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.