[Pearl Jam] Concert-goers jam exits after anti-Bush display

Rocky Mountain News ^ | 040303 | Mark Brown

[dep]

Incensed fans walked out of Pearl Jam's concert Tuesday after lead singer Eddie Vedder impaled a mask of President Bush on a microphone stand, then slammed it to the stage.

Most of Vedder's antiwar remarks earlier in the Pepsi Center show were greeted with mixed cheers and scattered boos. But dozens of angry fans walked out during the encore because of the macabre display with the Bush mask, which he wore for the song Bushleaguer, a Bush- taunting song from the band's latest album, Riot Act.

"When he was sharing his political views in a fairly benign manner - supporting our troops, opposing policy - that's OK," said Keith Zimmerman, of Denver.

"When he takes what looks like the head of George Bush on a stick, then throws it to the stage and stomps on it, that's just unacceptable. I love Pearl Jam, but that was just way over the edge. We literally got up and left."

Others joined Zimmerman, some complaining about the lyrics of Bushleaguer, which in part call Bush "a confidence man" and say, "He's not a leader / he's a Texas leaguer."

"I wasn't sure if it was really happening," said Kim Mueller. "We looked at each other and realized he really did have George Bush's head on a stick and was waving it in the air, then slam-med it to the ground and step-ped on it."

"It was like he decapitated someone in a primal ritual and stuck their head on a stick," Zimmerman said. "It kinda blows away the Dixie Chicks."

The Dixie Chicks were the target of boycotts and bannings after making an anti-Bush statement on a London stage in March. (On Wednesday, the Marshall Tucker Band announced it would play a May 1 concert in Spartanburg, S.C., as an alternative to the U.S. tour-opening show in nearby Greenville by the Dixie Chicks that same day.)

Vedder has used the Bush mask in previous shows in Australia and Japan, but Denver's U.S. tour opener was the first show since war broke out in Iraq.

Pearl Jam manager Kelly Curtis couldn't be reached for comment. The Seattle band plays Oklahoma City tonight.

Before Do the Evolution, Vedder told the crowd the tale of a Vietnam vet who expressed severe reservations about war in Iraq to Vedder. The singer was incensed when someone in the crowd yelled, "Shut up!"

"Did someone just say, 'Shut up'? I don't know if you heard about this thing called freedom of speech, man. It's worth thinking about it, because it's going away," Vedder said. "In the last year of being able to use it, we're sure as (expletive) going to use it and I'm not gonna apologize."

Later in the show, he added to that.

"Just to clarify . . . we support the troops," Vedder said to cheers. "Our problem is certainly not with anybody over there doing something that not too many of us would do right now, not for these reasons.

"So to the families and those people who know those folks and are related to those folks and are married to those folks, we send our support. We're just confused on how wanting to bring them back safely all of a sudden becomes nonsupport. We love them, we support them. They're not the ones who make the foreign policy. . . . Let's hope for the best and speak our opinions."

It was after that when Vedder put on the Bush mask and a sparkling silver jacket. He took off the mask, mounted it on the mike stand, then slammed it to the floor.

[NautiNurse]

I hope the concert attendees who walked out can get their money back. Otherwise, it just provides more room for the rest of the animals who stayed--with no economic impact on the band.

[ErnBatavia]

rock-n-roll ping...

[Manic_Episode]

"ALLAH CAN $U(K MY D!(K!"

Ted Nugent

[Question_Assumptions]

Gosh, almost as powerful as the time he wrote "Pro-Choice" on his arm in marker while doing MTV Unplugged.

Of course rock stars are pro-choice. They wouldn't want to have to pay child support if their little sperm-catcher fans get pregnant, would they?

[Skooz]

Eddie Vedder has always been a pathetic wacko liberal socialist loser.

And Pearl Jam has never been anything but a third-rate, Nirvana wannabe garage band.

[blarneystone]

Yep...that's pretty offensive.

Note to self: be careful what you wish for.

[Travis McGee]

Take eggs and a mini air horn.

[Future Snake Eater]

Gosh, almost as powerful as the time he wrote "Pro-Choice" on his arm in marker while doing MTV Unplugged.

I made the mistake of watching 10 uninterrupted minutes of MTV once, and there was some interview with Vedder regarding how "chick friendly" he is or some such nonsense. He was sitting on a lawn, with the female "reporter," staring down at the grass, mumbling some crap about how "it's a woman's body, it's her right, blah blah." I'll never forget her fawning look at him or the gushing commentary about how "sensitive" he is. Made me lose a lot of hope in and respect for the women of my generation.

[zeugma]

be sure and put on some Ted Neugent for travelling music!

[browardchad]

Rick Leventhal of FNC can back that up. After being told that the Army unit Greg Kelly is traveling with was singing Simon & Garfunkel's "Homeward Bound," he asked one of the Marines he's travelling with what they'd be singing on the way to Baghdad. The answer: "Kill 'Em All" by Metallica.

[wardaddy]

More pearls from little Eddie:

" I just want to say, Why can't a woman just have a fcuking abortion!!"

Low end of the gene pool histronics.

[Gasshog]

go to their "message pit" and have a little fun...

http://www.pearljam.com/

[wardaddy]

The Dead were not terribly political. They are now late middle aged Greens but back in the late 60s and early 70s they were much different than many bands except they took the most Sid.

I was there. I survived.

[weegee]

Most of Vedder's antiwar remarks earlier in the Pepsi Center show

It would be interesting to hear from Pepsi Co. how they feel about the association just made in that sentence. Do they like or dislike being associated with Mr. Vedder's antiwar remarks?

[No Dems 2004]

Now you see one of the reasons I don't go to rock concerts.

[Ga Rob]

That's definitely a matter of opinion. I cannot stand the first album once the subsequent ones came out. The first one is way over produced. Not sure what you were expecting from a PJ show, I was at the NO show you speak of and thought it was great.

[wardaddy]

Exactly my friend. My last Dead show was 1978. The end of their apex in my view. Also the last time I indulged in Owlsley coincidentally..

Now, 25 years and 4 children later I can look back and not be too offended by the tribal Dead thing. Listening to Jefferson Airplane do Volunteers or CSNY do "Almost cut my hair" would now be insufferable given the sensibilities I acquired from about age 22 onwards...lol

Regards.

[Ga Rob]

Well......maybe I should have said show....that would include music and anything else.

[=Intervention=]

Pearl Jam (aside from their masturbatory name) has always, always, been a pathetic bunch of leftist druggie freaks. You could do better with almost anybody else as far as politics go.

[wardaddy]

Damn ...you are good.

Can you just sign my name to your posts. It'd be an honour. I'm trailing this thread and you are way ahead of me.