This past weekend, Pearl Jam played a show in Oakland, CA, sans drummer Matt Cameron, who's still recovering after catching COVID. The band has been recruiting stand-in drummers to take Cameron's place, and this time around they decided to fulfill some serious fan-fantasies by enlisting 18-year-old drummer Kai Neukermans.
The California high school student joined the band on stage after hearing about their need for stand-in drummers and texting Eddie Vedder's daughter Olivia, who he'd met previously at a festival. Neukermans was then asked to send in an audition tape of sorts to Vedder and co., and the rest is history.
"Everybody this is Kai; Kai this is everybody! You're leading the band, brother," Vedder said before launching into their 2013 track "Mind Your Manners." For the remainder of the show, Pearl Jam tapped Josh Klinghoffer and Oakland musician Richard Stuverud to sit in for Cameron.
Neukermans plays in the rock trio Alive alongside his younger brother and friend, and has previously played some pretty major stages, including the BottleRock Napa Valley main stage and Lollapalooza Chile.
See footage of Neukermans on stage with Pearl Jam below.
The California high school student joined the band on stage after hearing about their need for stand-in drummers and texting Eddie Vedder's daughter Olivia, who he'd met previously at a festival. Neukermans was then asked to send in an audition tape of sorts to Vedder and co., and the rest is history.
"Everybody this is Kai; Kai this is everybody! You're leading the band, brother," Vedder said before launching into their 2013 track "Mind Your Manners." For the remainder of the show, Pearl Jam tapped Josh Klinghoffer and Oakland musician Richard Stuverud to sit in for Cameron.
Neukermans plays in the rock trio Alive alongside his younger brother and friend, and has previously played some pretty major stages, including the BottleRock Napa Valley main stage and Lollapalooza Chile.
See footage of Neukermans on stage with Pearl Jam below.
