CALGARY - There was only one reason why Trevor Bowen was at Canada Olympic Park yesterday afternoon.

"Pearl Jam," he said enthusiastically.

"I've been waiting 10 years to see these guys," said the 32-year-old super fan.

Eighteen-year-old David Charlton was also eager to see the veteran Seattle group, although he admitted he had only been a fan for a matter of months.

"My brother has a bunch of their older CDs and I just started listening to them," said Charlton, who was sporting a Pearl Jam T-shirt.

Bowen and Charlton were among 15,000 people who made their way to COP for the second annual Calgary Virgin Music Festival, which boasted one of Pearl Jam's first outdoor festival performances of the year.

The legendary group took the stage as clouds rolled in after a hot afternoon and were greeted by an appreciative roar and the chants of "Pearl Jam!"

They were in fine form, although perhaps not at the top of their game. However, Eddie Vedder and the boys didn't disappoint with their solid two-hour set.

Swigging from a bottle of wine, singer Vedder suffered a few bum notes, but for the most part his vocal chords were in great shape as he belted out some of Pearl Jam's best-loved hits, including Why Go and Even Flow in his inimitable tremulous, pleading style.

The first part of the set was heavy with lesser known tracks and more recent songs, which went over well, but they just whet the crowd's appetite for the big hits.

Vedder was laid back, almost spacey, and tried to be a calming influence on the heaving moshpit near the front.

Pearl Jam was obviously the biggest draw of the day -- if not the entire weekend -- and I'm perplexed as to why some fans think it's acceptable to throw assorted junk at the stage.

It's completely disrespectful to the band and makes Calgary concertgoers look like a bunch of buffoons.

It was also disappointing to witness the apathy of a significant portion of the crowd towards the rest of yesterday's lineup.

Sure, most of the opening acts are in Calgary at least once or twice a year, but they still deserved a better reception.

Wintersleep managed to get some cheers out of the crowd with their complex melodies and Paul Murphy's swooping vocals.

The Halifax group is similar to the Tragically Hip at their most inventive.

Canadian hip hop star k-os may sometimes rely too much on samples to hook listeners (Rush, Led Zeppelin and Phantom Planet's theme for The O.C. to name a few.)

But k-os is a phenomenally skilled MC and his freestyle rhymes are a treat to hear.

He was faced with a crowd that was perhaps more interested in classic rock, but armed with a full band he kicked it just as hard as his modern rock counterparts.

If there was a roof to blow off, Hamilton rockers Arkells would have done it.

Their straight-ahead, no-nonsense guitar rock is head and shoulders above a lot of modern rock that comes out these days.

Singer Max Kerman is an intense, engaging performer, who exudes rock star charisma without the cheesy moves or inane between-song banter.

Thunderheist's electro-dance-rock-rap-house sonic assault may have confused many a Pearl Jam fan, but the Toronto duo gave a jolt of energy to the overheated crowds at V-Fest during their lively mid-afternoon set and upped the ante for the bands who followed.

"This might be our last show," frontwoman Isis shouted from the stage.

"I might die up here, it's hot." To which producer/programmer Grahm Zilla replied, "Hey, I'm white. How do you think I feel?"

Isis no doubt won over some new fans as she jumped into the thick of things, high-fiving audience members during a lusty version of their hit single Jerk It.

The Great Bloomers were given the unenviable task of starting the show just as festival goers were still filing in.

But the Toronto quintet exceeded all expectations. Their rootsy, melodic pop was the perfect soundtrack to a hot, sunny afternoon.

The band's lovely harmonies were a stand-out from the rest of yesterday's acts.

Even the sweet voices of the following band, Mother Mother were no match for the up 'n' coming Bloomers.

The mainstage wasn't the only area where the music blared.

The smaller CJAY Stage in one of the venue's two beer gardens hosted a handful of bands, including Calgary's Static in the Stars and Joshua's Habit, as well as T.Dot power trio The Cliks.

While the change in location from Fort Calgary last year to Canada Olympic Park allowed for more room to roam, there wasn't much in terms of great atmosphere.

Straw laid down to cover any muddy areas made it feel as if you were in the middle of a farm and the incline of the hill made it a little difficult to stand for an extended length of time.

Still, the festival was generally well organized with bands taking the stage like clockwork.

The 2009 Virgin Music Festival wraps up today with sets by Canadian acts Tokyo Police Club, Metric and Billy Talent and more.

Visit www.virginfest.ca for more info and the schedule.

Rating: 4 out of 5