Pearl Jam Cancels 4/20 Raleigh, NC Concert in Opposition to HB2; Official Band Statement

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  • athenssmileathenssmile Posts: 158

    P

    That is great that Pearl Jam will refund my tickets, but I have lost $125 for my hotel room that I can't get refunded because I went through priceline.

    Perhaps your hotel can offer you a redeemable credit for the future. Surely if you contact them, they will know about this news and perhaps consider something?
    Thanks for the idea of credit for the future, but I'm never in Raleigh. Pearl Jam was my only reason for going. I guess on the bright side, I am not a fan who also has unrefundable airline ticket.
    well, fuckers, he still stands
  • shawndyershawndyer Posts: 271
    Cmon? 2 days before? I have 2 non refundable airline tickets?
  • I have no problem with them deciding not to play in NC but to cancel this late is an outrage. Furthermore, them not playing does absolutely nothing to help lgbt issues. Zero zip nothing. They should reimburse each fan for his/her lost travel/hotel costs for canceling so close to the show for this reason. They really just bent their best fans over. Ridiculous.
  • Pearl34JamPearl34Jam TN Posts: 1,104
    DPrival78 said:

    louis ck recently played two surprise shows in NC, and donated the proceeds to equality groups. THAT is doing something positive for the situation.. this is just silly and pretty pointless.

    100%

    I'm all for standing up for what you believe in, but this is not the way to do it. They could have played the show and preached their message to the thousands in attendance.

    But they figure slapping the fans in the face, many traveling from afar, will get the job done.
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  • DPrival78DPrival78 CT Posts: 2,263
    choop said:

    If you get angry you can't go see a band for the 10th, 30th, whatever time, just imagine how angry people must get when they can be denied rights because of their sexual orientation.

    and pj cancelling this show is going to change that?
    i'm more a fan of popular bands.. like the bee-gees, pearl jam
  • MT236122MT236122 Pittsburgh Posts: 135
    I respect the cause, but this easily could have been announced after Bruce. Really feel for the travelers
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  • SVRDhand13SVRDhand13 Posts: 26,310
    2 things that came to mind that mean very little but are interesting... PJ25 is no longer 25 shows and all the printed shirts with dates on them are wrong.
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  • Ugh. I was really looking forward to this show -- the first time seeing Pearl Jam in my home town since Chicago 11+ years ago. Cancelling a show two days beforehand as a "protest" is being just as arbitrary and capricious as the moronic politicians who passed this idiotic law to begin with. I've traveled thousands of miles on countless occasions to see this band, but the cancellation of this hometown show means I'll likely never do it again. I couldn't feel worse for the fans who booked nonrefundable travel for this show and I hope the band puts its money where their mouth is to help out-of-state fans who get stuck with the bill.

    Pearl Jam -- you have every right to your opinions and you have every right to cancel this show as a protest. It's your life and your gig. I respect those things. But I hope you know that the majority of the people affected by this decision are people that had nothing to do with this law or its passage and punishing them reminds me a lot of HB2 as opposed to the protest of it.
  • Just called and got full refund on hotel, if I wasn't going to the Columbia show I would be livid. I get it, just the timing is so bad.
  • LukinFanLukinFan Florida Posts: 29,065
    I feel bad for the fans who were supposed to attend, but after reading more about this I can understand why they had to cancel.
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  • RunIntoTheRainRunIntoTheRain Texas Posts: 1,024
    Neither Pearl Jam or Bruce Springsteen are stupid. There must be a reason for cancelling 2 days prior when the decision to do it was probably made awhile ago.
    So sorry for those that are losing out because of this but there is a bigger picture.
  • Spiritual_ChaosSpiritual_Chaos Posts: 30,564

    2 things that came to mind that mean very little but are interesting... PJ25 is no longer 25 shows and all the printed shirts with dates on them are wrong.

    It's that PJ20 hoodie all over again isn't it...
    "Mostly I think that people react sensitively because they know you’ve got a point"
  • pjalive21pjalive21 St. Louis, MO Posts: 2,818
    PJlive said:

    Sucks. But the people of North Carolina did this to themselves!!!

    no they didn't the politicians did...

    you can find something wrong in every state in this country

    cancel the whole flipping tour while they are at it

  • CM194628CM194628 Posts: 2
    While it sucks for the fans, politicians only answer to money. And this type of action is starting to have an impact on the state. Well played PJ. Keep fighting the good fight.
  • nukebootnukeboot Posts: 1,465
    I respect the band's decision, but agree about the last minute problems it causes fans.
    I think Louis CK had the better approach. Follow through with the show and donate the profits to the cause.
    I'm guessing that this move will end up costing PJ anyway with the late venue cancellation.
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  • electronblueelectronblue WPB Florida Posts: 3,460
    edited April 2016
    Pearl Jam has earned their wings.


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  • Ledbetterman10Ledbetterman10 Posts: 16,917
    Now since they're obviously just following Springsteen's lead, why not just cancel when he did (or a day or two after)? My buddy who lives in D.C. has a girl flying up from Florida for this. Non-refundable flight of course.
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  • choopchoop Posts: 1,060
    DPrival78 said:

    choop said:

    If you get angry you can't go see a band for the 10th, 30th, whatever time, just imagine how angry people must get when they can be denied rights because of their sexual orientation.

    and pj cancelling this show is going to change that?
    maybe, definitely worth a shot in my opinion, and apparently the bands opinion.

    there is loss of revenue. no beers sold. no tax on the profit from all the pearl jam merch that you all go nuts for. maybe some young kid goes canvassing on the issue now, etc.

    so many ways this can make an impact. i mean it's not going to make them change the law overnight, but they've added their voice. they don't owe anyone a show.

    "If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph: The only proof he needed for the existence of God was music." KV Jr.
  • DM282158DM282158 Beverly, MA Posts: 558
    Really weird how when the band has an agenda they generally protest via music or Ed speaking. I.e. ticket master, Iraq War, voting, guns.

    Just so odd they'd cancel and not just play "Know Your Rights" really, really loud.

    Feel bad for everyone who invested money in travel expenses.
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  • ZenogiasZenogias Posts: 23
    Stunned right now, was afraid this would happen after Bruce cancelled but assumed they at least wouldn't cancel as late as Bruce did.

    Considering I flew all the way from motherf*cking Sweden for this show I'm pretty pissed off. Not only because I spent a shitload of money, vacation days and so on but also because this in my mind is totally hypocritical bullshit grandstanding considering the other places they've played where human rights issues are far worse, in South America for example. Furthermore, if they had cancelled a couple of weeks ago they would have made it easier for fans to refund flights and hotels. In my case NC will still benefit financially even though PJ doesn't play.

    F*cking sucks and a bullshit move towards fans. Seriously considering cancelling my 10c subscription.
  • pjalive21pjalive21 St. Louis, MO Posts: 2,818
    choop said:

    DPrival78 said:

    choop said:

    If you get angry you can't go see a band for the 10th, 30th, whatever time, just imagine how angry people must get when they can be denied rights because of their sexual orientation.

    and pj cancelling this show is going to change that?

    so many ways this can make an impact. i mean it's not going to make them change the law overnight, but they've added their voice. they don't owe anyone a show.

    don't owe anyone a show??? they aren't shit without the fans hate to break it to you

    there is NO Pearl Jam without the 20,000 people they just screwed over for this show over a political position that means jack shit in repealing this bill

    a less coward move would have been to do the show and give money to a proceed, but nope they have to follow Springsteen's move with such originality

    they are going to feel major kick back from this and not in the way they want

  • Mike D88Mike D88 Tampa Posts: 724
    This was timed for maximum impact. Remember that for each one of us, there's at least a hundred beer-guzzling former frat fucks who suddenly just became acutely aware what HB2 is.
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  • High Fidelity 2000High Fidelity 2000 New Mexico USA Posts: 4,435
    Not cool.

    I thought it would have been cooler of PJ (and Bruce) to actually HOLD the concerts and give an amazing planned on stage rant that can go viral and be broadcast on new programs, than to cancel on their fans who spent money and made travel plans etc. PJ knows when they play a show a HUGE chunk of the fans in attendance did not come to the show from locally. There are other ways to stand up for rights without screwing the people who paid you for a ticket.

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  • rchallenrchallen Posts: 58
    So I'm still proud to be a longtime resident of Charlotte, NC... Ironically a very progressive city, as apparently our decision to provide protection for the TG community provided the impetus for Gov. Patsy McCrory and his POS cronies to pass the horrible, awful HB2 law. Which specifically states that local governments and cities can NOT pass protections of their own.

    But I'm deeply ashamed and embarrassed that the Republican legislature--which only came to power thanks to gerrymandering and the rural districts--has decided to launch their hateful campaign against ALL minorities. Not just the LBGT community, but also women, minorities, and even religion... There are NO protected classes under HB2 anymore. (McCrory has since "amended" the law to allow for some protected groups, which is a bit like Dick Cheney shooting you in the face and then offering you a Band-Aid two weeks later.)

    On a social and moral level, I completely support Pearl Jam... and Springsteen as well. (Another show I planned to attend that got cancelled two days beforehand.) I agree that the timing could've been better, but I also suspect the time frame was chosen, as with Springsteen's decision, for maximum political impact. It's not just taking dollars out of the state... It's also drawing media attention to the POS idiots controlling our State house and adding political pressure in the hopes that they (eventually) do the right thing.

    But here's my frustration in the interim: HB2 does NOT reflect the mindset of the state as a whole. It was a sneaky piece of legislation, rammed through in less than a day with no debate whatsoever, solely to punish the "progressive" cities (Charlotte, Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Asheville, and others) and mobilize the far right wing to come to the polls in November. (Because nothing gets bigoted right-wingers more excited than denying basic rights to gays.) If the state wasn't gerrymandered to the point of insanity, these assholes wouldn't even BE in office... Much less passing divisive legislation with the confidence of men who know that their districts are SO red, their re-elections are all but assured. Meanwhile, anyone in the state who is liberal, progressive, or even moderate (which covers about 95% of most NC PJ fans) is punished by the actions of the bigots we did NOT vote for and do NOT support.

    I hope the band gets a chance to read this post, as it comes from someone who's fought against (and voted against) these assholes for years and years. I deeply respect the hard decision they made, while also feeling the monumental (selfish) loss that comes from knowing that some of my favorite artists, and bands, will no longer visit my state while these idiots remain in power.

    I love Charlotte, and I love North Carolina, and I hate the fact that a tiny hate-filled group has co-opted our government and currently holds the state hostage. They don't speak for us, and we will do everything in our power to vote them out come November. But if we don't... I might be asking for suggestions on where to move.

    God bless Pearl Jam, and I hope you guys throw every ounce of your anger and energy into the Columbia show the following night. Because I will be there with all MY anger at the f**kers who keep trying to take my state away from me... and I could probably use some Release.
  • PJlivePJlive Posts: 469
    JP Losman said:

    I think they are clueless and this is grandstanding by the band...you just played Florida with the crazy stand your ground laws...you are playing states with horrible voter ID laws that are racist and a civil rights problem. and you aren't listening to the people that are actually being discriminated or the people actually trying to repeal the law.

    http://perezhilton.com/2016-04-12-north-carolina-needs-you-gay-friendly-organizations-asking-artists-not-cancel-shows

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  • DR295987DR295987 Posts: 31
    so let's see I flew in already $450 for plane tickets.... and my hotel room tonight and tomorrow $250.. so I'm out $700... ibecause they waited until the day before to cancel when they could have easily done so earlier...

    so is the band going to reI'm urs me the $700 bot to mention food etc for their protest?

  • jeffwalshjeffwalsh Posts: 169
    As a gay fan coming to NC for this show, I was hoping for a boycott all along. I was booking the hotel and such tonight, so thankfully didn't get stuck there, with about two hours to spare! Close one!

    Thankfully in the pit for Columbia, so that softens the blow and all of the mixed emotions about all of this stuff.

    That said, it is nice to know your heroes have your back. Thank you, Pearl Jam!!!

    As for timing, and how close it is to Bruce's, I wonder if there is some contractual thing that kicks in 48 hours before load-in that prompts this for an arena gig?

    That said, if PJ sold the Raleigh T-shirts with a big red CANCELLED across the front, I'd totally buy one!
  • par10kerpar10ker Posts: 27
    It makes no sense to cancel concerts, shut off businesses and put people out of work to repeal this. There is a better way to protest and PJ is jumping on the wagon after many others have cancelled, pulled out, whatever. Only we get the real "note" because it's in Ed's hand writing. I guess that should make everyone who has sacrificed to attend this concert feel better.
  • rival9500rival9500 Posts: 585
    They didn't have to wait so fucking long.
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  • BC62528BC62528 Posts: 222
    If and when they do return to NC - I'm sure the band will go above and beyond for the fans - can't relate to what those that are hearing the news now are going through, however, I do feel for the folks that are losing time/money on this one, but I have faith the bands will do their best to make it right if/when the time comes. The y seem to always act with best intentions. Maybe our boys will team up with Bruce in NC at some point?
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