Pearl Jam and Stone Temple Pilots

The comparisons were from Sex Type Thing from the get go.   I remember thinking this guy is an Ed hack first time through, but if you got past  an initial sort of sounds like thought, and listened to more of Core, there was no way you could go away thinking he was a Ed hack.  The record companies were notorious for copycat sounds and bands, ride the wave. Silverchair and Creed got PJ copycat a lot too, neither are anywhere near the same.  I know how much you all love Creed, but PJ they are not (their cover of riders on the storm is amazing!)

I need to go listen to purple again. Such a great record.

hrd2imgn said:

The comparisons were from Sex Type Thing from the get go.   I remember thinking this guy is an Ed hack first time through, but if you got past  an initial sort of sounds like thought, and listened to more of Core, there was no way you could go away thinking he was a Ed hack.  The record companies were notorious for copycat sounds and bands, ride the wave. Silverchair and Creed got PJ copycat a lot too, neither are anywhere near the same.  I know how much you all love Creed, but PJ they are not (their cover of riders on the storm is amazing!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TaeePgygfY

I was an STP fan before I was a PJ fan.  I never saw them with Weiland but have caught the new singer a few times.  They put on a great show.

Saw them with Weiland on the MTV Return of the Rock tour at the Patriot Center in Fairfax VA on Oct. 25, 2000 with openers Godsmack and Disturbed. I remember Weiland being an awesome high-energy performer. Have also seen STP with Chester and then two years ago with the new guy. Still love the songs but obviously it's not the same. 

Heck, I'd also love to see Bush open for Pearl Jam, but it almost seems as though they've never met, which seems illogical.  

PSUS2H said:

I was fortunate enough to see STP on the No 4, Shangri La, and Self Titled #1 tours, as well as a holiday show Scott did at the 9:30 club in DC.  Incredible perfromances, truly engaging.  I went to see them on the No 4 tour as a teenager with my mom because I wanted to see disturbed and godsmack (openers), but ended up leaving a bigger fan of STP, still to this day.   Anyhow, if you like STP, check out Scott's autobiography.  Its a quick read but immensely moving. 

Interestingly I read that autobiography and found it to be forgettable. It’s been a few years but it I remember it being a book about how many drugs he did and how easy it seemed to be for him to write catchy lyrics. It was written in such a matter-of-fact way it seemed devoid of any ability to create an emotional response. Quite similar to Anthony Kiedis book. 

PSUS2H said:

I was fortunate enough to see STP on the No 4, Shangri La, and Self Titled #1 tours, as well as a holiday show Scott did at the 9:30 club in DC.  Incredible perfromances, truly engaging.  I went to see them on the No 4 tour as a teenager with my mom because I wanted to see disturbed and godsmack (openers), but ended up leaving a bigger fan of STP, still to this day.   Anyhow, if you like STP, check out Scott's autobiography.  Its a quick read but immensely moving. 

Saw STP last year with their new singer and once with Scott during the Shangri La tour at a festival, the only reason I went to that festival. The show last year was fun and better than what I expected. But that I saw them with Scott at that festival still makes me happy. I got in line early so I could get up front during the STP set and I was so happy to see them esp. from up close. What an energy.
Scott's death touched me emotionally although it sadly did not surprise me. I did not read his autobiography as I kept hearing it wasn't that good and didn't seem truthful. I've read the autobiography of his ex wife which was an interesting read. she did not seem to paint things in a brighter color than they actually were.  

I was never a fan of the second gen "grunge" bands like STP, Bush, Candlebox, etc. The music was weak, derivative and just lacked something... sincerity maybe. I thought of them as the boy band equivalent/response from the major labels to what they saw as new cash-cow.
I recall that in the nineties, STP, or Weiland in particular, in interviews went out of his way to re-write STP history claiming the members had met at a Black Flag show or some such nonsense. There's a hilarious letter in an 1993 issue of Spin from a guy, responding to a previous issue featuring Weiland, claiming to have gone to the same high school which says "I vividly recall a conversation I had with Scott back in 1986 (the year we graduated from Edison high school) in which he said, 'How can you play that punk rock shit? That stuff isn't even music.'" He then goes on to say that Weiland was more into Duran Duran, Mr. Mister, and that Weiland's band at the time looked and sounded like those bands. He closes with "Scott -who always seemed to epitome of the sexist, macho, tough guy - has become the 'poster boy for feminism.' When the most popular guy from your high school starts telling sob stories about being an outcast for the sake of being cool and maintaining an image, I just have one thing to say . "You're rich, good-looking and white... and I'm not sure that's a good thing.' I stole that from you Scott."

People change and grow up, I get that,  but I'd have a lot more respect for STP if they hadn't tried so hard to pretend to have some kind of underground cred which they clearly did not have.

Speaking of dream concert bills or weird bills.  I always thought that NIN/Soundgarden tour from a few years ago, was s super weird mix.  Both were big enough to be out on their own, not sure what that tour was all about.  Don't get me wrong, I went to multiple shows that tour and always went early to see all sets, but just a weird vibe there.