Pearl Jam emotes grunge glory

With age, Eddie Vedder's wisdom has blossomed into a type of pragmatic spirituality.

"I know that I was born, and I know that I'll die," he sang to an audience of 13,578 Sunday at Verizon Wireless Music Center. "The in-between is mine."

The lyric comes from "I Am Mine," the first single from Pearl Jam's current album, "Riot Act."

He also advised against dwelling on bitter yesterdays during "Present Tense," a track from 1996's "No Code" -- the album that marked the beginning of Pearl Jam's transformation from mainstream power into something smaller.

Vedder's cult-figure status has yet to wane. To his followers, his baritone voice can be likened to tangible bread and wine.

After all, the chants that filled the amphitheater were "E-ddie, E-ddie," not "Pearl Jam, Pearl Jam."

So the show was progressing nicely, arcing in a logical pace. In 2000, during the band's last visit to Indianapolis, a herky-jerky nonmomentum nearly derailed the show.

This time, progressions of ballads, midtempo numbers and full-on rockers unfurled in five-song waves.

An unexpected highlight proved to be "Habit," also from "No Code." Here, guitarists Vedder, Mike McCready and Stone Gossard clanged metallic chords worthy of AC/DC's underworld bells.

Then, for whatever reason, Vedder decided to preach to the choir.

From "Jeremy" to "Even Flow" to "Better Man" and "Black," Pearl Jam reeled off a string of early-career radio hits.

McCready played active, but not especially accomplished solos during "Even Flow" and "Black."

Otherwise, all eyes and ears were focused on Vedder, whose Mohawk of last year has evolved into something akin to the hairstyle Fred Savage wore on "The Wonder Years."

Meanwhile, plenty of literal spotlights were directed at the audience. At one point, Vedder used a small mirror and a large light to scan the seats.

Perhaps thinking of his ride from disposable mass commodity to valued friend of select listeners, he shared one more piece of advice: "Pick your dreams carefully."

On this night, Vedder chose to generously relive his early-'90s glory days.

Pearl Jam invited first-generation U.K. punks the Buzzcocks () to warm up crowds for this leg of the "Riot Act" tour.

By stacking one song upon another with few if any breaks, the Buzzcocks indeed provided a loud, fast and breathless preamble.

After obliterating what seemed to be 40 songs in 40 minutes, singer-guitarists Pete Shelley and Steve Diggle dialed in an ultimately manic gear for their finale.

Bring 'em back Friday for the Warped Tour, where everyone can pogo at the front of the stage.