Pearl Jam delivers triumphant return to Utah

PEARL JAM, BEN HARPER AND RELENTLESS7, E Center, Sept. 28

WEST VALLEY CITY — When critics make their picks at the end of the year for the best concerts in Utah in 2009, Pearl Jam should get extremely high consideration.

Eleven years after last performing in the Beehive State, Pearl Jam made a triumphant return Monday night, playing with an energy and making a connection with the audience that few acts can achieve. By the time the band got to the final guitar chords of "Alive" during the second encore with the house lights on, the crowd was worked into a frenzy.

Lead singer Eddie Vedder was both charismatic and intense all evening. Vedder walked on stage with his book of notes, which he kept as close to him all evening as his bottle of wine, and started off with the great "Of The Girl."

"It's been 11 years since we've been here. Time flies when you're making records," Vedder told the crowd. "You could go to high school, college get a job and get fired in 11 years."

The stage included decent lighting and a Pearl Jam banner as a backdrop. But big video screens or pyrotechnics weren't needed as Pearl Jam let the music speak for itself.

For more than two hours, the band played a great mix of old and new material. In fact, there were so many highlights during this show that its nearly impossible to mention them all.

"Hail, Hail" "Given To Fly," "Daughter/Sympathy For The Devil/W.M.A." "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter In A Small Town," "Immortality" and "Do The Evolution" were among the traditional favorites. The crowd sang loudly for "Even Flow" which included an extended guitar solo from Mike McCready who was literally running circles around the stage, in addition to providing lightning quick guitar solos all night.

The band also played a healthy selection of material off their fantastic new album, "Backspacer" including the driving "Got Some," "The Fixer," "Amongst the Waves" and "Supersonic." Right before a wonderful "Just Breathe," Vedder invited Salt Lake couple Greg and Rachel to the stage where Greg, in front of 10,000 fans, got on one knee and proposed (she said 'yes.').