Seattle and Pearl Jam are names that go hand in hand. For more than thirty years, the band that now fills stadiums around the world built its story on small stages and in recording studios scattered across the city. For anyone who wants to understand that journey, walking the Pearl Jam trail in Seattle feels like traveling back in time — a chance to see, up close, where it all germinated.
A basement rehearsal space. A bar where the band played its first gig under the working name Mookie Blaylock. A studio where Ten was recorded. A century-old theater where the “Even Flow” video was shot and where their now-legendary cover of “Baba O’Riley” was performed live for the first time. What makes it all the more remarkable is that Pearl Jam still keeps its headquarters in the city to this day.
The addresses below help tell that story through Seattle’s geography, connecting the songs the whole world knows to the physical spaces where everything started.
+ SEATTLE GUIDES
– SOUNDGARDEN landmarks
– MOTHER LOVE BONE landmarks
– ALICE IN CHAINS landmarks
– NIRVANA landmarks
– JIMI HENDRIX landmarks
Black Dog Forge: Pearl Jam’s first rehearsals in Seattle
2310 2nd Ave, Seattle
On 2nd Avenue in the Belltown neighborhood, a gray door in an alley marks what remains of the old Galleria Potatohead. It was in the windowless basement of a former ironworks that Eddie Vedder, Mike McCready, Stone Gossard, and Jeff Ament first played together.
The facade bears a mural reading “Black Dog Forge” — the landmark to look for. If you have trouble finding it, search the map for The Rendezvous, which sits right next door.
The space is not open to the public, but a visit to the exterior makes for a fitting first stop on any Pearl Jam tour of Seattle.
Off Ramp Cafe: Pearl Jam’s very first live show
109 Eastlake Ave E, Seattle
On October 22, 1990,Pearl Jam played their first official show at a club called Off Ramp Cafe on Eastlake Ave E.
The band didn’t yet have a permanent name and performed as Mookie Blaylock — a last-minute nod to the NBA player that Jeff Ament and Eddie Vedder both admired.
The venue held around 300 people, sat in an industrial pocket of the city, and drew a tight-knit crowd of local musicians and scene regulars. The building still stands and operates today as El Corazon / The Funhouse, still hosting live music.
London Bridge Studio: where Pearl Jam recorded Ten
20021 Ballinger Way NE, Suite A, Shoreline
Pearl Jam entered London Bridge Studio on March 11, 1991, to record their debut album, Ten.
The sessions lasted just over a month — but it wasn’t their first time there. In January of that year, the band had already tracked their demo at London Bridge, and notably, the version of “Alive” that ended up on the album came from that demo session. The year before, they had also recorded Temple of the Dog in the same rooms.
The studio is located in Shoreline, just north of Seattle, and accepts visitors by appointment through its official website.
Guided tours include access to the original Yamaha C7 grand piano used on “Black,” and depending on the package chosen, visitors can listen to the isolated instrument tracks from songs like “Jeremy.”
Moore Theatre: “Even Flow” music video location
1932 2nd Ave, Seattle
The Moore Theatre, opened in 1907 on 2nd Avenue, holds at least two distinct chapters in Pearl Jam’s history.
The first came in December 1990, when the band — still going by Mookie Blaylock — opened for Alice in Chains on the same night Chris Cornell took the stage to perform songs from Temple of the Dog.
The second, and better documented, came on January 17, 1992: the show where Eddie Vedder climbed the theater’s side structures during filming of the “Even Flow” video, and where the band played “Baba O’Riley” by The Who live for the first time — a cover they’ve carried into their setlists ever since.
The theater offers free guided tours on the second Saturday of every month, from 10 a.m. to noon, with advance booking through their official website.
Discovery Park: “Hunger Strike” and the Pearl Jam connection
Discovery Park — Seattle’s largest public park — was chosen by director Paul Rachman as the backdrop for the “Hunger Strike” video,the unforgettable duet between Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder recorded for the Temple of the Dog album, a project created as a tribute to Andrew Wood, frontman of Mother Love Bone.
Alongside Cornell and Vedder, the video featured Matt Cameron (Soundgarden’s drummer, who would later become Pearl Jam’s drummer) and the musicians who would form the core of Pearl Jam: Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, and Mike McCready.
The park sits on Magnolia Bluff, northwest of downtown Seattle, with trails leading out to the West Point Lighthouse — commissioned in 1881 — and Miracle Beach. Set aside at least two hours for the round trip. Wear comfortable shoes and bring water.
Coryell Court Apartments: Singles building and Pearl Jam history
1820 E. Thomas Ave, Seattle
Pearl Jam’s connection to Coryell Court Apartments is indirect — but for fans, it’s worth the detour.
Eddie Vedder, Stone Gossard, and Jeff Ament appeared in Cameron Crowe’s 1992 film Singles as members of the fictional band Citizen Dick, and some of those scenes were filmed at this residential complex on E. Thomas Ave in Capitol Hill.
The shoot took place between March and May of 1991 — right as the band was heading into the studio to record Ten.
Visiting Coryell Court is a way of touching a very specific moment in Pearl Jam’s story, when everything was still just beginning.
Easy Street Records: surprise show and Jeff Ament mural in Seattle
4559 California Ave SW, Seattle
Easy Street Records in West Seattle holds one of the band’s most fondly remembered off-stage performances. On April 29, 2005, Pearl Jam played a surprise in-store show with a 16-song setlist.
The following year, part of that material was released as Live at Easy Street, later reissued on vinyl for Record Store Day 2019.
Over the years, band members have continued to drop by — for events or unannounced visits.
The building’s exterior also features a well-known mural by Jeff Ament paying tribute to Mother Love Bone.
The Crocodile: Eddie Vedder on stage and in the crowd
2505 1st Ave, Seattle
The Crocodile figures in Pearl Jam’s history through a couple of memorable sidebars.
In 1998, Eddie Vedder came as an audience member to watch Sleater-Kinney, and afterward told Carrie Brownstein outside that seeing them perform felt like being in the presence of Jagger and Richards. In 2023, Sleater-Kinney would be invited to tour with Pearl Jam.
Then, on October 23, 2001, Vedder took the stage at The Crocodile as a surprise guest during an unannounced R.E.M. show.
The venue opened in 1991 — the same year Ten was released — and remains active today, though its original location was just a short distance away, at 2200 2nd Avenue.
Showbox: a show recorded for the fan club
1426 1st Ave, Seattle
The Showbox, opened in 1939 on 1st Avenue, has its own chapter in Pearl Jam’s story.
On December 6, 2002, during the Riot Act tour, the band recorded a show here that was later released on DVD as Live at the Showbox, available exclusively through the official fan club.
The recording captures Pearl Jam back in the city where it all began, playing a standing-room room with Art Deco bones. The band also performed at the Showbox in 1996 and again in 2004.
Benaroya Hall: unforgettable Pearl Jam benefit concerts
200 University St, Seattle
Benaroya Hall, home to the Seattle Symphony, holds three specific moments in Pearl Jam’s timeline.
The first came on October 22, 2003: an acoustic performance by the band to raise funds for YouthCare, which became the double live album Live at Benaroya Hall — one of the most prized concert recordings among fans.
The second arrived twenty years later: on October 23 and 24, 2023, Eddie Vedder returned to the same stage for two solo shows benefiting the EB Research Partnership, with some footage from those nights appearing in the documentary Matter of Time, available on Netflix.
The third came on November 17, 2025, when Cameron Crowe presented his book The Uncool at Benaroya Hall with Vedder on stage and Mike McCready in the audience.
Hotel Edgewater: the Pearl Jam suite created with Eddie Vedder
2411 Alaskan Way, Pier 67, Seattle
The Hotel Edgewater on Alaskan Way has a suite designed in direct collaboration with Eddie Vedder and the Pearl Jam fan club.
The room features tour posters signed by Ames Bros, a replica of the Mother Love Bone mural above the king bed, a Fender guitar, a Marshall amplifier, a record player, and a curated vinyl collection. Reservations are made directly with the hotel, outside standard booking channels.
The Edgewater sits on the Elliott Bay waterfront and maintains a Wall of Fame that includes the Beatles, Nirvana, Chris Cornell, and The Rolling Stones.
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