KNDD Radio Interview with Jeff and Matt 11/6/00
(interview conducted by Andy Savage, Jodi & Steve)Andy: Jeff Ament, Matt Cameron from Pearl Jam, welcome home you guys.
Jeff: How you doing?
Andy: And congratulations on 10 years as Pearl Jam. But we gotta go back to, I guess, 17 years ago? With Jeff and Stone, you started out as Green River, and then to Mother Love Bone. What's the story of how Pearl Jam got together?
Jeff: Well, Andy died in 1990. it was kind of a summer of Stone and I just hanging out, riding our bikes around, meeting for coffee every day, trying to figure out what we were gonna do. And uh, he kinda went right back to work. He started uh, actually playing a little bit with Mike McCready. And we actually hooked up with Matt uhm, shortly after that at Kristen Berry's house. Played a bunch of instrumental songs that Stone had written, Wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald.
Matt: Yup.
Jeff: The Kings.
Matt: These big charts. He brought in these like two foot high charts with like, the letter G, dash B, dash, you know.
Jeff: The notes.
Matt: Yeah, the notes to the songs. I vividly remember that, these big old charts. But, anyways ...
Andy: Now wasn't it, uhm Jack Irons came into the fold, and sent a tape down to Eddie, and Eddie wrote Alive or something like that?
Jeff: Yeah, we were trying to get Jack into our band, cause he'd quit the Chili Peppers I think a year previous, and uh, he was already kinda starting this pretty amazing band, Eleven, who uh. Well we gave him a tape, and he said he couldn't do it, cause had obligations with Eleven. And uh, we said if you know any other drummers or any singers, or anybody else that you think would be into this music, you know, pass it along. And about two weeks later, he called up and said he'd given the tape to this guy Eddie. And we talked, I think I called him, and talked for a couple minutes, and kinda talked about the music that we liked or whatever, and what we've been doing. And then uh, he sent a tape of some home recordings that he had done, which were pretty cool, just him and an acoustic guitar. And then about a week later, he sent up a tape that had Once, Alive and Footsteps on it.
Andy: Yeah, and the rest is ... history.
Jeff: Yeah, it was, I mean, I don't think it'd ever been so obvious to me that it was the right thing. Like pretty much as soon as I heard his voice, I was like, "Wow."
Andy: Now you know, you were mentioning you guys were riding bikes, meeting for coffee, playing in bands, prolly playing in little places. And you know, you'd know how many people in Seattle are here in Seattle in little bands playing at the central, the Color Box, or Off Ramp, or whatever. Uhm, you've made it. Do you have anything to say to those people who are struggling, and wish, and wish, and wish they could be where you are? Is it like, be careful what you wish for? Or is it worth every step?
Jeff: Well, that's a weird que [clearing throat] ... it's a little bit of a lottery you know. There's a little bit of the lottery, and a little bit of perseverance. Uhm. More than anything, I was just doing what I wanted to do. You know, I just played with people I liked to play with.
Andy: And just got lucky?
Jeff: Yeah. I think so, to some degree, you know. I think, and you know, we'd save our money for three or four months, and go, play, we'd drive to New York and play seven shows in a month or something, you know, just ridiculous things that you put yourself through. But it was all about having that experience of like, "Man, we played CBGB's!" you know. "There were six people there, but WE PLAYED CBGB's." [laughter]
Andy: Right on. But its something you guys strived for, not just like "Look what happened", you know, five years later, "Oh my God, we're on top." I mean you guys worked for this didn't you?
Matt: Well you definitely have to commit to, you know, your dream, and if that's music, you know whatever it is, there's gotta be a big level of commitment. I mean like what Jeff was saying, saving up money to go on tours. Like, when Soundgarden first started we did the same thing. You know, we all had day jobs, and we had to like scrounge up money from our parents to buy a van, and stuff like that. I think there was luck involved with, you know, just the timing of a lot of the bands kind of exploded in the late 80's around here. So you know, it was a really good fertile scene, it wasn't really co-opted as of yet, you know. There wasn't a whole lot of focus on this region. A lot of the touring bands never really came up here. So I think that was kind of a, a real good, kind of cohesion with all the bands, just by virtue of it being so isolated you know.
Andy: Now, you have as a matter of fact, Supergrass opened last night, but you have a band that's opening up tonight.
Matt: No, it's actually on Monday, oh yah, tonight, yah. [huge laughter] Today's Monday, uhm, I keep forgetting.
Andy: Yah, so you're gonna be doing ...
Matt: I just got off tour man. [stoned voice]
Andy: You're gonna be doing two sets. Tell me about that band.
Matt: Uh, Wellwater Conspiracy is a group with myself, and John McBain, used to play with Monster Magnet. We've been just recording together since around 2, on four-tracks and eight- tracks, and just kind of whatever's lying around. Just kind of a fun recording project.
Andy: Now do you still get out in clubs, and do little clubs and stuff?
Matt: Uhh ... not really. Just mostly been a recording project. We have a record coming out in February, and after that comes out, we'll probably do some shows. But as of right now, only stadiums. [laughter]
Andy: Speaking of that, is it more comfortable for you guys to play in front of, let's say 100,000 people, or would you to prefer to play in front of 300 at the Showbox or something.
Jeff: I think it's, you know, I think you can have a great show in front of 20,000 people and sometimes it's a little bit more nerve-racking if you're playing in front of 300 people, if you can see like all their expressions ... if there arms are all folded. [laugh] Jeff: If you're playing a club in New York or something, or LA or something like that, sometimes it can be a little bit intense. But, its relative you know. Even if the stars all aligned, and you have a good show, or there not, and there's some train wrecks.
Steve: I thought it was cool, after 10 years of being a band, you had the 10 year anniversary show in Vegas, and you guys went back and actually covered a Mother Love Bone song. Was that weird to go up on stage and play a song you probably haven't played in 10-12 years?
Jeff: Yeah, it was pretty wild. I mean, that whole night was pretty cool in that way. Cause I don't know even if I've ever really celebrated my history before in any anything, in any regard, other than like maybe a birthday or something. Yeah, it was cool. I was thinking of Andy a lot, and a lot of the people that were around ... uh ...
Andy: Matt just spilled stuff all over his shirt ...
Matt: I spilled a beverage all over myself.
Andy: Cause he doesn't know what day it is ...
Matt: Red Bull [laughter]
Steve: How'd you decide on which song to cover, or how'd that even come about right before the show.
Jeff: Well, Ed actually, the day before, or a couple days before. He had actually said something, like probably nine years ago, or maybe even almost ten years ago, that he said "Someday I'd love to do a Mother Love Bone song." I was like, "Well, which one", and he was like "Well, I'll give you one guess. I'll tell you if guess," and I guessed wrong. [laughter] So he never told me for 10 years.
Steve: What song did you guess? Do you remember?
Jeff: I think it was Heartshine. I was trying to think, lyrically, what he would attach himself to, but yeah, it was cool.
Andy: It was awesome, I loved that show. It was a spiritual experience.
Steve: Andy got married right before your show.
Jeff: Oh, wow.
Andy: I went to Vegas to see you guys play, and I got married.
Jodi: We're talking about the ten year anniversary, I wanna get nostalgic. I wanna hear a good story about those days when you were taking tours to New York, and you were beginning to, you know, maybe see some signs of "Hey, we'll pull this together, its gonna happen." What's a good nostalgic story?
Jeff: Or signs that maybe should like, go back to school or ... ? [laughter] Actually Matt's probably heard this story a couple times, but, we ah ... I think it was like our third show, this was Green River. And we were half way across the country in Detroit, it's Halloween, and we're playing this place called the "Greystoke" in Detroit, with Samhain, who is Glenn Danzig. And its Green River, and we're kinda at our kind of, most-glam, Green River, like Mark's wearing his silver tights, I think wearing like a pink San Francisco t-shirt, and Stone's got a big scarf wrapped around his neck. And we're opening up for Samhain on Halloween in Detroit. And uh, people in the front were like spitting at us, and this whole thing is going on, and then this girl who was right in front of Mark, who just kept like spitting at him. Like Mark would get right down at the edge of the stage, and this girl would like spit right in his face. So I put my foot down, kinda in front of her face. And her boyfriend from behind, like grabbed me, pulled me off the stage, into the crowd, and I got pummeled! [laughter] I was like in the crowd with my bass, just going "Whirrirrirr" and I'm just getting like, beat to death. It was horrible. And then, and then, went up to get paid afterwards ... after, you know, (laughing) after probably the most humbling experience ever. And, Corey Rusk, who, he was in The Necro's at the point, I was really excited to meet him, cuz I loved The Necro's, and runs Touch and Go now. He was the promoter for the show, we were supposed to make like a 100 bucks, which was a huge payday for us at that point. He's paying Danzig like $12,000, or whatever he was making that show. And I put my hand out, and he goes "Man, I thought you guys sucked, I'm only giving you 25." [huge laughter] I just put my head down, and I'm like, I gotta to back and tell the band that we only made 25 bucks.
Jodi: Wow.
Jeff: Maybe we should go home guys. [laughter]
Andy: Did you ever see that guy again?
Jeff: Uh uh. Actually I told, I met somebody a year ago, actually played basketball with some guy that works and touch and go, and he said "that sounds like Corey".
Andy: Matt Cameron and Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam. Again, congratulations on the 10th anniversary, tonight is gonna be the last show for the tour, and you know, you never know what's gonna happen in the next couple years, if you're gonna do it again, maybe you're gonna get into different things, so do you have anything special planned for this very last show?
Jeff: I don't, I'm sure Ed has something planned.
Andy: Yeah.
Jeff: that he'll let us know about like, at the last minute.
[laughter]
Steve: Are you guys excited to play with the Chili Peppers?
Jeff: Yeah, I think it's somewhat appropriate, cause they gave us a huge break back in '91.
Steve: Yeah, and they're playing this bill for free, they're doing it for the charities, right?
Andy: Yeah.
Andy: Um, any of the charities that you guys are particularly fond of, or more fond than others, or ...
Jeff: I think all of them are pretty legitimate, you know, I think what it takes is for somebody in the band to champion a particular charity, and to bring it back to the band and say, this is something I really feel passionate about, and you know, whether it's the west memphis three thing, or getting a skate park built, or I mean, all of it is just people that are underprivileged, and maybe don't have the opportunity that most people have, a lot of native causes ...
Matt: JAMPAC
Jeff: JAMPAC
Matt: Home Alive
Andy: Right. Now what is the process of how you guys write songs together and has there ever been a big disagreement about anything in the ten years about you know, maybe one guy wanted to do this, and the other guys didn't ... ?
Matt: Oh that never happens in bands [laughter] ... it's all smooth sailing, right? Everyone agrees, and ...
Andy: Well, was there ever been a time when Pearl Jam was in danger of breaking up because of disagreements or anything?
Jeff: Oh sure ... yeah, I mean ... I think probably at the height of our popularity, I think that's when our communication was the worst, and everything is hypersensitive, and everything's really important, and, yeah, I there were moments there where, you know, we're trying to figure out what direction we want to go, and who we want to be playing with, and we've, you know, we've had a few drummers in our band, so ...
Andy: Yeah. Well, you guys, I look at you this way, you're probably the biggest rock band in the world. Uh, how do you stay grounded ... cause, you're just regular people, um, and you seem very well grounded.
Jeff: I think it comes from experience, you know, we've been doing this for a long time, in different groups, of course.
Matt: Well with Pearl Jam what I've always kind of noticed over the years, is they've been able to maintain a certain level of success, and keep it real. You know, it's always been about music, it's always been about connecting with the audience, and it's just kind of a healthier approach with a successful band, as opposed to trying to, or having to play the game of, you know, the way that the label wants you to promote yourself, um, and that's normally, you know, a direct contrast with the way most bands want to be seen, so ...
Andy: Well, how do you keep from doing that, then? I mean, they're paying for everything, so, you know, don't they just say, hey, we want you to go and do this appearance, or that, and what do you do, say "no"?
Matt: Yeah, you say, "No".
[laughter]
Andy: Well, I mean, aren't you afraid of them yanking promotional money or whatever the case may be ?
Jeff: I mean, we really lucked out, cause our first record went through the roof, so, and we kinda laid, you know, a plan out for them on how we wanted to do things. We wanted to tour, that was the main for us, we wanted to get out and play, and we wanted to be a better band, and the fact that it worked, kind of allowed us to kind of make our own plan. You know, Kelly, our manager, definitely has battles with, you know, if a new person comes in, and doesn't really know how we do things, they'll come in and say, "All right, what's the first video gonna be?", and Kelly'll be like, "Well, they're not gonna do a video"
Andy: Why don't you do videos?
Jeff: It's not fun ... it's not really a fun process. Especially if it's in the middle of like, trying to learn songs, trying to finish a record, trying to finish doing all of the things that you love to do, you know, like the musical part of it, and being a band, and playing together. And I think film is a great, you know, I think if you have the time, and could actually really take your time with it, and make it, you know, be really hands-on, I think it would be a really cool experience, like with the Evolution video, it was a blast to be involved with that. And, just the promotion part of it ... we kind of figure that everybody already knows who we are, and when we put a record out, they know who we are, so we really don't need to have promotional videos. People already know that we have a record coming out, and to me I've always, at least initially I always thought MTV or VH1 or whatever as being like, initially it was like a promotional tool. You know, it was like, letting people know, and it turned into this thing where they play 10 songs and beat it into your skull and it becomes less about music, and more about just the repetition of making something, even if it's not a good song, you know, they pound it into your skull enough, eventually people go, "Oh, wow, yeah, that's kind of catchy, I've heard it, 300 times, I mean, it's catchy, you know?"
Matt: "I guess it's good ... "
Andy: Was there one moment in time when you had to stop and say to yourself, "wow, we are huge. This thing has taken off, this is phenomenal"?
Jeff: You know, the time that I keep thinking about is ... we'd been to Europe twice, and we opened up for the Chili Peppers , so we'd been on the road for about six or seven months on the first record. We came back to the states, and things had kind of blown up, but we didn't really even know how much it had blown up, and I remember we played a show, in Columbus, Ohio, and after the show, there was like 400 people there, or whatever, after the show, we went back to get on the bus, and there were like 400 people around the bus. And it, you know, took like an hour or an hour and half to get on the bus cause you're signing autographs, and saying "Hi" to all these people, and that was like, when you actually were confronted with, like, every person that saw you at the show, you actually probably shook their hands, or made eye contact with or whatever, and that was a moment, that seemed, like, ok, something just happened. The reality of it, like, kinda hit home.
Andy: Felt good, huh?
Jeff: Yeah, yeah, it felt good, it felt strange, too, like, wow, what's going on, like why all of a sudden, you know, you couldn't pay somebody to like, like you, or listen to your record, or ... so for just a change like that.
Andy: Jeff Ament and Matt Cameron from Pearl Jam on the end. Uh, Matt, you played with Soundgarden. Is there, maybe this is a stupid question, a huge difference between the bands, do you like playing with Pearl Jam better. Or ... can you compare the two?
Matt: Uh, I love both, I mean I just love playing. You know? I like making music, in a lot of different groups, uh, incarnations, whatever. But it's really fun to, uh, perform at this level, where, you know, every show's gonna be sold out or close to sold out, and um ... Soundgarden was, we kind of reached that towards the end of our career, so it's kind of nice to uh, to continue with that ... on that wave, you know? But it's, musically, it's a little different, but it's still, I mean, both groups are really exciting on stage, and I think that's what I really appreciate. Especially with Pearl Jam, they're really committed when they hit the stage, and they're really professional, really great to work with, and yeah, I mean, the whole organization, crew, management, everyone, has just been great. So, it's just a really good family kind of atmosphere, which is what you want in a successful kind of touring outfit, you know, you definitely want everyone to be in tune with what's going on that given day, and uh, so I mean, it's just a great, great family.
Andy: Have you guys been approached about a Soundgarden reunion?
Matt: Have not.
Andy: Would you do it?
Matt: Uh, for you, what, for your wedding, or something?
Andy: Would you mind?
Matt: We could play some keggers, sure. I think we'll start slow, we'll do keggers, weddings, bar mitzvahs, you know, take it from there.
Andy: That's be great! [laughter] Steve: You, I just read recently, hooked up with the guys from the guys in Our Lady Peace to help them on the drums ... how'd that come about, and what happened exactly?
Matt: Well ... my friend Jeremy , who's the drummer, he got mugged in Montreal and messed up his leg. They had like, three more tracks to go to finish the record, so, uh, we had a day off there on the beginning of the tour, so I just went in there and recorded a couple of songs.
Steve: I always thought it was fun watching you guys, you all have like other projects you work on besides Pearl Jam, or besides Soundgarden in the past, and I was always curious which one, other than your own, has been the one you've been most excited about, whether it be like, Brad, or whether it be the Rockfords, or Mad Season, which CD of your cohorts that they've made has just totally blown you away?
Jeff: I think, I mean I think they're all interesting. For me, like, I think, in things that I've been involved in, I've always wanted to go, really, as far away from Pearl Jam as I possibly could. That's always been my thing. So, I think there are elements of the first Brad record that I really really liked, like I thought there were some really unique things going on there. And I think the Wellwater stuff is really interesting to me, too. To me it's way different than Soundgarden was, you know? So ... I think that's what I appreciate about when people do do side projects, when it really does go somewhere where you don't expect it to go.
Matt: And Three Fish is the same way, you know, you guys incorporate a lot of kind of, world music elements, it's just a very nice change, you know?
Jodi: Do you think because you had lots of different Pearl Jam incarnations and lots of side projects and other people working with you, do you think that that's lent itself to the solidarity of Pearl Jam?
Jeff: You know, one thing I think it did, I think the fact that everybody did go off and kinda do something on their own, I think especially, I can say for Mike and I, I think the fact that we went and did some things on our own kinda made us feel like, maybe we didn't need Pearl Jam as much, and I think that makes for a healthier relationship, with the band, I think, then it's, it isn't like "this is the only thing that I have going on in my life, and I have to do this, and I have to have my little part in it or else I'm gonna, you know, blow away", you know? I think all that stuff's healthy, I think all those little mistresses are good.
Andy: Matt Cameron, Jeff Ament, of Pearl Jam, in the studio in the End. It's been ten years ... I'm wondering ... do you guys look at it like, 'We're gonna do this when we're 50, we can be the Rolling Stones ... when I'm 56 years old I'm gonna be up on stage, jamming and" ... or do you like see an end?
Matt: There should be a law against that. [laughter]
Andy: Well yeah, but I mean ... do you see an end to this? And if so, what do you think's gonna happen? Are you guys just gonna go "You know, it's been great, but we've got everything we need and" ... just gonna walk away?
Jeff: No, I think as long as it's fun to play, and be in a room together, and if we, if we still enjoy that, and
Andy: Well I'm sure the Stones think "Hey we're still having fun" and I guess they do when they go on a tour, but you know, let's face it, these guys ... you know what are they, 60?
Jeff: Well, I, I mean, we've played some shows with those guys and I think there's a little bit of a struggle with that, I think there's a couple guys that really love to be out there, I think Keith really likes to be on the road and kind of be in that whole circus thing, and I don't, I don't think Charlie, and I don't even think Mick really likes it that much, so. We haven't done that sort of touring since our first record. You know where you do like the Rolling Stones like a year and a half, two year U2 mega whatever thing, and I just don't think we'll ever do that, I think we all sit down and go, like, 'Hey do you feel like touring this year?' And if any one person says, 'You know I'm not really feeling that great about it, I could probably do like six weeks or four weeks or something' then that's all we'll do. Whatever it takes to kinda keep it healthy. You know, and I think that's ... and to keep it fun, you know? As long as we're kind of still exploring, and allowing each other to explore and kind of do different things, and ... I'm excited about it, you know? And if I'm not excited about it then I can definitely imagine not doing it, you know? If it's a drag.
Andy: Yeah. I asked Eddie this so I'm gonna ask you guys, too. Um, I don't know if you're aware. We interviewed Brian Marshall of Creed, uh, and I asked him, uh, that, how do you feel about people thinking that you guys sound like Pearl Jam? You know and his
Matt: Wait, who's Creed?
[laughter]
Andy: That's what Eddie said. Uh ...
[laughter]
And his response was, you know, Eddie Vedder wishes he could write songs like Scott Stapp. Well, this caused a whole bunch of BS. And he eventually got fired, not because of THAT, but I mean that was, sort of the straw that broke the camel's back.
Matt: Oh, the dude that said that got fired?
Andy: Yes.
Matt: And he was in the band?
Andy: Yes.
Steve (the producer): The bassist.
Matt: Aaaaaaaaaaah. Wow. Well there you go.
Steve: Soap opera.
Matt: End of story.
[laughter]
Jeff: Fire him!
Steve:Admit it you guys called them up and said, 'Fire that guy!'
Matt: Well, you know..we
Jeff: Actually we just called them up and said, you know, you really should disband right now.
[laughter]
Matt: It would be in your best interest.
Steve: We're coming for ya.
Andy: How do you guys feel about, um, Pearl Jam rip-off bands? I mean, let's face it, I mean, Creed's Scott sounds like Eddie. Do you pay attention to that stuff? Do you notice? Do you think, "What's this BS?"
Jeff: He sounds like Eddie did on the first record and I, uh, I don't ... I think there's great songs on our first record, but you know, that was ten years ago ... you know, I mean ... Ed's such a better singer, and does ... he's so much more diverse than what he did, what he showed on the first record, and I, I just ... when you hear a band that sound like our first record, I, I can't, you know ... I can't get that excited about it.
Jodi: Oh, I don't know..I love your first record.
[laughter]
Jeff: No, no, like I said, no, I think there's great songs on it, but you know, we haven't gone back and said, "Man we need to write another Even Flow. That was huge for us!" You know, that's just not the mode that we work in.
Andy: You guys just don't care. And it works out for you. Right? And I think that's amazing! Because, you know, bands will go "Geez, we need a hook, we need something that's gonna get radio play." You guys don't care, it's like "Here's our songs. Love it or leave it. Whatever." It works.
Jeff: Yeah, you know, if we're in a room, and we're all excited about something, then that's priority number one, you know?
Andy: What's your favorite Pearl Jam song?
Jeff: Man, I don't know, I have no idea. Probably Present Tense.
Steve: Ah, that's my favorite too.
Andy: Because?
Jeff: I think lyrically, it was..it was one of those lyrics that I wish I would have wrote. Because it totally represented, like, how I feel. Like when he wrote that lyric, I was like, "WOW." You know? That's a feeling that I've had in me for a long time, and he just put it into words.
Steve: If you were putting together, and maybe, this is kind of a silly question, but if you were gonna put together a Pearl Jam greatest hits album, what five songs would you, be like, "These five have to be on there, I don't care what you guys think!"
Jodi: That is the silliest question I've ever heard.
Andy: That's the stupidest question I've ever heard, I'm sorry you guys.
Steve: These guys don't like me.
[laughter]
Steve: If you guys could be nice to me, I'd feel good about myself.
Matt: That is the silliest question ...
[laughter]
Steve: Aww, Matt, come on!
[more laughter]
Jeff: I don't think it's any sillier than your favorite Pearl Jam song of all time.
Steve: Yeah!
[more laughter]
Jodi: God, the two of you really should just leave the room ...
Andy: I think it's a good question.
Jodi: It is.
Andy: What five would you put on an album?
Jeff: What, you want your hits? You want your favorites?
Andy: No, yours.
Jodi: Personal opinion.
Andy: Yeah.
Jeff: Five songs? Okay, I would say uh ... I'd say Present Tense, I would say Wishlist, um ... probably Alive, off the first record.
Matt: That's three.
[laughter]
Matt: What about, uh ... I'm not very good with titles. [laughter] I just remember music. I like Parting Ways, myself. I don't know, it's just ... lyrically, it's ... staggeringly good.
Andy: Is there anybody you haven't played with that you'd really like to?
Jeff?: Living or dead?
Andy: Either/or.
Jeff: Oh, God. [laughter] When you get into the dead realm there's a lot ... [laughter]
Matt: It's too much.
Jeff: I think we'd have to play with Jimi Hendrix just to see the look on Mike's face.
Matt: Yeah.
Jeff: Stevie Ray.
Matt: Playing with Cheap Trick was kinda cool.
Jeff: Yeah.
Matt: They opened up for us on the '98 leg. That was wonderful.
Andy: Didn't you guys do something at the Croc with them?
Jeff: Yeah. We got up and played a few songs before them.
Andy: Now has there been anybody that you've met in your travels or whatever as a band and been on tour with or whatever, that you were just thrilled to meet and that you admired, and it was just like "Oh, my God', I can't believe I'm, you know, playing with these guys, or meeting these people?"
Jeff: Man, you know, so many people. Neil Young, the Who, Cheap Trick ...
Andy: And do you, do you talk to them like a fan?
Jeff: Yeah, I, you know I ... I think you try not to gush, you know, and you try not to say, like, "Man, you know, when I was thirteen, it changed my life.." You try not to get into that mode, but ... I think you try to talk to them like you do any of your peers, you know, you try to talk music with them, and ...
Matt: For me, uh, meeting Pete Townshend was pretty cool ... at the Bridge School '98, um ...
Jeff: Brian Wilson.
Matt: Oh, Brian Wilson ... geez, that was incredible. We got to play with The Who and Emmylou Harris and Neil Young, at the very end of the show, they did like a Dylan tune, and ... and I went out there and I played drums, and uh, I, I got out there kind of early and then I saw Pete Townshend, John Entwistle and Roger Daltrey kinda saunter onstage, and I was just like, "Oh my gosh." I tried not to pee my pants, but uh ... I started playing the song, you know, and it's just a really kind of mellow song, so I did a little doo-dad kind of tricky thing and Pete Townshend just glared at me like, "What are you doing?" [laughter] So that was just like one of the coolest moments.
Jeff: Cause you know Keith Moon got that glare many times.
Matt: Oh, you know, and it was just like "I've arrived!"
[laughter]
Andy: You guys, um ... you guys voting?
Jeff: Hell, yeah.
Matt: Oh. yeah.
Andy: I mean, is the whole band for Nader, or ... is there any disagreement?
Jeff: I'm there. I mean, just the more that, you know, you listen to him speak and the more that you hear, you know, the things that you hear coming from him seem so much more real than anything that's coming from Gore or Bush, that ... I think if everybody got to actually witness him talking, I think it ... I think it would turn a lot of heads. I think people would actually be like, "Wow ... you know, I had no idea that these issues even existed." You know, he's talking about things that I didn't have a clue about, you know in terms of, you know, what's going on with corporate welfare and all that sort of stuff, I mean ...
Andy: Do you think that your music directly affects people to where, let's say, if they do something, uh, and claimed it was because I listened to a Pearl Jam record, do you think that's crap? Or do you think your music can affect people in that way?
Jeff: I, I mean, I don't think music can be held responsible for somebody's actions. I think it can put you in a mood for sure, or if you wake up in a certain mood, it can make that mood more real ... or it can ... I mean, I guess I don't know exactly what you know, where you're coming from ...
Jodi: I have the same feeling ...
Andy: Well, you know, there was all the controversy, um, with all of the school shootings or whatever. And people bringing up the song Jeremy and whatnot, and saying, well, you know, kids are affected by this music and if, uh, it wasn't for the songs, maybe kids wouldn't be this way ... the songs and the TV, and the movies and blah blah blah, and you know the argument is, well hey if they had good parents, then it wouldn't be a problem with the songs.
Jeff: Yeah, and that's you know, that's what it comes down to, you know I think Jeremy was, I mean that song was originally based on something that happened in Texas, you know, and that, you know, about a kid who shot himself, you know in class, and ... I think that's just good reporting, you know, that's just letting people know that, hey man, this is going on and I think Ed's been really great at that in terms of just letting people know things that you don't read about in the newspaper, maybe you read about them in a, kind of more of a glorified way, you know, like violence, and ... kids are out of control, and putting the blame on the kids, and that, you know, I think it has to do with a lot of other things and a lot of baggage, a lot of family baggage, and ...
Andy: Okay, real quick, uh, you guys released 25 live albums at the same time, uh, five made it into the top 100, that's a record, that's cool, but um ... we've heard, uh, Mike's favorites, uh, Eddie's favorites. What are your favorite shows from that 25 album or CD list?
Jeff: Well, I haven't listened to any of those, but uh ... I probably won't either, but um ...
Andy: You don't like hearing yourself?
Jeff: Sometimes. Sometimes. I mean, when you, when you perform, uh, the feeling that you get if it's a good show is normally gonna be ruined when you hear it on tape or something, you know, it just doesn't sound like you ... like you want it to, or you know, you just hear ... you hear your mistakes and things like that. So I like to kinda keep that memory intact. But, having said that, let's see on the European tour, yeah, I think that the, like the second London show was really good.
Matt: I liked the Lisbon show myself, I thought that was just incredible.
Jeff: Hamburg was a good show ... I think the second Kat, well actually both Katowice shows were amazing, I mean, just ... people are so hungry for music over there, and the second night it was about half full and so it was kind of like playing in your livingroom with a bunch of friends, or ...
Matt: Yeah, kind of like a kegger [Jeff laughs], there was, there was no setlist, you know, Eddie would just like call out the tunes or Jeff would call out the tunes, and it was really fun.
Andy: Hey, don't laugh at him, he's gonna play my kegger. With Soundgarden, yeah.
[laughter]
Jeff: The wedding kegger. [more laughter]
Andy: Well ... Jeff Ament and Matt Cameron of Pearl Jam ... congratulations on ten years, you guys, uh, in my opinion ... best rock band in the world. Anything you want to leave, uh, leave the fans with, anything you wanna say? Cause this is gonna be the last show of this tour, and who knows when you're gonna hit the road again?
Jeff: It's hard to put that into words, because I feel like when we make music and when we play that's kind of what, that's why we don't do videos and all the other stuff, it's like ... put all of the focus into playing a good show, and making it the best record that you can, and I think, hopefully we'll just continue to make music, and you know that's our ... that's sort of what we're giving.
Andy: Cool. Jeff, Matt ... thanks very much, and we look forward to tonight.
Matt: Thank you
Jeff: Thanks, Andy