Pearl Jam Welcomes Skerik, Chad Smith, Big Sam & More At New Orleans Jazz Fest In 2016

Pearl Jam was among the headliners at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in 2016. The band ended their performance at the Fairgrounds on April 23, 2016 by bringing out a number of guests during their second encore including saxophonist Skerik, trombonist Big Sam Williams and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith. Fan-shot video of the entire 25-song performance serves as today’s Full Show Friday selection on what should be the Friday of the first weekend of Jazz Fest 2020.

The Seattle rockers opened with “State Of Love & Trust” and then offered the tour debut of “Arms Aloft” by Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros complete with a lyric variation to “Arms Aloft in New Orleans.” Pearl Jam then rolled through material from throughout their career including the tour debuts of “God’s Dice” and “In Hiding” as well as classics “Even Flow,” “Corduroy,” “Daughter” and “Porch.”

For the first encore, Pearl Jam treated festivalgoers to a six-song run of “Go,” “Inside Job,” “Given To Fly,” “Lightning Bolt,” “Better Man,” “Do The Evolution” and “Alive.” Eddie Vedder and company were then augmented by a horn section consisting of Skerik, Big Sam, trombonist Carly Meyers and trumpeter Drew Baham for a cover of The Who’s “The Real Me” to kick off the second encore. Pearl Jam hadn’t performed the song from Quadrophenia since October 1, 2014. Finally, the band wrapped up their appearance by covering Neil Young’s “Rockin’ In The Free World” with Smith, Skerik and Kings Of Leon’s Nathan Followill. Chad Smith played drums while Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron moved to guitar.

Watch fan-shot video of the entire performance shared by Leo Vedder:

Setlist

Set: State Of Love And Trust, Arms Aloft, Mind Your Manners, Gods’ Dice, Setting Forth, Corduroy, Nothingman, In Hiding, Even Flow, Sirens, Unthought Known, Long Road, Daughter, Of The Earth, Last Exit, Porch

Encore: Go, Inside Job, Given To Fly, Lightning Bolt, Better Man, Do The Evolution, Alive

Encore 2: The Real Me (w/ Skerik on sax, Drew Baham on trumpet, and Carly Meyers and Big Sam on trombone), Rockin’ In The Free World (w/ Chad Smith & Nathan Followill)