Eddie Vedder's New Solo Material Hits Home...Quite Literally. Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder brought his new and brief tour dubbed the "Earthling" tour right to his old backyard. The Evanston, Illinois native along with the thousands of people in attendance braved the sub-freezing temperatures and snow flurries to enjoy some live music. Vedder and his solo band, the Earthlings packed the beautiful Auditorium theater right in the heart of Chicago, which was built in 1889 and features exquisite architecture from the time. In fact, Vedder had seen his first concert at the exact same theater (Bruce Springsteen in 1977), which shows how full circle Vedder's career has come.
Vedder, who is a veteran of the 90's rock and grunge scene thanks to his tenure with Pearl Jam has made quite a name for himself and has performed with a plethora of amazing musicians. This most definitely was the case as Vedder's solo band, dubbed the "Earthlings", is practically a 1990's supergroup. The "Earthlings" consists of Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith as well as former RHCP guitarist Josh Klinghoffer (who now performs with Pearl Jam), Jane's Addiction bassist Chris Chaney, The Swell Season and The Frames, Glen Hansard on guitar and vocals, and Andrew Watt, an up-and-coming guitarist in the music scene. To say the band is a powerhouse would be a vast understatement as I am shocked the stage was able to hold up the shear amount of talent on it.
The talent these amazing musicians have bled through the entire 22-song setlist. The setlist featured some intriguing surprises such as 9 covers ranging from The Beatles to The Pretenders. Also showcased were 9 brand new songs off Vedder's new solo album, Earthling, which is due to arrive this Friday, February 11, 2022. As well, they played obligatory Pearl Jam songs such as "Better Man" and "Porch" to name a few.
The broad setlist helped Vedder to showcase his unique voice and impressive vocal range. As well, Red Hot Chili Peppers' drummer Chad Smith stole the show with his insane drumming and stage presence bigger than his drum kit. But, in true front man fashion, Vedder held the reigns to the show, interacting with fans and delving into old memories of his hometown, like a true Chicagoan. However, we cannot sleep on Glen Hansard, who was on double duty for the show.
Hansard set the stage for an incredible night by opening the show. He powered through hits such as "Falling Slowly" and "When Your Mind's Made Up," from the hit movie and Broadway show, "Once". While it was a brief 5 song set, it served as a powerful preview for his performance at the Cadillac theater next month.
Overall, the show was full of memories, especially for the two young kids in the front row that Vedder interacted with throughout the show. Vedder and company did an amazing job at keeping the crowd energized and giving them a show to remember.
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