Keely hit the lights!

Keely hit the lights! I first heard those words over 17 years ago and heard them almost 17 times since... And learned that: No Code was actually full of code. It was the most unique concert ticket I had ever seen in my life and it was burning a hole in my hands... Pearl Jam had bypassed the monopoly Ticketmaster and had created a voucher that had panoramic map of the world and Chinese dragons dancing. I already knew I was listening to the most diverse band on the planet and now the do-it-yourself of a band had put on a show free from overcharging. I was 19, I wore Doc Martens and I thought what Pearl Jam was cool. I'll never forget the day, it was October 7, 1996, and I had never been to Fort Lauderdale. A tropical storm was skirting our South Florida coast and the wind and rain squalls were ripping through the area. The venue was the home of the New York Yankees Spring Training Stadium and the stage was set-up opening to the outfield. It was a general admission affair. From the opening chords of Sometimes I knew this was going to be a special night. Then, the band ripped through Last Exit, Animal, Go and Hail, Hail! They followed that with an inspiring Dissident and I'll always remember the exact time when I caught my breath to the tribal drumming of Jack Irons during In My Tree. It was during that song, a time I'll never forget, when Eddie made us all in attendance (felt like about 20,000) like we we're at a big campfire. Next was Lukin, Corduroy, Not For You, Jeremy, Black, State of Love and Trust, Satan's Bed, Habit, Rearviewmirror, Immortality, Alive and Porch. I still to this day think that is the best first set, set list Pearl Jam has ever played. The concert just got better and more appealing. Present Tense was amazing live, Evenflow live was absolutely out of this world with my memory dominated by the Stone's rhythm guitar and Mike McCready's screaming solo, and Ament's backbone bass. Each song was taking the crowd higher to another level. I remember Eddie was really starting to show off some theatrics. Then, Dennis Rodman appeared on-stage and Eddie climbed up on Rodman's shoulders and led the crowd in a version of Daughter while he sat on Rodman's shoulders. They followed Daughter with four covers and ended the second set with a version of I Got Id and another cover of The Who's Leaving Here. The Tropical Storm winds were now gnarly. I remember the long white drapes of cloth that covered the scaffolding were just swaying and I noticed Eddie began to start climbing the scaffolding. He climbed all the way to the top of the scaffolding not to show off but to get a better view of all the campers at this camp fire. Pearl Jam was about the music, the fans, and just different than anything I have ever seen before or again. By the time I heard for the first of many times, Keely hit the Lights! I was shirtless and swinging my shirt in the air singing Rockin' In the Free World with 20,000 new friends. I went to the concert with a group of friends but I had no idea what happened to them, I was up near the stage, in the back row, halfway, on the side of the stage in the middle of the pack... Then, I heard the first licks of Yellow Ledbetter and was near the back of the venue, with all the lights shining on my 20,000 peers and noticed my friends just in some sort of euphoria that came over us after a three-hour show and we sang Yellow Ledbetter together. I remember it like it was yesterday. I remember walking away from that show that the songs Sometimes, Hail, Hail and In My Tree, Lukin, Habit and Present Tense were full of code. Two years later, I went to Downtown Disney in Orlando to Virgin Megastore where they had a giveaway to those who showed up at midnight to buy Yield. We received a Pearl Jam silk screen of a P and J with a Jack from the deck of cards. I still have that silkscreen today. I remember playing Yield over and over non-stop with everyone. That album came out when I was 21 and in college. Best of all, I was able to see back to back shows in West Palm Beach that year and actually drove with a friend to Atlanta Lakewood Amphitheater to catch Pearl Jam there. A big Pearl Jam friend of mine Laura had moved to Chelsea in New York City and in 2003 I landed thanks to the Ten Club tickets to back to back shows in New York City at Madison Square Garden. The first night was the most amazing show and was turned into a DVD. You might hear me singing on Better Man, Crazy Mary and Indifference. Ben Harper came out and sang Daughter, Indifference and With My Own Two Hands and Madison Square Garden was actually shaking... I'm sure you heard the stories... I was there! The second night was the first time I have thoroughly took in every second of a show without overexerting myself, I enjoyed the show because I had the night before to lean on. In 2004, I took a dear friend to the show in Kissimmee, Florida and we were treated to a huge set list with three encores. I saw PJ 16X, last was in 2008. I need to hear Keely hit the lights!