Temple of the Dog reunites for first official tour to mark 25th anniversary

It has been 25 years since members of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden teamed up to form Temple of the Dog for a single album, making this year the perfect time for a reunion. To celebrate, the supergroup is coming together again for their first official tour. Five shows are planned, and they’ll feature Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell and Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, and Mike McCready, plus Matt Cameron, who plays drums for both bands. Noticeably absent from the announcement, however, is Pearl Jam lead vocalist Eddie Vedder, who previously performed with Temple of the Dog.

The bands announced the news Wednesday, and also revealed that Temple of the Dog’s self-titled album will be reissued and released by UME on September 30. It’s been newly mixed by Brendan O’Brien. The original was released by A&M records on April 16, 1991, after the supergroup formed in 1990. Temple of the Dog played several live shows over the years, particularly in the Seattle area, but the upcoming tour will be the band’s first.

In finally touring, Temple of the Dog is doing something members have long hoped to do. Stops include Philadelphia, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle.

“We wanted to do the one thing we never got to do … play shows and see what it feels like to be the band that we walked away from 25 years ago,” said Cornell in a statement.

The group hasn’t hinted at any new music, but it is still exciting that fans are getting a rare concert opportunity nonetheless. The band was always about “making an album simply for the joy of doing it,” Cornell says, so the performances should be special either way — even without Vedder. Tickets for the tour go on sale on Friday, July 29, and the reissue is available for pre-order as of Wednesday.

The band’s tour dates and sites:

November 4 — Philadelphia, Tower Theater
November 7 —  New York, Madison Square Garden
November 11 — San Francisco, Bill Graham Civic Center
November 14 — Los Angeles, The Forum
November 20 — Seattle, Paramount Theater