[paperjam]

Maybe this topic has been posted on and discussed before, but either way, I would like to broach it presently.

Pearl Jam, brought together by a series of unlikely events and deaths, has blossomed to become the most influential bands of our generation.

If you are one of those fans who listened to Ten, listened to Vs., and then didn't hear Pearl Jam for a while afterwards, and think Pearl Jam is one of those bands who has a couple of hit albums, then starts sucking, then you're seriously mistaken.

Pearl Jam purposely avoided the spotlight for the last decade, while continuing to put out quality albums. Pearl Jam has been politically active, encouraging everyone to vote. A few years ago, 9 fans were trampled to death at a European Pearl Jam concert, and rather than just moving on, Pearl Jam considered retiring (but didn't) - but they did include an entire song plus some lines of another song on their next album in dedication to those 9 fans - "Lost 9 friends we'll never know 2 years ago today."

Their last album, self-titled, is perhaps the greatest of all their albums since Ten.

Pearl Jam concerts are the best shows I have ever been to. People who attend Pearl Jam concerts are true fans and most of them know the lyrics to every song, not just the radio songs. The bands works hard to please the audience, and often times stays past their "curfew" incurring fines, just to satisfy the audience.

Besides Phil Hellmuth, I cannot think of any pop idol I look up to more than Eddie Vedder.