File photo by Lucy Hamblin

VIRGINIA BEACH: Pearl Jam's concert in Virginia Beach came on the heels of a blistering, inspired show in Columbia, SC. Fans in Virginia who were expecting another fire-under-the-heels set would walk away disappointed, however. The first "Long Road" of the tour opened the set on a mellow note, a theme that would permeate the entire first set. "Low Light," "Small Town," and "I Am Mine" all had the atmosphere of a campfire sing-along. "Sleight of Hand" was played for the first time in almost two years. The crowd was mostly subdued, with very little dancing or movement.

The band members themselves seemed full of energy, but it was not manifested until the first encore, which opened with "Comatose" and ended with "Jeremy." By then, the crowd was too far gone to elevate the level of the show from good to great. Eddie Vedder opened the second encore with "Guaranteed" from the Into the Wild soundtrack, a pleasant surprise for fans hoping to hear some of Vedder's solo work.

Kings of Leon, in their final appearance opening for Pearl Jam on this tour, joined the band for a finale of Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World," which ended an otherwise average show on a very high note.

A fan's review:

Click to Page 2 for the first night in Camden, NJ >>