Posts Tagged ‘Pearl Jam’

Bison Rides Again for Vera

Thursday, July 30th, 2009
bison-5

Duff looks cool, per usual

The Vera Project is exactly the kind of place that didn’t exist when I was 15 years old.

All-ages shows, summertime rock school, lots of music for young people.

I’m all for it.

Last summer and again a few days ago, Duff McKagan, Mike McCready, Kelly Van Camp and I (collectively known as Bison) got together to play a few songs and answer questions for the kids who attend Vera’s Rock Camp.

One of the only known mammals cooler than Duff

One of the handful of known mammals cooler than Duff

We do it for two reasons.  One, getting together and playing some songs you like with guys you like is fun.  Two, I think we all feel some sense of responsibility or obligation to share whatever wisdom we’ve gained in our years in the rough-and-tumble music business.

Why Bison?  It’s an old joke band name that my friend Kermit and I came up with many years ago.  We also had a career’s worth of album names: Stampede, Put Your Ear to the Ground, Over the Edge, etc.

Vera is a community-driven project backed by the City of Seattle.  If we can do it here, you can do it in your town, too.

Todd Snider, Dock Ellis and Grunge

Monday, June 29th, 2009

picture-2I was reminded of the great singer-songwriter Todd Snider today when I stumbled upon his hilarious song about Dock Ellis pitching a no-hitter while under the influence of lysergic acid.  For the record, I advocate strongly against all psychoactive drugs, as they’ve certainly never done me any favors.

Some of you out there will remember Todd Snider’s “Talkin’ Seattle Grunge Rock Blues.” It would be sooooo funny if it weren’t sooooo painfully accurate.

The part where he sings about blowing away the people at the Grammys by not playing and not even going really strikes home. I went to the Grammys one of the two years the Presidents were nominated (two-time losers!). Pearl Jam won a Grammy that year.  Ed Vedder got onstage said, “I don’t know what this means. I don’t think it means anything.” WTF?!  Why the hell did you show up, then?  Why not give me the damn Grammy?