Lollapalooza - Pine Knob - Clarkston MI - July 31st, 1992 2:00 Stage time and the entire Pavillion filled up. Ed told the crowd they looked too confined and should make some room. All the zip tied folding chairs got tore up and it opened into a giant pit. People stormed from the lawn seats and came running down the stairs to join. It was insane! There is no setlist for this show but I am 99.9% sure they played Dirty Frank. The last song of the set was Deep and there was probably 50 people on stage running around, stage diving, complete mayhem!!
so many memories coming up seeing everyone talk about their first shows, fuckin love it!
My first show was technically Randalls Island 1, 1996 but when they opened with Last Exit, a friend I was there with took a hit in the back of the head from someone surfing over the top. She ended up eating the railing in front of us and chipping some teeth. Took her over to first-aid area, which was basically a triage unit, and since we were 16 they put us in an ambulance and sent us off to some NYC hospital. I was bummed but the ER nurse gave me a copy of the paperwork and told me to try to use it to get in the next night. It worked and what an amazing first complete show for Randalls Island 2. Followed it up later that week with a bus ride up to Hartford. I've been lucky enough to see some amazing shows, hoping for another memorable one in Sacramento next month.
That is a great story. Me and a friend showed up to night 2 with backstage passes for night 1 (mistake by our media contacts). They let us in anyway, not full access but total hospitality. Also my first show. First present tense.
Not the first but the second time, Philly 2005.. Awesome set list and during Crazy Mary the sound cut out and made this crazy sound. Freaked Eddie out and he was scared to start the song again. lol Still probably my top show.
Honorable mentions: Bonnaroo 2008 - WMA as a full song Albany 2006 - first Rats and Satan's Bed in a very long time MSG 2016 - Sting coming out and singing driven to tears Austin 2023 - Out Of My Mind
Albany 2006 flies under the radar. Great show.
I was there, agreed it was a great show! Hey maybe I was at an infamous one haha. My morning jacket were really great as an opener too.
(2000) Mansfield I, Mansfield II (2003) Montreal (2005) Montreal, Ottawa (2006) Albany (2008) Montreal I + II (EV) (2022) Québec City
Not really infamous, but a damn good show. My first PJ show was Atlanta 4/19/03. They played Crown of Thorns, I think for the 2nd time ever, so that was pretty fucking special to me. Porch was really fun, Ed had a group of guys with "George Bush Jr." masks on come on stage and hold him in the air while he sang the last part.
so many memories coming up seeing everyone talk about their first shows, fuckin love it!
My first show was technically Randalls Island 1, 1996 but when they opened with Last Exit, a friend I was there with took a hit in the back of the head from someone surfing over the top. She ended up eating the railing in front of us and chipping some teeth. Took her over to first-aid area, which was basically a triage unit, and since we were 16 they put us in an ambulance and sent us off to some NYC hospital. I was bummed but the ER nurse gave me a copy of the paperwork and told me to try to use it to get in the next night. It worked and what an amazing first complete show for Randalls Island 2. Followed it up later that week with a bus ride up to Hartford. I've been lucky enough to see some amazing shows, hoping for another memorable one in Sacramento next month.
That is a great story. Me and a friend showed up to night 2 with backstage passes for night 1 (mistake by our media contacts). They let us in anyway, not full access but total hospitality. Also my first show. First present tense.
Night 2 was the better night anyway LOL great end to a sad story.
Due to raising children and later their tuition expenses we waited to travel only seeing PJ near home.
PJ20 was our first empty nest travel excursion. Prior to then our total was 12 times. Since PJ20 we are now around 65 times. so PJ20, not my first but certainly our most influential. I told my supervisor when I returned that I would be leaving work sooner than later because we decided to retire and travel for PJ. Our retirement plans. My whole attitude about life changed that weekend, for the absolute best!
Probably not infamous, but their first and only trip to Maine and Dennis Rodman was in the house. And a sweet, solo Patriot to close the show
This was my first show also. I was up in augusta a couple months ago watching the state basketball tournament. I can't believe Pearl Jam ever played there. It is a very small venue.
I remember the floor being absolutely packed with people.
There's gotta be someone who's first show was Indio, 1993. Shoe the Shoeless. You know, because your dirt is....ah nevermind.
Yep, my first show was Indio Nov 5, 1993.
** [Only because I went to Lollapalooza '92 and was told it was sold out. At the time, I naïvely thought that meant I couldn't get in, (rather than it would just be harder to get in), so I sadly went home.]
PJ were the original, 1st band to play a concert at Empire Polo Field, now the home of Coachella. And what a christening our guys gave it!
Release was the first PJ song I ever heard live. It will always be my favorite, though a few have come close since. The rich tones of Ed's "Ohhh..., Ohhh...," were such a perfect start to a 30+ year live PJ journey. Chills. Blood was played later. Love Blood. What a range to experience in a first show!
I don't know what started the shoes flying. That was the infamous part. A bunch of idiots in the crowd (high/drunk). Jeff was SO pissed! At one point he went behind his amp to avoid being hit, he wasn't having it. It was pretty funny though, when Ed finally said that he and Jeff were going to wait by the gate when people were leaving, and beat the s*** out of every barefoot person there. Other good quotes from Ed during the onslaught include "your dirt is my food" (as the fan who posed the question knows). It was the only time F*** Me In The Brain was ever played. They finished with Baba- "Out here in the fields..." Pretty perfect choice for that show.
I can't believe Indio was billed as the "LA show", probably due to avoiding TM venues. It was SO far, and took so long to get there, in comparison. (Takes me less than an hour to get to LA, took me over 3 1/2 hours to get to Indio). I had no idea it would take so long. (No cell phone route estimates in those days) I'm just so glad I made it before PJ started!!
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Gutted: London 2 2018, Sacramento 2022, Noblesville 2023
That is a great story. Me and a friend showed up to night 2 with backstage passes for night 1 (mistake by our media contacts). They let us in anyway, not full access but total hospitality. Also my first show. First present tense.
I was there, agreed it was a great show! Hey maybe I was at an infamous one haha. My morning jacket were really great as an opener too.
(2000) Mansfield I, Mansfield II (2003) Montreal (2005) Montreal, Ottawa (2006) Albany (2008) Montreal I + II (EV) (2022) Québec City
I remember the floor being absolutely packed with people.
You tell me.
https://www.reddit.com/r/pearljam/comments/1p6rzn/shoe_the_shoeless/?rdt=58658
Sad or scary that I didn't have to look that up to quote it LOL
I had a boot of either that show or a compilation of shows that included that, man I wish I still had it.
** [Only because I went to Lollapalooza '92 and was told it was sold out. At the time, I naïvely thought that meant I couldn't get in, (rather than it would just be harder to get in), so I sadly went home.]
PJ were the original, 1st band to play a concert at Empire Polo Field, now the home of Coachella.
And what a christening our guys gave it!
Release was the first PJ song I ever heard live. It will always be my favorite, though a few have come close since. The rich tones of Ed's "Ohhh..., Ohhh...," were such a perfect start to a 30+ year live PJ journey. Chills.
Blood was played later. Love Blood. What a range to experience in a first show!
I don't know what started the shoes flying.
That was the infamous part. A bunch of idiots in the crowd (high/drunk). Jeff was SO pissed! At one point he went behind his amp to avoid being hit, he wasn't having it. It was pretty funny though, when Ed finally said that he and Jeff were going to wait by the gate when people were leaving, and beat the s*** out of every barefoot person there. Other good quotes from Ed during the onslaught include "your dirt is my food" (as the fan who posed the question knows).
It was the only time F*** Me In The Brain was ever played.
They finished with Baba- "Out here in the fields..." Pretty perfect choice for that show.
I can't believe Indio was billed as the "LA show", probably due to avoiding TM venues. It was SO far, and took so long to get there, in comparison. (Takes me less than an hour to get to LA, took me over 3 1/2 hours to get to Indio). I had no idea it would take so long. (No cell phone route estimates in those days)
I'm just so glad I made it before PJ started!!