Ex-Pearl Jam Drummer Reveals Band Hired Replacement for Matt Cameron (But It's Not Him)

Ex-Pearl Jam drummer Dave Krusen revealed on social media that the band has found a new drummer in place of Matt Cameron, who departed from the group last summer after 27 years.

Krusen, who played on Pearl Jam's 1991 landmark debut album Ten, replied to a comment from a fan on Instagram earlier this week asking if he was returning to the band.

"No they have a new drummer already," Krusen wrote in his reply, which has since been deleted from the post.

The exchange between Krusen and the fan took place on a new Reel shared on Todd Hancock's Toddcast Podcast page earlier this week. The Reel featured a snippet of an interview with the drummer from earlier this year — check it out below.

The last show Pearl Jam played was in May of 2025, just a few months prior to Cameron's departure. The only upcoming performance they have booked for 2026 is the recently-announced Ohana Festival in California this September.

Krusen previously said in an interview that he "would love to" play with Pearl Jam again, but at this time it appears they've found someone else for the role.

Why Did Matt Cameron Leave Pearl Jam?

Cameron joined Pearl Jam in 1998, about a year after Soundgarden had disbanded. Eddie Vedder called the drummer and asked if he was available to fill in for Jack Irons, who'd quit just before their summer tour that year. A temporary situation turned into a 27-year tenure with the band.

READ MORE: 9 Drummers Who Could Replace Matt Cameron in Pearl Jam

After parting ways with the group last summer, Cameron revealed that Pearl Jam's rigorous touring schedule was the main catalyst for his decision.

"I was having some issues with [Pearl Jam’s] three-hour shows and constant touring and stuff,” he admitted in an interview with Billboard. "That’s definitely an art form unto itself, to be able to do those types of shows... I’m at a point now where I want to do a face-melting 70-minute set and that’s kind of what I’m focusing on right now.”

Pearl Jam's statement on the split was full of praise for the drummer:

From being one of our first musical heroes in the bands Skinyard and the mighty Soundgarden, to playing on our first demos in 1990, Matt Cameron has been a singular and true powerhouse of a musician and drummer.

He has propelled the last 27 years of Pearl Jam live shows and studio recordings. It was a deeply important chapter for our group and we wish him well always. He will be deeply missed and is forever our friend in art and music.

We love you Matt.

See our picks for the greatest rock and metal drummers of all time below.