A quarter century later, the band pays tribute with a powerful performance of Love Boat Captain at Madison Square Garden and a heartfelt message from Jeff Ament. The pain remains—but so does the love.
It’s been twenty-five years since Roskilde. Twenty-five years since that night when the music stopped. But also twenty-five years of remembering, of grieving, of turning loss into presence. And Pearl Jam—like they always do—haven’t forgotten.
This year, the tribute hits different. On June 30, the band dropped a deeply moving live video: a performance of Love Boat Captain from their Dark Matter World Tour 2024 stop at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The take is raw, emotional—almost sacred. The lyrics, already heavy with meaning—“Lost nine friends we’ll never know, two years ago today”—land even harder now. Twenty-five years later, those nine stars still shine bright in the heart of the band and the fans.
Then came a quiet but gut-punching post from Jeff Ament. On Instagram, the bassist shared the cover of the 2000 Ten Club holiday single—the one with the nine stars, honoring the fans who died that night in Denmark. The caption?
“❤️ can’t be said enough.”
Short. Honest. Devastating. Pain, gratitude, and love—all wrapped up in five words.
This isn’t just another anniversary. It’s a scar that never really heals—but one that gets cared for every year with music and memory. Love Boat Captain has never been just a song. It’s a ritual. A secular prayer. A bridge between those who are still here, and those who never made it home. And every time it’s played, those nine unnamed souls come back to life—for a moment.
Pearl Jam never turned that tragedy into a spectacle. Instead, they’ve always chosen the path of reflection, humility, and truth. And this 25th anniversary is no different. A song. A picture. Nothing flashy—just real.
Some things just can’t be said enough.
And love? That’s definitely one of them.
Born in Reggio Emilia in 1980. He created pearljamonline.it in 2001 and wrote the first edition of “Pearl Jam Evolution” in 2009 along with his wife Daria. Since 2022, he is behind 2 podcasts: “Pearl Jam dalla A alla Z” and “Fuori Orario Not Another Podcast”. He has collaborated with Barracuda Style, HvsR, Rolling Stone, Rockol and Il Fatto Quotidiano. He continues relentlessly to try to find “beautiful melodies that say terrible things”.
Favorite song: Present Tense
Favorite album: No Code
Favorite bands/artists other than PJ: Tom Waits, Soundgarden, Ramones, Bruce Springsteen, IDLES, Fontaines D.C., The Murder Capital, Dead Kennedys, Mark Lanegan, Cat Power, R.E.M.