Hi Brad and Brad, I received the PJ20 book this past Christmas and have been making my way through it.  I just finished reading years 2000-2002, and so far have found that to be the most interesting period thus far of the band.  I realize there was so much going on in the early-to-mid 90's, including a contentious time between Vs. and No Code where fortunately the band did not fall apart.  Reading over the effect the 2000 Roskilde Festival had on the band, provided me the most humanistic view of Pearl Jam.  It literally had them considering to stop making music given the gravity of what happened during their set in that festival.  I can't imagine what the scene was actually like and how tragic it must have been.  Then a little more than a year after, 9/11 happened.  After reading over this section, I went back and listened to Riot Act again.  I also re-listened to the beginning parts to your track-by-track review of that record.  I didn't really start

Hi Brad and Brad, I hope you guys are having great weekends.  We’ve finally gotten our first real snow of the winter here in Milwaukee, so Morgan and I have been bumming around most of the evening where it’s warmer and drier.  Since we’re staying in on a Saturday night, I spent some time on a topic I used to always kick around when I was playing Guitar Hero.  Everytime I would name my “band” on the game, I would think of what would I name a Pearl Jam cover band as.  I haven’t played the game in nearly 10 years, so it’s been a while since I’ve put serious thought to this.  Here are my favorite ideas over the years. Brain of J Rearviewmirror Glorified Gs (have used this several times as for my Fantasy Football teams) Last Exit Corduroy No Code Breath and a Scream I Got Id Nothingmen The Strangest Tribe Yellow Ledbetter Mookie Blaylock I don’t have these in any particular order, but I can say that I used the top two ideas the most often on Guitar Hero.  In case I ev

Hi Brad and Brad, Tonight marks one year ago to the day where Morgan and I's lives were changed.  Her life obviously much more affected than mine.  Today was a difficult day to get through.  I was diagnosed with PTSD from the events that happened one year ago (also other events that transpired over the next several weeks).  For the most part, the post-traumatic stress didn't haunt me.  However, at various time points today I did find myself needing reassurance by hearing Morgan's voice.  The moment where I needed it most was on the drive home from Madison to Milwaukee.  That was the 75-minute drive this time last year, where I didn't think anything of her not picking up the phone on my way home.  Hearing her pick up on my way home tonight overwhelmed me and triggered a release of emotion.  After I was able to compose myself again, I put No Code on to listen to.  I mentioned several months ago that had become my Soundtrack of 2018.  It helped provide m

Hi Brad and Brad, Here's to 2019!  I'm stoked you guys started off the year by going over my favorite song by Pearl Jam in "Given To Fly." The song in itself provides such a rush of positive emotion for me.  For all of the recent song meanings I've expressed in dealing with emotional pain, this is a track that truly makes me feel like I've broken through the quicksand and am now flying above it all.  Something else I found on the Wiki page for "Given To Fly," is this quote from Mike.  It describes the song almost exactly in the way that it makes me feel: "I just kind of imagined it as sort of a wave in an ocean: It starts out slow and then it gets a little larger and a little larger and then it breaks and then it comes down again. And that's metaphorically how I think of that song.” It's a song of theirs that instills a sudden crescendo of emotion at two points of the song for me.  Whenever I have it blasti