Gigaton is the name of Pearl Jam’s highly-anticipated eleventh studio album which the group has revealed will be released on March 27. It is the first LP since 2013’s Grammy-winning record, Lightning Bolt.
Pearl Jam teased the album announcement with a series of cryptic tweets asking fans to look for Pearl Jam in cities around the world. What they found were installations featuring the album’s artwork – Paul Nicklen’s photo “Ice Waterfall” – which could be brought to life by using a special filter on smartphones.
Along with the Gigaton announcement, Pearl Jam revealed spring tour dates which will bring Eddie Vedder and company to Toronto, Baltimore, Los Angeles and more cities in March and April. A Chicago date has yet to be announced so area fans have their fingers crossed for another summer appearance at Wrigley Field where they last played in 2018
In reference to the 2020 album’s title, Pearl Jam stated on Twitter that, “A gigaton is what scientists use to measure the loss of ice from Earth’s largest ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica. This weight is equivalent to over 100 million elephants or 6 million blue whales.”
Pearl Jam at Wrigley Field 8/18/18
“Making this record was a long journey,” explained guitarist Mike McCready in a statement. “It was emotionally dark and confusing at times, but also an exciting and experimental road map to musical redemption. Collaborating with my bandmates on Gigaton ultimately gave me greater love, awareness and knowledge of the need for human connection in these times.”
Following pre-sales, a traditional general sale will be offered via Ticketmaster on Jan. 24. Pearl Jam will be offering mobile only, non-transferable tickets to ensure that fans have the best chance at purchasing tickets at face value. A fan-to-fan face value ticket exchange will be available for ticket-buyers who can no longer make the show.
Gigaton is currently available for pre-order and more information about the album and tour can be found at Pearljam.com.
Pearl Jam North American Spring Tour Dates
March 18 –– Toronto, ON –– Scotiabank Arena
March 20 –– Ottawa, ON –– Canadian Tire Centre
March 22 –– Quebec City, QC –– Videotron Centre
March 24 –– Hamilton, ON –– FirstOntario Centre
March 28 –– Baltimore, MD –– Royal Farms Arena
March 30 –– New York, NY –– Madison Square Garden
April 2 –– Nashville, TN –– Bridgestone Arena
April 4 –– St. Louis, MO –– Enterprise Center
April 6 –– Oklahoma City, OK –– Chesapeake Energy Arena
April 9 –– Denver, CO –– Pepsi Center
April 11 –– Phoenix, AZ –– Gila River Arena
April 13 –– San Diego, CA –– Viejas Arena
April 15 –– Los Angeles, CA –– The Forum
April 16 –– Los Angeles, CA –– The Forum
April 18 –– Oakland, CA –– Oakland Arena
April 19 –– Oakland, CA –– Oakland Arena