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.