Eddie Vedder on new Netflix docu 'Matter of Time'

The first time Eddie Vedder toured without Pearl Jam, he made some glaring mistakes onstage and felt discouraged.

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A few shows later, he ran into Bruce Springsteen, who told him that performing solo is terrifying but that vulnerability can be a force to harness.

Vedder described Springsteen’s advice as a North Star that stuck with him. Nearly two decades later, he leaned into it when he took the stage for two sold-out solo shows in October 2023 at Seattle’s Benaroya Hall.

“I remember kind of swimming through it and almost having a psychedelic experience,” he said. “I was so emotional, but I had to keep it together just to play properly.”

The emotional performances were part of a fundraiser to find a cure for epidermolysis bullosa, a rare and debilitating genetic skin disorder. A new Netflix documentary “Matter of Time” weaves the performances with personal stories of those on the front lines with EB.

Recently, Vedder and his wife, Jill, spoke to The Associated Press about the documentary and the EB Research Partnership that they started in 2010 to bring awareness and financial support to finding a cure.