12.11.91 – Pearl Jam | Epic Records
Another great shoot with the band Pearl Jam. Epic Records publicist Julie Farman called me to shoot the job. I had to go to Dallas, Texas to meet the band and shoot them there. The label needed some fresh art for publicity. By this time the band was blowing up and everything we did before was already used. The plan was to do a shoot at a studio, then some live shots and then travel with the band to Denver to shoot some more.
I left for Dallas on the 10th. Shoot was set for the 11th at Light Tech Studios. The shoot was easy and fun. The band was in a good mood cuz they had been touring with the Red Hot Chile Peppers and Smashing Pumpkins. We shot inside for a couple set-ups and the outside for a couple more. At the time Eddie was known for climbing the rafters of the stages he performed on. The studio had some beams and we thought it would be funny to have Eddie hang above the band for the photos. We had to lift him up and he had to hang on for dear life. It was funny for sure.
The next day I shot them opening for the Peppers and Pumpkins. Pearl Jamās energy during these shows was off the charts. Eddie was crazy on stage in all the right ways! I had so much fun shooting them live. Never dull. During the other bands sets Eddie would often go sneak into the crowd and have his fun. It was funny to turn around, look back at the crowd and see Eddieās BIG smile.
After the show we got on the tour bus and headed to Denver. UGH! A 20+ hour bus ride! I was never a fan of the tour bus or the sleeping conditions in a bunk. Not a fun ride for me. I think I spent most of the ride wide awake. It was fun just to hang with the guys and catch up on life. By this time I had directed my first video with them and they were grilling me about how it was coming along. We were a ways away from showing them first cut.
We got to Denver and I headed straight to my hotel room and passed out. Woke up the next day ready to shoot. Met the band for a meal and the off to the venue for the show. At the time nobody knew how important this tour was, but looking back on it now… It was a BIG deal in music history. This week for me was amazing in every way. The shoot, the shows, the bands and most of all the photos I got! A fucking brilliant good time!
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