Two years after COVID cancellation, Seattle rockers Pearl Jam finally embarked on their Gigaton tour and made their way to Oakland, CA for two back-to-back shows in the East Bay.

Drummer Matt Cameron unfortunately came down with COVID the night before the first Oakland show, but rather than cancel, the band decided to forge ahead with Josh Klinghoffer (former guitarist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers) on drums. Klinghoffer is the opening act on this tour, under the name Pluralone, and is best known for his Chili Peppers guitar chops.

Needless to say, fans missed seeing Cameron behind the drum kit, but were surprised and impressed at Klinghoffer’s ability to switch instruments and perform the whole 26-song set for Pearl Jam (minus “Yellow Ledbetter” at the end, when the band invited a fan on stage to try their hand at drumming).

Each performance on the Gigaton tour has varied setlists, which is a nice change from modern “on the rails” shows that need to be timed to stage lights and screens. Night 1 in Oakland featured some highlights such as “Why Go”, “Animal”, and “Black”.

Photos below by Clay Lancaster.