PJ and politics
Jeanwah
Posts: 6,363
This is from a recent interview with Jeff Ament talking about politics among other things non-music. Pretty interesting since the band doesn't speak out quite like they used to, other than the Tester show.
http://www.jambands.com/features/2013/0 ... ts-rndm/?3
JPG: As far as the energy and the upbeat feel to the album, I read that you were traveled with your friend, Montana Senator Jon Tester, during his re-election campaign and how what he had to deal with just ate at you. Do you think if the RNDM album was recorded in August instead of April, it might have come out darker, angrier?
JA: Yeah, maybe. The great thing about this record, there was no preconceived notion of what is was going to be. It really was one of the most natural projects that I’ve ever worked on. The great thing about going to Montana is, where I’m at in Montana, we’re not getting newspapers and we were really so busy, not on the computer very much, so we weren’t very affected by the outside world as we were doing this stuff. If anything influenced us, probably just being in the forest, being around nature. And it very well could have been [different] if we would have recorded it in August, would have more newspapers getting delivered. If we’d been reading about what was going on, I’m sure it would have had some effect. The political process in our country right now is a joke. Absolute joke. There’s millions of people that don’t have jobs in this country and they’re spending billions of dollars on fuckin’ ad campaigns. It’s a joke.
JPG: Well, congratulations on Tester being re-elected and whatever role you played in it. [Pearl Jam played a fundraising concert for U.S. Senator Jon Tester on Sept. 30 in Missoula, Montana.]
JA: From growing up in a town of 700 people, mostly, I just feel pride that I’m friends with him. I know how hard he works and I know that he’s the real deal. He’s like a breath of fresh air in Washington. I’m proud of him and also just proud of the band that they supported me and wanted to help him out. The band guys were just troopers the whole step of the way.
*JPG: In regards to the mix of musicians and politics, what do you have to say to the “Shut Up and Sing” crowd?
JA: I think it’s crazy. Lobbyists, corporations, the Koch Brothers, if they can have a voice, a massive voice with millions of dollars, private funds, being poured into politics, why don’t people find more offense in that? It’s crazy how the right wing can spin and say, “Oh, Hollywood…” I’m like, “Look man. First of all, I’m not Hollywood, I’m a Montana kid. I’m like a rural Montana kid. I’m so absolutely far from Hollywood. And I’ve had people say to me, “You’re going to hurt Tester more than help him.” I’m like, “I’m helping him as a kid that grew up in the same town as him.” I believe in him that much, so I feel like it’s important. I’m a testament for him because I know him. I want people to know how much I believe in him and I don’t find anything wrong with that. If somebody’s running for office, that’s what you’re looking for. You’re looking for testaments. You’re looking for people that know these people and you want to hear their side of what they know about this person, good and bad. I’ve always had a problem with that “Shut Up and Sing” thing. It’s like, “If you know anything about our band, you know that we’re not like Van Halen. We are paying attention to the planet and our country and our community and if we see injustice, we’re going to speak out against it.” That’s just how it is. We’ve worked really hard to have this pulpit that we can use every once in awhile. Ultimately, we’re not telling people that they have to do these things, that they have to vote a certain way, it’s like, “This is our view. Go research it and make your own decision. Be involved in it. Be involved in the conversation and the process.” I’ve always done that. I’ve always said, “Look man. I’m not telling you to vote for Jon Tester. I’m telling you to be involved with this conversation and do your own research and make your own choice, but be involved.”
JPG: Just because you’re a musician or you stand in front of a camera, it doesn’t mean you give up your citizenship. So, you still should be allowed to have a voice.
JA: It’s crazy. The people that are yelling the loudest are the Rush Limbaughs and guys like that who are… They’re doing that in the worst way. Rush Limbaugh’s a weather man. He has one of the biggest pulpits in the land.
JPG: On the artistic side of it, I remember watching the Pearl Jam Twenty documentary and it showed the reaction to a performance of “Bushleaguer.” Afterwards, some of the band members were against playing it again because they didn’t want to go through that uncomfortable situation where a portion of the crowd turned on you. But, you were defiant and wanted to play it again because you felt that art should be confrontational and you shouldn’t cower, even if everyone isn’t cheering. I just thought that was such a great statement at the time.
JA: I’ve always felt like music can be good in that confrontational way. It goes back to what I was saying earlier about it starting a conversation. I feel like I’ve always been in bands that have been a little bit controversial at different times. And some of the early punk bands, in particular, when I was in Green River and we opened up for the Dead Kennedys and Black Flag, those crowds hated us. They would throw shit at us and I kind of ate it up. I was into it. I was like, “Good. There’s something we’re doing up here that is causing a reaction.” Reaction is great. If it makes you feel anything and that to me is better than just numbing people out and being a pure entertainer where you just try to make people happy. Ultimately, I never really cared what people thought. It’s always been about, “Do the guys in the band, the people I’m playing with, are we getting off? Are we creating something that we love? That we totally believe in?” We’ve been lucky in that people have reacted to that and bought our records and they come to our shows. That’s an awesome fringe benefit of being in a creative unit. For me it’s always been more about making great art than it has been about being entertainers.
http://www.jambands.com/features/2013/0 ... ts-rndm/?3
JPG: As far as the energy and the upbeat feel to the album, I read that you were traveled with your friend, Montana Senator Jon Tester, during his re-election campaign and how what he had to deal with just ate at you. Do you think if the RNDM album was recorded in August instead of April, it might have come out darker, angrier?
JA: Yeah, maybe. The great thing about this record, there was no preconceived notion of what is was going to be. It really was one of the most natural projects that I’ve ever worked on. The great thing about going to Montana is, where I’m at in Montana, we’re not getting newspapers and we were really so busy, not on the computer very much, so we weren’t very affected by the outside world as we were doing this stuff. If anything influenced us, probably just being in the forest, being around nature. And it very well could have been [different] if we would have recorded it in August, would have more newspapers getting delivered. If we’d been reading about what was going on, I’m sure it would have had some effect. The political process in our country right now is a joke. Absolute joke. There’s millions of people that don’t have jobs in this country and they’re spending billions of dollars on fuckin’ ad campaigns. It’s a joke.
JPG: Well, congratulations on Tester being re-elected and whatever role you played in it. [Pearl Jam played a fundraising concert for U.S. Senator Jon Tester on Sept. 30 in Missoula, Montana.]
JA: From growing up in a town of 700 people, mostly, I just feel pride that I’m friends with him. I know how hard he works and I know that he’s the real deal. He’s like a breath of fresh air in Washington. I’m proud of him and also just proud of the band that they supported me and wanted to help him out. The band guys were just troopers the whole step of the way.
*JPG: In regards to the mix of musicians and politics, what do you have to say to the “Shut Up and Sing” crowd?
JA: I think it’s crazy. Lobbyists, corporations, the Koch Brothers, if they can have a voice, a massive voice with millions of dollars, private funds, being poured into politics, why don’t people find more offense in that? It’s crazy how the right wing can spin and say, “Oh, Hollywood…” I’m like, “Look man. First of all, I’m not Hollywood, I’m a Montana kid. I’m like a rural Montana kid. I’m so absolutely far from Hollywood. And I’ve had people say to me, “You’re going to hurt Tester more than help him.” I’m like, “I’m helping him as a kid that grew up in the same town as him.” I believe in him that much, so I feel like it’s important. I’m a testament for him because I know him. I want people to know how much I believe in him and I don’t find anything wrong with that. If somebody’s running for office, that’s what you’re looking for. You’re looking for testaments. You’re looking for people that know these people and you want to hear their side of what they know about this person, good and bad. I’ve always had a problem with that “Shut Up and Sing” thing. It’s like, “If you know anything about our band, you know that we’re not like Van Halen. We are paying attention to the planet and our country and our community and if we see injustice, we’re going to speak out against it.” That’s just how it is. We’ve worked really hard to have this pulpit that we can use every once in awhile. Ultimately, we’re not telling people that they have to do these things, that they have to vote a certain way, it’s like, “This is our view. Go research it and make your own decision. Be involved in it. Be involved in the conversation and the process.” I’ve always done that. I’ve always said, “Look man. I’m not telling you to vote for Jon Tester. I’m telling you to be involved with this conversation and do your own research and make your own choice, but be involved.”
JPG: Just because you’re a musician or you stand in front of a camera, it doesn’t mean you give up your citizenship. So, you still should be allowed to have a voice.
JA: It’s crazy. The people that are yelling the loudest are the Rush Limbaughs and guys like that who are… They’re doing that in the worst way. Rush Limbaugh’s a weather man. He has one of the biggest pulpits in the land.
JPG: On the artistic side of it, I remember watching the Pearl Jam Twenty documentary and it showed the reaction to a performance of “Bushleaguer.” Afterwards, some of the band members were against playing it again because they didn’t want to go through that uncomfortable situation where a portion of the crowd turned on you. But, you were defiant and wanted to play it again because you felt that art should be confrontational and you shouldn’t cower, even if everyone isn’t cheering. I just thought that was such a great statement at the time.
JA: I’ve always felt like music can be good in that confrontational way. It goes back to what I was saying earlier about it starting a conversation. I feel like I’ve always been in bands that have been a little bit controversial at different times. And some of the early punk bands, in particular, when I was in Green River and we opened up for the Dead Kennedys and Black Flag, those crowds hated us. They would throw shit at us and I kind of ate it up. I was into it. I was like, “Good. There’s something we’re doing up here that is causing a reaction.” Reaction is great. If it makes you feel anything and that to me is better than just numbing people out and being a pure entertainer where you just try to make people happy. Ultimately, I never really cared what people thought. It’s always been about, “Do the guys in the band, the people I’m playing with, are we getting off? Are we creating something that we love? That we totally believe in?” We’ve been lucky in that people have reacted to that and bought our records and they come to our shows. That’s an awesome fringe benefit of being in a creative unit. For me it’s always been more about making great art than it has been about being entertainers.
Post edited by Unknown User on
0
Comments
Writer Richard Manning whose wife worked with the Tester campaign recently wrote me a short note thanking me for supporting the band supporting Tester. Knowing Manning's work and PJ's sensibilities, I'm fairly certain a vote for Tester was a good thing.
Ok, bring it on.
Has anyone heard the boots from Houston , when they played Bushleager?
I was there and I laughed when they played that. I really don't see how PJ and politics should go together.
It's unfair to keep asking musicians to be political. I see the band sliding more towards trending global issues.
I share my city with a few million people and we don't always agree. His city has 700 people.
But Jeff's talking about wanting to be political, not that people are asking him and the band to be political. He even responds to the point about "shut and and sing" opinions.
We all do our best!
In times of confusion and fear the masses need leadership. This can come from the dark side with its monetary interests, or from artists and cultural icons striving to counteract negativity and preserving and promote time-tested values of decency, honesty, and love.
I did feel let down by pearl jam during the bush era. In retrospect it may have been asking too much to expect them to lead a fight for the people. There are politicians who are supposed to do that. Most put their heads down and kept their mouths shut for 8 years. But, hopefully when that happens, artists and men of the people stand up and put the higher values that they portend to espouse above concern for their physical body, or future ability to book amphitheaters.
No they did not make an anti war album. Neil Young did. Riot act connoted dissent but instead we got love boat captain. Dick Cheney was really pissing his pants on that one.
There's probably more to it than my puny mind has observed, probably behind the scenes influences, hopefully involving whatever ungodly large pile of money this band now sits on. Some measured approach designed to fight another day rather than wage war on the front line til one side falls. Hopefully.
But I expected more, more vocal, more fight, more bark, more anger. Where was the guy who wrote bushleaguer? Where was his outrage, or did it get channeled into despair? I pledge my grievance to the flag, in 98 but not in 2002 ? when its being used as toilet paper. Now we got ed writing acoustic songs in his million dollar treehouse. that's great. Where's the guy who once said "I'd hate to promote assassination but before I'd kill myself, I'd probably kill someone like Bush" (the first).
That guy did accomplish a lot. It wasn't all risky light rig climbing. It was also inspiring others to stand up in what is right and be unapologetic about it. The assassination line is extreme and peaceful protest is always the answer, but the point is, what happened to that level of passion? No it was not all naïveté. It was driven by something very real. Looking back now, did it get watered down? Did it maintain but just get channeled into a more productive form? I don't think 37 merchandise and album reissues per day is indicative of it not being watered down.
When big fear spreads big lie, we need big art to tell big truth in order to remind the big population that 2 + 2 still equals 4, regardless of what the other assole is telling you. Did that happen?
Anyways it is asking a lot. And this whole rant has probably much more to do with me and my naïveté than them.
But Neil knuckled up and I just looked up to them and wanted them to do more. I am glad to see now that Jeff did too.
And you need to be specific with which Bush you are talking about. During that time many of them were in office.
They even laugh at themselves. The band wore Bill Gates masks and Saddam Hussein masks at the Houston shows instead of the traditional Bush mask. I still will never know why. Were the scared?
It doesn't really matter opinions are like holes... everyone has one.
I love Neil Young as much as the next person- I've been a big fan since working a spot on an early Buffalo Springfield show. As much as I appreciate Neil's anti-war stance, make no mistake about it, Neil sits on "an ungodly large pile of money" as well. (Actually, according to his book he's short on cash but very long on assets so basically the same thing.) Let's not forget that PJ and NY are musicians first and foremost. Love the music and be thankful they have some good things to say (or not, depending on your views) beyond that.
He is Not on the West Memphis mafia 3 fundraiser album, nor does/did he ever support the cause.
He is super neato. He is just always willing to help!, and sorry to ED about the tuna salad!
It all worked out well.