I think I've reached the point where I get really excited about a new album and going to concerts.

Other than that, my obsession for all things PJ has been on a steady decline. I appreciate how so many of you others compile all the great info out there...video clips, interesting storied (like Ed getting sued, etc.), and everything else. Sadly I don't get as excited about it as I used to.

I used to try and track down EVERY SINGLE song by PJ that I was aware existed, but as the band's live resume' continues to grow and Ed does a lot of branching out on his own, I've just found it too exhausting to keep up. It seems virtually impossible to add all the live covers to my collection, for starters, among everything else.

I also used to read up on every last bit of PJ info I could get my hands on. This included purchasing every magazine where PJ had even a blurb inside...now I don't even bother to buy magazines where they are the cover subject (ie - a recent issue of SPIN). I would record every TV appearance by every member...interviews along with live performances. Not so much anymore.

Not sure why I'm throwing all this out there. I guess I'm wondering where everyone else stands?

PJ is still by far my #1 favorite band in the whole world and will remain that way until the day I die, but I just can't see myself ever being quite as obsessed as I once was.

Maybe they can rope me back in with the ultra-deluxe box set of PJ 1993-94 (Vs. and Vitalogy).

I sort of feel that way sometimes these days. Its hard. You grow up, discover new things, you evolve. Your tastes change.

I'd suggest spinning through some older bootlegs from around 1994 to 1996. I recently did that and it served as a great reminder of why I still listen to this band today.

I enjoy them when I can

I've never been a member of the Nerd Herd

i just don't have the time or interest

but you kids have fun with your dungeons and dragons tournaments and stuff

albums, concerts in my area, and the occasional bootleg. thats it.

your avatar is a pic of eddie vedder wearing your hat, you're the president of the nerd herd

they are still my favorite band

They will always stand as my favorite band of all time but i'm not as die hard as i may have been in the past. Was never really as "crazy" into it as some seem now.

Get really excited for new albums. Excited for shows (in my area mostly) and don't care too much for the bootlegs except for the occasional gems.

Also, when having some drinks with other PJ buddies I still have a tendency to get giddy over all things Pearl Jam. That'll never change

I always look forward to hearing new material of theirs and most of my friends think I'm a huge fan in part because I travel to a couple shows per US tour. I enjoy the heck out seeing them play in person & will get a few boots a year but I never got to the level of getting the DVDs or reading up on all their interviews or tracking down sidework that a band member contributes to or trying to figure who plays what guitar part or arguing which live version of X song is best or wondering how Binaural/Riot Act/Pearl Jam would have been different if Brenden O'Brien would have been involved and such.
But I do usually refer to the lead singer as 'Ed' instead of 'Eddie Vedder' if that counts.

Agreed. Forgot to mention that.

Also...I should throw in the fact that I still make a point to collect the official studio releases...whether they be albums or DVD's. I don't get too into the bootlegs unless they were shows I attended personally...except for a gem here & there as you say.

I don't buy singles anymore...haven't for a long time...unless it's accompanied by a non-album track that I hadn't already gotten from another source. Just too much "stuff" to collect at that point, IMO.

My level of love for the band hasn't waned, but I've certainly had a decline in the way I express it. I don't care about magazine articles or tv appearances or anything like that anymore. I used to record/collect whatever I could like that, now I don't bother. It has gotten a bit exhausting keeping up with everything every band member has ever done, so I've stopped.Do I still love the band as much as I did when I was 13? Absolutely I do. But I've just realized the only thing about the band that really matters to me is that feeling I get when I listen to an album or go to a concert.

i'm still pretty hardcore about most of their albums, and hope one day i can properly go to multiple shows instead of whatever festival they grace us southerners with.

but as far a new studio stuff im not really that enthusiastic. i'll definitely take whatever they release, but im not dying for another album.

plus i can still be counted on to annoy my friends with PJ knowledge and how their favorite band is tied to the greatest band of all time.

i was never much of a collector anyway. dont care about merch or singles either. i just try to get my hands on as many unique mp3s and good shows as i can fit on my computer. i think Backspacer is the only PJ cd that hasnt been destroyed yet.

I'm dying for them to start taking the recording process seriously.

delete

Totally. And it seems we can usually make a connection with pretty much any band, actor or cause. Try as i may, not to bring it up, this is valuable information that they should know for their own good

I keep adding to my bootleg collection, concerts from '92, '93, '94 especially. They are the Italian ones that are hit or miss. However even the ones with poor recordings the intensity and magic still come through loud and clear.

However the thing that gets me excited more than anything else is the huge growing library of Pearl Jam concert videos on You tube etc.. I never thought I would ever see my first Pearl Jam show (Randalls Island) on video, or the Oakland '97 shows with the Stones I attended. I spent almost every night watching a new live Pearl jam video on Youtube, I love the Boston '94 vids. I'm still waiting for Atlanta '94 video.

ya know ya can get most of those vids for your very own over in Trading, right?

Definitely waning, and I'm not sure where the decline will stop. I didn't even buy Backspacer on CD, and unless the band plays the Fleet Center the next time they come up here, I will probably skip the next tour entirely. I'm still constantly adding to my bootleg collection and I do stay current with all of the band's news, but I'm not overly excited about where Pearl Jam is today. There are just better bands out there.

Tell me more.

The state of my PJ fandom is a state of love and trust.

They are a part of my life, but I've always been into other bands as well. Facebook has brought me even more other fans to share with. I'm behind with buying official bootlegs. And I don't listen to them as much as I could. Like the last months I've been singing along to Juliette Lewis new album in my car, and it's still not boring. I'm pretty bad with PJ lyrics but I've always had that, so that's nothing new. I think they are at their best nowadays, live.

groetjes,
Mirella

not nearly as obsessive as i was a few years ago. albums and shows will renew that for a time, but the only thing i really try and stay on top of is vinyl releases since i can never be sure if i'll be able to find something at a reasonable price even just months down the road. i'm still baffled as to why into the wild was so limited- clearly a demand exists.