Dave Paulson

dnpaulson@tennessean.com

Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder got to introduce one of his band's songs in a new way at Bonnaroo on Saturday.

"I'd like to think this next song had nothing to do with the clouds that were here earlier," he said.

That song was "Lightning Bolt," the title track to the alt-rock vet’s most recent album. Vedder was referring to the lightning that forced the Manchester, Tenn. music festival to close down for roughly an hour on Saturday - and push Pearl Jam's headlining set back to an 11:30 p.m. start.

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When the band finally took the stage, Vedder joked to the crowd, "It's past your bedtime!"

Thanks to the delay, Pearl Jam played the latest headlining set of the weekend - and it will also likely go down as the loudest. The band's buzzsaw guitars shot clear across the field, and probably well into the campground. And even as they played late into the night, the band was a staggeringly energetic force, particularly guitarist Mike McCready and drummer Matt Cameron. Even songs that everyone recognized and loved: "Jeremy," "Evenflow," "Better Man," weren't quite the songs you remember from the albums. They were sharper, faster, leaner and meaner - but still very much alive and inspired. And that's not something you always find with a rock band now in its 26th year.

Even with many of their most famous songs stemming from the early days, Vedder and co. don't appear to be in danger of becoming a "legacy act" any time soon, and perhaps – like Bruce Springsteen - they just never will.

Also like Springsteen: Vedder has some strong opinions, and he's happy to share them with his audience.

"There's some candidate out there that's talking about building a giant wall," he said, declining to mention Trump by name.

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"...Maybe we could just build a wall around him. We'd pay for it. I'd pay for it. It'd be cheap. 5 by 5. I'd like a little cinder block window in there so we could all just walk up to it once in a while and just do this (raises middle finger)."

He also targeted Tennessee Representative Susan Lynn, R-Mt. Juliet., a sponsor of Tennessee's controversial transgender bathroom bill.

"She's promised to bring it back when the session resumes in the fall...Susan, look, it’s OK in this case to break your promise. You’d be very proud, I believe."

Both speeches were met with a mix of cheers, boos and indifference, though most in the audience seemed to side with Vedder.

But then there were moments everyone could agree on, like when Vedder brought out his daughter Olivia on stage to celebrate her 12th birthday. The crowd sang "Happy Birthday" to her, and Vedder asked everyone to hold up phones and lighters, as if they were all candles in a giant birthday cake.

And as Vedder urged everyone to pump their fists in the thrilling final moments of "Alive," it was truly a victory for everyone. They'd fought off the elements, stayed up late and made it a night (and morning) to remember.

The band sent them off with one of their trademark covers: Neil Young's "Keep On Rocking in the Free World," again, sounding as pure and powerful as ever.

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