Thursday 6 September 2012

Pearl Jam and Jay-Z perform '99 Problems' ‎

Go to a Pearl Jam show and you expect to hear one of the songs that made the Seattle band one of the all-time best: “Even Flow,” “Daughter,” “Jeremy.”

But the Jay-Z song “99 Problems?”

Fans at the Made in America Festival, the two-day Philadelphia event headlined and curated by Jay-Z, had that experience Sunday night.

Near the end of their 10-song encore, Pearl Jam teamed with Jay-Z on “99 Problems,” then finished their show with a cover of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World.”

What’s “99 Problems?” It’s a rap song that went platinum and in 2009 took the No. 2 spot on Rolling Stone’s 50 Best Songs of the Decade list. The song was produced by Rick Rubin – the man who helped launch the Beastie Boys and many others – and a modified version of the song was played at the last official event of Barack Obama’s inauguration.

There must be something about early September for Pearl Jam.

A year ago this week, the band played brought fans from around the world to East Troy, Wis., where it played a 20th anniversary show. Both nights included “Hunger Strike” with Chris Cornell, many other guests, and set lists that longtime Pearl Jam fans hope are released on CD sometime soon.

A gallery from the PJ20 show is below, including pictures of the Pearl Jam museum.

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