GREAT, NOW IT'S A WHOLE ALBUM AND SUPPORTING TOUR >>>

A good indication of exactly when Pearl Jam officially became "old" (not that there's anything wrong with that ...) is when Eddie Vedder became infatuated with the ukulele. Sure, it was cool when he busted out a rusty version of "Iron Man" on uke during one of the two Seattle Pearl Jam shows that preceded George W's election in 2000 (I as at both, and can't recount which one it was). But recent memory has seen roughly one "quaint" Vedder ukulele ballad per Pearl Jam record; they've kind of replaced the obligatory Vedder "howling and moaning over a groove" track that was required on all Pearl Jam's early efforts. It's getting a little ridiculous.

Then came Vedder's Into The Wild era, a solo foray for the surprisingly small Vedder that saw his love of the ukulele only grow.

Well, now comes the Vedder solo record, Ukulele Songs, full of - you guessed it! - nothing but originals and covers done on the uke.

Vedder announced June and July U.S. solo tour dates this morning, which include stops in Portland and Seattle, July 14 and 15, respectively. Tickets for both shows go on sale next Friday, April 1. Ukulele Songs comes out May 31.

A promotional picture of Vedder playing a ukulele on a canoe (or kayak?) paddleboard is above. The official press release is below.

Good day now.