Pearl Jam: home and away

2018

Pearl Jam: Home and Away celebrated the past, present and future of one of the world’s most popular bands.

Synopsis:
After nearly 30 years, Pearl Jam’s story is still unfolding, as the band continues to make new music, sell out shows worldwide and use their prominence to further social good.

In 1990, Seattle bands were beginning to make inroads into mainstream culture. Guitarist Stone Gossard and bassist Jeff Ament, founding members of Mother Love Bone, were veterans of the scene. After the tragic death of vocalist Andrew Wood in 1989, Gossard, Ament and guitarist Mike McCready – with Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron filling in – created a 5-song demo that attracted vocalist Eddie Vedder. The group played their first show at Seattle’s Off Ramp on October 22, 1990, calling themselves Mookie Blaylock, and soon changed their name to Pearl Jam.

The band released their debut album Ten on August 27, 1991 and by early 1992 the album had taken off, catapulting Pearl Jam onto the global stage as one of the key bands in Seattle’s grunge movement. Over the next several years the band toured incessantly, honing their craft as a world-class live act. Each subsequent studio album unveiled new facets of the group as they expanded their sound and matured as a band. In 1998 they lured back Matt Cameron, creating the band’s ideal line-up that continues to this day.

Over three decades, 10 studio albums, and hundreds of sold-out concerts, Pearl Jam has gained a passionate, global following. But Seattle is home, where they retain roots. Taking inspiration from the band’s Seattle warehouse and headquarters, this exhibition is an opportunity to experience Pearl Jam’s creative journey from 1990 to the present and into the future.

Organized by Museum of Pop Culture in collaboration with Pearl Jam and Ten Club.

Scope: exhibition curation