Abe Laboriel Jr. Plays Drums With Pearl Jam

Paul McCartney drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. played drums with Pearl Jam during the Ohana Festival. The live concert took place on the night of September 25 at Doheny State Beach in Dana Point, California. The performance took place within the program announced under the title of Eddie Vedder and Friends. While on the stage, Eddie Vedder introduced Abe Laboriel Jr. by stating that he was sitting in tonight.

This Ohana Festival appearance was the first live performance by Pearl Jam since Matt Cameron announced in July 2025 that he would leave the band. Matt Cameron had joined Pearl Jam in 1998 and became the longest-serving drummer in the history of the band. The latest studio album from Pearl Jam, Dark Matter, was released in the year 2024.

Abe Laboriel Jr. has been playing with Paul McCartney since 2001 and first appeared on the Paul McCartney album Driving Rain. Laboriel also played drums and percussion on the song Picture, which appears on the Eddie Vedder solo album Earthling and features Elton John. In addition, Laboriel replaced Chad Smith in the Eddie Vedder live band The Earthlings at Ohana in 2023.