Minutes before it was about to get underway and with fans already in the venue, Pearl Jam’s planned show tonight (July 20) at Vienna’s Wiener Stadthalle has been canceled after frontman Eddie Vedder damaged his throat singing last Sunday at Lollapalooza Paris during a historic European heat wave.
“To all those who were anticipating a great Pearl Jam show tonight in Vienna, we were too,” the band wrote on social media. “However, due to the extreme circumstances at the last outdoor site outside of Paris (heat, dust and smoke from the fires) our singer Ed Vedder’s throat was left damaged. He has seen doctors and had treatment but as of yet, his vocal cords have not recovered.”
“This is brutal news and horrible timing for everyone involved,” Pearl Jam’s statement continued. “Those who work so hard to put on the shows as well as those who give their precious time and energies to attend. As a band, we are deeply sorry and have tried to find options to still play. And Ed wants to play. There’s just no throat available at this time. So very, very deeply sorry. Tickets will be refunded at point of purchase. Thank you for understanding.”
This is one of the only times in Pearl Jam’s nearly 32-year career that it has been forced to cancel a show due to Vedder’s health. The most recent was in June 2018, when his voice gave out after a show in London. The band’s next scheduled gig is Friday in Prague and will be followed by the final two shows of the tour on July 24-25 at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam. As of now, there’s no word on their status.
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