Pearl jam even flow riff kiss full#

I had been chatting with the fan next to me, who had flown in from Seattle that day.

Meanwhile, there was some talk in the group chat that I was in about what song the band would open tonight. I enjoyed Josh’s set, especially being able to see more of what he was doing instrumentally with my closer vantage point. Soon, Eddie came out and treated a small (but much larger than at San Diego) group of us to a bang-on version of I Won’t Back Down. We split the (insanely overpriced) parking and made our way to our respective seats – she had pretty solid Ten Club seats to start with, and I had upgraded mine along the way to more or less side stage Stone side a few rows up. I had met up with my friend Lori, who was originally from Chicago but is now a California resident.

Inside, it just kept getting better – the concentric circle pattern of the roof was mesmerizing, and the concourse was carpeted, with low ceiling and dim lighting, reminding me more of a cinema than an arena. What San Diego had in simplicity and coziness, this had in big time production. Banners, the new Pearl Jam script logo projected near the ‘crown’ of the venue, various lyrics stenciled on columns, and on and on – supremely cool. Architecture like nothing else, cutting an interesting silhouette that was enhanced by a very well-done dress up, Gigaton style. I’d seen it from a bit of distance a couple times in the past, but up close – there’s no doubt why it’s called the Fabulous Forum.

I was ready to head out – this time to Inglewood! Showtime… It was sad, but it was also oddly bringing about a sense of contentment, something I hadn’t been feeling much of lately. More than anything, I thought of Taylor and Chris and their families, knowing that more than anything – they were missed by them far more than by any of us. I lamented all the songs we’d never hear, that he never wrote. I kicked myself for the hundredth time for missing his solo show a few years later. I found myself wishing that I could go back to the Soundgarden show at the Vic Theater in 2010. I spent a few minutes in quiet reflection, taking in both the beautiful sun and the solemn air about the place. Just a few yards away, a quiet pond made for a pleasant vista. Walking up to the relatively simple marker, I spotted the words well after I spotted the countless flowers and mementos left around it: Chris Cornell, 1964-2017. After a brief lunch at Philippe the Original to try the purported original French Dip, my next destination was Hollywood Forever. I was geeked to the max – I’d love to see every remaining shuttle someday, and this was my first. Myself and about 300 school children first enjoyed an IMAX film narrated by Patrick Stewart, then got up close and personal with the space shuttle Endeavour.

Pearl jam even flow riff kiss full#

(If you don’t know, now you know.) I got to my hotel and retired early, knowing that I had a full day ahead of me – I’m a bit of a space nut, so I visited the California Space Center. They’re some of the best mead makers in the country, and a real gem to visit. With my dream of finally taking our daughter to SoCal scuttled, I shifted focus to my mental and physical health – I’d do a lot of walking, hiking, smart eating, journaling, and exploringĪfter an incredible San Diego show – my friend Chris’ first Pearl Jam show ever! – and a couple great days in that wonderful town, I headed north and visited new friends at Honey Pot Meadery in Anaheim.

With flights and hotels already booked, I got the frustrating news from my wife that she couldn’t get the time off from work, the short notice simply not enough with multiple people already out of the office in her small department. Naturally, I got tickets for Los Angeles! I struck it lucky for night one with the Ten Club lottery, then again in the Verified Fan lottery for night two. I recruited another Phoenix friend that I had met through Ron for the SD show, but I still needed to figure out what to do for the week until the Phoenix gig. However, the rescheduled shows were a week apart, and he couldn’t swing the time off from work. We had attended every Pearl Jam and Eddie show in Arizona since 2000 adding San Diego was an easy decision since it was originally just two nights later and an easy drive. I had Ten Club seats for Phoenix and San Diego that I had held since 2020, my original plan having been to attend those two shows with my Phoenix-based buddy Ron. From almost losing my mom to COVID at Christmastime to not-insignificant health issues and several things in between, I was ready for some time to relax and reenergize. Even considering the entirety of the pandemic, I’ve had a bit of a challenging year. To say that I was looking forward to seeing Pearl Jam (finally) in California and Arizona would perhaps be the largest understatement of my life.