Pearl Jam Honor First Responders + 9/11 Victims During Show

Pearl Jam played New York City’s legendary Madison Square Garden last night (Sept. 11), which marked the 21st anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001. During the performance, Eddie Vedder expressed his admiration for the city and honored first responders and the victims of the tragedy.

The rockers played a whopping 25-song set during the evening, which included covers of Wet Leg, Mother Love Bone, Dead Boys, Prince and Neil Young [via Setlist.fm]. They closed the night out with a rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and Vedder gave a couple of speeches throughout the night that commemorated the 9/11 attacks.

“9/11 was horrific, traumatic, despicable… But in some ways, 9/12 was awesome. 9/12 people came together as one. We were supported by the rest of the planet. And most importantly in our country, we supported each other,” the frontman said to the crowd [via a press release from Republic Records]. “There was a time when we supported each other. That’s the part that we cannot forget. We can stay together. We don’t have to wait for another terrorist attack and suffer this thing of being divided.”

“I believe I was told this is the 37th time this band has played in New York City. In perspective, I think we’ve only played Seattle 50… But here’s the thing, and I don’t mind saying it publicly: I don’t remember half of those fucking shows,” Vedder added later in the night. “But, I feel like we remember every New York City show we’ve ever had. This potentially has the chance to be the most memorable of them all… We are quite honored to be spending this important date with you.”

The vocalist noted that a lot of first responders were in attendance at the show, and dedicated the night to them.

See some fan-filmed footage from the night below.

Pearl Jam’s next scheduled show is set for Sept. 14 in Camden, N.J. and will continue through early October. See the rest of the dates and get your tickets here.