Piedmont Triad, North Carolina Concert Review: Pearl Jam 8-8-00 By JOYA WESLEY There was not a lot of pomp or fooling around to mark Pearl Jam's latest appearance at the Greensboro Coliseum. No booming-voiced announcer told the crowd to get ready. No pyrotechnics created fake hype. The band simply took the stage, took up their instruments and started playing. They played about five songs in a row before pausing for greetings Sunday night. That first pause came after "Evacuation," a song with shouted lyrics that gave lead singer Eddie Vedder a workout. Drummer Matt Cameron wrote the tune, he joked, to do him in. "Drummers, by tradition, don't like singers," Vedder said. "Actually, I wrote the lyric part -- maybe I just don't like myself." The crowd certainly liked the Jim Morrison-esque singer, helping him sing just about every song. The cheers would start from the opening chords, then the sound of thousands of voices following the lyrics and melodies would echo through the air-conditioned arena. A beefed-up security force swarmed the place, keeping close watch on concert goers enthusiastically swilling -- and inevitably spilling -- beer. Staff members were aggressive in mopping up the messes and diffusing trouble spots before they could flare. The five-man band (which includes members Mike McCready, Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard) performs with great professionalism. They give their all to their high-energy grooves, with musicianship that's highlighted by impressive guitar solos from McCready. A remarkably cleansound comes through, even at the outrageous decibel level at which they play. To open the show, Sonic Youth brought a little of the big city to Greensboro. A video backdrop showed New York City streetscapes, complete with vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle traffic. While the band members known as the "Godparents of Punk" played, yellow cabs and trucks whizzed by behind them, and New Yorkers of every description walked past, seeming to mingle with the band as they did. Other shots showed the inside of a subway car. The street and subway scenes were eerily layered during the group's last selection, the title track of the new CD, "nyc ghosts & flowers." The group unceremoniously introduced themselves to start a 45-minute set that began promptly at 7:30 p.m. Standout drummer Steve Shelley provided solid rhythms that held together the often bizarre tonal combinations and other sonic effects that mark Sonic Youth's music. Joya Wesley is a free-lance contributor.