Well before show time, the backstage vibe is relaxed for Pearl Jam. Two band members are focused on a game of ping-pong. Frontman Eddie Vedder is still in his hotel room, wrestling with a decision on the night’s set list. Lead guitarist Mike McCready is engaged in one of his favorite pursuits: talking music, specifically that made by the enduring, beloved-by-many rock group that has been so much a part of his, and their, life. "I feel grateful we are still around. A lot of our contemporaries didn’t make it," says this most affable of artists and human beings. "We’re at a comfortable, yet exciting time."

     A recent review of the group’s new self-titled CD praises them for having "never lost their moral compass." When it’s suggested that this is quite a compliment, McCready replies, "We kind of followed our hearts and our guts throughout the years."

     That has ranged from the political and social issues they address to the way they record, their efforts to keep ticket prices as low as possible, and how they donate money from each show to causes they believe worthy.

     Pearl Jam’s track record has allowed the musicians a freedom to make choices motivated by what feels right, he says. "People trust us, as a band, generally to know we will follow our hearts and play the music we play and give to organizations we give to and know we are doing it for the right reasons. You either survive or fail on that. We’ve survived, even though we have had some failures."

     Even after all these years, McCready admits that he is not completely sure what the public perception of Pearl Jam is. "I’m sure there are some people who think we are overly serious and all muddled up in politics," he says. "Part of us is super serious, for sure. We also joke around a lot. There is a humorous side to our band that is not seen as much. We try to keep things light too. It is fun."

     He is certain the band has become stronger with age, both in its live shows and interaction with each other. "We are all very much on a deeper level than we were, say, 15 years ago when we were kids. Hopefully we are older and wiser," he says.

     Keeping a band together for that long is no insignificant feat, he agrees. Among the keys to accomplishing that, he suggests: = Communication between the band members: "That’s certainly number one. You have to talk face to face with each other, one to one. If there is a problem, you have to confront it. We have had to do that over the years. You have to be real to each other and not talk through lawyers. That achieves a level of respect among band members.
     = Having a lot of fans: "People still want to come see you and make you want to go out and play. That’s such a huge thing. People still want to hear about us and come see us."
     = A lot of luck: "It could all be gone tomorrow. You never know how things will turn out. A lot of our contemporaries have gone down another road."

     Another important area to address in achieving longevity is how individuals in a group maintain their own identity and sense of artistic fulfillment within the context of a band. "Ed is kind of our leader, and he will allow us that room for our own individual playing and ideas to come out," he says. "We all have ideas and they are all listened to. Individual personalities can enhance and also clash at times. Out of that clash can come creativity or more destructiveness. You hope you can harness something destructive and turn it into creativity. Our individual talents rely on others’ individual talents. In this band, for example, I will play a little different from [rhythm guitarist] Stone [Gossard] and he will too."

     There is much to admire about Vedder, McCready says. That includes "his vision in times when it’s not popular to say things. He goes from his gut. It takes real guts and real balls to say what’s on his mind. Ed follows his heart, his artistic gut."

     Vedder is a good frontman, he says, because he is real. "He gives you 100 percent, maybe even more. He spends all day thinking about the show. At 2 a.m., in the hotel, he’s working on the set list. Wanting to put on the best show is what it’s all about."

     As for his own role, McCready says he hopes to add a certain fire to the band in his playing. "It’s in how I texture what I do and the kind of colors [he creates] over songs. They take songs to a different level than they had been in the past. I hope my instrument paints colors on top of these songs and makes them more vivid."

     The new album is being hailed as Pearl Jam’s most democratic effort since its powerful debut in 1991 with %Ten%. "I had a chance to write three or four songs or work on lyrics. I’m very grateful to have a lot of songs that happened. Some ideas came in. It wasn’t forced. It just happened. That’s how it has to happen with five songwriters in the band," McCready says. "I rank it up there with our second record. It’s way up there. The energy is new. The songs are as exciting as the other songs in the past have been for me. We really sat down and worked on songs as hard as we could."

     They devoted a year and a half, on and off, to the work. "Ed wanted very much to work hard on the lyrics. He spent up to a week on one line at times. We were singing and doing crazy background like we’ve never done before. We wanted to make it as good as possible and take our time," he says. "In the past we’ve gone in and recorded quickly. This time we really honed our skills in the studio and took time in between sessions."

     As satisfying as the experience was, McCready still believes the live show remains Pearl Jam’s greatest strength. "On this tour specifically, it’s our live shows and our fans and fan clubs, and how they connect and stayed with us over the years," he says. "Some people have seen us 50 times. I’ve never seen a band 50 times. The most I’ve seen a band was U2 and that was 12 times, and three of those times we played with them. That was amazing to me."

     Every show is somewhat different, he says. The sets change and so does the vibe. "I enjoy the crowds, the feedback, when they sing the lyrics back. When we are all really firing on all cylinders we can watch each other’s body language. It’s like a silent type of communication that you have with no other five people. I enjoy playing off each other, when we catch a good groove. You’ll never play it the same way again and it’s exciting."

     To young bands and artists admiring that excitement from a distance, McCready says there may be something that can be learned from Pearl Jam’s career so far. "Follow your ideals, what you believe is generally right," he advises. "A lot of times companies, lawyers, video companies, they don’t have an idea. They know how to market but don’t know the music side. As a young band on the label, you have to play the game [to an extent], but stay as close, as true as you can to your vision."

     When Pearl Jam one day hangs up their instruments, McCready says he hopes they are remembered as "a really great rock band, someone that maybe meant something to people and allowed people to have a positive aspect in their lives.

     "We hope people just enjoy the music and it gives them a break from their day, and it takes them somewhere, as any music does for me, and influences people’s lives in a positive way. That’s all we can hope for."