May 11, 2025 – Lenovo Center, Raleigh, NC, USA

Pearl Jam Show Notes 5/11/2025:

Returning to North Carolina for the first time since 2013 and Raleigh specifically since 2003, the stars were aligned for great things to happen. The band’s scheduled April 2016 show was notably canceled in opposition to the HB2 “bathroom bill” which restricted use to public bathrooms based on their gender on their birth certificate. A particularly poignant Release opens the night, including the appropriate and whimsical lyrical flip to “Oh dear Mom, can you see this now” for this mother’s day night show. A power house rendition of Present Tense follows, which includes notably a straight adherence to the “all encompassing trip” lines.  Following Given to Fly, Ed notes the rain that had been in the area all day, and then gives a nod to the mom’s working on mother’s day, including Kille Knobel and Karrie Keyes, right before introducing Mind Your Manners as Mind Your Mothers. Off of Mike’s rollicking bluesy solo in Corduroy, Ed addresses the crowd about some of the venue’s they have played through the years, Cat’s Cradle being name dropped, and the shows having Hurricanes playoff games sandwiched between the shows. Ahead of Daughter, Ed thanks Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers for coming to open the shows all the way from Australia. As the Daughter tag played out, Ed starts to talk about the topic of identity, the subject behind their reason to cancel the show from nine years ago:

“I’m thinking about all the people who want to choose and how they would like to be identified. And if this is indeed the land of the free, you gotta know that those folks are brave. And at first they ask ‘would you just identify me the way that I’d like?’ and some people say yes, some people say I don’t know. Some people are confused, maybe because they just don’t know. And after they ask, politely, gently, at some point they be may need to demand. ‘Look, I want to identify you the way you would like to identify, please respect my heart. Please respect my being. Please respect my instincts.’ I’m trying to love myself is what they’re saying, and they cannot love themselves unless they are themselves. We have lots of freedoms, it’s obvious that should be one of them”

Following a blistering Even Flow, Ed pays nod to original crew member, Tim “Skully” Quinlan who passed away in 2016, acknowledging his wife Debra and children who are in attendance, dedicating a beautifully played Light Years to their late friend. After Jeremy, we get a request that was three years in the making. Hold On is dug out for Dermot and Richie, who requested this back when they won the All In Challenge – a contest to help create a setlist back in 2022 for a show in Camden, NJ. The song was played for just the 6th time, and it absolutely soars. Upper Hand and Severed Hand back to back are show stoppers, the latter features some absolutely smoking subtle fills from Matt, and then leads directly into main set closer Porch.

Ahead of the encore, Ed has some fun with a fan up front having a good time wishing her happy drunk mother’s day.  A dedication goes out from Jeff to his wife Robyn, from New Jersey who is celebrating not only mother’s day but her 55th birthday. Elysia Skye gets a shout out for not only mother’s day, but her 100th show. Ed asks the crowd to help him say happy Mother’s Day to his mom Karen who he forgot to call earlier in the day. Smile is dedicated as “alright this one’s for you #100” in reference to aforementioned Elysia. The evening comes to a strong conclusion with an absolutely perfect run through Indifference.