In a recent interview with VW Music, Josh Klinghoffer shared his thoughts about the struggles he overcame after he joined Pearl Jam.
The relationship between RHCP and Pearl Jam dates back to the ’90s. In 1991, RHCP’s fifth album ‘Blood Sugar Sex Magik’ was released. After the album became a hit amongst fans, the band decided to go on a tour to promote the album. They then started their tour with Pearl Jam as one of their opening bands.
Josh Klinghoffer is best known as the former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist. He replaced Josh Frusciante and worked with the band for the next ten years, contributing to the recording of two studio albums. However, after John Frusciante returned to RHCP, Klinghoffer joined Pearl Jam on tour.
The musician stated that there are minor challenges nowadays after being with the band for an extended period. He admitted that he sometimes worries that his less played parts won’t keep up to par and he could do better. Sometimes there are minor obstacles, like when he can’t see Matt Cameron clearly while playing a drum part with him or when he feels like he’s smiling too much.
Klinghoffer’s words about his experiences after joining Pearl Jam:
“I face a constant risk of smiling too much. I sometimes allow my 12-year-old self to run away with my face. The challenges these days are more just little things like doing my part of a song that doesn’t get played very often. Sometimes, it’s more about muscle memory, and we’ll do a song once a tour, and I always feel like I can do my bit better.
But that’s nothing. Sometimes it feels not so much like a challenge, but an obstacle, how little I can see Matt Cameron when I’m playing a drum part with him, but again, minor issues.”
Pearl Jam members had to postpone their ‘Gigaton Tour’ dates due to Covid-19 in 2020. The band rescheduled the tour for March 2022, but there were a few setbacks, such as when Jeff Ament tested positive for Covid-19. The band had to refund tickets for many of their concerts.
