Pearl Jam honour 9/11 at Madison Square Garden concert
Pearl Jam honoured the anniversary of 9/11 at their recent show at Madison Square Garden. Frontman Eddie Vedder spoke at length about the attack throughout the band’s performance, stopping to pay tribute to the first responders who happened to be in attendance.
Vedder quoted one such first-responder, a man called Mike, who told him that he usually leaves New York so as not to relive the trauma of that day in 2001. This time, however, he “thought it would be a good idea to be here tonight with you.”
Vedder went on to paraphrase another first responder who recalled how the United States unified not the aftermath of the tragedy, a reminder of a time when his country wasn’t so bitterly divided. “There was a time we supported each other,” he said. “That’s the part we cannot forget. Let those lessons be remembered as our solidarity to come together and keep this country straight.”
Highlighting the significance of Pearl Jam’s 24-song set, Vedder noted: “This is the 37th time this band has played in New York City,” Vedder said. “I think we’ve only played Seattle 50. Here’s the thing — I don’t remember half of those fuckin’ Seattle shows. I just don’t. But I feel like we remember every Manhattan show. This potentially has the chance to be the most memorable of them all. We are quite honoured to be spending this important date with you.”
Pearl Jam also paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at their Toronto show on September 8th, 2022.“This is just a little one I’m gonna borrow from Paul McCartney,” singer Eddie Vedder told the crowd before launching into ‘Her Majesty’ from The Beatles’ Abbey Road. You can check out footage of Pearl Jam performing ‘Release’ live at Madison Square Garden below.
