By 2005, The Rolling Stones were deep into their A Bigger Bang tour. The production was massive, the setlists were consistent, and most nights followed a tight structure. Stadium tours don’t usually leave much room for detours.
But one night in Pittsburgh did.
On October 11, 2005, at PNC Park, Pearl Jam opened the show. Later that night, Eddie Vedder came back onstage to join The Rolling Stones for Wild Horses.
The song had not appeared earlier on the tour.
This performance marked its first outing of the A Bigger Bang run.
Not a planned tour moment
Guest appearances happen on big tours, but most are pre-announced or repeated in multiple cities. This wasn’t one of those cases.
Pearl Jam was opening select dates on the tour, but Eddie joining the Stones wasn’t framed as a special feature or a recurring moment. It happened once, in Pittsburgh.
At the time, Pearl Jam and The Rolling Stones weren’t linked by promotion or branding. The connection was simpler: mutual respect between artists from different generations who had both built careers on maintaining creative control.
Why this appearance stuck
The collaboration didn’t end when the tour moved on.
When the Stones released The Biggest Bang, the Pittsburgh performance was included, complete with its own segment focused on the collaboration.
That’s notable. Tour films are selective, and guest moments don’t always make the final cut. This one did.
Why people still revisit it
Nearly two decades later, the clip still circulates—not because it was promoted as a historic moment, but because it stands out in a different way.
It wasn’t part of a trend.
It didn’t repeat.
It wasn’t turned into a touring feature.
It happened once, was documented, and left alone.
The full performance is available to watch on our YouTube channel
