10 Best Live Rock Bands

10. Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam's power in their early years has been well-documented. From their epic performance at PinkPop to their raucous early gigs, the Seattle rockers used shows as a musical release for themselves, where everyone was expected to lose their mind.

The culmination of these early gigs would come during a guitar break or interlude where Eddie Vedder would begin climbing into the rafters and hanging 40 feet above the stage (without a net!) This was reflected in their live video for "Alive" where Vedder ends up falling into the crowd at the song's climax.

Even with less death-defying stage habits in recent years, the band is able to mix things up with every show they play. Instead of the standard way of building a well-balanced collection of songs, Pearl Jam's setlist changes with almost every gig as they create the song order based on the city they're playing in. This makes the entire show feel much more communal, as the band approaches every stellar performance like a freewheeling jam session. At their best moments, the audience becomes the unofficial sixth member as they emotionally react to the sounds coming from the stage. By wearing their heart on their sleeve, Pearl Jam have turned in their best performances on the road.