Almost seven years ago...

The date was June 21, 2003. Pearl Jam, at Alpine Valley, was in the middle of possibly the best performance I’ve ever seen from the band. Mike McCready was on fire, and Eddie Vedder was a little drunk. After going on a hilarious, foul-mouthed tirade making fun of reality TV (among other things), he proffered this little tidbit:

“But we were just talking in the back, and we were thinking that maybe uh, on the strength of a night like this, and uh, really, uh, so you understand how much we appreciate it, we were thinking that instead of uh, waiting 2 years or even, uh, after we finish the next record, maybe just next summer, we could come back and play, just a few places that we’ve been to and this would be one of them.”

Fast forward to March 11, 2010: Pearl Jam announces yet another measly mini-tour. The closest date to Wisconsin is a five-hour drive. Still waiting for that promised Alpine return, Eddie.