An Ode to the Long Road

In exactly four weeks' time I'll be flying up to Thunder Bay for the start of my latest Pearl Jam adventure--and yes, the anticipation is already killing me. I still can't believe I'm less than a month away from seeing Pearl Jam at the Fort William Gardens; as I've stated here and on my other blog numerous times, if you'd have told me at last year's Boston concerts that the next time I'd be seeing Pearl Jam would be in my hometown I'd have laughed in your face. Back in July, when Bri and I went up to Thunder Bay for my friend Christie's wedding, we stopped off at the Gardens' box office to pick up tickets I'd ordered for my friend Ryan, and while we were there I felt...I don't know if "eerie" is the right word, but I'm also not sure if I can explain how strange it felt to be there. Between now and September 9 I'm going to attempt to properly articulate what this show will mean to me. Or maybe I won't--maybe trying too hard will actually cheapen the experience, which is the absolute last thing I want to do. I want this concert to be meaningful. Intuitively, I know it will be--it's live Pearl Jam, after all--but for me, this is a once in a lifetime event. Am I expecting too much? Possibly--but if you're getting that impression, it should only emphasize how truly excited I am for this show.

And while we're at it...as much as I doubt that members of Pearl Jam are scouring random blogs for setlist requests, if Mssrs. Vedder, etc. are currently reading these pages maybe I humbly request that "Long Road" open the Thunder Bay concert? The general consensus among Pearl Jam fans is that it will open the next show, in Kitchener (9/11)...but from a purely selfish perspective, I can't imagine a more appropriate opener for my hometown concert:

And I wish for so long...cannot stay
All the precious moments...cannot stay
It's not like wings have fallen...cannot stay
But still something's missing...cannot say

Holding hands are daughters and sons
And their faiths are falling down, down, down
I have wished for so long
How I'd wish for you today

We all walk the long road...cannot stay
There's no need to say goodbye

All the friends and family,
All the memories going 'round, 'round, 'round
I have wished for so long,
How I wish for you today.

And the winds are roaring,
And the skies keep turning grey
And the sun is setting,
The sun will rise another day.

I have wished for so long,
How I wish for you today.
I have wished for so long,
How I wish for you today.

"Long Road". Probably my favourite Pearl Jam song of all-time, although "Hard to Imagine" occasionally gives it a run for its money. (Right now, the big difference between the two is that I haven't ever heard "Hard to Imagine" live. So far I've heard "Long Road" twice, in Wantagh and Jones Beach.) But in terms of the Thunder Bay concert, its lyrical significance should be obvious...and for fear of launching into a biographical sketch and subsequently putting even more weight on this one particular show, I think I'll leave it at that.

September 18

My cross-province rock n' roll extravaganza kicks off in exactly a month and a week...and once again, I've got something to add to the intinerary. At this point it seems I can do no wrong: not only has Sleater-Kinney been announced as one of the opening bands, but they've also confired a second, separate Toronto date on September 18 as part of the inaugural Ear to the Ground festival at Exhibition Place! Ear to the Ground is being advertised as "not just a music festival, but a multi-disciplinary festival featuring music, film, art, theatre, dance and spoken word." Sounds great--count me in! (And by the way, this has Eddie Vedder guest appearance written all over it...not that that's my reason for wanting to go, but it certainly doesn't hurt.)

This, of course, leads to a dilemma: what to do on September 18? I'd originally penciled in the Jays/Yankees game for that afternoon, and depending on the pennant race (i.e., if the Jays are still in it) it clearly takes precedence over everything else. But that said, I'd also be perfectly happy staying home to watch the Vikings/Bengals game...or splurging on tickets to the opening Leaf preseason game against the Ottawa Senators that night at the ACC. To reiterate:

• Toronto Blue Jays/New York Yankees at Rogers Centre
• Toronto Maple Leafs/Ottawa Senators at the Air Canada Centre
• Sleater-Kinney at Ear to the Ground at Exhibition Place
• Minnesota Vikings/Cincinatti Bengals from the comfort of my living room

All on the same day...which is saying nothing of the rumours that Pearl Jam is planning a Live @ Much session that evening. Man, I love Toronto.