‘90s rock gods Pearl Jam invited an extra-special surprise guest to their headlining gig at California’s BottleRock Festival in May this year. Bradley Cooper, the Hollywood icon renowned for his roles in “The Hangover,” “Limitless” and “A Star Is Born,” took to the stage with Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder for a toned-down performance of “Maybe It’s Time” – a song originally sung by Bradley and Lady Gaga for the “A Star Is Born” soundtrack.
This viral vid begins with Eddie Vedder’s hint-packed introduction to the next song, telling the audience, “There was an absolutely beautiful film a few years ago about a singer-songwriter named Jackson Maine. In the end of the film, he passes away, and it’s brutal and very powerful and very moving. But tonight is a very special occasion, because he is coming back to life.”
Bradley Cooper, who played Jackson Maine in the 2018 musical, was welcomed by a fierce round of applause and screams of “OMG you’re so beautiful, Bradley!”, gave Eddie a peck on the cheek before taking the stool beside him for a toned-down acoustic set, which has gained 134k YouTube views to date!
Fun fact: Jackson Maine was partly inspired by Eddie Vedder, making this performance a full circle moment for Bradley. The two are genuine mates, as Eddie reveals, introducing Bradley as “my great, great pal.”
Fans who found Pearl Jam during their grunge-rock heyday will be lowkey shocked by this performance, more akin to country than anything synonymous with the band’s heralded beginnings. Eddie (aged 59) plays finger-picked chords on his acoustic, splitting bittersweet verses with Bradley (49) for a sensitive and hypnotic performance of soundtrack hit, “Maybe It’s Time.” This song is strangely profound, carrying lyrics such as “Nobody knows what waits for the dead” and “Nobody speaks to God these days,” whilst spilling a heartfelt story of moving on and letting go.
Pearl Jam’s headlining slot at California’s BottleRock Fest comes off the back of their 12th studio album, “Dark Matter,” which dropped only one month before this gig. Founded in 1990, Pearl Jam’s first record, “Ten” carries hits which continue to shake the rock world to this day, including “Alive,” “Even Flow” and the infamous “Jeremy,” composed about a high-school student who committed suicide in front of his class.
Later on at BottleRock Fest, Bradley Cooper was caught boogieing to Stevie Nicks with new girlfriend, Gigi Hadid. The pair met through mutual friends, confirming their relationship in January this year.