pearl jam

twenty years ago pearl jam emerged from the ashes of seattle bands mother love bone and shadow; through the first formative steps of a quick handed band named after basketball player mookie blaylock. they would have to change the name; but they named their first album after his jersey number. mookie is a fan.

rhythm guitarist stone gossard started jamming with lead guitarist mike mccready. they brought in bassist jeff ament and eventually sent out a five song demo tape to find a singer and a drummer.

drummer jack irons passed the tape along to his basketball buddy eddie vedder in san diego, who came up with lyrics while surfing. he recorded vocals for some of the songs and sent his tape back to seattle. they flew him up for an audition and, within a week (with drummer dave krusen) they played this seminal show at the off ramp cafe.

i figure, like me, you probably weren't there. God bless the child that taped the show!

soundcheck: 'even flow'

(to chase away the butterflies)

things get a little burry when someone (jeff?) stumbles in front of the camera. it seems appropriate. on the beginning of the next video you can hear someone say, "and that was just the soundcheck!"

'release'

"on a rocking horse of time"

starts with the end of the encore.

it cuts out suddenly at 4:05 and starts 'alone'.

'alone'

"i can help myself"

'alive'

"do I deserve to be? is that the question?

and if so...if so...who answers...who answers...?"

'once'

lashing out. the second song in the mamasan trilogy (alive/once/footsteps) of songs that vedder sent back to seattle.

'evenflow'

"someday yet, he'll begin his life again"

this ends way too abruptly.

'black'

"i know someday you'll have a beautiful life; i know you'll be a star in somebody else's sky, but why...can't it be in mine?"

'breath' is one of my favorite pearl jam songs. i didn't realize it was one of their first songs. it didn't appear on any of their albums. it was released on the singles soundtrack and later on the compilation rearviewmirror.

"run away my son to see it all oh, see the world
oh reach the door, a breath and a scar"

encore: girl

"we all make mistakes."

this is the only time this song has appeared on a set list.