Pearl Jam next Fools on The Hill
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Pearl Jam next Fools on The Hill
Concert-goers head to exits after anti-Bush display
By Mark Brown, Rocky Mountain News
April 3, 2003
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.
By Mark Brown, Rocky Mountain News
April 3, 2003
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.
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Not the news I would want to hear about Pearl Jam. I have been a bigtime fan of theirs since the eighties. I have every cassette they have made, including all the live cassettes. I am going to research this some more and will truly throw everything by them in the garbage can or better yet, I may just slam them on the floor!!
My first clue to Pearl Jam is when they stopped selling the cassette versions.
My first clue to Pearl Jam is when they stopped selling the cassette versions.

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- Stormsfury
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I only have one cassette from Pearl Jam - "Ten"
I'm upset about his tyrade, though, he did earn a brownie point for supporting our troops. But what he did involving the Bush Mask was the straw that broke the camel's back ...
JCT777 said it best.
I'm upset about his tyrade, though, he did earn a brownie point for supporting our troops. But what he did involving the Bush Mask was the straw that broke the camel's back ...
JCT777 said it best.
Another musical act who just shot themselves in the head.
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TEN is actually my favorite... but it will go in the trash like the rest. Front man has always been arrogant to me though. I guess this latest outburst should not surprise me any. 

Last edited by Lindaloo on Thu Apr 03, 2003 1:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Lindaloo wrote:Not the news I would want to hear about Pearl Jam. I have been a bigtime fan of theirs since the eighties. I have every cassette they have made, including all the live cassettes. I am going to research this some more and will truly throw everything by them in the garbage can or better yet, I may just slam them on the floor!!
My first clue to Pearl Jam is when they stopped selling the cassette versions.
c'mon girl...get with the times and trash those outdated awful sounding, forever degrading cassettes.
Oh..nevermind..its only Pearl Jam..who cares about sound quality
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- Stormsfury
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Lindaloo wrote:TEN is actually my favorite... but it will go in the trash like the rest. Front man has always been arrogant to me though. I guess this should not surprise me any.
Vedder is quite arrogant, I have to agree.
Freedom of speech is our God given right in this country, but should be exercised with the utmost regard, for that same freedom of speech, as Eddie Vedder and PJ will soon find out (and the Dixie Chicks have already) tremendous consequences.
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Lindaloo wrote:Now now now j, let's not attack the type of music I listen to.
I LIKE MY CASSETTES!!!
sorry about that....my wife likes them too, and she'll quickly let me know she don't give a rats *** if I like them or not.
It was directed mainly at the media form, and only secondary on the content
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- wx247
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"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. "
Whether I agree or disagree is not in question here, but look at this sentence in the article.
Did they walk out during the encore because they were mad or did they walk out because they wanted to beat the rush. At the Toby Keith concert I went to a few weeks ago, a lot of people left after the last song and did not stay for the encore. Did they have journalists polling the people as they left to see if they were mad??
I am not belittling the argument here, but this article is a little suspect...not that he was trying to make a point intentionally, but nowhere does anyone say they left because of the mask.
Whether I agree or disagree is not in question here, but look at this sentence in the article.
Did they walk out during the encore because they were mad or did they walk out because they wanted to beat the rush. At the Toby Keith concert I went to a few weeks ago, a lot of people left after the last song and did not stay for the encore. Did they have journalists polling the people as they left to see if they were mad??
I am not belittling the argument here, but this article is a little suspect...not that he was trying to make a point intentionally, but nowhere does anyone say they left because of the mask.
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If you have ever been to a Pearl Jam concert wx you would know NO ONE walks out "during" their encore. That is always considered the best part of their show. If people do try to exit the building before the rush, it is right BEFORE the show ends, NOT DURING.
Case and point.. I have NEVER seen a Nascar fan leave during the white flag lap. But have always left (including myself) right when they are heading for the checkered flag coming out of turn 4.
Case and point.. I have NEVER seen a Nascar fan leave during the white flag lap. But have always left (including myself) right when they are heading for the checkered flag coming out of turn 4.

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- wx247
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I don't know about in Pearl Jam Concerts but other concerts the encore is after the last song of the intended set is completed, the band has left the stage, and the crowd brings them back either by applause and/or chanting their name.
Is that the case w/ Pearl Jam?
Is that the case w/ Pearl Jam?
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- wx247
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I understand that point... I would have left, but the POINT I am trying to make is this one... this writer may be making assumptions that could have a huge bearing on his article.
I said earlier... I am not debating right and wrong here, but as to the flaws of the writer... a more techincal matter.
I said earlier... I am not debating right and wrong here, but as to the flaws of the writer... a more techincal matter.
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The posts in this forum are NOT official forecast and should not be used as such. They are just the opinion of the poster and may or may not be backed by sound meteorological data. They are NOT endorsed by any professional institution or storm2k.org. For official information, please refer to the NHC and NWS products.
wx247 wrote:I don't know about in Pearl Jam Concerts but other concerts the encore is after the last song of the intended set is completed, the band has left the stage, and the crowd brings them back either by applause and/or chanting their name.
Is that the case w/ Pearl Jam?
Yes wx... they come back and rock the house!! They also throw goodies into the crowd. Like guitar picks, clothes T shirts, etc.
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- wx247
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Then if they did the song BEFORE the encore chances are the majority of the crowd didn't care and encouraged them back out onto the stage.
That sends the message that you approve of their performance!!!
That sends the message that you approve of their performance!!!
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The posts in this forum are NOT official forecast and should not be used as such. They are just the opinion of the poster and may or may not be backed by sound meteorological data. They are NOT endorsed by any professional institution or storm2k.org. For official information, please refer to the NHC and NWS products.
The posts in this forum are NOT official forecast and should not be used as such. They are just the opinion of the poster and may or may not be backed by sound meteorological data. They are NOT endorsed by any professional institution or storm2k.org. For official information, please refer to the NHC and NWS products.
Lindaloo wrote:wx247 wrote:I don't know about in Pearl Jam Concerts but other concerts the encore is after the last song of the intended set is completed, the band has left the stage, and the crowd brings them back either by applause and/or chanting their name.
Is that the case w/ Pearl Jam?
Yes wx... they come back and rock the house!! They also throw goodies into the crowd. Like guitar picks, clothes T shirts, etc.
Cassettes??
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