Pearl Jam makes a brilliant (if slightly unexpected) hire for their new drummer.
Ever since Matt Cameron announced he was stepping away from Pearl Jam after 27 years, there was endless speculation about who would fill his spot. Stephen Perkins (Jane’s Addiction), Brad Wilk (Rage Against the Machine), and Josh Freese were just three of the names put forward. But in the end, Abe Laboirel J. got the job.
Many people went, “Who?” Let me explain.
Since 2001, Abe has been the drummer for Paul McCartney‘s touring band. I’ve seen Macca many times, and for much of these concerts, I watched Abe. Not only was he Ringo-perfect, but he can sing and sing well. The guy is a beast.
His name had come up in some discussions, but most ended with the same question: “Why would Abe give up playing with Paul McCartney?”
Here’s a brutal fact: Macca is 84 while Abe is 55. He’s gotta start thinking about what he’ll do once McCartney retires from touring, or at least severely cuts back on the number of road trips he books. Besides, after 25 years of playing Beatles and Wings songs, maybe it’s time for a change.
His other touring gigs have been with Sting, Eric Clapton, and Steve Vai, all of whom are also getting up there in age.
Yes, he’s an in-demand session man, but if you had the chance to join Pearl Jam and keep getting a steady paycheck, wouldn’t you take it? (Eddie has known him for years; Abe played on Earthling, his 2022 solo album. He must have been impressed.)
Abe’s first live performance was with Pearl Jam during Eddie Vedder‘s headlining set at this past weekend’s Ohana Festival in Dana Point, California. The introduction went down like this.
And then it continued.
The band went through songs like: “Corduroy,” “Hail Hail,” “Scared of Fear,” and “Wishlist.” Video can be found here.
So is Abe a full-fledged member of Pearl Jam? Unclear. Eddie said he was “filling in” for this gig. I guess we’ll see.
