Pearl Jam Tell Queens Fans Not To Hold Their Breath For Crowdfunded Concert

Jason Oxenham/Getty Images

Pearl Jam Tell Queens Fans Not To Hold Their Breath For Crowdfunded Concert

Jason Oxenham/Getty Images

After a successfully crowdfunded Foo Fighters concert in Virginia, one Pearl Jam diehard fan was inspired to attempt his own effort. New Yorker Daniel Sheffer is pushing to get the band to play a concert the newly reopened Forest Hills Stadium in Queens. Previously, other superfans insisted that such a crowd-supported effort be closer to the band’s Seattle home. Now, management is cautioning Sheffer and his crew that the concert will probably never happen.

In a statement to Village Voice, Pearl Jam’s manager Kelly Curtis expounded on the complications facing a crowdfunded concert:

We love the passion and enthusiasm of the fans who have spearheaded Pearl Jam crowdfund efforts. However, with more and more of these crowdfunded show proposals cropping up, we want to be clear before fans invest their hard-earned money into these efforts that they are unlikely to happen. The band’s shows are booked through their management and touring agents. A lot goes into scheduling, routing, producing, and promoting safe and successful shows for our fans. We will continue to rely on our experts in the field to ensure this remains the case for the band’s future tours.

Has that dampened Sheffer’s enthusiasm? Hell no! Here’s his response:

We will continue to crowdfund until we receive a hard no from the Pearl Jam management. Dreams do come true and we are doing this for the thousands of fans that have supported us, visited our website, and have done charity work all for this movement. Pearl Jam are our heroes and we hope they can hear our proposal and give us more detailed feedback. We want this concert in Pearl Jam’s hands and by no means would want otherwise. We know they put on a show like no other. We are simply a grassroots movement that knows Pearl Jam Forest Hills would be amazing for the fans, the band, and the community. We remain faithful, as the song goes. We are the Forest Hills Faithful!

The effort — which you can check out here — has 578 backers who have raised just over $140,000. I’ll let you decide whether his pure enthusiasm is touching or not. While you ponder, here’s Pearl Jam playing “Faithful” — it really is a great song!

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