Pearl Jam North American Concert History

List of Pearl Jam Concerts in North America

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September 5, 2023 – United Center, Chicago, IL, USA

Main Set: Release, Low Light, Just Breathe, Retrograde, Who Ever Said, Corduroy, Gods' Dice, Faithfull, Quick Escape, Animal, Light Years, Even Flow, Dance Of The Clairvoyants, In My Tree, Comatose, Down, Rearviewmirror

encore 1: Throw Your Arms Around Me, Inside Job, Wishlist, Not For You, Better Man/(Save It For Later), Alive, Surrender

Show Notes:

Release opens the first show at the United Center since 2009. After Low Light, Ed says they’re “so blessed to be back in Chicago…we have a lot of family and friends in the audience tonight,” joking that the “people in…

Show Notes: 

Release opens the first show at the United Center since 2009. After Low Light, Ed says they’re “so blessed to be back in Chicago…we have a lot of family and friends in the audience tonight,” joking that the “people in the front row I see more than my family, so I guess you qualify…” He says they hope to “get back outside someday,” referring to Wrigley, which elicits a cheer from the crowd. The band exits and Ed plays Just Breathe solo. Retrograde is the kick-down-the-chairs song tonight, the ending is thunderous, Mike putting on a show early creating a cacophony of sound. Corduroy gets the crowd going with a call-and-response and Ed holding the first note of “Everything has chains…” for a long time. After, he says “we’re gonna start this one together…I’m thinking we might fuck it up…it’s gonna be my fault, I’m telling you right now…at least I got the balls to fuckin’ try it…” leading into Gods’ Dice, the first performance since 2018. After the first line Ed exclaims “…got it!” and they get through it, Jeff with a huge smile on his face the whole song. Quick Escape is introduced as:

“a bit of a science-fiction tale about a species that…there were signs every day that they were destroying their own planet, but they didn’t listen, and next thing you know they’re on another planet…it was a shit fuckin’ planet…no other planet was like the one that they had…it’s just science fiction, that’s all…”

Ed recognizes Jeff as the one who turned them on to the TV show The Bear, which is set in Chicago, and Ed talks about working at restaurants and says:

“…I still wake up with waiter nightmares, 30-plus years later…and then I wake up and I think ‘oh my god, thank god I’m in a band'”

Animal, used twice on the show, follows. Before a beautiful Light Years, a touching moment as Ed talks about a very recent loss in his family, his great-aunt Sandy, saying they were just up north for her services yesterday, and her picture is shown on the screens. Mike has a long behind-the-back section of the Even Flow solo. Chris Chelios makes a cameo on stage after Dance of the Clairvoyants, and Ed gives a shoutout to opening band Inhaler. Josh impresses on In My Tree, helping out on percussion. Ed throws in a quick “Detroit!” after the “pistons” line in Comatose. Ed gets choked up a little before RVM:

“Yesterday we received a very respectful and dignified and heartfelt petition to play a certain song for a certain individual, and I recognized his face, and he meant so much to this community of people who sometimes travel together…and share their friendships and energies, and use us as an excuse to have a good life and see the world…they described this gentleman, who hailed from the Netherlands…the most bright light, a great man, and a friend to all, and it was very moving because when he lost his battle with cancer, he didn’t have a lot of family, and some of the community we’re connected to were able to cross swords and make it nice for his services and his funeral and take care of it properly…it’s a beautiful story so we’re honored to honor him. This is what he wanted to hear.”

After the first verse Ed shouts “…this is for you, Frans!” After the break, he tells a long story about going to visit his grandmother’s old house and meeting the people who live there now, saying he wished he had bought it back in the day to preserve it, but then he met the person who lives in his grandmother’s old room and they raised 5 kids there, and his pictures with them are shown on screen. The family is at the show and are shown on screen as well, very emotional, and Ed plays Throw Your Arms Around Me solo. Jeff has a Bulls jersey on. Ed runs off stage as Inside Job starts, only making it back just in time to sing. Mike has his head back and eyes closed for the whole intro. A Cubs “W” flag is shown afterwards, and Ed says if he got another tattoo he would get that on his forehead. Wishlist is played for the back, and there’s a huge crowd roar as a sign is shown that says “9th Bday, first show.” Not For You has the original album outro for the first time in a long time, no Modern Girl tag. The phone fireflies are out for Better Man, leading Ed to comment “…fuckin’ beautiful, man” during the song. Boom and Josh are mentioned afterwards, but Josh isn’t on stage, he’s down in the sound booth and has to come up and make an appearance. Mike goes out into the front row for the Alive solo. For the last song, Ed says “…let’s see what happens” and Cheap Trick’s “Surrender” returns for the first time since Wrigley 2016. As the song is closing, Ed shouts “Mikey’s alright! Jeff is alright! Matt is alright! Josh is alright! Stone is alright! Boom is alright! You are alright! Chicago’s alright! Chicago’s alright!”

September 2, 2023 – Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN, USA

Main Set: Pendulum, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Off He Goes, Nothing As It Seems, Daughter/(Chaise Lounge), Do The Evolution, Last Exit, Once, Who Ever Said/((I Can't Get No) Satisfaction), (Brain Damage)/I Am Mine, Take The Long Way, Even Flow, Severed Hand, In Hiding, Unthought Known, Corduroy, Porch

encore 1: I Won't Back Down, Last Kiss, Got Some, Jeremy, Better Man/(Save It For Later), Alive, Purple Rain

Show Notes:

The crowd is loud early on Pendulum, surprising Ed and jumpstarting the energy in the building on Saturday night, and makes their presence known again on Small Town. Mike starts Nothing As It Seems even though Nothingman was next on…

Show Notes: 

The crowd is loud early on Pendulum, surprising Ed and jumpstarting the energy in the building on Saturday night, and makes their presence known again on Small Town. Mike starts Nothing As It Seems even though Nothingman was next on the setlist, his chair finding it hard to contain the blasts of sound coming from his guitar. Daughter features the Wet Leg “Chaise Lounge” tag that surfaced in 2022. Evolution is fiery, Stone blazes on the final solo. Last Exit is fast, Matt pounding away during the intro like his life depends on it. Who Ever Said is dedicated to Joe Mauer. Immediately after, Ed starts playing Pink Floyd’s “Brain Damage” (“…the lunatic is on the grass…) and they segue right into I Am Mine. This is the first appearance of “Brain Damage” since 2010, when it was used as an intro to Corduroy. Ed introduces Take The Long Way with “…this one’s for the travelers…” Mike goes behind the back for the start of the Even Flow solo and then stalks around his side of the stage like a man possessed for the rest, leading to this exchange:

Ed: “When did you start playing like that? Did it scare you?” Mike: “I’m scared right now…”

After the song, Ed talks about how marijuana is legal in Minnesota now, and that he and Matt smoked a lot in together when they were younger, although they didn’t know each other, being at Cheap Trick and Queen shows at the San Diego Sports Arena. He also mentions Jimmy Buffett (who passed earlier in the day) and cautions against smoking the “AK-47-Afghan-Hindo-Kush-Mega-Bomb-Pull-And-Glow-Ozzy-Osbourne-Paranoia-Purple-Hair-Mega-Bible” if you haven’t practiced, adding “start with Indica and then start a group called the ‘Indica Girls’…this song’s about being offered something that you haven’t done your research on…” and Severed Hand is brought back for the first time since 2018. In Hiding is a request, Ed says. The band convenes to talk, Ed sees a shirt in the front row that says “Pearl Jam is my drug” and asks the fan if they have a request. The request is for Undone, which Ed denies, saying “that’s going to stay undone…” and they go into Unthought Known off Backspacer, making this a main set where every studio album is represented. The end of Corduroy surges, the whole band pushing like it’s the end of the set but then Ed starts Porch. Jeff has some spectacular bass runs during the first verse on Porch, propulsive and fluid.

During the break, the crowd brings out the fireflies and Ed is seemingly speechless as he comes out solo. He mentions Dale Crover of the Melvins who recently had to have emergency spinal surgery, and wishes him well, then transitions into talking about EB, talking about a young boy named Charlie who passed away, showing a picture of him with Ed on the big screen and then in his “Puck EB” shirt. A touching moment and Ed leads into I Won’t Back Down, with the crowd taking some of the lead vocals. Ed says “we’re gonna play a quick club show in the back” and they turn around for Last Kiss. Got Some also reappears for the first time since 2018. After Jeremy, Ed, just like on night 1, mentions Stone and Jeff playing together for so long and that there was a local guy who booked Mother Love Bone at the 7th Street Entry (small club in Minneapolis), and that “between Jeff and Stone and Boom and Josh, and a couple of crew guys, there are more people on stage right now than there were in the crowd that evening,” and brings up the booking agent, now an Executive Vice President Booking at LiveNation, Rich Best. Ed starts a call-and-response on Better Man and riffs on the Save it for Later lyrics before kicking in the “…don’t run away” lines. Another band meeting on stage after leads to Stone starting off Alive. More conversation on stage afterwards, Ed says they need some “conflict resolution” about what to play next, but that they can’t leave St. Paul without playing this one, Purple Rain. Josh comes out to sing and play guitar and opening band Deep Sea Diver joins on stage to sing and play tambourines. An energetic show with a stellar crowd.

August 31, 2023 – Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN, USA

Main Set: Indifference, Buckle Up, Sometimes, Wishlist, Black/(We Belong Together), Given To Fly, Mind Your Manners, Why Go, Seven O'Clock, Even Flow, Dance Of The Clairvoyants, I'm Open, Insignificance, Daughter, Superblood Wolfmoon, Love Boat Captain, State Of Love And Trust, Porch

encore 1: Wildflowers, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Go, Crazy Mary, Alive, Yellow Ledbetter

Show Notes:

The band comes out seated, just like the US leg in 2022. Indifference is a surprise opener, it’s only the 3rd time it’s opened a show, the last time was Denver 1994! Ed gets a guitar brought to him as…

Show Notes: 

The band comes out seated, just like the US leg in 2022. Indifference is a surprise opener, it’s only the 3rd time it’s opened a show, the last time was Denver 1994! Ed gets a guitar brought to him as Buckle Up is finishing up for Sometimes, which has a little intensity to it before the end. Stone starts Black immediately after, but Ed stops him, saying “I’m anxious to play that too…but I wanted to say something I haven’t been able to say in 10 years…hello Minneapolis! Hello St. Paul!” and talks about how they were practicing in Seattle about 10 days ago and heard the news about the earthquake and hurricane in California. It’s not Black that’s played next, but Wishlist. Ed talks again afterwards, telling a story about his wife and daughters watching PJ’s MTV Unplugged performance from 1992. He says “…the girls liked it…I don’t think we remember it AT ALL…,” adding that they had just come off a European tour, and mentions the 2/19/92 show in Winterthur where the stage was too small so they played an acoustic show. Black is then played, and the chairs are removed. Mike has a soulful, powerful solo. The 500th performance of Given to Fly is next, a nice milestone 25 years out from Yield. Seven O’Clock is prefaced with “this one’s off the new record that’s 2 1/2 years old…it came out 3 days before COVID hit…” and Ed growls “…we had Sitting Bullshit as our fucked up president…” He looks up into the rafters and talks about the Twins, mentioning Justin Morneau specifically. The Even Flow solo has a slow build, but Mike lets loose not too far in as Ed says hello to the people in the back and meanders around the stage. Josh Klinghoffer, helping out again on this tour, gets a shoutout, and Ed tells a story about warming up in the hotel shower earlier in the day, when he turned off the water he heard someone harmonizing with him in the next room over, and it turned out to be Simon LeBon from Duran Duran (who played at the Minnesota State Fair a few miles away tonight). Ed then admits “…no it wasn’t…I don’t know who it was.” During Dance of the Clairvoyants, Ed sees two fans, Solomon and Jason, on the rail wearing sequin jackets and borrows one of them for the song, adding after that it’s Jason’s birthday. Insignificance appears in the set for the first time since the Binaural show in Toronto in 2016. Mike’s son, on the side of the stage, hands him some picks and gives him a hug. Before Daughter, Ed mentions that Stone and Jeff have had a working relationship for “39.9 years.” Boom starts the Love Boat Captain intro and Ed talks over it about the recent fires in Hawaii and his history there, surfing in 1993 and more, getting choked up a little and adding:

“…it [Hawaii] gave me songs, it gave me isolation, it gave me inspiration, it gave me waves…also a B3 player in Mr. Boom Gaspar, and we wrote this one together…”

They start LBC with a jam intro before the verse, and Ed changes the line to “…let the healing begin…” He mentions playing at First Ave. in Minneapolis in 1991 before State, “we played this song there.” After the break, Ed again mentions Justin Morneau, saying they went to the Twins game the previous day. He talks about Tom Petty (PJ opened for Petty in this building in 2006) and how Tom and Mike had struck up a friendship and smoked a lot of pot together. He continues, mentioning how in a short span we lost Bowie and Prince, and has another name on the tip of his tongue but can’t say it, getting choked up again (Cornell no doubt). There’s an issue in the crowd, someone needs help, they are taken care of and Ed keeps going, saying this next one is for someone who lost someone close to them recently, and it’s the first non-preset appearance of Tom Petty’s “Wildflowers” at a PJ show. The band returns and Small Town is played to the back. Boom calls Mike over for the Crazy Mary solos, very playful and celebratory. Ed gets the crowd going on Alive, everyone throwing up their hands in unison. Ledbetter closes out an emotional night with lots of storytelling. No Vitalogy songs are played, the first time that’s happened since night 1 in Philadelphia 2016.

September 22, 2022 – Ball Arena, Denver, CO, USA

Main Set: Long Road, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Thin Air, Just Breathe, Present Tense, (Interstellar Overdrive)/Corduroy, Spin The Black Circle, Throw Your Hatred Down, Given To Fly, Who Ever Said, Even Flow, Dance Of The Clairvoyants, River Cross, Save You, Better Man/(Save It For Later), Last Kiss, Faithfull, Lukin, Rearviewmirror

encore 1: I Won’t Back Down, Chloe Dancer, Crown Of Thorns, Alive, Baba O’Riley, Yellow Ledbetter

Show Notes:

After waiting from all the way back in March of 2020 to kick off this tour run, we have finally reached the end. Long Road is a fitting opener to reflect that. Thin Air is appropriately played in the high…

Show Notes: 

After waiting from all the way back in March of 2020 to kick off this tour run, we have finally reached the end. Long Road is a fitting opener to reflect that. Thin Air is appropriately played in the high altitude, the third time it’s been played in the state of Colorado. Ed says he has two bottles of wine and one bottle of oxygen, and gives a shout out to a couple who got engaged at a Pearl Jam show years ago, saying there is a lot of power in that, before breaking out Just Breathe for the first time in 2022. Ed applauds Colorado for being in the top 10 in sensible gun laws in the country, then addresses a girl in a very sparkly shirt. He asks to borrow her shirt in the encore because they could ‘use a little Harry Styles.’ At the end of Throw Your Hatred Down, he throws her a tambourine. After Given To Fly, Ed commends a big guy up in front for letting a woman get in front of him on rail so she can watch the show. Who Ever Said needs to be stopped due to an issue in front, the crowd is asked to take two steps back and the fan walks away to safety. Ed makes a prediction that Mike McCready is gonna go off on Even Flow, and uses a Chris Cornell quote about him saying “he’s infected!” Mike fulfills the prediction and pulls out the usual tricks, like playing behind the head. Ed mentions that the author of Into The Wild and Under the Banner of Heaven, Jon Krakauer, is in attendance. Ed heads to the pump organ, says we’re thinking about everyone in Ukraine and asks the crowd to light up their phones for River Cross. There is a “FCK PTN” shirt on his organ. After Better Man, Ed makes note that the big guy has been given his spot back on rail, calling it reverse chivalry, then says they’re gonna be chivalrous by turning around and playing to the back, which happens to be Last Kiss. Ed shouts out the people in front and commends them for their dedication, saying they will miss them after the tour ends, leading into Faithfull.

Ed comes out for the encore by himself with a guitar, and says there is only an encore break just for keeping up appearances. He mentions that it would be nice to play at Red Rocks again, and talks about playing in Colorado with Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers back in 2006. He adds that he spoke with a father who lost his child in Sandy Hook who would later take his own life, and that his wife testified against Alex Jones in the defamation trial, and says he hopes they make an example of him. I Won’t Back Down is played in honor of her, her husband Jeremy and Petty. Chloe Dancer and Crown Of Thorns continue to tug at the heartstrings. The substitute teacher line is dropped from Crown Of Thorns. Ed mentions a show in Miami on the Lollapalooza tour in 1992 where a fan was hoisted up in a wheelchair crowd surfing to Rockin’ In The Free World, and says he’s in attendance. Ed invites Molly and Whitney from Thunderpussy on stage for Baba O’Riley. Tambourines are flying all over the stage as it turns into one big party up there. Ed thanks everyone for a great night and a great tour as Yellow Ledbetter ends a magnificent 2022 run. Ed introduces the band members before taking a big bow, saying:

“those are the people who love you.”

September 20, 2022 – Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA

Main Set: Garden, Alright, Sleight Of Hand, Hard To Imagine, Hail, Hail, Given To Fly, Superblood Wolfmoon, Even Flow, Dance Of The Clairvoyants, Daughter/(Another Brick In The Wall (Pt. 2)), Quick Escape, Amongst The Waves, Habit, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Mind Your Manners, Corduroy

encore 1: Go, Alone, Do The Evolution, Porch, Alive, Indifference, Rockin’ In The Free World

Show Notes:

31 years after its release, Garden finally opens a Pearl Jam show. Hard to Imagine continues its 2022 resurgence here, as the stools give way. Given to Fly lyric is changed to “…made it past the ocean, made it to…

Show Notes: 

31 years after its release, Garden finally opens a Pearl Jam show. Hard to Imagine continues its 2022 resurgence here, as the stools give way. Given to Fly lyric is changed to “…made it past the ocean, made it to OKC…” Ed sees a flag in the crowd and holds it up, showing the Taylor Hawkins hawk logo and talks about him. Then, he sees a fan with a mask of himself and takes it, saying he didn’t want to look at “that guy” (himself) all night. Before Even Flow, he mentions the Thunder, saying that they’re no longer mad about the Sonics, they have a great women’s team in Seattle and they’re glad the Sonics went to a good home. Following Dance, Ed points out someone in the very back of the arena who was dancing, adding

“I can see you got moves…my first concert ever, I was in Chicago, I had that exact seat, I was the last guy against the back wall, and yea, this could be you [points down at the stage] in just a couple of years, with those moves…”

Habit returns the set for the first time in 2022, with a chaotic, spiraling outro. Just like in St. Louis, they go to the back during the main set for Small Town. After the break, Ed mentions Nathan Young, who is related to Tomas Young, is in attendance and points him out, saying “he’s grown up a lot since the last time I saw him…I love you man, it’s good to see you…” and dedicates Go to Nathan and Tomas Young. There’s a break after the drum intro to Go and when the song kicks in, Ed has to run up to the microphone to start the song. Afterwards, he says they’re going to play one that they played “maybe the first time we ever played here…we’re dusting it off for you today,” and they kick into Alone! Ed mumbles through the middle part, but does the complete sung outro, which leads right into Evolution. Mike leads the jam on Porch with a fantastic solo. After Indifference, the band is taking off their instruments and acting like the show is over, but Ed comes over to everyone and gives the “one more” signal, saying “thanks for filling this room with energy tonight, we’re just returning it back, thank you OKC” and stops Stone from starting Rockin’ to tell a story:

“Before we ended the night…I’ve been thinking about it all week, you guys made the news in the most fabulous way, there was a tractor trailer that turned over and spilled sex toys all across the highway…this is true…and I started thinking about it, why is there a whole truck of vibrators? Why are they strung all over the highway, why are there so many? And I started thinking about it…and I support the theory that you’ve taken away a woman’s right to choose, they don’t want to take chances so they’re taking things in their own hands and who can blame ‘em…we know that women are the best people to make decisions about their own lives…”

He goes on to implore the crowd to vote before allowing Stone to kick into RITFW again.

September 18, 2022 – Enterprise Center, St. Louis, MO, USA

Main Set: Of The Girl, Footsteps, Sleeping By Myself, Retrograde, Last Exit, Life Wasted, Dissident, Who Ever Said/((I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction), I Am Mine, Corduroy, Glorified G, Once, Even Flow, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Sad, Dance Of The Clairvoyants, Go

encore 1: State Of Love And Trust, Breath, Black/(We Belong Together), Alive, Yellow Ledbetter

Show Notes:

Bathed in blue light, the third show in three nights (the first time that’s been done since 2006) starts off with a soaring Of the Girl. Footsteps gets a huge crowd reaction, and afterwards Ed, holding a ukulele, says “we’re…

Show Notes: 

Bathed in blue light, the third show in three nights (the first time that’s been done since 2006) starts off with a soaring Of the Girl. Footsteps gets a huge crowd reaction, and afterwards Ed, holding a ukulele, says “we’re gonna play a few more in first gear, then we’re gonna ramp it up,” adding

“I wanted to honor the history of music here in St. Louis, sometimes overshadowed by what came out of Chicago, but there’s a reason you’ve got a music note on your hockey jersey,” 

pointing up to the retired jerseys in the rafters. He continues, talking about how the ukulele is a “gateway instrument” for musicians who are just starting out, pointing out some kids up front. He goes on to say that it’s his wedding anniversary while idly strumming the ukulele, which isn’t making any sound, saying all of PJ is lucky to be married to “badass women.” He mentions that his ukulele isn’t cheap, it was made in Hawaii out of rare wood “which you can’t even take out of the country,” and finally acknowledges the lack of sound coming through, to which he exclaims “goddamnit” and SMASHES the little ukulele on the front monitor, reducing it to splinters. Was it a setup? Maybe. Another (plugged in) ukulele is brought out for Sleeping By Myself quickly. Retrograde is the kick-the-stools-over song tonight, and Matt absolutely destroys the outro, creating a thunderous cacophony that ramps up the energy, the entire band is surging. Mike seemingly becomes possessed during the Life Wasted solo, feeding off the energy in the building and falls over on the monitor, finishing the searing solo practically prone and extending the guitar head out to the fans on the rail afterwards. Dissident becomes a huge singalong, and Who Ever Said gets yet another runout, 8 shows in a row now. Corduroy is fantastic, taking all the energy in the building and giving it an outlet. Small Town is played to the back, possibly the first time that’s ever been done in a main set. Sad is dedicated to Debbie, Ed says “we’re thinking about you.” A raucous Go ends the set, and Ed drops the mic afterwards with a loud thud. After State, Ed gives Josh a shoutout and says that he pointed out backstage that today was the 30th anniversary of Singles (the movie premiere, not the soundtrack) and they go right into Breath. The Black solo is powerful and emotional, Mike at his best. After the closing bow, Ed pats his heart a few times before leaving the stage.

September 17, 2022 – Bourbon & Beyond Festival, Kentucky Expo Center, Louisville, KY, USA

Main Set: Daughter/(Chaise Longue), Low Light, Off He Goes, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Why Go, Do The Evolution, Quick Escape, In Hiding, Lukin, Corduroy, Seven O’Clock, Even Flow, Who Ever Said/((I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction), Garden, Not For You/(Modern Girl), Given To Fly, Porch

encore 1: Jeremy, Alive, Purple Rain

Show Notes:

In front of a reported 50,000 fans, Daughter opens for the third time on this leg, with the Wet Leg tag again. Ed holds the last note of Low Light for 16 seconds (I counted)! Before a lovely Off He…

Show Notes: 

In front of a reported 50,000 fans, Daughter opens for the third time on this leg, with the Wet Leg tag again. Ed holds the last note of Low Light for 16 seconds (I counted)! Before a lovely Off He Goes, Ed says

 “…oh fuck, there’s a lot of people out there…we’re thinking about friends tonight, I guess this would be what it’s like to be a friend of ours.”

Stone has an outstanding show, led by his Evolution solo. As Seven O’Clock is reaching the end, Ed stops the song for an audience member who needs assistance. As they’re being attended to, he adds:

“…let me break a little tension by mentioning this sign that someone keeps holding up, it’s very confusing to me, it says ‘I heart spicy pie,’  what the fuck does that mean? [sign is shown on the screens] Should I know what that means? Would my daughters know what that means? I don’t think I want my daughters to know what that means…what is it? Oh, it’s pizza. So what’s my dirty mind going to? Fuckin’ pizza…”

The crowd member is rescued and Ed thanks the local crew, adding “I’m gonna buy you a spicy pie,” and Seven O’Clock is restarted. Another energetic Who Ever Said, its 7th appearance in a row. Garden features a soulful, bluesy Mike solo. As Matt kicks into the drum intro to Not For You, Ed comments

“this song was back in the Vitalogy days…and there’s a lyric that I always wanted to sing here in Louisville…’Like Muhammad, it’s the truth,’”

Muhammad Ali having been born in Louisville, and Ed punches the lyric with a fist pump in the air. Not For You is incredible here, with two killer Stone solos and Ed emphasizing the guitar rhythm in the bridge with powerful strumming. After Alive, Ed says “we’ve got five minutes, this is a five minute version of a ten minute song…” and Josh comes out front for Purple Rain. As Mike is soloing, Ed rushes to the mic and says “…we got 30 seconds, sing with me,” leading the crowd in one last singalong before cutting the song off just in time.

September 16, 2022 – Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN, USA

Main Set: Nothingman, Buckle Up, Black, Present Tense, Last Exit, All Night, Who Ever Said/((I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction), Corduroy/(Blitzkrieg Bop), Rats, Wishlist/(Improv/Waiting On A Friend), Even Flow, Dance Of The Clairvoyants, Spin The Black Circle, Immortality, River Cross, Better Man/(Save It For Later), Porch

encore 1: Last Kiss, Go, Smile, Alive, Yellow Ledbetter

Show Notes:

Nothingman opens for only the second time ever (Telluride 2016). The arena sounds great and Ed comments on it early, saying “I think it might have been made for music.” The stools are kicked to the side during Present Tense.…

Show Notes: 

Nothingman opens for only the second time ever (Telluride 2016). The arena sounds great and Ed comments on it early, saying “I think it might have been made for music.” The stools are kicked to the side during Present Tense. Who Ever Said is high-energy, they’re really loving this one right now, it has a little sped-up flourish at the end. Ed says that yesterday was the anniversary of the passing of Johnny Ramone and tells a story about seeing his daughter and Johnny asleep in the same room and thinking about the circle of life, leading into what Ed calls Johnny’s favorite Pearl Jam song, Corduroy. Rats is a request from…Jeff Ament! Prior to Wishlist, Ed jokes about Mike having to break into the Gibson factory and replacing one of his guitars with one of their originals, and that he’ll need Grumpy’s Bail Bonds (a sign they had seen coming into town) to get him out, and then says that Pete Townshend once played the Les Paul he’s using. The improv part of the tag has lyrics of

“If you’re lucky, if you’re lucky…your wishes, they’ll come true, 
if you’re lucky, if you’re lucky…if you’re lucky you’ll marry your best friend, 
if you’re lucky it’ll last to the end, if you’re lucky you’ll marry your best friend, if you’re lucky…”

Being in a town with the most musicians, Ed says they must be in the town with the most crew members and techs and acknowledges them, adding “no musician here or anywhere in the world would be anything without them.” River Cross is played for Ukraine in the hopes that they’re turning the war around. After the break, Last Kiss is played to the back and then they kick into Go. Ed sees a sign for someone who’s at their 185th (!!) show requesting Smile, and then jokes that maybe the sign said 18.5. Ed points out former Chicago Cubs pitcher Ray Burris, who’s in attendance. Vitalogy is the most-played album of the night, with 6!

September 14, 2022 – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion, Camden, NJ, USA

Main Set: Wash, Oceans, Daughter/(Androgynous Mind), Hard To Imagine, Animal, Mind Your Manners, Do The Evolution, Deep, (Interstellar Overdrive)/Corduroy, Given To Fly, Quick Escape, Retrograde, Even Flow, Untitled, MFC, Not For You/(Modern Girl), Who Ever Said/((I Can’t Get No)/Satisfaction), Eruption, Why Go, Porch

encore 1: Inside Job, State Of Love And Trust, Breath, Crazy Mary, Leash, Alive, Rockin’ In The Free World

Show Notes:

Two Ten-era songs open for the second show in a row. Ed asks “Where are we? Well, I know we’re not at the Spectrum ‘cause we blew that place up…” Given to Fly is dedicated to Dr. J. Not as…

Show Notes: 

Two Ten-era songs open for the second show in a row. Ed asks

“Where are we? Well, I know we’re not at the Spectrum ‘cause we blew that place up…”

Given to Fly is dedicated to Dr. J. Not as much Gigaton tonight, with Quick Escape and Retrograde amping up the energy and the volume. Before Untitled, Ed comments that it’s nice to see so many faces, turning to Stone and adding “it’s nice to see yours, too,” (Stone had been masked for the few previous shows). Not For You has a slightly different-sounding intro, almost like Seven O’Clock. As the Modern Girl tag is beginning, Ed talks about how they’ve met so many nice people in Camden over the last 24 hours, and how over the last 6 months they’ve seen

“Incredible, crazy heat, we’ve seen floods, we’ve seen cold, we’ve seen wildfires, and then we get here and it’s like Goldilocks…perfect fucking day…we appreciate it more now.”

Ed talks about a dream he had about a volcano leading into Eruption. Prior to Porch, he mentions how voting rights are so important and gives the information number. After the break, Ed brings up Richie and his son Dermot on stage, the winners of the ALLIN contest, and says “I hope you like this one, ‘cause it was their choice,” and Breath follows State of Love and Trust for only the 4th time. Someone has a sign that says “PJ Show #108 – Play Leash” and they oblige. Boom takes a long solo on Crazy Mary before Mike finally joins in at the very end. Ed breaks out the Evel Knievel jacket for RITFW. Before exiting, he says “we’ll see you sooner than six years next time…goodnight, goodbye.” A show full of early material, with 13 of the 27 songs originating from the Ten and Vs. eras.

September 11, 2022 – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, USA

Main Set: Release, Garden, Come Back, Present Tense, Porch, Dissident, Given To Fly, Who Ever Said/((I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction), Even Flow, Seven O’Clock, Daughter/(Chaise Longue), Dance Of The Clairvoyants, I’m Open, Better Man/(Save It For Later), (Tiny Dancer)/Chloe Dancer, Crown Of Thorns, Sonic Reducer, Rearviewmirror

encore 1: Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Why Go, Do The Evolution, Purple Rain, Alive, Rockin’ In The Free World, Star-Spangled Banner

Show Notes:

Release and Garden get the crowd going early, loud and energetic. Come Back is started and then stopped by Ed to talk about how they appreciate being there, and to thank the first responders in the city. The seats are…

Show Notes: 

Release and Garden get the crowd going early, loud and energetic. Come Back is started and then stopped by Ed to talk about how they appreciate being there, and to thank the first responders in the city. The seats are tossed aside during Present Tense, kicking the show into high gear a little earlier than the few previous. Afterwards, Ed references the 2003 Garden show, exclaiming “…feel the floor movin’!” Porch is always a surprise this early, sounding tight and intense. Ed sees a fan altercation going on in the crowd and takes a minute to address it and remove the offenders, then kicks back into the song. The first Gigaton song of the night is Who Ever Said, which surges with momentum, Ed sounding great. Following that, he talks about women’s basketball legend Sue Bird, who had just retired, and mentions that Venus and Serena Williams are in attendance. The Daughter tag is by the British indie rock duo Wet Leg. Ed and Mike lean on each other during Better Man. Ed does a couple of lines from “Tiny Dancer” before Chloe Dancer, changing the line to “…hold me closer Chloe dancer…” This is the first Chloe/Crown pairing since the May 1, 2016 Garden show. Afterwards, Ed says “…that one was for Andy, this one is for Stiv,” and they tear into Sonic Reducer. He again shouts out the first responders who are in attendance and says that as “traumatic” and “despicable” as 9/11 was, 9/12 was awesome because everyone came together and worked together. After the break, Small Town is played to the back. The crowd absolutely kills Why Go and Do the Evolution, leading Ed (donning the shiny black jacket we saw earlier in the year) to again reference the stage-shaking 2003 show. He thanks the first responders one last time “for showing us what courage looks like.” Chad Smith is watching side stage and comes out during RITFW to pound on Josh’s drums. Mike closes out the night with the Star-Spangled Banner, ending a momentous weekend in New York City.

September 10, 2022 – Apollo Theater, New York, NY, USA

Main Set: Footsteps, Pendulum, Sleight Of Hand, Parachutes, Hard To Imagine, (Little Wing), Keep Me In Your Heart, Who Ever Said, Even Flow, Dance Of The Clairvoyants, Quick Escape, Spin The Black Circle, Alright, Retrograde, Never Destination, Take The Long Way, Whipping, Porch

encore 1: Better Man, Do The Evolution, Baba O’Riley, Indifference

Show Notes:

The seated portion of the show continues to be showcase for rarities, as Footsteps opens a show for the first time since the 1996 Bridge School. Ed checks in with Matt and Stone afterwards, adding that he’s feeling  “shaky…I’m feeling,…

Show Notes: 

The seated portion of the show continues to be showcase for rarities, as Footsteps opens a show for the first time since the 1996 Bridge School. Ed checks in with Matt and Stone afterwards, adding that he’s feeling 

“shaky…I’m feeling, just, energy already. Could be the energy of the people in this crowd, could be the energy of New York City…”

He goes on to mention that the show is being broadcast on SiriusXM (as part of the Small Stages series) and what an honor it is to play in this historic venue. Sleight of Hand appears for the first time since the Binaural album show in Toronto 2016, and Parachutes since the show prior to that! Before Parachutes, Ed says that he has a “secret” but he has to wait 2 songs to tell it. He adds that he has news that brought “tears of joy,” and says Glen Hansard and his wife had a baby today, After Hard To Imagine, the secret is revealed, the show has to be stopped because a computer needs to be rebooted, and the PA system goes out temporarily. Mike teases Little Wing, and then the crowd joins together to sing Daughter. Ed comes out with an acoustic guitar and plays Keep Me In Your Heart solo unplugged. They return with Who Ever Said, after which Ed says 

“Alright, is it back? Are we up out there?” 

Who Ever Said kicks off a run of seven Gigaton tracks in the next nine, only broken up by a stellar Even Flow, featuring Mike soloing on his knees at the front of the stage, and Spin the Black Circle, which is dedicated to Howard Stern, Gary, and Robin Quivers, who Ed says he got to meet for the first time tonight, adding “I love the sound of your voice, bringing us joy when we need it.” He tells a story about a girl coming up to him in an airport back in the early 90’s and saying “I hate to bother you…,” to which he replied “…then don’t.” He continues the story, adding

“…so, she looked at me and then the pools of water starting going up these little Bambi eyes, and she turned and walked away…about five minutes passed, and I went to all the gates, we had 10 minutes before we board, I went to all the gates and she was gone, I couldn’t find her. So, if you’re out there somewhere, I never got your name, I was just a rude individual at the time, I was under some stress…no excuses, but all apologies. If you’re out there somewhere 30 years later, I know you’ve forgot it, but I haven’t and I just want to say I’m sorry and maybe I’ll get to meet you and say hi to you another day in the future.”

Someone in the crowd jokes that that was their mom, to which Ed replies “fuck you,” laughing. Whipping falls apart a few seconds in but it’s restarted from the beginning without further incident. Mike shows off his technicality and shreds the Porch solo. Ed talks about Bessie Smith, a blues singer from the 1920’s who was in an accident and the doctors wouldn’t treat her because of the color of her skin. The heat inside the venue was unbearable for some, due to no air conditioning.

September 8, 2022 – Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ONT, CAN

Main Set: Daughter/(Improv), Come Back, Sometimes, Her Majesty, All Those Yesterdays, River Cross, (Interstellar Overdrive)/Corduroy, Hail, Hail, Deep, Quick Escape, Even Flow, Who Ever Said/((I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction), I Got Shit/(Cinnamon Girl), Never Destination, Dissident, Lukin, Rearviewmirror

encore 1: Light Years, Do The Evolution, Last Kiss, Jeremy, (Leash), Alive, Rockin’ In The Free World

Show Notes:

The improv on Daughter is based around the line “it’s in my hands.” After Sometimes, Ed says he’s going to play one he “borrowed” from Paul McCartney, and he plays the Beatles’ “Her Majesty” for the first time, no doubt…

Show Notes: 

The improv on Daughter is based around the line “it’s in my hands.” After Sometimes, Ed says he’s going to play one he “borrowed” from Paul McCartney, and he plays the Beatles’ “Her Majesty” for the first time, no doubt a tribute to the Queen who had died earlier in the day. Prior to Even Flow, he sees a sign that says “I (heart) U Eddy” and he points out the misspelling, referring back to a show in 1993 where there was a sign propositioning him that used the same incorrect spelling. He then mentions the Elton John show taking place in the city that night and sings a tease of Tiny Dancer, saying he always heard the line as “…count the head lice on the highway,” and then jokes about Mike’s mishearing of the line in Kiss’ “Rock And Roll All Night” as “…and part of every day.” Cinnamon Girl returns as a tag on I Got Shit for the first time since 2011! After the break, Ed talks about being in Canada and says that one of his favorite tours was the 2005 run. Someone has a sign for EB and Ed again talks about how the band is committed to helping find a cure and how it’s “a matter of time.” There’s another banner, this one says “Play Light Years for Gord,” Gord Downie being the singer of the Tragically Hip who passed away in 2017, and the request is fulfilled. Last Kiss is played to the back, its first appearance since 2018. Stone starts Leash after Jeremy but breaks a string and the song is aborted in favor of Alive. 

September 6, 2022 – First Ontario Centre, Hamilton, ONT, CAN

Main Set: Oceans, Nothingman, Yellow Moon, Man Of The Hour, Retrograde, Given To Fly, Who Ever Said, Red Mosquito, Dance Of The Clairvoyants, Corduroy, Quick Escape, I Am Mine, Daughter, I'm Open, Sad, Superblood Wolfmoon, Do The Evolution, Black/(Androgynous Mind)(We Belong Together), Porch

encore 1: Inside Job, Once, Wishlist, State Of Love And Trust, Alive, Indifference

Show Notes:

A completely different seated set for the 3rd show in a row. Ed exclaims “you sound good!” during Nothingman, and his voice sounds great again as well. After Yellow Moon, he says they’re going to play one they don’t play…

Show Notes: 

A completely different seated set for the 3rd show in a row. Ed exclaims “you sound good!” during Nothingman, and his voice sounds great again as well. After Yellow Moon, he says they’re going to play one they don’t play very often “for a special member of your community…and of the Pearl Jam community” and Man of the Hour is played for a man named Richard. Retrograde is started seated, but Mike stands up for the solo and the rest of the band follows shortly. The ending is loose and chaotic, very impressive. Ed interjects “Devo, Devo!” into the Satisfaction tag in Who Ever Said to drive the point home of exactly who they’re covering. Following Who Ever Said, he jokes that he told his daughter they were playing Hamilton and her response was “…you’re doing the whole thing?” Corduroy is dedicated to Gordie Howe, Detroit, Justin Trudeau, and Mark Bell, among others, after name-dropping that Paul McCartney told him not to name-drop. Mike goes behind the head for the Quick Escape solo. Ed tells a long, meandering story before I Am Mine. Sad returns for the first time since Wrigley 2016 after being cut from the previous two sets. Ed does a little “hey hey it’s okay” Androgynous Mind tag before going into a short “we didn’t belong together” riff. Mike is a standout on the Porch jam, he’s on the floor by the end of it. After the break, Ed talks about EB and points out a brave young person in the crowd. Wishlist is played for the back of the arena. No covers on the night, just a celebratory Alive and a singalong Indifference with the lights up.

“as long as we’ve been together, there’s been a few disagreements over the years…we have strong opinions, we don’t always agree…but there’s one thing we all agree on, hands down, no doubt, that one of the greatest humans on the planet Earth is Mr. Neil Young…”

Afterwards, Ed tells a quick story about being a kid and his parents not letting him go see the Jackson 5, who were his favorite, joking “I never really forgave them,” and Wishlist is dedicated to Sienna and Cole, 8 and 10-year olds whose dad brought them to the show. Mike takes a long solo on Even Flow, going back to his amp for part of it, stretching the song out to 8 minutes. It’s storytime again, Ed talks about waiting tables in Chicago at 18 years old and having to sing happy birthday to all the various tables and how he hated doing it, but they’ve had a lot of birthday requests on this tour and he’ll make an exception, and then goes on to mention a few birthdays. The call and response on Corduroy has a little extra emphasis behind it from Ed, who leads the crowd up and down. Mike takes over Immortality and Black. Following Jeremy, Ed talks about a woman named Ashley who was in the front in Quebec City and motions for her to come up to the front, playing a short improv about her as she makes her way up to the stage. He says he got a note from her

“and she said in this note that our music has saved her time and time again…but I just want to tell you all this: that it’s YOU who keeps US healthy to keep playing, that keeps us together so we can keep playing…that makes us friends still, so we can still be here to keep playing…all you folks have really kept us alive, so WE thank YOU…it’s the truth…”

He mentions Ashley again and a couple more people, and says this next one is dedicated to them, before kicking right into Porch. After the break, Ed talks about the livestream of the Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins tribute show and the “indelible energy that Taylor had, the infectious energy, the undeniable energy that this guy had,” and also mentions Gord Downie from the Tragically Hip, which gets a nice crowd response. Ed says that Taylor had sent him a video of his son Shane playing drums on a David Bowie song with his side project, and “he was so proud of him, as he should have been” (Shane played drums on the Foo’s song “My Hero” at the tribute show). He continues, sending well wishes to Taylor’s family and the Foo Fighters family before Better Man. Small Town is played to the back. Josh and Boom get a shout out before Crazy Mary, with Mike and Boom dueling and then combining for the finish. Fuckin’ Up makes its first appearance since 2018, and Ed makes sure to thank everyone in the back before Yellow Ledbetter ends the night.

September 3, 2022 – Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, ONT, CAN

Main Set: Of The Girl, Garden, Alright, Nothing As It Seems, Low Light, Given To Fly, Do The Evolution, Wishlist/(Waiting On A Friend), Dance Of The Clairvoyants, Even Flow, Seven O'Clock, Corduroy, Immortality, Black/(We Belong Together), Jeremy, Porch

encore 1: Better Man, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Crazy Mary, Alive, Fuckin' Up, Yellow Ledbetter

Show Notes:

Stools are out again for the first 5 songs, looks like this will continue going forward, at least for the rest of this leg. Garden is a surprise for the acoustic set, although Mike is on an electric. Alright has…

Show Notes: 

Stools are out again for the first 5 songs, looks like this will continue going forward, at least for the rest of this leg. Garden is a surprise for the acoustic set, although Mike is on an electric. Alright has a very chilled out, relaxed feel. Ed says they’re going to do a couple like this (seated), “but once we get going…no turning back.” After NAIS, he gives credit to Jeff, saying “those were some compositions by Mr. Jeff Ament. Can we get a little…low light here,” teasing the next song and pointing out a woman in the front doing a “Beyonce dance” that he noticed while singing, and dedicates Low Light to her. The line in Given to Fly is changed to “…made it north of the border…” Stone takes the spotlight with dynamite solos on Evolution and Throw Your Hatred Down. Ed talks about Neil Young before the latter, saying

“as long as we’ve been together, there’s been a few disagreements over the years…we have strong opinions, we don’t always agree…but there’s one thing we all agree on, hands down, no doubt, that one of the greatest humans on the planet Earth is Mr. Neil Young…”

Afterwards, Ed tells a quick story about being a kid and his parents not letting him go see the Jackson 5, who were his favorite, joking “I never really forgave them,” and Wishlist is dedicated to Sienna and Cole, 8 and 10-year olds whose dad brought them to the show. Mike takes a long solo on Even Flow, going back to his amp for part of it, stretching the song out to 8 minutes. It’s storytime again, Ed talks about waiting tables in Chicago at 18 years old and having to sing happy birthday to all the various tables and how he hated doing it, but they’ve had a lot of birthday requests on this tour and he’ll make an exception, and then goes on to mention a few birthdays. The call and response on Corduroy has a little extra emphasis behind it from Ed, who leads the crowd up and down. Mike takes over Immortality and Black. Following Jeremy, Ed talks about a woman named Ashley who was in the front in Quebec City and motions for her to come up to the front, playing a short improv about her as she makes her way up to the stage. He says he got a note from her

  “and she said in this note that our music has saved her time and time again…but I just want to tell you all this: that it’s YOU who keeps US healthy to keep playing, that keeps us together so we can keep playing…that makes us friends still, so we can still be here to keep playing…all you folks have really kept us alive, so WE thank YOU…it’s the truth…”

He mentions Ashley again and a couple more people, and says this next one is dedicated to them, before kicking right into Porch. After the break, Ed talks about the livestream of the Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins tribute show and the “indelible energy that Taylor had, the infectious energy, the undeniable energy that this guy had,” and also mentions Gord Downie from the Tragically Hip, which gets a nice crowd response. Ed says that Taylor had sent him a video of his son Shane playing drums on a David Bowie song with his side project, and “he was so proud of him, as he should have been” (Shane played drums on the Foo’s song “My Hero” at the tribute show). He continues, sending well wishes to Taylor’s family and the Foo Fighters family before Better Man. Small Town is played to the back. Josh and Boom get a shout out before Crazy Mary, with Mike and Boom dueling and then combining for the finish. Fuckin’ Up makes its first appearance since 2018, and Ed makes sure to thank everyone in the back before Yellow Ledbetter ends the night.

September 1, 2022 – Videotron Centre, Quebec City, QC, CAN

Main Set: Daughter, Footsteps, Buckle Up, Other Side, Off He Goes, Dance Of The Clairvoyants, Why Go, Even Flow, Quick Escape, Corduroy, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Who Ever Said/((I Can't Get No) Satisfaction), Take The Long Way, I Got Id, Mind Your Manners, Black, Porch

encore 1: Present Tense, Do The Evolution, Alive, Purple Rain, Indifference

Show Notes:

The band comes out seated, just like in Amsterdam. Daughter is the opener for the first time since 2010, four times in total. It’s played full acoustic without a tag at the end. After Footsteps, Ed toasts the crowd and…

Show Notes: 

The band comes out seated, just like in Amsterdam. Daughter is the opener for the first time since 2010, four times in total. It’s played full acoustic without a tag at the end. After Footsteps, Ed toasts the crowd and says:

 “…we’re gonna play slow songs, fast songs, loud songs, quiet songs, new songs, tight songs, so buckle up…” 

This leads into…Buckle Up. He dedicates a song for a friend in the community who lost his brother, saying he lost his brother as well, and it’s Other Side! It was sound checked earlier in the day, this is only the 4th performance ever! Afterwards, Ed speaks about his friend Dr. Pete from Quebec who had recently walked the Pacific Crest trail from Mexico to Vancouver, and shows him on the video screen. He gets passionate during the requested Off He Goes, and Mike does a flamenco-style solo. Corduroy has an extended solo, Ed telling Mike to keep playing. Black has some improv lyrics at the end: “…where will your heart be when you know….one more life, one more chance…” Crowd starts big ‘ole’ chants during the encore break. Present Tense is played for former ESPN anchor Kenny Mayne, and a kid in the crowd whom Ed mentions as ‘Cole’s brother.’ Stone starts Alive and then stops for Ed to make a dedication to Venus and Serena Williams. Klinghoffer is thanked profusely before stepping to the front for Purple Rain. Before Indifference, Ed says

“Alright, I guess we’re on tour now…thanks for a great beginning.”

Special thank you to Danielle Tatlow for relaying the setlist live, and livestreaming in the Pearl Jam Podcast Community Facebook group.

May 16, 2022 – Save Mart Center, Fresno, CA, USA

Main Set: Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Given To Fly, Do The Evolution, Corduroy, Wishlist, Daughter/(Improv), Don’t Gimme No Lip, Once, Why Go, Even Flow, Garden, Black, Eruption, Animal, Quick Escape, Throw Your Hatred Down, Purple Rain, Porch

encore 1: Jeremy, Deep, State Of Love And Trust, Alive, Baba O’Riley, Yellow Ledbetter

Show Notes:

Despite it being the first night with no Ed preset, this third Matt Cameron-less show is promised to be a special one by Josh Klinghoffer multiple times before the band hits the stage. After Small Town with Josh on drums…

Show Notes: 

Despite it being the first night with no Ed preset, this third Matt Cameron-less show is promised to be a special one by Josh Klinghoffer multiple times before the band hits the stage. After Small Town with Josh on drums (continuing the streak of unique openers this tour) and Given To Fly, Ed reveals that he is battling a stomach flu and hasn’t felt this bad since Neil Young replaced him in San Francisco back in 1995, but promises to power through. He says that “this one’s certainly different” and that while Cameron is making strides to get back, “we’ve got another surprise for you later…” Prior to Corduroy, Ed points out a woman who’s at her 100th show, and that Rob Bleetstein (from Pearl Jam Radio) is at his 300th show, adding “I’ve only been to a few more than that,” and plays a short improv about having friends in Fresno. He repeats “it’s okay” in the Daughter tag, but without the change in key that indicates the Dead Moon cover. Stone gets the microphone, who prefaces Don’t Gimme No Lip with “…we played this backstage so hopefully it’s alright.” Afterwards, Ed talks about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, adding

“The part that was most rewarding was seeing some old bandmates, we had our friend come out from Seattle, we only played a couple of songs, but when this all went down with Matt the other day, we started thinking about all the other people that…we’ve been through some great drummers [laughs], some of the best, and we have the best currently, but, you know that first record seems to be a record that affected so many people, and our friend that was playing drums at that time, the amount of shows that he got to play with us was fairly limited. Well, it looks like this week we’re going to get to make up for that…ladies and gentlemen, on the drum kit, Mr. Dave Krusen!”

This kicks off a mini-set of Ten tracks, including a nice moment after Even Flow when Ed gets up on the drum riser and gives Dave a fist bump. Mike’s solo on Black is majestic. Afterwards, Ed asks Mike if he has any drummer transition music, which cues Eruption and Richard Stuverud’s entrance. Ed introduces Throw Your Hatred Down by shouting out Jack Irons and commenting on the mass shooting in Buffalo and the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court leak, saying

“Pro-life people should be anti-gun, and then they could save more lives”

Ed asks Josh to come out and sing the next song, leading to the live debut of Purple Rain. Ed starts the first verse and then Josh takes over. It also features a Mike solo that lives up to all expectations. Following, Ed remarks “…that song makes you wanna…fuck” and that Prince’s estate might have to be responsible for paying child support if his songs draw people to have sex and women are forced to give birth. He proposes a “sex embargo,” adding “think about it, ladies…sex embargo.” Krusen returns for Porch to end the main set and stays on after the break. Ed says that he’s spent a lot of time in Fresno over the last 5 years and that it’s his “new favorite place on Earth.” Following Jeremy, Ed comments on Krusen’s playing, saying that he’s “tripping balls tonight” and hearing him play the songs the way he does takes him back to being in the basement in 1991, adding

“Drummers are like fingerprints or snowflakes. They’re all different, all of us are different.”

He goes on to tell the backstory behind Deep, a sunny day that got a little dark when he noticed a guy shooting up in a third floor window and didn’t know whether he’d nod off out of it or into the apartment. With Krusen’s fast count in, the intro of the song is quite the flashback in itself. Mike adds a little tease of War Pigs at the end of the Alive solo. Stuverud returns to the kit for Baba O’Riley, Jeff goes up on the drum riser and they have a moment together. As Ed shouts out all of the band members before Yellow Ledbetter closes, Mike adds a simple “how about Ed tonight?” A well-deserved recognition towards Ed’s perseverance towards making this historic night possible. Ed finishes off the night saying “I won’t forget this one.”

May 13, 2022 – Oakland Arena, Oakland, CA, USA

Main Set: Long Road, Given To Fly, Once, (Interstellar Overdrive)/Corduroy, Throw Your Hatred Down, Quick Escape, Dissident, W.M.A., Mind Your Manners, Brain Of J., Low Light, Even Flow, Immortality, Do The Evolution, State Of Love And Trust, Seven O’Clock, Rearviewmirror

encore 1: Bee Girl, Smile, Better Man, Crazy Mary, Porch, Alive, Baba O’Riley

Show Notes:

Night 2 without Matt Cameron opens with Klinghoffer on drums and a deliberate Long Road, Ed gives a quick dedication “to Gretchen.” Following Once, Ed calls Matt a “legend” and we learn that he’s still in Arizona after his positive…

Show Notes: 

Night 2 without Matt Cameron opens with Klinghoffer on drums and a deliberate Long Road, Ed gives a quick dedication “to Gretchen.” Following Once, Ed calls Matt a “legend” and we learn that he’s still in Arizona after his positive COVID test, Ed says that this show is dedicated to him. No new intro for Corduroy here, it’s Interstellar Overdrive instead. All the uncertainty of the previous night seems to be gone, they look confident and charged up. Richard Stuverud again joins on the kit for Throw Your Hatred Down, with a very cool breakdown at the end, even throwing in a little Ziggy Stardust. Before Quick Escape, Ed says “this one’s about life on Mars too…,” and it also has an extended solo section. Dissident is introduced as an old one, “one we haven’t played in a while, so let’s see if we get it right.” Stuverud begins the W.M.A. intro and to everyone’s surprise it’s full W.M.A., the first time since Greenville 2016! There’s an extended drum outro as well, pounding drums, a standout performance. Ed is visibly angry, pacing around in a circle, he kicks over an amp and hurls his wine bottle across the stage. A 17-year-old drummer named Kai Neukermans is introduced and joins for Mind Your Manners before Josh returns to the kit for Brain of J. After Even Flow, Ed is still worked up, saying

“I’m still mad that we were divided at the beginning [of the pandemic], not united…fuck you…fuck you…FUCK YOU….FUCK YOU!”

Seven O’Clock is only the second Gigaton song of the night and third post-2000 song, this is a heavy 90’s set, perhaps reflecting Ed’s frame of mind. Rearviewmirror FINALLY makes an appearance on the tour, Ed talks about Steve Gleason beforehand. Smile is played to the back. Boom gets a shoutout leading into Crazy Mary, which has a killer back and forth Mike and Boom duel. Ed is pacing around the stage again during Porch. Stuverud is absolutely rocking out on Baba, standing up at the kit and pounding away. Ed closes the show with “…love to Matt, we love you…goodnight, goodbye, until next time. Shaka.”

May 12, 2022 – Oakland Arena, Oakland, CA, USA

Main Set: Rockin’ In The Free World, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Why Go, Corduroy, Quick Escape, Superblood Wolfmoon, Nothingman, Even Flow, Given To Fly, Wishlist, Black, Do The Evolution, Daughter/(Long May You Run), Not For You/(Modern Girl), Seven O’Clock, Jeremy, Porch

encore 1: You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away, Better Man/(Save It For Later), Lukin, Animal, Alive, Baba O’Riley, Yellow Ledbetter

Show Notes:

The band opens with Rockin’ in the Free World, it’s rumored that Neil is in attendance, although he does not come out on stage. RITFW has never been used as an opener before! The house lights are up, Klinghoffer is…

Show Notes: 

The band opens with Rockin’ in the Free World, it’s rumored that Neil is in attendance, although he does not come out on stage. RITFW has never been used as an opener before! The house lights are up, Klinghoffer is on drums, and after Small Town, Ed addresses the crowd, revealing that Matt Cameron tested positive for COVID the day before:

“Even his superhero status couldn’t prevent him from testing positive.” 

He adds that they are lucky to have Josh, the Shohei Ohtani of the band, filling in for him. During Corduroy, Ed references Cameron, saying “…everyfuckinthing’s changed!” Josh heads back over behind Mike’s amp, and Ed introduces RNDM drummer and longtime friend Richard Stuverud, saying they called him yesterday,

“He was in the middle of teaching a music class, we said, ‘Hey, do you want to come play with Pearl Jam tomorrow?’ He said ‘I’ll call you back, I gotta go change my pants.’

After Superblood Wolfmoon, Ed tells a story about Jeff and Richard doing some writing and demoing in between Vs. and Vitalogy at Reciprocal Recording, they invited Ed down and he drove down in a ‘64 Plymouth, they played Nothingman and he got a cassette of it afterwards, saying he drove home listening to it, screaming along at the top of his lungs, and asks for the crowd’s help to scream along tonight. Stuverud takes a short drum solo during Even Flow and Mike is extra flashy during the outro. Ed points out a sign that reads “Last time I saw Pearl Jam, I wasn’t born yet,” then mentions a recent story about a woman giving birth on the side stage at a Metallica show during Enter Sandman, joking that they almost ended up naming their child James Ulrich or Sandman. Klinghoffer is back on the kit for GTF. After Evolution, Ed makes mention to the Bridge School benefit, and says

“…NEXT time we play the Bridge School…I hear rumors…good ones…” 

He gives a shout out to the families and teachers and artists who all put in their time playing the Bridge School, and mentions Amber Jean Young, who just had her first art exhibit and is raising money for ovarian cancer. She named her gallery after Pegi Young. Ed calls Daughter a “dark” song, and Neil’s “Long May You Run” is tagged for the first time. He makes a reference to a show back in 1973 where Keith Moon passed out twice at a Who show, and they asked if anyone could play. Ed asks anyone in the crowd if they can play drums and a fan is spotlighted, everyone around him pointing at him. Ed sees him, and says they are going to test him and bring him back in the encore. He continues, saying the Oakland A’s were the coolest team in the 70’s, and names just about every member of their World Series roster. Stuverud joins the band again during Seven O’Clock. Jeremy has a little bit of a funky guitar riff before the bass comes in, and Stuverud plays it a little slower than usual.

In the encore, Ed asks for another bottle and passes it into the crowd, mentioning that they can’t share the bottle together, “we’re not going to make this a wine tasting superspreader event,” but solo cups are broken out and everyone can enjoy a drink. Ed gives a nod to the audience, calling them the best crowd yet on the tour. Klinghoffer is back on drums for Better Man, and Ed messes around in the tag, speaking somewhat unintelligibly, but compliments the entire band. Tons of Townshend windmills from Ed. He references the Metallica story again and says:

“If you’re having a baby now, you’d have to name it… Lukin!”

Stuverud returns for Animal, making its tour debut. There’s a massive ending build at the end of Baba that gets wild, and Ed holds out a lengthy note at the end. He says his goodbyes afterward, making a point to thank Josh and Richard, and then says “we have one more drummer tonight…,” inviting out the fan from earlier, Josh Arroyo, to play Yellow Ledbetter. He’s wearing the “Krusen&Chamberlain&Abbruzzese&Irons&Cameron” shirt, and Ed jokes that he’ll have to add his own name to it. The lucky fan lives out a dream, doing an excellent job on the drums. Ed even looks back, visibly impressed, and Arroyo gets to take a bow with the band at the end.

May 9, 2022 – Gila River Arena, Phoenix, AZ, USA

Main Set: Wash, Given To Fly, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Corduroy, Quick Escape, Why Go, Superblood Wolfmoon, Alright, Even Flow, Dance Of The Clairvoyants, Black/(We Belong Together), I Got Shit, Red Mosquito, Sleeping By Myself, Daughter/(W.M.A.), Porch

encore 1: Smile, Eruption, Do The Evolution, Better Man/(Save It For Later), Leaving Here, Alive, Yellow Ledbetter

Show Notes:

Ed comes out for the pre-set and Far Behind makes its debut at a Pearl Jam show. Wash is dark and eerie to open, the 4th different opener in 4 shows so far. Corduroy has the new intro jam again…

Show Notes: 

Ed comes out for the pre-set and Far Behind makes its debut at a Pearl Jam show. Wash is dark and eerie to open, the 4th different opener in 4 shows so far. Corduroy has the new intro jam again and an incendiary Mike solo, it’s been one of the standouts of this run so far, it feels rejuvenated. Ed does a spoken space shuttle countdown-style spiel during Quick Escape. Ed says that they’re in the land of coyotes, mentioning NHL Coyotes players Christian Fisher and Clayton Keller, before Superblood Wolfmoon, saying wolves are close to coyotes. Ed goes on a passionate rant about freedom before Alright, making its tour debut. Prior to Even Flow, Ed mentions the highway signs around the area that had been changed to “Even Flow on the gas, keep left to pass”. Mike and Ed take turns getting the sides of the arena to out-cheer each other, Ed adding, 

We’ve never done this kind of cheesy bullshit before

Josh is rocking out behind the amps during Dance of the Clairvoyants, adding some drum accents and background vocals. Astronaut Scott Kelly is in attendance, and Black is dedicated to him, Ed does a little improv based off of We Belong Together. He stresses the “FUCK” during I Got Shit. He says they’ve got mosquitos here, but they’re in the land of scorpions, adding “…don’t get too excited, Mike” (referring to Mike’s fandom of the 80’s hair metal band Scorpions), leading into Red Mosquito. Before Sleeping By Myself, Ed talks about testing positive for COVID, isolating and thinking to himself “…why did I ever smoke cigarettes, what the fuck is wrong with me…,” saying that Sleeping By Myself was running through his head the whole time he was quarantined. 

The number for voting information is put on the screens in the venue as Ed talks about supporting freedom to choose. Mike has some skronky guitar tones during the W.M.A. tag, and Ed changes the lyric to “..police stopped my daughter again…” Matt ends the song with a powerful drum rhythmic outro. Ed talks a lot about his niece Molly, who’s in attendance, choosing to come to the show instead of her graduation from Arizona State, and she gets a spotlight and a nice roar from the crowd. Ed changes up the setlist, saying they were going to play a sad one but he doesn’t want to anymore, and they play Smile instead. Mike goes back behind his amps to play with Josh for a while during Jeff’s solo. The Eruption solo seems a little longer than previous versions. Ed mentions Taylor Hawkins before Better Man, saying he’s seeing a lot of Foo Fighters shirts in the crowd, adding that he had only gotten to know him a little over the last year but Matt was close with him. The intro to Leaving Here is a train wreck, but they get it squared away, Jeff takes all the solos. After Alive, it feels like the show might be over, but they put the instruments back on and close with Yellow Ledbetter. In Hiding, Come Back, and River Cross were on the original setlist but not played.

May 7, 2022 – The Kia Forum, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Main Set: Release, Given To Fly, Do The Evolution, Low Light, Quick Escape, Take The Long Way, Even Flow, Seven O’Clock, Immortality, Cold Day In The Sun, Daughter, Unthought Known, Glorified G, Lukin, I Believe In Miracles, Garden, Mind Your Manners, Porch

encore 1: Better Man/(Save It For Later), Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Jeremy, Leash, Alive, Indifference

Show Notes:

Walking out for the pre-set, Ed gives a shout out to the fans on the rail for having a “long day” and asking them if they camped out at the venue, saying they’ve been through a lot. He hands out…

Show Notes: 

Walking out for the pre-set, Ed gives a shout out to the fans on the rail for having a “long day” and asking them if they camped out at the venue, saying they’ve been through a lot. He hands out blank slips of paper, and says write down whatever you want to hear, as long as it’s on the “master list” we’ll give it a shot. On the list are Brother, Severed Hand, Blood, Untitled/MFC, Tremor Christ, Breakerfall, Unthought Known, Angel, Glorified G, You Are, Strangest Tribe, Fatal, and Marker in the Sand.

Lots of Yield early, after Evolution, Ed says “live from The Forum it’s Saturday night!” Ed holds on that last line in Low Light for what feels like an eternity. Afterwards, Ed points to Stone’s side and says he’s getting an “edible” vibe from them. He adds that the next song, Quick Escape, is about interplanetary travel, but it’s not “Life On Mars,” making a David Bowie reference, and that we may have to live there one day because we’re destroying our own planet. He mentions certain billionaires, saying that for every dollar they get for space travel, they should match it for putting it back into saving the beauty and environment of Mother Earth. Quick Escape’s solo continues to be one of the most powerful moments of the Gigaton tour so far, with Mike holding his head back and firing away. Take the Long Way has a little extra guitar fire from Mike to kick it off. Before Even Flow, Ed continues the story of the homeless man named Eddie he talked about during the Home Shows in 2018:

“He had a shopping cart with a globe inside, he’d spin the globe and look at all the places he’d never get to. We came back from a tour once and he was gone. No one knew and it sort of went right through the cracks. People don’t understand any of the lyrics, but Eddie I was talking about you.”

Ed hypes up the crowd before getting into the chorus by shouting “Sing it for Eddie! Sing it for Eddie!” Mike’s Immortality solo is electrifying, he’s losing his mind, so much so that it looks like he’s having a conniption on stage! Big powerful ending, with the band huddling around a dominant Matt Cameron. Ed mentions that some folks here tonight are some of the most important people in our lives, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and meeting Stone and Jeff through Jack Irons after he was a Chili Pepper. He shouts out Chad Smith who’s on the side stage, and says they’re thinking about Taylor Hawkins, adding that he was someone that truly loved living on this planet, the one thing we can be consoled by is that he never wasted a moment. Ed introduces Mark Guiliana to play drums as Matt Cameron grabs a guitar and steps to the microphone to sing Taylor’s Foo Fighters song Cold Day In The Sun! Chad Smith is seen playing tambourine. An amazing tribute, with Matt’s vocals sounding pristine. Big hugs all around at the end for this emotional performance. After Daughter, Ed asks for the list of songs that the fans created before the show started, “after going through all of the hassle and having the cops think there were all these homeless people outside, you’re giving me a list! Alright we got a plan, and this is a very intelligent choice.” Unthought Known is the first choice, after which Ed mentions how Sean Penn is out helping people in the Ukraine. Before the next request, he talks about Dave Chappelle getting tackled on stage, the person who tackled him had a knife hidden in a fake gun, leading to Glorified G. Great crowd response from the front that makes Ed turn the mic around to give them the moment to sing back. Ed runs out of gas by the end of Lukin, but the band gets right back on the horse with an I Believe In Miracles cover. Garden is very heavy, lots of weight behind it.

After the break, Ed channels his inner Taylor Hawkins with some call and response moments, and then says you should sing in the shower with me. He asks for someone to fetch him his sparkly jacket from his dressing room, saying “that lady has a sparkly jacket and I’m not about to be outdone by that bitch!” The jacket is acquired and then he talks about equal pay and diversity in Hollywood, and goes on a long rant defending Bill Murray. The Save It For Later tag has almost the full song lyrics. Small Town is played for the back, with a lyric change, “…lifetimes are catching up with ALL OF US!” Midway through, he asks for the band to speed it up a bit. The house lights come up for Jeremy. Ed dedicates Leash to COVID-19 saying “fuck you COVID-19! Leash is an excellent surprise, no “lucky face” phrasing. Mike ripping another song apart. Ed dribbles a basketball around the stage during Alive then tosses it to the crowd. Indifference closes out the night.

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