Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder & Jeff Ament Break Out ‘Bee Girl’ At 2nd Raleigh Show

Pearl Jam finished up a two-show run at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina on Tuesday. The encore got underway with frontman Eddie Vedder and bassist Jeff Ament breaking out “Bee Girl.”

Pearl Jam last performed “Bee Girl” exactly three years prior to last night’s Raleigh concert, as per Setlist.FM stats. There’s an interesting story behind the song as Eddie Vedder and Jeff Ament were inspired to write it about Heather DeLoach, who famously portrayed a girl dressed as a bee in Blind Melon’s iconic 1993 video for “No Rain.” The song urges “Bee Girl” to eschew fame and just be a girl.

“We’re thinking of all the strong, powerful women out there,” Vedder said ahead of the song. “And all the strong powerful men it takes, it takes a strong man to be okay with supporting a strong woman. Give them the freedom, the strength, the voice and the paycheck. This song’s called ‘Bee Girl.’”

While Ament usually handles the low end in PJ, he accompanied Vedder on acoustic guitar. Watch the duo perform “Bee Girl” below:

The second night in Raleigh was an eventful one. Kicking off with “Setting Sun” off their most recent studio album, Dark Matter, the band also slotted in the album’s “Waiting For Stevie,” in honor of the iconic musician’s 75th birthday. PJ also nodded to North Carolina with a debut of the James Taylor classic “Carolina In My Mind.”

Following the “Bee Girl” performance, the full band offered favorites such as “Black,” “Better Man” and “Alive.” Pearl Jam then welcomed openers Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers for covers of the Eddie Holland Motown classic “Leaving Here” (also recorded by Motörhead) and Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” to seal the show.

The Spring 2025 leg of Pearl Jam’s Dark Matter Tour concludes with two nights in Pittsburgh on May 16 and 18. Find ticket info below.