PEARL JAM Teams Up With TARGET, Films Commercial

June 2, 2009

The Pulse of Radio reports that PEARL JAM filmed a commercial for retail superstore Target last Thursday (May 28) at the Showbox Theater in Seattle, according to Billboard.com. News of the shoot broke at AntiQuiet.com over the weekend, where it was reported that 300 paid extras were enlisted in Seattle for a secret shoot involving an unnamed act. The act was eventually revealed to be PEARL JAM, who performed a new song called "The Fixer" and two others while director Cameron Crowe rolled cameras.

News of the shoot led to speculation that PEARL JAM would release its next record, tentatively titled "Backspacer" and due out this fall, exclusively through Target. Manager Kelly Curtis confirmed to Billboard.com that PEARL JAM would issue its new effort without a major label and through a "consortium of partners" that did in fact include Target.

Curtis added that in addition to Target serving as the band's "big box" retail partner, the group will work with an online retailer, a mobile partner, a gaming company and some sort of network of independent stores.

As for the selection of Target, Curtis said, "Target ended up allowing us to have other partners. We'll be able to take care of all levels of the PEARL JAM fan . . . Target was cool enough to realize that little independent record stores are not their competition."

Reacting to criticism that PEARL JAM's relationship with a corporate partner like Target amounts to a "sell-out," Curtis responded, "I make decisions around the band's business that are consistent with their overall philosophy . . . We have the freedom to pick our partners and more control than we've ever had before. We're excited to choose who we're in business with."

Curtis said that some of the footage shot at the Seattle show could also be used in a project Crowe is working on to commemorate PEARL JAM's 20th anniversary.

Crowe, the director of movies such as "Jerry Maguire" and "Almost Famous", is old friends with PEARL JAM and used them in his 1992 movie "Singles".

PEARL JAM performed on Monday night (June 1) as part of the debut of "The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien", and at press time the band had been tentatively planning to perform new songs, including possibly "The Fixer".

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