|
Main Set: Encore(s): Notes: This was my first Pearl Jam show. It took place the day before I turned 18, and later that night I can recall having the distinct feeling that my life had been subtly changed. I'd been a huge U2 fan from the age of 11, but after seeing Pearl Jam that night, I knew that they had de-throned the Irish quartet and were now my #1 favorite band. I went to this show with my sister, Julia, and with my first love, Josh Skinner. Josh and I met through a shared love of Pearl Jam, and this was the first time either of us had seen the band. We went with a co-worker of my dad's, Jeff, and stayed at Jeff's parents' house outside of Sacramento. Jeff stayed there through the weekend, but Julia, Josh and I took a bus back home to Fresno the next day. Happy birthday to me! :-D It was blazing hot that day. The show was general admission, and early on, my sister and I bailed from the spot we were at, to move to the side and have more room to breathe and move around. We were being pushed around so much during "Release" that I could hardly pay attention to it. So, I was separated from Josh during the show, but we met up back at the car afterward, and I'll always remember the sweaty, big bear hug we shared. He warned me about his dampness as I came toward him, but I didn't care. I know that he knew what I was feeling after that show, and I needed that hug. Looking at this setlist now, almost 15 years later, I have to laugh about how many fans into hardcore touring would freak out to see a show like that today. Several of these songs are hardly ever played anymore, but they were fairly regular on setlists in 1995. "Jeremy" was performed in a new way, much slower, but still very intense. Fans refer to this as "New Jeremy," and I don't know that it was performed this way very much after 1996. It took a little getting used to, but I ended up loving it because it was a new twist on an overplayed song. Check out that beautiful ticket stub, too! Pearl Jam were well in the middle of their fight against Ticketmaster at this time, and they used a different ticket company and had these gorgeous, personalized tickets in 1995-1996. This ticket has my dad's name on it since he's the one who purchased the tickets. Thirteen years later I would see Pearl Jam again on the day before my birthday, this time in Washington DC. (May 11, 2010) |
|
|
