Tour News - Pearl Jam add local artists to lineup for NZ & Australia legs of Dark Matter World Tour

5 Sept

Presented by: Live Nation

Pearl Jam has today announced 3 exciting opening acts for the Australia and New Zealand dates on the Dark Matter World Tour 2024.

Joining special guests Pixies, Liam Finn will open proceedings in Auckland on November 8 and 10. Teen Jesus And The Jean Teasers kick off the Australian shows at the Gold Coast on November 13, Melbourne on November 18 and Sydney on November 23, and Cosmic Psychos will feature at the Melbourne show on November 16 followed by Sydney on November 21.

Liam Finn has always followed his own path. From the adolescent guitar fireworks of his band Betchadupa, to his incendiary one-man performances (including spots on The Late Show with David Letterman and Later… With Jools Holland), he’s found ways to challenge and disrupt what you might expect from a singer-songwriter. Betchadupa burst onto the scene in Aotearoa New Zealand with accompanying oodles of indie cred. Finn’s solo debut I’ll Be Lightning arriving in 2007 to much critical praise. His strength of vision was immediately clear, helming most of the instruments himself, and serving as its producer, as he would do on follow ups FOMO and The Nihilist. In support of the debut he began performing solo, using loop pedals to trigger guitar parts he could then sing along to, as well as accompany himself on drums. An early adopter of this performance mode, he set an incredibly high bar, with explosive shows that felt part-rock n’ roll, part-magic trick. After 25 years of performing alongside his father Neil and Crowded House, Liam and Neil released their first collaborative album Lightsleeper in 2018. This led to Liam and his brother Elroy officially joining Crowded House as core members and co-writers. Based in America for the past twelve years, Finn still has strong ties to the country he grew up in.

Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers are a powerhouse, celebrated for their raw emotion and incisive social observations. Their talent has earned them nominations for Best Independent Punk Album or EP at the AIR Awards, Emerging Songwriter of the Year and Song of the Year at the APRA Awards, along with nods from the J Awards and Rolling Stone Awards. Recognised as Spotify's RADAR Artist, their rising global influence is undeniable. Following their award winning 2022 EP, Pretty Good For A Girl Band, their debut album I Love You charted at number 6 on the ARIA Albums Chart, marking a significant milestone. I Love You showcases the bands growth, with each member contributing to songwriting. It stands as a definitive statement of their sound - joy, rage, and euphoria, delivered with precision and heart. I Love You was also recently awarded Best Independent Rock Album or EP at the Air awards.

An Australian punk rock institution, Cosmic Psychos have spread their influence across 4 decades. To date, the band has released 10 studio albums since their self-titled debut (1987) and their influence has been global, with UK band The Prodigy sampling their music on 1997’s ‘The Fat of the Land’ LP and Nirvana producer Butch Vig proclaiming them an influence on both Nirvana and the Seattle grunge scene of the 1990’s. In 2009, Eddie Vedder spoke candidly of the effect the band had on him growing up in Seattle. The band’s repetitive lyrics, fuzzed out guitar and wah-wah bass sound has remained unchanged over their 30 plus year career and continues to win over new audiences.

Pearl Jam’s long-awaited ten-year return to Australia and New Zealand includes 7 massive stadium shows in an impressive triple bill line-up. The band’s new album Dark Matter is out now, debuting on the ARIA Album Chart at #2.