The schedule for the Ohana Festival listed Eddie Vedder and Friends for the Friday night slot at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, California. Anyone looking at the bill might have reasonably braced for a loose, acoustic-leaning solo affair padded out with occasional stage guests. Instead, Vedder walked out with the full lineup of Pearl Jam in tow, mounting their first live appearance in well over a year. Even more surprising was the figure settled behind the drum kit. Holding down the rhythm section was Abe Laboriel Jr., a musician whose primary gig for more than two decades has been anchoring the touring band for Paul McCartney.
The gig was an emotional pivot for the Seattle group, serving as their very first concert since Matt Cameron stepped down in July 2025. Cameron had spent twenty-seven years with Pearl Jam, a run that made him the longest-tenured drummer in the history of the band. When introducing Laboriel to the crowd on Friday, Vedder was careful to keep expectations grounded. He told the audience that Laboriel was simply filling in for the evening, leaving the permanent status of the drum stool open. Whether this one-off collaboration evolves into anything more permanent remains unconfirmed.
Replacing Cameron is an intimidating assignment. When Cameron parted ways with Pearl Jam, he did so on good terms, explaining that the physical wear of marathon three-hour sets combined with unrelenting tour schedules had finally caught up with him. He noted that he had reached a point where he favored a concise, high-energy seventy-minute set over endurance tests. Cameron has remained busy elsewhere, currently putting work into Soundgarden's final album, which relies on unreleased vocal tracks left behind by Chris Cornell. Yet for Pearl Jam, his departure opened up a massive rhythmic void.
Laboriel was handed an extensive run through the band's catalog to prove his footing. Pearl Jam opened the night with Corduroy, pushed straight into Hail, Hail, and pulled Scared Of Fear alongside the title track from their 2024 album, Dark Matter. From there, the setlist covered Wishlist, Do The Evolution, Green Disease, Lukin, and Porch, as well as Won't Tell and a quick tease of Pretty Green by The Jam. During I Got Id, the band slid in a tag of Neil Young's Cinnamon Girl. They returned for an encore that featured Better Man tagged with Save It For Later, alongside Even Flow, then tore through covers of Dead Boys' Sonic Reducer and Baba O'Riley by The Who.
Laboriel certainly has the resume to handle that kind of range. His history with Paul McCartney dates back to 2001, when he recorded on McCartney's Driving Rain album and joined him on stage at the Concert For New York City later that year. He has stayed in McCartney's touring setup ever since. Earlier this year, McCartney spoke warmly about his longtime drummer, reminiscing about an evening when Ringo Starr hopped on stage alongside Laboriel to play a double-drum rendition of Helter Skelter. Beyond his McCartney duties, Laboriel has built up credits working with Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, and Sting.
There was already an established rapport between Laboriel and Vedder before Friday night. Laboriel contributed drums and percussion to Picture, the duet Vedder recorded with Elton John for his 2022 solo album, Earthling. He was also already accustomed to the festival grounds at Doheny State Beach, having stepped in for Chad Smith in Vedder's backing group, The Earthlings, at the 2023 edition of Ohana.
For now, Pearl Jam faces an unusually quiet and uncertain calendar. The band has only one other performance currently on the books for 2026, which is a return to the Ohana stage on September 27. How they choose to handle their rhythm section between now and then remains the defining question hanging over their next chapter.
