Live in New York, NY, Wetlands Preserve, 11.06.1999
Text written by Polina Skibinskaya
Photos taken by Jessica Letkemann, 'Tickle My Nausea' (Pearl Jam fan zine)
Well, the show was ... ok, take the meaning of the word 'amazing' and multiply it by about 100.
I shouldn't be telling you this, you'll just feel bad you didn't go. It sucked. They were all falling down drunk and couldn't find their instruments, and then Jeff made them do half an hour of Pearl Jam covers, but Robbi couldn't remember any of the words, so the band was playing Pearl Jam songs while Robbi was singing words from Broadway musicals. And they were all wearing fishnet stockings but didn't shave their legs.
No really, it was amazing. They were so much harder than on the album, I was surprised! I was expecting them to be laid-back, and they just ROCKED!!! They're all such amazing musicians, it seems that there's no instrument they can't play. I still get shocked seeing Jeff play guitar. And Robbi did this amazing solo on sitar, which was really beautiful. His voice sounded great, must've been that huge joint he smoked before going on the stage. I swear, that thing was the size of my middle finger. I was amazed he could stand up. But he did great anyway.
But Jeff, my sunshine, seemed so uncomfortable most of the time ... It must've been all the Pearl Jam shirts in the
audience, but he looked like he just wanted to hide under a table somewhere. It took him a very long time to relax.
He has such a beautiful smile, it's a shame when he doesn't show it off. Well, Robbi got him relaxed when he pointed at
him and declared that he was the intelligent fish. Jeff just started laughing hysterically. Then Robbi called Richard
the super intelligent fish and himself the mega intelligent fish, so Jeff was satisfied that he still came out the
most stupid one in the band. Jeff sang a lot too, seemed to really enjoy it. And Robbi talked a lot, while they were
looking for their instruments (that part is true, they really couldn't find them a lot of the time), one time he
started talking about times, present and past and future and started asking the audience what the fourth time is. He
sounded like a teacher in the first grade. Somebody yelled out What time are you from, Robbi?
I just started
applauding.
Ah, I wish I got to see them Saturday too ...
The venue was so tiny too, really good place, great vibe, and I swear, from the stage to the back wall it was only about 10 people deep! My friends kept a spot for me right at the stage, right in the middle, but after I stood there for the opening acts I realized there was no way I could handle being that close to them, so I went to the side and had a perfect (and still extremely close) view. I can see them, but they can't see me. That's the way I want it. But I wasn't close enough to get one of Robbi's dreads for you. Which is good, he looked like he hadn't had a shower in a very long time, the dread would've probably just stuck to my fingers.
