Pearl Jam Has Found a New Drummer to Replace Matt Cameron

Original Ten drummer Dave Krusen confirmed the hire on Instagram, ruling himself out of the running.

Pearl Jam has a new drummer lined up to replace Matt Cameron, according to Dave Krusen, who played on the band's 1991 debut Ten. Krusen disclosed the news in an Instagram reply to a fan who asked whether he was returning to the group, writing that the band had already found someone else. Cameron departed last summer after 27 years with the band, citing the demands of Pearl Jam's marathon live shows as the primary reason for his exit.

Krusen Confirms the Hire, Rules Himself Out

The disclosure came in a comment thread on a Reel posted to Todd Hancock's Toddcast Podcast page earlier this week. The Reel featured a clip from a recent interview with Krusen, and a fan used the opportunity to ask whether he was rejoining Pearl Jam. Krusen's reply was direct: ‘No they have a new drummer already.' The comment has since been deleted from the post.

Krusen had previously expressed interest in a return, saying in an earlier interview that he ‘would love to' play with Pearl Jam again. That door now appears closed, at least for the foreseeable future. The band has not publicly identified who the new drummer is.

Cameron's 27-Year Run and His Reasons for Leaving

Cameron joined Pearl Jam in 1998 under circumstances that were never meant to be permanent. Eddie Vedder called him after Soundgarden had disbanded, asking if he could fill in for Jack Irons, who quit just before the band's summer tour that year. What started as a temporary arrangement stretched into nearly three decades of studio recordings and live shows.

After parting ways with the group last summer, Cameron was candid about what drove the decision. ‘I was having some issues with [Pearl Jam's] three-hour shows and constant touring and stuff,' he told Billboard. ‘That's definitely an art form unto itself, to be able to do those types of shows… I'm at a point now where I want to do a face-melting 70-minute set and that's kind of what I'm focusing on right now.'

Pearl Jam's statement on the split left no ambiguity about how the band regarded him: ‘From being one of our first musical heroes in the bands Skinyard and the mighty Soundgarden, to playing on our first demos in 1990, Matt Cameron has been a singular and true powerhouse of a musician and drummer. He has propelled the last 27 years of Pearl Jam live shows and studio recordings. It was a deeply important chapter for our group and we wish him well always. He will be deeply missed and is forever our friend in art and music.'

Where Pearl Jam Stands Heading Into 2026

The last time Pearl Jam performed was May 2025, a few months before Cameron's departure was announced. Their only confirmed date for 2026 is a recently announced appearance at the Ohana Festival in California this September, which will presumably serve as the new drummer's public debut with the band.

The identity of the replacement remains unannounced, but Krusen's comment suggests the search is over and the seat is filled. For a band that has historically kept lineup changes close to the vest, a formal announcement may not come until much closer to the Ohana date.

What we know

• Dave Krusen confirmed on Instagram that Pearl Jam has already found a new drummer to replace Matt Cameron.
• Krusen's comment has since been deleted from the Instagram post.
• Matt Cameron departed Pearl Jam last summer after 27 years with the band.
• Cameron cited Pearl Jam's three-hour shows and constant touring as the main catalyst for his departure.
• Cameron originally joined Pearl Jam in 1998 as a temporary fill-in for Jack Irons, at Eddie Vedder's request.
• Pearl Jam's only confirmed 2026 performance is the Ohana Festival in California this September.
• The last show Pearl Jam played was in May 2025.
• Krusen played drums on Pearl Jam's 1991 debut album Ten.

The take

Pearl Jam has always been unusually protective of its internal workings, so the fact that confirmation of a new drummer came not from the band but from a deleted Instagram comment by their original drummer is very on-brand. The real story here is the scale of what Cameron's departure represents. He was not just a hired hand; he was the rhythmic spine of the band's most celebrated live era, and his tenure coincided with Pearl Jam's evolution from arena-filling grunge icons into one of rock's most respected live institutions. Those three-hour sets Cameron described as taxing are precisely what built the band's reputation for the past two decades. Finding someone who can anchor that format while earning the trust of Eddie Vedder, Mike McCready, Stone Gossard, and Jeff Ament is a significant ask. Historically, bands in Pearl Jam's position have taken one of two routes: a high-profile hire that signals a new chapter, or a quieter selection of a road-tested professional who fits the culture without generating headlines. Given that the Ohana Festival appearance is the only confirmed date so far, it is reasonable to expect the band will use that show as a soft introduction rather than staging a formal announcement beforehand. Whoever has the seat, stepping into a role that Cameron held for 27 years carries weight that no amount of technical ability alone can immediately offset.

Why it matters

For Pearl Jam fans, this closes the chapter of uncertainty that opened when Cameron walked away last summer and shifts the question from ‘who might it be' to ‘when will we find out.' The Ohana Festival date now carries extra significance as the likely moment the new lineup goes public. More broadly, it signals that the band intends to keep touring rather than treating Cameron's exit as a natural stopping point, which will matter to a fanbase that has watched too many legacy acts quietly wind down in recent years.

What's next

Pearl Jam's only confirmed upcoming performance is the Ohana Festival in California in September 2026. That show is expected to mark the new drummer's first public appearance with the band. No additional tour dates or studio announcements have been confirmed at this time.

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