Evanston’s own Eddie Vedder joined Paul Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra for a tribute performance of “Better Man” for David Letterman on Monday night as the hosts retirement party draws to a close.
“Love you Dave! Love ya Dave,” Vedder yells out during the guitar solo at about the 4:20 mark in a performance that starts as sweet and soulful and fires up to a rocking serenade.
Check it out:
“This is one we’ll remember,” Letterman tells Vedder afterwards. “That was fantastic.”
Vedder has been a Letterman guest with and without Pearl Jam a number of times over the years, so it was a fitting musical tribute as the final three shows hit for the CBS Late Show this week.
Consequence of Sound points out that Vedder’s first performance on the show came in 1996 as a surprise. Letterman used to sing the chorus to Pearl Jam’s “Black” and Shaffer brought the frontman out to show Dave how to do it right:
Letterman is going heavy on the Chicago talent as he winds down. Vedder last night and Bill Murray on tap.