Jeff Ament Back on Stage with the War Babies

Pearl Jam’s bassist hits the stage with the band he was part of in the early ’90s for two special nights in the heart of Seattle.

On October 3 and 4, Jeff Ament joined the recently reunited War Babies at Easy Street Records and Central Tavern in Seattle, jamming on a few tracks with the band.

For those who don’t know, before joining Pearl Jam (and after Mother Love Bone split), Ament had a brief stint with the War Babies — who dropped Vault last year, a collection of tracks recorded in the early ’90s but left unreleased until now.

At both shows, Ament played Watch Me Bleed, Blue Tomorrow, and American Dream. A proper trip back to his roots, performing in a record store and a local club that are real icons of Seattle’s music scene.

Formed in 1988, the War Babies came together with Brad Sinsel (vocals, from TKO) and guitarist Tommy McMullin, joined by bassist Guy Lacey, drummer Richard Stuverud (who would later collaborate with Ament in Three Fish, Tres Mts, and RNDM), and, for a short while, Jeff Ament himself.

Their sound leaned on classic hard rock, think Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin vibes, and it built a clear bridge between Seattle’s ’80s scene and the explosion of the ’90s grunge era. They signed with Columbia Records and dropped their self-titled debut in 1992. Despite solid reviews and an MTV-aired single (Hang Me Up), the band eventually went their separate ways.

After years off the radar, the War Babies reunited in 2024 to release Vault, a collection of tracks recorded in the early ’90s but left unreleased until now. A link to Seattle’s scene that comes full circle over two raw, authentic nights of friendship and pure rock’n’roll energy.

🎥 Watch the full War Babies show at Easy Street Records on YouTube.