Pearl Jam made a debut appearance at the Ohana Festival on Friday night. At Eddie Vedder’s concert in Dana Point, Calif., billed as “Eddie Vedder and Friends,” the band surprised the seaside crowd by taking the stage with longtime Paul McCartney collaborator Abe Laboriel Jr. behind the kit.
Pearl Jam performed “Corduroy” as their first song with Laboriel, followed by a series of fan favorites including “Hail Hail,” “Scared of Fear,” and “Wishlist.” The reveal came as a big surprise to fans, who received no indication that the band would be taking the stage with Laboriel tonight.
The spot for Pearl Jam’s sixth drummer has been open since Matt Cameron’s amicable departure from the band in July 2025, and the band previously confirmed they had chosen a new member, but kept things under wraps. It is still unclear whether Laboriel has officially joined the group, and Pearl Jam has not made any official statement on the matter.
Earlier this week, rolling stone listed Laboriel among his top picks for possible replacements, noting his fierce skills, friendship with Vedder and guest feature on the frontman’s 2022 solo album, Earthling.
Notably, Laboriel, who also does background singing, has performed on some of the world’s biggest stages, from Super Bowl halftime shows to staged concerts in front of Queen Elizabeth.
In May, fans began speculating that something was up after Laboriel’s absence during McCartney’s performance. Saturday evening live‘s 51st final and when Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers replaced.
It remains to be seen whether Laboriel has parted ways with McCartney or whether he will do double duty with Pearl Jam. For now, it looks like he’ll be on the West Coast with his new crew all weekend.
Gn entert
