Eddie Vedder Revisits Nine Inch Nails Classic In Kyoto

Eddie Vedder arrived in Kyoto on Friday for the penultimate stop on his first solo tour of Japan. The Pearl Jam frontman delivered a cover of Nine Inch Nails' “Hurt” for the first time in eight years early towards the beginning of his concert at ROHM Theatre Kyoto.

Vedder made his Japan solo debut at Nagoya’s NTK Hall last week, where he treated the audience to a breakout Pearl Jam deep track among other favorites. Ed then headed to Osaka where he delivered choice cuts from Neil Young, Bob Dylan and Pete Townshend. To begin his show in Kyoto on Friday, Vedder covered Yusuf / Cat Stevens‘ “Don’t Be Shy.”

Following Pearl Jam’s “Long Road,” Vedder performed Nine Inch Nails’ classic “Hurt” for the first time since 2018. The Grammy-nominated song appearing on NIN’s 1994 album The Downward Spiral was also famously recorded by Johnny Cash in 2002, prompting NIN’s Trent Reznor to say, “that song isn’t mine anymore.”

In Kyoto, Eddie Vedder performed “Hurt” more in the vein of Cash’s version. The show also saw a breakout of Charlie Chaplin‘ “Smile,” a song the Hollywood legend composed for his 1936 film Modern Times, and also covers from Tom Petty (“I Won’t Back Down”) and Glen Hansard (“Song Of Good Hope”). Following the latter, the Pearl Jam frontman wrapped the main set with PJ’s “Porch.”

To kick off the first encore, Vedder fielded a fan request for John Lennon's “Imagine.” Pearl Jam favorite “Corduroy” and ‘ “Hard Sun” followed before Ed returned for a second time to seal the show with a take on Victoria Williams’ “Crazy Mary.”

Listen to Eddie Vedder’s full solo show in Kyoto below via Sons of Johnnie LeMaster: