Former Red Sox Pitcher Bronson Arroyo Recalls Playing with Pearl Jam at Fenway
Former Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo has seen some incredible concerts in Boston. He lists Audioslave in 2005 at the Avalon, and Bruno Mars at the new MGM Music Hall this past September as two of the most memorable. However, there is one that stands above the rest. And that’s because he didn’t just watch the show: he jammed with the band. And it was a pretty big band, at a familiar venue. Here, Arroyo reflects on playing with Pearl Jam at Fenway park.
It was Pearl Jam’s first show ever at Fenway Park. During the 15th song of the night, Arroyo joined the band on stage for a beautiful rendition of their classic tune, “Black.” Arroyo joined the band on guitar and backing vocals. The result was a spine-chilling, fan-favorite part of the night.
Though Arroyo had played “Black” with frontman Eddie Vedder before, this experience represented his worlds colliding. Standing on the stage in center field as opposed to on the pitcher’s mound about a hundred yards ahead.
Arroyo, a musician himself, has just released a new record entitled Some Might Say, with his band the ’04 (a subtle nod to the 2004 Red Sox team he helped win a World Series). Baseball season is officially upon us. Arroyo is now sporting a guitar as opposed to a glove. So it feels like an appropriate time to reflect upon the emotion of taking the stage with Pearl Jam at Fenway Park.
August 5, 2016 by: Bronson Arroyo
“It was one of the greatest days of my life,” he tells us. “One which has been filled with great things. I’ve played baseball and I’ve played music, but the collision of life-long dreams and places made this experience altogether incredible.
“I finished my day in the rookie league with the Washington Nationals and jumped on a plane to Boston. I had sent a text to Eddie that I would be attending, and I was pumped to see the greatest show on earth in the monastery that I had helped remodel. He replied with excitement as well and a simple ‘Black’??? I of course accepted and went to the park a couple hours early to make sure it would go off smoothly. I felt immediately at home in the locker room that I knew so well, a nice contrast to the nerves that would soon come from playing with my heroes. The band rolled in a bit later and we ended up upstairs in the same kitchen area where I had eaten a hamburger most games in the 5th inning with teammates Tim Wakefield and Curt Schilling throughout 2004 and 2005. This time I found myself bent down on one knee next to Stone Gossard, Eddie Vedder playing drums, Mike McCready, and Jeff Ament. My sixteen-year-old self could and often did imagine pitching in the World Series. But this? No way.”:
Game Time
“We ran through the song once, it sounded great, and I left the band to get ready for the show. When I returned, I was a bit hyped and nervous as I stood side stage prior to ‘Black.’ I spent the moments before playing along during ‘I Am Mine,’ which got my fingers loose. As I came on the stage, Stone quickly showed me which amp would be connected to my guitar, and off we went. The song developed and I tried my best to put my mind at a campfire of friends and play and enjoy the song as if I were still in the crowd. I wanted to be completely submersed in the unfolding magic.”
He recalls, “Playing with Pearl Jam in Fenway was very similar to pitching there, and some ways very different. The level of energy coming off the crowd that you can use and harness as your own felt very familiar. Then, there’s the realization that you have to find a way to be comfortable with all those eyes on you. Finally, the admiration of the Fenway fans after a job well done is second to none. The difference for me was there was a lot less stress knowing that the song couldn’t bomb. There was no way to take that opportunity and have it be equal to a five-run first inning in a playoff game. Also, the fans at a baseball game seem to sit on the fence, hoping to cheer for you or boo if things go poorly. I felt like it was going to be a winning performance without the fear of boos and that the game was won before it even started.”
Faithful
“The best part of the experience was the subtle look Eddie gave me. I knew that was a cue to sing the high backup vocal on Stone’s mic. Stone had told me earlier they hadn’t sung that part much the past 20 years. In preparation, my mind went to their MTV Unplugged rendition. Suddenly, the song was building. Eddie looked over at me with inviting eyes that told me he wanted me to sing that part. I felt like I was able to make an impact on the song a bit more than just doubling the rhythm. It just doesn’t get much better than that. They still found a way to extend the song. It lit up the Fenway faithful with forty thousand phone lights. That moment really let me soak up one of the greatest experiences of life.”
