Top Ten Pearl Jam Moments of 2024, #1

 #1, DARK MATTER

I was going to start this post with a "duh," but oddly enough, we've only featured one Pearl Jam album as a Top Ten Moment on the year it released.  It was fun to remember a time when Pearl Jam shows were so amazing that they outshined the actual album they were touring to support.

Moving on!  Dark Matter.  Pearl Jam won the promotion game in 2023.  Announced in February and released in April, Pearl Jam used Dark Matter as a vehicle to keep us absolutely amped for the band.  Starting with a midnight release of the first single which had us all up past our bedtimes listening to one hell of a first single.

Then Pearl Jam rolled out more snippets of the album via social media, gave us another midnight release for Running, played the album in record stores, released it with visualization videos in movie theaters, mixed an HD and Dolby Atmos version the album, and then in April, released the album on THIRTEEN different colored vinyl variations (14 if you count black, 15 if you count a later, lenticular release).

And then, the music.  "Best album since Yield" was a phrase so commonly used that some of our phones suggested the phrase as soon as we typed the B and the E.  For their twelfth album, Pearl Jam tapped Earthling producer, Andrew Watt. Watt has been a long time fan of the band and he also marks the first time Pearl Jam has shared this much space on an album with their producer.  Watt even has writing credits on most songs.

Fans have been absolutely giddy about how good this album sounds and the message of hope that is weaved throughout.  Almost a year out, and most fans can't articulate their favorite song.  Waiting For Stevie, which sonically harkens back to Ten?  Wreckage which is the easy sing-a-long favorite in shows?  Setting Sun, whose mournful tone brough a close to most of the early shows on this tour?  It can't be done.

We'll keep listening. Thumbing through a gatefold and lyric book full of gorgeous light photography by Alexandr Gnezdilov which found its way onto a gigantic screen at every Pearl Jam show care of Rob Sheridan. Or, we'll be at the shows, since we've got one more shot at an American tour this summer, we'll keep trying to nail down our favorites.  And who knows, maybe we'll see you on the road for one of the Top Ten Pearl Jam Moments of 2025!

Credit: Rob Sheridan

Top Ten Pearl Jam Moments of 2024, #2

 #2, I AM NO GUIDE

Really, this should be #1, but Stip is making me exert some modesty.  There MIGHT have been one thing in the Pearl Jam world more important than the book we wrote together, which takes you on a wild ride through the lives of Pearl Jam via the music and lyrics that they've put out over the course of 34 years.

I Am No Guide: Pearl Jam Song-By-Song breaks down each song on each studio album and follows the evolution of Pearl Jam from angsty newcomers who can barely hold their shit together to the surviving elder statesmen of grunge rock.  All along the way, we provide performances of each song for you to seek out and grow your fandom.

Our friends in England have been reading this book for a couple of months now, and the current date for our American fans is January 21st, so if you haven't pre-ordered it yet, there is still time!  If you super can't wait, check out our Guided Tour series, which although incomplete and unedited, was the impetus for our book.

In our heart, this is a Volume One, and if Two comes soon, it might make another year's list!

Top Ten Pearl Jam Moments of 2024, #3

 #3, SAVE IT FOR LATER and ROOM AT THE TOP

Pearl Jam albums are obviously the gold standard, but it is always exciting to get little snippets of new music unexpectedly dropped in our lap, Save It For Later, originally by The English Beat, and Room At The Top, originally by Tom Petty.

Over the summer, Eddie released a couple of covers for television that we can't get enough of.  Despite the art for Save It For Later being an 45, both are only available via the shows they were recorded for or Spotify.

Save It For Later made a great resurgence as a Betterman tag this tour based on this amazing single which also features a uncredited saxophone solo.  First sax on a Pearl Jam song?  Maybe!

Room At The Top didn't make a Pearl Jam debut, but it IS the sort of thing we can probably expect the next time Ed hits the road solo or with the Earthlings.  2026?

Top Ten Pearl Jam Moments of 2024, #4

#4, THE TOUR

Credit: Geoff Whitman

The Tour, could be said to be multiple moments, all the moments really ... and of course, others have made that argument.

Having sat out 2019, Pearl Jam made the pain of COVID so much worse, as the lock down resulted in a paultry 4 shows over the course of 3 years.  They've since tried to make up for that in 2022 with their Gigaton Tour and a little road trip in 2023, but this is the year they really spread their wings again.

Pearl Jam played all over the US across two legs with a European leg in the middle and an Australian leg at the end, and when all was said and done, they announced more shows in the American South for 2025.

With shorter shows than the 2010s, fans may not be getting the same volume of Pearl Jam, but the band is making sure we get the quality.  Starting off with a lot of Dark Matter really roped fans into the new album, but by the end of the tour, Pearl Jam was feeding in all sorts of rarities like Out of My Mind, Inside Job, and Long Road, even debuting Gremmie Out of Control and Whale Song (with Jack Irons) at Ohana.

Moment #4 is moment after moment, and different moments for every fan, but before the year is up, we needed to recognize how amazing a year of live Pearl Jam shows can be.

Top Ten Pearl Jam Moments of 2024, #5

 #5, DARK MATTER ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS

Pearl Jam is no stranger to topping the charts, but Dark Matter is a return to the Billboard charts after a bit of a hiatus.  The first single from the album by the same name hit #1 on Billboard's Rock & Alternative chart.  That chart has only existed since 2009, and it's Pearl Jam's best spot since The Fixer and Brother, both of which were on that chart in its debut year.

Honestly, Billboard's charting system is complex, but Dark Matter hit the top spot on their Mainstream Rock Airplay chart for the first time since Given to Fly.  

The album itself spent time at #1 on five Billboard charts (Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums, Top Alternative Albums, and Top Hard Rock Albums).

As for our "moment" of 2024, Pearl Jam put out four singles from Dark Matter, which hit the following spots on Billboard.  These represent some of Pearl Jam's best showings since the 90s.

Dark Matter: #1 on Mainstream Rock Airplay and Rock & Alternative and Hot Hard Rock Songs
Running: #9 Hot Hard Rock Songs
Wreckage: #1 on Hot Hard Rock Songs and Mainstream Rock Airplay
Waiting For Stevie: #12 on Mainstream Rock Airplay and #11 on Hot Hard Rock Songs

Top Ten Pearl Jam Moments of 2024, #6

 #6, THE HOWARD STERN & ZANE LOWE INTERVIEWS

In the lead up to Dark Matter's release Pearl Jam sat down with Howard Stern for a satellite interview to discuss their relationships and history, and to play a few songs from the new album.  We got stories from Ten and Vitalogy and some of the band members' pre-Pearl Jam experiences.  More importantly, we got some of our first performances of Scared of Fear and Running (as well as Yellow Ledbetter and Daughter).  

The interview originally aired on Howard Stern's SiriusXM show, but you can view nearly all of it via a YouTube playlist.

A couple of days later, Pearl Jam gave DJ Zane Lowe and AppleTV a tour of their headquarters, a building that most fans haven't seen which houses their own studio, a warehouse of collectibles, a batting cage, basketball court, a skate ramp, and all their charitable business.  It also included clips of songs from the new album, but the stories about how the band use the new building and how they recorded the album Dark Matter with Andrew Watt take spotlight.  It's a must watch for any fan itching to go deeper than the music.

Watching these interviews was, for many of us, a major highlight of 2024.

Top Ten Pearl Jam Moments of 2024, #7

 #7, GRAMMY NOMINATIONS

Stone is famously unimpressed by Grammys, but the band was nominated for a pair this year, Best Rock Album for Dark Matter and Best Rock Performance for Dark Matter (the song).

We won't know if Pearl Jam will win their second Grammy until February 2025, but if they do, you can certainly bet this one will come back up on next year's list.

Watch this spot!

Top Ten Pearl Jam Moments of 2024, #8

 #8, LOOSEGROOVE RECORDS

Stone Gossard's record label, Loosegroove Records had an absolutely awesome year this year, and that's saying a lot given that they dropped a new Brad album and a reissue of their debut last year.  My particular favorite was the Record Store Day release, House of LSGRV, a sampler of their greatest artists, and it is chock full of Pearl Jam influence.  

Stone remixed a Tigercub song, Show Me My Maker, with Josh Evans who also remixed 3 other songs.  Stone recorded a song, The Message, with Ani DiFranco.  There's an unreleased Brad song, The Happiness I Need, and a Painted Shield song, Testify.  Lastly, a cover of Present Tense by Brittany Davis that absolutely rivals the original.

So, yeah, that's a big moment, but let's add on the release of Painted Shield 3, Stone's collaboration with Mason Jennings (also on House of LSGRV), Brittany Davis, Matt Chamberlain, and Jeff Felder.  It was a strong release from a group obviously keeping each other sharp when they're away from their main projects.

The label maintains a store on their website.  There's even a "first-time-on-vinyl" release of Shawn Smith's Shield of Thorns that you can pick up there as well as all their other great artists.

Top Ten Pearl Jam Moments of 2024, #9

 #9, SKIN YARD SELECT

Skin Yard is probably not the most popular band featuring a member of Pearl Jam (Would you call that a side project?  That feels insulting, especially when the band pre-dates Pearl Jam by half a decade.), but this box of singles spanning the band's career and featuring all of their drummers, including Matt Cameron, is simply gorgeous.

If you missed this one, it's not too late, you can still pick up a copy in pink or red vinyl from the label.  Check out our original article about it.  Whether you pick this up or not, make sure you go back to Spotify and check out Skin Yard, they're better than you remember.

Top Ten Pearl Jam Moments of 2024, #10

 #10, ED DOESN'T CHANGE HIS SHIRT FOR SIX MONTHS

Sydney, Credit: Geoff Whitman

Our first Most Pearl Jam Moment of 2024 is Ed's Walter Payton jersey.  It was worn for every show ... nearly every show ... maybe every show ... he wore it a lot.  Sorry, we saved all our research for our book.  The band played 37 shows this year and there are pictures of every show on their website.

The fact is, Pearl Jam concerts are 80% about the music and 20% about figuring out why Ed likes that jersey so much.  Is it because he's a Chicago fan?  Was it because Trump was convicted of 34 felonies?  Is it because 2024 was Pearl Jam's 34th year as a band?  Was he getting ready for Payton's son, Marshall, to visit the stage in Chicago?

It was probably all of those things, but frankly we were talking.  Were we also talking about the hat?  Well, yes, but we'll call that an honorable mention.  He's clearly supermanning those with a whole collection of them behind Matt's drumkit.

Portland, Credit: Geoff Whitman

Indianapolis, Credit: Geoff Whitman

Happy Birthday, Eddie Vedder!

 

Credit: Geoff Whitman

Pearl Jam Announces Their 2025 Tour

 

Pearl Jam just barely finished up their Dark Matter Tour in Australia, and they dropped news this afternoon that they're hitting the road again in 2025!  They'll be back in Florida for the first time since 2016, North Carolina for the first time since 2013, and Georgia for the first time in 2012 (accuracy of those dates, not guaranteed).  They'll also be in Nashville and Pittsburgh.  Two shows in each city!

The Ten Club should have an e-mail with details on the pre-sale and Ticketaster's Artist Presale (aka Verified Fan) starts next week on the 13th.

April 24 | Hollywood, FL | Hard Rock Live

April 26 | Hollywood, FL | Hard Rock Live

April 29 | Atlanta, GA | State Farm Arena

May 1 | Atlanta, GA | State Farm Arena

May 6 | Nashville, TN | Bridgestone Arena

May 8 | Nashville, TN | Bridgestone Arena

May 11 | Raleigh, NC | Lenovo Center

May 13 | Raleigh, NC | Lenovo Center

May 16 | Pittsburgh, PA | PPG Paints Arena

May 18 | Pittsburgh, PA | PPG Paints Arena