Pearl Jam at the Gorge: slow start, but a rockin' ending

GEORGE, Grant County — Leave it to Pearl Jam to start its biggest concert in years by sitting down and playing a mellow, mostly acoustic opening set. Eddie Vedder and company went through nine slow songs that way, as a huge, restless audience of 22,000 waited patiently for a rock show to begin.

But they had to wait longer, as the band left the stage for a long break before launching into what felt like the real concert, a generous selection of almost 30 more songs, a few of which showed the rocking Pearl Jam of old, before they took themselves so seriously.

Vedder explained the odd opening by saying he didn't want to wake up Tom Petty in a nearby hotel before his two Gorge shows, last night and tonight. Petty became a running joke, as Vedder had the audience, during the rock part of the set, say "Hellooo Tom, come down Tom," again and again. Vedder seemed fixated on Petty, who never did show up, although the band played his "I Won't Back Down," dedicated to anti-Iraq war mom Cindy Sheehan.

Thursday, Gorge Amphitheatre, George With the setting sun and the Columbia Gorge as a dramatic backdrop, they began the acoustic set with the Ramones' "I Believe in Miracles" and "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town." Guest keyboardist Kenneth "Boom" Gaspar lifted "Crazy Mary" with a powerful organ solo. Other opening songs included "I Am Mine," "Black" and "Hard to Imagine."

In the rock set, they had to play "Do the Evolution," given the current controversy about the teaching of evolution, and it was a kick. So were "Not for You" and "Alive," the latter not just a crowd favorite but a loud sing-along.

Guitarist Mike McCready, his hair dyed flaming red, injected most of the energy into the show, with intricate, hard-driving solos and lots of physical action. By contrast, the other guitarist, Stone Gossard, sat stoically most of the time, off to the right, physically detached from the rest of the group.

Vedder mentioned New Orleans several times, pointing out that Pearl Jam did some recording there, and that he was arrested there once (for "disturbing the peace.") He seemed generally moved by the tragedy, and angry at slow government response.

Pearl Jam is making the Canadian and U.S. tour concerts available for download (for $9.99), through its Web site, www.pearljam.com. The band's new studio album is due out next year.