Pearl Jam Braves Storms For Wrigley Field Debut In 2013

On Wednesday night Phish began their Summer Tour with their debut performance at St. Paul’s Xcel Energy Center and tonight they’ll make their first-ever appearance at Wrigley Field for the first of two shows at the historic Chicago ballpark. For this week’s Full Show Friday the focus turns to another band’s debut at the Friendly Confines, the notorious July 19, 2013 rain-drenched concert held by Pearl Jam.

It was a big night for music in Chicago that summer night in 2013, the Pitchfork Music Festival was taking place at Union Park, Phish was playing at the outdoor Northerly Island pavilion and Pearl Jam was setting up at near the corner of Waveland and Sheffield to play at the home of frontman Eddie Vedder’s beloved Cubs. Severe storms rolled into the Windy City that night, forcing an evacuation of Pitchfork Fest and the abrupt end to Phish’s show after just two songs in the second set.

Pearl Jam’s concert at Wrigley Field was also interrupted by the nasty weather, causing a more than two hour and 30 minute rain delay after the seventh song of the main set. Vedder and the band returned once the storms had subsided and preceded to play nearly 30 additional songs including the live debut of “Lightning Bolt” and Vedder’s solo belting of his Cubs anthem “All The Way.” By 2:00 a.m. the closing notes of “Rockin’ In The Free World” signalled the end to a marathon show that remains the lone time PJ has taken the stage in front of the iconic bleachers and trademark green ivy below.

Audience-shot full show footage of the hot and soggy night in Chicago was posted by tdunski, watch here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ns1qx02CfA

Pearl Jam returns to Wrigley Field for a two-night stand on August 20 and 22.