OAKLAND — Pearl Jam finally made its way to Oakland on Thursday night, but it wasn’t exactly the show that most fans had been waiting patiently for—once again due to COVID-19.

As the show kicked off with a rollicking cover of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ In The Free World,” it was quickly apparent that drummer Matt Cameron was absent, and Eddie Vedder soon confirmed that the longtime member had fallen ill with COVID-19.

It was the first Pearl Jam show that Cameron had missed in more than two decades.

In his place, drumming duties were ably split by former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist and opening act Josh Klinghoffer (whom Vedder dubbed the “Shohei Otanhi of rock and roll” for his ability to handle multiple instruments) and longtime Jeff Ament collaborator (and Oakland resident) Richard Stuverud.  The two traded turns at the drum kit throughout the night and seemed comfortable filling in on short notice.

This was a show more than two years in the making. Pearl Jam just started what was going to be a big year for them in 2020, releasing their latest record – and the first in seven (now nine) years – Gigaton, in March 2020.

Of course, that’s also the month the pandemic shutdowns started, halting PJ’s massive tour in support of what was their best album in more than a decade. The wave sputtered before they could build up any speed, although singer Eddie Vedder released a great solo record in February of this year, Earthling.

Now they’re back, fired up and making up for lost time. But frustratingly, the pandemic wasn’t finished messing with the band’s plans.

The band wasted no time revisiting its heyday with three songs off their first three albums (“Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town” from Vs., “Why Go” from Ten and “Corduroy” from Vitalogy) before introducing new material from Gigaton: the grinding “Quick Escape” and bouncy “Superblood Wolfmoon.”

Both of the new tracks fit well within the set and reinforced the contention that Pearl Jam’s latest effort might be its best in many years. Overall, Pearl Jam would only play one more new track, the mid-tempo “Seven O’Clock,” later in the set.

At one point, as Vedder waxed nostalgic about the now-defunct Bridge School Benefit concerts once hosted by Neil Young and the late Pegi Young, he may have let slip news of a revival.

“I hope to see you again the next time we’re getting to play The Bridge School,” he said to a confused reaction from the audience.  “I hear rumors, good ones,” he mysteriously continued.

Perhaps fans of the band will have a return visit to the Bay Area to get excited about before long.

Among many highlights of the night was the classic “Even Flow,” which not only gave Mike McCready a chance to prove again why he’s still one of the greatest guitarists in rock, but also provided a showcase for substitute drummer Stuverud, who drove the song like a man possessed.

Another Ten track, the moody and plaintive “Black,” provided an emotional catharsis through McCready’s wailing guitar and an opportunity for the audience to sing loudly along with Vedder.

More than 30 years after taking over the planet with a few other like-minded bands from the Pacific Northwest, Pearl Jam isn’t going quietly into older age. Always one of the best live rock bands, they can now–quite fairly–be included in conversations about America’s greatest rock bands of all time, and their live shows are a testament to that.

Meanwhile, new generations can finally see what the fuss is all about.

That’s one of the great things about Pearl Jam. Not only has its lineup stayed remarkably intact since the members had (a lot) more hair and wore shorts with their Doc Martens, they don’t have to do this anymore. They made a pretty similar declarative statement early in their career, eschewing MTV videos (after their first few massive hits) and fighting for control of ticket prices. Now they can make records and play shows when they want, which is the best motivation to do both as well as they possibly can.

Before the show started in earnest, Vedder came out with an acoustic guitar and performed Neil Young’s “The Needle and the Damage Done” and Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” before introducing Klinghoffer.

The guitarist was performing under the pseudonym Pluralone and offered a short set of originals and covers on both guitar and keyboard before finishing with a bold stripped-down cover of Prince’s “Purple Rain,” which quickly became a singalong.

Klinghoffer also welcomed Pearl Jam rhythm guitarist Stone Gossard to the stage to accompany him on a cover of Brad’s moody “Buttercup.”

You didn’t miss a beat, @OaklandArena! 🙌🏼🥁 pic.twitter.com/bYOYwqdoxA

— Pearl Jam 🇺🇦 (@PearlJam) May 13, 2022

Writer Tony Hicks contributed to this story. Follow photographer Steve Carlson at Instagram.com/SteveCarlsonSF and Twitter.com/SteveCarlsonSF.