Watch Eddie Vedder Perform ‘Better Man’ on ‘Letterman’
In 1996, Eddie Vedder made a brief, 60-second appearance on the Late Show With David Letterman to help the host and Paul Shaffer properly sing Pearl Jam's hit, "Black." It was Vedder's first time on the Late Show stage, but he didn't hang around to gloat:
That same year, Pearl Jam broke their media blackout by joining Letterman -- as a full band this time -- for a performance of not one, but two tracks: "Hail Hail" and the Motown tune, "Leaving Here":
Nearly two decades later, Vedder came back to New York City for one final appearance on the Late Show. Equipped with nothing more than his personal Telecaster, Vedder was joined by Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra for an unforgettable performance of "Better Man" -- check out last night's (May 18) performance below:
From breaking a string on his guitar to delivering an impeccable Pete Townshend windmill, Vedder left it all on the stage and lived up to Shaffer's assessment at the end of the show as "unbelievable" and "phenomenal."
And we think it's safe to say we speak for everyone watching that we couldn't agree more with Letterman's final statement: "This is one we'll remember."
As Letterman prepares for his impending retirement, Vedder marks his second-to-last official musical guest; Bob Dylan is scheduled to appear on tonight's episode and the final Late Show, Wednesday, May 20, is expected to be an "hour full of surprises."