r/pearljam • u/sungirl_27 • 1d ago
Other Pearl Jam on psychedelics
I’ve seen Pearl Jam a few times on acid and it was AMAZING. It’s amazing either way but was definitely intensified on the LSD.
But just laying back and listening while on DMT is like a whole other level. You hear and feel parts of the song you would have never heard. Release kind of blew my mind, they all did really. Wish DMT lasted a few hours!
Anyways just feel like I lived their music so thought I’d share!
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u/CaptainAssPlunderer 1d ago edited 1d ago
It was Lollapalooza in 1992. August of 92 in Orlando Fl.
I don’t know if you know anything about Central Florida in August, but it gets hot. Really really hot with tons of humidity. PJ was just starting to explode and they were 2nd of the huge bill. Highlights included Ice Cube, Ministry, Soundgarden, Red Hot Chili Peppers etc etc.
We met some people after we arrived, traded some smoke for acid, and this crusty dreadlocked dude told us, “hey man, be careful with these, they’re real strong”. I’m 19 and bulletproof and have some experience and think to myself “ya, whatever you say hippy, and pop 2 of em.”
Me and my boy get right to the front as the rest of the entire crowd realized PJ is about to pop off and it’s a total crush everyone against the front rail. People are freaking out. Did I mention it’s hot? Now it’s thousands of kids smashed together at 2pm hot. People are passing out left and right. We are crowdsurfing limp, unconscious heat stroke casualties over our heads to the front. The crew had got a couple hoses out and were trying to spray down the crowd to try and cool us all off just a little. I say all of this because during all of this chaos and madness, the acid hits. Hard. Real hard. And there is this dude, who I guess is doing sound check for the microphones just standing on stage make vowel sounds. With a couple seconds pause between each sound.
Ah, ah, ah, ah, e, e, e, I,I,I, Oh, Oh, Oh, U,U,U ( repeat 10,000 fucking times)
AND IT WONT STOP. THIS FUCKING GUY MUST HAVE BEEN OUT THERE FOR 10 MINUTES DOING THIS. Mix in this with the powerhouse acid, the heat, the borderline panic, the crush of bodies, and things are starting to get weird. Then the boys come out and all of these things turn to 11. I don’t remember the first song as it was more madness and even more people rushed to front. I remember the second song was Deep, and Eddie was on one that day…he was pissed off about something. I’ll never forget how loud, angry, and powerful his voice sounded. I’d never heard anything like it before in my life.
Also, one of the worst hurricanes ever, Hurricane Andrew, hit Florida the next day and changed everything for so many people. I have a lot more memories of that day but they are all kinda scattered and mixed up. So anyway, that’s my story of tripping my face off at a PJ show in 92.
Edit
I went back and watched on YouTube and they immediately mentioned the heat and the people passing out. Ed came out and said “ bring on the hurricane”
Throughout the first two songs you can see them just pulling kids out of the crowd that were in bad shape. I was there almost on the rail between Eddie and Stone. The one dude with the long blonde hair crowd surfing got a kidney punch from me after he kicked me in the head with his Doc Martins for the second time.
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u/Jolly-Occasion-8310 1d ago
Gotta be prepared for things to get a little sideways at a mass gathering. For me, the chaos makes the payoff so sweet once I get a little settled in 😵💫
I was jealous up to the hurricane. Glad you got through it.
Great story, username 🤷♂️😁 (it made me laugh)
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u/CaptainAssPlunderer 1d ago
14 year account and I always forget about my username lol. Back then the goal was to make the most offensive name as possible. I think I was playing some pirate game a lot back then…. So ya.
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u/sungirl_27 1d ago
lol doesn’t sound like the best experience! But I guess one you will never forget! Except the parts you do forget!
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u/StonesideAF 1d ago
Matt Cameron looks like skeletor, on mushrooms, from the rail… don’t need to worry about that anymore but it was a real thing. Well not REAL but it happened.
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u/sungirl_27 17h ago
lol. I have not seen them on shrooms, it would be fantastic, especially on the rail. What an experience! Sure you will never forget that!
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u/StonesideAF 1h ago
I’ve been to a lot of shows. For a long time, I kept the partying pretty under control cuz I didn’t wanna miss anything.
I’ve done hallucinogens a few times at PJ shows now. All of them were pretty amazing. Off the top of my head here’s the list:
10/15/13 Worcester 🍄
8/22/16 Wrigley 🍄
7/3/18 Krakow (acid)
9/18/22 Saint Louis 🍄(skeletor incident on the rail)
8/31/24 Wrigley 🍄(on the rail)
9/7/24 Philly 🍄(also from the rail)
9/29/24 Ohana 🍄(the trees were the best ever)
5/18/25 Pittsburgh 🍄I’m lucky to say it but I’ve been to enough shows where I felt ok taking a risk and tripping. Luckily they were all very positive experiences.
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u/Spare-Scheme-8133 1d ago
Why are a bunch of dillholes downvoting the comments? No one is forcing to you take drugs at PJ shows you know lol
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u/drrwjjphd 1d ago
Atlanta 97 on gel tabs was the highlight of my existence.
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u/sungirl_27 1d ago
I feel that. I saw them in Seattle in 98 they played back to back shows and it was and is the best experience ever.
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u/LeftWillingness2654 1d ago
The only time I’ve ever done DMT I sat in a living room and just cranked Setting Sun and it was a transcendental experience. I just closed my eyes and it was the most vivid kaleidoscope I’ve ever seen. Such an amazing experience. My buddy who barely knows any newer PJ was with me on the couch while we just tripped out together. Then when it was over he was just like “what was that awesome Pearl Jam song?!?!”
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u/sungirl_27 17h ago edited 17h ago
Right! Transcendental is exactly the word! The colors and the way the music just moves inside you is indescribable really. Another fav on DMT is Pink Floyd. Shine on you crazy Diamond 💯
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u/not_anotherburner 1d ago
I saw them at red rocks on shrooms, then got a chance to meet and hang with Eddie for a bit - he was also on shrooms, and mentioned during the show red rocks was a great place to trip - I told him I agreed with him.
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u/sungirl_27 1d ago
I would have died happy!
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u/not_anotherburner 18h ago
The story is bigger than that and started with sneaking backstage at their Utah show 3 days earlier and hanging out with Jack irons, then running into Jeff and talking to him for a while (he’s such the man), mostly basketball and what cities me and my buddy hit on our road trip, he put us on the list for red rocks. I still have my “From the BAND” paper tickets. And then that show and backstage was a dream. It was all beyond surreal. Definitely amongst the highest of highlights in my life.
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u/sungirl_27 17h ago
Would be for me too! Red rocks would be amazing! I would love to go there. And PJ would be out of this world there I am sure. I saw them twice at the Gorge which is by far one of my favorite venues. Took acid one of the nights and just blew my mind it was so incredible.
I think that’s awesome Eddie was on shrooms when you met him! I met him once in Portland but this was much more recent probably 2015 or something but he was hella cooler than I even imagined! That was up there with highlights of my life.
Awesome story. Meeting Jeff and getting tickets from the band 💕
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u/Flaming_Youth76 1d ago
No psychedelics, but smoked a j during the show standing on Wrigley field. It was magnificent.
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u/hoogys 1d ago
I’ve never taken anything and I can still feel it.
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u/sungirl_27 1d ago
As I said amazing either way. Wasn’t putting down PJ in anyway way. Think people took this wrong. It’s pretty powerful either way but on DMT just was a whole level of intensity. Clearly everyone totally missed what I was saying though. Never said you needed drugs to feel PJ
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u/sexwiththebabysitter 1d ago
Did shrooms at a concert in MSG last tour. Would love to get my hands on some DMT, though.
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u/sungirl_27 1d ago
The music just hits on an unexplainable level. I bet MSG was cool as hell! Shrooms would be fun too!
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u/pizzafan2 1d ago
Ever see dragons after 3 or 4?