It wasn’t a given that we’d see Pearl Jam back at the New Orleans Jazz Fest, but their performance turned out to be a triumph of energy, emotion, and gratitude towards a city that’s always had their back.
PEARL JAM
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, New Orleans, LA
5/3/2025
Setlist: Corduroy, Do The Evolution, Why Go, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, React, Respond, Wreckage, Daughter, Even Flow, Tremor Christ, Love Boat Captain, Black, Jeremy, Red Mosquito (w/ Danny Clinch), State Of Love And Trust, Better Man/Save It For Later (The English Beat), Porch, Alive, Yellow Ledbetter, Baba O’Riley (The Who), Rockin’ In The Free World (Neil Young)
Pearl Jam has a deep history of epic shows in New Orleans, and this marked their third appearance at the legendary Jazz Fest, cementing once again their special connection with the city and the festival.
They kicked things off with Corduroy, immediately paying homage to New Orleans and the Jazz Fest during the break. The band then dropped a “festival-style” set full of crowd-pleasers, but they also threw in some hidden gems for the hardcore fans, like the killer double-header of Tremor Christ and Love Boat Captain, which got the crowd absolutely hyped.
Before Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, Eddie spoke about the importance of activism and encouraged everyone not to feel alone: “Don’t just react, respond,” he said, setting up React, Respond and Wreckage.
During Even Flow, Eddie gave a shout-out to Steve Gleason in the crowd, saying he’d inspire Mike to bring his A-game — and sure enough, McCready unleashed a scorching solo that set the place on fire.
Some of the most intense moments came when the crowd belted out Black, Jeremy, and a jaw-dropping version of Red Mosquito with Danny Clinch playing harmonica. They also played State Of Love And Trust, which, as always, had the die-hard fans buzzing.
It’s worth mentioning that the original setlist had two more tracks from Dark Matter — the title track and Won’t Tell — but those got swapped at the last minute, with Red Mosquito taking Dark Matter’s spot.
Eddie praised the crowd for their respect and energy: “In Florida, we had to stop a few times because people were getting sick, but here, even with this huge crowd, everything’s been smooth sailing.”
The closing stretch was an absolute thrill: Better Man, Porch (with Eddie waving at the fans on the side bleachers), Alive, Yellow Ledbetter, Baba O’Riley, and Rockin’ In The Free World, wrapping up an unforgettable night.
Once again, Pearl Jam turned their concert into a collective celebration, filled with sweat, emotions, and a setlist that hit all the right notes — from the long-time fans to the newcomers hearing them for the first time.
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.