When/How did you discover Pearl Jam?

blackhawks · August 2018

My brother turned me on to them in October 91. He said I had to attend this show where he was going to college in Ames, Iowa. He got 4th row tickets and the venue was a theater that holds 3000 or so. 10 was just out and he played it for me and I thought it was really solid. Anyhow, I was staying at the Best Western in Ames and Eddie, Flea were swimming in the pool and having fun with other members of all the bands on the ticket (PJ, Smashing Pumpkins, Chili Peppers). We were drinking beers at the pool and it was a real fun and laid back experience. At the show PJ was first and blew the roof off the joint. I was a fan after that performance! Funny thing is Billy Corgan punched his guitar tech in the face when he came off stage for some reason after their set. That show will always be memorable as it was the last time I saw one of my good friends alive unfortunately. But it was a great introduction to PJ and I have been a fan since seeing them many many times.

MR242791 · August 2018

blackhawks said:

My brother turned me on to them in October 91. He said I had to attend this show where he was going to college in Ames, Iowa. He got 4th row tickets and the venue was a theater that holds 3000 or so. 10 was just out and he played it for me and I thought it was really solid. Anyhow, I was staying at the Best Western in Ames and Eddie, Flea were swimming in the pool and having fun with other members of all the bands on the ticket (PJ, Smashing Pumpkins, Chili Peppers). We were drinking beers at the pool and it was a real fun and laid back experience. At the show PJ was first and blew the roof off the joint. I was a fan after that performance! Funny thing is Billy Corgan punched his guitar tech in the face when he came off stage for some reason after their set. That show will always be memorable as it was the last time I saw one of my good friends alive unfortunately. But it was a great introduction to PJ and I have been a fan since seeing them many many times.

wow that's an amazing story. if only PJ would be swimming at the pool of my three star hotel...
sorry for you loss

jacquelynca · August 2018

MR242791 said:

jacquelynca said:

The year, 1992. I was in 5th grade, I was at my friend Felicia's house sitting on her bed and she popped in the 10 cassette tape. It was the song Porch that got me. Crazy but that is a moment in time I will never forget. I grew up listening to all my parents music (genesis, pink floyd, led zeppelin, fleetwood mac etc) and my dad would always say his generations music was the best and nothing will ever top it. But, when I heard PJ for the first time I thought...I need to get this tape and I can't wait to show my dad this music...MY music, MY generation. A couple years later he took me to the 1994 Bridge School Benefit Concert. This band and this music means so much to me.

wow nice! you got hooked really young. it's so cool you got to see PJ in the 90's. i think all generations think their music is the best. I think it's cause we relate our youth and the music of our youth to all the hopes and dreams we have while we're young. I think the 80's and 90's have the best music cause those were the years i was kid/teenager. PJ is my favorite though.

I know! It was a turning point in my life, that was the moment I started becoming my own...figuring out who I was. Pearl Jam is a big part of who I am, and thank GOD I found them that young, there are times in my life I don't know what I would have done without music and I am forever grateful

FinsburyParkCarrots · August 2018

About November 1991 for me. They were on the telly.

Hawkshore · August 2018

MonkeyDan72 said:

Late 91 via vinyl
lolla 92 Dallas, Tx first live show
never stopped since
My first 2 live PJ shows 92,95 they played Sonic Reducer.
I have now seen Sonic Reducer six times, and I’d appreciate if I could finish off Riot Act during Wrigley.

Get Right & Ghost night one
Can’t Keep & Thumbing My Way to open the second set night two.

What PJ vinyl did you have in 91?

My first time live was also Lolla 92 in Vancouver amazing intensity

Pap · August 2018

I listened to my first Pearl Jam tape (Live On Two Legs) back in 1998, thanks to my older brother. The first song that I listened to, was Do The Evolution (#13). I was 10 years old when I "stole" the then cassette from my brother. I listened to the tape about 1000 times, always changing the side on cassette recorder when it hit the end. I just couldn't get enough. Vedder's voice was something out of this world. And it still is.

wobbler_kitty · August 2018

When the Alive vid first hit MTV. I was 14 or 15, my BFF in high school and I were HOOKED as soon as we saw it. Think either she or her boyfriend got the Ten CD, I was still rocking cassettes for their first few albums. (Had the early Vs cassette that had ‘Five Against One’ printed on it with the cover that had no album title, that got released right as they were changing the album title to Vs. Probably still packed away in mom’s attic.)

Then the Evenflow vid came out and they blew up even more. Back then, when MTV actually played music, they would hype up new vids coming out from big bands as ‘World Premiere!!’ type stuff. Like, if this was your favorite band, you would make plans to sit at home when the time came for it to be shown. We waited in front of the tv with baited breath for the Jeremy vid premiere. My BFF, her family and myself were fucking SPEECHLESS after. We recorded it (yes, on that thing called a VCR) and watched it over and over, analyzing everything.

This was a REALLY big deal back then. Super controversial. After that you could only see the unedited version on occasion, late at night and with warnings and shit. Obviously a big enough impact on the guys to make them take a step back and stop making vids for a few more albums. I’ll never forget just how poignant that vid was, how much of an impact it made, on me, the music world and the band at that time. They’ve been my favorite band since.

jacquelynca · August 2018

MR242791 said:

blackhawks said:

My brother turned me on to them in October 91. He said I had to attend this show where he was going to college in Ames, Iowa. He got 4th row tickets and the venue was a theater that holds 3000 or so. 10 was just out and he played it for me and I thought it was really solid. Anyhow, I was staying at the Best Western in Ames and Eddie, Flea were swimming in the pool and having fun with other members of all the bands on the ticket (PJ, Smashing Pumpkins, Chili Peppers). We were drinking beers at the pool and it was a real fun and laid back experience. At the show PJ was first and blew the roof off the joint. I was a fan after that performance! Funny thing is Billy Corgan punched his guitar tech in the face when he came off stage for some reason after their set. That show will always be memorable as it was the last time I saw one of my good friends alive unfortunately. But it was a great introduction to PJ and I have been a fan since seeing them many many times.

wow that's an amazing story. if only PJ would be swimming at the pool of my three star hotel...
sorry for you loss

Holy crap that is an awesome story! Sorry about your friend

JH6056 · August 2018

blackhawks said:

My brother turned me on to them in October 91. He said I had to attend this show where he was going to college in Ames, Iowa. He got 4th row tickets and the venue was a theater that holds 3000 or so. 10 was just out and he played it for me and I thought it was really solid. Anyhow, I was staying at the Best Western in Ames and Eddie, Flea were swimming in the pool and having fun with other members of all the bands on the ticket (PJ, Smashing Pumpkins, Chili Peppers). We were drinking beers at the pool and it was a real fun and laid back experience. At the show PJ was first and blew the roof off the joint. I was a fan after that performance! Funny thing is Billy Corgan punched his guitar tech in the face when he came off stage for some reason after their set. That show will always be memorable as it was the last time I saw one of my good friends alive unfortunately. But it was a great introduction to PJ and I have been a fan since seeing them many many times.

Wow that is one hell of an introduction! How do you even move on from there?

Btw don't even get me started on Billy Corgan. He's STILL sore that PJ took off the way they did, and still never gives them credit for actually being that talented and deserving the focus. Smashing Pumpkins are talented too, but he's such a hater. Over it.

I'm not a big fan of cell phones or the obsession with recording everything, but is it bad to say that I wish you'd had a smart phone at that pool? Ooops, did I say that out loud? =D

MR242791 · August 2018

wobbler_kitty said:

When the Alive vid first hit MTV. I was 14 or 15, my BFF in high school and I were HOOKED as soon as we saw it. Think either she or her boyfriend got the Ten CD, I was still rocking cassettes for their first few albums. (Had the early Vs cassette that had ‘Five Against One’ printed on it with the cover that had no album title, that got released right as they were changing the album title to Vs. Probably still packed away in mom’s attic.)

Then the Evenflow vid came out and they blew up even more. Back then, when MTV actually played music, they would hype up new vids coming out from big bands as ‘World Premiere!!’ type stuff. Like, if this was your favorite band, you would make plans to sit at home when the time came for it to be shown. We waited in front of the tv with baited breath for the Jeremy vid premiere. My BFF, her family and myself were fucking SPEECHLESS after. We recorded it (yes, on that thing called a VCR) and watched it over and over, analyzing everything.

This was a REALLY big deal back then. Super controversial. After that you could only see the unedited version on occasion, late at night and with warnings and shit. Obviously a big enough impact on the guys to make them take a step back and stop making vids for a few more albums. I’ll never forget just how poignant that vid was, how much of an impact it made, on me, the music world and the band at that time. They’ve been my favorite band since.

I never saw the unedited version of Jeremy I think until like a few minutes ago on youtube. when i was a teen in the 90's I didn't have MTV. so i only saw the video at a friends house and at that time it had already been edited so the end of the video was confusing to me. but my friends explained to me what happens at the end of the video. I just remember feeling really bad for Jeremy.

PJ_Soul · August 2018

The day of Ten's release a musical friend of mine who was "hip to the scene", lol, played me the album in his car. We just sat in a parking lot and smoked and listened. I fell in love with the band immediately.

JH6056 · August 2018

For me I first became aware of PJ with the Alive video, BUT... I didn't really like it. I swear, I used to watch MTV then and keep repeating the chant "Hair is NOT an instrument!! Stop playing your hair!!" and I felt that way about PJ LOL! Hey, you gotta admit, there's a lot of hair swinging in that video...

So I kinda ignored them for awhile, but then the Spin magazine came out with Ed on the cover near a fence, and I read the interview with him and article on them and was fascinated. There was obviously a lot more to him and PJ than I'd first thought.

Then I was at a Fugazi show in the Bay Area while they were recording Vs. and Stone and Ed were at the show. I had a really good quiet convo with Ed at the very end, he even told me about a secret show they were going to play (turned out to not stay a secret, it was the Slims show). And even though my boyfriend and I had a HUGE fight the night of the Slims show over me wanting so badly to go to the show and I then missed it, I did see them months later at a theater and was front row center, so right up under Ed I couldn've easily tied his shoe laces together from where I was standing (but of course I did NOT!).

So I became aware with Alive, but I became a permanent fan with my 1st live show in Oct '93. Couldn't believe at Charlottesville '13 it was exactly 20 yrs later within just 2 days of my 1st ever show, and was all blubbery and in happy tears for that whole amazing C'ville show too. And got a tambourine. And now Seattle 2. Just can't believe they keep bringing it like that!

MR242791 · August 2018

JH6056 said:

For me I first became aware of PJ with the Alive video, BUT... I didn't really like it. I swear, I used to watch MTV then and keep repeating the chant "Hair is NOT an instrument!! Stop playing your hair!!" and I felt that way about PJ LOL! Hey, you gotta admit, there's a lot of hair swinging in that video...

So I kinda ignored them for awhile, but then the Spin magazine came out with Ed on the cover near a fence, and I read the interview with him and article on them and was fascinated. There was obviously a lot more to him and PJ than I'd first thought.

Then I was at a Fugazi show in the Bay Area while they were recording Vs. and Stone and Ed were at the show. I had a really good quiet convo with Ed at the very end, he even told me about a secret show they were going to play (turned out to not stay a secret, it was the Slims show). And even though my boyfriend and I had a HUGE fight the night of the Slims show over me wanting so badly to go to the show and I then missed it, I did see them months later at a theater and was front row center, so right up under Ed I couldn've easily tied his shoe laces together from where I was standing (but of course I did NOT!).

So I became aware with Alive, but I became a permanent fan with my 1st live show in Oct '93. Couldn't believe at Charlottesville '13 it was exactly 20 yrs later within just 2 days of my 1st ever show, and was all blubbery and in happy tears for that whole amazing C'ville show too. And got a tambourine. And now Seattle 2. Just can't believe they keep bringing it like that!

wow another great story. that's awesome you got a tambourine. and there was a lot of hair back then lol

DJ253147 · August 2018

andyfarrimond said:

2006 - one of my friends from the old U2 Zootopia fan club convinced me to give them a listen - never been the same since.

My story is not that different from Andy’s who I had the pleasure to connect with on through a transaction a few months back). Though I had bought Ten near it’s debut and loved the big hits they were too heavy for my wife. Along came Small Town and I didn’t get it but the wife loved it. We didn’t pay any attention to PJ other than on FM radio for many years I honestly just assumed they’d fallen by the wayside. Now we’re both well north of the median age of the band way too old for the scene at those early gigs. I continued in my classic rock//U2/REM/scene but by chance there was a very solid younger guy from work who was into PJ. I always remember asking after the Vancouver 2005 show did they cover Baba? ( yes they did). That piqued my interest and I began to check out the forum a bit. By chance I befriended a guy at the 2005 U2 preparty in Portland and we stayed in touch. My first boot was the July 22,2006 Gorge show and the more we listened the more we liked it. Anyway that friend from the preparty got tix for the 2006 U2/PJ Honolulu show and urged me to do the same. Well last minute we did and that 1 hr. set by PJ was an absolute game changer. Seattle 2 was show number 18 for us...,and once again we hooked up with that friend and his family for the Seattle 2 show. I refer to that chance meeting as the power in them music. Oh and very quickly we came to appreciate what a cool, thoughtful and intelligent group of fans we are amongst at the gigs.
(sorry to be so long winded)

jcmitchell28 · August 2018

I was a sophomore at Texas Tech in 91/92 trying my best to listen to edgy music and be relevant. I was in on PJ early due in large part to the Tech radio station KTXT. Those were simpler times my friends.

2-feign-reluctance · August 2018

BMG Music Club ----> Lolla' 1992

MR242791 · August 2018

DJ253147 said:

andyfarrimond said:

2006 - one of my friends from the old U2 Zootopia fan club convinced me to give them a listen - never been the same since.

My story is not that different from Andy’s who I had the pleasure to connect with on through a transaction a few months back). Though I had bought Ten near it’s debut and loved the big hits they were too heavy for my wife. Along came Small Town and I didn’t get it but the wife loved it. We didn’t pay any attention to PJ other than on FM radio for many years I honestly just assumed they’d fallen by the wayside. Now we’re both well north of the median age of the band way too old for the scene at those early gigs. I continued in my classic rock//U2/REM/scene but by chance there was a very solid younger guy from work who was into PJ. I always remember asking after the Vancouver 2005 show did they cover Baba? ( yes they did). That piqued my interest and I began to check out the forum a bit. By chance I befriended a guy at the 2005 U2 preparty in Portland and we stayed in touch. My first boot was the July 22,2006 Gorge show and the more we listened the more we liked it. Anyway that friend from the preparty got tix for the 2006 U2/PJ Honolulu show and urged me to do the same. Well last minute we did and that 1 hr. set by PJ was an absolute game changer. Seattle 2 was show number 18 for us...,and once again we hooked up with that friend and his family for the Seattle 2 show. I refer to that chance meeting as the power in them music. Oh and very quickly we came to appreciate what a cool, thoughtful and intelligent group of fans we are amongst at the gigs.
(sorry to be so long winded)

Small Town, another great song. and yeah, PJ is big and not big at the same time, it's amazing. people are always surprised when I tell them I'm a PJ fan and how their shows always sell out and fans go crazy about the merch. I love being a PJ fan. thanks for sharing.

BookieMaylock · August 2018

I'm the youngest of five children. My oldest sister (11 years older than me) LOVES music, and she was saddled with taking care of me most of the time, and so from birth on, (luckily) most of my life had an amazing soundtrack sponsored by her favorite bands: Pink Floyd, The Who, Led Zep, Fleetwood Mac, Queen, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Heart, ELP, CSN/Y, etc. etc. ETC! When we were together, which was always, there was music. In fact, she helped me learn to read by showing me how to follow along with the lyrics printed inside the album covers.

When I graduated from high school it made sense that I would try to get a job at a record store- its where I belonged- I think I told them that when I gave them my application- I didn't even ask how much it paid (I didn't care) and that's probably why I got the job. One of my first tasks on my first day there was to help to put up a display in the corner window for a band I'd never heard of. We stapled dozens of album flats to the walls, bending and bowing them to create interesting shapes and give it some dimension, and we hung 50 red plastic apples on clear fishing line from the ceiling at various heights- we even got some apple air scented air freshener to spray around near there (we wanted it to feel immersive). As we listened to the band's music (which was the tradition at the store- play the band's music while you put up their display) and I was steeped in the awesomeness of the whole experience; being out of school and having an unbelievably lucky and amazing new job, and the cool people who worked there and shopped there, and this new amazing music playing so loud on the huge speakers that the whole place vibrated (and also, I was probably a little high on apple air freshener

...) that band was quickly becoming MY BAND and these songs were being pressed into a new life soundtrack that I was now creating for myself, separate from (but still part of) the one my sister had started for me when I was a child. But, when I finally overcame my fear of sounding like a "know nothing poser" to ask the guy I was helping if he knew more about the band, he told me that Andy Woods, the lead singer, had died of an overdose in the spring, and the album we were listening to would be the only Mother Love Bone album. He told me a little bit about how young he was, what a shame it was because of how talented they all were, how it was sad that he died before Apple was released- it was such a fantastic album. But I really loved it, I told him- already feeling entitled for more music from them I guess, I felt robbed of something. "You know Alice in Chains, right? You know Soundgarden..." that's what he said- I did know them, a little, but then after that, after talking to him (over the course of the year and then the rest of my life to today), I REALLY started to know them. (In fact, that guy gave me a red vinyl "Louder than Love" album that I still cherish). He's the one who introduced me to MudHoney. Of course, none of these bands were the same as MLB (no band will ever be), but they all came from the same place (and I don't mean Seattle). This was my music.

I think it was in the winter that we heard at the record store that Stone and Jeff were starting a new band. We couldn't wait.
When Temple of the dog came out in the Spring, there was NO WAY we weren't all over it. It was fucking amazing.
And then Pearl Jam. And just like my first day in that corner display, I heard them for the very first time on a pre-released record store promo copy, over huge speakers that shook the store... it was so powerful and so full of energy and life and soul- all I could think is "they came back!"... MY BAND. They have been this for me, from that day until now.

I wasn't able to see them live until THIS YEAR (when i had the time I didn't have the money, when I had the money I didn't have the time... it all finally worked out for me 27 years or so later). Saw three shows (both shows in Seattle, and Missoula). Gotta tell ya, there was a moment during Crown of Thorns (Night 2, Safeco) when I saw Jeff and Stone playing together and I just couldn't stop the tears from falling (really, I didn't want to). I'm pretty sure that just for a moment, I caught the scent of apples in the air...

Thanks Pearl Jam.

ryph raph · August 2018

The 1st week of August 1991.

A friend managed a local record store, he gave me a Epic Audio By - Ways promo cassette that had Black & Jeremy on it.

Told me that if I liked Temple and Mother Love, which he also turned me on to, that I would like these guys to.

Still have the tape.

Twenty seven and counting.

JOEJOEJOE · August 2018

Saw them open for RHCPs and Nirvava in December 1991.

lukin1023 · August 2018

My older brother brought home Vitalogy the day it came out, I was 13. We popped it in the CD player and I have been hooked ever since. My brother passed away about 10 years ago, Pearl Jam's music helped me get thru that and many, many things since. I'm flying out for Wrigley night 2 tomorrow with my younger brother. It will be the first time we have seen them together, I think a drink or two will be in order!

Mookies Uncle · August 2018

2-feign-reluctance said:

BMG Music Club ----> Lolla' 1992

In the ealry 90's heard some PJ on the radio , but then I picked Ten as one of my 6 CD's for a penny (from Columbia House iirc) and have followed them ever since

JH6056 · August 2018

BookieMaylock said:

I'm the youngest of five children. My oldest sister (11 years older than me) LOVES music, and she was saddled with taking care of me most of the time, and so from birth on, (luckily) most of my life had an amazing soundtrack sponsored by her favorite bands: Pink Floyd, The Who, Led Zep, Fleetwood Mac, Queen, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Heart, ELP, CSN/Y, etc. etc. ETC! When we were together, which was always, there was music. In fact, she helped me learn to read by showing me how to follow along with the lyrics printed inside the album covers.

When I graduated from high school it made sense that I would try to get a job at a record store- its where I belonged- I think I told them that when I gave them my application- I didn't even ask how much it paid (I didn't care) and that's probably why I got the job. One of my first tasks on my first day there was to help to put up a display in the corner window for a band I'd never heard of. We stapled dozens of album flats to the walls, bending and bowing them to create interesting shapes and give it some dimension, and we hung 50 red plastic apples on clear fishing line from the ceiling at various heights- we even got some apple air scented air freshener to spray around near there (we wanted it to feel immersive). As we listened to the band's music (which was the tradition at the store- play the band's music while you put up their display) and I was steeped in the awesomeness of the whole experience; being out of school and having an unbelievably lucky and amazing new job, and the cool people who worked there and shopped there, and this new amazing music playing so loud on the huge speakers that the whole place vibrated (and also, I was probably a little high on apple air freshener ...) that band was quickly becoming MY BAND and these songs were being pressed into a new life soundtrack that I was now creating for myself, separate from (but still part of) the one my sister had started for me when I was a child. But, when I finally overcame my fear of sounding like a "know nothing poser" to ask the guy I was helping if he knew more about the band, he told me that Andy Woods, the lead singer, had died of an overdose in the spring, and the album we were listening to would be the only Mother Love Bone album. He told me a little bit about how young he was, what a shame it was because of how talented they all were, how it was sad that he died before Apple was released- it was such a fantastic album. But I really loved it, I told him- already feeling entitled for more music from them I guess, I felt robbed of something. "You know Alice in Chains, right? You know Soundgarden..." that's what he said- I did know them, a little, but then after that, after talking to him (over the course of the year and then the rest of my life to today), I REALLY started to know them. (In fact, that guy gave me a red vinyl "Louder than Love" album that I still cherish). He's the one who introduced me to MudHoney. Of course, none of these bands were the same as MLB (no band will ever be), but they all came from the same place (and I don't mean Seattle). This was my music.

I think it was in the winter that we heard at the record store that Stone and Jeff were starting a new band. We couldn't wait.
When Temple of the dog came out in the Spring, there was NO WAY we weren't all over it. It was fucking amazing.
And then Pearl Jam. And just like my first day in that corner display, I heard them for the very first time on a pre-released record store promo copy, over huge speakers that shook the store... it was so powerful and so full of energy and life and soul- all I could think is "they came back!"... MY BAND. They have been this for me, from that day until now.

I wasn't able to see them live until THIS YEAR (when i had the time I didn't have the money, when I had the money I didn't have the time... it all finally worked out for me 27 years or so later). Saw three shows (both shows in Seattle, and Missoula). Gotta tell ya, there was a moment during Crown of Thorns (Night 2, Safeco) when I saw Jeff and Stone playing together and I just couldn't stop the tears from falling (really, I didn't want to). I'm pretty sure that just for a moment, I caught the scent of apples in the air...

Thanks Pearl Jam.

Wow. Wow and more WOW!!! I'm all tears from your story! The power of good, heart-originating music! I love your story, thanks for sharing!

Hey while in Seattle did you see the PJ exhibit at MoPio? If so, what did you think of the Andy Wood statue with the faint soundtrack behind it?

JH6056 · August 2018

Hey OP, when I first saw this thread, to be honest I kinda rolled my eyes a little, cuz how many times here has that question been asked? But wow, this whole discussion is a reminder that you can never ask this question too many times. Even the most common stories are of people who had their lives changed by music. And those stories NEVER GET OLD!

And some of them... give new life to the music and to me

cp3iverson · August 2018

Jeremy ‘92

Seattle1974 · August 2018

It was fall of my senior year of H.S. (Nov '91). I didn't know them. They opened for the Chili Peppers at Roseland. Blew me away and have been hooked ever since.

BookieMaylock · August 2018

JH6056 said:

BookieMaylock said:

I'm the youngest of five children. My oldest sister (11 years older than me) LOVES music, and she was saddled with taking care of me most of the time, and so from birth on, (luckily) most of my life had an amazing soundtrack sponsored by her favorite bands: Pink Floyd, The Who, Led Zep, Fleetwood Mac, Queen, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Heart, ELP, CSN/Y, etc. etc. ETC! When we were together, which was always, there was music. In fact, she helped me learn to read by showing me how to follow along with the lyrics printed inside the album covers.

When I graduated from high school it made sense that I would try to get a job at a record store- its where I belonged- I think I told them that when I gave them my application- I didn't even ask how much it paid (I didn't care) and that's probably why I got the job. One of my first tasks on my first day there was to help to put up a display in the corner window for a band I'd never heard of. We stapled dozens of album flats to the walls, bending and bowing them to create interesting shapes and give it some dimension, and we hung 50 red plastic apples on clear fishing line from the ceiling at various heights- we even got some apple air scented air freshener to spray around near there (we wanted it to feel immersive). As we listened to the band's music (which was the tradition at the store- play the band's music while you put up their display) and I was steeped in the awesomeness of the whole experience; being out of school and having an unbelievably lucky and amazing new job, and the cool people who worked there and shopped there, and this new amazing music playing so loud on the huge speakers that the whole place vibrated (and also, I was probably a little high on apple air freshener ...) that band was quickly becoming MY BAND and these songs were being pressed into a new life soundtrack that I was now creating for myself, separate from (but still part of) the one my sister had started for me when I was a child. But, when I finally overcame my fear of sounding like a "know nothing poser" to ask the guy I was helping if he knew more about the band, he told me that Andy Woods, the lead singer, had died of an overdose in the spring, and the album we were listening to would be the only Mother Love Bone album. He told me a little bit about how young he was, what a shame it was because of how talented they all were, how it was sad that he died before Apple was released- it was such a fantastic album. But I really loved it, I told him- already feeling entitled for more music from them I guess, I felt robbed of something. "You know Alice in Chains, right? You know Soundgarden..." that's what he said- I did know them, a little, but then after that, after talking to him (over the course of the year and then the rest of my life to today), I REALLY started to know them. (In fact, that guy gave me a red vinyl "Louder than Love" album that I still cherish). He's the one who introduced me to MudHoney. Of course, none of these bands were the same as MLB (no band will ever be), but they all came from the same place (and I don't mean Seattle). This was my music.

I think it was in the winter that we heard at the record store that Stone and Jeff were starting a new band. We couldn't wait.
When Temple of the dog came out in the Spring, there was NO WAY we weren't all over it. It was fucking amazing.
And then Pearl Jam. And just like my first day in that corner display, I heard them for the very first time on a pre-released record store promo copy, over huge speakers that shook the store... it was so powerful and so full of energy and life and soul- all I could think is "they came back!"... MY BAND. They have been this for me, from that day until now.

I wasn't able to see them live until THIS YEAR (when i had the time I didn't have the money, when I had the money I didn't have the time... it all finally worked out for me 27 years or so later). Saw three shows (both shows in Seattle, and Missoula). Gotta tell ya, there was a moment during Crown of Thorns (Night 2, Safeco) when I saw Jeff and Stone playing together and I just couldn't stop the tears from falling (really, I didn't want to). I'm pretty sure that just for a moment, I caught the scent of apples in the air...

Thanks Pearl Jam.

Wow. Wow and more WOW!!! I'm all tears from your story! The power of good, heart-originating music! I love your story, thanks for sharing!

Hey while in Seattle did you see the PJ exhibit at MoPio? If so, what did you think of the Andy Wood statue with the faint soundtrack behind it?

Wouldn't have missed it for anything! It's perfect.

Allspread · August 2018

Pearl Jam - I'm the "right" age - 49 - I was in my early 20's when Ten was released. Which I bought, and liked, but it wasn't really my cup of tea. I got a copy of Vs. and then kept on keeping on with all my jambands like the Dead, Widespread Panic, Phish and their related ilk. (Which I'm still doing) -

I didn't give Pearl Jam a second thought. I didn't have cable TV until I was in my 30's, so I never saw all the music video back in the day. They'd be on broadcast TV every once in a while on a talk show ... big fight with TicketMaster, huh? ... all those kids got killed at Roskilde ... that's about it. Didn't get any of their later albums.

10+ years ago after my life had come crashing down on me, divorced after 13 years, job I hated so very badly and finally quit - I met a woman my age in my neighborhood, also divorced, also really into music and we started dating -

We had some music in common - Ryan Adams, Wilco, a lot of Americana. She's not into jambands. I was trying to describe the jamband concert experience to her one night "Well, they play a different set list every night, and people dance all night and sing along, and people travel all over the place for shows, devoted fan base ..." and she said

"Sounds like going to see Pearl Jam" - and my reaction was "really? Pearl Jam? those 90's Seattle guys?"

So I started listening ... and listening some more ... and one thing led to another ...

These guys are fucking amazing.

We've now been married 4 years after a 5+ year courtship. Returned from our 3rd Pearl Jam European tour last month.

Spent this past Saturday night screaming our heads off at Wrigley Field.

Funny how life works out, huh?

MR242791 · August 2018

BookieMaylock said:

I'm the youngest of five children. My oldest sister (11 years older than me) LOVES music, and she was saddled with taking care of me most of the time, and so from birth on, (luckily) most of my life had an amazing soundtrack sponsored by her favorite bands: Pink Floyd, The Who, Led Zep, Fleetwood Mac, Queen, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Heart, ELP, CSN/Y, etc. etc. ETC! When we were together, which was always, there was music. In fact, she helped me learn to read by showing me how to follow along with the lyrics printed inside the album covers.

When I graduated from high school it made sense that I would try to get a job at a record store- its where I belonged- I think I told them that when I gave them my application- I didn't even ask how much it paid (I didn't care) and that's probably why I got the job. One of my first tasks on my first day there was to help to put up a display in the corner window for a band I'd never heard of. We stapled dozens of album flats to the walls, bending and bowing them to create interesting shapes and give it some dimension, and we hung 50 red plastic apples on clear fishing line from the ceiling at various heights- we even got some apple air scented air freshener to spray around near there (we wanted it to feel immersive). As we listened to the band's music (which was the tradition at the store- play the band's music while you put up their display) and I was steeped in the awesomeness of the whole experience; being out of school and having an unbelievably lucky and amazing new job, and the cool people who worked there and shopped there, and this new amazing music playing so loud on the huge speakers that the whole place vibrated (and also, I was probably a little high on apple air freshener ...) that band was quickly becoming MY BAND and these songs were being pressed into a new life soundtrack that I was now creating for myself, separate from (but still part of) the one my sister had started for me when I was a child. But, when I finally overcame my fear of sounding like a "know nothing poser" to ask the guy I was helping if he knew more about the band, he told me that Andy Woods, the lead singer, had died of an overdose in the spring, and the album we were listening to would be the only Mother Love Bone album. He told me a little bit about how young he was, what a shame it was because of how talented they all were, how it was sad that he died before Apple was released- it was such a fantastic album. But I really loved it, I told him- already feeling entitled for more music from them I guess, I felt robbed of something. "You know Alice in Chains, right? You know Soundgarden..." that's what he said- I did know them, a little, but then after that, after talking to him (over the course of the year and then the rest of my life to today), I REALLY started to know them. (In fact, that guy gave me a red vinyl "Louder than Love" album that I still cherish). He's the one who introduced me to MudHoney. Of course, none of these bands were the same as MLB (no band will ever be), but they all came from the same place (and I don't mean Seattle). This was my music.

I think it was in the winter that we heard at the record store that Stone and Jeff were starting a new band. We couldn't wait.
When Temple of the dog came out in the Spring, there was NO WAY we weren't all over it. It was fucking amazing.
And then Pearl Jam. And just like my first day in that corner display, I heard them for the very first time on a pre-released record store promo copy, over huge speakers that shook the store... it was so powerful and so full of energy and life and soul- all I could think is "they came back!"... MY BAND. They have been this for me, from that day until now.

I wasn't able to see them live until THIS YEAR (when i had the time I didn't have the money, when I had the money I didn't have the time... it all finally worked out for me 27 years or so later). Saw three shows (both shows in Seattle, and Missoula). Gotta tell ya, there was a moment during Crown of Thorns (Night 2, Safeco) when I saw Jeff and Stone playing together and I just couldn't stop the tears from falling (really, I didn't want to). I'm pretty sure that just for a moment, I caught the scent of apples in the air...

Thanks Pearl Jam.

wow your story gave me goosebumps.

MR242791 · August 2018

lukin1023 said:

My older brother brought home Vitalogy the day it came out, I was 13. We popped it in the CD player and I have been hooked ever since. My brother passed away about 10 years ago, Pearl Jam's music helped me get thru that and many, many things since. I'm flying out for Wrigley night 2 tomorrow with my younger brother. It will be the first time we have seen them together, I think a drink or two will be in order!

The wrigley shows were great

When/How did you discover Pearl Jam?

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