Cultured Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam has just turned 10, which makes it about 70 in dog years. That’s not an unreasonable comparison when you consider how quickly the best American arena-rock bands of the ‘90s have been chewed up by the tensions and demands of the trade.

We’ve said goodbye in recent years to Nirvana, Soundgarden, the Smashing Pumpkins and, just last week, Rage Against the Machine (at least in its original form).

The remarkable thing about Pearl Jam isn’t just that the Seattle band has survived, but that it has also grown artistically--a point underscored by its scintillating show Tuesday at the Greek Theatre.

After an opening set by the tuneful British band Supergrass, lead singer Eddie Vedder signaled this was going to be a high-energy night by strapping on an electric guitar as he headed to the microphone. After the mid-tempo opener “Sometimes,” he lunged without pause into “Corduroy,” a tale of defiance that ranks among the great rock statements of the ‘90s.

Pearl Jam is one of the few groups around that extensively changes its set list from show to show, a strategy that more groups ought to adopt--the freshness of the song lineup gives each show an individual touch, which is one reason that Pearl Jam bootlegs are so prized by fans.

Tuesday’s set ranged from the humility of “Wishlist” and the youthful idealism of “Not for You” to the alienation of “Nothing as It Seems” and the wistful melancholy of “Parting Ways.”

What was strikingly clear was that Pearl Jam has gotten better with age--defying the odds against artistic growth that often accompany instant success.

If you pass the million mark with your first album, there’s a lot of pressure to stick with what worked. That Pearl Jam refused to simply recycle its sound after its debut, 1991’s “Ten,” sold more than 10 million copies tells you a lot about this group’s character.

Though there were some valuable tunes on the group’s first two albums, Pearl Jam did not come across as an exciting new force. The band seemed derivative in its sound and almost robotic on stage. Vedder was such a brooding frontman that he seemed to have spent his youth idolizing Jim Morrison.

But Pearl Jam began opening up on every level with “Vitalogy” in 1994. The songwriting showed more individuality and range; the playing was more fluid and convincing; and Vedder began reaching out to audiences with an idealism that showed his real heroes were Pete Townshend and Neil Young.

On Tuesday, guitarists Stone Gossard and Mike McCready interacted at times with a soulfulness and command reminiscent of the Allman Brothers’ legendary pairing of Duane Allman and Dickey Betts.

McCready leans more toward a bluesy, classic-rock style, while Gossard offers artier and exotic touches that you might expect on producer Daniel Lanois’ recordings with Bob Dylan and U2. Bassist Jeff Ament is an excellent anchor, and former Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron, who joined the group in 1998, fits in seamlessly.

Perhaps nothing demonstrates the band’s looser approach than the encores, which have become a freewheeling fun-fest on this tour.

On Tuesday, the lengthy segment touched on the band’s own good-natured “Do the Evolution” and a sprightly, ukulele-accompanied “Soon Forgot,” a song about false values that features Vedder as Woody Guthrie.

Though the group normally returns for a second encore, they played just one Tuesday, probably because Vedder was suffering from a cold. But the show did apparently mark a first for the Greek. Long known for its anti-sponsorship and low-key marketing practices, Pearl Jam noticed the logos for an auto manufacturer attached to the walls flanking the stage. The band convinced Greek officials to put drapes over the ads before the show.

In the past, Vedder might have gone into a tirade about the whole issue. Typical of his more relaxed demeanor now, he explained to the audience that he might feel strange standing beneath such signs, maybe even getting so caught up in the spirit of commerce that he’d change the words of his songs. He then played a few notes of one of the group’s most celebrated numbers, “Better Man,” changing the title to “Better Van.”

For a band that once took itself oh-so-seriously, that sense of humor was welcome.

Maybe you can teach an old dog new tricks.

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* Pearl Jam, with Supergrass, plays Saturday at Glen Helen Blockbuster Pavilion, 2575 Glen Helen Parkway, Devore, 7:30 p.m. $26 and $30. (909) 886-8742.