Pearl Jam have been a powerful champion of rock and roll ever since their emergence in the early 1990s. Their hard-hitting style and socially conscious lyrics provided the perfect musical concoction, and they’ve been standing at the top of the rock pyramid for almost three decades. It’s amazing to look back at their early years to see where they came from, bursting out of the gates with a passionate energy that still flows through them today.
One of the early highlights of their career was their appearance on MTV‘s Unplugged series. Bands tended to play on Unplugged to showcase a different side of themselves, taking the rock star out of the arena and into a coffeehouse-type setting. Bands would deliver stripped down versions of their biggest hits, and mix in a few interesting covers along the way. It was a great way to learn more about the bands and their members, bringing their personalities directly into your living room.
Pearl Jam’s performance on Unplugged was no different, as they delivered the biggest hits off their debut album Ten in impressive fashion. The band worked through “State of Love and Trust”, “Black”, “Jeremy”, “Porch”, and “Even Flow”, while also delivering an awesome cover of Neil Young‘s “Rockin’ in the Free World”, which remains a staple of their live shows to this day. Eddie Vedder became a huge star on this night, with his unique vocals and his interesting, introspective lyrics front and center. The typical loudness of Pearl Jam wasn’t present on this night, and it allowed for Vedder to shine as a true vocal master.
However, it was the band’s passionate performance of “Alive” that stands out from this performance. The song is Pearl Jam’s “guitar” song, with guitarist Mike McCready typically playing the song out with several wild solos. McCready delivered, albeit acoustically, during Unplugged, cementing himself as one of the guitar players of a generation, and Pearl Jam as a force to be reckoned with.
See Pearl Jam rock “Alive” from their Unplugged set below, and relive this awesome moment in rock history.
