BY ROBERT FULTON

The contrast could not have been more evident at Pearl Jam's May 13 show at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, VA, 40 miles outside of Washington, D.C. For more than the first hour-and-a-half of the band's two-hour, 20 minute set, the stage's backdrop showed the letters of "Pearl Jam" spelled out on the keys of a typewriter. At the same time, the two giant screens that flank the immense amphitheater's performance area showed what was happening on the stage in black and white.

Then, with the second encore, the two screens switched to color; and the backdrop changed into a simple encircled "PJ," not unlike that of a power button to a laptop of smart phone.

So, the question is: Is Pearl Jam, which released its first album nearly 20 years ago, a nostalgia act? Or is the band with nine full-length releases now under its belt still making music that is modern and relevant?

The answer is, a little of both.

In an era that has seen a resurgence of '90s rock - Alice in Chains, Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots are all back touring this summer - Pearl Jam never left, releasing a solid album every few years, the most recent last year's Backspacer. The result is a deep, rich catalog, from which the band drew at the D.C.-area show.

The group opened with fan-favorite "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town," from 1993's Vs. After getting the crowd warmed up, what followed was a blistering quartet of songs that included "World Wide Suicide" from 2006's self-titled release; and "Brain of J" from 1998's under-appreciated Yield. Eddie Vedder and company were able to make their classic songs still sound fresh. Guitarist Mike McCready's shredding solo on "Even Flow" demonstrated why he might be one of the most underrated axeman of the era. McCready showed up again on "Black," another track from the group's 1992 debut album Ten. The song came across as almost too-heavy, but Vedder saved it with his still authoritative 45-year-old voice. "Garden" and "Alive" were also just as brilliant as they were when released 18 years ago. Those in attendance greeted "Spin the Black Circle" and "Better Man" - both off of 1994's Vitalogy - with enthusiasm in the second encore, and the crowd relieved Vedder of his duties by singing most of the opening to the latter.

While the trip down memory lane came across as vibrant and exciting, the newer stuff was also warmly received. The most evident was the rollicking "The Fixer," off of last year's Backspacer, and the band played a number of tracks from that release.

Surprisingly, it took the usually outspoken Vedder a little more than an hour to get on his soapbox less than a 45-minute drive from the nation's capital. But he made more than made up for it. Prior to "The Fixer," he asked if there were any lobbyists for Goldman Sachs in the crowd, before asking them "to kill yourself. Save the lives of others," and suggested that the country could use the bank bailout "money for other things." The lead singer did admit that suicide may be a little much, and that the lobbyists finding another line of work may be more appropriate. Vedder later made reference to Sean Penn and Haiti, as well as a shout out to Montana senator Jon Tester just before going into "Alive."

Wrapping up with a cover Dead Boys' "Sonic Reducer" and their own classic "Yellow Ledbetter," Pearl Jam demonstrated that while the old songs still sound fresh and the new stuff is almost as gripping, a little nostalgia isn't a bad thing at all.

Opener Band of Horses' 10-song set was received warmly, though the enormity of the venue didn't suit the band's more intimate needs. Popular songs "The Funeral" and "The Great Salt Lake" were greeted with cheers, and the opening track "Factory" off the new album Infinite Spaces promises more good things to come from this South Carolina five-piece.