Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam is mugged in Atlanta

Pearl Jam's bassist was mugged in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 27, police say

Jeff Ament and one of the band's employees were outside recording studio

Police say masked men with knives snatched more than $7,300 in cash and goods

Ament suffered head lacerations, which were treated at the scene




ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- So much for Southern hospitality.


The attack took place on April 27 at Southern Tracks Recording in Atlanta, Georgia.

When Pearl Jam -- the Seattle, Washington-based grunge rock band -- was in the Atlanta area late last month, bass guitar player Jeff Ament and a band employee were mugged outside a recording studio, a police report shows.

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. Watch surveillance video of the attack »

She said he "suffered some lacerations" on the back of his head and was treated at the scene. His backpack was also snatched, she said, and included inside was Ament's passport.

"At this time detectives believe the victims were not specifically targeted," Parish said. "But they believe the suspects were familiar with the studio because of its isolated location."


Though surveillance cameras captured the incident, the masks worn by the attackers have made identifying suspects difficult.

Witnesses reported seeing the suspects flee through the woods and hop into a waiting black Maxima, Parish added. Anyone with leads on this case is encouraged to call 770-724-7850.

with knives...They even chased him, I think in the city they would have just let him go but when you're in the middle of nowhere you have no place to run to. I hope they catch the guys.

area across the street.

http://maps.google.com/maps?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF8&q=southern+tracks+recording+studio+atlanta&fb=1&split=1&gl=us&cid=0,0,16856898309054715015&ei=ND0OSp3hPJHCswO2qdWDAw&ll=33.848695,-84.314876&spn=0,359.986267&z=16&iwloc=A&layer=c&cbll=33.846945,-84.315409&panoid=tG0-3m0CHa9mAA6TDe_QEA&cbp=12,116.28,,0,5

Color me surprised

they just rereleased "Ten" and it is all over the place

Ament has the distinction of one of the greatest guitar performances in a song ever (Yellow Ledbetter) but when he testified in front of Congress back in 1994 it was one of the great spectacles of "I know how to wear a suit of course I grew in a good household you miserable hump" moments ever

Sorry but Pearl Jam is a close second to REM for me in being my favorite band ever....well and the Stones, of course

If everyone was armed, Ament could have shot them in the face.

Then, Eddie Vedder would have come forth singing, "ooohh, I I I, ohh, I'm still alive" mocking them while they bled to death.

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