It’s hard to believe it has been 20 years since Pearl Jam helped start the grunge movement with the release of their groundbreaking album, Ten. Fast forward to 2011, and Eddie Vedder is rocking out with a ukulele? He explains.
Pearl Jam is celebrating their 20th anniversary this year with the release of their documentary PJ20, directed by good friend Cameron Crowe, plus reissues of Vs and Vitalogy, as well as 20th anniversary shows.
“We’re just trying to get together a bunch of friends and bands we’ve played with in the past and do a couple of shows in the States,” Eddie Vedder tells the Chicago Tribune. “It’ll probably all come together last-minute. I don’t want to make it seem like any crazy, big deal. It should just be a natural thing.”
Vedder is also releasing a solo album, Ukulele Songs, in which he rocks out to a ukulele. Nice to see him showing this neglected instrument some love.
Vedder says he was in Hawaii with surfer Kelly Slater, saw the ukulele in a window… and the rest is history. “I went in empty-handed and walked out five minutes later with a great sounding ukulele, and had a chorus and a verse written a few minutes later.”
Vedder explains that he and his songwriting style have changed a lot in the past 20 years — and he reflects on what this means for his life. “That guy you used to be, he’s still in the car. He’ll always be in the car. Just don’t let him drive,” he ponders.
For those that miss the good ol’ days of Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam (including the inside scoop on why they changed their name from Mookie Blaylock), stay tuned for their documentary which is slated to be released in September.
Check out a sneak peek of the Pearl Jam documentary, PJ20:
Mookie>>>PJ from Pearl Jam on Vimeo.
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