Pearl Jam Is Playing NYC's Legendary Apollo Theatre
UCR - Pearl Jam will perform at the Apollo Theater in New York City on Sept. 10, a show that was first scheduled to happen on March 26, 2020. That concert, along with Pearl Jam's nationwide tour in support of their latest album, Gigaton, was postponed as the world began to confront the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now that live music is getting back to normal and Pearl Jam has returned to the road, they are ready for their second shot at playing the Apollo.
Just like the original date two years ago, Pearl Jam's upcoming Apollo gig will be an invite-only engagement exclusively for listeners of the SiriusXM channel, Pearl Jam Radio, where fans and listeners can learn more about the contest and how to score tickets.
The capacity of the Harlem theater is around 1,500, making tickets to the show incredibly exclusive. Fortunately for the majority of fans who won't be able to be in attendance, the full concert will be broadcast live on Pearl Jam Radio.
This isn't the first time SiriusXM has sought to bring stadium-sized shows to the intimate Apollo Theater. In 2012, in celebration of SiriusXM's 10th anniversary, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performed live at the Apollo.
A year later, Metallica rocked the iconic stage.
"I can't believe they let us play this place," frontman James Hetfield said during the set.
In 2021, SiriusXM held two special shows at the Apollo, first with Coldplay and then Alicia Keys.
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If you're going to this show in September fuck you. Just kidding. The level of jealousy I have for the people connected enough to score tickets to this show is off the charts.
There's something about seeing amazing musical acts at incredible venues like football stadiums or baseball parks. The ambiance, the acoustics, the nostalgia. Pretty much anywhere besides your run-of-the-mill basketball arena always feels like a special occasion. Not just from the fans/guests perspective, but also from the bands. That's usually where you almost always get their "a game", as well as the special renditions, covers, encores.
All of that is amplified ten fold when you are taking in your favorite act in a truly small, intimate setting.
The MTV Unplugged tapings of the 90s and 2000s are some of the most legendary performances by each and every artist that partook in them when you think about it. And those were played in front of a handful of close friends, family, and die hards.
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I had the privilege of seeing Bruce Springsteen on Broadway a couple of years ago and it felt like I was floating for 3 hours straight. It wasn't The Apollo, and it wasn't with E Street, but Bruce, and Patti, sat there with an acoustic guitar and piano for 3 hours and told stories about his life and the stories behind his music in between playing some of his greatest, and not most popular, songs. To call the theater it was in "a shoebox" is an understatement. And even that was bigger than The Apollo.
So growing up, I was introduced to "The Apollo" late on Saturday nights after Saturday Night Live was over with "Showtime From The Apollo" following it. I thought it was basically star search in the hood where you ran the risk of literally being booed off stage, and literally yanked by a hook, if you sucked.
Later, learning about its real history and the acclaim that comes with playing its stage, I've always wanted to visit and take one in.
Finding out that Pearl Jam is going to rock this place in September has my FOMO at all time levels.
Getting lucky enough to see them play The Metro after the World Series in 2016 was one of the coolest things I've ever witnessed, and one of the best, and most unique, concerts I've ever been to (some of the Cubs' staff played on stage with the band).
If you're going to this show, God Bless you. Do me a favor and report back after and let us know how epic it was.