According to StereoGum, Eddie Vedder gave fans plenty to talk about at this year’s Ohana Festival with a set that mixed surprise covers and unexpected collaborations. Playing with his band The Earthlings at Doheny State Beach, Vedder unveiled live versions of two songs he had never performed before, Devo’s “Gut Feeling” and Led Zeppelin’s “The Song Remains the Same.” Both landed as highlights of a night already stacked with Pearl Jam favorites and his usual mix of classic rock staples.

The setlist stretched wide, moving from George Harrison to The Who to Neil Young, with Vedder slipping comfortably between his own catalog and the music that has shaped him. The new covers carried extra weight, though. “Gut Feeling” channeled a jagged, playful energy while the Zeppelin track let Vedder lean into his more dramatic side, giving the crowd something they had never heard from him in a live setting.

Across the weekend he also made his way into other artists’ sets. Vedder turned up with Lukas Nelson for a spirited collaboration and later joined the Tedeschi Trucks Band, trading energy with one of the most powerful live acts on the road today. These cameos added to the communal feel of Ohana, a festival he helped build into a gathering spot for artists and fans who value spontaneity as much as setlists.

What stood out most was how natural it all felt. Vedder was not just headlining but connecting, stepping into different roles across the weekend and reminding the crowd why his presence onstage still carries such a spark.

Photo Credit: Owen Ela