Pearl Jam producer Andrew Watt has gone from being a 12-year-old holding a sign at a show asking to play ’s guitar solo to being his favorite band's producer. Now, he can tick something else off his bucket list after dueling with Mike McCready on the iconic lead last week. So far, Pearl Jam's debut single has appeared on all setlists of their current tour.
On May 16, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, fans were treated to a special rendition when Andrew Watt joined the band on stage, brandishing his . He joined forces with McCready to deliver the solo . Elsewhere on the setlist, Pearl Jam included more surprises, including tour debuts of and from (1996), plus Eddie Vedder's take on Jason Isbell's and (1994) with U2's intro.
During their on May 18, the band performed deep cut (2002) for the first time since 2018. Eddie Vedder also covered Tom Petty's , with a Hunters & Collectors' tease – notably, he played a Fender Robbie Robertson Stratocaster for the tracks. In an interview with , Watt expressed his admiration for Pearl Jam's music and how producing Dark Matter served as his full circle moment: “[It felt like going] back to being 12 years old, going to a show and holding a sign that said, ‘Can I play the guitar solo for ?’ I’ve been ready for this gig my whole life.
There was no prep needed.” In a recent interview with , bassist Jeff Ament revealed how working with a genuine Pearl Jam fan like Watt helped energize the band. “Andrew’s a huge fan, a.
