Pearl Jam played the Ohana Festival with Abe Laboriel Jr. behind the drum kit, temporarily borrowing a musician from Paul McCartney because Gen X band staffing has apparently entered the interlibrary-loan phase.
Laboriel joined Pearl Jam for its September 27 headlining set in Dana Point, California. Eddie Vedder introduced him warmly, and the crowd answered with chants of his name.
The band has been searching since Matt Cameron left
Cameron departed amicably in July 2025 after 27 years with Pearl Jam. His career connected two pillars of Seattle rock: Soundgarden, which he joined in the 1980s, and Pearl Jam, where he brought power and stability through decades of touring and recording.
Pearl Jam has not announced a permanent replacement. Bassist Jeff Ament recently suggested the band had a preferred candidate but wanted to see how the chemistry worked onstage.
Laboriel arrives with an absurdly broad résumé
The 55-year-old drummer has worked with McCartney since the 2001 album Driving Rain. His credits also include Fiona Apple, B.B. King, Lady Gaga and Jerry Cantrell. He first appeared during an Eddie Vedder and Friends set before joining Pearl Jam's full festival performance.
Vedder thanked McCartney for lending the drummer and dedicated part of “Better Man” to Laboriel. No announcement has confirmed whether the arrangement will continue.
People reported Laboriel's Ohana performance and Pearl Jam's continuing drummer search.
For now, Pearl Jam remains between eras: one legendary drummer has stepped away, another elite player has sat down, and the audience is waiting to learn whether “temporary” means one weekend or the opening track of the next chapter.
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Max Rewind
Gen X Files & Pop-Culture ArchaeologyMax remembers when television ended at midnight, concert tickets were affordable, and nobody called a reboot “content.” He digs through the culture we survived.
“Rewind it, verify it, and please stop remaking everything.”