all that's sacred #69

A few weeks ago, a number of you listeners banded together and implored me to give No Code the live recreation treatment like we did with Ten on ATS #10. Well, ask and ye shall receive! I ran with the idea and put the call out for live No Code song suggestions across the PJ social networking grid and got a ton of great recommendations. I'm happy to present ATS #69 as the final product for this little collective exercise.

As you can imagine, it was really hard narrowing down some of these tunes and I'm sure to have several people take issue with a few of these ultimate selections. Note that I did employ a few prerequisites to make the deciding process a bit easier and a bit more streamlined. For one, I disqualified any performance that has already appeared on the podcast. I also weighted the more popular performances that were suggested multiple times by multiple people. Additionally, it was important to me to make sure that all eras and major tours were represented since the album's release in 1996. Lastly, it had to flow and transition and sound good so I gravitated towards better audio recordings (especially in the years preceding the official bootlegs).

Regardless of whether your suggestions made the cut or not, I really appreciate the participation. It's always cool when a seed is planted and something springs to life so quickly and organically. In the process, I discovered a couple of new bootlegs and versions of songs. There are more than a few tracks on the cutting room floor that will definitely be featured on future ATS episodes. I think the end result is pretty sweet and I hope you like it too.

We will have to do this again sometime for another album...

Cheers! Donny

all that's sacred #68

I took an informal poll last week on Facebook and Twitter asking, "The next ATS should be more 2010 highlights or all stuff from Pearl Jam's many Bridge School appearances?" Resoundingly, people responded and said they wanted a Bridge School Benefit episode. Well, ask and ye shall receive: ATS #68 is chock full of great acoustic moments from Bridge School shows past -- and it couldn't be more opportune timing considering that tickets for this year's show just went on sale this past weekend. So sit back, relax, grab a beer, and enjoy reliving these memories as you plan your pilgrimage to Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA. It's a special event and a destination every Pearl Jam fan should make at least once.

Cheers! Donny

all that's sacred #67

I've already listened to ATS #67 a handful of times and it's fast becoming one of my recent favorites. It's heavy on the music and listener input and has a bit of everything. The one constant is that it features nothing but highlights from the year that has been 2010 - with many songs appearing for the first time on the podcast. Despite being a relatively slow year for the band, there has been no shortage of memorable moments. And with Pearl Jam recently confirmed for this year's Bridge School Benefit Concert, it's a virtual guarantee that the trend will continue.

With the guys once again giving of themselves for such a worthy cause, I thought it was an opportune time to encourage you to support a few other causes: Advocacy For Patients With Chronic Illness and the Seattle Humane Society's Walk for the Animals. Both are deserving of your time and monetary donations if you have the means.

Continued thanks for spending a little time here each week. It wouldn't be possible to sustain this thing - or nearly as fun - without all of your participation.

Hope you enjoy #67 as much as I do.

Cheers! Donny

all that's sacred #66

Get your kicks on ATS #66! One of my favorite segments on the podcast is "This Day in Pearl Jam History". When prepping for today's episode, I realized that today's date had been pretty busy in years past with the band playing three shows in 1992, 1998, and 2005. As I dug a little deeper, I realized I had never played anything from any of these shows before and I had a hard time picking just one moment to spotlight on the podcast. So I decided to just play something from each date and selected a two song snapshot from each one of these shows.

Enjoy the ride.

Cheers! Donny

all that's sacred #65

There is an old adage that good things come in threes and that’s proven out on today’s podcast. ATS #65 takes a look at three trilogies over three tours spanning the band’s 20 year history. It’s pretty interesting to hear these songs uninterrupted and how they fit together thematically or in telling a larger story. With so much musical ground to cover, I also felt it appropriate to let the songs do most of the talking and went a little lighter than usual on the commentary.

Looking forward to the Hootenanny and the holiday weekend and beyond. As I deliberate making the trip to this year’s Bridge School Benefit, I took a little extra time recently to update the ATS Zazzle site with new gear featuring the new ATS logo designed by listener Igor Gruda. I think the new merch looks great and I already got my order placed! Check it out if interested. All proceeds to be donated to charity.

Thanks for listening and hope you enjoy #65.

Cheers! Donny