Pearl Jam gets political during hiatus

PHILADELPHIA — Stone Gossard made some serious promises this campaign season.

Pearl Jam fans who answered FaceTime calls from the rhythm guitarist got something extra for taking a vote-by-mail pledge — the latest offering from the band in a career full of activism and advocacy for political causes.

Gossard offered free tickets to the next Pearl Jam show in that person’s city.

“They were really happy when I told them I’d get them into the show,” the 54-year-old Gossard with a laugh.

The band postponed its 2020 tour that was set to promote its latest album “Gigaton” and it just released its latest single “Get It Back” on streaming services. There are tentative start dates for a 2021 tour that includes a European leg but any true kickoff for a band rocking into its fourth decade still remains unknown in the pandemic.

“We’re mostly just thankful that we can actually stop for a year or two and everything’s going to be OK,” Gossard said. “For the majority of people out there, that reality is not the same. We’re going back to touring. We’re going back to making records, we’re going to play ‘Gigaton’ live. We’re going to make more records and eat club sandwiches on the road. We just want to do that when it makes sense. It might still be a little bit of time.”

Gossard and Pearl Jam lead guitarist Mike McCready told The Associated Press on a recent Zoom that tour rehearsals off the band’s first studio album in seven years were completed.

“We put the record out a while ago and then just kind of went, OK, now what do we do?” McCready said. “We’re going to keep going. we’re going to keep moving forward, hopefully.”

The band, which signs up fans for a voting pledge by texting a five-digit number, hoped the tour would wind through swing states like Pennsylvania closer to the Nov. 3 election where they could push from their stage their PJ Votes campaign — vote by mail, recruit three friends and don’t wait.

Frontman Eddie Vedder posted step-by-step photos on his Instagram page on how to vote by mail. Vedder has long been a fierce critic of President Donald Trump and has cursed him out on live shows and the latest album.