Making their debut visit to Columbia and their first return to South Carolina in ten years, Seattle’s finest entered the Colonial Center on the campus of the University of South Carolina highly charged from their set at Bonnaroo. While Eddie Vedder may have been admittedly hung over from a day off of partying at the Nashville home of opening act The Kings of Leon, that seemed to have no effect at all on his energy, voice and outright command over this fantastic show. Opening with “Can’t Keep,” another not-heard-too-often nugget, the oncoming onslaught of “Why Go,” “All Night,” “Hail, Hail” and “Sad” just had you instantly Southern fried. Proving beyond a doubt that they are worthy of Pearl Jam touring their neck of the woods, the crowd at the Colonial Center was on fire and Eddie was having a good dialog with them—commenting on the emotional week it had been for the band as well as playfully noting how they were playing in the home of the ‘Cocks. Once again, a tastefully laid out set list, with standouts like “Red Mosquito,” “Off He Goes,” “Present Tense” and “I Got Id” leading the charge. Utilizing their deep catalog, it was great to see both “Army Reserve” and “Glorified G” played back to back. Mike McCready’s inspirational “Inside Job” kept the encore energy at a sufficiently high level, and the placement of “Given To Fly” in the encore is just an insane move—if you thought it rocked before, wait till you experience this! Another Lost Dog tour breakout of “Education” gave way to “W.M.A.” and the “Porch” closer was nothing short of epic. A second encore features a request of “Footsteps,” and just when you thought it was all over with “Alive,” the band returns for a third encore of “Indifference” that was truly transcendent. The lucky ones referred to weren’t just in the front tonight, as all of Columbia was in love with Pearl Jam and vice versa.