Pearl Jam: Dark Matter Shines in Nashville

Pearl Jam light up Nashville with a night of deep cuts, stories, and big feels. 

Pearl Jam
Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
May 6, 2025

Opening Act: Teen Jesus and The Jean Teasers

Setlist: Indifference, Lowlight, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Scared Of Fear, Why Go, Given To Fly, Dark Matter, Wreckage, Running, Even Flow, Daughter/Another Brick In The Wall Part II (Pink Floyd), Brain Of J., Green Disease, Jeremy, Got To Give, Corduroy, Come Back, Porch

Encore: Keep Me In Your Heart (Warren Zevon), Setting Sun, Do The Evolution, Rearviewmirror, Alive, Baba O’Riley (The Who), All Along The Watchtower (Bob Dylan)

Pearl Jam made their big return to Nashville for the first of two shows at Bridgestone Arena, treating fans to a powerful night packed with special moments.

After a killer opening set by Teen Jesus and The Jean Teasers—a rock band from Canberra, Australia (who already shared the stage with PJ during last year’s Aussie tour)—it was time for the main event.

The band hit the stage at 8:49pm, greeted by a packed arena full of fans from all over, as Eddie Vedder pointed out between songs. They kicked things off with a haunting Indifference, followed by Lowlight and Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, setting an intimate, emotional tone right out of the gate.

The set featured plenty of tracks from last year’s new album, like Scared Of Fear, Dark Matter, Wreckage, and Running, all holding their own live and blending seamlessly with the classics.

Before playing the title track, Eddie gave a shoutout to Nashville’s DRKMTTR venue (“That’s a badass name,” he joked from the stage), giving love to the local music scene.

One of the night’s most touching moments came when Eddie dedicated Daughter to Laura, a fan up front. He shared her story: back when Vs. dropped, Laura was just a kid dying to grab it at midnight, but wasn’t allowed to. She went to bed bummed, only to wake up and find the CD waiting next to her cereal bowl—her dad had surprised her. Over the years, that moment became one of their most cherished memories. After her dad passed away, Laura brought that memory with her to this show, and Eddie honored her with the song, turning it into a tribute the entire arena felt together.

Hardcore fans got an extra treat with Got To Give—only the third time the band has ever played it live.

The night wasn’t short on tributes and nods. Eddie talked about Jack White, thanking him for the guitar he gifted him—used that night on Green Disease, giving the song an extra jolt of energy and a direct Nashville connection.

It wasn’t a random shoutout: back in 2016, Pearl Jam played an intimate set at Third Man Records, Jack White’s shop and studio right here in town. That bond with one of rock’s modern greats clearly still runs deep.

Before wrapping the main set, the band delivered a beautifully raw version of Come Back that felt especially meaningful.

During the encore, Eddie asked the crowd to light up their phones in memory of late surfer Shane Herring, right before a heartfelt acoustic take on Keep Me In Your Heart by Warren Zevon.

The setlist struck a perfect balance between deep cuts like Brain Of J., Setting Sun, the already mentioned Green Disease and Got To Give, and heavy hitters like Jeremy, Corduroy, Porch, Alive, plus a wild finale with Baba O’Riley and All Along The Watchtower, covering The Who and Bob Dylan, respectively.

A show that brought the feels, the surprises, and once again proved the unbreakable bond between Pearl Jam and their fans. Now all eyes are on Thursday, when the band returns to the same stage for round two in Nashville.