Pearl Jam brought the Dark Matter Tour to Chicago’s Wrigley Field for the first of two shows at the friendly confines. Frontman Eddie Vedder fulfilled the wish of a fan holding a sign saying she could sing “Won’t Tell” during the encore.
Eddie Vedder sings with a fan
Singer-songwriter Glen Hansard opened Pearl Jam’s sixth-ever concert at Wrigley Field and wound up joining the band for the evening’s “Rocking In The Free World” finale. Vedder & Co. delivered a 26-song performance that included 2024 debuts “Down” and “U.”
The “Won’t Tell” duet came within the encore. Eddie Vedder spotted the fan asking to sing the Dark Matter standout. The frontman addressed the crowd to set up the duet:
“We’re gonna try something different. There’s a song called “Won’t Tell,” they’ve been playing it a bit on the radio. There’s a woman in the front row who says that she can sing it. Now, it took me about I don’t know how many years to get from the front row to the stage. Maam, it just took you about 90 seconds.”
Eddie Vedder, who recently teased rewriting a song, welcomed the fan to the stage and introduced “Ebby” to Wrigley Field. “This could work out — Ebby and Eddie — but it could …,” Vedder warned. He then said “she’s nervous, but I’m not” and clarified “I’m not nervous for her.” The Illinois native spent a moment putting the spotlight on bassist Jeff Ament as Ebby took deep breaths.
“So you just jump in, the water’s fine,” Vedder advised.
Pearl Jam and their guest then pulled off a fine version of “Won’t Tell.” Ebby did a fine job harmonizing with Eddie Vedder to the delight of the crowd. Ebby also got the opportunity to click a few photos with Vedder before the show rolled on to its conclusion.
Pearl Jam returned to Wrigley Field on Thursday, August 29th for the fourth time. The group opened its two-night stand on Thursday with a 145-minute show. The Seattle-based group always feels special when they perform at the ballpark, and vocalist Eddie Vedder is well aware of it. Vedder sported a fedora and a Walter Payton jersey with the number “34.” Vedder also opened up on the significance of playing at the venue for him and the band. Vedder confessed during the encore that he found it difficult to sing because he was overwhelmed by the experience.
