Original Pearl Jam Drummer Dave Krusen Joins Band at Fresno Gig (First Performance with PJ Since 1991)

Pearl Jam is out on its anticipated and pandemic-delayed tour in support of 2020’s Gigaton record. So far, it’s been an emotional, cathartic experience (click here to read our full recap of one of the two Los Angeles shows).

Recently, the tour hit a bit of a hiccup as drummer Matt Cameron has missed several shows due to COVID-19 — but rather than postpone these gigs yet again, Eddie Vedder and his Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band mates have welcomed some surprise guests to man the kit on a few occasions.

Guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Josh Klinghoffer sat in a bit, as did Richard Stuverud in Oakland, in addition to a teenage drummer plucked from the audience in what made for a truly special moment:

On Monday night in Fresno, however, Pearl Jam turned to an old friend to sit in for Cameron: Dave Krusen, the band’s original drummer who appeared on the group’s breakthrough debut record, 1991’s Ten. Ultimate Classic Rock notes that this was Krusen’s first Pearl Jam performance since May 25, 1991, not including their Rock Hall of Fame induction in 2017.

With Krusen on drums, Pearl Jam played 10 songs, eight of which were from the Ten record — meaning that PJ fans in Fresno were treated to a good portion of the landmark album that helped usher in Pearl Jam’s arrival in the early 1990s. Here’s fan footage from the show, with Vedder giving a nice introduction to Krusen’s return:

Pearl Jam’s Fresno set list:

Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town
Given to Fly
Do the Evolution
Corduroy
Wishlist
Daughter
Don’t Gimme No Lip
Once (with Dave Krusen)
Why Go (with Dave Krusen)
Even Flow (with Dave Krusen)
Garden (with Dave Krusen)
Black (with Dave Krusen)
Eruption (Van Halen cover)
Animal
Quick Escape
Throw Your Hatred Down (Neil Young cover)
Purple Rain (Prince cover) (Josh Klinghoffer on lead vocals, live debut)
Porch (with Dave Krusen)

Encore:

Jeremy (with Dave Krusen)
Deep (with Dave Krusen)
State of Love and Trust (with Dave Krusen)
Alive (with Dave Krusen)
Baba O’Riley (The Who cover)
Yellow Ledbetter

So far, Pearl Jam is proving once again it’s a can’t-miss live act, with some especially exciting moments across the first few dates of the tour. Catch a show on the remaining dates:

May 18 Sacramento, CA Golden 1 Center
May 20 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden Arena
September 1 Quebec City, QC Videotron Centre
September 3 Ottawa, ON Canadian Tire Centre
September 6 Hamilton, ON FirstOntario Centre
September 8 Toronto, ON Scotiabank Arena
September 11 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
September 14 Camden, NJ Waterfront Music Pavilion
September 16 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena
September 18 St. Louis, MO Enterprise Center
September 20 Oklahoma City, OK Paycom Center
September 22 Denver, CO Ball Arena