On June 22nd, 1995 my lust for live music began. I was forever spoiled by the perfect introduction...Pearl Jam. Today that lust had led me over 15 states, drive thousands upon thousands of miles, spend hours upon hours at airports and in airplanes...all for a night's worth of bliss.
"I can die now. Last night was THE night, the night I finally saw Pearl Jam in concert. It was my first concert, not just by them, but period, and it was, hands down, the best time I have ever had in my entire life. From the opening cords of "Release", to the closing riffs of "Yellow Ledbetter"... I was thunderstruck by the whole experience, the crowd, the music, the pit-the pushing and shoving, and yet, strange love and calmaraldrie, especially for those who were knocked down, and would be hurt if they couldn't get back up. I even got airborne for a few seconds-lofted above the crowd, held up by the hands of the fans. For those few seconds, I saw the concert from a completely new angle, and got the last of the full experience...
I took a give blood shirt the night before and wrote it all up with a marker, putting my favorite songs-30 or so-the names of the musicians-Gossard, Ament-who had his hair cut off-short, like Gossard, which surprised me, Vedder, Mccready, and the new drummer, Jack Irons. About maybe 1/3 of the way through the concert, after all the pit thrashing and all, I took it off and tossed it onstage...
I watched the entire concert from the pit, save for a
fifteen minute break when I was feeling massively dehydrated and had trouble
breathing and, well, moving-I was tired, all the pushing and shoving.
I went, stuck my head underneath a faucet, cooled off, because Sacramento
was already hot-90+ degrees, and the pit heat didn't make it any better,
bought some water, relaxed a couple minutes, then, when "Evenflow" started,
I was right back in it, fighting my way to the very edge of the barriers
in front of the stage, sky overhead, stars shining. " (From "My Earthly
Shell; 06.23.95")
Novemember
4th, 1995...the make up show for the infamous Polo Fields debacle.
I didn't have tickets to the original show in SF but I knew I just HAD
to be there for the make up show. I knew the band...they would blow
all tires on this show in San Jose. To this day Nov 4th still ranks
within the top ten of my "un-official holidays". First I was
introduced to Ben Harper, who blew me away and became another semi fixation
for me, then an introduction to the Fastbacks who I ALSO dig on now...the
two were the best opening acts I have yet to see at a Pearl Jam Show...
Then the band came out, played a bewildering set stretching
two and a half hours and too many memorable moments and songs to list here.
Looking back...1995 was THE year for opening acts (for
me)...the sacto show was opened by Bad Religion!