Proceeds from Pearl Jam's Seattle concert this summer will go to the city's homelessness initiative. The band has pledged to donate a minimum of $1 million.
The concerts, dubbed "The Home Shows," will be a two-day event and will kick off with a gig at Seattle's Safeco Field on Aug 8. Pearl Jam — inducted into the Rock and Hall of fame last April — will return to the stadium on Aug. 10.
This will be the first time in five years that the band will return to their hometown to perform for their fans. The 51-year-old Mike McCready, guitarist and one of the founding members of Pearl Jam, raised the band's trademark red-and-yellow flag atop the city's Space Needle on Monday, Jan. 22, to announce their concert in August.
"Seattle is our hometown. When there are challenges here, we want to be part of the solution. It's heartening so many organizations and individuals are coming together to do the same. It's going to take all of us," Stone Gossard, lead guitarist for Pearl Jam said in a statement.
Look up and check out the Seattle skyline tonight, it is lit up red and yellow to celebrate the announcement of #TheHomeShows! pic.twitter.com/oTEuWhOCmP
— Pearl Jam (@PearlJam) January 23, 2018
The band also challenged everyone — including the 100,000 fans expected to watch their Safeco Field concerts — to pitch in a few dollars. They want their fans to be a part of their goal this year of raising a minimum of $10 million for the homelessness initiative across Seattle and King County. Pearl Jam wants everyone's support to tackle what they called as the "biggest public health crisis" to hit the Seattle community.
Pearl Jam joins the growing number of businesses, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies in the fight to end homelessness in their hometown. Seattle's Mayor Jenny Durkan expressed her excitement to have the band join the initiative. In a statement, she vouched for the support of the local government, community organizations, caring philanthropists, and even individual artists, whom she said are all "dedicated to finding innovative long-term solutions to homelessness."
"I can't wait to join this iconic Seattle band in August," Durkan said.
Those who have pledged their support for the initiative include KEXP, City of Seattle, Amazon, Port of Seattle, KISW, 107.7 The End, Seattle Mariners, Ethan Stowell Restaurants, Starbucks, Visit Seattle, and the Schultz Family Foundation.
"This region nurtured ideas that changed the world. Imagine what we can accomplish by combining that spirit of innovation with collaboration across all segments of our community. The Mariners are proud to join with Pearl Jam and partners across King County to help find creative solutions to this region-wide crisis," John Stanton, Seattle Mariners Chair and Managing Partner, said in a statement published on the band's official website.
Pearl Jam will announce specific beneficiaries of their initiative closer to the show dates.
