The opening from the video for “Alive” was the first time most of the world got to meet Pearl Jam, and more than three decades later it still stands as one of the definitive entries in the catalog of one of the last definitive rock bands left standing. By the time they released “Alive”—the first single from their full-length debut,—the band had already experienced a wild and circuitous life together infused with death, survival, and perseverance. The road would not get any easier or less interesting, as the story of Pearl Jam is one of world-beating highs and devastating lows, of generation-defining songs and battles both internal and external, of awards and multi-platinum sales and not ever being able to keep a drummer. Along the way, they became unwilling generational spokesmen, lightning rods for protesting against injustice, the hardest-working live act on the planet, and celebrated members of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. But in a lot of ways, they’re still the band we met in the summer of 1991, driven by a passion for music and a primal need to connect. We love Pearl Jam, but perhaps more vitally, Pearl Jam loves us, and this is their story.