David Abbruzzese (Pearl Jam)

Performance Anxiety

This guest just blew me away on every front imaginable. Welcome drummer David Abbruzzese to the show. If the name sounds familiar, it’s probably because he was in the biggest band in the world at what I consider their peak. Dave played drums for Pearl Jam from 1991 to 1994. For me, this was when the band could do no wrong. But, as David tells me, there was a lot of crazy stuff going. That includes a cursed music video that was so bad it was not only trashed, it almost destroyed Dave’s musical career! But that’s jumping ahead.

Dave joins me from a distant time zone, just after a dental procedure. But he was kind enough to hang with me for a couple of hours. A lot happened between his birth and Pearl Jam, so Dave sheds a little light on that. Once we get to the Pearl Jam years, Dave tells some incredible stories, like how he got the job, the time he met Spinal Tap, that cursed video, and some stories behind some favorite songs.

Dave is also candid about how he was let go from the band and what he’s been up to since. He’s worked with some incredible artists in Green Romance Orchestra, Guns N Roses, Peter Cornell, Shawn Smith, and the two folks who helped connect me with Dave, Jeff Fielder and Scott Reeder; thank you, both! Follow Dave on Facebook, on Instagram @davidabbruzzese1968, Free Ass Records on YouTube, and on Bandcamp. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on socials. Grab merch at performanceanx.threadless.com. Send money to ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. Please enjoy my discussion with David Abbruzzese on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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