Pearl Jam Debuts White Stripes Cover & Welcomes Brandi Carlile In Seattle

Pearl Jam returned home to Seattle on Wednesday night for the first of two shows at Safeco Field to start a short U.S. Tour. Eddie Vedder & Co. last played their hometown way back in 2013 and made Wednesday’s concert count with rarities, a cover debut, a guest appearance and plenty of staples. The pair of concerts are also charitable affairs as over $11 million has been raised thus far to fight homelessness in Seattle as per KOMO.

Wednesday’s “Home Show” began with the “Long Road” and Ten favorite “Release.” Vedder greeted the crowd after a run of “Low Light,” “Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town” and “Corduroy.” He talked about their first shows in Seattle and the monies being raised. Shortly thereafter came the evening’s initial surprise as Pearl Jam dusted off a cover of Neil Young’s “Throw Your Hatred Down,” which had been shelved since April 29, 2016. PJ backed Young on the studio version for his 1995 studio album Mirror Ball.

The next rarity came a few songs later with the return of Yield classic “All Those Yesterdays.” A raging “Even Flow” followed before the band used a portion of “Help!” by the Beatles to lead into their own “Help Help.” Last night’s 19-song main set concluded with the beloved “Black,” Vedder’s solo gem “Setting Forth,” a fast version of Little Steven’s “I Am A Patriot” and “Porch.”

When Pearl Jam returned to the stage, Vedder took a moment to address the crowd. “We were just talking about what songs we want to play and I feel like a waiter with too many tables. I want to make sure everyone’s happy.” He then discussed the kids in the crowd and noted the band has 10 children between them. Eddie shouted out the important role both parents and teachers play and went on bring out some of his kids’ favorite teachers to stand by as he performed the Pearl Jam debut of “We’re Going To Be Friends” by The White Stripes. Vedder dedicated the song to both the teachers and “my friend Jack.”

Eddie welcomed Washington-native Brandi Carlile to the stage later in the first encore. He introduced her as “a great friend of the band and one of Barack Obama’s favorites.” Carlile then joined Pearl Jam for a rendition of her own “Again Today.” Pearl Jam contributed a studio version of the song to the 2017 tribute album Cover Stories. Last night’s first encore ended with the pairing of “State Of Love & Trust” and “Rearviewmirror.” The band said farewell with a seven-song second encore heavy on covers. Pearl Jam fit in originals “Wasted Reprise,” “Better Man,” “Alive” and “Yellow Ledbetter” with Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb,” the Beatles’ “I’ve Got A Feeling” and “Rockin’ In The Free World” by Neil Young.

Pearl Jam returns to Safeco Field on Friday night.

Watch a series of fan-shot videos captured by mfc172 below:

[We’re Going To Be Friends]

[Again Today w/ Brandi Carlile]

[Help / Help, Help]

[Release]

[I Am A Patriot]

[Throw Your Hatred Down]