Pearl Jam @ Jazzfest 2025

Tomorrow could be the day! 

Another history lesson: 

The second time Pearl Jam checked in on NOLA was around 4 and a half months after opening for RHCP on the very stoner date of April 20th, 1992. 

"I think we all woke up and said man I feel like sweating today... Lets play New Orleans!

It's a good thing you live in New Orleans, for when you die here they can't bury you. You'll never be in too deep..."

- Eddie to the Tipitinas crowd (4/20/1992) 



Pearl Jam's history with the world famous New Orleans club Tipitinas is short, but notable: In early 1992 after PJ had embarked on their first European tour and were gaining popularity thanks to the singles from Ten starting to gain traction, the band came back to the U.S. to play even more shows. This time period was rough for the band as they had already toured for almost a year and a half straight, but were months short of their now famous Lollapalooza jaunt in the summer of 1992. If I remember correctly, their MTV Unplugged had just been filmed weeks prior, and was about to be broadcast to the world. The band also appeared on SNL before this show. The word was spreading. 

The Venue itself opened in 1977 (although the building was constructed in 1912) and served as nola piano legend and staple Professor Longhairs place of residency for 3 years before his death in 1980. He has since been adorned as a full size portrait above the stage after his death. There also used to be a basketball goal setup on the far side of the room, something Ed, Jeff, and the rest of the guys probably loved. Once a juice bar, the only remaining mark of this is the infamous Banana in the Tipitinas logo. Since opening, Tipitinas has started a non-profit foundation to provide musical instruments and uniforms to New Orleans public High Schools marching bands. 

in 2018, the members of local New Orleans funk band Galactic bought the venue from the owners who had previously owned it for over 20 years in hopes to return the venue to its former glory. Since that purchase, the venue continues to operate in a DIY format with no ties to LiveNation or TicketMaster in any capacity, and even gives back to the community though various programs including a free concert series in the summer months. 

On 4/20/1992 (again, what an amazing stoner date!) Pearl Jam played what would be their second of many more shows and a long and storied history with the city and people of New Orleans. The opening act was Follow For Now. 



Eddie actually walks out on the (small) Tipitinas stage and says "Why so quite New Orleans?" which is probably early 90's Eddie sarcasm because NOLA is usually anything but quite (and a total contradiction as he spends the rest of the show attempting to calm people down!).

He follows up with "I think we have been waiting longer for this one than you have!" They then ripped into an hour and 10 minute headline set in the 800 person capacity club that probably planted the seed for Pearl Jam fans in New Orleans. If anyone was at this show, I would love to hear about your experience! I actually met someone who walked into this show only knowing 'Alive' and walked away a fan for life. Sounds very much like other stories of the time and why we are all here today. I wish there were more pictures of this show, but im sure the 800 or less in attendance we're living in the moment. I'm not even convinced the one above in the bootleg cover is actually from this show, but maybe it is. 

Speaking of which, this particular show actually became a well circulated fan recorded bootleg: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dX5DFDxttM

SETLIST: 
1. Oceans ("Had to play a slow song to make sure you could handle the responsibility of a fast one...")
2. Even Flow
3. (Improv) Why Go? 
4. Jeremy 
5. Deep (Mike plays a bit of  'Stairway to Heaven' solo because someone screams for it) 
6. Alive (Ed: "This is our Stairway", Stone: "It's only fitting that our Stairway falls flat on its face!")
7. Black
8. State of Love & Trust 
9. ("How are you? I'm not crazy...") Once
10. Porch (god only knows what Eddie jumped off of...  I'm sure he went to the upper balcony and made his way back to the stage. Improv: "I was a loser, don't be like me. I was a loser just like Ice T") 
11. Hunger Strike Improv ("We lost our innocence down in New Orleans....") 
12. Garden
13. Baba O'Riley 
14. Rockin' In The Free World

'Why Go' actually features an amazing improv on the beginning. Something must have been wrong with the guitars as Dave keeps the Why Go intro beat going, Eddie sings a very 

"He says 'why do I talk now'
I say 'why do I talk now'
She says 'why do I talk now' 
I say I' know I caught ya'
She says 'I caught ya smoking pot oh!' 
I say 'I don't know know know know' 
She says 'I caught ya smoking pot oh!' 
Gunna put you in a hospital oh!" 

Pearl Jam would be back sooner rather than later in the summer of 1992 on the now famous Lollapalooza tour, but this sold out show of 800 people (with more outside trying to get in and just listen to the band) solidified a bond Pearl Jam would have with New Orleans and the people they hold dear from it (Steve Gleason, etc)





"Chris Cornell told me this was a pretty cool place to play" - Eddie (Soundgarden played Tipitinas twice: 11/29/89 and 2/7/90) 

"Yeah, Vince Neil told me that too!" - Stone (Motley Crue never played here...) 

Go Animal said:

*I love stuff like this. Great write up, Macho Man @SandyRavage

Call me a clairvoyant: 

Lineup coming Wednesday: 

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15sr2NT1rS/