Pearl Jam concert saved by teen drummer

(NewsNation) — Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.

Consider 18-year-old Kai Neukermans, who got to rock out with Pearl Jam at the Oakland Arena.

Eddie Vedder, the lead vocalist of Pearl Jam, asked the California high school senior to fill in for their drummer Matt Cameron, who tested positive for COVID-19.

“Olivia (Vedder’s daughter) texted me, and she tells me that they’re taking submissions, and she said, she wanted me to send her a video of me playing a Pearl Jam song and that it was worth a shot,” Neukermans said during a Tuesday interview on “NewsNation PRIME.”

Neukermans spent a couple of hours learning the song.

“I was really nervous to go up on stage. But once I was there, I felt a lot more comfortable,” Neukermans said.

“It just seemed like everyone was having a lot of fun,” Neukermans added.

The Alive, which is a band that Neukermans plays in, shared a clip of the performance on Instagram, saying, “Kai skipped class to learn MYM for @pearljam yesterday‼️”