Vedder pulls a Dixie Chick.....

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Does this mean that Momus will cover "Evenflow" now?

http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/music/article/0,1299,DRMN_54_1860334,00.htm

― maria b (maria b), Thursday, 3 April 2003 19:47 (twenty-two years ago)

"Dozens" left the show, but how large was the audience? Was it even noticeable?

Also, how could this possibly surprise anyone?

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 3 April 2003 19:55 (twenty-two years ago)

eddie vedder in moralizing shocker

― jess (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 3 April 2003 19:57 (twenty-two years ago)

"Vedder pulls a Dixie Chick..."

...and her husband tracks him down and beats the shit out of him.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 3 April 2003 20:07 (twenty-two years ago)

That news report is absolutely classic!

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 3 April 2003 20:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Wow, that Eddie Vedder is soooooo punk.

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Thursday, 3 April 2003 20:13 (twenty-two years ago)

"Bushleaguer" is an awful, awful song (I say as a fan of recent PJ). I cringed last year when I heard it, and read the initial reports of him donning the mask for the first time at a show in Seattle. i got no beef with free speech or the message, but must he be so heavy handed and tacky about it? sheesh.

― Al (sitcom), Thursday, 3 April 2003 20:21 (twenty-two years ago)

ha ha ha!!

― geeta, Thursday, 3 April 2003 20:25 (twenty-two years ago)

"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."

― hstencil, Thursday, 3 April 2003 20:25 (twenty-two years ago)

"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."

That paragraph is utterly fantastic.

― Ferg (Ferg), Thursday, 3 April 2003 20:27 (twenty-two years ago)

I hope she really said "step-ped".

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 3 April 2003 20:29 (twenty-two years ago)

who goes to a pearl jam concert expecting eddie "root vegitable" vedder to not pull a left-centered tantrum?

― jess (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 3 April 2003 20:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Wait - this story has suddenly gone from amusing to serious as hell - he really did have George Bush's head on a stick?

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 3 April 2003 20:30 (twenty-two years ago)

It wasn't really George Bush's head, it was the head of a George Bush impersonator. The impoersonator's headless body, as if on cue, then lit a cigar off of Vedder's Eternal Flame of Righteousness.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 3 April 2003 20:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Then transvestites in military gear began to vogue.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 3 April 2003 20:42 (twenty-two years ago)

And then they all lezzed up?

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 3 April 2003 20:44 (twenty-two years ago)

No, then Vedder retroactively "withdrew" the entire concert.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 3 April 2003 20:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Least surprising news story of the year.

― Lynskey (Lynskey), Thursday, 3 April 2003 20:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Vegetable rights and peace!

peas, even.

― maria b (maria b), Thursday, 3 April 2003 20:54 (twenty-two years ago)

"All right, this song’s off the last record. It’s a quiet one. A scud. A weapon of mass illumination. This song is called Thumbing My Way."

― maria b (maria b), Thursday, 3 April 2003 20:56 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm a bit shocked that people were genuinely surprised and/or walked out. I mean, Vedder's always been very public about his political convictions. I mean, he ain't Ted Nugent.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 3 April 2003 21:13 (twenty-two years ago)

I support anyone who leaves a Pearl Jam concert early.

― brg30 (brg30), Thursday, 3 April 2003 22:17 (twenty-two years ago)

what's a Texas leaguer?

― James Blount (James Blount), Thursday, 3 April 2003 22:23 (twenty-two years ago)

as i said re Patti Smith in another thread, it's much more radical and daring for the Dixie Chicks to have spoken out against Bush than for Eddie Vedder. it isn't as if this is unexpected. but Pearl Jam's days of musical/cultural relevance are long past (like Patti Smith's). it's nice that they express their views, but who really cares at this point?

now, if only like Eminem, or Pink, or Jay-Z were to speak out against Bush and/or the war ... that would be something.

― Tad (llamasfur), Thursday, 3 April 2003 22:23 (twenty-two years ago)

"We literally got up and left."

literally
(sorry, all the really good stupid human quotes were already taken)

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Thursday, 3 April 2003 22:26 (twenty-two years ago)

...But they're all nominally-subversives, Tad, and one of them has built his entire career on pissing people off.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 3 April 2003 22:27 (twenty-two years ago)

actually, Jay-Z HAS come out against the war. He's on that Musicians Against the War (or whatever its called) petition...

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 3 April 2003 22:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Jay-Z's been getting more and more political (Russell Simmons' influence probably)

― James Blount (James Blount), Thursday, 3 April 2003 22:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Vedder's elicits just as sharp a cringe as Nugent anyday. Christ, all of these self-righteous fucks... I wouldn't mind the rantings if the music measured up. Weren't Pearl Jam the Dixie Chicks of Seattle circa 1992 anyway?

― maria b (maria b), Thursday, 3 April 2003 22:54 (twenty-two years ago)

if john stamos had done this onstage in the middle of a beach boys concert it would have been totally radical

― geeta (geeta), Thursday, 3 April 2003 22:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Isn't a Texas Leaguer one of those bloopers out into centerfield between the 2B and the CF? Or am I mixing sports metaphors?

― hstencil, Thursday, 3 April 2003 23:03 (twenty-two years ago)

I doesn't have to be to center but yeah, it's a bloopy soft line drive that falls in.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 3 April 2003 23:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Well Vedder's gonna have to explain to me why a hit's not a good thing, then.

― hstencil, Thursday, 3 April 2003 23:08 (twenty-two years ago)

ha - I thought that's what "Not for You" was for

― James Blount (James Blount), Thursday, 3 April 2003 23:10 (twenty-two years ago)

But they're all nominally-subversives, Tad, and one of them has built his entire career on pissing people off.

that's a good point ... i was concentrating more on their recent chart success, which would give them more "clout" than Pearl Jam (who at this point, i imagine, as just preaching to the converted). PJ might as well be the Grateful Dead at this point. maybe in 1992 Vedder would have had some heft (yes, as someone upthread said, PJ = 1992 Dixie Chicks), but in 2003 who cares what he has to say about anything?

and i honestly didn't know that Jay-Z had come out against the war. good on him -- i hope it does have some impact.

― Tad (llamasfur), Thursday, 3 April 2003 23:24 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm sure it will

― James Blount (James Blount), Thursday, 3 April 2003 23:27 (twenty-two years ago)

No you're not.

― Lynskey (Lynskey), Thursday, 3 April 2003 23:35 (twenty-two years ago)

haha!

― James Blount (James Blount), Thursday, 3 April 2003 23:38 (twenty-two years ago)

Vedder could now be considered the Chixie Dick.

― bahtology, Friday, 4 April 2003 00:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Have a Pepsi eddie

― SplendidMullet (iamamonkey), Friday, 4 April 2003 00:13 (twenty-two years ago)

There's nothing wrong with expressing a point of view. I think it took some courage on his part. He has to expect at least a few fans to be pissed off - not to mention the cynical observers who will harrumph to themselves at his gaucheness for displaying a conscience.

― o. nate (onate), Friday, 4 April 2003 00:26 (twenty-two years ago)

The part of the article that interests me is this:

(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.)

Those people bought their tickets months ago! That's such a hilariously dumb show of opportunism.

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Friday, 4 April 2003 00:58 (twenty-two years ago)

o. nate is OTM

― David A. (Davant), Friday, 4 April 2003 01:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Good for him! If only it really was the impaled head of George W. Bush... yes, boys and girls, we finally do see that hating Dubya is *very* rock and roll. That is, unless you're Ricky Martin or Travis Morrison.

― justin s., Friday, 4 April 2003 01:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Someone's fucked about with the html, right? That's the Onion, right? Fuckin' splendid.

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Friday, 4 April 2003 02:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Vedder in Seattle-level 'tactical' political commentary display shocker.

― donut bitch (donut), Friday, 4 April 2003 03:59 (twenty-two years ago)

PJ have responded to this article with an official press release:

"There were close to 12,000 people at the April 1st Denver show. It's possible two dozen left during encore but it was not noticeable amongst the 11,976 who were loudly applauding and enjoying the evening's music. It just made a better headline to report otherwise. [You'll note the writer doesn't mention this in his review of the show from the day prior. See "Pearl Jam Show Will Make a Great CD" by Mark Brown, Rocky Mountain News. And it is little more than a mention in any of the show reviews.]"

Pearl Jam have always been outspoken and will continue to be so. Their statement also suggests that they have no intention in backing down in their beliefs. "Dissension is nothing we shy away from -- it should just be reported about more accurately. Ed's talk from the stage centered on the importance of freedom of speech and the importance of supporting our soldiers as well as an expression of sadness over the public being made to feel as though the two sentiments can't occur simultaneously".

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Friday, 4 April 2003 04:37 (twenty-two years ago)

I guess 'Mirrorball Moon' isn't gonna happen

― dave q, Friday, 4 April 2003 07:53 (twenty-two years ago)

ha!

― James Blount (James Blount), Friday, 4 April 2003 07:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Good on Mr Vedder, I say. I know it's expected of him, I know they've not really been any good since No Code, I know they're preachey and whathaveyou, but Eddie Vedder speaking out against the war beats no one speaking out against the war, hands down.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Friday, 4 April 2003 08:54 (twenty-two years ago)

right. if Eddie Vedder hadn't spoken up NO ONE WOULD HAVE DARED CRITICISE THE WAR.

― Justyn Dillingham (Justyn Dillingham), Friday, 4 April 2003 09:28 (twenty-two years ago)

you think now we'll start seeing, like, protesters taking to the streets and all?

― Justyn Dillingham (Justyn Dillingham), Friday, 4 April 2003 09:29 (twenty-two years ago)

protesters with hackeysacks

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 4 April 2003 12:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I view this act purely as a sign that Eddie Vedder isn't a capitalist. That's the real reason why Madonna pulled her anti-war video from the U.S. airwaves and the real reason why so many of the networks are now focusing in on the pro-America rallies -- because it makes good business sense. Madonna knew from the reaction all the anti-war talk had on the Regular American that releasing the anti-war video would cause her bottom line to bottom out. She, being a smart cookie and a savvy business exec for Madonna, Inc., decided that wasn't the thing she wanted to happen, so she pulled the video. Doesn't mean she doesn't still believe in the message she was portraying, it just meant she didn't view the video as right for America. It was absolutely right for Germany, though, because there's less of a backlash there to anti-war sentiments. As for the media -- well, I heard of this news survey thing that goes out to all the major national media types, that rates what Americans want to see covered on the news. This is a major survey that asks thousands of Americans all over the country these sorts of questions. Anyway, ranking dead last in what America wants to see on the news is anti-war protests. (I think the war and the national economy were # 1 and # 2, respectively.) Thus, those protests don't get covered, and the war and the national economy do get covered. It's as simple as that.

I do know, however, that despite what Eddie Vedder said, some of the people at the Free Republic site (which I do confess to participating in) did say they would still listen to Pearl Jam because they view it as good American stadium rock. *shrug* I dunno, honestly. I defended the Dixie Chicks when Natalie Maines issued her apology by stating that famous people say stupid things all the time and that it was a rarity that anyone famous would actually apologize for the stupid thing they said, so we (as in the other forum) should just accept the apology and move on.

I'm on the fence here. On one hand, I just want to sigh and move on, continuing to listen to Pearl Jam and not really caring in the end what any of the band members think. On the other hand, I want to stomp on an effigy of Eddie Vedder because he did what he did and I'm a Republican and all. Still, at least he hasn't joined up with the "blame America" crowd, at least not yet, and I'm happy about that.

― Dee the Lurker (Dee the Lurker), Friday, 4 April 2003 16:37 (twenty-two years ago)

"As for the media -- well, I heard of this news survey thing that goes out to all the major national media types, that rates what Americans want to see covered on the news. This is a major survey that asks thousands of Americans all over the country these sorts of questions. Anyway, ranking dead last in what America wants to see on the news is anti-war protests."

Because as we all know, you can always trust the national media to give a fair and balanced opinion of what the American people actually want...

― justin s., Friday, 4 April 2003 19:15 (twenty-two years ago)

the washington post published a good article about the basic unprofitablility of anti-war protest coverage called For Broadcast Media, Patriotism Pays

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40057-2003Mar27.html

― jl, Friday, 4 April 2003 21:48 (twenty-two years ago)

now, if only like Eminem, or Pink, or Jay-Z were to speak out against Bush and/or the war ... that would be something.

It would be unlikely if Eminem did. I think he has already made some statement against it...

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 4 April 2003 21:51 (twenty-two years ago)

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