Culture

Jeff Ament, Pearl Jam Bassist, Mugged at Atlanta Recording Studio

by Jarrett Martineau | May 15, 2009 at 12:06 pm

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Jeff Ament, bassist for Seattle rock band Pearl Jam, and a band employee were mugged in Atlanta late last month while recording at the Southern Tracks recording studio.

The band were working on a new album with producer Brendan O'Brien when the attack occurred.

Ament and and Mark Anthony Smith drove up to the studio when three men emerged from a wooded area near the studio with knives.

YouTube has raw video footage of the attack.

The attackers stole "more than $7,300 in goods and cash", Ament's passport was stolen and he ""suffered some lacerations" after attempting to flee and being knocked to the ground.

Police do not believe that the attack was targeted.

According to the DeKalb County Police Department, Ament and Mark Anthony Smith were attacked shortly before noon on April 27 when they arrived at Southern Tracks Recording.

Southern Tracks is the home base of producer Brendan O'Brien, with whom the band has worked before. According to Rolling Stone, the band is recording a new album with the producer.

Three men reportedly emerged from a nearby wooded area wearing masks and brandishing knives. They smashed windows of the rented Jeep Commander, snatched a BlackBerry phone and other belongings, and demanded money, the police report shows. The suspects allegedly got away with more than $7,300 in goods and cash.

Ament jumped from the passenger side of the vehicle and started to run, but he was chased by a suspect and knocked to the ground, said Mekka Parish, a public information officer with the police department.