Hear Pearl Jam Deliver a Face-Melting Performance During the Peak Era of Grunge

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Pearl Jam wrestled ‘70s-style stadium rock and ‘80s post-punk to the ground with a heavy dose of angry, riff-laden lyrics to become the voice of Gen X teenagers. Sharing Seattle roots with Nirvana, Pearl Jam set off with their 1991 smash debut Ten followed by Vs. (1993) and Vitalogy (1994) to paint the appealingly bleak picture of death, depression and general darkness that would be called grunge rock.

This performance, from April 3, 1994, opens with the swirling “Release.” Live from the Fox Theater in Atlanta, Pearl Jam keep the intensity up, especially on barnstorming versions of crowd favorites “Rearviewmirror,” “Evenflow,” and “Why Go.” Eddie Vedder delivers a captivating, energetic performance that drives the band forward. Lead guitarist Mike McCready is also on fire, doling out face-melting solos throughout the show, especially on a 10-plus minute version of “Porch.” Another of the set’s highlights comes at the end, when Vedder leads the group through a soulful rendition of the emotional “Indifference.” Hear that epic “Porch” rendition along with “Jeremy” below.