An overly excited audience packed the very sold-out Eddie Vedder concert early last Saturday at the Santa Barbara Bowl. In fact, a large crowd of desperate fans gathered in front of the box office waiting in vain for any last minute ticket options.

The early birds were treated to an impressive opening set by Irish crooner Glen Hansard, of The Swell Season and The Frames fame. The emotive singer and guitar player performed a dramatic opening solo set, exhibiting his masterful vocal range and unique guitar techniques. His trademark beat-up old acoustic guitar was hooked to an array of electronic devices designed to induce myriad moody sounds.

The playful Irishman rambled between songs about his joy of being in the spectacular setting of the Santa Barbara Bowl, with a sunset view of the city on the edge of the vast glittering Pacific Ocean. Opening with a cover of Jeff Buckley’s “Buzzin Fly,” he had no problem quickly catching the attention of the early crowd, already seated in the large 4,500-seat venue. He then launched into three well-known Swell Season songs, including a melodic version of “Leave,” the haunting “Low Rising” and an aggressive version of “Show Yourself,” delving into an almost primordial scream at the end.

Hansard then took a minute to savor his surroundings and banter a bit more to the crowd. “I don’t smoke much grass, but I think tonight might be one of those times I do,” he said. “I want to sit up in the back all baked, listening to Eddie Vedder.” Then he let out a guttural scream chanting, “Eddie yeah.” He then unleashed an electronically distorted remix of the classic Van Morrison song “Astral Weeks,” dedicating it to “all the folks up top.” He finished his set with a Frames tune, “Song of Good Hope.”

Vedder, the grunge rock god who became famous as the frontman for Pearl Jam, sauntered onto the stage just after sunset, igniting a firestorm of adulation from a packed amphitheater. Sounding even more mesmerized by his surroundings than the euphoric opener Hansard, Vedder thanked the crowd. “This is the first time I have ever played a solo gig outside, and I couldn’t imagine a better night or a better place to do it,” he said.“I love this feeling. It seems more like playing in a backyard than a venue, and playing the ukelele in a backyard feels completely natural.”

Then he sat down and began to play his ukelele and sing in his trademark haunting voice. For the most part, the concert was deja vu of a show he performed just a few years ago at the smaller downtown Arlington Theatre. That show featured only a few ukulele songs, as he was just beginning to experiment with the instrument. The current tour begins with and includes many more songs from his new album, Ukulele Songs, featuring the classic little instrument. But the bulk of his concert featured songs done on an array of acoustic and electric guitars, most of which he played at the Arlington show. These included his own songs, lots of covers and a few Pearl Jam gems on the more obscure side.

One of the reasons Vedder has become such a compelling storyteller is that he has become a modern-day version of a traveling minstrel. He travels all corners of the world experiencing life in all its most vivid and visceral forms, not as a tourist but as a participant of life experiences. These immense experiences have given him the cerebral paint that he uses to create such vast and enduring musical canvases. In other words, he has real life experiences to write about.

After playing some of his new ukelele songs, including “Can’t Keep,” “More Than You Know,” “Goodbye” and “Longing to Belong,” he switched to more familiar material and more familiar instruments. Playing on his array of acoustic and electric guitars he launched into a set including some of the more obscure Pearl Jam songs, such as “Off He Goes,” “No Code,” “I Am Mine” and “Just Breathe.” The crowd reacted with an ovation after every song, savoring each recognizable tune.

Vedder also played a slew of covers throughout the evening. “Some people will only play their own songs. I don’t want to be that a******,” Vedder cracked. Then he played a vast sampling of musical genres, including Trent Reznor’s classic Nine Inch Nails song “Hurt,” Neil Young’s haunting “Needle and the Damage Done,” Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” and The Beatles’ “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away.”

Vedder told another tale about how he had missed the iconic Marley when he played one of his last concerts, opening for Stevie Wonder. It was one of his great regrets. When he told this story to his friend, fellow musician Ben Harper, Harper taunted back, “I saw Bob Marley at the Santa Barbara Bowl.” After a pause, he added, “Then he and Stevie Wonder played at my wedding.” Then he launched into the classic Marley anthem, which finally got the crowd on their feet for a whole song and singing a familiar chorus.

But the biggest response of the night came with the classic Beatles tune that came next, prompting people in the audience to shout the chorus lines. The haunting tune, first sung by John Lennon in 1965, possibly my favorite Beatles tune, epitomizes Vedder’s style and vocal delivery. In fact, anytime I hear Vedder’s distinctive voice on the radio, that venerable Beatles tune is the first thing that comes to mind.

Vedder also included songs from the 2007 movie soundtrack Into The Wild, including a duet with opener Hansard. They also sang Hansard’s “Falling Slowly,” joined by a four-piece classical string quartet that had been backing Vedder on and off throughout the evening. Keeping his promise to play right up to the 10 p.m. curfew, Vedder even used the last two minutes to do a little ukelele version of “Dream a Little Dream of Me” before thanking the crowd for such a special night.

— L. Paul Mann is a Noozhawk contributor. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk or @NoozhawkNews. Become a fan of Noozhawk on Facebook.