Eddie Vedder

BOOKS Meghan Daum L.A. Times columnist Meghan Daum will moderate a panel about fiction and narrative nonfiction at Skylight Books. Those answering the questions are local memoirists and novelists James Brown ("This River"), Seth Greenland ("Shining City"), Diana Wagman ("Spontaneous") and Leslie Schwartz ("Angels Crest"). The discussion is sure to be lively and timely. Skylight Books, 1818 N. Vermont Ave., L.A. 7:30 p.m. Free. (323) 660-1175; skylightbooks.com . EVENTS LA Comedy Fest 365 This year-round comedy series highlighting up-and-coming comedians and filmmakers presents two shows by local improv groups: the trio Circle One and the colorfully named Yellow-Bellied Marmots.

EXCLUSIVE: Eddie Vedder long ago made his mark in Hollywood, writing and/or recording notable songs for “Dead Man Walking,” “Eat Pray Love” and most of the “Into The Wild” soundtrack, among others. You can soon add another notch to his filmic resume. The Pearl Jam frontman will pen and record a new track for “Out of the Furnace,” the dark thriller starring Christian Bale that will hit theaters this year. Several previously recorded Vedder songs also probablly will be featured in the film, according to a person familiar with the production who was not authorized to talk about it publicly.

EXCLUSIVE: Eddie Vedder long ago made his mark in Hollywood, writing and/or recording notable songs for “Dead Man Walking,” “Eat Pray Love” and most of the “Into The Wild” soundtrack, among others. You can soon add another notch to his filmic resume. The Pearl Jam frontman will pen and record a new track for “Out of the Furnace,” the dark thriller starring Christian Bale that will hit theaters this year. Several previously recorded Vedder songs also probablly will be featured in the film, according to a person familiar with the production who was not authorized to talk about it publicly.

Rock documentaries made by fans of the band fall into two categories: They either exclude nonbelievers or draw them into the fold. "Pearl Jam Twenty" starts out exclusionary but opens the gates before it's through. Writer-director Cameron Crowe, whose idea it was to examine the celebrated Seattle-based band in time for its 20th anniversary, is no ordinary fan. His films include "Jerry Maguire" and "Almost Famous," and he has the Matt Damon-starring "We Bought a Zoo" due for December release.

Tim Robbins did just fine writing and performing the songs for his 1992 movie "Bob Roberts," in which he played a balladeering conservative politician. But for his new movie, "Dead Man Walking," he asked a few friends to pitch in. Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash and the cross-cultural team of Eddie Vedder and Pakistani devotional singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan are among those who provided original songs inspired by the film, which is based on the true story of Sister Helen Prejean.

"Eddie! Eddie! Eddie!" The young blond woman is trying to get the attention of Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder as he enters his trailer backstage at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre on the last day of the "Lollapalooza '92" tour. Vedder pokes his head out the door. She starts to ask him something--"Eddie, can you . . . "--but he cuts her off. "Not now," he says tersely. "Just leave me alone. I'm sorry."

"INTO THE WILD" is the story of a young man who breaks away from his family and sets off to explore uncharted territory. The story of its soundtrack is much the same. At 42, Eddie Vedder is not quite young (although, in a yellow leather jacket and band T-shirt, he looks it) and the family he (temporarily) left behind is Pearl Jam, the band he has fronted for the last 17 years.

Eddie Vedder pauses during an interview when asked if "Immortality," a song on the new Pearl Jam album about deep depression, was inspired by the suicide last April of Kurt Cobain. It's hard to tell whether Vedder is surprised by the question or is simply sighing at its inevitability. Vedder is the rock artist most closely compared to Cobain. Both have been hailed as key figures in a new generation of songwriters who reflect the alienation and anger among many young people today.

Pearl Jam "Backspacer" Monkeywrench Records A thousand rock 'n' roll clichés have been built around the idea that guts and glory belong to the young. Pearl Jam's ninth studio album, "Backspacer," due out Tuesday, makes the opposite argument. Its 11 breakneck rockers and candidly emotional ballads, adding up to barely more than a half hour of optimally toned catharsis, gain power from the band's calm but constant awareness of life's ticking clock. "I gotta say it now, better loud than too late," Eddie Vedder wails in "Amongst the Waves" -- the closest thing to an oceanic jam on "Backspacer," and at 3 1/2 minutes it's pretty much a shore dump.

Mike Watt doesn't wait for a question. He just plops down on the lentil-colored sofa in his San Pedro apartment and gets going on a rapid stream-of-consciousness spiel, recounting his life as a humble kingpin of L.A. punk. "Scary thing, talking about myself," he begins, flashing a cockeyed, nervous grin. "When you have a band, you can talk about that."

BOOKS Meghan Daum L.A. Times columnist Meghan Daum will moderate a panel about fiction and narrative nonfiction at Skylight Books. Those answering the questions are local memoirists and novelists James Brown ("This River"), Seth Greenland ("Shining City"), Diana Wagman ("Spontaneous") and Leslie Schwartz ("Angels Crest"). The discussion is sure to be lively and timely. Skylight Books, 1818 N. Vermont Ave., L.A. 7:30 p.m. Free. (323) 660-1175; skylightbooks.com . EVENTS LA Comedy Fest 365 This year-round comedy series highlighting up-and-coming comedians and filmmakers presents two shows by local improv groups: the trio Circle One and the colorfully named Yellow-Bellied Marmots.

The Early Show (N) 7 a.m. KCBS Today Marlo Thomas; Jim Courier and Monica Seles; Ty Bellingham; Michael Bolton performs. (N) 7 a.m. KNBC KTLA Morning News (N) 7 a.m. KTLA Good Morning America (N) 7 a.m. KABC Live With Regis and Kelly Gwyneth Paltrow; Courteney Cox. 9 a.m. KABC The View Chris Cuomo discusses the Casey Anthony murder trial; Morgan Freeman; La La Vazquez. (N) 10 a.m. KABC The Talk Gene Simmons; Lea Thompson; guest co-host Wayne Brady. (N) 1 p.m. KCBS Tavis Smiley Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

A list of upcoming concerts across the Southland, with on-sale dates in parentheses. Staples Center 102.7 KIIS Wango Tango, May 14 (Sat.); Sade, Aug. 21 (Mon.) Honda Center Sade, Aug. 31 (Mon.) The Wiltern Sleep, June 26 (Thurs.); Ballet Folklorico, May 1; Eddie Vedder, July 8; Buffalo Springfield, June 4-5; Widespread Panic, July 13-14 (Fri.) Club Nokia The Dan Band, May 28 (now); Boyz II Men, July 15; Owl City, July 21 (Fri.) Nokia Theater Earth, Wind & Fire, June 1 (Fri.)

Four songs into Pearl Jam's Wednesday night performance at the Gibson Amphitheatre, Eddie Vedder shifted his weight from one foot to the other, as if to maintain his balance atop something moving fast. Lead guitarist Mike McCready leaned back hard; Stone Gossard, on rhythm, hunched forward. Bassist Jeff Ament kept his head down as if holding on to an invisible mooring line. Matt Cameron cast himself as the storm's eye -- back straight, face calm as he beat out a spray of drum notes. After nearly two decades and hundreds of shows, the most resilient group in alternative rock has become something simple at its core: a surf band.

Pearl Jam "Backspacer" Monkeywrench Records A thousand rock 'n' roll clichés have been built around the idea that guts and glory belong to the young. Pearl Jam's ninth studio album, "Backspacer," due out Tuesday, makes the opposite argument. Its 11 breakneck rockers and candidly emotional ballads, adding up to barely more than a half hour of optimally toned catharsis, gain power from the band's calm but constant awareness of life's ticking clock. "I gotta say it now, better loud than too late," Eddie Vedder wails in "Amongst the Waves" -- the closest thing to an oceanic jam on "Backspacer," and at 3 1/2 minutes it's pretty much a shore dump.

Beginning his first-ever solo tour Wednesday, Eddie Vedder gave a lesson in how to hush a screaming crowd. Not literally: The 1,800 or so Pearl Jam fans who'd snapped up the night's tickets spent little time being quiet, instead granting their band's beloved singer endless ovations, singing along (only when asked) and shouting requests.

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's music sneaks up on you. His concerts begin innocently enough, with the Pakistani singer seated cross-legged on a carpet--a corpulent, amiable figure surrounded by an ensemble of chorus singers, drummers, harmoniums and stringed instruments. The first sound is usually a drone-like undercurrent, followed by soft, rhythmic percussion. Khan's warm and flexible voice eases into a quiet, chanting melody, gradually gathering intensity.

It's eight days after the suicide of Kurt Cobain was discovered and Eddie Vedder's voice still trembles as he tries to put into words his confusion and sadness. "When I first found out, I was in a hotel room in Washington, D.C., and I just tore the place to shreds," says the brooding lead singer of Pearl Jam and the artist whose impact on a new generation of rock fans has been most often compared to Cobain's. "Then I just kind of sat in the rubble, which somehow felt right . . .

Eddie Vedder will undertake his first solo tour with a handful of shows in April highlighting music from the Pearl Jam leader's music for Sean Penn's film "Into the Wild." The brief run opens April 2 in Vancouver and will include shows April 12 and 13 at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles before wrapping April 15 in San Diego. Pearl Jam's website will have information about ticket sales, and members of the group's fan club will get first crack at them. New Zealand alt-rocker Liam Finn will be Vedder's supporting act for the shows, all of which will take place in California except for the Vancouver opener.

"INTO THE WILD" is the story of a young man who breaks away from his family and sets off to explore uncharted territory. The story of its soundtrack is much the same. At 42, Eddie Vedder is not quite young (although, in a yellow leather jacket and band T-shirt, he looks it) and the family he (temporarily) left behind is Pearl Jam, the band he has fronted for the last 17 years.