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The Who guitarist Pete Townshend discussed his friendship with Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder in a new Ultimate Classic Rock interview. Below is an excerpt:
I understand Eddie Vedder is joining you for the Chicago show on Sept. 13. That’ll be really something to add him to the mix. What will he be doing in the show?
He will probably be playing the role of the punk in the song “The Punk and the Godfather.” And I think I will also ask him to do the song “I’m One,” which is just perfect for him. He and I may do “Drowned” together. We’re going to make the Chicago show a little different because it is a charity show.
It seems like you and Pearl Jam have been pretty tight for a while. What’s that relationship like?
I don’t know the whole band that well. I have met them at Neil Young’s Bridge Concert about 10 years ago and I do like them. But I would count Eddie as a family friend. When he comes to London, he goes to visit my brother Paul, who’s a painter and decorator, and he hangs out with Paul and his family and goes to the local pub and gets drunk. He supports my brother Simon in his solo shows, and he’ll often appear with them. He often invites Simon to appear with him when he does solo shows. So he’s very close to the family. And he and I do have a bit of Chicago History doing a couple charity shows in the past, so I was really excited when he decided to do it.
