NEVER AGAIN?

Weston1283 · September 2021

MayDay10 said:

Spiritual_Chaos said:

vedpunk said:

HughFreakingDillon said:

vedpunk said:

I am super pumped to see the band live again. I'm not so jaded and entitled to know that seeing a band play a new album worth of songs and a different setlist every night at a high level is a unique and incredible experience. Some of you probably need to move on and watch your YouTube videos in the comfy confines of your leather recliner. This is not for you (anymore).

People and situations change and evolve. doesn't mean they are "jaded and entitled".

Wrong, people complaining about having to hear the same 10-15 songs out of a 30 song setlist from night to night are entitled and people complaining about having to park and walk to the venue and pay (less than all other major acts) are jaded.

I'm actually excited to know we will be losing the unenthusiastic, jaded people that make concerts dull and the remaining audience will make for a better show.

Deciding what other people are and are not, sounds awfully entitled.

Honestly, these kind of fans kind of kill the experience too, and we have a lot of them in this fanbase. The same way overly toxic fans can ruin the experience, where you wonder why they are even engaging if they just always hate every single thing (we have those too).

The ones who say everything is always perfect, and paint every single naysayer with a broad brush of strawmen. As if Eddie Vedder himself is monitoring the comments and will bestow great appreciation on those who act like the biggest fans.

I think there are a lot of valid points here, and some interesting thoughts/dialog about getting older, not liking the experience and how it has evolved/changed, the fact that band members themselves seem to be less invested in the band and playing live than in the past which rubs off on some fans, pandemic/crowd anxiety, long merch lines during the shows (dont think that bothers me personally), etc. Maybe you don't agree with some of them, but I hardly think it overly reeks of being 'entitled'. People are just sharing their thoughts. In such a period of inactivity, albeit the past 1.5 years forced due to the pandemic, it is natural for a lot of fans to disengage from the band a bit.

While I am among those who feel a bit disengaged, Im happy for people who have been jamming out to bootlegs the past few years and are excited to be attending upcoming show(s). Thats great!

This^

mcgruff10 · September 2021

Well said @MayDay10
love you long time Rob.

vedpunk · September 2021

I find it interesting that fans that are ready to write the band off and are “disengaged” now are spending the most time posting lengthy arguments on the bands forum. Might be time to find a new hobby and leave your precious computer screen for awhile. Good luck finding that perfect band, that shit doesn’t exist. In the meantime, people with tickets to the upcoming concerts will enjoy the shows.

bootlegger10 · September 2021

vedpunk said:

I find it interesting that fans that are ready to write the band off and are “disengaged” now are spending the most time posting lengthy arguments on the bands forum. Might be time to find a new hobby and leave your precious computer screen for awhile. Good luck finding that perfect band, that shit doesn’t exist. In the meantime, people with tickets to the upcoming concerts will enjoy the shows.

Written like a punk. Lighten up. Just people talking. Nobody is completely writing off the band. Just get burned out from time to time.

Spiritual_Chaos · September 2021

vedpunk said:

I find it interesting that fans that are ready to write the band off and are “disengaged” now are spending the most time posting lengthy arguments on the bands forum. Might be time to find a new hobby and leave your precious computer screen for awhile. Good luck finding that perfect band, that shit doesn’t exist. In the meantime, people with tickets to the upcoming concerts will enjoy the shows.

You come off as very insecure.

vedpunk · September 2021

Here comes the name calling...must have stricken some nerves...and I'm insecure? I'm just talking like everyone else. We can still like the band right? Sorry I don't agree with your pessimistic viewpoints. Must be some sad lives. I encourage you to take a walk. Get some fresh air. The calm app is actually really useful if you prefer technology.

HughFreakingDillon · September 2021

vedpunk said:

Here comes the name calling...must have stricken some nerves...and I'm insecure? I'm just talking like everyone else. We can still like the band right? Sorry I don't agree with your pessimistic viewpoints. Must be some sad lives. I encourage you to take a walk. Get some fresh air. The calm app is actually really useful if you prefer technology.

the OG name caller complaining about people name calling. classic.

bootlegger10 · September 2021

vedpunk said:

Here comes the name calling...must have stricken some nerves...and I'm insecure? I'm just talking like everyone else. We can still like the band right? Sorry I don't agree with your pessimistic viewpoints. Must be some sad lives. I encourage you to take a walk. Get some fresh air. The calm app is actually really useful if you prefer technology.

Do you actually read what you write versus other people? I would read it loud. By the way, you named yourself punk. So I don’t know that it falls under name calling.

vedpunk · September 2021

bootlegger10 said:

vedpunk said:

Here comes the name calling...must have stricken some nerves...and I'm insecure? I'm just talking like everyone else. We can still like the band right? Sorry I don't agree with your pessimistic viewpoints. Must be some sad lives. I encourage you to take a walk. Get some fresh air. The calm app is actually really useful if you prefer technology.

Do you actually read what you write versus other people? I would read it loud. By the way, you named yourself punk. So I don’t know that it falls under name calling.

Do you think about what you write before you push send? You are burned out but wish the band did this and did that and were more like another band. Pick a side, it's very confusing. It's fine if you don't like the band anymore. Leave the forum to the fans and people excited to go to the shows.

CopperTom · September 2021

Given the 37 month break, I'll be happy to hear nothing but Ten and Covers at the first shows back. And they play too much Ten and way too many covers (and I hate covers).

Interest ebbs and flows. Taking a leg off or a year off, for any reason, is no big deal.

bootlegger10 · September 2021

vedpunk said:

bootlegger10 said:

vedpunk said:

Here comes the name calling...must have stricken some nerves...and I'm insecure? I'm just talking like everyone else. We can still like the band right? Sorry I don't agree with your pessimistic viewpoints. Must be some sad lives. I encourage you to take a walk. Get some fresh air. The calm app is actually really useful if you prefer technology.

Do you actually read what you write versus other people? I would read it loud. By the way, you named yourself punk. So I don’t know that it falls under name calling.

Do you think about what you write before you push send? You are burned out but wish the band did this and did that and were more like another band. Pick a side, it's very confusing. It's fine if you don't like the band anymore. Leave the forum to the fans and people excited to go to the shows.

There are currently 3,458 pages of various threads on this board. Can’t we have just this one thread?

I am not super pumped for a concert. Is that so wrong?

OnWis97 · September 2021

NDJeff7 said:

I was at both Fenway shows, and while I definitely enjoyed them and had a blast, the sets were only so-so. The big downer for me at least was that everyone knew there was a hard 10:30pm curfew, but both nights they waited forever to come on. That led to songs scratched and an overall vibe of things being rushed. It was great being in CF at Fenway for a couple nights, but I'd prefer an arena any day of the week.

That does drive me nuts. Sometimes it seems like bands (and even fans) will trade a few songs for more time of "building anticipation..."

Remember when the pandemic first started and concerts and sporting events were being cancelled. I'd love to have a nickel for every time I read "when sports and concerts come back, they'll be selling out in seconds!" But it's really not how we imagined it. It didn't end in a "flipping a light switch" kind of way. We were all vaxed at different times (those of us who are), the economy is bad, and people were / are nervous about crowds (while others are boycotting "woke" teams). So the demand for all of these things isn't what we thought it would be. And I think an underrated piece of it is that people realized they can live without going to games and concerts. They missed their friends and families but shelling out big money to be in crowds? Maybe not so much. I've been to one MLB game and one concert; both outdoors (both at Target Field), with the former on a weekday in May with a bad team so not very crowded. I could have done more; I just haven't. It's still a strange and scarry time.

I'm going (probably) to SHN and I'm not super pumped. My wife and I bought tickets long ago because 1) Pearl Jam is my favorite act and 2) Ani DiFranco is hers. We should be pumped, even if a festival isn't the best way to see them (particularly Pearl Jam). Instead, we both feel weird about flying, etc. For me, that's the big thing. Politics has always been a part of it. I shake my head at the merch lines but it doesn't matter to me. Rock star hypocrisy? What else is new?

I'm blown away by the secondary ticket prices being so low...primarily because it's Pearl Jam. Think about how difficult it is to get tickets some times...

Anyway, tone thing I like about the "festival" part of this is that I am going to be content to not get close...at Ohana in 2017 (Eddie) we hung at the back; we'll damn sure be doing that this time...if we go...

The other thing I like about festivals is they stick pretty well to schedules...I don't need the extra "anticipation."

gimmesometruth27 · September 2021

i kinda feel the same way. i am holding on to tickets to 3 shows but i am not excited about them. i think i am the kind of person that has to have something to look forward to. and with no dates, if feels like that money is just sitting out there languishing and there is nothing to look forward to.

i work in surgical sales and am in hospitals and surgery centers every day. i get enough anxiety being in those places where people are actually really sick. i feel like i have taken enough risks during this pandemic that i feel like i do not want to gamble going into a bigass crowd of people that may or may not be vaccinated. especially with the delta variant or whatever subsequent variant is coming along. my business has taken a beating this year due to places stopping elective cases. when elective surgeries stop, sales stop. 2021 has been way worse than 2020 was businesswise.

maybe it is because i am just older now. maybe i have grown accustomed to a certain lifestyle when i travel now. i am old enough that i do not want to stay in dive hotels. i do not want to pile into a room with 5 other people, and i do not want to camp. i do not want to do things the cheap way like i did in my 20s. the energy i used to put into being a fan of music in general has had to go towards other things, like business.

the pandemic has allowed me to find other smaller bands that play to smaller crowds. i think i enjoy that more than the baseball stadiums or arena shows.

don't get me wrong. i love pj. they have been a huge part of my life since i was in 10th grade. i am just not that excited about music anymore. i have been in bands since 1996 and it has been 2 years since i have played a show. i think i am just kind of over everything i used to love.

100 Pacer · September 2021

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

2-feign-reluctance · September 2021

gimmesometruth27 said:

i kinda feel the same way. i am holding on to tickets to 3 shows but i am not excited about them. i think i am the kind of person that has to have something to look forward to. and with no dates, if feels like that money is just sitting out there languishing and there is nothing to look forward to.

i work in surgical sales and am in hospitals and surgery centers every day. i get enough anxiety being in those places where people are actually really sick. i feel like i have taken enough risks during this pandemic that i feel like i do not want to gamble going into a bigass crowd of people that may or may not be vaccinated. especially with the delta variant or whatever subsequent variant is coming along. my business has taken a beating this year due to places stopping elective cases. when elective surgeries stop, sales stop. 2021 has been way worse than 2020 was businesswise.

maybe it is because i am just older now. maybe i have grown accustomed to a certain lifestyle when i travel now. i am old enough that i do not want to stay in dive hotels. i do not want to pile into a room with 5 other people, and i do not want to camp. i do not want to do things the cheap way like i did in my 20s. the energy i used to put into being a fan of music in general has had to go towards other things, like business.

the pandemic has allowed me to find other smaller bands that play to smaller crowds. i think i enjoy that more than the baseball stadiums or arena shows.

don't get me wrong. i love pj. they have been a huge part of my life since i was in 10th grade. i am just not that excited about music anymore. i have been in bands since 1996 and it has been 2 years since i have played a show. i think i am just kind of over everything i used to love.

@gimmesometruth27
This is where I am too. By the way, any chance I could beg a favour and have you play on my next solo effort? Maybe a solo or two? Have been a big admirer many years!

gimmesometruth27 · September 2021

2-feign-reluctance said:

gimmesometruth27 said:

i kinda feel the same way. i am holding on to tickets to 3 shows but i am not excited about them. i think i am the kind of person that has to have something to look forward to. and with no dates, if feels like that money is just sitting out there languishing and there is nothing to look forward to.

i work in surgical sales and am in hospitals and surgery centers every day. i get enough anxiety being in those places where people are actually really sick. i feel like i have taken enough risks during this pandemic that i feel like i do not want to gamble going into a bigass crowd of people that may or may not be vaccinated. especially with the delta variant or whatever subsequent variant is coming along. my business has taken a beating this year due to places stopping elective cases. when elective surgeries stop, sales stop. 2021 has been way worse than 2020 was businesswise.

maybe it is because i am just older now. maybe i have grown accustomed to a certain lifestyle when i travel now. i am old enough that i do not want to stay in dive hotels. i do not want to pile into a room with 5 other people, and i do not want to camp. i do not want to do things the cheap way like i did in my 20s. the energy i used to put into being a fan of music in general has had to go towards other things, like business.

the pandemic has allowed me to find other smaller bands that play to smaller crowds. i think i enjoy that more than the baseball stadiums or arena shows.

don't get me wrong. i love pj. they have been a huge part of my life since i was in 10th grade. i am just not that excited about music anymore. i have been in bands since 1996 and it has been 2 years since i have played a show. i think i am just kind of over everything i used to love.

@gimmesometruth27
This is where I am too. By the way, any chance I could beg a favour and have you play on my next solo effort? Maybe a solo or two? Have been a big admirer many years!

i think maybe i have been traumatized. and then people nowadays seem like they have forgotten how we are supposed to act when in public. but that is a topic for another thread maybe.

sure thing man. i am not much of a lead player, but i can give it a shot. let me know. been a big fan of your stuff over the years too.

SVRDhand13 · September 2021

NDJeff7 said:

I was at both Fenway shows, and while I definitely enjoyed them and had a blast, the sets were only so-so. The big downer for me at least was that everyone knew there was a hard 10:30pm curfew, but both nights they waited forever to come on. That led to songs scratched and an overall vibe of things being rushed. It was great being in CF at Fenway for a couple nights, but I'd prefer an arena any day of the week.

2016 felt special to me

2018 did not (still enjoyed it- just not nearly as much)

For Sea Hear Now, give me all the Gigaton I can get!!!

D-Rod · September 2021

👍

Spunkie · September 2021

100 Pacer said:

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

During this pandemic, I heard a clip of Ed saying that actually it's presence that makes the heart grow fonder.

I feel excited to FINALLY hear the new album!!! Yet, this elation and anticipation is mixed with anxiety due to the uncertainty of passing a covid test to get into the states.

Zod · September 2021

I'm now at 3 years and a month since I last saw PJ. I think this is just surpassing my last longest stretch (not including lollapalooza to Missoula '98) which was between Gorge '06 and Calgary '09.

I'm not quite as active as some members. I usually go 2 to 3 years with no shows, then catch a couple. Seems to be a good balance. After a few years go by I get pretty excited to go again. And I feel like you need to see a few on the same tour to take it all in. It makes it easier of those two shows are in the same place back to back.

I'm still sitting on the Oakland tickets, and look forward to trying to make the new dates.

I will say, that I agree with comments. I live on an Island so I travel for big shows. So much effort with ferries, driving, hotels, venue lineups, merch lineups, showing up a few hours early to get a decent spot on the floor, etc... Half the time your exhausted by the time the band hits the stage. That being said, the moment that hits, I forget all about it for 3 hours. It's just getting yourself to that point

Back to the original poster, it sounds like they aren't specifically against PJ as they aren't going to other shows either, so it's a more a "I'm tired of the concert industry and expensive ticket prices thing"

I started to feel that before Covid. For bands like Foo Fighters, U2, Metallica, GNR it's pretty easy to skip tours because you don't feel like you miss much if you miss a tour. Setlists are often similar, sub a few songs in/out. Plus they're all in the summer when everything is super expensive (I miss winter concerts). Given that I have to take days off work to go, and all those summer hotel costs... I was only picking 1 or 2 shows to see in the summer.

I'm itchng for a PJ show but I'm not really jonesing for much else. I saw the Stones about 6 months B.C. and that was pretty much the last of the big names off my high school concert list (that was still touring). Now it's all.. do I really want to pay $250 USD for good seats to see this band for the 6th time kind of thing......

NEVER AGAIN?

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