Photo by David Brendan Hall
It’s Pearl Jam Week here at Consequence of Sound — though don’t tell that to the band. They’re far more interested in celebrating their musical contemporaries. During their two-night stand at Wrigley Field over the weekend, Eddie Vedder and co. unfurled a bevy of covers — including The Beatles’ “Rain”, Ramones’ “I Believe in Miracles”, Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” and “Interstellar Drive”, Cheap Trick’s “Surrender”, Wayne Cochran’s “Last Kiss”, and Hunters & Collectors’ “Throw Your Arms Around Me”.
During the rare instances when they actually played their own music, Pearl Jam did so in tribute others. On Monday night, on what would have been Layne Staley’s 49th birthday, the band performed “Man of the Hour” in honor of the Alice in Chains/Mad Season frontman.
Meanwhile, on Saturday night, Pearl Jam took a moment to recognize The Tragically Hip with a performance of “Light Years” in their honor. The Tragically Hip’s frontman, Gord Downie, was recently diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, and the band was playing their final show that same evening up in Kingston, Ontario.
For more from Pearl Jam’s visit to Chicago, read Editor-in-Chief Michael Roffman and Editorial Director Matt Melis’ ranking of the 10 Best Moments from Saturday’s concert.