Quick: What's the best concert you've ever seen? If the cavernous Blaisdell Arena seems an unlikely setting for a musical event that would qualify as someone's "best show ever," then you probably didn't see Pearl Jam Saturday night.

Most concerts are just concerts. Some concerts become parties. As front man and lead singer Eddie Vedder said good night after more than three hours of unchained rock 'n' roll melody, the nearly sold-out arena crowd seemed inclined to believe him when he thanked them breathlessly and added, "You are all my friends."

If those words came out of the mouth of any other singer, they would exemplify the cliched gratitude of the stereotypical, bombastic rock star. Vedder, however, backed up his words with his music. From 8 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., Pearl Jam and opening act Kings of Leon transformed a rock concert into a family gathering.

Opening with "Oceans" from their first album, Vedder and Pearl Jam made it clear that they would be playing songs from their entire catalog. When some bands with long careers mix old tunes with new, audiences become restless as overplayed hits lose their freshness and new compositions fail to reach the standards set by the classics. Pearl Jam made a case for itself as perpetually inspired.

First, standards like "Black" and "Jeremy" were made vital by the invigorating attack of guitarist Mike McCready, and the ecstatic, controlled chaos provided by drummer Matt Cameron and bass player Stone Gossard.

Hard-core fans know these songs so well that they sing along with every word. Such accompaniment could have devolved into a distraction, but McCready and the rhythm section teased original noise from familiar riffs. The audience was presented with a rare chance to participate simultaneously in the ritual of the familiar and the shock of the new.

As bands perform on stops along multicity tours, it's typical to hear lead singers shout to the home crowd in some generic, we-love-you-Detroit kind of way. When Vedder expresses his love for Hawai'i, however, it's easy to accept him as sincere. Backed by Waimanalo resident and keyboard player Kenneth "Boom" Gaspar, and playing to friends in the audience such as Kelly Slater, Pearl Jam made a case for itself as an honorary local band.

Vedder acknowledged the presence of Hui Malama o Ke Kai, a group of young people from Waimanalo who participate in an after-school program developed by Gaspar. In another pivotal moment, the singer thanked the 400 members of the military and their families who were present.

When the clock headed past midnight, Vedder asked Kings of Leon to return to the stage, and the two bands became one to offer a joyful rendition of Neil Young's "Rockin' In The Free World." The song ended as the crowd danced and screamed wildly. "How 'bout one more?" Vedder teased, and Pearl Jam tore into an inspired version of "Yellow Ledbetter," which included forays into Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing."

Vedder took a slug from a bottle of wine and poured drinks into cups held up by fans in the first couple of rows. McCready sat on the edge of the stage to finish the tune. The guitarist might have been sitting on his couch at home, and the singer could have been hanging out with his closest friends at the beach. Pearl Jam turned Blaisdell Arena into its metaphorical backyard or living room.

The lights came up and Vedder said that with the exception of Saturday's performance as U2's opening act at Aloha Stadium, it might be a while before the band played in Hawai'i again.

"We hope you stay happy till we see you again," he said.