The Top 50 Moments of Pearl Jam’s 2024 Tour Part 1: 50-26

Cover art photo courtesy is Mike Dziama via ConcertPants

The Top 50 Moments of Pearl Jam’s 2024 Dark Matter Tour: 50-26

Introduction – Randy Sobel

Well friends, another tour year is in the books. The 34th year of Pearl Jam took us for quite a ride as they released their 12th studio album, Dark Matter, and played a whopping 37 shows over the course of three continents, eight countries and eleven states. It was their largest tour since 2006, and their first tour introducing new songs live in an album year since Lightning Bolt in 2013. That’s a lot of hype to live up to, and while whether it was going to was never in question, there’s always an extra sense of excitement whenever new material is mixed into the fold. This, and additional elements such as a massive screen with video treatments for each song, gave us a renewed Pearl Jam experience in 2024, showing that even old bands reaching their 60’s still have brand new shiny tricks.

If you were to say there was a theme for this tour year, I don’t think you can necessarily pin it down to one direct centralized storyline. Obviously the Dark Matter songs are a major focus and how those songs were elevated in a live setting are important to the story, but it might be something as simple as recognizing how powerful the energy was night in night out. You can’t listen to a single bootleg and say that any specific location didn’t reach the incredibly high bar set for crowds at these shows. Whether it be for the old songs, the new songs, the songs rarely, or especially in this year’s instance, never played, the crowd played their role by expressing their unbridled enthusiasm giving the band the extra push to match their intensity levels. It’s that infectious rush that we create that fosters an environment so addictive that we feel the need to travel the world multiple times over just to experience it again and again and again. If you really want to say this year had a theme, it might be all of the travelers who kept expressing their love for this band from city to city.

With its many many high points, we did find ourselves in a situation where canceled shows became the story once again in Europe. A case of bronchitis halted this tour for three shows back in June and July, but it was clear that yet again after another incident, the band was gonna showcase their resiliency and jump back into things as good as new. That’s how stories get written, that’s how moments get made. I think there were probably many tongue and cheek jokes this year about “reacting” and “responding” (look no further than a yearly episodic series we put together), but the band without a doubt took their own advice. Nobody felt bad for themselves for the situations that abound them. They tackled it head on and turned it into magic like they always do. Wash my love, rinse, repeat.

When thinking about what kind of moments are deserving enough to be considered the best of the best from this tour year, there’s no one true formula that this sticks to. A lot of these moments that you’ll see are story based, whether it be a tribute to someone in the community who has fallen on tough times or an in memoriam to those near and dear to our hearts that we’ve lost this year. Many of them are situational, recognizing the impact of what a song played in a certain point in the set means to a specific location. Without a doubt, many of these moments are all about the surprise factor. This wasn’t a huge year for ‘holy shit’ moments, but it just made the weight of the few that we did get feel even more significant. The other facet that went into creating a list of 50 this year is probably the most simple reasoning when broken down — just flat out damn good performances! All of these ideas when melded together make for a comprehensive list of performances that we should be talking about for years to come.

So here comes the hard part. Because we kept it to 50, we couldn’t add everyone’s favorite song to the list this year. Yeah, disappointing I know. But even a little bit more challenging than that was trying to find at least one moment from all 37 shows recorded. We did not quite hit that mark. The initial attempt was to find a way to get to 100 moments which would’ve gotten every show included, but the 50 that were picked we felt all had an “it” factor to make it worth writing about. That being said, there were absolutely some moments that unfortunately just missed the cut, so let’s kick off this list with some honorable mentions before digging into the countdown.

2024 Tour Honorable Mentions

Picture In A Frame – May 13, Sacramento, CA

The beautiful Tom Waits cover hadn’t been played at a Pearl Jam show in eight years, and was dedicated to a woman named Margaret who used to nanny for Ed’s daughters, but later moved to Sacramento. Her and her now husband Daniel were two weeks away from being married, so in honor of their love, Ed performed this song as the two were seen dancing in the crowd.

Lukin – May 25, Bottlerock Festival

In a bit of a surprise, this was the first instance in which the band had opened up a show with the scorching one minute anthem in their career. It may not have fit the scene that you might expect from a Napa Valley festival, but it definitely bursts from the seems to kick the night off. They’d open with it again at the Mad Cool Festival in Madrid, but they’d also repeat the same exact opening eleven songs that were played on this night. I guess if it worked, why mess with it, but definitely one of the few setlist oddities that we saw this year.

Yellow Ledbetter – July 8, Barcelona, ESP

Another thing to note from this top 50 list is that there are no repeat songs, so unfortunately this extremely memorable version of Yellow Ledbetter had to be cut in favor of another moment on this list that you’ll find in part two. Early in the show, Ed catches the eye of a Chilean fan holding a sign asking to come on stage and play guitar. The story is that this fan allegedly sent a bottle of Chilean wine to Ed in order to help make their decision a bit easier. He would end up getting his wish at the end of the show joining the band on stage for Ledbetter. Not everyone who held a sign got their wish this year (looking at you, Ohana drummer guy), but this moment was certainly a fitting end to a very memorable two night stint in Barcelona.

Smile – August 22, Missoula, MT

It was tough to not add a Jeff song and moment from his home state in Montana to the 50, but it was incredibly close to making the list. Unlike most Glen Hansard appearances in Pearl Jam sets this year, this instance he was joining in for a Pearl Jam song instead of performing one of his originals. This is something that we’ve seen from Glen before at PJ20, and it was a very welcome sight to see him singing along on this again.

Inside Job – September 3, Madison Square Garden

Whenever Steve Gleason is in attendance, you can guarantee that Mike will play his magnum opus for his near and dear friend. We all know Steve’s journey with ALS and what his story means to the evolution of the song. His speech at Wrigley 2016 remains one of the most profound statements at a Pearl Jam show in the last decade. The moment is not lost on this crowd when they understand that he is in attendance for this performance.

Garden – September 4, Madison Square Garden

You’re in the Garden. So why not open the show with the song of its namesake? I can’t believe it took until the 13th show in that building for this to happen, but Garden as an opener is still in its infancy. Let’s see what happens the next time they play there if they keep the trend up. This is a killer way to kick off a show!

Stranglehold – September 12, Baltimore, MD

The craziness of this performance is not as random as you think. It goes back to a Henry Rollins story about seeing Ted Nugent in Baltimore that he’s shared on his spoken word tour in the past. But anything that I would say here would pale in comparison to the man himself, so it is my pleasure to introduce a guest writer to talk about this moment… Mr. Ned Tugent!

(This should go without being said, but this is quite clearly satire)

That Goddamned Eddie Vedder fired the first shot with his fake woke bow and arrow in Baltimore, but Uncle Ted is going to win this war!

When I shit my pants for a week straight to avoid serving in the Vietnam War, I knew I would serve my country in a more important way – singing songs about lusting for young girls and blowing the Goddamned roof off of every arena from Augusta, Maine to Anchorage, Alaska. This was never more true than one night in Baltimore, when I entered the “Chicken Box”, strapped on the old loincloth, wrapped myself in a Confederate flag in a Union state and Wango Tango’d the hell out of Stranglehold.

Decades later, Pearl Jam decided it was time to ride Uncle Ted’s coattails by trying to do the same thing.

I used to love Pearl Jam until I found out that they were a bunch of libtards about 4 months ago. Hadn’t known about that when I first fell in love with Eddie Vedder’s stunning voice, incredible lyricism and dreamy eyes. If there had been any clue over the past 34 years before this night in Baltimore then I probably wouldn’t have ever made so many of my wives wear a corduroy jacket, look away from me and sing Jeremy in their deepest voice while I gave the ol’ bow and arrow a TedTug.

Then they played Stranglehold, only that sexy sonofabitch Vedder started changing the lyrics to some woke bullshit about not wanting to own guns. That’s un-American sheeple bullshit that The Nuge won’t stand for, so I immediately invited Eddie to my house for an appearance on my podcast, a hot and sudsy bubble bath and a feeding of grapes from a certain Motor City Madman. He never responded to my offer, he just shipped up to Boston and told a bunch of leftist losers in that filthy old liberal shithole of a ballpark that we have an awful lot in common, we just disagree about guns.

There’s nothing more important than guns here at Nugent Ranch. They’re how I feed my family, they’re how I scare nearby migrant workers away from my damn lawn and they’re how I keep this part of town fully of the Caucasian persuasion, if you’re picking up what I’m putting down.

I’ve never been this awake creatively. As some of you Pearl Jam Stans already know, I’ve gotten the Damn Yankees back together. We’re working on an album full of reworked Pearl Jam songs (lead single “Call Me, Stepdaughter” should be out in time for Christmas), we’re touring divebars and county fairs in all of America’s most shitty cities and we aren’t coming alone. We’re bringing our fellow Proud Boy-loving Patriots along with us. They’re headstrong, they’re ready to take on anyone, they’re the mighty TRAPT!

When you call out the big dog, you get bit, Vedder, and I’ve been waiting about 34 damn years to bite you. Longing for it. It’s my time. You’re going to be mine.

Whelp, that’s all the time that the man who put the dung in “dungarees” for this great nation has got for you Boom-loving bums. Big night here at the Nugent Ranch. Double birthday – my oldest daughter is turning 16 and her mother is turning 29. I invited Eddie Vedder, but he doesn’t have the cojones to come by, cuddle me lovingly and eat caribou cake so that settles it – the Damn Yankees and TRAPT will be teaming up on “Deny The Evolution” in Walla Walla tonight and that’ll be the end of this war.

(Call me, Eddie? We can work it out.)

Blood – September 15, Fenway Park

A hematologist was in the crowd for this show holding up a sign requesting Blood, a song that they had not played since a show that happened in that very same ballpark six years prior. It’s one that I think many of us assumed would probably never be played again just due to the sheer fact that once you get up there in age, this is not exactly the most comforting song on the vocal cords. And if this is something that you assumed would not work, you’d be absolutely right. To call this version a trainwreck might even be considered somewhat of a compliment. It was a down right disaster. Had it been anywhere close to a recognizable performance of the song, you’d be able to guarantee this would make this list, but I could not give this the credit over performances that actually sounded like the song they were attempting to play.

OK! Now that the good stuff is out of the way, it’s time to kick off our Top 50 list! In part one, you’ll read through moments 50 through 26 before the Top 25 in part 2 gets released later this week. Strap in and get ready to take a dive back into your favorite memories from 2024 with the help of the wonderful members of our podcast community!

50. Wash – August 26, Indianapolis, IN

After the start of the 2010 Noblesville show was delayed due to a rain storm, while sitting in the crowd I had hoped they would open with Wash and change the lyrics to something like “Oh please DON’T let it rain TONIGHT.” Alas, it was not in the cards. Skipping ahead. I, along with other fans in Indiana, waited thirteen years for Pearl Jam to announce a return to our state, and then had to wait one more after the 2023 show was postponed. Pearl Jam made sure the wait was well worth it from the jump. For the first time since the opening night of the Dark Matter Tour three months prior, we were treated to an excellent performance of Wash. Anytime they open with this particular deep cut, you know you are in for a good show and tonight was no exception.

This happened to be the 100th rendition of the song and it was special in its own way. As I had wished fourteen years earlier, there were some lyric changes. The opening line was sung as “Oh please let it rain today. This city’s so SWELTERING, like my mind in ways” commenting on the hot weather we had experienced previously in the afternoon. Then after some awesome Mike guitar work, Eddie swapped in some lines about “It’s been so many years since we all played here. It’s been so long and this is the song we first ever played here” referencing their first show in Indiana in 1991. The entire show was great, but Wash was for sure the highlight of the main set.

— Bradley Piasecki

49. Got To Give – November 13, Gold Coast, AUS

Smack bang in the middle of the Gold Coast show, we were treated to a sweet surprise when the band busted out a (seemingly) new rarity – Got To Give. For only its second live performance ever (the first being back in May at the start of the tour) this one was an unexpected delight. Starting off a little quiet as the song does, looking around me it was evident that a large part of the crowd didn’t recognize the tune, but as the song built up, the crowd’s energy did too with many bopping their heads along even if they seemed somewhat unfamiliar with the new track. Eddie appeared to grow more comfortable with it as the track went on, and watching the rest of the band, they all seemed to really get into their parts. For a deep fan like me who had the lyrics memorized a couple of weeks after the album was released and consider it to be in my top 3 off the new album, hearing Got To Give live, bouncing around in the crowd and singing along to it was a definite highlight of the night!

— Nadene Roff

48. Keep Me In Your Heart – June 22, Dublin, IRE

While Dublin may have gotten a greatest hits type setlist, Ed’s solo slot of the night is quite moving. Coming out of the encore, Ed talks about the band’s first performance in Ireland at Slane Castle with Neil Young. He then goes on to say that he’s thinking about Shane MacGowan of the Pogues and Sinéad O’Connor and dedicates the next song to them. What follows is a moving performance of Warren Zevon’s Keep Me in Your Heart. While Ed has covered this on multiple occasions before, you can really feel the emotion in Ed’s voice. This was a nice change from the typical solo performances of I Won’t Back Down, and I hope that it makes an appearance in 2025.

— Kieran Fino-Saunders

47. Glorified G – September 4, Madison Square Garden

Going into the MSG shows this year, I knew that there was a high chance of hearing Glorified G given it’s Howard Stern’s favorite PJ song. Once Eddie said, “can we play a request for you tonight”, I knew what was coming next. He goes on to say, “I don’t like playing this song because it’s about guns and I hate fucking guns, even if it’s a song criticizing guns, I hate fucking guns”. Ed then talks about it being the first day of school for many across the country and the fact that there was a school shooting in Georgia. Ed seems very reluctant to play it. However, Ed obliges and the band launches into the song’s first performance since Austin 2023. Despite not being included on the setlist (replaced Red Mosquito), it is one of the stronger performances of the song in recent years. While it may be weird to hear the song a half step down from its normal tuning, it works quite well and Ed doesn’t have to reach for some of the higher notes anymore. I hope we hear more of this song in the future, even if Ed hates playing it.

— Kieran Fino-Saunders

46. Oceans – July 8, Barcelona, ESP

Trying to guess a show’s first song is a fun but futile obsession. Barcelona night two was coming on the heels of a night one that began cautiously ambitious, turned cathartic, and signed off in emotion-drenched exaltations of friendship. How would the band meet and exceed where they’d left the bar, in the same city? I was hoping for Of the Girl or something fancy like Rival, but expecting Release. The band walked on, Ed maybe paused then very slowly counted off in Spanish, and when the first chord and syllable of Oceans rang out, I knew I should have expected this: the song requested by fans, and played by the group, during their last visit to la ciutat condal in honor of a friend and fan of the song, Israel, who by 2018 was no longer with us.

The crowd had joined in by the second line and the song seemed to proceed more slowly than usual. After some listening and comparing, I still discern the slightest extra presence in each note. So fitting, in a place where the song had become much more than a set opener. Oceans soared, and the bridge between nights one and two was built. The first had been for fans everywhere — night two would be for Barna.

— Eric Stevenson Gonzalez

45. No Surrender – November 23, Sydney, AUS

Song one of the encore slot for Pearl Jam shows in 2024 had largely been the domain of Just Breathe (10 times) and I Won’t Back Down (6 times) with a range of other favorite covers sprinkled in. Sydney night 2 had already been full of surprises prior to the encore with Hunger Strike stunning an ecstatic crowd. So when Ed started talking about his friend Bruce Springsteen during the encore, thoughts immediately turned to what song he might play.

Over the years, PJ (mainly Ed during a preset) have occasionally covered a Boss song. Growin’ Up, Atlantic City and No Surrender have showed up on set lists for a smattering of shows in the mid 2000’s, normally in the northeast of the United States. Open All Night and My City of Ruins were other possibilities. Not surprisingly, it was No Surrender making a surprise appearance on a set list for the first time in 402 shows! A song of defiance and strength given recent events in the world. As Ed stated “we will lean on music when words fail us”.

— Shane Jackman

44. Faithfull – May 21, Los Angeles, CA

LA Night 1 at the Kia Forum was an epic experience filled with a great setlist and an amazing tribute to a dear friend, my bestie, Michele Castrellon, a dedicated fan who had lived in the LA area. Dozens of Michele’s friends were in attendance to experience this special tribute. Michelle passed away a few weeks earlier after a valiant seven year fight against Stage 4 breast cancer. After her passing, I had decided I just could not attend the LA shows without her and decided to stay home. Our last Pearl Jam show together was LA Night 1 in 2022 at the Kia Forum, when she was experiencing an upswing in her health and was feeling strong enough to attend the show. She was ecstatic that night back in May 2022 to see her favorite band. In early 2024 when Pearl Jam announced the Dark Matter Tour, Michele focused on the LA dates hoping that her health, which had taken a bit of a turn for the worse, would rebound and that she would feel well enough to attend.

Sadly, she passed away on May 5, 2024, the day after the first night of the Dark Matter Tour debut in Vancouver. After her passing, several of us locally, as well friends as in Seattle and across the country, embarked on a #PlayFaithfullforMichele social media and letter writing campaign to Pearl Jam. Michele had “Faithfull” tattooed on her forearm and it was one her favorite Pearl Jam songs. Friends who also had friends who were friends of band members offered to get in touch with their Pearl Jam contacts to further spread the word about Michele, her journey, her kind soul, and her love for Pearl Jam with the hope that Pearl Jam would consider dedicating Faithfull to Michele at one of the LA shows.

Friends at the LA Night 1 show and fellow livestream watchers such as myself who were glued to Laura DeMartini’s livestream, anxiously wondering if Pearl Jam would indeed honor Michele. We all were thrilled when Eddie, after the tour debut of Save You, introduced the next song by mentioning a local fan who had recently passed. It was clear, he was referring to our dear friend, Michele, and friends at the Kia Forum started to videotape Eddie’s introduction, realizing that he and the band had most definitely heard about Michele and that something special was happening.

Eddie’s tribute was heartfelt and sincere, and it seemed as if he and the band could sense the love in the room from Michele’s friends at the show and the grief that many were still trying to process. It was bittersweet knowing she was not physically at the show, but we knew in our hearts that her enduring, beautiful spirit was definitely present.

The rendition of Faithfull was extraordinarily touching, and it was amazing to see a photo of a smiling Michele projected behind the band during the song. The icing on the cake was at the end of the song when Eddie incorporated Michele’s name into the outro. It was a surreal experience for friends at the Forum and for those of us watching online, and for her family when they later watched the video. It softened the blow of her untimely passing for many of us, and further solidified our love for the band and its appreciation of its fans.

— Christine McLeod

43. Breath – May 16, Las Vegas, NV

There was a buzz in the air for the Vegas shows and anticipation was high for the first of two makeup shows from the cancelation in 2022. The originally scheduled show was to be the end of the first leg of the 2022 tour and the first time the band would return to Sin City since 2006. Two years later, they repaid us with two shows this time. While there may not be extensive Vegas history, there certainly is significant history with the Aladdin Theatre in 1993 and the 10th Anniversary show in 2000, which brought us the first-ever Crown of Thorns to commemorate the occasion.

From the time the band hit the stage, the crowd was electric and proved to be one of the best of the first leg and, honestly, stood strong among most of the second U.S. leg crowds as well. There was no shortage of curveballs, and this was the show where things started to bust open with rarities like Hard To Imagine, Hail, Hail, Breakerfall, Tremor Christ, and Inside Job. Ed would warn the crowd that this wasn’t going to be an ordinary setlist, telling us this was a setlist written at 4 AM. But it wasn’t just the rarities that made the night a great one; there were stellar versions of staples like Black and Corduroy (with U2’s Bad as a brief intro). The crowd ate it all up, and it was a fun and loose vibe with a setlist. Five songs into the encore, there was no expectation at this point in the show that another curveball was in the cards, but they definitely pulled an ace. I fully expected Alive to come next, but even if there was another song before, it would surely be a hit like Jeremy or Better Man.

When the opening notes of Breath materialized, it was an unexpected “holy shit” moment that elicited a collective roar and served as the release and climax of the high energy of the night. The band fed off the crowd and it fueled a tremendous version with a highly appreciative crowd. Ed started to sing the beginning of the line “If I knew where it was, I would take you there, but there’s much more than this” but loved how engaged the crowd was screaming their lungs out, and he just let us take it from there. On a night of superlatives, it’s undeniable that Breath was the crown jewel of the night.

— Jason Weiss

42. Even Flow – August 29, Wrigley Field

It’s well known that Pearl Jam and Wrigley Field have a special connection. Starting in 2013 with the rain delay, then the two shows in 2016, when the Cubs won the World Series, then again in 2018 for the Away Shows. Chicago is also a home show for Eddie. It’s a special place to play.

The energy was high on the first of two nights at Wrigley. The band was on fire through the night. A very nice version of Release, an emotional combo of Off He Goes and Immortality back to back, and fun versions of Scared of Fear and Wreckage. Just about halfway through the set, the band busts into Even Flow. Both Stone and Mike were LOUD on this version, which is what I want during Even Flow. The highlight comes during the solo. Mike McCready was dominating this performance. He starts off the solo with the guitar behind his head, goes down to the fans in front, wailing away on his guitar. Once he works his way back on stage, Mike enters another dimension. He is shredding, slamming on his pedal board, getting on the ground and going crazy. The song breaks and then builds back up into one last triumphant chorus.

That was my 6th show and my 5th time seeing Even Flow. It might be my favorite version of the ones I’ve seen live. The guitars were loud, the band was on fire and the solo was on point.

— Eddie Quintana

41. Corduroy – September 17, Fenway Park

Corduroy was a song that I was immediately drawn to all those years ago, and my love for it has only been enhanced by having seen it live kind of a lot in the years that have passed since. Let’s be honest — it isn’t exactly a setlist rarity, yet even still I usually leave shows considering it one of the highlights of the night.

This performance, however, just struck me as next level. Admittedly it could be that there’s a lack of objectivity on my end, seeing one of my usual live standouts from an incredible vantage point at my favorite venue on the planet, but we’d just seen the same song in the same place 2 nights earlier and that performance just didn’t hit like this one did. I think this had more than a little to do with the usual crowd participation section being removed from the performance in favor of a blistering, high energy 2 minute musical outro.

Then again, that’s my church and I’ve sang in the choir frequently — maybe seeing this song that I’ve loved for so long from smack dab in the middle of a place that I’ve loved forever has rendered me incapable of being even remotely objective here. Either way, I left Fenway Park convinced that this was the best performance of this song that I’ve seen or heard in a very long time and a true highlight of my Dark Matter Tour.

— Ned Lally

40. Seven O’Clock – May 10, Portland, OR

For many people, the Pearl Jam concert on May 10, 2024 in Portland at Moda Center was a blessing – but for no one more so than my friend Connie Kellar. She had been active in the Pearl Jam community for many years and was known as somewhat of a Medicinal Goddess in sending Pearl Jam community members tinctures she perfected, to ease their suffering. In December, an unexpected brain cancer diagnosis rendered her paralyzed on one side. She was unable to attend her hometown show, but many of her friends had banded together to request that Pearl Jam play Seven O’Clock for her, which she had told me several times was her battle cry… “For this is no time for depression or self-indulgent hesitance”. Her family made sure she watched the show and taped a video of her being incredibly moved by the dedication of Seven O’Clock to her. She proclaimed that it was “the highlight of her life”. As she continued to struggle with her cancer, she would listen to the show to give her strength and positivity.

Sadly, we lost Connie in September. I visited her in the hospital during her final days, representing her Pearl Jam family. We played the Portland show, and I sang Release and “my whole life… like a picture on a sunny day”… to her while she tried to sing as best she could. Her family said that it was the most responsive she had been for a little while. Pearl Jam was such an important part of her life that she held close in her last moments.

Pearl Jam really came through with this dedication at the time that it was needed the most for my friend Connie – so that she felt the love from the Pearl Jam community at the end of her life. Her family to this day cherishes how her Pearl Jam family rallied around her, which is manifested in this dedication that can be replayed endlessly.

— Sandra Ling

39. All Along The Watchtower – May 28, Seattle, WA

We know what comes after Alive, Yellow Ledbetter. Since we’re in Seattle, maybe we’ll get a Yellow Wing? That night in Jimi Hendrix’s hometown, with the master of shred, we got All Along the Watchtower. Growing up listening to Hendrix, I honestly never knew that Watchtower was Dylan’s. Only having played this once before at home, the end of show love fest started early this night with opener and fellow locals Deep Sea Diver.

“Whoever knows how it goes starts the song, who’s ready?”

I don’t know who started it, but it was a gorgeous party of guitar, wonderfully woven lows and highs; those little four-notes (or are they six?). Got some Stoney (or is that Jessica?). Sometimes you never realize how much of the song that you know is the bass undertone; thanks Jeff. Noticeably, I can understand Eddie’s lyrics much better than Jimi’s. We need to hear these words right now, and the community of guitar playing the storm.

There must be some way out of here, said the joker to the thief.
There’s too much confusion, I can’t get no relief.
Businessmen, they drink my wine; plowmen dig my earth.
But you and I, we’ve been through that, and this is not our fate.
So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late.

As the cavalcade of musicians finish a wonderful rendition of the song, Ed says, “alright, we’ve got to get bed early, you good?” Noooooooooo, we all screamed. Then it was time that we get into Mike’s Hendrix in Ledbetter, and put a statement on this night with a nearly full rendition of Little Wing.

— Amy Wynn

38. Rats – September 9, Philadelphia, PA

Monday September 9th was going to be a hard follow up to a raucous Saturday set two days earlier. You can’t say that the band didn’t try. The set included the 50th play of a song that travels all the way back to the Off Ramp, show 1, Alone. But if you’re going to try to level up and you scratch a cover from the encore, I’m not going to likely complain about it. Still, if that cover is Sonic Reducer, then you have to play a good card from the hand.

Credit to a group of four fans who came armed with four letters on big cards and a deep admiration for the rodent class. The R, A, T, S cards were visible early and often during the main-set, but it wasn’t fully acknowledged until the encore. The fan crew appeared to drive enough attention that Ed quipped he’d take it to the band for a vote. To be honest in the moment that felt more like placating than a real opportunity, but time would be on the side of the those fans this night. After the first five songs of the encore, Rats would be unveiled and the card carrying crew rewarded. Rats goes all the way back to Slim’s in 1993. A funky jazz-blues that allows Stone to shine and in latter days has Mike pull out slide. Being that it’s only been played 61 times, with over a third occurring in 1993-94, it’s not an easy audible. Nor is it likely to be played clean. But the stars were mostly aligned this night.

Matt had the beat swinging and that allowed Jeff to be a rhythm lead counterattack to Mike and Stone throughout. For a latter career stage attempt, the band turned it up for this night. For me personally, I got to spend a little time pre-show with a lot of great people. Two in particular who I used to trade tapes and CDRs with back in the 90s and early 00s. Those things matter, a lot. I imagine the same way that the four fans who brought the letters to the arena. They don’t compare.

— Patrick Boegel

37. Maybe It’s Time – May 25, Bottlerock Festival

The Bottlerock Napa Valley annual festival marked the return of Pearl Jam to the San Francisco Bay Area two years after the 2022 Oakland shows without a COVID-stricken Matt Cameron. While diehard Pearl Jam fans waited all day in front of the main stage, a diverse audience of music fans took in the celebrity-packed presentation schedule of food, wine and art. A-List actor Bradley Cooper was on the fest lineup with fellow Philly native, chef Danny DiGiampietro, to make cheesesteaks, and attracted (along with Steph Curry), the largest crowd the festival has ever had at the Culinary Stage.

At the beginning of the encore set, Eddie returned to the stage and sat down with his acoustic guitar, and began emotionally describing the plot of a “powerful and moving” film that came out a few years ago about a rock star named Jackson Maine, who sadly died at the end (that is not a spoiler, you had 6 years to watch this film). He then introduced his “great, great pal”, Bradley Cooper, who’s presence added a shot of star power for a crowd that aren’t as familiar with Pearl Jam as its hardcore fans are, and he was met with thunderous applause. At least one person can be heard screaming, “You’re so beautiful, Bradley!” As he sat down next to Ed, he seemed a little nervous or a little drunk (it’s a wine fest!) as he crooned Maybe It’s Time. Eddie locked him in a gaze at moments to keep him on point, and they harmonized together on the chorus. During the verse, “No one talks to God anymore”, is when Bradley really came out of his shell, loosened up a bit more and belted out more passionately. The song’s end was met with enthusiastic cheers as the two friends embraced, and Bradley bowed then exited the stage.

— Mar Vigil

36. Tremor Christ – November 23, Sydney, AUS

Amidst much discussion in the build up, Sydney night 2 was slated to be a Vitalogy heavy show. Most expected some sort of reference to Pearl Jam’s third album following its 30th anniversary the day prior; but the extent to which such reference would be made remained unknown. Following a fiery Even Flow, the stage went dark. Ed picked up a sign from his feet and said, “while I was mingling in the crowd, I found this”. Appeared a sign that screamed ‘TREMOR’. Ed showed it to the rest of the band, and just as the band were going to jump right in, Ed abruptly stopped his thoughts mid dedication and demanded a bottle of Australian wine be brought out ASAP. Following the swift delivery of a bottle of Penfolds, Ed lifted the sign above his head. The riff began.

For its mere 42nd performance since its tour year in 1995, Tremor Christ was the first Vitalogy song to be played at Sydney. It was the song least expected – for some, Last Exit into Black Circle was bound to start. For others, perhaps a few of the more common songs were to appear (Nothingman, Better Man, Not for You). But no. In old school Pearl Jam fashion, they threw at you what you were to least anticipate, defying all expectations. The song was rock solid despite it being the 6th performance in 6 years. Tremor features a typical percussion-esque Stone riff. Mike described the song as plain strange – so maybe that’s why we don’t see it that often. But we absolutely should.

— Gianluca Camma

35. State Of Love And Trust – September 7, Philadelphia, PA

Philly, oh Philly… Randy and Amy had long since convinced me that Philly shows were never to be missed again, so here I was, in the Wells Fargo Center, seeing Pearl Jam in the city of Brotherly Love for the first time. The crowd was easily the loudest I had ever experienced, the main set was essentially perfect, but the best was yet to come.

How could the encore at this show, already an instant classic, be anything less than stellar? I love Tom Petty. I love Last Exit. I adore Chloe/Crown. Baba is instant nostalgia. I longed for Indifference since its ethereal outing at St. Paul in 2023. But tonight was already about white whales and favorite songs – and State of Love and Trust is, without question, my favorite PJ tune. I even have the SOLAT license plate to prove it. With barely a chance to catch a Breath, Crown of Thorns came to a close and those old, familiar chords belted forth – and I screamed.

Sure, I’d seen it live a dozen-plus times before, but no matter; Mike was on fire tonight, Ed’s voice was brilliant, and the band was just TIGHT. It’s on those nights that SOLAT truly shines – and this version may be my favorite one ever. Maybe it was the crowd singing along like this was a Ten Club exclusive show, maybe it was Randy bopping up and down next to me, maybe it was the Jim’s South St. cheesesteak powering me from inside – no matter what it was, it was everything. Still plays and preaches, indeed.

— Aaron Redmond

34. Better Man – August 31, Wrigley Field

One man, a guitar, and a couple of chords conducting 40,000 voices in North Chicago on a beautiful August night must mean one thing, Pearl Jam is at Wrigley Field again. The crowd allows Ed to sit back during the intro and let us sing to him as if we wrote the song for him. After the crowd takes over, he hits us with the “Thursday singers were good, Saturday’s are better” to help build up the excitement. Nothing but high energy and intensity from the guys on stage carried on and electrified the crowd.

The band went into a charged up full rendition of Save it for Later, which emulated Ed’s solo version released back in June for The Bear’s newest season. Ed throws in some improvised lyrics before revving back up for the outro. “Did I tell you that I needed you? Oh fuck I fucked up, I didn’t tell you that I needed you”.

The full band jam on the way out to close the song out had everything you want out of it. Mike’s shredding, Jeff and Matt driving the jam, the classic “Stone Face” and Eddie’s windmills were out in full force for a Better Man performance that clocked in at 8 and a half minutes of nothing but energy and passion. Exactly how you want to see a band 34 years in that lays it all out there each and every show.

— Dakota Duvall

33. Wreckage – May 16, Las Vegas, NV

I had been saving for months to purchase a new iPad. The iPad is a key tool in my house. As a family we use the iPad as a device to produce my podcast, a third screen during the busy nights on the sports calendar (yes, I have two televisions in my living room), and as a babysitter for my daughter an important tool in advancing my daughter’s education. Just as I was about to pull the trigger on a beautiful M4 iPad Pro, I heard Wreckage. It was April 17th and I didn’t plan on traveling west to catch the Dark Matter Tour. Once I heard Wreckage, September was just too far away. I was like an eight year old with the chance to move Christmas up four months. I made an easy choice. Fuck the iPad, I went to see Pearl Jam in Las Vegas.

I have always obsessed over “parts” of a song. You know, “oh I love that part.” For example, the bridge in Corduroy or the crack in the phrase “help me” at the end of State of Love and Trust. Wreckage has a part and I’m obsessed with it. It’s the fourth time in the song we are visited by thoughts, but this time, after a slight pause… it’s NOT JUST IN THE NIGHT.

Wreckage was played at every show this tour. If you got out to a gig, you got to hear Wreckage. This wasn’t a deep cut and wasn’t anyone’s white whale Honus Wagner card in a shoebox in Nonno’s attic. It wasn’t Breath at MSG in 1998 or even Angel out of nowhere at Telluride. Still, I was in Vegas to see Wreckage. It was important to me that I ticked Wreckage off the list and it was even more important that they nail it. Really, the pressure was on Ed. I had heard him flub my “part.” He was visited by thoughts four times every night but sometimes another darkened week showed up far too late in the performance.

On this night, It was perfect. Pearl Jam was even nice enough to release a stunning 4k video of it and released it as the b-side on the new Record Store Day single. The moment came and not just on any night, but the night that blowing off a new iPad made possible. I checked off Wreckage and had an amazing night in the desert with my brothers. To those who say I should have got the iPad, I no longer give a fuck who’s wrong and who’s right.

— Steve Bennett

32. Chloe Dancer/Crown Of Thorns – May 4, Vancouver, BC

The opening night of any tour leaves attendees with memorable moments, and Pearl Jam’s 2024 Dark Matter Tour kickoff in Vancouver was no exception. Vancouver, or as Ed affectionately called it, “Seattle’s better-looking sister city,” set the stage for a night packed with energy and surprises. From the get-go, the crowd was abuzz, with crowd-pleasers and new album debuts hitting hard. A cheeky “Bobcaygeon” tag at the end of Daughter was a highlight, earning a roaring cheer from the audience. It was a beautiful tribute to the beloved Tragically Hip tune and, of course, to the late Gord Downie.

A couple of songs after a brief false start on Red Mosquito, Ed pulled from the “request bank” and started a story about a father-daughter duo in the crowd. He reminisced about the early days when Pearl Jam opened for Alice in Chains, mentioned the band’s first show outside of Seattle — ironically enough, in Vancouver. Then he teased that the next song was older than even that. But when Jeff pointed out something on the setlist, Ed laughed, blamed it on the wine, and announced they were about to play a rocker before diving into Running. The crowd was in stitches, but it only added to the thrill of what was to come.

The night’s true highlight, at least for me, was hearing Chloe Dancer and Crown of Thorns back-to-back. Talk about a bucket-list moment. The rarities Pearl Jam pulls out are always a special treat, and getting the hat-tip to Mother Love Bone on opening night was a sign that this tour would be one for the books. The vibe in the crowd was electric; everyone around me knew we were witnessing something special. And for those lucky enough to attend night two, the question on everyone’s mind was: How could they top this?

The moment felt like a gift, and I couldn’t have asked for a better first show. Looking back, it was clear that Vancouver, for at least one night, might just have been the favorite “sister.”

— Thomas Redman

31. Jeremy – September 4, Madison Square Garden

This kind of comes off as a big hot take, and that’s because there are so many people who have been there, done that with this song. Maybe some of you are thinking ‘why are they adding this from MSG when there are other moments like Garden or Gimme Some Truth that had more of a surprise element?’ That’s because I’m firmly in the belief that Jeremy has been a top 5 live song of theirs since the 2022 run. There isn’t really a new formula that the song has gone through that makes that the case. But when you get a massive crowd in a place like the Garden that is a true measuring stick for how Pearl Jam crowds are supposed to react, you will not find a song with a better reaction.

Jeremy wasn’t a song that if you asked me prior to the show, or any show for that matter, if I’d be excited to see it. When you’ve gone to a few dozen, it’s easy to brush this off as just another cog in the set. But that’s why it’s never about the “whats” of a setlist, right? I remember pulling out my camera for this at MSG as I was documenting the event, and as the song unfolded, I started to pay close attention to the individual people who are completely in their element. Not singing, but screaming along to all of the call and response moments. Whether it unlocks that younger version inside of someone that remembers seeing this song for the first time as a teenager on MTV or not, something magical happens in this crowd when that song hits. That’s why the radio songs still work so well. Perhaps a song like You Are will get the hardcore fan more excited, but if there’s a version of 20,000 singing You Are at the top of their lungs, then I want to see it. There’s no replicating that.

— Randy Sobel, Live On 4 Legs Podcast Host

30. Rockin’ In The Free World – November 10, Auckland, NZ

Punters holding signs with messages and requests were frequent across the down-under tour; but there was one sign that ruled them all. It belonged to 17-year old Leon Fenemore and it read “Eddie, can I play guitar with you, please?” Complete with a list of songs he could play on the sign’s reverse. Eddie toyed with Leon throughout the night by pointing him out. Eddie even commenting that it was either you or Neil Finn guesting on stage. Sorry kid! “LET HIM PLAY” the audience chanted in response.

Leon’s moment came in Rockin’ In The Free world where after the first chorus, Eddie waved Leon up to the stage. A roadie adorned Leon with the trademark black telecaster and Leon looked confident in his red t-shirt which sported the name of his home town folk music club. Eddie turned Leon’s volume knob up and he was away. Thankfully for everyone, Leon can actually play and perform. He bounced around the stage, huddling into each band member to jam in turn. He leaned back for pick scrapes and stamped his feet in rhythm. When the song reached the middle eight, Leon impressed the audience and Mike McCready by throwing in a few lead licks of his own.

After the song, Leon takes selfie with Eddie, Eddie ruffled Leon’s hair and threw him a tambourine as Leon made his way back into the audience. The kid actually pulled it off!

— Chris Warne

29. Rearviewmirror – May 21, Los Angeles, CA

To hear Andrew Watt take the lead on Rearviewmirror in 2024 was to travel back in time to 1993, as he played it exactly the way I remember hearing it at full volume on my Aiwa tape deck riding in the back of my middle school bus. Watt had clearly been doing his homework, as it was a textbook version off Vs. That’s neither a slight to Vedder nor a compliment to Watt, but rather an acknowledgement of the cognitive dissonance created by hearing the song I’d been listening to for decades sound the way it hadn’t in decades.

On one hand, the nostalgia was great, especially in a venue that exudes it; but on the other hand, that same nostalgia can be perceived as anachronistic when surrounded by a band that hasn’t sounded like that in decades, either. This, however, I do intend as a compliment to Pearl Jam and an acknowledgement to the crowd that has gotten older with the band, has heard these songs change and grow over time (as we all have, too), and doesn’t expect the band to sound the same way it did 30+ years ago. So, while I enjoyed Watt’s contribution, what he ultimately ended up providing was not just a clear replication of the past, but a reminder that the present – even juxtaposed against everything that’s changed – is something to appreciate, too.

— Greg Steele

28. Hurt – May 30, Seattle, WA

The Seattle shows will always have a special place in my heart. This was a bucket list trip for me and the first time I was making the pilgrimage. It was not only the shows themselves that were special for me, but it really represented the first time for me when the experience transcended the music and the shows themselves and was just as much about bonding with many from the LO4L community, many of whom were also making the pilgrimage to Seattle for the first time.

What became immediately clear in Seattle was how much this city loves and pays tribute to its music history and heroes. I also felt there was a palpable heaviness from the loss of far too many of the Seattle musicians who died from tragic circumstances. I think Ed was feeling this quite a bit in the first home shows since 2018 and he addressed it at the top of the encore of Night 2. Ed said that the guest list for Seattle is always much bigger than any other city. He then said, “To be honest, I wish it were longer. There are certain names that I so deeply wish were on the guest list tonight, but we lost them too early and in ways that we could’ve never imagined. And damn it, if I can’t stop thinking about them but, that’s a good thing too I guess.”

It took a minute for the crowd to recognize what it was, but then once everyone figured it out it was Hurt (Nine Inch Nails and also covered by Johnny Cash) there was a collective “oh shit” that ran throughout the building. What a moment this was. Ed has played this a couple of times solo in the past, but this was the first time the song was being played at a Pearl Jam show.

The original Trent Reznor version of Hurt is such an intense and haunting song that deals with addiction, depression, isolation and self-destruction. On one hand it expresses such despair, acknowledges the inevitability of his own self-destruction and toxicity to others, while also mixing hope in at the end wishing he could just have a fresh start. It is such a heartbreaking song and a deeply personal one for Reznor. The addiction and depression of the protagonist (Reznor) in the song is all too resonant of many of the same Seattle musicians Ed referenced in the introduction.

Ed performed the song more along the lines of the Johnny Cash cover. He opted for the Johnny Cash twist on the Reznor line, “I wear this crown of shit, upon my liar’s chair” and instead sang “I wear this crown of thorns” which certainly ties in with the band’s own history. While Cash had made this change before, perhaps Ed thought this was an appropriate way to also give an extra nod to Andy Wood.

Among the 15 shows I attended this year, this moment ranks among the top for me. I don’t think there was a better Ed solo spot all year – this one was special. As much as I love the song, the added context that Ed gave it in his intro made it all the more powerful. Once we all recognized what it was, it sent chills down my spine.

— Jason Weiss

27. Porch – August 31, Wrigley Field

One of the fun aspects of the Pearl Jam live experience is that, no matter how many shows you see, you can expect the unexpected. With that said, there are definite patterns that tend to emerge during these concerts. You’ll often hear a certain subset of songs at the beginning of a show. There’s a certain subset of songs that you’ll always hear during the final encore, and Porch is typically played to close out a main set, or an encore set.

With those “rules” in place, on a gorgeous August Saturday night at Wrigley Field, our favorite band wrapped up those very rules into a ball and obliterated them the way former Cub Kyle Schwarber used to do to baseballs in that exact stadium. After a particularly heavy version of Garden to open the show, the band wasted absolutely no time and launched immediately into the song absolutely no one expected to hear: PORCH!
I immediately turned to my son Brady, best friend Dave, and his wife Sarah, who I attended the show with, and yelled “Oh DAMN!” and then followed that up with this text to my friends Justin and Adam, who I attended the show with two nights prior (but made the mistake of not staying another night):

And, of course, the band crushed the song. It wasn’t a ten-minute jam session as an “end of show” Porch often becomes – that would have been kinda weird as the second song of the night. It was an “album faithful” version, clocking in at just under 5 minutes. No extended “marching” intro (which, truth be told, I am not a fan of whatsoever). No crazy light swinging, stage diving, tambourine tossing exploits (though Eddie did find himself exploring the stage space). Just a rock-solid rendition that had their fans, once again, celebrating the unexpected. It was a great way to kick off another legendary night at Wrigley Field!

— Kirk Walton

26. Waiting For Stevie – May 30, Seattle, WA

Prior to the tour starting, I had many conversations with the fans of this community about what songs they were looking to hear off of Dark Matter the most. I think it was easy to say that one of the most popular answers was Waiting For Stevie. There is an obvious reason as to why, and then maybe one less obvious one that I’ll touch up on. But the premise was something that we had kind of known since the Earthling record – Ed and Andrew Watt were waiting for Stevie Wonder to show up to record his harmonica track on the song Try, and this was the song that they worked on in the interim. What we didn’t know was that this was something that Ed had in his back pocket going all the way back to the No Code recordings.

The end result turned into an explosive Mike McCready performance that some have praised so highly to call it Mike’s best solo of the post-90’s era of Pearl Jam. The solo is certainly the selling point, and the reason why everyone has gravitated towards it live, but what else about the song ties it all together and makes it work? It’s a simplistic rock song with pop sensibilities that differs from other PJ efforts. For example, there are no verses in the song. The chorus is the guiding light that leads the way with short, yet catchy, bridges that begin the ride to lead you to the powerful ending. That’s the euphoric moment that truly puts it all together, but the build to get there is as catchy as anything that Pearl Jam has put together in decades.

The song was selected as the Record Store Day Song of the Year and the corresponding release from this Black Friday features the Seattle night 2 performance. You can pretty much throw a dart and find a great rendition from this year, even the dropped tuned versions are great, but this one stands out because of Ed’s gritty vocals giving the harmony a bit of an edge. The song thrives on that and the fuzz guitar tone setting the table for Mike to pulverize this solo into oblivion.

— Randy Sobel, Live On 4 Legs Host

Wow! That was a pretty strong list right there! If this were any other year, a lot of these moments would be battling it out in the top 25. But I think what this should tell you is that part 2 will be filled with absolutely incredible stories. Personal reflections from people who had songs dedicated to them, or who were directly involved with the on stage performance itself. Moments of vulnerability where Ed connected with an audience on a personal level. And of course, moments of surprise where the band caught us completely off guard. My hope is that the list can share the story of what it meant to see Pearl Jam live this year, and if we can accomplish that, then I think we can accomplish anything. Well… OK not anything, but it’ll be nice to accomplish a list. See you for part 2!

The Top 25 will be revealed this Thursday, December 19, 2024 at the Live On 4 Legs holiday party Zoom where we will record a reaction episode and listen to you guys talk about some of your favorite moments from the year! To join up, send an email to liveon4legspodcast@gmail.com and ask for access!