Pearl Jam entered the stage at Marvel Stadium to an almost sold-out crowd. It’s hot and humid, and the crowd is ready to rock. Eddie Vedder is here and ready to entertain the crowd as the band takes their position. The band came out to a red back lit stage, and all you could see were silhouettes from “Release” from Ten.
Pearl Jam is embarking on a World Tour promoting their new album Dark Matter. It’s been seven years since Pearl Jam toured Australia, with Vedder professing it’s been too long. We last saw Pearl Jam at the BIG Day Out in 2014. Tonight being the first time seeing Pearl Jam live, I am still on a high and thrilled to see them perform their new songs live. One thing that Pearl Jam does is that each set list is different; you never know what they will perform, which is a nice surprise and unexpected.
Pearl Jam opened their set with “Why Go,” which had everyone in the crowd singing along. At different points throughout the night, the crowd did not stop singing to every song Pearl Jam played, with Vedder raising the microphone and encouraging the crowd to sing.
One of the highlights during the night was a cover version of Van Halen’s “Evolution” with Pearl Jam putting their own sound to an already great song.
As an encore, we were treated to a cover version of Neil Young’s “Rockin In The Free World,” which is predominantly the theme of the Dark Matter album.
In the words of the great Molly Meldrum, if you get a chance “Do yourself a favour and go see this guy, in one word amazing, I hope it isn’t such a long wait before we get to see them again.
Pearl Jam, Marvel Stadium Melbourne, 16 November 2024
Why Go (from Ten, 1991)
Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town (from Vs. 1993)
Given to Fly (from Yield, 1998)
Hail, Hail (from No Code, 1996)
Corduroy (from Vitology, 1994)
React, Respond (from Dark Matter, 2024)
Dark Matter (from Dark Matter, 2024)
Eruption (Van Halen cover)
Wreckage (from Dark Matter, 2024)
Garden (from Ten, 1991)
Even Flow (from Ten, 1991)
In My Tree (from No Code, 1996)
Running (from Dark Matter, 2024)
Jeremy (from Ten, 1991)
Wishlist (from Yield, 1998)
Not for You (from Vitalogy, 1994)
Mind Your Manners (from Lightning Bolt, 2013)
Porch (from Ten, 1991)
Encore:
Just Breathe (from Backspacer, 2009)
Inside Job (from Pearl Jam, 2006)
Do the Evolution (from Yield, 1998)
Better Man (from Vitalogy, 1994)
State of Love and Trust (from Singles soundtrack, 1991)
Alive (from Ten, 1991)
Rockin’ in the Free World (Neil Young cover)
Yellow Ledbetter (b-side of Jeremy, 1992)
