Pearl Jam Shouts Out Former Drummer Ahead Of 22-Year Bust Out At Ride Festival In Telluride

Seattle rockers Pearl Jam have played many places on nearly every continent over the past 25 years, but finally crossed performing in Telluride off their bucket list last night. The band played a set that was heavy on rarities and covers on Saturday at The Ride Festival in Telluride’s Town Park including a huge bust out and a debut.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BHqbUArBsyE

The band began their two-and-a-half hour performance with staples “Nothingman” and “Pendulum.” Frontman Eddie Vedder then discussed the beautiful locale saying, “it doesn’t get better than this.” Following a run of “Thin Air,” “Sleeping By Myself,” “Off He Goes” and “Just Breathe,” Vedder told the crowd “Some of you may know that this next song doesn’t get played much and some of you may not. It was written by the guy who was our drummer Dave Abruzzese, we wish him well.” With that, Pearl Jam performed perhaps the biggest bust out in terms of gap between performances with “Angel.” The song was last played March 13, 1994, a gap of more than 22 years and exactly 700 shows. As if that wasn’t enough, next up was the first-ever full band version of “Society” – a song by Jerry Hannan that Vedder recorded for Into The Wild.

“Low Light” was up next and afterwards Eddie asked the crowd to clean up after themselves so that Pearl Jam would be invited back to Telluride. Later in the set Vedder mentioned there was a Pearl Jam Karaoke contest in town a few days earlier and welcomed the two female winners of the contest to sing portions of “Daughter.” Following the 20-song main set Pearl Jam unveiled the evening’s third and final bust out – “Santa Cruz.” The band issued “Santa Cruz” as its Ten Club single in 2008 and hadn’t performed the track since October 23, 2010. PJ’s lengthy encore also included such favorites as “Black, “Alive” and “Yellow Ledbetter” along with covers of Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down,” Victoria Williams’ “Crazy Mary” and “Comfortably Numb” by Pink Floyd.

Next up for Pearl Jam is a set at the Pemberton Festival in British Columbia later this month as well as a series of August stadium shows at Fenway Park in Boston and Wrigley Field in Chicago.

Watch Pearl Jam perform “Angel” for the first time in 22 years as shot by rb1229:

Here’s the full band debut of “Society” captured by Brosef Wilson: