Josh Klinghoffer formerly from Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Pearl Jam frontman, Eddie Vedder had tested positive for the virus. The former tested positive during the Eddie Vedder Earthlings tour last month, and Vedder tested positive prior to the tour. The affected dates included gigs in San Diego and Los Angeles, originally scheduled for February 15 and 17, respectively. The shows were then forced to be pushed to take place on February 25 in LA, and February 27 in San Diego.
Vedder was promoting his new solo album, Earthling, with his Earthlings solo band, which features Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, ex-RHCP guitarist and current Pearl Jam touring member Josh Klinghoffer, Jane’s Addiction bassist Chris Chaney, singer-songwriter Glen Hansard, and guitarist and producer Andrew Watt. Klinghoffer has revealed that Vedder did actually get sick from the virus, it wasn’t an asymptomatic case.
Josh Klinghoffer opens up on dealing with the virus
During a recent interview with Spin, Klinghoffer talked about was asked to describe his condition after recovering from COVID. He stated that he is ‘totally fine’ but there is ‘lingering tiredness.’ He revealed that felt fine after the first night of contracting it. He said:
“That’s the only thing I’ve wondered, like, man, am I normally this tired? I felt fine the day after the first night of sickness, so it was kind of a quick one for me. It would have been so hard to avoid that happening. In a way, it made the tour have this even more epic and poetic lasting effect on all of us. It was extra adverse.”
He spoke about the tour and noted how Eddie Vedder had also fallen sick prior to the tour raised major concerns among the tour members. Here is what Klinghoffer said:
“It was the craziest tour I’ve ever been a part of just because of the emotions involved … the excitement, the rehearsing and the blow that Ed was sick, which was one of my biggest fears. The beginning of a tour is always a little weird, because you’re finding your sea legs. Pretty much the minute that happened, I felt like I had a look on-stage with Ed at the beginning of the first Chicago show.”
Though Vedder had stated that he was doing fine, according to Klinghoffer the Pearl Jam frontman was sick. He also revealed how Vedder missed on earlier and then when he recovered, Klinghoffer himself fell sick:
“In his eyes, he was kind of saying, I’m good now. He had just been sick. Then at those first couple shows in New York, it was all new songs and the album wasn’t out yet. Once the album was out, he had this look like, ok, we’re on now. And then I missed the next show because I got COVID too [Laughs].”
