We have moved along forward in our Late Night Series to 2006 where the band would make their most public television appearances since 1992. It kicks off with SNL and the live debut of two songs from the Avocado record – World Wide Suicide and Severed Hand. We’ll discuss the era a little bit as well as some of the disappointment within the director’s decision to produce these performances. Oh, and we have Lindsay Lohan as our host in one of her most prime tabloid years!
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As we celebrate the silver anniversary of one of Pearl Jam’s masterpieces in Yield, we wanted to present you with an episode focusing on a show smack dab in the middle of that era. You may remember the Tibetan Freedom Concert’s coverage on MTV in the summers of the late ’90s and that’s exactly where we’re taking this episode. It’s an important one because you can say that this is Cameron’s first big show since joining in the interim that spring. We’ll talk about Jack’s exit, how Cameron developed along with the songs, the reason behind why this festival took place and an 8-song setlist during a fantastic tour year. Happy Yield Day! Enjoy!
Here is the first Late Night Series episode of the year featuring the Masters Of War performance in 2004! We’ll not only discuss the performance, but we’ll tap into the era as well, one that was smack in the middle of a major Presidential election during war time. As they were about to embark on the Vote For Change tour, this Letterman performance was the first before they stopped at six swing state cities scattered throughout the midwest and south. We’ll also talk a little bit about Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 documentary and how the soundtrack used a version of this song. Enjoy!
We had a very special guest attend our annual Live On 4 Legs Holiday Party this year – Mr. Richard Stuverud joined us to talk about his dream moment playing in Pearl Jam on the live stage. It was the largest crowds that he’d ever performed in front of. We got to have a very open conversation with him about the experience and all that’s happened after, especially if his own solo career has changed since it went down.
Happy holidays everyone! Just like last year, we’re dropping a surprise Evolution episode right in the middle of the holiday party. Chasers, shut yo mouth! We’re just talking about Dirty Frank! Since Frank had a big revitalization with the Earthlings this year, we thought this would be as good a time as ever to tell the story. We’re breaking down one of the most requested songs in their history and telling the story of why and how this became a cult classic. Enjoy!
Hoping to do many more of these for 2023!
It’s Evolution Baby! Time to dig real deep into a Pearl Jam live track, but more importantly it’s time to dig into one that made an impact in 2022, and that’s W.M.A. There are a few stories to be told here. There’s the origin story which clearly stems from police officer bias, that gave them one of their first true socio-political songs out of the many that would follow. Then there is the story about the scattered full versions in the early nineties that of course had the original identity when featuring Dave A, and even three better than excellent Jack Irons performances. And then for 13 years the only way we’d hear this song would be through Daughter tags. But the song had it’s redemption arc, even if it was broken down into shorter lifespans, and that will lead us all the way to Oakland and Amsterdam this year where the song was brought back to the high caliber level that we remember it being. “It’s the best thing they/we do” – you and us on this episodic series. See you real soon for another.
In this profile episode we’re talking to Freddie Blood who requested the Detroit episode that ran this week! He’s got a lot talk talk about, including going way back to where he didn’t know who Pearl Jam was (because no one did) in 1991 where he saw his first two shows. He’ll talk about his time as a fan, some of his favorites from the records and the trip on a whim that took him from MSG through Denver this past September.
Hey have you not had a profile episode yet? Well, stop wasting time. We’re ready to catch up with you! This is for Horizon Leg members only!
Welcome to another edition to the Horizon Leg Profile series! In this one we get the chance to talk to one of our good friends Joey Goodsir about his fan experience. He joined us for the Chicago 2003 show this week and talked about how that bootleg made him appreciate their live catalog in the very beginning of his fandom. As a young fan, we’ll chat with Joey about his intake of the band and how quickly it took to digest the catalog. We’ll also talk about his early Beatles fandom, Wrigley 2018, St. Louis 2022, and a classic moment from our Deprogrammed episode that has gone down in infamy.
Hey have you not had a profile episode yet? Well, stop wasting time. We’re ready to catch up with you! This is for Horizon Leg members only!
The next appearance up in our Late Night Series comes from their promotion of the Riot Act album with not one, but two back-to-back performances on Letterman. I Am Mine and Save You were the two big songs that they were trotting out at the time, but it’s the era that’s much more interesting than the songs. As we’ve studied down this path through their broadcast TV lineage, there are all of these pinpoints where you can mark where the band was at in their career. Coming off an almost two year hiatus following the Roskilde tragedy and 9/11, the band had been out of the public eye, and it would remain that way for most of 2003 after Riot Act didn’t sell as well as the previous six records. They were in the weird stage of not exactly being a legacy band yet and not being anywhere close to feeling fresh. So they went out there and introducing an old Hawaiian organist while changing some important lyrics on Save You. It’s all here, enjoy the episode!
The chances of winning the lottery are nearly impossible, but most people make an attempt because the reward is so enticing. During the early part of the pandemic, Pearl Jam was helping to raise money for the All-In Challenge that battled food insecurity for kids that no longer had access to food due to schools being closed. Eddie had offered up a once in a life time experience to get to go to a show, head backstage, meet the band and help Ed pick the setlist. The band raised over a million dollars just from donations through their prize package, and the winners were Rich Berg and his son Dermott that got to live out this dream.
We invite Rich and Dermott onto the pod to discuss the story of how it all went down. From finding out that they were the winners, to heading in to Camden to meet Ed and get to join them on stage, we go through every gritty detail of the encounter. Find out what its like for Ed to prepare for every show from what type of pen Ed writes his setlists with to how many shirts Stone has in his dressing room!
We welcome Steven Hyden back to the show to discuss his brand new book, Long Road: Pearl Jam and the Soundtrack of a Generation. We’ll break down much of the subject matter brought up in the book such as writing with the intention to appeal to both the hardcore fan and casual fan, providing stories to give perspective on the band’s history. For anyone that perceives Pearl Jam for the material they put out on Ten without context for the rest of their history, this will allow the reader to fully explain what this band’s purpose is – something that we’re no stranger to on this podcast – their live act.
Along with those themes, we discuss topics such as the strength of the fan community, what makes them always want to come back for more and Steven’s own up and down history as a fan.
Sorry for the wait on this one! But hey, we had some instant reaction episodes that were released only hours before the show ended, this one needed seven days. Thanks everyone for your patience. Denver is the tour closer and it allows us some time to reflect on things that happened this year, both personally for the band and setlist wise. We put out a plea for a 2023 tour and a new album, hopefully there’s a good chance something big is on the horizon.
As for the show itself, it certainly paid homage to the long road that they were on from the time of the 2020 announcement up until it finally ending that night. There are multiple tributes to the fans, many dedications and great memories that will last from this one. We’ll talk about the future for Gigaton songs and which may have a chance to move on to the next tour consistently. And I’ll go on a heated rant about how big a piece of shit that Alex Jones is.
Hope you’ve enjoyed these! It’s a pleasure producing them for you all. Stick around to find out the next content that will be available through our Patreon very soon!
We have a very special episode for you all today. Our good friend Tanya Kang has been taking portraits of fans at shows holding up their favorite lyrics since 2012. She has a book coming out very soon chronicling her ten years of work call I Am Mine, and she’s here to discuss the history of what she’s been doing and give you a little preview as to what’s in the book.
There is still time to donate to her Kickstarter in order to get a copy. go to http://pearljamfanportraitsbook.com by October 1st to pre-order your copy set to arrive early 2023!
Sad to say it but we are not coming in live for this one. Our time on the road has come to an end, but there are two more shows that we’re ready to talk about! OKC is the penultimate show of the tour, and as Ed has said in the past it’s not the last one that you want to be at, it’s the second to last. This setlist sure proved that point.
We’ll talk about the first time Garden was ever opened with, how that and Hard To Imagine have seen a major resurgence this year, a possible swan song for some Gigaton tracks, how wild it was to see both Habit AND Alone on the same setlist, Backspacer sneaking it’s way in on it’s anniversary and… dildos.
While we weren’t there, we promised you guys a story from the road featuring my adventures acquiring a backstage pass in St. Louis. I tell the tale and look back fondly on this wonderful trip that we’ve been privileged to take and see most of you on. One more, let’s hope Denver is a good one!
John (sans Randy, for reasons that will become clear later) is joined by some patrons and special guests for a very special TWO-PART reaction episode to breakdown everything that happened in St. Louis tonight. An epic, high-energy show with an outstanding crowd and plenty of deep cuts (Sad! Sad!!! SAD!!!!). Highlights include a ukelele getting smashed, another thunderous Retrograde, Life Wasted, Corduroy, I Am Mine, State/Breath, Black, and more! It’s the end of our run of shows but we’ll have reaction episodes for OKC and Denver the next day, so stay tuned for that. And look for much more of Randy’s story to come in the next day or so…you won’t want to miss it, trust me.
Randy and John are once again reacting live minutes after the show ended to talk about Bourbon and Beyond. From opening with Daughter, Low Light, and Off He Goes to In Hiding, Quick Escape, Garden, a stellar Not For You, and much much more. Thanks to patrons Chris Everett, Patrick Boegel, and Bradley Piasecki for joining in and commenting as well. Enjoy this and we’ll talk to you again tonight after St. Louis! #smudge #iheartspicypie
Randy and John are live outside Bridgestone Arena minutes after tonight’s Nashville show ended to talk about everything that happened, including sooo much Vitalogy, an early Black, and much much more…some of our patrons were on hand and we talk to them as well. See you in Louisville tomorrow!
Randy, Matt and a host of friends chime in from the parking lot on what just went down along the Delaware River. Pearl Jam cranked out a stunner of a 27 song set as we pass the half way mark on the final leg of 2022 Gigaton Tour.
We’re back with another live instant reaction from outside MSG minutes after the show ended with Randy and Patrick from Hallucinogenic Recipe to break down everything that happened at another epic show on this tour. Opening with Release into Garden, an early Porch, and some beloved cover songs (Sonic Reducer! Chloe/Crown!), hope you’re enjoying these and thanks for continuing to support the show! Our Breath campaign didn’t come to fruition but we really appreciate everyone’s support…on to Camden!
Straight from under the marquee after one of the most unique and specialized shows in the history of Pearl Jam at the legendary Apollo Theater, we get to react live to everything that happened inside. While Randy could not find his way inside the building, our good friend and Hallucinogenic Recipe host, Brian Horwitz, was lucky enough to get in and be able to tell the story. We discuss the atmosphere of the 1,500 theater, the technical difficulties that transpired, the unbearable heat inside, and some of the great stories told throughout the night. Enjoy this one!