Pearl Jam returned to Nashville on May 6, 2025, and turned Bridgestone Arena into a cathedral of pure grunge rock energy, nostalgia, and soul. After more than 3 decades into their career, the Seattle legends proved once again why they’re still one of the most vital live acts on the planet with fans from all over the world, not because they’re trying to relive the glory days, but because they continue to evolve while honoring everything that’s brought them here.
The night kicked off with the Australian punk outfit Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, who brought sass, grit, and a healthy dose of youthful chaos to the stage, delivering an high-energy set. Their short but raw performance had the crowd on their feet and ready to rock the night a way. Their sound was a little rough around the edges in the best way, which added to the punk undertones of the all-female lineup. Their set felt like a perfect palate cleanser before the main event.
When the lights dimmed for Pearl Jam, the cheers from the audience was deafening. From the moment Eddie Vedder walked on stage, he had the crowd in the palm of his hand. The band opened with a somber version of “Indifference” which set the emotional tone for the night. What makes a Pearl Jam show so special is their ability to shift between iconic grunge rock anthems and intimate, heart-wrenching ballads without missing a beat. Nashville got both in spades. Songs like “Even Flow,” “Do the Evolution,” and “Jeremy” were performed with the kind of intensity that made you forget these guys have been doing this for decades, but then Vedder would bring everything to a hush with something like “Just Breathe” and the arena would go still, as thousands of people share in the emotion.
A major highlight was hearing the new material from Dark Matter live. “Scared of Fear” was darker and heavier than its studio version. “Dark Matter”, the title track of their newest album was an absolute standout, with the Seattle icons delivering equal parts brooding lows and explosive highs. One thing that was clear, the band is deeply proud of this new era of their music. It was refreshing to see a crowd respond so enthusiastically to brand-new songs in the middle of a career-spanning set.
Eddie Vedder took time between songs to speak candidly to the crowd, telling stories, giving meaning behind songs, and connecting with the fans. At one point telling the heartwarming story of a woman and her father, whom wouldn’t let the daughter go get their album at midnight, but surprised her in the morning as he had went to the record store that evening and got it for her. This lead into the Pearl Jam filling the arena with their hit “Daughter”. He thanked the Nashville audience for their warmth, shared stories about the band’s early days, and made a few poignant remarks about the state of the world, never preachy, just honest, as only he can be, even calling for the government to leave our women alone in a dark rendition of “Another Brick in the Wall”.
The encore was pure joy. “Alive” turned the arena into a massive singalong and the band even covered Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower”, which he crowd exploded when the first chords hit. By the time the house lights came on, people weren’t ready to leave but fortunately there was a second Nashville show coming up in just 2 days.
Pearl Jam’s Dark Matter Tour continues through May 18th of 2025. For upcoming shows, visit https://pearljam.com/tour.
Follow Pearl Jam, and Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers on their socials below:
Pearl Jam: Instagram // Facebook
Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers: Instagram // Facebook
Wow….All Along the Watchtower was Hendrix.
Hi DDK, “All Along the Watchtower” was released on Bob Dylan’s ‘John Wesley Harding’ album and was made more wildly popular and known by Hendrix a year following it’s original release.