The article recounts how Bruce Springsteen encouraged Eddie Vedder after the Pearl Jam singer struggled with the uncertainty of performing alone. Springsteen acknowledged that solo performance is frightening, but advised Vedder to use his vulnerability rather than hide it; the message became a lasting guide for Vedder’s solo work.

Vedder had felt discouraged after early solo shows, where he believed he made obvious mistakes on stage. He later described Springsteen’s advice as a “North Star”, and applied it during emotionally demanding benefit concerts in Seattle in 2023, held to support research into epidermolysis bullosa, a rare genetic skin condition.