As the blue sky slowly faded to black, a karakia and haka welcomed Pearl Jam back to New Zealand shores for the first time in 12 years.
As the band swaggered on stage, Eddie Vedder’s iconically husky voice filled Mt Smart Stadium, "It's been a while". A voice that someone who spent a lifetime smashing back Marlboro Golds would be envious of. During the opening track, Given To Fly, Eddie turned to admire and get lost in the stunning Auckland landmarks so beautifully montaged together on the big screen.
It was obvious from the jump how much Pearl Jam love New Zealand, and that feeling couldn't be more mutual.
The great Seattle band paid homage to the spiritual owners of the ground they played at, "This is the home of the mighty warriors,” Vedder proclaimed. I wonder if he too has been electrified by the athleticism and mullet of Dallin Watene-Zelezniak. Mid Sentence Vedder paused before he proclaimed, “UP THE WAHS!” by god if he had said “next year’s our year,” the place would've erupted.
Like fine wine, Pearl Jam just keeps on getting better. Now in their immaculate maturity, they are one of, if not the most refined, best-sounding band on the planet. There were moments on stage where the band looked so free and in the moment. That sort of creative looseness is special to witness, and I imagine it's absolutely liberating to be a part of on-stage. One of the tangents they indulge in was during their hit song Daughter, they snuck in a verse of Pixies tune Monkeys Gone To Heaven, before transitioning into Pink Floyd’s Another Brick In The Wall. The band gave us an insight into how they are feeling after recent events in their home country as the iconic chant of “Teacher, leave them kids alone” became “Government, leave our girls alone.”
The evening was unique, and undoubtedly special, it also seemed like a catharsis experience for Vedder. "These are times we don't take anything for granted, showing up after 12 years to a beautiful sky and great weather, to play music, it’s just what we needed to do." It must be so incredible for a band to travel thousands of miles to a small island in the South Pacific, and receive such a warm welcome, not to mention going all that way and seeing 40,000 people singing along to the songs you’ve made. There’s a reason why some fans will cross continents to see them live, and it’s because Pearl Jam doesn’t just perform, they pour every part of their soul into the songs.
Also, we need to have a moment for Mr Mike McCready, he plays that Fender Stratocaster like he is on death row and tomorrow might be his final day on earth. There are few better feelings than placing the final piece in a jigsaw puzzle that took far too long to complete, watching Mike on lead guitar is one of them. His solos during the night were gorgeous extensions of songs that we never wanted to finish. On rhythm guitar, Stone Gossard is more of a quiet genius, while Jeff Ament, bass in hand, sets the foundation for songs we love. On drums, Matt Cameron sets the tone and is genuinely one of the best live drummers. Individually they are Hall of Fame musicians, and collectively they are a band that defined an era. Towards the end of the gig, the band all huddled around together, jamming, you can tell how much they loved it, and how close they are.
So many Pearl Jam songs have such depth in meaning, and being able to belt them out collectively becomes such a great release. "Growing up, I wasn't always the smartest kid,” Vedder went on, “but I found a guitar, a way to express myself, we [Pearl Jam] found our tribe, when shits hits the fan, gather the tribe, and celebrate with a bunch of people.” Throughout the entire gig, Vedder had a real genuine tone when chatting, you could really tell he meant what he said and was present in the moment.
There’s care and love in the way Vedder chats to the crowd, almost like a best friend who says all the right things when you need them the most. On Friday's gig, he said, “Life’s full of challenges, but certainly always worth living." Reading those words can come across as a bit corny, but when you are there and at the moment, it connects with a part of you that really needs it. The song React, Respond perfectly gets at that feeling of resilience in a way that’s so simple but powerful. It’s almost like a mantra, a call to keep going no matter what life throws your way.
At some point in our lives, we have all felt misunderstood, different, and not included. It can be really hard to express those emotions, and then a song comes along and unlocks a part of your soul that needed it. That’s what hearing “Daughter” live is like. When Vedder sings “she holds the hand that holds her down,” it’s a real reminder of the struggle between who we are and who the world tries to make us.
Pearl Jam closed their Friday night gig with Alive and Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World, the energy in the crowd shifted into pure celebration. For those final two songs, the house lights were all on, lighting up the entire stadium. It’s no longer just faces in the dark, it’s everyone, side by side. The lights made the whole stadium feel like a giant lounge, a gathering of friends all experiencing the same moment, singing and swaying together.
From the band’s perspective, I imagine it’s really special too. You get the vibe that when the house lights went on it gave them an opportunity to soak it all up, see every face, and understand how much their songs mean to people.
By the time they launched into Rockin’ in the Free World, it was all on. When Vedder wasn't singing he was running up and down the stage throwing tambourines into the crowd. There’s something so fitting about the ending of that song, especially with the lights up, where every person in the crowd can see each other, and feel each other’s energy. It’s a moment of unity, a sense of being part of something larger.
It’s not just the band up there anymore; it’s a whole stadium of people, everyone rockin’ in the free world together, and it leaves you feeling like you’ve been part of something unforgettable.
It’s been a wild week for Westie Lee, who interviewed and gave a Pounamu to his favourist guitarist, Mike McCreedy. In his own words, here is Westie's experience of the gig,
“For those of us riding the rail from 4:30 pm the band couldn’t take the stage soon enough. There is a sense of belonging and camaraderie when it comes to Pearl Jam fans. Everyone looks out for another, it’s less of a mosh pit and more of a Family reunion.
Mike McCready sought me out in the crowd and once he spotted me he smiled, pointed at me and pulled out his Pounamu and hung it around his mic stand. He gestured a big ‘thank you’ he placed it around his neck and proceeded to go absolutely wild for the next three songs.
Being upfront for a gig like that was transcendent.
In a couple of weeks someone is going to have to tell me all about the week I have just had the Pearl Jam encounters and experiences that I have had, because I still don’t believe that they’ve happened!”
Thank you to Pearl Jam for pouring so much time and effort into making Friday nights gig a moment that will live on as great memories. We’re all so grateful you love coming down to NZ, and we hope you feel that love from us too.
Side note...
My mum and dad experienced the greatest music moment of their lives at Mt Smart (then Ericsson Stadium) when Elton John and Billy Joel played together there in 98’. I can’t wait to call them up and share stories of such a special gig at the same venue they stood side by side at 26 years ago. I’m sure everyone who walked out of the grounds with full hearts and lost voices will have many a stories they can't wait to share with their loved ones, about the night they saw Pearl Jam.
