Pearl Jam Notices Nick After “Dark Matter” Listening Party
Pearl Jam Noticed Me?!
It’s no secret that I’ve been a fan of the band Pearl Jam for a long time. I’ll be 49 this summer and I’ve loved them ever since 1991, 1992, when I heard the album “Ten” for the first time. I have very many vivid memories of being in the car, listening to that cassette (yes, a cassette!) over and over and over.
Flash forward 30+ years, and the way that we listen to music, the way that we consume music, the way that we follow bands, all of those things have changed. Of course, social media wasn’t around in the 90s, but now it’s everywhere. Even for Pearl Jam!
On Sunday, April 14, I was lucky enough to host a listening party for the band’s new record, “Dark Matter.” It took place at The Record Shop in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. We had a great time on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, with lots of ‘MMR listeners in attendance. AND the new record sounds great! I took a few photos with their owner, Curt, and with our listeners too, of course.
I also wanted to make sure I got a photo outside the store of me holding a poster for “Dark Matter.” Our friend Erin, from the M-M-aRmy, snapped the shot. After the event was over, I shared the photos on my Instagram account, tagging Pearl Jam, the radio station and the Preston & Steve Show and of course, the Record Shop.
On Monday night, I was casually scrolling through Instagram, when much to my surprise, that photo from outside the store showed up on Pearl Jam‘s social media accounts! I really can’t tell if this is a big deal or not, and in the grand scheme of things, it might not mean much of anything. But for a moment, it felt really cool to be seen by this band that I have loved for so long!
What an insanely cool moment.
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FLASHBACK: Pearl Jam Rock the Spectrum One Last Time
Pearl Jam will return to Philadelphia later this year, and here at WMMR, we couldn’t be more excited.
Pierre Robert announced today that the two shows are set for September 7th and September 9th at the Big Joint (the Wells Fargo Center) in South Philly. Tickets go on sale this Friday, but you need to register ahead of time to secure your seats. You can do so via Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan program, which helps to avoid scalpers or resellers bogarting all the tickets for an event or tour. Get more information on how to register HERE so that you can purchase tickets when the on sale date arrives.
On the same day tickets go on sale (2/19) WMMR will launch the Ten Days of Pearl Jam. We’ll have a designated song of the day (and a daily cheat sheet here on our site) and the 25th caller at 215-263-WMMR when that song plays will win tickets to see the second Pearl Jam show on September 9th.
Speaking of songs, have you heard the brand new one from Pearl Jam?! Jacky Bam Bam gave it a midnight debut last night, and we’ll be playing it all week on air. You can also stream it below. It’s called “Dark Matter” and it’s the title track from their next album, due out April 19th.
To recap: Tickets on sale this Friday. That same day, we kick off daily giveaways. The album comes out in the spring and the shows will happen in September. Lots to look forward to!
Let’s revisit one of our favorite Pearl Jam memories: the legendary Halloween show at the Spectrum. We pulled this photo album out of the MMaRchives from a joyous, sweaty night in 2009, the culmination of four shows with the band to close out this beloved venue. Scroll down to see the band’s fantastic Devo costumes.
Nick McIlwain is a member of the Preston & Steve Show on WMMR and has been a part of the station for over 20 years. Nick’s passions include attending concerts, cheering for Philly sports and anything that has to do with the Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, The Rolling Stones, U2, Coldplay, and The Beatles. You can find Nick writing about his concert experiences.
