Photo Credit: Geoff Whitman

On May 4 and 6, Pearl Jam kicked off its sprawling world tour with a dazzling pair of appearances at Vancouver, British Columbia’s Rogers Arena. To celebrate the release of its 12th studio album Dark Matter, which was released to widespread acclaim on April 19, the storied three-decade grunge vanguard presented two sets that both honored its history and blazed bold new pathways to the future of its sound. Pairing live debuts of hot new entries with stone-cold classics and beloved covers, the band forecasted a tour for the ages, which will continue to floor fans in 25 cities through November.

During an exclusive preview performance of the band’s latest album at The Troubadour in Los Angeles, iconic frontman Eddie Vedder said of Dark Matter, “No hyperbole, I think this is our best work.” At the outset of the Dark Matter World Tour, the band proved just this, tearing down the house with live debuts of new essentials like “Running,”, “React, Respond,” “Wreckage” and “Dark Matter” that have swept across the world through tremendous radio coverage and critical exaltation in the past few weeks. The undeniable force of these fresh cuts booms in a video of the band’s inaugural staging of the title track, captured in a fan recorded video below. 

Beyond its new material, Pearl Jam treated Canadian fans to signatures like “Even Flow,” “Black,” “Alive” and “Got To Give” which–coupled with jaw-dropping stage production–showed the band at peak performance after 34 years of vaunted collaboration. Beyond its traditional cannon, the group thrilled fans everywhere with a long-awaited bust-out of “Leatherman,” a beloved deep-cut that was last staged in 2016. For further fan service, the group took requests on night one and Vedder shared a heartfelt message to the audience from backstage during the set break. A second clip shares a stirring rendition of “Alive,” which showed the audience roaring along to the chart-topping ballad of broken relationships. 

The excitement continued into expansive encores for the two-and-a-half-hour shows, which showed some of band’s most beloved cover treatments, including Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World,” The Who’s “Baba O’Riley” and Warren Zevon’s “Keep Me in Your Heart.” After returning to the stage on night one, Vedder shared that the guitar he held was a gift from the late, great Tom Petty, kicking off a moving tribute to the country star with “I Won’t Back Down.”

Pearl Jam will return to the stage on Friday, May 10, with a show at Portland, Ore.’s Moda Center, then continue into a West Coast leg, followed by a European run. For tickets and more information on the band’s world tour, visit https://pearljam.com/home. 

Watch clips from Pearl Jam’s tour opener below.