about:

    1) A week later, some people will remember every single detail; others will remember feelings and maybe some details; and others still will just remember "it rawked!" (or it didn't rawk).

    2) 20 years later, fewer people will remember every detail but there are those that will; others will remember feelings and maybe some details; and still others will just remember that "it rawked!" (or it didn't rawk).

    So in other words... "memorable-ness" is all in the eyes of the experiencer, and is also in their innate capacity to remember or not remember. There are shows I don't really remember hardly anything about that were brilliant and that others remember which songs were played, how they were played, things that were said, etc. Doesn't mean the show was or was not memorable, it's just all about the individual and their experience and memory.

    All that said, I should look around for a boot of my first show 21 yrs ago, it would be cool to hear it. I guarantee you I'd feel like I wasn't even there, because I really just remember a few details but almost none of the music.
  • JH6056JH6056 Posts: 2,427
    hrd2imgn said:

    3-10-94, 20 years old, soph in college. Liked PJ, considered them "heavy enough" for my tastes as I was a metal head, huge Metallica fan, like a lot of hair metal,G N'R, Crue, Tesla etc..... Went to the show after 2 years of listening to ten, likng the album a lot, Vs. had just come outish, camped out at my first midnight sale for the CD, GO and Animal were my alternative metal dreams...Indifference was a mind blower since first listen,Blood seemed like the heaviest song I had ever heard at times.....Loved the rage in Ed at the time. So my sis got us nosebleeds at the last show ever in Chicago Stadium, the house MJ/Pi/Grant/Phil built out of relevance into the future called the United Center (booooo). Nose bleed seats as tickets were in demand more than ever(tickets are hard to get now because we have so many TC members who travel, back then they were the thing so it was damn near impossible). Literally last row by the concession stand, but a nice view from the west of stage. Jeff's b-day, Ed and his hometown....from the second I heard release live I was done, it was all Pearl Jam everyihtng Pearl jam from that moment on. No cares or worries for posters, just wanted a shirt! That freak shirt may be the ugliest thing I own, but I have worn holes into it. Ed was like a pied piper for me tat day, him talking about growing up in the area...when he sang the Empire Carpet song, a jingle to the local carpet place- 588-2300 Empireeeeeeeee to prove his roots I was convinced this is the coolest band ever. No bands I saw before them ever had a connection with me and where I grew up, and Ed was that. Loved the Jordan action figures on the fat stacks, the cake fight, watching the Frogs and going what the fuck is with the dragon suit dude, Urge being pretty solid......but Release into Go...that was just unreal. New songs like Not For You and Tremor Christ, STBC....Tom Petty cover I won't back down. What a great night, and man was that place loud.

    Now if I had known then what I know now......didn;t even know about the New Regal show FUCKKKKKK, and I was still new to the live band and had scored in the lottery to the West Lafayette show at Purdue where I was at college....gave my tickets to my roommate and best friend so they could have a chance to see them (never again!) missed WASH and a bomb threat.

    But with 95 came Soldier Field, Milwaukee, then the 96 cluster fuck which led to the priority list and front row center to Alpine 98.........man what a trip 20 pluse shows after the first.

    So cool that you remember that level of detail. Really enjoyed reading that, thanks! And yes, now you know: "Good friends don't give their good friends their PJ tix, they keep them for themselves!" :D LOL!
  • JH6056JH6056 Posts: 2,427

    Gorge 2 2006

    Travelled across the country, into sweltering heat, on the edge of a mountain, to see my favorite band perform a great set that closed their US tour. Severed Hand, a song I was obsessed with at the time and is my username, opened the show. Best performance of Crazy Mary I've ever heard. First Little WIng with lyrics. EV climbed the soundbooth that was close behind me to play Given to Fly in the encore.

    A night I will never forget.

    I remember that Crazy Mary, we were on the rail and got the wind bottle passed to us. That really is some GOOOOD wine! I also went to the bathroom before GTF and wasn't allowed back down the the front and was like "WTF? Why not?" and then the spotlight went to the top of the soundbooth and I got it "Oh, that's why!" Eventually they let people back in the aisles again. :)
  • given2fly23given2fly23 Evanston, IL Posts: 5,876
    edited July 2014
    Religious experience is how I always describe to people.

    Soldier Field was not only my first PJ concert, but my first concert, period.

    Changed my life, and now, 70 PJ shows later...


    Found: Soundgarden Hyde Park DVD (Thank you for the gift!)
    Posters for Sale: http://community.pearljam.com/discussion/117469/posters-for-sale
    T-Shirts for Sale: http://community.pearljam.com/discussion/149289/pj-t-shirt-trade-or-sale
  • aspoonfulweighsatonaspoonfulweighsaton Posts: 1,984
    edited July 2014
    My first show was very memorable if for no other reason of how you had to get tickets.

    It was the January 15th, 1995 show at Constitution Hall in Washington D.C., which was the second of those back-to-back "Voters for Choice" shows with Neil Young, L7, etc.

    Remember, this was at a time when they were coming off the cancelled 94 tour and had just done the Self Pollution Radio broadcast the week before. The interest and demand for these shows were off the charts. You had to mail in postcards to enter a drawing for the right to buy a pair of tickets. I went to my post office the day of the deadline and bought the last 19 postcards they had on the rack and filled them out. A week or so later my mom calls me at work and tells me I got a phone call about it and was able to call someone back to secure a pair of tickets.

    More remarkably, there was a friend of my family willing to drive me and my girlfriend the 3 1/2 hours or so to D.C. because she had friends up there. I didn't have my own car and had never driven to D.C. before so it was like all these things just fell into place.

    There were hundreds of thousands of entries for these shows and people from all over the world were there. Tickets were being scalped for upwards of $1000 outside. Even though I had to pay $50 for 2 tickets, I knew I had won something huge.

    Looking back on the show from a setlist perspective, given the timeframe it was a fairly standard set. Getting Release as my first song was incredible. Neil had to leave the venue as soon as his set with Crazy Horse ended so there was no "NeilJam" like the night before, but getting "Satan's Bed" in it's prime was nice.

    The fact that there was a proper "unofficial" bootleg made of this show was awesome, and the whole show is on YouTube as well, even though it's not of the greatest quality. There is a cool clip at the end of the video showing the MTV News report on the show and what you had to do to get tickets.

    https://youtube.com/watch?v=sz0METOgjYA

    I would love to know if anyone else on here was at either of these shows whether it was your first or not.
  • ZodZod Posts: 9,941
    My first show would of been at lolla '92 in Vancouver. I don't seem to remember a lot about it. I don't think I knew a lot of their music before that show. I know that show is what brought my attention to Pearl Jam but I only remember bits and pieces (I think I remember Eddie starting to climb stuff). I seem to remember my 2nd show a lot better (Missoula '98). That was my first actual Pearl Jam show (not a festival). I remember the big storm that blew in a day or two before the show and mildly flooded missoula. I remember the merch booth was outside and I bought my first poster. I remember the cool hill behind the stadium where many people were watching (which I'm assuming they missed out on tickets). I remember they let a guy on stage to propose to his g/f. I remember there was a kid who jumped out of the seats and ran straight into the pit. The security guard was so pissed he didn't catch him, they he kept an eye on the kid and tackled him as soon as he left the pit.. lol. (it was reserved seating, GA floor). They played Pilate which was awesome because I spun the GTF single so many times before yield came out. I remember crowd surfing to yellow ledbetter and found my friend (who I hadn't seen since I ran into the pit during the opening song.. corduroy) and he was also surfing. Great way to end the show.

    Why do I remember that show so much better than lolla. haha.
  • bean8969bean8969 Posts: 99
    prljmr316 said:

    Denver 4-1-2003, who could forget that one. Loved the Eddie rant and Bu$hleager episode. My friend threw the "Weapon of Mass Illumination" from the upper deck that Eddie was referring to if you get a chance to hear the boot. Feel bad for the poor foolish souls that walked out on the band, the maybe 50 out of 15,000. Plus the best version of Black I have heard to date in my opinion, (not that I've even come close to hearing them all).

    That was my second show. I had no clue about people being upset about Bu$hleaguer until I saw it on the news the next day. I took as Ed put the mask on the mic stand to sing to it and pour it some wine. Impaling Bush's head on a stake was the furthest thing from my mind when it happened.

    My first show was in 98 at Fiddler's Green. Always hated that place. Long Road opener, Leaving Here, which was the one song I was hoping for since I'm a huge Who fan, and a post set Patriot.
  • mklmgmklmg Posts: 45
    Oh, it was great. I was down in Florida in March of '94, visiting parents, in-laws & friends. We went down to St. Pete @ the Bayfront Center & started looking for scalpers. My friend, living there knew to wait b/c they were asking $125 just for any seat. For some reason we were right by the box office when this older dude walked up to us & asked if wanted tickets. Of course !!! So, he tells us just get on this line right where we were standing & that they would be putting seats on sale for face value. There were @ 20 people ahead of us that were also lucky. We got seats on Stone's side of the stage, maybe 10 rows up from the floor.
    St. Pete 3/29/1994
    Jones Beach 8/24/2000
    Uniondale 4/30/2003
    New York 7/8/2003
    New York 7/9/2003
    New York 6/24/2008
    New York 6/25/2008
    New York 5/20/2010
    New York 5/21/2010
    Brooklyn 10/18/2013
    Wrigley 8/22/2016
  • know1know1 Posts: 6,762
    My first show was memorable in that it took us 6 hours to drive the 3 hours it was supposed to take. I lost my brother along the way who was riding up with someone else and had to walk in from the highway to the amphitheater venue due to the horrible traffic. This was before cell phones and I was his ride back after the show. How he managed to find me out on the lawn in all those GA attendees, I'll never know. He snuck up and threw his arms around me about 3 songs before the boys sang "Throw Your Arms Around Me"....dedicated to Eddie's brother who was there that night.
    The only people we should try to get even with...
    ...are those who've helped us.

    Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
Sign In or Register to comment.