No Rest For The Weary...
Pearl Jam is back from their tour of Maui, New Zealand and Oz and it's time for another Rumor Pit! It looks like everyone had a blast too, dreadlocks and all. There's no rest for the weary though, as we're all gearing up for the Summer tour...makin' plans, gettin' tickets, gettin' more tickets, makin' more plans. We're gettin' dizzy from all this excitement!Your local radio stations and some newspapers are announcing the vital 'whens and wheres' info about ticket sales in your area. As we receive confirmed info, we'll post it for you in the Tour and Ticket Info area. Don't forget to check out the band's most memorable photos from the tour in the Gallery area while you're here...rockin' Pearl Jam pictures are worth a thousand words and Smitty's take the cake. After seeing these shots and reading your on-the-spot tour reports, we're eagerly anticipating the summer 'cause there's no telling what they'll all be up to then. We have our mustaches ready though!
Speaking of the summer tour...Tix for NY, NJ, Chicago, WI, St. Louis and L.A. went on sale last week and almost completely sold out right away. Added dates in L.A. and NY also sold out so if you're planning on getting tix to a show, do it right when they go on sale or they'll probably be gone. A venue update: The venue for the Seattle show on July 21st will be Memorial Stadium and will benefit a number of fine organizations. More on that later. Openers: They're not ready to confirm who's opening on the tour yet so we'll need to be patient and watch the rumors on that for a bit.
Raise Awareness and Free Tibet...
Just when you think you're done making plans, there's more! We're happy to say that Pearl Jam is going to play the Tibetan Freedom Concert. This year's concert is on June 13th and 14th in Washington, D.C. and it's looking like they'll be playing both dates. It'll be an amazing lineup to raise awareness for social change and, along with Pearl Jam, we're looking forward to performances by artists: The Beastie Boys, R.E.M., A Tribe Called Quest, Beck, Radiohead, Chaksam-pa and many more. For more info on freeing Tibet: http://www.milarepa.org/Breathe Deeply...
What about all those other Pearl Jam appearance rumors? The Gorge, Spain's Dr. Music Festival, Glastonbury Festival, Reading Festival, Tahoe, Beaver Creek, Wantagh, Albany, Roskilde, Portugal's Expo '98, a festival in Northern Ontario...like echoes it goes, it goes, it goes...they won't be appearing at any of those this year but they will be on the Late Show with David Letterman on May 1st.Feed Me, Seymour...
There's more new music on the way! Pearl Jam's next single from Yield will be Wishlist with the b-side song titled, "U". The radio release will be on April 7th but the Magic Eight Ball just keeps saying 'now' on the in-store date. More info soon. [Update: "Now" will be as soon as we get the word on the in-store release date.] Next, remember hearing about the song "Whales" written by Jack Irons? Pearl Jam will be contributing a song to the new compilation album for the Surfrider Foundation and they're thinking of that song for MOM III. We think it sounds like an excellent fit.More?
What would a Rumor Pit be if we didn't mention the word v-i-d-e-o? :P The long awaited Pearl Jam home video isn't ready yet but when it is ready...it will be done. That was your home video update for this issue. ;)As far as Pearl Jam making a music video for Yield, they didn't change their minds...there won't be one. But it doesn't hurt to ask. Ouch. Just kidding. Speaking of rumors and asking, we're checking on a possible radio broadcast during the summer tour. We'll pass along anything more when we hear.
Rumors, Rumours, Rumors...
PEARL Rumor: Radiohead will open some PJ shows. T/F?
JAM Fact: False.
PEARL Rumor: According to Movieline, a Citizen Dick movie (semi-sequel to Singles) will come out later this year and members of PJ will be in it.
JAM Fact: No.
PEARL Rumor: Pearl Jam are working on a special CD-ROM (I guess
like a documentary with their videos). True/False?
JAM Fact: False.
~Q&A~Q&A~Q&A~Q&A~
Q: I know they don't like using large screens but since Pearl Jam used the side screens at the Stones' shows, will they use available screens at various venues on the summer tour this time?
A: Yes, ones that already exist.
Q: Why is it that Pearl Jam say they support various causes (i.e., the Activism links page), yet refuse to let non-profits table at their shows?
A: We do let non-profits table.
Q: Who's playing the piano on In Hiding and Low Light?
A: Brendan O'Brien.
Q: When Pearl Jam records in the studio, are all of the instrument and vocal tracks recorded at once, or are they layered piece-by-piece?
A: It varies.
Q: Where in Montana was the photo of the Yield cover taken?
A: Outside of Billings.
Q: Will we ever see a Pearl Jam song sold to a commercial ad for some product?
G1. What kind of pickups do Ed, Stone and Mike use? type?, placement?,
height?
As far as height is concerned, that is a variable that pertains mostly to
the set-up/action of the individual instrument. The height of the pickups
are going to be slightly different for each guitar, but basically you want
each pickup to be of the same output (volume) with each other, and similarly
the individual poles for each of the strings across the pickup. Consult a
local guitar luthier or a guitar repair manual for more information
regarding pickup height.
G2. Does Mike ever finger pick?
G3. The tube screamer referred to as the TS9 in the last Rumor Pit, #30, is
it the reissue model or the original?
G4. What type of PA system does Jack use?
G5. What type of mics does Jack use?
G6. What is an E-bow?
G7. Has Stone still got '3' - the Les Paul Custom from Mother Love Bone days?
A: Yes, in 2013.
[They're just joking...very funny. :P We totally lost it though imagining "Go" being used for Depends, or "Bugs" on a Raid commercial. There were more but we'll let you use your own imaginations.--RP]
Gear
A: For vintage instruments, naturally we try to obtain the guitar with its
original pickups functioning. Generally, those vintage pickups will sound
great and be left in the guitar, however, if they don't sound so good - or
if the instrument doesn't have its original set - we'll use a replacement
as similar to the originals as possible. We seem to have had really good
luck with Van Zandt pickups (particularly in the Strats and Teles) if an
instrument needs replacements, or if we're selecting pickups for a new
guitar.
A: Sure he does, particularly his nose.
A: We have a collection of both. Neither Mike or Stone is picky about
whether they're using an original or reissue - they both seem to sound
pretty similar. If it works, we use it.
A: I'm going to assume the question is referring to Jack's on-stage
monitors. Jack's drum monitor - as are all the on-stage monitors - are
provided by our good friends at RAT Sound. Specifically, behind Jack is a
2x15" cabinet for subs, and to the side is one RAT sidefill box. For more
information about RAT Sound and the P.A./Monitor system that P.J. takes on t
our with them, check out RAT's web-site at www.ratsound.com.
A: First off, it should be noted that Jack has nothing to do with drum kit
microphone selection or placement. Those choices are made solely by P.J.'s
front-of-house sound engineer, Brett, and on-stage monitor engineer, Karrie.
The list of chosen microphones are as follows: KICK DRUM (Beyer M88 & Shure
SM91); SNARE DRUM TOP (Shure SM98); SNARE DRUM BOTTOM (Shure Beta 57);
HI-HAT CYMBALS (AKG 460); RACK & FLOOR TOMS (Shure SM98); RIDE CYMBAL
(Sennheiser 441); OVERHEAD x2 (Audix SCX-Ones).
A: An E-bow is basically a magnet. More specifically, it's a small
manufactured device (you should be able to find them at any decent music
store) that fits in the palm of a guitar player's picking hand, and when
turned on, creates a small magnetic field. When the E-bow is held just over
the top of the strings (at about the area of the pickups), the generated
magnetic field makes the strings continuously vibrate/sustain giving the
instrument a sound as if the strings were being "bowed". Continue to fret
notes with your left hand as you would normally, however use the E-bow in
place of a pick. An example of the E-bow effect can be heard during the
final solo part of "Wishlist".
A: Yes he does, and it still has that number "3" on the headstock too.
That particular guitar is a 1973 Goldtop. It's since been replaced as his
main Les Paul - by a 1953 Goldtop - however, it still goes on the road with
Stone and is used occasionally during the set.
