Pearl Jam is continuing its practice of releasing official live recordings, announcing plans to issue bootlegs from their ongoing Dark Matter Tour 2025. The band will make high-quality audio available for shows shortly after each performance throughout May and June.
This release schedule aligns with specific tour dates, including shows in Hollywood, Atlanta, Nashville, Raleigh, and Pittsburgh. Recordings from the band's appearance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on May 3, 2025, are also part of the planned bootleg series. Availability will be through various digital formats.
The practice dates back to 2000 when Pearl Jam began releasing soundboard recordings from tours. This was done to offer fans high-quality alternatives to unofficial audience recordings circulating at the time. Initially released on CD, the format has evolved over the years to include digital downloads and streaming.
The band maintained this release model for most tours since 2000, with notable exceptions being the 2004 Vote for Change Tour and the 2007 European Tour. The consistent approach is intended to capture each live performance accurately.
The decision to continue releasing bootlegs for the Dark Matter Tour 2025 follows the release of their twelfth studio album, Dark Matter.
Pearl Jam performed at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on the festival's seventh day. Crowds gathered at the Festival Stage for the band's set as part of the event which concluded May 4, 2025. Reports indicated large attendance for the festival's main stages throughout the final weekend.
The band emphasizes that the official recordings aim to serve as archives of their live shows, preserving the performances and connection with their audience.
