Saturday night’s One World: Together At Home broadcast saw a moving performance by Eddie Vedder, where the Pearl Jam frontman delivered a solo rendition of “River Cross”, from the band’s newly released Gigaton album.
The several hour One World broadcast, marshaled into existence by the World Health Organization and Global Citizen, saw performances from a wide range of musicians, including Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder, The Rolling Stones, Andrea Bocelli, and countless others, each filming from their own self-quarantine locations. Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert, and Jimmy Kimmel hosted the event, which broadcasted across a variety of digital and traditional media platforms, including network television and YouTube, and benefitted the W.H.O.’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.
Related: Stevie Wonder Pays Tribute To Bill Withers During ‘One World: Together At Home’ [Watch]
Pearl Jam fans might remember that “River Cross” originally debuted during this year’s Super Bowl as part of a Verizon commercial featuring Harrison Ford seven weeks before the album release on March 27th. Saturday’s version, however, was markedly different, as it saw only Vedder reciting the chilling vocals as he played along with an organ. The rock veteran played the song’s familiar melody before singing the opening lines, which seemingly took on new meaning amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic that has kept billions across the world inside their homes for weeks on end.
“Wide awake through this deepest night/ Still waiting on the sun/ As the hours seem to multiple/ Find a star to soldier on” Vedder sang, empathizing with viewers struggling to adjust to their new reality. As the song progressed it grew to a crescendo and ushered-in the refrain “Share the light/ Won’t hold us down,” ending on a slightly hopeful note. Watch Eddie Vedder perform for One World: Together At Home below.
Eddie Vedder – “River Cross” – One World: Together At Home
[Video: Global Citizen]
Like virtually all bands and musicians, Pearl Jam has had to postpone their North American spring tour, which was set to kick off in Toronto on March 18th. The band did not specify new dates as the current crisis is yet unresolved and it is difficult to predict when the pandemic will allow for large gatherings. For the latest Pearl Jam tour information, head to the band’s website, and keep tabs on Live For Live Music‘s concert cancellation tracker for daily updates on tours across the country.