Pearl Jam announces North American tour with multiple stops in Canada
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Pearl Jam are coming to Canada as part of a forthcoming 2020 tour that, up until today, only included European dates.
The groundbreaking Seattle grunge icons announced the news in a press release on Monday, revealing that they'd be kicking off the North American leg of their tour at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena on March 18.
More exciting still for fans of the band: They're touring to support the release of their new studio album, Gigaton.
The first studio album to be released since 2013's Grammy-winning Lightning Bolt, Pearl Jam's latest record is set to hit shelves and streaming services in the U.S. and Canada on March 27.
We saw it for ourselves! Thanks to @PearlJam for choosing #Toronto as one of the 11 cities around the world for this interesting installation. #PearlJam #Gigaton #pearljamfamily #pjtour2020 pic.twitter.com/SaTjVIUCoE
— PearlJamFamily (@Pearl_Jam_Fam) January 12, 2020
"Making this record was a long journey," said guitarist Mike McCready of the new album in Monday's release.
"It was emotionally dark and confusing at times, but also an exciting and experimental road map to musical redemption," he continued. "Collaborating with my bandmates on Gigaton ultimately gave me greater love, awareness and knowledge of the need for human connection in these times."
McCready, along with bandmates Eddie Vedder, Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament and Matt Cameron, are set to visit Ottawa for their second North American tour stop on March 20 after departing from Toronto.
From there, it's on to Quebec City's Videotron Centre (March 22) and Hamilton's FirstOntario Centre (March 24) before performing 12 more stadium shows across the U.S.
Twenty-twenty marks Pearl Jam's 30th year as a live performing band. Gigatron will be the group's eleventh studio album and features cover art by Canadian photographer and marine biologist Paul Nicklen.
Tickets for the tour go on pre-sale to "Verified Fans" through Ticketmaster on Thursday, January 23 at 10 a.m. venue local time.
General tickets will be released on January 24 at 10 a.m. for each venue, also through Ticketmaster — a company which, ironically, Pearl Jam (unsuccessfully) tried to sue over service fees back in 1994.
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