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Chris Cornell Salutes Pearl Jam’s ‘Footsteps’ With the Avett Brothers on ‘Fallon’

chris cornell, avett brothers, late night with jimmy fallon, pearl jam

Jimmy Fallon is honoring the release of Pearl Jam’s new Lightning Bolt LP with “Pearl Jam Week,” that is exactly what it sounds: a full week of musical performances on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon that pay tribute to the grunge O.G.s. The October 21 kick-off kept it all in the family, calling on fellow Seattle heavyweight Chris Cornell to cover “Footsteps,” the B-side to PJ’s famous 1992 single, “Jeremy.” Flanked by Seth and Scott Avett of the Avett Brothers (because, why not?), the Soundgarden singer turned in an intimate but powerful performance, resting his pipes between verses and choruses to man the harmonica while the two Avetts plucked a guitar and banjo. 

Cornell has a long history with “Footsteps,” as indicated by a web exclusive interview he granted to Late Night. Before the music on “Footsteps” ended up backing “Jeremy,” it was actually used for the song “Times of Trouble” by Temple of the Dog, the alt-rock supergroup featuring members of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. Watch the performance of “Footsteps” above, and scroll down to see Cornell’s six-minute Q&A with the folks at Fallon, in which he discusses the first time he met Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard, as well as the origins behind Temple of the Dog.