QUEENS — A group of Pearl Jam fans, who are raising money to get the band to play in Forest Hills, have collected more than $75,000 in a month, the group said.
"We couldn't be more amazed or thrilled by the success for the Pearl Jam fan crowdfund,” said Dan Sheffer, 33, who started the campaign on Nov. 5.
“We never expected the outpouring of support from the Pearl Jam and Queens community,” he added.
The idea, Sheffer said, came from the recent successful crowdfund by Foo Fighters fans, who raised about $70,000 earlier this year in an effort to get the band to play in Richmond, Va., in September.
Nicole Vandenberg, a spokeswoman for Pearl Jam, said in an email that "the band just finished up a 2-year tour cycle and are on a break."
"I won’t be connecting with them before the new year," Vandenberg said, adding that "it’s always exciting to see the passion of fans for the band’s music!"
“We hope to … talk to Pearl Jam again in the New Year to see their 2015 touring plans,” Sheffer said. “We won't stop until we bring Pearl Jam to Forest Hills!”
Since Nov. 5, fans donated more than $75,000 to the campaign on Tilt, a crowdfunding site, Sheffer said.
Participants can pledge $80, which equals a ticket to the show, or $1,000, which gives fans four tickets "plus a 'mystery' box of PJ goodies," according to the site.
They can also donate less than $80 but will not get a ticket.
The goal, the group said, is to raise $100,000, but eventually they hope to collect more than $500,000, so that they can cover the costs involved in bringing the band to Queens and pay the musicians as well.
The organizers said that credit cards will not be charged until the goal is reached. "If the band declines, all refunds are applied automatically," Sheffer said.
He also noted that the group is planning to hold a fundraiser at Austin’s Ale House in Kew Gardens on Jan. 8. The event, the organizers wrote on their Facebook page, will be "a celebration of all Pearl Jam fans," and an opportunity "to mingle and just have fun!”
The group organizing concerts at Forest Hills Stadium, which renovated the stadium and brought back music events to the neighborhood last year, told DNAinfo.com last month that they have “no affiliation" with the group campaigning to bring Pearl Jam to Forest Hills.
“We do however appreciate their enthusiasm for both the band and the stadium and hope to one day see Pearl Jam in Forest Hills,” said Jon McMillan, one of the concert organizers.
