Pearl Jam are no stranger to covers. For decades, the Seattle veterans have peppered their epic setlists by adding their own spin on classics as obvious as Neil Young or The Who to more obscurities like The White Stripes or the Frozen soundtrack.
On Friday night, however, the band went nuts with covers during their second Home Show at Seattle’s Safeco Field, paying tribute to loved ones who have since fallen and inviting out a who’s who of grunge icons for magnanimous assists.
Among the many highlights was their spirited cover of Chris Cornell’s “Missing”, an ultra-deep cut that dates back to Cornell’s rare 1992 five-song Poncier EP that featured work for Cameron Crowe’s Singles.
Later on, Eddie Vedder came out alone to kick off the night’s first encore with an incredibly emotional rendition of Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down”. Prior to the performance, Vedder spent a few minutes reminiscing about his time with the late rock legend, confessing that the last time he had seen him perform was at Safeco Field last summer.
“We have his songs forever,” Vedder insisted, “and if there’s some kind of way he’s out and about, up there metaphysically in some kind of way, I feel like I … just really want to get his attention … and tell him I miss him.” Fighting back tears, Vedder asked if everyone could sing along and hold up their phones, and as you can see below, they obliged.
Next came a series of assists by Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil, who laid into MC5’s “Kick Out the Jams,” The Stooges’ “Search and Destroy”, and The Dead Boys’ “Sonic Reducer”, the latter two also featuring Mudhoney’s Mark Arm and Steve Turner.
Peep the full setlist below and stay tuned for further coverage.
Setlist:
Oceans
Footsteps
Nothingman
Why Go
Brain of J.
Interstellar Overdrive (Pink Floyd cover)
Corduroy
Rats
In Hiding
Whipping
Even Flow
Missing (Chris Cornell cover)
Daughter (with “W.M.A” and “It’s Ok” tag)
Immortality
I’m Open
Unthought Known
Can’t Deny Me
Do the Evolution
Lukin
Porch
Encore:
I Won’t Back Down (Tom Petty cover) (EV solo)
Thin Air
All or None
Better Man (with “Save It for Later” by English Beat tag)
Crown of Thorns (Mother Love Bone cover)
Kick Out the Jams (MC5 cover) (with Kim Thayil)
Spin the Black Circle
Rearviewmirror (with “Fernando” (ABBA) snippet)
Encore 2:
Crazy Mary (Victoria Williams cover)
Jeremy
Leash
Search and Destroy (Iggy and The Stooges cover) (With Kim Thayil, Steve Turner, and Mark Arm)
Sonic Reducer (Dead Boys cover) (With Kim Thayil, Steve Turner, and Mark Arm)
Alive
Baba O’Riley (The Who cover)
Yellow Ledbetter