Episode 43: Pinkpop Festival – 6/8/1992

One of the most pivotal shows in Pearl Jam’s history, the 1992 Pinkpop Festival has been discussed and shared from bootleg VHS tapes to online forums for over 25 years, and this episode breaks down why this show is such an important part of the band’s legacy.

While the Seattle scene was still blossoming into something big, Pearl Jam hadn’t played a show in front of a massive audience before. They were still used to playing club shows with only a couple thousand, maybe even hundred fans attending. Pinkpop estimated to have 60,000 people in the crowd making it the prime stage for the band to bring their a-game. Their energy in a rain soaked day was unmatched. Anyone who has watched this show before knows the moments – Jeff running around like a maniac, Ed climbing the scaffold during Even Flow, and of course an iconic stage dive during Porch that has been a major part of the band’s legacy. With a little less than an hour on stage, they created moments that are still talked about to this day.