All broken up

It's over. After 17 years, it's all completely over. It just got stale, the excitement was gone. Every couple of years, there would be a push to fall in love again, but it only lasted for a few short weeks. So before the rumors fly, I wanted to go online and tell the world: Pearl Jam and I have broken up.

It's for the best. Maybe we'll get back together in a few years. But for now, we need a long break. I've deleted all PJ songs from my "work" playlist.

This isn't my first band break-up. A couple of months ago, I broke up with U2 and a month later, Pink Floyd. I also broke up with Dave Matthews for the second time a little while ago. I'm considering breaking up with Ben Folds, too.

The first band I ever broke up with was Dave Matthews. It was the summer of '98. I was a huge Dave Matthews fan, I had all his albums, including his lesser known "Remember Two Things". I bought an overpriced t-shirt or two, and slapped a couple stickers on the back of my '85 Toyota Tercel, between the Pearl Jam and Stone Temple Pilots stickers. I went to the concerts, I knew all the nuances of each song. Then, one day, I was driving on Carterville Road in Orem, and I put in "Crash". I found myself skipping through the entire CD, not finding any song I wanted to listen to. Then I realized: I fell out of love. It was time to break up. I gave all my cd's and junk to a very grateful and poor Heidi. It was over.

I got back from my mission and started listening to my old music and took suggestions for new stuff, too. Heidi mentioned that Dave had come out with some new stuff, and I figured it had been a few years, it was time to give him a try again. So I did. I fell back into love, it was great. We remembered old times, and we had some new good times. But a few months ago, it happened again. I kept skipping all of the DMB songs that came up on my playlist. I'd been here before, and I knew it was time. We broke up again. It was for the best.

I then realized that I needed to weed out all of my stale relationships. When you listen to 8 hours of music a day, you get tired of stuff pretty fast. After I said goodbye to DMB, I broke up with U2. Then Mel helped me break up a very long and committed relationship with Pink Floyd (she can't stand the Floyd). I debated breaking up with AVA and Ben Folds, but I decided there was some love to be squeezed out yet. But this? A break-up with my beloved Pearl Jam? I didn't think it would ever come to this.

But today, when "Sleight of Hand" came on, I skipped it. I've NEVER skipped "Sleight of Hand". But I did today. I knew in my soul that a break was necessary. I don't blame myself. I blame Pearl Jam. If their last 2 albums weren't total crap (I don't care that the critics liked the last one, it was by far the worst album), then I wouldn't have to do this. Sure, there will be moments when I just can't stop thinking about them, but I have to be strong. I have a few new loves (Jason Mraz and Cat Stevens) and a few longstanding lovers that keep producing quality albums (Tool, Jack Johnson, Death Cab-although their last album left something to be desired).

The days of falling in love with bands and albums are coming to a close. Nowadays, you don't have to commit to an entire album, because one-hit wonders are only 99 cents. Instead of spending 15 bucks at Media Play and praying that the other songs will be good, you can buy the song you know is good, and then preview the others to see if it's a song that you might like.

I'll probably get back together with PJ when their next album comes out. After all, I got back with Jimmy Eat World when their new album came out last year, and we've been happy together since. It helps that Mel approves of the relationship.

So there it is. If you catch me listening to PJ, do me a favor and give me a backhand across the face. But I'm going to continue wearing the t-shirts, though. Can't beat the PJ t-shirts.