Pearl Jam

Photo by Gary Miller

Pearl Jam

Eddie Vedder maintained a full court press throughout ACL 2009 weekend. In addition to leading his band in closing out the fest with a rousing two hours of rib-rattling rock, Vedder sat in with Kings of Leon on Friday and taped a studio session of Austin City Limits the following night. Staying up late with his new BFF Ben Harper, a guest at both KLRU and at the fest on "Red Mosquito," was par for the course. Another BFF, Lollapalooza founder, C3 cohort, and Jane's Addiction singer Perry Farrell, also put in an appearance Sunday night for an exhilarating, swirling version of Jane's "Mountain Song." Yet it was always Pearl Jam's gig, a chance to celebrate the remastered version of the band's career-making Ten and autumn's rocking new Backspacer, on which the strong link between punk and grunge still echoes for these Seattle supersonics. So Eddie and the cruisers mixed oldies but goodies with tracks from their latest, including "Got Some" and "The Fixer." Vedder ceded the spotlight to the shattering guitar work of Mike McCready and Stone Gossard, when the festival-friendly set also included a thunderous version of "Even Flow" and "Daughter." PJ even tore through "Do the Evolution" and rallied through righteous versions of the Who's "The Real Me" and Neil Young closer "Rockin' in the Free World." In an act of solidarity and sympathy that echoed as loud as any howls, Vedder splashed down in the mud of the mosh pit, a last reminder we're in this shit together.