TwoFeetThick.com

Pearl Jam History At Hard Rock Seattle

Kathy Davis — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:45:20 +0000

As if Seattle wasn’t enough of a destination city for any Pearl Jam fan, the Hard Rock Cafe franchise is opening a veritable Seattle rock music museum with the opening of it’s Seattle location on Wednesday, February 10th.

116 Pike Street, a “fish throw” from Pike’s Place Market, is the location of the Seattle Hard Rock. Naturally, there will be Jimi Hendrix items, the full “Seattle Scene” compliment of memorabilia – including Kurt Cobain’s acoustic guitar, Sean Kinney’s drum kit, a Krist Novoselic bass, a Mudhoney signed drumhead. For we Pearl Jam-a-holics, there are a couple of truly wonderful items: Andrew Wood’s Los Angeles Lakers Jersey and 12-string acoustic guitar, and our own Eddie Vedder’s Yamaha acoustic. It will truly be a “must see” stop on your next trip to the PJ Holy Land.

Write up on Andy’s guitar from the Hard Rock Press Release:

ANDREW WOOD GUITAR

This is a Yamaha 12-string acoustic that belonged to Andrew Wood – the frontman for Mother Love Bone. Mother Love Bone formed from the ashes of Green River – the seminal Seattle group that featured future Pearl Jam members Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament, and future Mudhoney guys Mark Arm and Steve Turner. Mother Love Bone had all the elements of what became known as the Seattle sound, but with Andrew on vocals, they had a much more colorful and exuberant style. Andrew didn’t project the dour persona that so many of the ‘90s Seattle musicians seemed to revel in, he was much more of a Freddie Mercury/Marc Bolan-type character. Love Bone made a great album for Mercury records in 1989, but unfortunately Andrew died just a few days before it was released. He was only 24 years old. This guitar is a poignant symbol of lost potential.

: Andy Wood’s guitar @ Hard Rock Seattle

Ed’s Yamaha acoustic has handwritten lyrics from “Elderly Woman” taped to the sides of it. Here is a photo of it from the Stroupe Condo blog’s post (note the two related pictures on the wall next to the guitar – one is a black and white from Drop In The Park, I believe, and the color one is from that gang backstage photo of PJ and Soundgarden – both taken in 1992).

I’ve also embedded below the Hard Rock write ups on the two items from their Memorabilia site, however the embeds are in Microsoft’s fancy Silverlight viewer and may not load quickly in some browsers. You can go right to the Hard Rock Memorabilia site by clicking here, then put in the name of the artist and it will bring up the same images if you can’t get it to load on this page.

: Ed’s Hard Rock Seattle Yamaha

Emerald City Rock!

Latest Pearl Jam Trivia Tidbits

Kathy Davis — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 10:42:35 +0000

Nothing super major on the Pearl Jam news front as of late, but there are still some great bits of info to be had about the fellas in our band.

Ed Puts Pen To Paper For Pals: First up, the ever magnanimous Ed Vedder wrote a fantastic note offering his support and enthusiasm for former Dead Moon members Fred and Toody Cole’s latest musical venture, Pierced Arrows. The record label Viceland Records has the best writeup about the whole process, including Ed’s old school way of communicating:

When the guy from Pearl Jam found out that Vice was releasing the new Pierced Arrows album (because we told him) he insisted on writing a blurb for the press materials (because we asked him). Yesterday morning that blurb arrived in the form of a handwritten note from Eddie Vedder.

Like transcendentalist icon Henry David Thoreau, Vedder does not subscribe to our culture’s pervasive sense of technological determinism and so abstains from such depersonalizing contrivances as email and ichat to conduct his business, relying instead on traditional means of interaction like letter-writing, and having his assistant read him his emails over the phone and then faxing Eddie’s response to whoever sent the email.

The note itself:

The letter reads: In a day and age where authenticity is harder to come by than an honest Republican, legends Fred & Toody Cole deliver on every record and at every show. After having seen thousands of concerts and hundreds of bands, Dead Moon and Pierced Arrows gigs still reign supreme at the top of the heap for me. Music can be so many different things for different people - for myself and the faithful, Fred & Toody epitomize the true potential and purest meaning of straight, no chaser Rock & Roll.

Not just righteous, but right. (signed) Seattle, Nov. 2009.

Viceland Records goes on to say:

We love this note not only for its potent quotability and rubber-stamp Republican joke, but for the way several of its major elements neatly encapsulate the jumbling, tousle-headed stewpot of paradoxes that is the Vedman:

1. He forswears email, yet regularly employs the @-sign in lieu of “at.”

2. He claims to be a longtime fan of both Dead Moon and ladies’ rights, yet consistently fails to capitalize the name of the band’s sole female member.

3. He qualifies Fred and Toody’s “rock n roll-ness” by referencing a Thelonious Monk album. (That would be the “Straight No Chaser” part – Kath)

As baffling as it is challenging and powerful.

By the way if you missed that link in the first line, Vice Records just put out the new Pierced Arrows album. Click here to buy it. It rules so good.

Pierced Arrows hit the road soon, kicking off their U.S. Tour February 23rd in Fargo, North Dakota and wrapping up April 13th in Pontiac, Michigan (whew!) Check ‘em out, yo! Full tour listing here.

Mike Pays Tribute to Friel Father: It is with sadness and sympathy that we mention the passing of Don Friel, father of longtime friends of Mike McCready, Chris and Rick Friel. (You’ve no doubt heard of them – they were in Mike’s first band Shadow). A friend of Mr. Friel’s, Cathi Hatch, attended the memorial service, and wrote of the wonderful sendoff in her blog here. We point this out in respect of Mike’s association with the Friel’s, and also for this mention:

There was a lot of laughter as the speakers fondly reminisced about Dick’s energy and passion for everything he was involved in during his long career in aviation marketing and in his avocation of auctioneering. Some of his interesting quirks were recalled such as stamping his foot when something sold at an auction, or launching his note cards in flight once he was finished with each one. An interesting factoid shared was that Dick and Sharon Friel, truly a dynamic duo, have raised more than $300,000,000 for the many charity auctions they have participated in over the years.

Dick and Sharon’s favorite song, “Moon River” was performed by their daughter-in-law, Kim Virant accompanied by Friel sons Rick and Chris, Mike McCready and Ty Bailey and we concluded the memorial with Dick Foley performing and leading us to participate in the song, “I’ll be Seeing You” .

It’s beautiful that music can have such a healing effect during the most difficult times in life, and it’s lovely that Mike shared his musical gifts to celebrate the life of Don Friel. Our condolences to all.

Ed’s Haiti Benefit Offering Hits Billboard Hot 100 This from the ever-fabulous Billboard.com , posted February 4th:

One title that is not a part of the “Hope for Haiti Now” album, but whose proceeds still benefit Haiti-related charities, enters the Hot 100: Eddie Vedder’s “My City of Ruins” (No. 92), recorded in December at the Kennedy Center Honors’ tribute to Bruce Springsteen.

Well, whaddaya know about that?

Gray’s Anatomy Writers – Pearl Jam Fans? It’s a small but fun bit of news, but Entertainment Weekly pointed out that the recently aired episode of U.S. television hospital drama Gray’s Anatomy was entitled, “State Of Love And Trust”. The show is set in Seattle at the fictitious Seattle Grace hospital; here’s what EW.com has to say:

The title of tonight’s episode was ”State of Love and Trust,” which is the name of a wonderful Pearl Jam song (way to support those underground local bands), as well as the perfect title for just about every episode of this television show ever made. Aren’t we constantly checking in on the state of love and trust at Seattle Grace?

Band Childhood Photos: Backspacer Picture Gallery In the back of the booklet that came with Pearl Jam’s 2009 release Backspacer, there were some adorable photos of the boys in their youth (the vinyl version obviously had muuuuuch larger photos than the CD version). Fabulous PJ mailing list Bugs community member Rick P. was nice enough to upload and identify the photos, and for a bit of fun – here they are!

Wagons ho, Stone!

Nice blue shag, Jeff!

Lounging Ed

Mike in the news (well, under the news)

Matt and mutt

Producer of the year Brendan O'Brien

Enjoy one and all, and thanks for the generosity Rick.

ROCK!

PJ Pals Kings Of Leon Receive Grammy

Kathy Davis — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 01:26:56 +0000

It helps to have friends in high places. Oh, and to write and record really good music…. good friends of Eddie Vedder, Followill family rockers Kings Of Leon were awarded the 2010 Grammy for Best Rock Song for their big tune “Use Somebody”. We can’t say “Pearl Jam was robbed!” when it goes to a deserving act. (Not to mention, we figure the band doesn’t concern themselves much with “winning” or “losing” when it comes to making music).

Kings Of Leon opened for Pearl Jam for nearly all of the 2006 tour of Australia (and in Honolulu), and for four dates of the 2008 East Coast Tour.

Thanks to early reports from the finger-on-the-musical-pulse folks at Billboard.com - Congratulations to them all!

Rock.

Hootenanny For Haiti With McCready

Kathy Davis — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:54:18 +0000

Tickets are on sale NOW, click here - New Show Alert! Seattle Rock Guy was the first to point out that our own Mike McCready and other Seattle rock luminaries will be at The Showbox Sunday February 28th at 7:30 p.m. for a benefit in support of Haitian Earthquake Relief. The funds raised will go to Partners In Health’s Stand With Haiti initiative.

Here are the show details from the Showbox website:

A Hootenanny For Haiti Showbox at the Market

SundayFebruary 28, 2010 7:30pm Show is 21+

$15 (not including fees)
PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE ›
1-800-982-2787 standwithhaiti.org

Announcing Hootenanny For Haiti at Showbox at the Market in Seattle on Sunday, February 28, 2010.

For over 20 years, Partners In Health have been providing vital health care services in Haiti and are one of the largest health care providers in the country, working alongside the Haitian Ministry.

Seattle musicians unite for one extraordinary night of music to benefit Haiti.

Duff McKagan, Mike McCready, Kim Virant, Kim Warnick, Kristen Ward, Mark Pickerel, Star Anna, Chris Friel, Gary Westlake, Jeff Rouse, Justin Davis, Ty Bailie and friends will perform together in an intimate setting to support the efforts of Partners in Health, who were among the first emergency medical responders to provide relief following the devastating January 12th earthquake.

And here is a little bit about Partners In Health (fyi, it was the organization that Stone Gossard chose as the recipient of his cut of the proceeds from 2009 tour fundraising):

The five fundamental principles of our work are:

1. Access to primary health care
PIH integrates infectious disease interventions within a wide range of basic health and social services.

2. Free health care and education for the poor
PIH works to ensure that cost does not prevent access to primary health care and education for the poor.

3. Community partnerships
PIH doesn’t tell the communities we serve what they need—they tell us.

4. Addressing basic social and economic needs
Through community partners, PIH works to improve access to food, shelter, clean water, sanitation, education, and economic opportunities.

5. Serving the poor through the public sector
Rather than establish parallel systems, PIH works to strengthen and complement existing public health infrastructure.

The work of PIH has three goals: to care for our patients, to alleviate the root causes of disease in their communities, and to share lessons learned around the world. Through long-term partnerships with our sister organizations, we bring the benefits of modern medical science to those most in need and work to alleviate the crushing economic and social burdens of poverty that exacerbate disease. PIH believes that health is a fundamental right, not a privilege.

Through service, training, advocacy, and research, we seek to raise the standard of care for the poor everywhere.

Even if you can’t make the rockin’ show at the Showbox, Partners In Health is a great organization, and you can support them by donating here.

Benefit Rock!

Pearl Jam In Florida April 19th?

Kathy Davis — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 10:01:01 +0000

This just in from one of Kath’s Facebook group memberships (via Mirella from Bugs):

Monday April 19th in St. Pete’s Florida is first official Pearl Jam date that I have heard of. This date flashed on the billboard at the St. Pete’s Times Arena over the weekend!!!

Checking directly with the St. Pete Times Forum website does show an open date at the arena… (the last event listed for April is Bon Jovi on the 17th). Let’s see, the boys are playing the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on Saturday, May 1st (the 2010 Festival Musical Lineup announcement confirms that here) – so they could potentially be in the South before then. And Pearl Jam DO love Florida, having played multiple dates there regularly since what, 1998? And the South was missed on the Backspacer go ’round last year, was it not? (apart from Austin, TX of course). Ears to the ground, peeps – there be rumblings! Woo hoo!

Thanks to Mirella and to Stephanie P. for the info.

Rock!

Vedder/Pearl Jam Haitian Relief

Kathy Davis — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:22:35 +0000

A couple of Pearl Jam items are offered to benefit Haitian earthquake relief. First, a re-post from PearlJam.com in case you missed it:

1.25.10

Eddie Vedder’s full audio performance of Bruce Springsteen’s “My City Of Ruins” from the recent Kennedy Center Honors is now available for purchase through Ten Club and iTunes for $.99. Proceeds from the sale of the track benefit Artists for Peace and Justice Haiti Relief.

About Artists for Peace and Justice
Artists for Peace and Justice (APJ), established in early 2009, is a fundraising effort founded by Paul Haggis and friends that encourages peace and social justice and addresses issues of poverty and enfranchisement in communities around the world. Over the past year, APJ has directed its efforts to raising enough funds to fully sponsor three schools in Haiti in support of the initiatives of Father Rick Frechette and his team. These schools aren’t just a place to learn but provide for a hot meal, clean water and a chance at the future to children who desperately need it. Following the devastating earthquake in Haiti, APJ has focused its efforts on raising much needed dollars for emergency aid in the ravaged country that is only a few hours from our shores.

“My City Of Ruins” Credits
Performed by Eddie Vedder
Featuring The Joyce Garrett Singers – Artistic Director, Joyce Garrett
Words and Music by Bruce Springsteen
Performed December 6, 2009 at the “Kennedy Center Honors” Bruce Springsteen Tribute Performance
Produced by Michael Stevens
Executive Producer, George Stevens, Jr.
Music Direction and Choral Arrangement by Rob Mathes
Recorded and Mixed by Ed Greene
Assisted by John Burton
Recording courtesy of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC. (www.kennedy-center.org)

Special thanks to Michael Stevens, Joyce Garrett and especially Bruce Springsteen

Eddie Vedder’s full audio performance of Bruce Springsteen’s “My City Of Ruins” from the recent Kennedy Center Honors is now available for purchase through Ten Club and iTunes for $.99. Proceeds from the sale of the track benefit Artists for Peace and Justice Haiti Relief.

Also to benefit Haitian relief, there is an autographed copy of “Backspacer” offered from British charity Oxfam through E-Bay UK. The link to the exact item is here (auction closes February 1st); many other great Rock & Roll memorabilia is available on Oxfam’s E-Bay shop here.

Donate, and get cool stuff!

Boom Talks to Hawaiian Radio Station

Kathy Davis — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 07:45:54 +0000

Pearl Jam on a break until March, hmmmm? B-3 God Booooooooooom stopped by Hawaii’s B-97 radio station to promote an upcoming Mana Maoli show (a collective of Hawaiian musicians in which I believe he participates that supports Hawaiian education). Here’s a re-post of his little visit from the blog of the DJ with whom he visited, Darrin:

Boom and DJ Darrin- Jan. 22, 2010

Boom Gaspar of Pearl Jam stopped by the studios this morning. Boom was helping promote the MANA MAOLI show at the Water And Ice Lounge in Hilo on KWXX, but we managed to coerce him into the B97-B93 studio to talk story with us. GREAT guy! Originally from Waimanalo and has been touring with Pearl Jam on keyboards since 2002.

Boom says the band is currently taking a break, but will be hitting the road in March. We followed up the interview with Pearl Jam’s “Crazy Mary” (live) ..a song that features a dazzling keyboard solo trading licks with Mike McCready’s scorching guitar solo.

Great way to wrap up Aloha Friday! Have a safe weekend! – DC

If you’re in Hawaii, I didn’t see specifics about the show, but the Water and Ice Lounge posted a mention about it on their Facebook page here.

Aloha Rock!

Hope: An Interesting Pearl Jam, Obama, Helms, Shepard Fairey Mashup

John Reynolds — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 21:25:20 +0000

Hope, by Shepard Fairey

There was an interesting article in the LA Times Blog today about Shepard Fairey, a L.A.-based political street artist who created the now famous “HOPE” poster about Barack Obama. The focus on that poster details its origins in a previously available photograph of Obama from the Associated Press.

The article goes on to say:

“When someone in the audience brought up Fairey’s ongoing legal battle with the Associated Press over his appropriation of an AP photo as a template for his landmark “Hope” poster supporting Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, Conal jumped in with a long anecdote about a nervous moment he had with the AP in 1996 on account of his unauthorized use of a photograph of Ronald Reagan in the background of “Little White Lies,” an artwork Pearl Jam commissioned him to do when the band was putting in its two cents against the re-election of Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.).“

This rattled some synapses in my brain and I remembered we covered this artwork in our Been There, Done That, Got the T-Shirt (April 2003) article on Pearl Jam T-shirts (pictured below).

Little White Lies

As mentioned in our article: “The “Little White Lies” shirt was made to commemorate the “Don’t Re-elect Jesse Helms” Pearl Jam concert on October 4, 1996 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The infamously racist, anti-Choice, anti-arts Republican Helms was running for yet another term as a North Carolina senator. He’d been in the senate since 1972 and he was re-elected in the November elections that year.”

The image is a little small but reads:

JESSE’S LITTLE WHITE LIES:

FAMILY VALUES: The Family That Prays Together Stays Together
RACISM: It’s Just Business As Usual
GUN CONTROL: Guns Don’t Kill People – People Kill
SEX EDUCATION: No Sex is Good Sex. (Yeah, Right)
CENSORSHIP: “Freedom of Expression” is for People Who Look and Think Exactly Like Him. (Yuck.)
DESEGREGATION: “… We’re Free, White and 21, as We Say in North Carolina”, New York Times, 19XX

Matt Cameron Guests on New Peter Frampton Record

Kathy Davis — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 07:52:41 +0000

Dipping my feet back in the TFT News pool! According to Peter Frampton’s website, Frampton.com, our fave drummer Matt Cameron is once again guesting on a solo offering from the guitar legend. The release won’t be out until April, but here are the details from his site (originally pointed out by wewillrockyoublog.com):

Following his Grammy Award-winning instrumental album, 2006’s Fingerprints, Peter Frampton returns this spring with Thank You Mr. Churchill (A&M/New Door/UMe) on April 27, his most personal collection to date.

The 11-song set, co-produced and co-engineered by Frampton, features the legendary guitarist at his most incisive lyrically as he tackles the battles that wage within us and the outside forces that rage around us. His searing guitar work flows over every song, setting the mood. Nowhere is this clearer than on Churchill’s centerpiece, the evocative, two-part, 8-minute instrumental, “Suite: Liberté.”

“This album is very autobiographical,” Frampton says. “It starts with my birth, which I thank Mr. Churchill for bringing my father back from the Second World War.”

Recorded at his home studio in Cincinnati, Churchill is deeply intimate, weaving tales of loss, love and redemption and the lessons learned along the way. Churchill also includes Frampton’s reflective take on troubling world events, including the Wall Street bailout (“Restraint”) and even the tragic case of Megumi Yokota, a Japanese girl kidnapped more than 30 years ago by South Korea (“Asleep At The Wheel”).

Frampton wrote all the tracks on Churchill, penning many with longtime collaborator Gordon Kennedy. His co-producer/co-engineer, Chris Kimsey, was the engineer on Frampton’s first solo record, 1972’s Wind of Change. It marked the first time the two, who reunited via Facebook, have worked together in 30 years. Co-engineer Don Gunn (Death Cab For Cutie) also contributes to Churchill. Guests include Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron, who also played on Fingerprints, and the legendary Funk Brothers, who appear on Frampton’s Motown homage, “Invisible Man.”

Frampton remains one of the most celebrated artists and guitarists in rock history. At 16, he was lead singer and guitarist for British teen band the Herd. At 18, he co-founded one of the first super groups, seminal rock act Humble Pie. His fifth solo album, the electrifying Frampton Comes Alive!, is one of the top-selling live records of all time.

EV While U Wait: Random Interview @exploremusic

John Reynolds — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 04:20:58 +0000

While this eerily quiet Pearl Jam 2010 continues, what better way to pass the time than a nice, recent, and really candid interiew that revolves around Into the Wild and Backspacer conducted by Alan Cross of Explore Music. The audio is so raw and lo-fi you can even hear Ed finishing a drink and the distinctive sound of rattling an empty cup of ice.

Ed discusses how the new record came together, how writing in the Obama era yields happy songs, how hangovers get tougher when you get older, and the origins of the Backspacer title. Favorite Backspacer observation: “(On Typewriters) it was ‘Backspacer’ then to ‘Backspace’, and on a computer it’s just ‘Delete’. ‘Backspace’ you actually have to go back and look at your mistake. (Laughs)”

And If you’re a fan of that hearty Ed laugh, there are many. Ok, sounds kinda creepy. Enjoy!