A nice round number. 15! Say it and it just rolls off your tongue. 15! So it was that number 15 came a few nights later.

Let me set the stage (pardon the pun)……..

Friday was like just about any other Friday. I went to work and logged on to the Pearl Jam website to check out the previous night’s set list. They were in Vancouver and, judging by the set list, they absolutely killed it. Up until encore 2 where they played “Last Kiss” and closed with “Yellow Ledbetter.”

I worked until 4:00 pm and drove home.

It dawned on me as I was driving that my favorite band was playing Portland the next day! I called my wife and told her of the Vancouver set and she feigned interest. I love her to death for putting up with my knee jerk reactions to very simple stimuli.

I told her that they were playing Portland and that we could head down after we both worked on Saturday and bomb back after to make it home to rest before “Seahawk Sunday.”           SHE LOVED IT!

I raced home and logged on to get tickets. Still not sold out through Ticketmaster. I checked another website and found tickets for half of face value. Now I always say “if it’s too good to be true, it usually is” but this was true……..or so I thought.

I went to sleep with 4 tickets to a show 3 hours away that I was not sure would work at the door………I slept WELL ha ha ha.

Saturday’s work ended and I picked up Julie and a couple other crazy fans and we were on our way. 2 1/2 hours later, we were at the Clark County Amphitheater just outside Portland. Lawn seats and a prime parking spot.

We took blankets to sit on and didn’t use them at all.

The guys took the stage at 9:00 opening with “I’m Gonna See My Friend” a new song that absolutely ROCKS!!! The second song was my reward for the drive……my favorite song, “Last Exit!”

I was blown away.

They blazed through a great set complete with “Green Disease” “In Hiding” “Once” and “Life Wasted”. But the night was just starting. 15th time was about to take off and fly away.

The first encore started with Eddie seated, just like in Seattle. While I was preparing for “Just Breathe” he shocked me by introducing a good friend and a “Northwest legend.” Corin Tucker from the band Sleater Kinney joind him onstage for the only performance of “Golden State” ever.

If that was not enough, they played “Red Mosquito” which is a song I really like. Then the problem began again. I can’t seem to escape it……..4 time in 6 shows.

The first chords of “Inside Job” hit me like a piano falling on me. My eyes welled and I am, once again, a mess. Like I have said before, there is something about that song that hits me just right and this was no different.

So I compose myself for the second encore and get hammered with “Not For You” “Black” and “Porch.”

Then “Yellow Ledbetter” and even that can’t bring down how great this show and experience was.

Thanks to my wonderful wife, Jenn, and Josh and all the rest of the “Jamily” there in Portland for a fantastic night.

Special thanks to Ed, Mike, Stone, Jeff, and Matt for another AWESOME night.

See ya in LA!

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