PEARL JAM

(Gorge Amphitheatre) It's been 12 years since Pearl Jam has played the Gorge, and for tonight's sold-out show, with no opening acts, the band will make up for lost time and treat their fans to an entire evening of nothing but the PJ. Vedder and the gang have been quietly contributing time and efforts to local charities over the past couple of years, playing the occasional benefit show for great local organizations like the Vera Project and YouthCare. They're slowly getting back into the full swing of things as tonight's appearance kicks off the band's Canadian tour, which will take them across the country, and then back to the USofA for a few East Coast dates. And for the diehard fans who can't wait for the new record (which is in progress), almost all of the tour dates, including the Gorge show, will be professionally mixed and available for digital download at www.pearljam.com.