Pearl Jam rocks out at Beach amphitheater

Pearl Jam delivered a gem of a show full of surprises Tuesday night at the Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater.

Their Virginia Beach concert was just one stop on a very short summer tour planned around their scheduled Bonnaroo Music Festival performance (June 14) and an upcoming tribute to rock legends The Who, which will be recorded as a VH1 special on July 12.

Pearl Jam, as you're probably aware, emerged in 1991 as one of the hottest new rock acts from the Seattle grunge scene. They have since been nominated and garnered several accolades presented at the Grammy Awards, MTV Video Music Awards and American Music Awards.

As announced, the band, which includes as its members singer Eddie Vedder, guitarist Mike McCready, drummer Matt Cameron, guitarist Stone Gossard and bassist Jeff Ament - was expected to dig deep into its catalog. It did just that in opening with the slow groove of “Long Road,” made somber with dim blue lighting. Rarities ruled the early part of the set.

“This is a song we don’t play that often,” said Vedder. That statement was a major theme of the evening, giving diehard fans an opportunity to revel in such obscure tracks as "All Night," a b-side, the edgy “Insignificance,” and “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town.”

Throughout the night Vedder – bearded and clad in a brown and white patterned flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up -- was dynamic, whether strapped with an electric guitar or leaping through the air to catch a tambourine. His voice was passionate, strong and clear. The sound was mixed well with great separation between instruments. McCready’s guitar solos were out-front and crisp.

In an interview previewing the concert, McCready said the band would play a song or two from The Who as a warm-up for their VH1 performance. That never materialized.

Neither did Eddie Vedder’s famed and anticipated between-song commentary on the Iraq war and his loathing of the Bush Administration’s foreign policy. In fact, Vedder acknowledged Ticketmaster and Live Nation for making some seats available at a reduced rate for members of the military. Then he dedicated “Better Man” to the service personnel in the audience during the first, 4-song encore, which ended to a thunderous standing ovation after “Jeremy” was performed.

Vedder walked on stage with his acoustic guitar for a second round of encore.

“I haven’t been doing this song on tour but there’s a very special person in the audience tonight that I want to play it for,” he said before indulging in “Guaranteed,” a track he composed for the “Into the Wild” soundtrack.

Vedder’s bandmates returned for an exhilarating performance of “Alive,” giving the boisterous audience yet another chance to express their appreciation.

With the clock striking 11:00 p.m. – curfew at the venue -- and the houselights illuminated, Vedder frantically gathered the members of opening act Kings of Leon on stage for a rousing version of Neil Young's "Rockin’ in the Free World." What an ending!

Kings of Leon, comprised of brothers Caleb Followill (vocals/guitar),Jared Followill (bass), Nathan Followill (drums), and their cousin Matthew Followill (guitar), also gave Virginia Beach an exciting show on this their fourth and final night opening for Pearl Jam.

Their 1970s inspired material wowed the audience. Eddie Vedder joined the band on its final number, "Slow Night, So Long."

Reach Jeff Maisey at (757) 222-3934 or jmaisey@pilotonline.com