Jokes, jabs, and brotherly love: in Nashville, the long-running Pearl Jam comedy duo strikes again.
Some things never change – thank God. Like that priceless dynamic between Eddie Vedder and Stone Gossard, the kind that delivers both iconic songwriting moments and laugh-out-loud stage banter.
The latest gem? Nashville, May 8, 2025 — Dark Matter World Tour.
It’s near the end of the set, the crowd is buzzing, emotions are high. Eddie takes a breather to chat with the audience, like he often does. Talks about the city, the vibe of the night… and then it happens. Someone from the crowd shouts at Stone to sing. Let Stone Sing, remember?
Cue chaos. Vedder turns around, points (lovingly) at the crowd, and kicks off the bit: “Who do you think is stopping Stone Gossard from singing? I? Me? Ed? That’s fuckin’ ridiculous!”.
The crowd cracks up. Stone’s blushing. And Eddie keeps going:“I ask him every night… okay, once a week… fine, fine,” he grins, “once a tour.”
Then he turns to Stone and goes, “Is tonight the night?” And finally, with a smirk, he delivers the punchline: “Thanks, random guy in the crowd, for making us fight five shows before the end of the tour.”
A perfect moment – part stand-up, part brotherhood – and definitely not a one-off. For die-hard fans, this is just the latest in a long-running tradition of Eddie & Stone comedy gold.
The Legend of Let Stone Sing
Over the years, Let Stone Sing has turned into a full-blown inside joke between the band and the fans.
One classic example? June 26, 2014, in Berlin — the chant started loud and clear from the German stands, cracking everyone onstage up.
But nothing beats the OG moment: September 12, 2005, London, Ontario. Exactly twenty years ago.
The band’s about to kick off Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town. Eddie gives the usual “one-two-three-four”… and then stops, laughing. He’s spotted two guys in the stands with a banner: Let Stone Sing. The crowd picks up on it right away and starts chanting. The band rolls with it, jamming along.
Finally, Eddie bursts out: “No, he’ll never sing! He can’t!”. Then adds: “You think someone’s not letting him sing? Is that what the banner means? Stone Gossard can sing whenever he wants, any damn time, on this stage. He’s the one choosing not to -‘cause apparently he’s waiting for an audience that actually deserves it.”
Stone grabs the mic and wraps it up with a deadpan zinger: “What I’ve really always wanted to do is dance. So yeah, I’ll perform tonight – after the show.”
PJ20: “No Way? No Way!”
Flashback to the legendary PJ20 Festival in 2011, Alpine Valley — the band’s 20th anniversary bash. After heartfelt renditions of Just Breathe and Nothingman, Eddie and Stone slip back into their classic onstage banter (yeah, Stone’s a frontman when he wants to be — which is… rarely).
Up next was supposed to be No Way, a song Stone actually wrote. But in true humble Stone fashion, he suggested skipping it in favor of a Public Image Ltd. cover.
Eddie wasn’t having it. “Wait a second – we’re skipping your song to play Public Image? No, no, no. No Way, Stone. Just… no way.”
Perfect wordplay. Big laughs on stage and off. And yes — they played No Way anyway.
The Secret Sauce
The chemistry between Vedder and Gossard is one of the big reasons Pearl Jam’s still kicking after all these years. Eddie’s the fire – the passionate frontman who used to dive into the pit and now dives into long, heartfelt speeches. Stone’s the architect – the quiet genius, the band’s founder, the guy who’d rather stay in the background… if Eddie would just let him.
But when those two start jabbing each other onstage, their whole history shines through: brotherhood, humor, deep respect. It’s a mix that’s kept this band together for over thirty years. And if Gossard ends up in the spotlight every now and then – even if he didn’t plan on it – well… it’s just another bonus for the rest of us.
Next step? Let’s launch a petition to get Stone to sing at least once a tour. Campaign title? “Is Tonight the Night?”
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.