Neil performs with Pearl Jam in Toronto

Written by bnbrainer on 12 September 2011

Neil Young Surprises Pearl Jam at Toronto Concert With 15-Minute ‘Keep on Rockin’

While many were speculating that either Chris Cornell or U2’s Bono would join Pearl Jam onstage during their Sept. 11 in Toronto as both rockers were in town for TIFF festivities, it was Canadian crooner Neil Young who surprised the stadium-sized crowd by taking the Air Canada Centre stage with the Seattle group.

Pearl Jam — in town to kick off their latest Canadian tour as well as premiere their ‘Pearl Jam Twenty’ documentary at TIFF — were closing their 26-song, 150-minute set with a cover of Young’s ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ when the iconic singer came onstage to help bring the track home. Young would make the most of the cameo, extending the song well into what seemed like the 15-minute range. The response from the sold-out audience was nothing short of deafening.

“Uncle Neil,” as Eddie Vedder called him, then harmonized with Pearl Jam’s frontman — who actually seemed quite surprised by Young’s appearance — on one microphone before rounding things out with a huge finish and hugging it out with the band, who played on his 1995 album, ‘Mirror Ball.’