Former Pearl Jam drummer Dave Abbruzzese wrote the following on Facebook, detailing how Max Weinberg from the E Street Band and Jimmy Shoaf helped him continue to tour following a career threatening injury:
Ah, yes… The old ‘signing an autograph while up to my armpits in ice’ trick! I joke now, but the amount of pain I experienced (and still experience) and functioned through is astonishing. And to think it all happened because I was forced to “air drum” for a damned camera shot for what turned out to be a useless and un-used video for the song ‘Evenflow’. During the shot I tore a tendon. In the emergency room, the Doctor asked what I did for a living. I responded that I am a professional drummer.
“Not anymore.” He replied. “You’ll be lucky if you can use a lighter.”
It was myself and Pearl Jam manager Kelly Curtis just looking at each other. I had to make the decision that moment as to wether or not I was going to pull it off, or follow the doctors orders and essentially quit.
Needless to say, a few hours later, I boarded a plane to Europe with the band and our first European tour was underway. And so began my pain management rituals. I can never thank enough, E Street Band drummer Max Weinberg for the techniques and support and My drum Tech Jimmy Shoaf for the compassion and nightly bengay applications… Ah, yes. Youth.
