Addicted To Noise Washington, D.C. correspondent Chris Nelson reports:

Pearl Jam's concert at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland last night assumed the proportions of a major east coast music event soon after the show sold out eleven minutes after it went on sale. Fans came to Tuesday's (Sept. 24) show from up and down the northeast industrial corridor, as well as from Florida, Alabama, Alaska, and St. Louis. One Washington radio station started broadcasting from the venue several hours before the Fastbacks took the stage to kick off the night, and a station from Baltimore broadcast all two dozen songs from Pearl Jam's two hour set, in order, after the concert was finished. Between the two promotions, the band put on a raucous live set that was worthy of all the hype.

Getting there was half the battle for some fans, even those who didn't travel cross country for the show, which is one of oten U.S. dates on Pearl Jam's tour in support of No Code. Every car entering the Merriweather lot was asked to present the tickets of its passengers, and on entering the pavilion gates, all tickets were run through UPC scanners mounted on the hips of ushers. Both measures were intended to foil scalpers while avoiding business with TicketMaster. (Sales were handled through Protix.) Nonetheless, one security guard mentioned that at least two sets of counterfeit tickets were making the rounds for Tuesday's show.

The Fastbacks hit the stage promptly at 7:30 for an outstanding 40-minute, 15-song set culled largely from their latest record New Mansions In Sound. What's there to say about the Fastbacks? They're a national treasure. I've caught their set opening for other bands on two occasions. If the country ever comes to its musical senses, I'll get to cover the Fastbacks in a Merriweather-sized venue headlining a tour as profitable as this one.

Considering how stoked the crowd was for Pearl Jam to come on, they gave the Fastbacks a surprisingly enthusiastic reception. As soon as the first band walked off, though, the hysteria began to swell. It's been a long time since I've seen a group of people so very primed for a show. Who incites this kind of rabid reaction--Springsteen? The Stones? I don't think so. These fans didn't just cheer when a roadie walked on-stage. They were on their feet and chanting "Ed-die, Ed-die" the minute that the Fastbacks left...

Ever obliging to their fans, Pearl Jam picked up their instruments ASAP and started off their set quietly. Standing front and center, Eddie Vedder played his black Telecaster without a spotlight. When the band charged into "Hail, Hail," the spotlight appeared, but the guitar was gone. With his eyes closed, Vedder clutched the mic stand tightly, but when the chorus came around, he held his arms behind his back. It was a odd sight as the singer stood without his arms out front or to the sides for support while he dug the chorus out from somewhere deep inside him. On the roughly one-third of the songs that Vedder was guitarless, he used his hands and arms to great effect: holding them open to the heavens; pointing them knowingly, yet unaccusingly, at the crowd; playing air guitar; or rubbing his face and pulling his hair. The audience often mimicked Vedder's hand motions in unison.

The other musicians, while by no means passive players, seemed content to let Eddie deal with all the adoration. Mike McCready held his ground at stage right, preferring to let loose with his solos away from the center of attention.He stood enough to the side, in fact, that one fan remarked afterwards that he thought McCready appeared to be an extra musician brought along for the tour. Opposite him stood Stone Gossard, who marched in place for many of the numbers. He did move more to the center for a fine rendition of his No Code contribution, "Mankind," during which Vedder lent backing vocals offstage. Meanwhile, Jeff Ament, decked out in a pork pie hat and shorts, couldn't keep still, as he bobbed and weaved to his own bass rhythms throughout the night.

It's difficult to name a band of Pearl Jam's stature that does so much to please its fans without abandoning its integrity. From tour merchandise to song choice, every move appears to weigh fans' interests. (T-shirt booths carried No Code iron-on transfers for less affluent fans, along with silk-screened posters and shirts created specifically for this D.C. area show.) All four of Pearl Jam's albums were well represented, as were b-sides ("Yellow Ledbetter") and rarities known primarily to diehards. Any fans who went away disappointed by the set were likely nitpickers; "I don't think we've played this one at any shows yet," said Vedder before launching into an ecstatically received "Black." A good chunk of the band's many hits were present and accounted for, including "Jeremy," "Even Flow," "Alive," and "Daughter." Pearl Jam's best performances came whenthey fully raged on their louder material, such as "Spin The Black Circle," "Habit," and "Last Exit." One of Vedder's spoken intros prompted some folks to salivate for material from the band's collaboration with Neil Young, Mirror Ball. After mentioning "Song X" by name, he said that the next number was "'Song X's' baby brother" and began playing "Red Mosquito" from No Code. While Mirror Ball material would have been a real treat, "Red Mosquito" didn't disappoint. It's chorus of "If I had known then what I know now," sparked fans to reach for their lighters and wave their hands in the air.

While some alt.rock bands may have snickered at the reaction, Eddie Vedder accepted it humbly as a compliment. That's because he remembers what it's like to be sitting on the lighter-lit side of the stage. "If you could see what it looks like from up here," he marveled, "you'd see it looks crazy." Earlier in the show, Vedder seemed to apologize for the size of the venue. "I don't think we've played this place before," he said, an honest remark considering that D.C. has hosted three other Pearl Jam performances in the past several years. Then he added, "Forgive us." But later Vedder noted that he and the Fastbacks' Kim Warnick had been reminiscing about all of the arena rock shows they attended growing up, and the magic they experienced seeing their heroes in such a dramatic setting. "We're just glad to be part of that whole feeling," he said. Allow me to speak for the many in attendance when I say, "Likewise."