Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, Metallica’s James Hetfield, The Killers’ Brandon Flowers, Jon Bon Jovi, Ryan Binghm, Drew Carey, Alice Cooper, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, Vince Gill, Daryl Hall, Ben Harper, Jason Isbell, Jewel, Richard Marx, Tim McGraw, Willie Nelson, Josh Ritter, Blake Shelton, Jake Shimbakuro, Amanda Shires, Gwen Stefani, Billy Bob Thornton, Steven Van Zandt, and Joe Walsh are set to perform at Joe Walsh and Friends Present Vets Aid: The Concert For Our Veterans. The online streaming event will take place on December 12, 2020.
Eddie Vedder has stayed active politically since the pandemic stopped concerts, with Vedder’s wife revealing a photo with Joe Biden. Clint Brownlee will release a new 33 1/3 series book on Pearl Jam’s Vs. on March 11, 2021.
The book description states, “Recording Vs. nearly tore Pearl Jam apart. Eddie Vedder, the reluctant public face of the band, championed a proletarian approach; drummer Dave Abbruzzese embraced rock-star excess; Mike McCready, Stone Gossard, and Jeff Ament anxiously navigated the minefield between.
Instead of quitting, Vedder vented lyrically. His bandmates attacked their instruments. The resulting record roiled with fury-at fame, injustice, expectations. Vs. was thrashing testament to discomfort with celebrity, and wielded civil criticism that’s equally valid today. The album’s very name, and the defiant sheep on its cover, were not-so-subtle provocations.
Thanks to both its ‘grunge’-explosion timing and undeniable quality, Vs. smashed sales records-and made Pearl Jam a global household name. But the band’s calculated response proved they would neither burn out nor fade away. This book weaves research, song lyrics, little-known details, and thoughts from band members into a definitive report on how Vs. came to fruition-and how the album, and its creators’ strive for integrity, solidified rather than destroyed Pearl Jam.” Pearl Jam fans recently reacted to a reported concert vaccine ‘requirement.’
