Soaked with the Stones: the night Pearl Jam opened through the storm

Kevin Shuss looks back at a wild Oakland night full of rain, jokes, and raw rock energy.

Every now and then, Pearl Jam drop a new episode of Rearviewmirror on their YouTube channel. It’s a throwback series where the band digs into its past through real, lived-in memories. The stories come straight from Kevin Shuss, Pearl Jam’s longtime videographer, who’s been right there in the trenches with them for decades. Rearviewmirror isn’t just old footage—it’s a backstage pass to legendary shows, weird moments, and the kind of stuff that never makes it into official rock history.

In this episode, Shuss rewinds to November 1997, when Pearl Jam were asked to open a run of shows for the Rolling Stones in Oakland, California. Four nights total, split into two chunks—but it’s the third night that really stuck with him. Not because of the setlist or the pressure of opening for the Stones, but because the weather was absolutely brutal. Rain coming down nonstop, soaking everything in sight.

Earlier that day, Shuss walked across the street from the band’s hotel and hit up a golf shop, grabbing five full rain suits. Just trying to stay dry, really. But on the way to the venue, that practical move turned into a classic Pearl Jam moment. The idea popped up: throw on the rain gear, walk out on stage early, and pretend to be the crew sweeping water off the stage.

So there they are, hooded up, brooms in hand, clearing the stage while the crowd watches, totally clueless. Then, without any warning, those same guys start playing. No intro, no announcement. Boom—it’s Pearl Jam. Straight from goofing around to full-on attack mode. Pure PJ energy.

Another thing Shuss remembers is where he watched the Stones’ set from. He and the crew were posted up behind the stage, way up on the fifth floor of this massive setup, basically sitting in a suite-style area with a crazy view. From back there, with confetti flying, explosions popping, and fireworks going off, the whole thing felt unreal. Watching the Stones’ production fire on all cylinders from that angle was next-level.

One cool bit of trivia ties this whole era together: Single Video Theory, the Pearl Jam DVD released in 1998, was largely filmed during the rehearsal period leading up to these Stones opening gigs. A lot of the footage that makes up the core of that release comes straight from those prep sessions. It’s a key snapshot of the band during a heavy moment in their career, right around the Yield era.

That’s what Rearviewmirror does best—it doesn’t just show concerts, it brings back the vibe. Rain pouring down, a stage getting swept, and a band that could turn chaos into something unforgettable.