Rock Encyclopedia

2011 marks the 20th anniversary of Pearl Jam, one of the most influential bands of the 1990s. To celebrate, the band has announced a Canadian tour – with special guests Mudhoney – for September of this year:

Tickets are $69.50 plus applicable service charges, with $2 from every ticket sold to be donated to the Vitalogy Foundation, which grants funds to non-profit organizations chosen personally by the members of Pearl Jam.

In 2005, Pearl Jam toured Canada extensively, performing in seventeen cities nationwide. The band cemented a special relationship with their Canadian fans, selling out arenas coast to coast.

2011 will be a yearlong celebration of Pearl Jam’s rich twenty-year history. The band kicked off the year with the release of a new live compilation album, Live on Ten Legs, followed by expanded reissues of Vs. and Vitalogy in March.

TICKETS ON SALE MAY 27 AT 10:00am LOCAL TIME
TICKETS FOR MONTREAL DATE ON SALE MAY 28 AT 12:00pm LOCAL TIME

In addition to this Canadian tour, September brings Pearl Jam’s 20th anniversary weekend concert to Alpine Valley followed by the debut of Cameron Crowe’s film, Pearl Jam Twenty, accompanied by the release of a book and soundtrack album. Interspersed between these PJ20 highlights will be a number of special events.

Epic Records and Legacy Recordings celebrate Pearl Jam’s 20th anniversary with the release of newly restored and expanded editions of Vs. and Vitalogy , the second and third albums from Pearl Jam which broke all initial SoundScan records and secured the band’s reputation as a preeminent force in American rock music.

Vs. and Vitalogy will be available in new Expanded Editions (featuring three bonus tracks on each) or together in a three-disc Deluxe Edition (featuring Live at the Orpheum Theater, Boston, April 12, 1994) and Limited Edition Collector’s Box Set, on Tuesday, March 29th . Each album will also be released in new commemorative remastered Vinyl Editions on April 12th in time for Record Store Day 2011 (April 16th).

Pre-orders for the Vs. and Vitalogy Limited Edition Collector’s Boxed Set begin today at www.PearlJam.com .

Details on the new Reissue Formats of Vs. and Vitalogy are as follows: (more…)

Target stores nationwide to offer DLC download code with album purchase

Harmonix and MTV Games announced that the entirety of Pearl Jam’s new album Backspacer will be added to the Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system and Wii(TM) immediately surrounding the album’s retail release. The album hits shelves Sept. 20, and will be added to the Rock Band Music Store for Xbox 360 on Sept. 20, for Wii on Sept. 22, and for PlayStation 3 on Sept 24.

Rock Band DLC Additions for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 System and Wii

Pearl Jam is an American band that became one of the precursors of alternative rock after forming in Seattle in 1990. Made up of Eddie Vedder, Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready and Matt Cameron, the band has sold more than 60 million records around the globe. The band hit mainstream success after the release of its 1991 debut album, Ten, which sold 12 million copies worldwide. Ten became available for download in the Rock Band Music Store day-and-date with the reissue of the album March 24, 2009, and has sold more than 850,000 song downloads to date.

The band’s ninth and latest studio album, Backspacer, will be released in stores Sept. 20 and will be added to the Rock Band Music Store for Xbox 360 on Sept. 20, for Wii on Sept. 22 and for PlayStation 3 on Sept 24. Pearl Jam is touring in promotion of the new album from August through October in the United States and Europe.

In addition, Pearl Jam will offer a special edition CD set at Target stores nationwide that will include the Backspacer album disc and a code that enables owners of the special edition to download the entire album for Rock Band or Rock Band 2 gameplay for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system. The tracks will be imported into participating fans’ Rock Band libraries and be accessible to all game modes, including solo, band play, online multiplayer and instrument vs. instrument.

Available on Xbox 360 (Sept. 20), Wii (Sept. 22) & PlayStation 3 system (Sept. 24):

http://www.mtv.com/videos/foo-fighters/19594/all-my-life.jhtml
– “Gonna See My Friend”
– “Got Some”
– “The Fixer”
– “Johnny Guitar’
– “Just Breathe”
– “Amongst the Waves”
– “Unthought Known”
– “Supersonic”
– “Speed of Sound”
– “Force of Nature”
– “The End”

(All tracks are original master recordings)

These tracks will be available for purchase as “Backspacer (Album)” and as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system and as individual tracks on Wii.

Price: $1.99 USD, .99 pounds Sterling UK, 1.49 euros EU (160 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track
$17.99, 9.19 pounds UK, 21.95 euros EU (1440 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for “Backspacer (Album)”
$2.00 USD (200 Wii Points(TM)) per track

** Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change. **

Rock Band 2 is available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system, PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system and Wii system. Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 system and Wii versions support downloadable content.

Downloadable content for Wii is purchased via the in-game Rock Band Music Store using Wii Points(TM) purchased through the Wii(TM) Shop Channel and can be downloaded to the system memory or to an SD card for additional storage. The tracks stream directly from the SD card for seamless play.

There are now 867 tracks available to date via disc and download purchase (complete list of tracks at www.rockband.com/music). Rock Band continues to satisfy music fans’ and gamers’ voracious appetite for rock with more than 50 million paid downloads since its launch Nov. 20, 2007. The Rock Band Music Store allows players to preview and purchase downloadable individual music tracks and packs from the vast selection of offerings available to date without ever leaving the game as they build their own custom Rock Band library.

Rock Band and Rock Band 2 are rated “T” for Teen (lyrics, suggestive themes) by the ESRB. Music downloads are not rated by the ESRB.

Source: MTV Games