Episode 387: St. Louis, MO – 7/2/1998

After Jack Irons’ abrupt exit from Pearl Jam in early 1998, the band was left to scramble for a replacement to help support them on a 47 show tour for North America. With Soundgarden having split up a year prior, old friend Matt Cameron was available as a temporary replacement until a new member could be found. As we know, Cameron transitioned from temporary to permanent within a few months remaining in that position for 27 years. The show that we’re covering in this episode is his 11th full performance with the band in St. Louis near the beginning of that long tour.

What you’ll notice in this episode is not exactly the type of show we’re used to seeing from Cameron’s tenure in Pearl Jam. Known for his machine-like precision and intense speed, those elements weren’t quite integrated within his time with the band at that point. He was making his best attempts to stay true to the way the songs were originally performed, closely mirroring Jack Irons’ approach. It is a rare glimpse into versions of songs like Even Flow, Given To Fly and Corduroy being played with the groove that was originally intended for the performances. We’ll also breakdown his performances on Oceans, Immortality and Fuckin’ Up as well.

This is the first episode in our brand new guest producer series, and we introduce in a long time friend to help shape this episode, Patrick Boegel. The conversation begins with the Cameron adjustment period, and will delve into the release of the Live On 2 Legs live album as well.


Episode 386: Seattle, WA – 9/16/1996

2026 has been a good year for Pearl Jam milestone anniversaries. It marks the 20th anniversary of Avocado’s release, 35 years since Ten, and for this episode’s purposes, 30 long illustrious years for the No Code record. Back in 1996, the music world that was still attempting to grab on to the last lingering traces of the grunge movement was anticipating Pearl Jam’s 4th album after Vitalogy skyrocketed the band to the top of the charts. People that expected to get more of the same raw sound from the previous record were shocked to find that No Code took a completely new direction that didn’t quite captivate their audience like their first three albums did. Along with their continued boycott of Ticketmaster venues, Pearl Jam was losing mainstream appeal at a time where rock music was fading out of interest.

The episode that we cover in this episode is the official kickoff to the 1996 tour at the home of their beloved Seattle Supersonics, the Key Arena. The band came into the show with a full arsenal of new material to showcase to friends and neighbors, but a bevy of technical difficulties halted some of the excitement and anticipation to play the new tracks. Over half of the album was played, but staple songs like Hail, Hail, In My Tree and Habit don’t have the same punch that they’d have as the tour continued onward. However, we get to hear a great version of Red Mosquito at this show while songs like Go, Corduroy and Immortality continue to shine after being huge factors on setlists in 1995.

We’ll spend the show reflecting on No Code’s change within the band’s song writing approach and self awareness, and we’ll dive back into current Pearl Jam topics discussing future tours and recording, and whether or not they need new music in order to move forward.


Pearl Jam’s Ohana Festival 2026 Weekend Roundup

After much anticipation over who was going to be behind the kit for Pearl Jam for the first time since Matt Cameron left last summer, we have finally found our answer… or so we think. Abe Laboriel Jr., who has made a name for himself as the drummer for Paul McCartney, was revealed as the guy holding it down for the band as they played for the first time since May of 2025. We’ll have plenty of reaction to how Abe approached these songs and what kind of chemistry he had with the band that led to the festival being a big success. But there is also the fallout after Ohana with some added speculation on whether or not Abe is fully a part of Pearl Jam’s future. We’ll address comments from the band and try to make sense of the next steps involving their future.

While we’ll spend this time talking about moments paying tribute to Glen Hansard and showcasing the talents of Billy Strings, this wrap up episode will go into a lot of detail on fandom, friendship and personal growth. I will share my story of how a difficult stretch led to me losing a lot of my love for this fandom, and how this weekend is one big step ahead in finding a way to gain it all back. If you don’t want to hear the personal side of things, then perhaps only the first half of this episode is for you, but the stories are all meant to be told.


Ohana Festival 9/27/26 Reaction Episode

Ohana weekend is officially in the books, and so is the introduction to the Abe era! After Sunday’s show, we got on and talked about everything that made this show special. New performances for Abe, a uniquely special tribute to Glen Hansard, a Billy Strings sighting and so much more! A small crew for this one with lots to say, so tune in because now begins the countdown until the next tour announcement!


Eddie Vedder “And Friends” At Ohana Festival 9/25/26 Reaction Episode

So it was all one big rouse! Eddie’s friends were the same friends that he’s had for 36 years, plus one important addition to the group. Welcome in Pearl Jam’s brand new drummer Abe Laboriel Jr! This reaction episode takes you through a little bit of what went down including the surprise and reveal, as well as some analysis on how fresh the new takes of songs were. We’re joined by Patrick and the Air BNB gang as well as Mike and the Rib Joint crew for their reactions to a monumental night of Pearl Jam.


Episode 385: Ohana Festival – 9/29/2024

The time is finally here! We’ve been waiting for a year and a half to find out who the new drummer of Pearl Jam is going to be, and this weekend at the Ohana Festival, we’ll finally have our answer. Will it be Jane’s Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins? Zak Starkey from The Who? Dave Krusen making a triumphant return? Or maybe a guy like Abe Laboriel Jr., Josh Freese or Richard Stuverud. The time has finally come to turn the page to the next chapter, and we’re here to get you ready for it with this week’s episode going back to the most recent Ohana performance back in 2024.

There were a few storylines from night one that needed a follow up with the most important being the OTOTO bust out, Whale Song. Would they go OTOTO on back-to-back shows? The question can be simply answered by saying… COWABUNGA! Gremmie Out Of Control is finally played for the first ever time featuring Brendan O’Brien on guitar and Stone Gossard as the Silly Surfer. We’ll talk about how much fun this performance is with this being a huge checkmark off of so many people’s master list of serious collector songs. We’ll also talk about the return of Big Wave, and how a Taylor Swift song and Last Kiss seem to go together perfectly, especially when played by a father-daughter duo.

This episode will cover the setlist, but mostly we’ll be playing some prediction games! Randy and Javi do their best attempt at guessing who the cast of the Eddie And Friends show is going to be with a game called Lock, Stock and Narrow, and they’ll play a setlist game to try and select songs that may be played this weekend.


Episode 385: Ohana Festival – 9/29/2024 (YouTube Version)

The time is finally here! We’ve been waiting for a year and a half to find out who the new drummer of Pearl Jam is going to be, and this weekend at the Ohana Festival, we’ll finally have our answer. Will it be Jane’s Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins? Zak Starkey from The Who? Dave Krusen making a triumphant return? Or maybe a guy like Abe Laboriel Jr., Josh Freese or Richard Stuverud. The time has finally come to turn the page to the next chapter, and we’re here to get you ready for it with this week’s episode going back to the most recent Ohana performance back in 2024.

There were a few storylines from night one that needed a follow up with the most important being the OTOTO bust out, Whale Song. Would they go OTOTO on back-to-back shows? The question can be simply answered by saying… COWABUNGA! Gremmie Out Of Control is finally played for the first ever time featuring Brendan O’Brien on guitar and Stone Gossard as the Silly Surfer. We’ll talk about how much fun this performance is with this being a huge checkmark off of so many people’s master list of serious collector songs. We’ll also talk about the return of Big Wave, and how a Taylor Swift song and Last Kiss seem to go together perfectly, especially when played by a father-daughter duo.

This episode will cover the setlist, but mostly we’ll be playing some prediction games! Randy and Javi do their best attempt at guessing who the cast of the Eddie And Friends show is going to be with a game called Lock, Stock and Narrow, and they’ll play a setlist game to try and select songs that may be played this weekend.


Episode 384: Ohana Festival – 9/27/2024 (YouTube Version)

Pearl Jam is about to play their first show in over a year beginning a brand new chapter in the band’s 36th year of existence. At the Ohana Festival, we’ll find out who will be named the band’s sixth drummer to replace the long reign of Matt Cameron. The next two episodes will prepare for this occasion with a lot of drummer discussion as well as coverage of the last time they played at Eddie’s Ohana Festival two years ago.

We play a little game of drummer roulette in this episode selecting five intriguing names who’ve either been rumored or would make for good fits for this band’s future. We’ll break down all of the pros and cons of each and the likelihood that we’ll see them put in the position behind the kit. We’ll also talk about a show that came with a lot of buzz that followed it as a “white whale” was poached for all of the serious collectors. For the very first time in their history, Lost Dog deep cut Whale Song was played with the help of Jack Irons son, Zach. We’ll discuss the moment and what it meant for the band to play it, leading up to yet another big moment that happened two nights later.

Check out the episode to witness a fun set on the beach and help us play a game of guess who trying to figure out who’s on stage for Rockin’ In The Free World. Oh, and get ready to DEVOLVE as DEVO will be referenced almost a dozen times, and the energy dome will make an appearance as well!


Episode 384: Ohana Festival – 9/27/2024

Pearl Jam is about to play their first show in over a year beginning a brand new chapter in the band’s 36th year of existence. At the Ohana Festival, we’ll find out who will be named the band’s sixth drummer to replace the long reign of Matt Cameron. The next two episodes will prepare for this occasion with a lot of drummer discussion as well as coverage of the last time they played at Eddie’s Ohana Festival two years ago.

We play a little game of drummer roulette in this episode selecting five intriguing names who’ve either been rumored or would make for good fits for this band’s future. We’ll break down all of the pros and cons of each and the likelihood that we’ll see them put in the position behind the kit. We’ll also talk about a show that came with a lot of buzz that followed it as a “white whale” was poached for all of the serious collectors. For the very first time in their history, Lost Dog deep cut Whale Song was played with the help of Jack Irons son, Zach. We’ll discuss the moment and what it meant for the band to play it, leading up to yet another big moment that happened two nights later.

Check out the episode to witness a fun set on the beach and help us play a game of guess who trying to figure out who’s on stage for Rockin’ In The Free World. Oh, and get ready to DEVOLVE as DEVO will be referenced almost a dozen times, and the energy dome will make an appearance as well!


Episode 383: Toronto, ONT, CAN – 9/8/2022

This episode of Live On 4 Legs is all about celebrations. While every episode is a celebration of Pearl Jam and their history, sometimes we need to take a pause and celebrate ourselves for being able to do what we do for as long as we’ve been able to do it. So this episode marks the celebration of the podcast’s eighth birthday, and also the 40th birthday of host Randy Sobel. To honor that, we are covering the Toronto 2022 show that also happened on Randy’s birthday, September, 8.

This episode will feature lots of great stories about the day and surroundings, but the show that night was massive and gets undervalued in the grand scheme of the 2022 tour year. One of the things every one hopes to witness at a Pearl Jam show is something that can’t or hasn’t been replicated many times before. This show is special because some of those stand out moments such as a tribute to the death of Queen Elizabeth with a performance of The Beatles’ Her Majesty packaged together with All Those Yesterdays. Canadian friends were shouted out during this show, ones still with us like Neil Young where a mention of him before I Got Shit led to the rare Cinnamon Girl tag on the backend, and ones no longer with us like Neil Peart and the late Gord Downie, who was referenced throughout the night. All of that, and tons of high energy in the building with a big time crowd for Toronto’s 18th Pearl Jam show.

Check out this fun episode where we’ll get in a Tom Green reference, and introduce you all to Randy’s most dumb, expensive thing he’s bought at a show… that is subsequently the greatest thing on this Earth.


Episode 383: Toronto, ONT, CAN – 9/8/2022 (YouTube Version)

This episode of Live On 4 Legs is all about celebrations. While every episode is a celebration of Pearl Jam and their history, sometimes we need to take a pause and celebrate ourselves for being able to do what we do for as long as we’ve been able to do it. So this episode marks the celebration of the podcast’s eighth birthday, and also the 40th birthday of host Randy Sobel. To honor that, we are covering the Toronto 2022 show that also happened on Randy’s birthday, September, 8.

This episode will feature lots of great stories about the day and surroundings, but the show that night was massive and gets undervalued in the grand scheme of the 2022 tour year. One of the things every one hopes to witness at a Pearl Jam show is something that can’t or hasn’t been replicated many times before. This show is special because some of those stand out moments such as a tribute to the death of Queen Elizabeth with a performance of The Beatles’ Her Majesty packaged together with All Those Yesterdays. Canadian friends were shouted out during this show, ones still with us like Neil Young where a mention of him before I Got Shit led to the rare Cinnamon Girl tag on the backend, and ones no longer with us like Neil Peart and the late Gord Downie, who was referenced throughout the night. All of that, and tons of high energy in the building with a big time crowd for Toronto’s 18th Pearl Jam show.

Check out this fun episode where we’ll get in a Tom Green reference, and introduce you all to Randy’s most dumb, expensive thing he’s bought at a show… that is subsequently the greatest thing on this Earth.


Episode 382: Milan, IT – 9/17/2006

Pearl Jam’s run in Italy from 2006 is documented in the Immagine In Cornice concert film directed by Danny Clinch, but with only small portions of the performances showcased, you don’t get to experience the rundown of a full show. This episode covers the Milan show from the tour. It’s a show that kicks off with high octane energy and keeps that momentum moving throughout the night. Incredible performances, perfect transitions between songs and a crowd that is ridiculously passionate about this band.

Something brought to the table in this episode is the discussion of when Pearl Jam’s prime was. What’s considered their prime? The height of their popularity or their best years live? We try and answer the question while putting high praise on the 2006 tour year. The reason being – this show is an instant classic showcasing Pearl Jam at an untouchable level. Opening with Go sets the tone, the crowd makes a statement on songs like Daughter, Black and even Man Of The Hour, and performances of songs like Comatose, State Of Love And Trust and Alive are what makes this night unforgettable.


Episode 381: Verona, IT – 9/16/2006

The 2006 Tour was considered to be the last “monster” run of Pearl Jam’s career with over 80 performances marked in a full calendar year. One of their most memorable runs took place in September in the heart of their European tour as they spent five shows touring historic locations in Italy. The run was so momentous that it received a concert movie directed by famed music photographer, Danny Clinch, called Immagine In Cornice that documented performances in Verona, Milan, Torino and Pistoia.

This episode features coverage of the Verona show from the historic coliseum that they played back in 2000. The documentary gives ample time to provide stories of the venue and it’s history dating back to 30 AD, and puts emphasis on the importance of Pearl Jam playing there. When the band took the stage, a hard rain fell from the skies making a song that’s already very spiritual in Release feel monumental in the environment, especially in the storm. What followed was exactly what you’d expect from a 2006 show – big time anthems played at blistering speeds. Songs like Do The Evolution, Grievance, Corduroy, World Wide Suicide, Blood and Rockin’ In The Free World are some of the best examples of that treatment, but you can’t have a 2006 show without the legendary Even Flow performances with a massive drum solo from Matt Cameron.

We’ll talk about the film and our favorite memories from it as well as a gauge of the fans preferences as we compared the fast paced 2006 sets to the performances from other eras that feature more of a groove.


Episode 380: Atlanta, GA – 4/29/2025

After eight months and 30 episodes of chronicling Pearl Jam’s live history since the early nineties, we’ve come to the final stop in our series. Last year’s tour was the end of an era for many reasons. It signaled the end of the Dark Matter album run that they supported for two years, but more importantly, it would be their final tour with Matt Cameron holding steady behind the kit. It wasn’t made public at the time, but looking back at the tour in hindsight, it’s easy to see times where the band celebrates his time in the band and cherishes the final moments. One important moment takes place at this show that we cover in Atlanta where his Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall Of Fame Nomination with Soundgarden turns into a big celebration.

In this episode we’ll do a lot of recapping what this series has been like for this podcast and share some of our favorite moments from the year. We’ll also share some favorite moments from our listeners and talk about the maturity and growth within their music as they’ve continued to evolve throughout the decades. The Atlanta show makes for a nice culmination of the series because it showcases a band returning to a city for the first time in 13 years (22 if festivals aren’t considered) figuring out what songs from the past and present will get them to connect. Big moments in this set include Unthought Known, Inside Job, Can’t Keep and Spin The Black Circle.

Thanks for tuning in to this massive project that we’ve had the privilege to share with all of you. Make sure that you are subscribed to our YouTube channel to watch the video version of this episode!


Episode 380: Atlanta, GA – 4/29/2025 (YouTube Version)

After eight months and 30 episodes of chronicling Pearl Jam’s live history since the early nineties, we’ve come to the final stop in our series. Last year’s tour was the end of an era for many reasons. It signaled the end of the Dark Matter album run that they supported for two years, but more importantly, it would be their final tour with Matt Cameron holding steady behind the kit. It wasn’t made public at the time, but looking back at the tour in hindsight, it’s easy to see times where the band celebrates his time in the band and cherishes the final moments. One important moment takes place at this show that we cover in Atlanta where his Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall Of Fame Nomination with Soundgarden turns into a big celebration.

In this episode we’ll do a lot of recapping what this series has been like for this podcast and share some of our favorite moments from the year. We’ll also share some favorite moments from our listeners and talk about the maturity and growth within their music as they’ve continued to evolve throughout the decades. The Atlanta show makes for a nice culmination of the series because it showcases a band returning to a city for the first time in 13 years (22 if festivals aren’t considered) figuring out what songs from the past and present will get them to connect. Big moments in this set include Unthought Known, Inside Job, Can’t Keep and Spin The Black Circle.

Thanks for tuning in to this massive project that we’ve had the privilege to share with all of you. Make sure that you are subscribed to our YouTube channel to watch the video version of this episode!


Episode 379: Wrigley Field – 8/31/2024

Eddie Vedder once called Chicago’s Wrigley Field the “crown jewel of planet Earth” during their first performance there in 2013. 13 years and seven shows later, Wrigley has been a staple of the touring circuit, and a pilgrimage for many fans to experience the band in the ballpark of Ed’s favorite baseball team. At one point, it felt like a once in a lifetime experience, but as the years went on and the demand grew, the friendly confines and Pearl Jam would be connected in a plethora of ways including the Let’s Play Two documentary chronicling the band’s shows and Cubs long awaited World Series victory in 2016.

This episode was recorded on the Live On 4 Legs summer baseball trip where Wrigley Field was of course one of the main destinations. This was also recorded in a hotel room with horrible service, so please mind all of the technical difficulties entrenched in the episode. The five of us spend time breaking down the setlist as well as the history of Wrigley Field shows, which will lead to a difficult, yet interesting conversation – has the aura of the ballpark shows been lost? This was the first instance where Wrigley shows were smack dab in the middle of a tour, which meant they didn’t have the same spectacle type atmosphere as they had in the past. Add to the fact that the setlists may not be considered to have that same special identity that ones in the past have had, but it does feature memorable moments such as an early set Porch, Better Man with a Save It For Later tag reminiscent of Ed’s solo version, Dark Matter with the Scared Of Fear intro and a dedication to Wrigleyville legend, Beth Murphy.

This episode was also recorded 3 days before the untimely death of Glen Hansard. What you’ll hear in this episode is a pure honor of the man while he was still with us on this planet, as his moments with Falling Slowly and Smile feel more surreal with recent hindsight.


Episode 378: St. Paul, MN – 9/2/2023

Pearl Jam kicked off their 2023 tour in St. Paul, Minnesota, a place that they hadn’t played in nine years. Many people will remember the 2014 show for having unfortunate timing being sandwiched in between legendary full album shows that took place in Moline and Milwaukee, but Minnesota has had a great history with this band and these first two shows are proof that there’s no lack of big moments taking place in the Twin Cities. After a few very welcome surprises on night one, night two was set up to have big shoes to fill, and we’ll break it all down here in this episode.

This show is filled with great moments, and as Ed would state, the theme of the night would revolve around friends. They had plenty of friends in the crowd as the Minnesotans brought their A-game singing loudly on songs like Pendulum, Daughter, Corduroy and a very heartfelt tribute for I Won’t Back Down. This show is also a rare “touch ’em all” show where all eleven studio albums out at that time were represented on the setlist, including some that rarely get busted out like Nothing As It Seems, Severed Hand and what will likely be the final appearance of Take The Long Way. But when in Minnesota, there’s no better way to play up to the local crowd than to pay tribute to their most prized hometown artist – Prince.

Along with the full rundown of the show, we will spend time eulogizing the late Glen Hansard and discuss his impact on the Pearl Jam community as well as the entire music community as a whole.


Episode 377: Denver, CO – 9/22/2022

After their entire Gigaton tour was postponed in 2020, 2022 was finally time where the band felt like it was safe to travel with precautions as we slowly found our way out of the Covid global pandemic. In taking this chance proved risks with a major downside – key players in the band and crew could be exposed to the illness. Unfortunately, that’s what happened on the west coast as Matt Cameron had to miss three shows, and once Jeff Ament went down, the band had to pull the plug on two shows in Sacramento and Las Vegas. Then on the European tour, nearby wildfires in France effected Ed’s ability to sing which meant three of those shows were also canceled. But the final leg in September thankfully went to plan, and this show in Denver was the final night of a tumultuous, yet rewarding year.

In this episode, we’ll discuss some of the on the fly changes that the band dealt with at the time regarding setlist structure, staying within a bubble and utilizing more breaks for Ed to take time to rest. This show has a lot of great key elements that you love from tour closers, big singalongs, strong explosive performances from the best songs in your catalog, and a little bit of reflection on what this year has meant to the band. This one is especially more celebrated because of the trials and tribulations that took them through the bumpy ride of the year. But a chapter was closed in the best way possible – giving the fans a show to never forget.

Also, we’ll chat about social distancing concerts in 2020, a killer Interstellar Overdrive intro and an impressive 20-song main set in the rocky mountain altitude.


Episode 376: Ohana Encore – 10/1/2021

2020 was supposed to be a massive year for Pearl Jam. With the release of their first record in seven years, they were set to do a massive world tour to promote the album, however, a global pandemic threw a wrench in their plans and everything was pushed back. While Covid-19 was still prominent in 2021, Pearl Jam decided to go forth with four outdoor festival shows to ease back into the concert experience. Eddie Vedder’s Ohana Festival added an additional weekend dubbed Ohana Encore where Pearl Jam headlined both nights.

It was a return to normalcy at a time where everyone was looking for concerts to ease some of the struggle of feeling isolated during the pandemic. And it was the first time where Pearl Jam was able to showcase the songs from Gigaton that helped the fans get through the Covid years. With the beautiful beach atmosphere and the music traveling through the air, for two nights in Dana Point, California, fans could forget about the stress of quarantines and pandemics and just enjoy the pure sensation of live music. New songs, old songs, borrowed songs and heck even some forgotten songs were played as the many in attendance basked in something that was dearly missed.

We’ll have a lot to talk about in this show including how Gigaton was viewed a year and a half after the record, discussions of doing a podcast during Covid and what moments earn the “holy shit” moniker, and is Sweet Lew one of them?


Episode 375: Amsterdam, NED – 6/13/2018

The Chronology Series this week takes us to 2018, a year with big shows and even bigger storylines. On Pearl Jam’s European run in London, Ed played the show with his vocal chords being not even close to his usual standards. He was placed on vocal rest for a few days causing the following show in London to be canceled. While he would come back strong on the rest of the tour, this would be the first of multiple times in the last handful of years where Ed has his share of vocal trouble, leading to song and setlist structure changes that would impact future shows.

The Amsterdam show that we’re covering in this episode took place two shows before London, and there are many moments in this show where it was clear that Eddie was not at his best. His range will peak at times, the vocal power would run out of gas and it was not the performance that he is clearly known to bring to the table. There is also the factor that this set had only 27 songs with one encore and lasted about two hours and fifteen minutes. At the time in 2018, that was unfathomable for an arena show to have this outcome, but it would later become the norm in the post-Covid era.

We’ll look at those storylines objectively and try to find moments that make this show feel memorable. Songs like Untitled/MFC, 1/2 Full, Inside Job and Rearviewmirror were all hits, so we’ll give them their due, and perhaps do the opposite for Can’t Deny Me. All of that, and find out what snack Javi irrationally has a hatred for.