Pearl Jam is reportedly eyeing a Canadian return in 2025, with rumoured stops in Toronto and Montreal. Speculative dates include May 17 and 19 for Toronto and May 21 and 23 for Montreal as part of their “Dark Matter” tour. If confirmed, this will mark the band’s first visit to Montreal since their September 7, 2011, performance at the Bell Centre during their 20th-anniversary tour.
Pearl Jam’s twelfth studio album, Dark Matter, released on April 19, 2024, marks a significant chapter in the band’s enduring career. Produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Andrew Watt, the album was recorded at Shangri-La Studios in Malibu, California, and Watt’s home studio. This project is notable for featuring contributions from touring and session member Josh Klinghoffer, who joined the band during their 2022–2023 Gigaton Tour.
Dark Matter has been met with widespread critical acclaim. Ultimate Classic Rock praised the album, stating, “With cutting lyrics and slicing riffs, Eddie Vedder and the band delivered their most satisfying album since the ’90s.” Uncut described it as “a fretful and ferocious record, lyrically much preoccupied with things having ended or appearing about to end, but musically much more blaze of glory than any kind of funeral pyre.”
In support of the album, Pearl Jam embarked on the Dark Matter World Tour, which commenced in May 2024. The tour spanned multiple continents, including North America, Europe, and Oceania. Notably, the band concluded the tour with a performance in Sydney, Australia, on November 23, 2024, where they surprised fans by performing Temple of the Dog’s “Hunger Strike” for the first time in nearly a decade and covering Bruce Springsteen’s “No Surrender” for the first time since 2006.
Dark Matter has also received recognition in the music industry, earning Grammy nominations for Best Rock Album, Best Rock Song (“Dark Matter”), and Best Rock Performance (“Dark Matter”).
For now, Montreal fans will have to wait and watch for updates, but the possibility of seeing Eddie Vedder and company back in the city is already generating significant buzz. With over three decades of music to draw from, Pearl Jam’s return would undoubtedly be one of the standout concerts of 2025.
Live photo – Steve Gerrard
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