Eddie Vedder Pulls Out Neil Young, Bob Dylan & Pete Townshend Covers In Osaka

Eddie Vedder resumed his first solo tour since 2019 on Thursday at Festival Hall in Osaka. The Pearl Jam frontman continued to mine the Pearl Jam catalog for long-lost gems and dusted off a series of three classic rock covers that had gone unplayed since 2018 and 2019.

Each concert takes on extra importance for Pearl Jam fans as the four-show run may be the only time Vedder hits the road in 2026. Pearl Jam has laid low since longtime drummer Matt Cameron announced his departure from the band last July after 27 years behind the kit. Guitarist Mike McCready recently revealed in an interview that Pearl Jam doesn't have anything planned this year.

Last night, Eddie Vedder immediately diverged from the setlist for the tour opener in Nagoya. He kicked off the evening in Osaka by covering Cat Stevens’ “Trouble” and Tom Petty’s “Wildflowers” before serving up his first performance of Pearl Jam deep cut “Dead Man” in nearly seven years.

The first surprise cover of the night came a few songs later when Vedder delivered his first version of Neil Young’s “The Needle And The Damage Done” since 2019. He then worked through more Pearl Jam and solo tracks ahead of reviving his take on “Let My Love Open The Door,” a Pete Townshend classic last played in 2019. Seven years ago was also when Vedder most recently performed the subsequent No Code standout “I’m Open.”

Eddie Vedder loaded the end of his set with Pearl Jam classics, including “Wishlist,” “Corduroy,” “Better Man” and “Porch.” Vedder returned to launch the encore by busting out the Bob Dylan anti-war anthem “Masters Of War,” which had gone missing from setlists for eight years. He then covered Indio’s “Hard Sun” and said farewell with his first performance of No Code’s “Around The Bend” since 2019.

The tour, Vedder’s first solo trek in Japan, concludes on Monday, April 20 with a concert at the Tokyo Garden Theater in Tokyo. Pearl Jam currently do not have any dates on the books.

Stream an audience recording of Eddie Vedder’s concert in Osaka shared on YouTube by Sons Of Johnnie LeMaster: