Pearl Jam Busts Out ‘Hold On’ By Request, After 3 Years, In Raleigh

Pearl Jam brought the Spring 2025 leg of their Dark Matter Tour to Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina on Sunday. Eddie Vedder and company made good on a three-year-old fan request, performing “Hold On” for the first time in seven years.

“Hold On” appears on Pearl Jam’s 2003 compilation Lost Dogs. The double disc compiles several Pearl Jam B-sides and rarities. “Hold On” certainly falls in the latter category as PJ has performed the song just six times since first playing it in concert in 2009, as per SetlistFM stats.

Pearl Jam did not perform “Hold On” in 2022, when fans Dermott and Richie requested the tune. The request did not slip through the cracks however, as Eddie Vedder explained in Raleigh on Sunday.

“The first time we were asked to play this was in 2022 and I don’t know why it didn’t happen then. Maybe we’re just assholes,” Ed joked. “But if you give us enough time, we’ll make good. This is for a guy named Dermott and a guy called Richie. And we want to thank them for their patience.

“They asked for this song a long, long time ago. And the thing is, it might be a rarity, it might be a B-side, it might be a lost dog. Because the majority of the people will not know what the fuck is going on. But I realize tonight, that if we play this request, it’s guaranteed that at least two people will know it and be very excited.”

Watch Pearl Jam perform “Hold On” for the first time since 2018 below:

PJ kicked off the Raleigh concert with “Release,” the closer off their ridiculously good 1991 debut album Ten. The main set also saw the band performing additional Ten standouts “Even Flow” and “Jeremy.”

The band also offered four tracks off their most recent studio album, Dark Matter, including the title track, “Scared of Fear,” “Wreakage” and “Upper Hand.” Pearl Jam wrapped the main set with Ten’s “Porch.” Additional favorites perfomred included “Corduroy,” “Do The Evolution” and “Daughter.”

The seven-song encore got underway with Vedder, along with touring members guitarist Josh Klinghoffer and keyboardist Boom Gaspar, performing “Just Breathe.” The encore also included Ten’s “Alive” and a cover of The Who’s “Baba O’Riley.” Pearl Jam concluded the concert with “Indifference” from their 1993 LP, Vs.

Pearl Jam returns to Lenovo Center on Tuesday (May 13) followed by two more remaining shows on the books in Pittsburgh. Find the band’s schedule and ticket info below.