“There was an absolutely beautiful film a few years ago about a singer/songwriter named Jackson Maine,” Spin quotes Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder as saying from the stage. “At 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. Please, would you join me in welcoming to the stage, my great, great pal Bradley Cooper.”
What Vedder didn’t mention is that he provided a lot of the groundwork for Cooper’s Oscar-nominated role. Vedder “gave me minor, little things that only musicians know about what to do, just aesthetically and the inner workings. . . . He was wonderful,” Cooper said while promoting the film in 2018.
Hilariously, Vedder also attempted to dissuade Cooper from singing his own songs in the movie. “He was like, ‘What? Bro, don’t do that,’” Cooper said.
Clearly, Vedder has had a change of heart since, as one can see in a video captured from the show that, the real rock star allowed the pretend one to take the lead on the Jason Isbell, which Veder typically performs solo.