485 - Pearl Jam - Vitalogy - Joe List

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EPISODE SUMMARY:

There are fans, there are superfans, and then there are people like Joe List.

While Joe couldn’t tell one flannel-wearing gaggle of grunge rockers from another when he first bought Pearl Jam’s third studio album Vitalogy in 1994, no other band would ever strike as emotionally resonant a chord deep within him. Something about the heavy guitars, soaring vocals, and lyrics heavily laden with meaning and story would drive Joe not only to seek out every B-side and obscure bit of trivia he could stand to commit to memory but also to see Pearl Jam live in concert at least 40 times.

As far as obsessions go, Joe’s love for these sons of Seattle could only ever be surpassed by his prodigious and prolific career in stand-up comedy, which has taken him to the finals of NBC’s Last Comic Standing and the second season of Netflix’s The Stand Ups.

SHOW NOTES:

01:15 – Intro
05:15 – Joe goes to see Pearl Jam live way too often
08:45 – From fandom to obsession
11:30 – Vitology came out at an intense point in Pearl Jam’s career
15:00 – Eddie Vedder teaches us it’s okay not to have a great voice
16:00 – Does seeing Pearl Jam lose its effect the 40th time around?
21:30 – How dark can it get?
27:45 – Vinyl isn’t just for hipsters
31:30 – Hanging out with Paul McCartney for 20 minutes is better than nothing
33:00 - It’s easy to get take advantage of when you're low on the food chain
37: 00 – Find someone who’s interesting and independent, but also won’t leave you
41:30 - There’s too much risk involved in challenging someone to a fight
44:30 – Why are grunge bands so whiny?
50:30 – You heard it here first: Joe List has herpes
53:00 – A Threesome that Turned into a Robbery
58:15 – Becoming a ‘Better Man’
01:05:15 - Facts!
01:08:30 – Gary Gulman helped Joe more than he realizes
01:13:15 – The worst thing about doing comedy
01:16:30 - Joe’s first mic

ALBUM STREAM - VITALOGY:

NEW ARTIST INFLUENCED BY PEARL JAM:

“Rock N Roll” by Welles