While on stage in Chicago tonight, Eddie Vedder took a moment to pay tribute to someone Pearl Jam thinks of as a “family member” – Canada’s own Gord Downie. Following his words, the band played “Light Years” as part of their dedication to the Hip’s fearless front man. Watch both above.

 

Transcript of Vedder’s words on Gord Downie:

 

“There’s something going on up north of the border tonight, and it involves somebody that we can say is a family member. He’s part of the group of touring musicians we’ve met over the years and they were… There’s a guy who’s got a band called Tragically Hip, and lucky for some of us, he did some recording with a guy we recorded with all the time with in Seattle and I got to spend a few days with him and we were all informed of some sad news that he had a really tough form of brain cancer called Glioblastoma, which some of us know a lot about and it’s a tough one if not one the toughest forms and he was very courageous and decided to take his group out on one last tour and tonight’s the last night of the that run. So they’re up there going through the emotions up there. And I just want to send them our energy from our gathering up to there gathering up there and wish the best to Mr. Gord Downie… We love you.”