Photos and Review by Max Stewart

Pearl Jam no doubt have a seat at the table of best alternative rock bands of all time, and likely best American bands of all time. Gaining popularity in the 90s wave of Seattle musicians, their music has shifted stylistically but always at its core been authentic rock ‘n’ roll.

As a fan who has grown up with their music since I was in middle school, and last saw them in Atlanta in 2003, the show at State Farm Arena was quite special. The band has a storied history in Atlanta, seemingly making the recently-demolished Southern Tracks Studio in Atlanta a second home for a while, doing sessions for Vs. (1993), Vitalogy (1994), Yield (1998), and Backspacer (2009) in the studio with famed producer Brendan O’Brien.

Singer Eddie Vedder remembered playing a place in the ATL neighborhood of Little Five Points called The Point (now Clothing Warehouse). “We’ve spent a lot of time recording, we’ve spent a lot of time making records here with a guy named Brendan O’Brien. We have a lot of great memories and we have some tough ones too. So I guess want to say that I’ve been getting a great vibe from you tonight and it really means a lot to us to come back. Thank you Georgia!”

As is typical for Pearl Jam shows, the night featured some expected hit singles with intermixed deep cuts. The band has been great about sprinkling in rarely heard songs to their live shows and having large instrumental breaks, a la a band like the Grateful Dead. It was incredible seeing “Can’t Keep” off of 2002’s Riot Act start the show, as it was also played when I last saw the band in Atlanta in 7th grade. Some of many highlights of the show were also “Not For You”, “Given to Fly”, “In Hiding”, and always epic and Mike McCready riff-filled, “Alive”. It was awesome to also see Stone Gossard get many lead guitar parts throughout the show as well. Vedder spent a moment to congratulate drummer Matt Cameron, who was just announced to be inducted to Rock n Roll Hall of Fame for a second time with his other band Soundgarden.

I attended the show alongside a good friend and former high school bandmate who reminesced on the show: “It wasn’t just an epic show, but also a full-circle experience for me. Growing up, my buddies and I had a band rocking out to Pearl Jam tunes in the basement of my family’s Atlanta home. Jeff Ament wearing a, Atlanta Hawks Mookie Blaylock jersey (as a nod to the band’s original name), Eddie Vedder saluting Hank Aaron, and reminiscing about recording here — to hear the love for ATL come out in such a passionate performance — I’ll remember for a lifetime.”

We certainly hope that Pearl Jam won’t wait another 13 years for their next stop in town!