It&apos;s late 2002 and Pearl Jam have just released their last album of new material for Epic Records. The record deal they signed pre-Ten had finally been concluded (The compilation albums Lost Dogs and Rearviewmirror would be released over the next two years to officially wrap up the deal) and the band would soon become free agents for the first time in their career. The world is their oyster. But what do they want in that oyster?Even the members themselves weren&apos;t quite sure.Enter Matt Shay. At the time, Matt was at J Records working for Clive Davis but he also had a relationship with Pearl Jam. Could he bring these two titans together? We now know the answer was yes but for the first time Matt gives us the backstory of Pearl Jam signing with J Records, the recording and promotion of the Avocado album, and how the entire process reset the band as it entered its pivotal second chapter of it&apos;s career. 

Jamily Matters

Avocado and the Start Of Pearl Jam's Second Act w/Matt Shay of Artist MGMT and Formerly of J Records

Pearl Jam made their triumphant return to the stage at the Sea.Hear.Now. Festival in Asbury Park and Billie Jean was there!How did the Gigaton songs sound? What was it like seeing Pearl Jam live after a 3 year hiatus? What was the vibe like on stage and in the crowd during the set? What were the highlights? Billie Jean answers those questions and more on this episode of Jamily Matters! 

Sea.Hear.Now. Festival Recap

Billie Jean and Roche mark the 30th anniversary of Ten as well as the 25th anniversary of No Code on this edition of Jamily Matters. It&apos;s been fun reading and listening to the band reminisce about the most important album in its history and the crew point out some of their favorite interviews with the band over the last few months. They also discuss the importance of No Code in the Pearl Jam catalogue. Then, they give their thoughts on all the recent PJ news before Roche makes EVERYTHING uncomfortable with his "just saying" take on Olivia Vedder&apos;s singing debut. 

Happy Anniversary Ten And No Code! Plus, Olivia Vedder Sings

Five years ago this month, Pearl Jam played a now legendary secret show at Third Man Records.  Third Man Records co-founder Ben Blackwell joins Roche and Billie to reminisce  about that special night in PJ lore. Ben gives us a history of Third Man Records including some great stories of the early days of The White Stripes and Jack White&apos;s vision for the building in Nashville. Then, Ben gives the backstory on how Pearl Jam ended up at Third Man that night, how the jam session with Jack White came to be, and much more (19:52). Finally, Ben discusses what Pearl Jam means to him during a round of "My PJ Experience..."  including a hilarious Eddie Vedder story and a touching Mike McCready story (49:37).

Reliving "Pearl Jam Live at Third Man Records" with Ben Blackwell

Much like everything else during the pandemic, our first listen to new music is unlike anything we&apos;ve ever experienced before. How much of that has shaped your opinions of the songs on Gigaton? That&apos;s a question Roche and Billie Jean tackle on this episode of Jamily Matters. From the heartbreak of "Comes Then Goes" to the brilliance of "Seven O&apos;Clock"  to the invention of "Dance Of The Clairvoyants" to the punk rocking "Superblood Wolfmoon" Gigaton shows that Pearl Jam is far from past their peak.  Now over a year old, Roche and Billie rank the songs of the album and it&apos;s overall place in the Pearl Jam discography. 

Gigaton:Ranked

Pearl Jam releases over 180 live shows as part of the DEEP Immersive Experience and Roche and Billie are overwhelmed (in a great way) by it. Billie gives some behind the scenes insight on the daunting task for a musician to put 5000+ songs on each streaming service and the exhaustive work that goes into it. Did the DEEP drop ruin 6 years of Roche&apos;s work on a project? Yes and no. He explains that and why he was happy to see Ed perform hatless at the Vax Live concert. Plus, the duo give their thoughts on the alternate version of "Corduroy" he performed at the show and the surreal experience of seeing live music played in front of a crowd. Email us your DEEP setlist at jamilymatters@gmail.com.

Pearl Jam Goes DEEP! Plus, Eddie Vedder Plays Vax Live

We kick off our "My PJ Experience..." feature with Brad White who is the Assistant Program Director of the legendary KBCO in Boulder, CO. After getting some background on Brad, the AAA format in radio, and the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheater, Billie Jean and Roche ask Brad about his love of Pearl Jam (17:12). Brad shares some great stories about the famous Soldier Field show, his love of Vitalogy, and what the band has meant to him over the years. Click here to stream KBCO. 

My PJ Experience...With KBCO's Brad White

For a band with as many albums (which include a Greatest Hits album and a double album of rarities and B sides) as Pearl Jam has released, there are a surprising number of orphaned tracks. Songs that have not appeared on an official studio album (anniversary editions aside). On this episode of Jamily Matters, Roche and Billie Jean go through the 2000s studio songs that didn't find their way on to a Pearl Jam album and rank them. If you'd like to rank along, the tracks below are featured in this episode. I Just Wanna Have Something To DoSomeday At ChristmasLove Reign O’er MeSanta God  Jingle BellsSanta Cruz  Golden StateTurning MistIt Ain’t Like That Acoustic #1OleBetter ThingsPendulumorphosisWishing WellAgain TodayHunted DownGet It Back

Non-Album Tracks Part 2: Ranked

We&apos;ve all got treasured memorabilia from our beloved band that we love to exhibit. That&apos;s the thought behind this new feature on Jamily Matters. Our first guest for the "PJ Merch" series is the morning show host for Minneapolis&apos; CITIES 97.1  (and HUGE PJ fan), Paul Fletcher. After Paul and Roche discuss some behind the scenes radio stuff (2:37), Billie Jean joins them in showing off about some of their favorite Pearl Jam items (13:53). It&apos;s like Antique Roadshow...for Pearl Jam stuff!Visit CITIES 97.1.com for more info about Paul Fletcher.

PJ Merch With...CITIES 97.1's Paul Fletcher

Let&apos;s talk live music! Since we haven&apos;t been able to see live music in almost a year (and counting), Billie Jean and Roche are thirsty for live Pearl Jam. If you are an iPhone user (like Billie), you know all about PJ Stat Tracker. If you are an Android user (like Roche), you have a vague awareness of PJ Stat Tracker. This episode of Jamily Matters is all about the greatness of PJ Stat Tracker and gives everyone (including you) the chance to reminiscence about seeing our favorite band live. Play along while you listen!

PJ Stat Tracker

Two music industry veterans team up to delve into one of the most influential bands of all time. Join Roche (of rock radio station, DC101) and Billie Jean Sarullo (of The Orchard, a division of Sony Music Entertainment) on an exploration of the music, performances, and culture of Pearl Jam.

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