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Earliest PJ Memory and First Concert
I know, cheesy topic but feeling nostalgic... Just curious if everyone remembers first time they heard the band and when their first concert was....
Mine was spring 92, I was a High School SR and we had a outdoor Basketball Tourney,,, organizers were playing Ten on repeat. First song I heard was Release and I was immediately hooked. Went out and bought the Disc that day and loved it from front to back. I still remember in college waiting in line at record stores for the midnight releases of Vs & Vitalogy... Simpler times.
First PJ concert was March 10, 1994 at old Chicago Stadium ( I think that was last concert ever played there too...) Was also Jeff Aments bday..
Mine was spring 92, I was a High School SR and we had a outdoor Basketball Tourney,,, organizers were playing Ten on repeat. First song I heard was Release and I was immediately hooked. Went out and bought the Disc that day and loved it from front to back. I still remember in college waiting in line at record stores for the midnight releases of Vs & Vitalogy... Simpler times.
First PJ concert was March 10, 1994 at old Chicago Stadium ( I think that was last concert ever played there too...) Was also Jeff Aments bday..
First - Chicago, Illinois (March 10, 1994) *
In Between - Chicago (9), East Troy (4) Champaign (1), Noblesville (1), Moline (1)
Last - Wrigley (August 20, 2016)
In Between - Chicago (9), East Troy (4) Champaign (1), Noblesville (1), Moline (1)
Last - Wrigley (August 20, 2016)
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1993, I was 6 years old, playing Sega in my bedroom and I heard Alive on the radio.
First PJ concert wouldn't be until Tulsa 2014 and I had a great side stage seat (Stone's side) that I got through the general sale (didn't know about Ten Club...) I'm not afraid to admit that I teared up a bit when they took the stage. Sat next to some great Ten Club members that night and they made my first PJ concert experience very memorable. One the guys even got a copy of the setlist. Wish I could remember their names.
First concert was at Starwood Amphiteatre (Nashville), 2003 when I was a sophomore in college. Next time seeing them after that was 2016. Heading to Seattle in August for two! Really excited!
I thought eddie vedder was jesus
First show. 92 pine knob michigan
Got to see soundgarden 2
I'm from the East, and have seen them in Montreal twice, Ottawa and Buffalo. I'm looking forward to the home shows and experiencing the band on their backyard. I've always managed to have decent seats for concerts, but good PJ tickets are hard to come by. I've had really great seats for all my favourite bands/artists, except for PJ, until now. Super happy to land GA tickets for Seattle night 1 and I will be there early to get a good spot. I've had 3 row for Neil Young, 11th row for Eric Clapton, seen The Tragically Hip 22 times, usually within the first 5 rows, seen the Arcade Fire in a small club on the Funeral tour, and was on the rail for their Reflecktor tour, so I've been spoiled. My PJ tickets have either been side stage, or lower bowl on the side. Always had a good view, but never that close, until now!
Hartford 1996 - During Porch a rush to the stage (Vedder encourage the crowd) and then being pepper sprayed (not directly) by security. 1996 Randall's Island - the rain, energy, and the mosh pit - I thought I was not going to make it out in one piece.
Can't wait for Fenway - woohoo!!!
Ten Club "Ambassador" (recap-writer) - DEEP.pearljam.com
2018: Chicago 2 (Wrigley Field) 8/20 | 20(20)22: St Louis 9/18 | 2023: Chicago 2 (United Center) 9/7, Indianapolis (Deer Creek) 9/10
EV:
2018: CURE Benefit Show (Chicago - Navy Pier) 10/15
RIP: Andy, Kurt, Chris
First saw them in 1998 at the United Center in Chicago. My parents were at the Soldier Field show and they saw them again in Toledo, OH in 96. Didn't take me to either .
Chicago, IL 07-19-2013
Moline, IL 10-17-2014
Chicago, IL 08-20-2016
Chicago, IL 08-22-2016
Chicago, IL 08-18-2018
Chicago, IL 08-20-2018
St. Louis, MO 09-18-2022
Sadly I waited to see them live years later at Alpine Valley in 98. Funny enough the friend that took me messaged me about our 20th high school reunion and asked if I was going to be "that guy" traveling to see them in Seattle. And I will.
Went to another band's show and my sister met Stone and Stone mentioned Ed was there. Concert ended and my boyfriend was like "Why aren't we leaving?" and I was scanning the dissipating crowd saying "Don't worry about it. Just wait." Finally spied Ed, went over, no one was trying to talk to him. Had a very nice talk and he told me about an alias they'd probably play a club show under. Boyfriend was not happy.
They announced a show under the alias (wish I could remember the name! It was the Slims show in SF in '93 I think) but word got out it was PJ and the show almost didn't happen. I MISSED the show because my boyfriend and I got into an argument about me going! Grrrrrr...
Then they played the Catalyst in Santa Cruz, CA and I never got in until the very end. Walked in during Porch which was an encore I think and it was insanity, found out Ed had just climbed up to a balcony and jumped into the audience from the balcony. That's the frenzy I walked into. That was pretty much the last song I think, maybe one more song.
First real, full, proper show that I saw all of was soon after, San Francisco the Warfield. GA theater, I was front center literally under Ed's mic, I could have tied his shoelaces together. My little sister was further back on the floor and some guys behind her were looking at the front row and picking out all the people who would never make it through the show. They described short little old me and were like "Oh, she is DEFINITELY NOT going to make it past the 2nd song!" My little sister turned around "Oh, you do NOT know my sister!" I was there the entire show, what a first show!
There was another PJ show in '95 that my boyfriend and I almost broke up over, and then we did break up later in '95, but not because of PJ.
Much later in high school I dove into PJ, Jeremy being the first song. I also loved Into the Wild, in which Vedder did the music.
First show was spokane 13, senior year of high school!
In 2000 I saw them at a big German festival called Rock Am Ring for the first time. Again, I did not get them back then. I liked it, but it did not blow me away. But later I bought the bootleg and listened to it over the years again and again and at some point the curtains were lifted and I had a "holy shit - this is amazing" sort of moment... better late than never I guess.
I was working as an auditor in NYC for a big health care system and somebody let me borrow the Singles Soundtrack to work out to (yes, a portable CD walkman) in the hotel gym and I was hooked by PJ. Within 2-3 weeks they had a show at some obscure as hell place in Chelsea I believe and that show set the hook, line and sinker. Also saw them in Saratoga for Lollapalooza.
life got in the way, had an ex who was a big fan and I just got back in in 2016- they still got it
First time I saw Pearl Jam in concert was Oct 31, 1993. Bezerkely CA. Rollins opened. Awesome show, blew my fucking mind. Drove to Indio to see them again within a week, where the shoeless ran wild.
I have this bad boy and my ticket in a frame. Not my favorite poster but one of my favorite memories.
https://youtu.be/NCwmmv3jU6A
My first show was Hartford, 96. a handful of rows from the back. Nearly didn't happen, as getting tickets for that show was a nightmare. No on in our group was able to get through on the phone - a friend who wasn't even a Pearl Jam fan helped us out, though, and managed to get through. I remember being scared about getting into the show, because his name was on the tickets, and there were rumors that the buyer had to be there to use the tickets. So much has changed in 22 years!
Hartford 10.02.96 | Mansfield 2 09.16.98 | Mansfield 1 08.29.00 | Mansfield 1 07.02.03 | Mansfield 3 07.11.03 | Boston 2 05.25.06 | Tampa 04.11.16 | Fenway 1 08.05.16 | Fenway 2 08.07.16 | Fenway 1 09.02.18 | Fenway 2 09.04.18 | Baltimore 03.28.20 | Hamilton 09.06.22 | Toronto 09.08.22 | Nashville 09.16.22 | St Louis 09.18.22
"He made the deal with the devil, we get to play with him.
He goes to hell, of course. We're going to heaven."
STL 2014
I'm a lucky man to count on both hands the ones I love.
Later that summer, my then girlfriend said we were going to some music thing/festival called Lollapalooza at Shoreline in Mtn. View CA. She said the dude from Janes Addiction puts it on. I looked the the lineup & said....”Cool, Ice Cube is going to be there...........with all these alternative rock bands.....this will be interesting. Oh, & I like that Evenflow song by that band Pearl Jam, I hope they sound as good live as they do in the video. Still surprised they were 2nd on the bill, almost missed them as I was watching the side show The Jim Rose circus. PJ took the stage & I was hooked.
Oh, Ice Cube was pretty good, too. Ministry was by far the loudest band I’ve ever experienced, Soungarden was ok, & the Chili Peppers were pretty damn good. I remember Flea barfing on stage. Good times!
Like others have mentioned Yield/lo2l where the releases that really starting pulling me in. Then my dad bought Touring Band and seeing them live became an obsession. After missing all the Seattle area shows 2002-2004, I signed up for tenclub cause I heard from a coworker that it was the best way to get tickets. Finally, I saw them 3-18-05 at the Paramount Theater in Seattle. The show was a benefit for Stone's highschool. It was a short set, but featured the first ever performance of Comatose (Crapshoot Rapture) and what I still think is the best ever version of the "slow intro" Porch. Also Ann & Nancy Wilson and President of the USA opened the show. What a friggin night.
-my dad after hearing Not for You for the first time on SNL .
In Between - Chicago (9), East Troy (4) Champaign (1), Noblesville (1), Moline (1)
Last - Wrigley (August 20, 2016)
First show - 2003 State College - Quite thee introduction
08JUL2003 - New York, NY (L@TG)
14JUL2003 - Holmdel, NJ
01OCT2004 - Reading, PA
01OCT2005 - Atlantic City, NJ
03OCT2005 - Philadelphia, PA
27MAY2006 - Camden, NJ
01JUN2006 - East Rutherford, NJ
03JUN2006 - East Rutherford, NJ
30SEP2009 - Universal City, CA
09OCT2009 - San Diego, CA
06JUL2011 - Long Beach, CA (EV)
19JUL2013 - Wrigley Field, IL
21OCT2013 - Philadelphia, PA
22OCT2013 - Philadelphia, PA
27OCT2013 - Baltimore, MD
29APR2016 - Philadelphia, PA (TEN)
05AUG2016 - Fenway Park, MA
07AUG2016 - Fenway Park, MA
27AUG2016 - Dana Point, CA (Ohana)
18AUG2018 - Wrigley Field, IL
20AUG2018 - Wrigley Field, IL
18SEP2021 - Asbury Park, NJ
14SEP2022 - Camden, NJ
Wetlands 91
CBGB 91
Roseland 91
and many, many more
That was also my first PJ show.