Pearl Jam Road Trip: Part Seven - by Kevin Montavon

(Click here for previous Pearl Jam Road Trip)

"I was just, uh...nowhere near your neighborhood."  - Steve Dunne (character in the film Singles)

One nice thing about the recent Pearl Jam tours is that they always take a day off between a two-night stand at the same venue. So for die-hard traveling fans who want to see both shows, we are forced to spend a whole day off in a new and exciting locale. I have mentioned before that we had passed through Seattle on two previous occasions, but we had not spent any significant time there. So for our bonus day we planned our very own "Grunge Tour" where we would visit some of the early haunts of the Seattle music scene. 

We slept in after the previous night's festivities, and then began our day in Jet City by meeting a friend and fellow road-dog for lunch at Salumi, a New York style sandwich shop in downtown Seattle. Heather and I split a super-tasty roast pork sandwich, plenty for both of us and fuel for the long day ahead. 

We then headed to Easy Street Records in West Seattle for photos at their iconic "Mother Love Bone" wall, which has been featured in movies and as album cover art. The store itself is a record-lover's dream, with an impressive selection of titles at great prices. There is also a cafe and a bar on site. I found lots of albums that I would have otherwise purchased, but we still had a week and a half of the road ahead and I didn't want to try to protect vinyl in the car the whole time, so in the end I just window-shopped...and had a few  beers. 

From there we drove into the Capitol Hill neighborhood for a geek pilgrimage to the apartment building featured in the Cameron Crowe film "Singles," a romantic comedy set against the backdrop of the city's Grunge Scene heyday. We snapped a few photos and then gave our friend a ride back to where he was staying and continued on our own. We drove to Lakeview Cemetery next to visit the gravesites of Bruce and Brandon Lee. Bruce obviously being a huge hero to their community, there were car and vans full of Asian tourists coming and going while we were there. One mother was explaining to her children who he was, and I wish I had been able to record what she was saying. I shared a moment with them and said he was poetry in motion, and she agreed.

We then drove through the suburb of Bellevue, home of the band Queensryche, and ended our day at Golden Gardens Park on the shore of Puget Sound, hanging on the beach with all the locals and watching the sun set over The Olympic Mountains on the opposite shore.

The next day we slept in and started the day with a swim in the motel pool and a soak in the hot tub. We drove into the city and found a parking spot in a much nicer area of town, only having to feed the meter for two hours until it was free. We were parked equidistant from the stadium in one direction, and the historic Pike Street Public Market, a Seattle institution in the other. We headed towards the market, but it was an uphill walk the entire way. We eventually grew tired, conveniently right in front of The Seattle Beer Company, so we stopped in to refresh ourselves with a sample of local suds. After that we were fueled for the rest of the trip up the hill, and we made a quick tour of the market district before starting the two-mile hike to the stadium. We ended up catching a ride in a bicycle-powered rickshaw for the second mile, and it was a fun breezy cruise directly to the stadium entrance. We had reserved seats for this show, so we were able to stroll around the ballpark for awhile before showtime.

I didn't know how they were going to top Wednesday's epic show, but I should have known for a Friday night hometown show that Pearl Jam would pull out all the stops. And that they did. From the 36-song setlist, to the moving Tom Petty tribute at the start of Encore One, to the guests that sat in (Mark Arm and Steve Turner of Mudhoney, and Kim Thayil of Soundgarden), this show may well have been the greatest Pearl Jam show I have seen yet. It was a fine way to cap off our Triduum in the Grunge Capital of the world.

A quick word about that label, "Grunge." I always found it odd that so many disparate sounding bands were lumped into one genre. Pearl Jam does not sound like Nirvana, who do not sound like Alice In Chains, who sound nothing like Soundgarden. After spending three days in Seattle I came to realize that the label is pretty much a descriptor of the city, not the sound. It's a beautiful cosmopolitan place in many ways, and it has its issues like homelessness and poverty, but there is certainly a noticable "crust" to the city. It's a well lived-in place that is more than appropriately described with the G-word. And you know, that's not a bad thing..

Kevin Montavon has visited National Parks in the 48 lower states and attended over 1,500 concerts before beginning this road trip. He also sings in the band Plow Horse.

20180810_182949.jpg
20180810_235851.jpg
20180809_202721.jpg

Pearl Jam Road Trip: Part Six - by Kevin Montavon

"We walk the long road" - Pearl Jam 

When the concert dates for this tour were announced, we were certain that the Seattle shows were going to be our first choice. Seeing the band in front of a stadium-size hometown crowd was too good to pass up. We were elated when Heather won the 10 Club Lottery for both shows, including one night in the general admission pit. We celebrated hard the night we bought tickets. In fact, that night was one of the most fun times I have had this year. Now the day had finally arrived. We had driven through Seattle on two previous vacations, but we had never spent any significant time in town, so we were looking forward to checking out The Emerald City, especially since we had a full day off between shows.

After having driven most of the last night through Idaho and Oregon, and upon consultation with our phones' GPS apps, we realized that one of the sites we wanted to check out was fairly close to our hotel: this being the gravesite and memorial to perhaps the greatest guitarist who ever lived, Jimi Hendrix. We followed Google Maps to the cemetery in the suburb of Renton, and easily found the large gazebo-style memorial. We were surprisingly the only ones there, and had plenty of time for photos, reflection, and reading all of the lyrics on the walls. Not surprisingly, there were various "gifts" left at the site, including empty alcohol bottles and half-smoked joints. There wasn't a large amount of detritus however. It was obvious they clean the place up daily. 

We moved on to the luxury accommodations of the Motel 6 in Federal Way, Washington, which is about 20 miles south of Seattle. I was surprised to find our hotel neighbors openly smoking a joint in front of their room when we arrived. It dawned on me that with Washington now being a state where recreational marijuana is legal, that smoking outside of a non-smoking hotel room would actually be the proper course of action, same as going outside to smoke a cigarette. The two ladies were also going to the shows, and offered us some tips on parking in the city.

Once we got all of our things moved from the car to the room, we headed into town for the first show. We had GA pit tickets for tonight, but the doors were opening at 4:30, so we knew we were not going to get there in time to be on the rail in front of the stage. We drove up Interstate 5 into the city, and experienced an immense sticker shock at the parking price for the SafeCo Field garage...SEVENTY DOLLARS! Anyone who knows me is aware that I am a notorious cheapskate. You don't make this many trips and see this many shows without pinching a few pennies. No way was I paying that price, even for the relative safety of being in an enclosed garage. So off we went in search of the elusive free parking in a completely unfamiliar town. We got "lucky" and found a spot next to some train tracks about one mile from the stadium. Noting that most of the property around the spot we parked was tagged with graffiti, we locked the car, hoped for the best, and took off walking. 

The route to the stadium was a direct line up a wide alleyway behind the city's 3rd Street bar district. We immediately experienced a bit of culture shock, as it became apparent that we were traveling through a homeless camp. On both sides of the street were tents, old campers/RV's, and cardboard shanties. The band had announced that proceeds from the Seattle shows were going to be used to help fight homelessness in the city. They definitely picked the right venue if they wanted the issue to be right in front of your face.

We got inside the stadium about an hour after doors, but we were still able to get a spot about ten yards from the stage. A little while after we got there, the roof started to open, causing a huge roar of approval from the gathering hordes. At 8:30 PM the band took the stage with "Long Road," appropriate since so many of us had taken the long road to get there. Over 2,400 miles for us alone. They followed that up with one of their usual openers, "Release." Pearl Jam tends to open their shows with one or two mellow numbers and ease into the rockers. They like to pace themselves. 

After several numbers, Ed Vedder spoke to the audience and said, "Hello, we are Pearl Jam, and since this is Seattle, we must be...home." He also informed us that they had raised over $11,000,000 for Seattle's homeless. Read that again...ELEVEN MILLION DOLLARS. Say whatever you want about this band, but they put their money where their mouth is, as they say. We all rocked our hearts out together for the better part of two hours before the band left the stage, delivering several hits as well as their usual deep cuts before finishing the main set with "Porch," always a raucous audience pleaser.

For the first encore, Vedder asked everyone in the audience who had at least one teacher who changed their life, to raise their hands. He then brought out his two daughters and each of their favorite teachers, and they danced together as he played an acoustic cover of The White Stripes song "I Think We're Going To Be Friends." That is certainly one way to make sure your kids don't flunk out of school! Later, singer/songwriter Brandi Carlisle came out and joined them for a cover of her song "Again Today." She seemed as amazed to be on stage with them as any fan plucked from the audience would be.

After another encore (they almost always play two long encores and enough songs to count as a second set, it's one of the things that make their shows worth seeing), they finished the night with their usual closing number "Yellow Ledbetter." As he often does, Mike McCready tagged the end of the song with a few bars of Hendrix's "Little Wing." I reflected on our visit earlier to the great man's final resting place and thought about how this day of Rock greatness had come full circle. 

Afterwards, we walked cautiously back to our car. For the last several blocks we were virtually alone with only a few homeless people hovering about and scoping us out. We were happy to see that our car was still grafitti-free on our return.  Tomorrow we would have a day off to see the city, and we had plans for our own "Grunge Tour." The party in the Pacific Northwest was just getting started........

20180808_224025.jpg
20180808_185254.jpg
20180808_204139.jpg
20180808_130830.jpg
20180808_125939.jpg
20180808_224505.jpg

Pearl Jam Road Trip: Part Five - by Kevin Montavon

(Click Here for Pearl Jam Road Trip Part 4)

Grand Teton National Park sits just 15 miles south of Yellowstone National Park, and just north of the popular resort town of Jackson, Wyoming. In peak season, Jackson swells in population, becoming the largest city in Wyoming. Despite this, GTNP is often treated as an afterthought for many Yellowstone visitors. This is a mistake. I have written about how I try to avoid overcrowded situations in our National Parks, and Grand Teton can at most times be a respite from sitting in the traffic jams of its more popular northern neighbor. 

The Teton Range is like something out of a fantasy painting. Snow-capped Alpine Mountains that rise over 2,000 feet from the valley floor of Jackson Hole, which itself sits 11,000 feet above sea level. Grand Teton Peak rises to a total height of nearly 14,000 feet. I have a friend, a professional photographer, who has documented this wonderland with thousands of photos and in viewing them I am constantly reminded of the beauty here. So there was no way we were passing through this area of Wyoming without going through the Tetons.

We checked out of our cabin at 7 AM and drove back into Yellowstone, which was necessary for us to reach Grand Teton. Traffic through the construction wasn't as bad that early, so we had a little extra time to pick up the part of the Lower Park Loop Rd we had missed the night before. Since the Old Faithful complex sits on that section of road, and it was still early in the day, we decided to stop in to the visitor center there and get our stamp (each visitor center has a unique stamp cancellation so we try to collect them all). Crowds weren't too bad yet, so we parked and saw that the geyser was set to erupt in 15 minutes. Heather grabbed her camera and headed for the bleachers, and I went inside to stamp our journals. Just as I finished and turned around, Old Faithful was blowing. I snapped a photo through the massive picture window and then another from outside, but it was already losing steam (pun unintended). 

Next we made the short drive between Yellowstone and Grand Teton along the John D. Rockefeller Memorial Parkway, but not before passing a very serious car/motorcycle crash just before the South Entrance of YNP. I said prayers for those involved. It looked pretty bad. 

We drove only half of the main roads in GTNP, skipping the spectacular Snake River Drive (U.S. 191 through the east side of the park) due to time constraints. I don't recommend skipping that as the views are breathtaking. But we had seen it before and had to make sacrifices. There was plenty to do on the part we did travel. Travel tip: if you want to see the majesty of the Tetons for free, drive the U.S.191 portion that we skipped...there are no entrance stations along that route. If you have already paid the entrance fee for Yellowstone, you can also enter GTNP from the North for free, and see all of the park, if you stick with one Loop and don't need to re-enter through another gate. This is a great option if you are just passing through. 

We were able to make stops at most of our favorite spots in the park. This was our third time through so we actually knew what we were doing...somewhat. We stamped our journals at all 3 visitor centers, stopped in for reflection at the Sacred Heart Chapel (an active Catholic Church in a log cabin within the park), took some photos at Jenny Lake, and made the 5-mile winding drive up Signal Mountain for 360-degree views of The Tetons and Jackson Hole. The only real disappointment about the day was our lack of time, and the haze that hung in front of the mountains (which was actually smoke from wildfires burning to the northwest of Yellowstone), washing them out to the view and making any truly spectacular photographs impossible. Earlier I mentioned my photographer friend, I realized while I was there that I really never need to take another photo of this place as long as I can look at his. 

We reluctantly drove on south and west, out of Jackson Hole, over the mountains, and on through the night into Idaho. Tomorrow we would finally be seeing the first show of the trip, which is of course why we are doing all of this. I am pretty sure we are coming back here to the Greater Yellowstone area next year to spend some more concentrated time. And I will miss it every day until then.

20180807_154608.jpg
20180807_152126.jpg
20180807_111224.jpg
20180807_160047.jpg

Show Review: Shock Tu at The Lazy Chameleon - by Mike Lovins

The lights are low, cymbals are swelling and the open guitar and bass notes roar like thunder. Rick Cautela, the Rock and Roll Reverend, steps up to the mic, arms spread as if to embrace the entire audience. “Coluuumbuuus, Ooohiooo! Are we ready for a good time tonight?” The crowd roars as he introduces the return of Shock Tu to the Columbus stage. And yes, we were ready for a good time.

It’s been at least 25 years since the line up of Timmy Owings, Ricky Soga, Jimmy Miller and Ric Martelino last played together. And this past Saturday night at the Lazy Chameleon in Powell, you’d think they’d never stopped. For those that are unfamiliar with Shock Tu, they were one of Columbus’s premier hard-rockin’ bands of the late 80’s and early 90’s. They also spent some time in Texas, which helped to broaden their appeal. This line-up was the final one before the band went their separate ways. In fact, last year the Lazy Chameleon hosted the reunion of Shock Tu with former singer Joey C. Jones and drummer Ken Koudelka. I attended that show as well, but that wasn’t my Shock Tu.

Back in the mid 90’s when I was just 17, I saw a long-haired blonde guy walk into the grocery store where I worked. I walked up to him and said, “So are you in a band?” That guy was Timmy Owings and he’s been one of my best friends ever since. I can remember the first time that I saw Shock Tu at the Alrosa Villa, the Columbus club owned by the aforementioned Rock and Roll Reverend. Being that I was only 17, Timmy got me in into the show and it was at that show that I met the other guys in the band. I’ve built friendships with Ricky Soga and Jimmy Miller over the years and Ric Martelino, who I haven’t known as well, has always been very cool when I would run into him.

Around that time, Shock Tu released a cassette of songs that were staples of the band’s set back then. And it was from that batch of songs that most of their reunion set was built. Songs that after 25 years, I was still able to sing along to, while standing right in the front pumping my fist. I even shared a shot of tequila with Mr. Soga.

There’s far less hair now than there was then. The guys in the band are older and have dropped the Y's from their names. But the music is as powerful now as it was then. Shock Tu was the first local band that I ever saw. They truly helped inspire me to one day become part of the local music scene myself.

Me and Tu (1).JPG
R. Soga.JPG
T. Owings.JPG

Pearl Jam Road Trip: Part Four - by Kevin Montavon

(Click here for previous Pearl Jam Road Trip)

Our National Parks have been called “America's Greatest Idea”. That's a sentiment that I can get behind. The setting aside of public lands for the enjoyment of all people is imperative in this day and age of unchecked development (do we REALLY need more condos?). So, since our government has seen fit to provide us with these places, I decided that I should see as many as possible. I have been working on that for a few decades now.

Yellowstone National Park was the first such set-aside tract in the US. Sitting in the Northwest corner of Wyoming, and extending into Idaho and Montana, it is a park that is larger than the entire states of Rhode Island and Delaware combined. A magical place of geysers, hot springs, waterfalls, lofty mountain peaks, and abundant wildlife, Yellowstone has something for everyone. However, it seems that year after year, everyone wants something from it. Our first National Park suffers from an overcrowding problem. In the busy summer months, it can become choked with automobile traffic and crowds. Old Faithful Geyser, the most famous such natural feature on Earth, now attracts crowds so large during the peak season of July and August that bleachers needed to be built to accommodate them. It looks like an ampitheater there now.

In our travels, Heather and I try to avoid crowds as much as possible. We drive the back roads, we choose activities within popular areas that are off-the-beaten path. We pull over and let cars pass us when we are cruising through the National Parks. In Yellowstone however, this is becoming harder and harder to do. We have visited three times before, and have seen most of the popular tourist stops in the park, so this time we decided we wanted to take a hike and really get away from it all. Destiny had other plans...

We arrived in the park early enough, entering through the popular East gate. The approach road is undergoing some major construction, so we weren't able to just “cruise right in.” Once we had stopped at the entrance sign for our photo (always have to take a picture with the sign at National Parks) and then the Visitor Center at Fishing Bridge for our Passport Stamp (a stamp cancellation that shows the date you visited the park...we have collected hundreds), we made the turn into the Hayden Valley and headed North. We were immediately caught in a traffic jam. Seems a herd of Bison had decided that this was the perfect time to cross the road. When dozens of these 1,000 pound beasts want to cross the road, there really isn't much you can do except wait. So wait we did. After about 40 minutes, enough Buffalo had cleared the road that cars were able to pass, so we continued North. We stopped into Artist Point in the Grand Canyon of The Yellowstone to take photos of the Lower Yellowstone falls. But the crowds were so dense there that we immediately regretted the decision. We still took our photos but got out of there as quickly as we could. A little further up the road, we just cruised right on by the turnoff for the Upper Falls/Canyon Rim drive. Just way too many cars choking the road. Another quick stop at Tower Falls went much the same way, but we did get out of the car there and take some photos as well. 

Then fate took a turn. The hike that we wanted to take was closed! Due to bear activity! So on we drove. What we ended up doing was driving a one-way dirt road called The Blacktail Plateau Drive. While this got us away from the crowds, there were still more cars on that road than we normally see on National Park back roads. Unfortunately I think the secret is out. 

Overall, despite the setbacks, it was a wonderful day. We even were able to drive most of the remainder of the main park loop road before nightfall. Then it was back to our cozy cabin in Cody (say that 10 times fast). Tomorrow is a drive through Grand Teton, and on to Seattle for the real reason we are trekking...Pearl Jam!

20180806_112949.jpg
20180806_120928.jpg
20180806_153019.jpg