Episode 270: Nashville, TN – 9/16/2022

As we await details on Pearl Jam’s forthcoming twelfth studio album, the month of February will be dedicated to covering shows that Randy and John have attended in the past. First up, we’re gonna dig into the Nashville show from the Gigaton tour that they both were in attendance for. The weekend was a huge party as Pearl Jam was center stage on Broadway, but the run including Louisville and St. Louis was the first time they played three shows in a row since 2006. Feeling big energy from a crowd who was game all night and playing in an arena with impeccable acoustics, the band constructed a set jam packed full of show stoppers and great stories to live up to the hype of playing in Music City.

Randy and John have differing angles when it comes to their personal experiences on this night. For Randy, it was his fourth show out of six during that run with heavy hitting shows such as Toronto, MSG, Camden and St. Louis surrounding this night. He’ll talk about how some of the memories from this night tended to fade until relistening and rewatching the events that took place. For John, this was his first show since 2016, so after a six-year hiatus he was ready to jump back in and be a part of the atmosphere again. They, and everyone else who attended this show, were treated to a setlist that featured massive moments such as Nothingman as an opener for only the second time, an incredible back-to-back featuring Black and Present Tense, Rats thanks to that night’s tour poster, a mind blowing Immortality, a heavy hearted River Cross and many more moments that make this show stand out.

The Gear Guru segments for this show will focus on the aforementioned version of Immortality, and we’ll even get a little demo from Javier! And he’ll also discuss the 1958 Flying V that came from the Gibson Vault that Mike used on both Alive and Ledbetter.


Episode 232: Camden, NJ – 9/14/2022

For the second week in a row, we’re diving back into 2022 to discuss one of Randy’s favorite shows he’s ever been to that happened in Camden. Originally slated for Baltimore during what was going to be the 2020 run, the band making a return to the Philadelphia area meant that there were no punches going to be pulled, this was destined to be a monster set. Seeing that the city has had rich and historical significance within the 32 years of this band, there were many callbacks to other Philly shows, including the legendary JC Dobbs show in 1991. Nine of the ten songs from that show were played that night as the earliest eras of Pearl Jam dominated this set.

A lot of this episode will focus around Randy’s personal stories and why this was an important show to him. There were songs played on this night that were very high up on his wishlist. Ones that he’d seen before, but not in over a decade, and a few that he’d been chasing for just as long. We’ll highlight the memories created from hearing songs like Hard To Imagine, Untitled/MFC and Inside Job that were incredibly powerful, experience making moments. We’ll also go in depth on an explosive version of Retrograde as well as an excellent Not For You.

A big story from this show was that Ed and the band invited All-In contest winners, Richie and Dermot Berg to the stage, after a full day of experiencing the preparation of what goes in to putting together a Pearl Jam show. Back last September, we invited the Berg’s onto the podcast to tell their story. We’ll relive a clip from that, but give the full episode that’s available in our archives a listen because there’s no lack of awesome information shared there.

We’ll read your answers for question of the week where we asked whether you preferred shows in an amphitheater or arena setting, and our Gear Guru segment this week will focus on Do The Evolution playing off of the song’s original pace and Quick Escape’s overall sound from the Gigaton tour.

Listen to the Episode:


Episode 231: San Diego, CA – 5/3/2022

On the one-year anniversary of the 2022 tour’s kickoff, we’re taking a look back at the first makeup show for the postponed 2020 tour. It started in San Diego, CA, a place that has always been treated as a homecoming for Ed, who grew up there in his school-aged years. With family, friends and celebrities on hand to witness this event, the expectations and nerves were at an all-time high. But with that being said, the setlist was curated in a way that paid tribute to the ocean and local area which most of his early lyrics were written.

There’s a moment in this show that can be argued as one of the most emotional in the band’s history. Ed makes a touching tribute to his brother before playing an incredibly powerful Long Road, but the tribute developed out of a dedication. Mike Cribier had written into the forums requesting that the band play In My Tree for his brother who tragically passed away back in 2014. Mike will join us on this episode to talk about his brother’s accident and living his final days listening to the band nonstop, the shock when Ed mentioned him by name and the addition of In My Tree as a tag on Daughter. It’s a can’t miss conversation.

Also in this show, the re-emergence of Gigaton songs that were played in a small sample size at the 2021 festival shows. Javier’s Gear Guru segment this week will focus specifically on the equipment used on this tour and how the tone impacted new songs such as Retrograde and Seven O’Clock. And of course, we will go into a lengthy discussion about the reverse Mamasan and how playing it in San Diego may have been more special than any other instance where it’s been performed.

Listen to the Episode:


Episode 213: St. Louis, MO – 9/18/2022

We’ve made it to the last episode of the year and we’re tackling the one that everyone is still raving about after 3 months – St. Louis! With Randy and John both in attendance, we’re going to relive some pretty good memories of not just the show itself, but being around friends and getting the rare opportunity to see the community come as one in person. John will relay the tale of how pessimistic he was about Ed’s voice after playing the third night in a row, while Randy shares his journey that almost took him backstage.

This show was for all types of fans; old school fans who love the Ten era days were treating to an encore of songs that were written before 1992, serious collectors got to witness a few more uncommon songs to hear these days such as Of The Girl and Sad, and then the fan who just loves the buzzsaw of a rock n roll show got exactly that. On a Sunday night set, they took the stage in great spirits and made connections with the crowd throughout the duration of the show. The crowd more than did their part for this and we’ll talk about how on top of their game they were all night, especially with a newer song like Retrograde.

We have a very special story to share in this episode as well. You may remember that Ed dedicated Sad to a woman named Debbie. Debbie is a friend of ours, and she was kind enough to share her story that led to her request. It’s a must listen.

Listen to the Episode:


Pearl Jam Stories w/ Richard Stuverud

We had a very special guest attend our annual Live On 4 Legs Holiday Party this year – Mr. Richard Stuverud joined us to talk about his dream moment playing in Pearl Jam on the live stage. It was the largest crowds that he’d ever performed in front of. We got to have a very open conversation with him about the experience and all that’s happened after, especially if his own solo career has changed since it went down.


Episode 212: Frankfurt, DEU – 6/28/2022

After Pearl Jam had to cancel the final two shows of the west coast run in May, there was a bit of a concern as to the state of the band when the European tour started in June. There were a few shows at the beginning of the tour that felt like pretty average, safe setlists. So on the fifth night of the leg, the band opened up the vault a bit and led way to fans experiencing some deeper cuts in Frankfurt. Thanks everybody for voting this in as the episode representing the Europe tour as we finish off the year recapping some of the best from 2022!

A beautiful 100+ year old building with amazing acoustics is where the band set camp for their first show in the city in 30 years. As mentioned, the big crowd moments were spread all throughout this night, and one of the biggest opened the show in Inside Job. That made way for more fan service performances such as Last Exit (being played for the first time in 2022), Fatal and In My Tree. The crowd did their part to give love back to the band as they treated this show like a big celebration. We’ll talk more about Gigaton songs, the Ukraine war and some of the songs that had an important run this year.

Question of the Week: When Pearl Jam goes with a set filled with songs more uncommon to hear than others, what songs make you gravitate to that set?

Listen to the Episode:


Episode 211: Fresno, CA – 5/16/2022

With a full year of touring finally under their belt, the last three episodes of 2022 will feature a few of the best from each leg. We start off with an interesting one that took place on the west coast leg emanating from Fresno, CA. The band was in a tough spot with Matt Cameron still being sidelined due to Covid, but sometimes unfortunate situations can breed special moments. With Josh Klinghoffer and Richard Stuverud still back behind the kit to help out, they also recruited their original drummer, Dave Krusen, to take the stage for ten (double meaning there) songs for the first time at a Pearl Jam show since 1991. This performance was like comfort food for the old time fan who loved Dave’s groove off of Ten from the time they were a teenager. They played nearly every song from the record and gave Dave his moment to shine, something that he always deserved as a founder of the band.

Drummer drama isn’t the only hurdle they had to jump in Fresno. Ed was dealing with a bout of food poisoning that he claimed to be one of the worst he’s had aside from the infamous Polo Grounds show from 1995 where Neil Young replaced him in the set. Most of the songs prove to be a challenge for Ed vocally leading to some clunky performances in the beginning. But there is a certain movie character we compare him to once Krusen steps in and Ed suddenly seems much better. Can you guess who?

Question of the week we ask here is what songs do you think that Krusen could have been a good fit on if he had stuck around for later records.

Listen to the Episode:


The Pearl Jam Backstage Experience feat. Rich and Dermott Berg

The chances of winning the lottery are nearly impossible, but most people make an attempt because the reward is so enticing. During the early part of the pandemic, Pearl Jam was helping to raise money for the All-In Challenge that battled food insecurity for kids that no longer had access to food due to schools being closed. Eddie had offered up a once in a life time experience to get to go to a show, head backstage, meet the band and help Ed pick the setlist. The band raised over a million dollars just from donations through their prize package, and the winners were Rich Berg and his son Dermott that got to live out this dream.

We invite Rich and Dermott onto the pod to discuss the story of how it all went down. From finding out that they were the winners, to heading in to Camden to meet Ed and get to join them on stage, we go through every gritty detail of the encounter. Find out what its like for Ed to prepare for every show from what type of pen Ed writes his setlists with to how many shirts Stone has in his dressing room!


Long Road: Pearl Jam And The Soundtrack Of A Generation featuring Steven Hyden

We welcome Steven Hyden back to the show to discuss his brand new book, Long Road: Pearl Jam and the Soundtrack of a Generation. We’ll break down much of the subject matter brought up in the book such as writing with the intention to appeal to both the hardcore fan and casual fan, providing stories to give perspective on the band’s history. For anyone that perceives Pearl Jam for the material they put out on Ten without context for the rest of their history, this will allow the reader to fully explain what this band’s purpose is – something that we’re no stranger to on this podcast – their live act.

Along with those themes, we discuss topics such as the strength of the fan community, what makes them always want to come back for more and Steven’s own up and down history as a fan.


Pearl Jam 2022 Tour Reaction: Ep. 32 – Denver

Sorry for the wait on this one! But hey, we had some instant reaction episodes that were released only hours before the show ended, this one needed seven days. Thanks everyone for your patience. Denver is the tour closer and it allows us some time to reflect on things that happened this year, both personally for the band and setlist wise. We put out a plea for a 2023 tour and a new album, hopefully there’s a good chance something big is on the horizon.

As for the show itself, it certainly paid homage to the long road that they were on from the time of the 2020 announcement up until it finally ending that night. There are multiple tributes to the fans, many dedications and great memories that will last from this one. We’ll talk about the future for Gigaton songs and which may have a chance to move on to the next tour consistently. And I’ll go on a heated rant about how big a piece of shit that Alex Jones is.

Hope you’ve enjoyed these! It’s a pleasure producing them for you all. Stick around to find out the next content that will be available through our Patreon very soon!


The Pearl Jam Fan Portraits Story Featuring Tanya Kang

We have a very special episode for you all today. Our good friend Tanya Kang has been taking portraits of fans at shows holding up their favorite lyrics since 2012. She has a book coming out very soon chronicling her ten years of work call I Am Mine, and she’s here to discuss the history of what she’s been doing and give you a little preview as to what’s in the book.

There is still time to donate to her Kickstarter in order to get a copy. go to http://pearljamfanportraitsbook.com by October 1st to pre-order your copy set to arrive early 2023!


Pearl Jam 2022 Tour Reaction: Ep. 31 – Oklahoma City

Sad to say it but we are not coming in live for this one. Our time on the road has come to an end, but there are two more shows that we’re ready to talk about! OKC is the penultimate show of the tour, and as Ed has said in the past it’s not the last one that you want to be at, it’s the second to last. This setlist sure proved that point.

We’ll talk about the first time Garden was ever opened with, how that and Hard To Imagine have seen a major resurgence this year, a possible swan song for some Gigaton tracks, how wild it was to see both Habit AND Alone on the same setlist, Backspacer sneaking it’s way in on it’s anniversary and… dildos.

While we weren’t there, we promised you guys a story from the road featuring my adventures acquiring a backstage pass in St. Louis. I tell the tale and look back fondly on this wonderful trip that we’ve been privileged to take and see most of you on. One more, let’s hope Denver is a good one!


Pearl Jam 2022 Tour Reaction: Ep. 30 – St. Louis

John (sans Randy, for reasons that will become clear later) is joined by some patrons and special guests for a very special TWO-PART reaction episode to breakdown everything that happened in St. Louis tonight. An epic, high-energy show with an outstanding crowd and plenty of deep cuts (Sad! Sad!!! SAD!!!!). Highlights include a ukelele getting smashed, another thunderous Retrograde, Life Wasted, Corduroy, I Am Mine, State/Breath, Black, and more! It’s the end of our run of shows but we’ll have reaction episodes for OKC and Denver the next day, so stay tuned for that. And look for much more of Randy’s story to come in the next day or so…you won’t want to miss it, trust me.


Pearl Jam 2022 Tour Reaction: Ep. 29 – Louisville

Randy and John are once again reacting live minutes after the show ended to talk about Bourbon and Beyond. From opening with Daughter, Low Light, and Off He Goes to In Hiding, Quick Escape, Garden, a stellar Not For You, and much much more. Thanks to patrons Chris Everett, Patrick Boegel, and Bradley Piasecki for joining in and commenting as well. Enjoy this and we’ll talk to you again tonight after St. Louis! #smudge #iheartspicypie


Pearl Jam 2022 Tour Reaction: Ep. 28 – Nashville

Randy and John are live outside Bridgestone Arena minutes after tonight’s Nashville show ended to talk about everything that happened, including sooo much Vitalogy, an early Black, and much much more…some of our patrons were on hand and we talk to them as well. See you in Louisville tomorrow!


Pearl Jam 2022 Tour Reaction: Ep. 27 – Camden, NJ

Randy, Matt and a host of friends chime in from the parking lot on what just went down along the Delaware River. Pearl Jam cranked out a stunner of a 27 song set as we pass the half way mark on the final leg of 2022 Gigaton Tour.


Pearl Jam 2022 Tour Reaction: Ep. 26 – Madison Square Garden

We’re back with another live instant reaction from outside MSG minutes after the show ended with Randy and Patrick from Hallucinogenic Recipe to break down everything that happened at another epic show on this tour. Opening with Release into Garden, an early Porch, and some beloved cover songs (Sonic Reducer! Chloe/Crown!), hope you’re enjoying these and thanks for continuing to support the show! Our Breath campaign didn’t come to fruition but we really appreciate everyone’s support…on to Camden!


Pearl Jam 2022 Tour Reaction: Ep. 25 – Apollo Theater

Straight from under the marquee after one of the most unique and specialized shows in the history of Pearl Jam at the legendary Apollo Theater, we get to react live to everything that happened inside. While Randy could not find his way inside the building, our good friend and Hallucinogenic Recipe host, Brian Horwitz, was lucky enough to get in and be able to tell the story. We discuss the atmosphere of the 1,500 theater, the technical difficulties that transpired, the unbearable heat inside, and some of the great stories told throughout the night. Enjoy this one!


Pearl Jam 2022 Tour Reaction: Ep. 24 – Toronto

Going old-school Patreon here to give you guys the instant reaction from outside the venue in Toronto with Randy and some friends. The show had just ended and we jumped in to record our thoughts on another great night. We got a cover we’ve never heard before, the Beatles’ Her Majesty, Rearviewmirror makes another appearance, along with a couple of Neil Young hat-tips (including a Cinnamon Girl tag not done since 2011), an aborted take on Leash, and lots of super performances. Enjoy Randy and friends LIVE from Toronto!


Pearl Jam 2022 Tour Reaction: Ep. 23 – Hamilton

Welp. We ended the last episode with a plea to get Sad to be played in Toronto after being scratched off the first two shows. However, I guess the band has better plans for my birthday present on Thursday, because Sad finally made the set tonight. It was an excellent performance, but yeah the first ten minutes of this episode is basically addressing that situation. But after I get all of my personal gripes out of the way, I have nothing but glowing things to say about this show and I’ll go out of my way to call it a top 5 show so far this year. The top 5 as far as the setlist goes was dynamite. Yellow Moon and Man Of The Hour were excellent, and Oceans was a good indication that the rules were kind of out the window on this night. We get to talk about the impressive set, a concern for Stone and any and all plans for a birthday celebration in Toronto! Hope to see you there!