Pearl Jam producer Andrew Watt joins Mike McCready to share one of the all-time great guitar solos

Janelle Borg
·2 min read
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L-Andrew Watt performs onstage during Ohana Fest at Doheny State Beach on September 24, 2021 in Dana Point, California; R- Lead guitarist Mike McCready of Pearl Jam performs live on stage at Moody Center on September 18, 2023 in Austin, Texas.
L-Andrew Watt performs onstage during Ohana Fest at Doheny State Beach on September 24, 2021 in Dana Point, California; R- Lead guitarist Mike McCready of Pearl Jam performs live on stage at Moody Center on September 18, 2023 in Austin, Texas.

Pearl Jam producer Andrew Watt has gone from being a 12-year-old holding a sign at a show asking to play Alive’s guitar solo to being his favorite band's producer. Now, he can tick something else off his bucket list after dueling with Mike McCready on the iconic Alive lead last week.

So far, Pearl Jam's debut single Alive has appeared on all setlists of their current tour. On May 16, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, fans were treated to a special rendition when Andrew Watt joined the band on stage, brandishing his Gibson Les Paul. He joined forces with McCready to deliver the solo Total Guitar named the 29th best solo of all time.

Elsewhere on the setlist, Pearl Jam included more surprises, including tour debuts of Sometimes and Hail Hail from No Code (1996), plus Eddie Vedder's take on Jason Isbell's Maybe It's Time and Corduroy (1994) with U2's Bad intro.

During their second show at MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 18, the band performed deep cut You Are (2002) for the first time since 2018. Eddie Vedder also covered Tom Petty's I Won't Back Down, with a Hunters & Collectors' Throw Your Arms Around Me tease – notably, he played a Fender Robbie Robertson Stratocaster for the tracks.

In an interview with SPIN, Watt expressed his admiration for Pearl Jam's music and how producing Dark Matter served as his full circle moment: “[It felt like going] back to being 12 years old, going to a show and holding a sign that said, ‘Can I play the guitar solo for Alive?’ I’ve been ready for this gig my whole life. There was no prep needed.”

In a recent interview with Bass Player, bassist Jeff Ament revealed how working with a genuine Pearl Jam fan like Watt helped energize the band. “Andrew’s a huge fan, and the Pearl Jam that he likes is the stuff that hits hard. So we leaned into that part of the sound a little more.”

The recording process also entailed using the gear available at Watt's studio, including four custom Dumble amps.

Pearl Jam are currently on the US leg of their Dark Matter tour. The setlist is unique for every show, as the tour not only celebrates their latest album, but 30 years of live performances, 12 studio albums, and over 85 million albums sold worldwide.