Michael Vreeland Nov 05, 2022

I was just short of my 21st birthday when. This show came yo town and I had just started dating the woman who would become my wife. I told her I wanted to go to the show. She told me not to worry about tickets that she would get us on "the list". I had no idea what this meant. On the day of the show I found out. We drove to the Unicorn which was an old gutted out Kroger store on the corner of Tidwell and 59 and I drove to the front of the building where Priscilla told me to. She pointed out a rather burly Mexican fellow with dark shades on and a suit. He did not look like he was there to see the show. She got out of the truck ran over to him and gave him a hug and he immediately waved me over to the back of the building where he had me park right next to the tour busses that were there. I found out later that I was parked right meet to Soundgarden's bus. After parking we walked to the front of the building and even though the general public wasn't being allowed into the building yet we were showed in. I couldn't believe what I was seeing when I walked in that door. On the stage were Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, Kim Thayhil, Matt Cameron, Jeff Ament, Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder all checking warming up. They wouldn't play for several more hours but they were just fucking around. It was like I was witnessing the beginning of Temple Of A Dog. It was incredible. Chris Cornell really liked my hoodie that I was wearing and he offered me a pair of black boots for it. I still have those boots. I have never worn them. I didn't even think to get him to autograph them. After that the owner of the club came down and introduced himself to me. His name was Javier and he was actually the owners son. The owner was this really old Mexican fellow by the name of Abel. Abel was the godfather. I never asked what there business was but I am not stupid. I didn't have to ask. Anyway my girlfriend Priscilla was young white thin and pretty and she liked to get high and knew lots of other people who did also which is how she knew Javier. She worked part time for Javier. She wasn't in too deep. Just deep enough to be on his good side. Turns out Abel also owned the Vatican on Washington and he would later own the International Ballroom on Main so we had the hookup all over town during the ninties. Anyway Javier asks us to come up to his office upstairs so I shake Chris Cornell's hand and take his boots with me upstairs to sit with Javier. Javier wanted to take my measure I guess so he pulls out a plate full of Bolivian marching powder and asks me if i want some. Back in those days I wouldn't say no to any drug so I did a heroic line of Coke and Javier and i became fast friends. The rest of the night was a blur. I remember Eddie Vedder swinging from the rafters above the crowd. I remember every note of Ten their first Album. And I remember saying to myself that I would never see them again after that night because it would never ever be like that again. I know all about chasing the dragon and if I ever saw them again it would be a let down. I will listen to them all day long. I will buy their records. But I will never see them live again. Soundgarden is different. I have seen them many times since that night and have enjoyed it immensely. There was something about Pearl Jam that night though. It just....spoke to me. Do you know what I mean?