Dumbek's Random Stuff

9/19/98 - Pearl Jam/Hovercraft @ DAR Constitution Hall - Washington, DC

I think this was pre-ticketmaster.com - at least for the DC area. I recall Dinger and I being at his apartment, frantically dialing the phones trying to get through for tickets. Dinger eventually got through, but they were down to single-seats. The woman on the line said we could buy 2, but they'd have to be in separate orders. We got the first ticket, but by the time we finished that transaction the show was completely sold-out. Nice guy that Dinger is - he let me have the ticket. I'm sure he regretted that decision after seeing the Merriweather show the night before this one, but he still insisted that I go to the show.

All I remember about Hovercraft is that they were instrumental, loud and pretty damn good. For some reason I think Eddie was part of the band, though I'm too lazy to look into that. Looking at the Wikipedia page for the band, it's not out of the realm of possibility.

Pearl Jam didn't quite play the hit-laden show of the previous night, but the intimate setting of DAR (3700 seats) made this far and away the better show for me - a fact that I flat-out denied when Dinger asked me how the show was. Eddie came out and did "I Am A Patriot" solo - the very first song of the night - before Hovercraft even came out. Lucky for those of us who got in early. Anyway - It was also a Voters For Choice benefit, so there were a few speakers throughout the night as well - including Gloria Steinem.

Here's a clip from that show. "Soldier of Love"