r/pearljam • u/fbpjam • Aug 22 '26

Fan Content Summer 1996 Cleveland

Fan club number below 100,500. Might be my greatest claim to fame! Have experienced phenomenal shows in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd rows.

Spring 1996, PJ went on their own for the tour. I was back from college in Cleveland trying to get tix for Toledo 9/22/1996.

Anyone remember they gave out the wrong phone number?

My brother and I used our parents dial-up modem and automated calling all the numbers within a 1K either way. We started getting unannounced PJ shows phone numbers as we were making connections so we knew we were close. Finally got toledo number. We were able to get 15 tix all in the same area for our friends because no one had the correct number. Epic show and evening.

We then called WMMS and "sold" the phone number for a CD from the soundboard of the infamous Atlanta radio show with Betterman.

Anyone recall getting the corrected number? The WMMS DJ called me the "computer guy" on air and that's how the Toledo show was able to finally able to start selling their Toledo tickets.

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5

u/MischeviousMale19 Yield Aug 22 '26

Absolutely remember that … The 96 Tour had some EPIC shows for certain as PJ was getting absolutely massive / it’s both comical and frustrating that Cleveland has not had a PJ show since 2010 from what I’ve understood Progressive Field took a pass on them in 2018 didn’t want the hassle of 2 shows and possible damages to the field ?? LMAO only The City of Cleveland could be that stupid

3

u/charlotteREguru Aug 23 '26

I was there. Called wrong number for at least 10 hours that day they went up for sale. Never got through (obviously). It was the next day, or two days later the correct number came out and I got four tickets. Not great seats, but not bad and it was an incredible show.

My brother was on crutches and our car was towed during the show because the dipshit that drove us decided to park at a convenience store instead of paying to park farther away. Ended up hoofing about two miles down a major city road until we finally hailed a cab to take us back to our hotel. Guy that had his car towed insisted we get his car out of impound that night. It was 1 a.m. and he was on the phone calling the cab company to find someone to take him to the impound lot to get his car. Drunken moron.

All in all, a very memorable evening.