Take a look inside the "Pearl Jam Home & Away" exhibit

MoPOP unveiled its latest exhibit, “Pearl Jam: Home & Away” earlier this week.

The exhibit chronicles the career journey of Pearl Jam from its origins beginning with bands like Green River, Shadow and Mother Love Bone, to its worldwide success which led the band to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. More than 500 artifacts, including instruments, stage props, setlists, tour laminates, hand-written lyrics and other pieces of memorabilia fill the gallery and do an excellent job conveying the grand reach and scale of Pearl Jam’s music.

The entrance to the exhibit is soundtracked by “Master/Slave,” the opening cadence for “Ten,” setting the tone for an immersive Pearl Jam experience. And while MoPOP is a Seattle institution celebrating another Seattle institution, if you turn around when you enter the exhibit you’ll see multiple flags from various concerts held around the globe. The flags put an emphasis on the “away” part of the exhibit’s name reminding visitors of Pearl Jam’s global connection with its fans.

Turn the corner and you’ll encounter a large bronze sculpture of the late Mother Love Bone singer Andy Wood greeting you. The work was commissioned by Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament and his wife and it is making its public debut at the exhibit. Behind the Wood statue are display cases featuring items from Green River and Mother Love Bone, two of the bands that helped give birth to Pearl Jam.

After the brief section exploring Pearl Jam’s origins there are cases featuring guitars and posters, a replica of Pearl Jam’s rehearsal space, the giant iconic “Pearl Jam” letters featured on the cover of “Ten” and plenty more to absorb. An interactive touchscreen lets visitors flip through high-resolution scans of setlists, tour laminates, tour books and more material from the road, covering all 28 years of Pearl Jam’s career. And an area called the Pearl Jam Sound Temple provides a space for fans to sit and create their own Pearl Jam playlist to enjoy while viewing more than 60 iconic images of the band on a giant video screen.

“Pearl Jam: Home & Away” doesn’t hold your hand while guiding you through the band’s career and it doesn’t tell a specific story. Instead it lets visitors discover and experience the band on their own terms while offering plenty that will satisfy both hardcore and casual fans alike.