Original Pearl Jam drummer Dave Krusen confirmed on his Instagram account that he has arrived in Seattle for rehearsals, seemingly confirming that he will reunite with Pearl Jam for the first time in 26 years at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Friday April 7th.
Mike McCready discussed Pearl Jam’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in a new interview on Art Zone with Nancy Guppy. Alternative Nation transcribed his comments.
“It’s a whirlwind of emotions. It’s very exciting, it’s something I never expected, I’m totally honored, and I can’t wait to go there and do a speech, and do whatever we’re doing there. I can’t wait.”
“It’s 25 years after your first record [that you can get in].”
Nancy said most people don’t get in so quickly.
“That’s what I’ve heard and read, and all of that. I’m shocked, and excited. Again, it’s something you never think about when you are starting a band.”
He also discussed Pearl Jam’s original name Mookie Blaylock.
“He was a point guard for the New Jersey Nets. Jeff Ament, the bass player of our band, and a basketball fanatic, came up with that because we needed to have a name to go on the road with Alice In Chains, when we were going out on a club tour with them before our first record came out, and I always hated that name, because it was a guy’s name. We just didn’t have a name, so we had to have one, so we used that one for a little bit.
We were down signing our record contract with Sony. They were like, ‘So are you guys going to keep the name? What do you think about the name?’ I just go, ‘No! We cannot keep this name! No!’ Nobody truly wanted to, I think we got served papers from his lawyer at one time. We were sitting in a coffee shop [that is gone now], we came up with Pearl Jam.”
Pearl Jam members Eddie Vedder, Mike McCready, Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, Matt Cameron, and Dave Krusen are set to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame next month.
