Pearl Jam honors Temple of the Dog and Bruce Springsteen at Sydney Concert

American rock band Pearl Jam concluded their Dark Matter World Tour with a memorable final show in Sydney on November 23. The concert, held at the ENGIE Stadium, featured a powerful set of 27 songs, including fan favorites, deep tracks, and cover songs. Among the highlights of the night were two heartfelt tributes: a performance of Hunger Strike from the iconic band Temple of the Dog and a rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s No Surrender by frontman Eddie Vedder.

Reports revealed that Pearl Jam played Hunger Strike live for the first time in a decade. Their last performance of the song was in October 2014 at Neil Young’s Bridge School Benefit charity concert, where they shared the stage with Temple of the Dog’s late frontman Chris Cornell. Following Cornell’s passing in 2017, Pearl Jam had refrained from performing the track until this concert. Fans described the performance as nostalgic and deeply moving, paying homage to the late Cornell’s legacy.

During the show, Eddie Vedder also took a moment to honor Bruce Springsteen by performing an acoustic version of No Surrender, a hit song from 1986. It was the first time Vedder had sung the track live since 2006 in New Jersey. While addressing the crowd, Vedder referred to Springsteen as a “great friend and a brother.” He shared that if not for his busy tour schedule, he would have attended Springsteen’s Vancouver concert, highlighting their mutual respect.Praising Springsteen, Vedder told the audience that the legendary singer-songwriter creates “magic” through his music, describing both the effort and ease with which Springsteen delivers powerful songs.

Pearl Jam, formed in 1990, consists of Eddie Vedder, Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, and Matt Cameron. The band has a long history of putting their unique spin on other artists’ songs. Recently, Vedder and his daughter Harper performed Taylor Swift’s The Best Day at Ohana Fest, showing their versatility and connection to fans.