Can't Find A Vedder Man!

When I woke up yesterday morning I had one plan amongst all my errands for the day, to meet Pearl Jam. I managed to see their day schedule when they performed in Toronto. So around 3:30 they should arrive for sound check. So I loaded up my son in the jogging stroller put on my runners and ran down to GM Place (15 min flat too. hehee) I saw where the buses were parked so we stationed ourselves near a driveway that takes you into GM Place beside three hardcore fans already there. Only ten minutes passed by before a white van pulled up with members of Pearl Jam. They pulled in and about fifty feet away Matt Cameron, Mike McCready and Jeff Ament jumped out of the van. They acknowledge our hellos wave back and that was it but I was stoked that we were able to see anyone. Another ten minutes pass and as I was starting to get ready to leave, another white van and a black Explorer pull in, this time it is Eddie Vedder. So the four and a half of us are standing at the end of the driveway, my son in my arms.





“Eddie, Eddie. Have a great show,” we scream.
The hardcore fans were professionals though and got right to the point –
“How about an autograph Eddie,” they scream.

Eddie takes his time walking away waving to us like he’s thinking about something. He walks away and stops again to wave at us before slipping away into GM Place with his scruffy beard, sunglasses and his infamous suitcase of words. That’s probably the closest I’ll ever get to the band but as I’m thinking it is all over the Pro’s beside me know better.



“There’s Jesse, he’s coming over.”

Jesse? Well he happens to be Eddie’s bodyguard, which these guys know from following Eddie on his solo tour. Jesse approaches us and says –

“He’ll sign one thing from each of you.”

Holy shit! I don’t believe it. I hand over the new CD and Jesse disappears and returns within minutes with our signed mementos. He passes everything back to us and we thank him as he turns to me and says –

“Eddie says this is for your little guy.”

He hands me an Eddie Vedder guitar pick! We exchange smiles and high fives as we all cherish the moment. Within a couple minutes other fans come around us, and then more and more of them come realizing what they missed. I packed up my son and we ran back home in record time. I was on cloud nine and it felt like we flew back home.



Now it is Saturday morning 9:00 a.m., our son has already returned home from his first sleepover without us. I’m happy he had a great time and was such a good boy, I only wish I had a couple more hours to sleep from the Pearl Jam concert last night. I’m feeling a bit punch drunk like I stayed up all night drinking bottles of wine with Eddie Vedder. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. How far you ask? Like section 317 Row 12 far!!

Have you ever heard of the saying the Fox rocks? Well I’m here to tell you that the FOX SUCKS! As a ‘member’ of the 99.3 Fox Club I get notices for pre-sale tickets to shows but I have never used them except this time. So buying tickets through the club a day early got us the very back of the stadium a couple rows away from the box seats. Nose bleeds. But the kicker, we walk in with our beer and are told no alcohol in our section! I guess membership has its privileges. Bye-bye Fox. Whenever I do listen to radio now, 100.5 the Peak plays better music anyways.

Makes no difference. “How much difference does it make….” There was nothing that would ruin my Pearl Jam day. Although there were no jumbo screens turned on to give us a better view we took full of advantage of our binoculars that gave us an up close and personal experience. As this was my first Pearl Jam concert I was on top of the world. It was everything I imagined. The band had an amazing chemistry on stage, one of the tightest rhythm sections in the business and a voice of a generation. I sang my heart out last night too. I couldn’t have asked for a better set-list. With such an amazing catalogue to choose from everyone who sees them on this tour is in for a treat.

Highlights for me included all the new songs of course, a great jam session with “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter In A Small Town,” and hearing “Unthought Known” live. They played an exhaustive rendition of the Who’s “Love, Reign O’er Me” that looked to have possessed every last ounce of Eddie. The band serenaded the audience sitting behind the stage with the Wayne Cochran tragic classic “Last Kiss” while “Rearview Mirror” ended their first set which I’m sure they played just for me (although our friend Bobbi would fight me on that one). They honored us with two great encores where the crowd sung their lungs out for “Alive” & “Better Man” before they left us with an intimate version of “Yellow Ledbetter” as McCready sat down with his guitar consumed with all the soaring notes as the band walked around waving goodbye before they all took center stage together.

“Goodnight, see you next time,” Eddie salutes.

As Eddie lingered on the stage I sense he wanted to play one more song but then “Off he goes”….but my afternoon with Eddie Vedder was even better!!

Pearl Jam, thank you for the music you have shared, the moments you’ve inspired and the love you have given. Thank you Eddie for making my first Pearl Jam experience simply unforgettable.

“Feel the sky blanket you, with gems and rhinestones
See the path cut by the moon, for you to walk on….”