Of Potato Heads and Polaroids: My Life Inside and Out of Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam. Not many bands have achieved a status needing no adjective or description. Pearl Jam has. And fewer still have had an insider, much less a member, obsessively capture onstage and offhand pics of the experience—the friends, family, and fans... and one very famous plastic toy. Luckily for us lead guitarist Mike McCready did—trusty Polaroid camera in hand.

Documenting years of touring and travels, McCready snaps meetings with heroes and inspirations from all walks of life; time spent with crazy friends and family; and moments featuring wildly artistic takes on art, nature, and architecture. Also: he once rocked a fab grey shift. And true to form for one not taking things too seriously, Mike sometimes had his pal, Mr. Potato Head, pop in and share in the fun.

As wonderfully intimate as group “selfies” with the likes of Neil Young, Questlove, Jimmy Page, Ann and Nancy Wilson, Joey Ramone, Johnny Ramone, The Edge, Ben Harper, Peter Buck, Paul McCartney, Mike Mills, Sting, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Carrie Brownstein, Robert Plant, Peter Frampton, Dave Grohl, Gene Simmons, Bono, Jack White, Danny Clinch, Lady Gaga, Laura Dern, Dustin Hoffman, Judd Apatow, Will Ferrell, Leslie Mann, Jimmy Fallon, Mira Sorvino, Tim Robbins, Hugh Jackman, Venus Williams, and Kate Hudson are, it’s the massive homage to the band’s fans taken from stage view, in places from the Pacific Northwest to Peru, from Brussels to Bolivia, that brings McCready’s manic intimacy come roaring to life.

Of Potato Heads and Polaroids is the scrapbook for our rockstar world—friends, family, and fans. With some wattage. And a great deal of fun and good times.