Pearl Jam Singer Eddie Vedder Champions Taylor Swift

2024-03-18

Taylor Swift laying down on a brown couch.

Taylor Swift has a fan in Eddie Vedder – Author Cat Badra, Photo via Republic Records

The grunge rock of Pearl Jam is really nothing like the pop-country music of Taylor Swift. But, musicians can have respect for each others’ genres. As it turns out, Pearl Jam vocalist Eddie Vedder deeply respects Taylor Swift. He’s even seen her in concert.

Eddie Vedder, Taylor Swift Connection

So, how did this Eddie Vedder, Taylor Swift love even surface? In a fresh interview with MOJO magazine, Vedder brought up Swift, along with the climate of her shows and the kind of fans she attracts. He says that her fans, often called Swifties, have the kind of strong, raw love and passion for Swift that he’s seen at punk shows.

In the interview with writer David Fricke, Vedder discusses taking one of his daughters to see a Taylor Swift concert. He says that the inclusiveness of her fans moved him. It brought back good memories of when he was making the rounds in the early U.S. punk and hardcore scene.

He called her fans “galvanizing and powerful.” Vedder also recalled when Swifts fans embraced his daughter before the show, “making friendship bracelets with her and the generosity of these young girls and boys, trading these bracelets with different messages on them – lyrics, song titles, just acts of good will on these little bracelets. They had found their tribe; they were all agreeing on something.”

He added, “The craziest thing was it reminded me of punk rock crowds, of being aligned with all of the misfits in our town, back in the day.”

So, if you find yourself at a Taylor Swift concert anytime soon, look around and think to yourself, “This must be what it was like to be at early punk shows in the U.S.” It sounds crazy, but that’s basically the vibe of what Vedder is saying. I get it, because punk is supposed to be about community and inclusiveness, and Swift’s shows seem to have that same aura. But, but is very DIY, and Swift is not, so there’s that. Not to mention that the two musical genres, hardcore punk and pop, are very different. But, Vedder makes a good point, and it’s refreshing to see such kind words from him. There was a time when a rock musician couldn’t sing the praises of a pop star without a huge backlash, and those days are obviously over.

Vedder’s interview is part of a press run he’s doing in support of Pearl Jam’s upcoming album, “Dark Matter,” which will arrive April 19. The album was produced by Grammy Award-winning Andrew Watt. It will also mark the band’s follow-up to 2020’s “Gigaton.” According to a press statement, “Unlike previous records which took years to complete with several group and individual recording sessions, Dark Matter was created in just three weeks.”

The band will also embark on a massive world tour to support the album. That trek will begin in early May and run through late September. The band also has some overseas dates scheduled in November. More shows are expected to be announced, too. So, it’s going to be a very busy year for Pearl Jam.

Cat Badra
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Posted by Cat Badra | Alternative, Grunge, Music, Rock, Rock News

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