The night Pearl Jam rocked the Commodore Ballroom
On May 4, legendary Seattle grunge rockers Pearl Jam return to Vancouver for the first time in years, launching their 35-date Dark Matter tour with a concert at Rogers Arena. The highly anticipated event has a former radio promotions manager reminiscing about one of the most memorable concert promotion events in Vancouver history: a private show for the most dedicated Pearl Jam fans in town – and the tickets were absolutely free.
Around this time 24 years ago, a radio war was brewing in Vancouver.
For the first time, CFOX was facing a direct rock station competitor in the newly minted XFM, and we were determined to protect our #1 status at all costs.
CFOX’s then-programming team – Bob Mills, program director; Rob Robson, music director; and I, the promotions director – landed on a long-shot idea: How about a private show with one of the world’s biggest bands, just for our listeners?
We went through a list of artists and stopped at... Pearl Jam. The band was just about to launch a brand-new album, Binaural. Could the stars be aligned?
We got busy and reached out to Mark Abson and Patrick Zulinov from Sony Music; Bruce Allen from House of Blues (now Live Nation) for a venue; and Paul Mercs, who, at that time, was the only promoter Pearl Jam would work with in Vancouver. The odds of pulling it off were slim, but you don’t know if you don’t ask. That long shot, after many bouts of negotiations, turned into a signed contract.
We got it. Pearl Jam. The legendary Commodore Ballroom. May 11, 2000.
The tickets were free – but the only way to get your hands on them was by tuning in to the radio station.
Around that time, Pearl Jam was still at war with Ticketmaster, battling service fees and the scalpers who were keeping true fans from seeing their shows. One of the stipulations of our agreement was that we needed to come up with a system to ensure that only winners and their guests could attend – no selling of any tickets.
I came up with an idea that was approved by the band: every contest winner and their guest had to come to our studio at 1006 Richards St., where we made a photocopy of their IDs to verify their identities on show night. It was simple, and it worked. Not one ticket was advertised for sale – which was pretty impressive for a show that made international headlines.
The on-air contest sparked a frenzy. The phone lines rang non-stop. Local Pearl Jam fans and fans around the world tried to win tickets. Everyone who worked at the station suddenly had long-lost friends and relatives reaching out.
Anticipation built leading up to the day of the show – Pearl Jam would soon be rocking the Commodore. For us, there was no question about which venue to book. Not only is the Commodore the best live music venue in the city – a quintessential experience for local concertgoers – but it also held personal significance for many of us at the radio station. Another story for another time.
A few fans already lined the alleyway of the Commodore when our staff arrived early to put up banners and get ready for the night. I remember making a brief speech to our promo team before we unlocked the doors. I reminded them that everyone outside had been waiting a long time for this night. How we treat them on the way in will have a profound effect on their experience – so our goal was to greet them with shared excitement, get them in as quickly as possible, and send them into one of the best concerts of their lives.
The bouncy Commodore Ballroom floor quickly filled with hundreds of Pearl Jam fans, along with our staff and a few celebrities.
The excitement in the crowd was palpable – and the intimate setting and mutual love for the band made it feel like we were all friends and family.
Then Pearl Jam came on stage. The crowd exploded.
If you ask anyone who was lucky enough to be at the show, I’m sure they will have their own distinct memories and highlights. I have many. “Corduroy” is my favourite Pearl Jam song, which they played around halfway through their set. By that time, I got to join everyone on the floor for the song. This was my first Pearl Jam concert.
We were allowed one photographer for the show, and only for a few songs. There was a young photographer, Ashley Maile, who was just starting his career. He had helped us shoot a few shows, so we gave him this gig. We only printed one of his Pearl Jam pictures, which we gifted to Bob Mills. I don't recall why we didn't have more photos from the show. Sadly, Ashley passed away from cancer in 2013.
Around three quarters of the way through the concert, we had permission to let a few more people into the venue. Bob went outside, where diehard fans were hanging out hoping to hear the band from busy Granville Street. Bob had the pleasure of opening the Commodore doors and letting a few of them in – each of them running up the stairs to catch the last few songs on this historic night.
The show was on a Thursday, which meant a regular work day the next morning. I’m not sure if any of us slept that night.
On Friday, listeners called the station thanking us for one of the best nights of their lives. Our general manager Chris Pandoff sent our staff a thank-you email on executing a perfect radio promotion. Paul Mercs’ team sent me a beautiful bouquet of flowers with the same sentiment. Everyone who was lucky enough to have been involved knew this was more than just a concert. We all have our own recollections. This was mine.
It truly was a once in a career moment. And for everyone who was at the Commodore Ballroom on May 11, 2000, it was a once in a lifetime experience.
Thanks, Pearl Jam.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton hospitalized after prison attack
British Columbia serial killer Robert Pickton sustained life-threatening injuries in a Quebec prison Sunday in what officials described as a 'major assault.'
Passenger killed, 30 injured as Singapore Airlines flight hits severe turbulence
One passenger was killed and 30 injured after a Singapore Airlines SIAL.SI flight from London hit severe turbulence en route on Tuesday, forcing it to make an emergency landing in Bangkok, officials and the airline said.
Conservatives kick off return to House with new call for Speaker Greg Fergus to resign
Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives returned to the House of Commons on Tuesday with a renewed call for Speaker Greg Fergus to resign, this time over 'very partisan' and 'inflammatory' language used to promote an upcoming event.
Trump campaign calls 'The Apprentice' 'blatantly false,' director offers to screen it for him
Donald Trump's reelection campaign called 'The Apprentice,' a film about the former U.S. president in the 1980s, 'pure fiction' and vowed legal action following its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. But director Ali Abbasi is offering to privately screen the film for Trump.
Feels like mid-30s in parts of Canada, while other areas expecting snow
Anything is possible this week, as far as Canada's weather is concerned, with forecasts ranging from scorching heat in some parts of the country to rain and snow in others.
Nestle to sell $5 pizza, sandwiches in the U.S. for Wegovy, Ozempic users
Nestle NESN.S will market a new, US$5 line of frozen pizzas and protein-enriched pastas in the United States which it says it designed specifically for people taking drugs such as Wegovy or Ozempic for weight loss.
How much more Canadian consumers are paying, compared to this time last year
Canada's annual inflation rate slowed to a three-year low of 2.7 per cent in April, matching expectations, and core measures continued to ease, data showed on Tuesday, likely boosting chances of a June interest rate cut.
Amal Clooney is one of the legal experts who recommended war crimes charges in Israel-Hamas war
Amal Clooney is one of the legal experts who recommended that the chief prosecutor of the world's top war crimes court seek arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and leaders of the militant Hamas group.
Flight PS752 victims' families say they're not sorry to hear of Iran president death
Members of a Canadian group representing families of those killed when Iranian officials shot down Flight PS752 in January 2020 say they are not sorry to hear of the death of Iran's president.