Pearl Jam’s band name actually stems from bassist Jeff Ament’s fixation on the word “Pearl,” combined with the influence of an epic Neil Young and Crazy Horse concert in February 1991, where the group’s lengthy jam sessions during the show apparently inspired the “Jam” addition. Early on, the band initially called themselves Mookie Blaylock, after the former NBA player, but changed it to avoid legal issues. While front man Eddie Vedder‘s frequent tales of a hallucinogenic jam made by “Grandma Pearl” became popular lore, the band later admitted that story was a total lie.