Pearl Jam Honors ‘Incredible’ Taylor Hawkins at Gigaton Tour Opener – Billboard

Pearl Jam ticked off their postponed North American tour in support of their 2020 album Gigatron at San Diego’s Viejas Arena on Tuesday night (May 3), where the band paid tribute to the late Taylor Hawkins, who died unexpectedly at age 50 in March.

Before playing the Gigaton track “Quick Escape,” frontman Eddie Vedder honored the band’s drummer Matt Cameron’s friendship with the late Foo Fighters drummer, according to Spin. “He emitted something very incredible and very special. We’re all missing him, and so, Matt, I’m sorry again for your loss,” he said. “But it just gives us another chance to say how much we appreciate you as well.”

Cameron and Hawkins seemingly played drums together often, and just last fall, the duo performed Queen‘s “Keep Yourself Alive” together at Vedder’s Ohana festival.

Hawkins’ death was announced via a social media statement from the band’s accounts on March 25, with no immediate cause of death given. “The Foo Fighters family is devastated by the tragic and untimely loss of our beloved Taylor Hawkins,” the statement read. “His musical spirit and infectious laughter will live on with all of us forever.”

The Foo Fighters were scheduled to perform Friday night in Bogotá, Colombia, as part of Festival Estéreo Picnic. According to local news reports, the drummer was found dead in his Bogotá hotel room.

The Attorney General’s Office of Colombia reported that a urine toxicology test had found traces of 10 types of substances in his system, including THC (marijuana), tricyclic antidepressants, benzodiazepines and opioids. The office noted that the National Institute of Forensic Medicine will continue its medical inquiry to reach “total clarification of the events that led to the death of Taylor Hawkins.”