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

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  • JP LosmanJP Losman Raleigh Posts: 149
    Well the battle is going in the courts...as expected...and why things like PJ not playing the show did not move the dial at all. They basically hosed a bunch of innocent fans, vendors, businesses, etc. for no reason other than to improve their public image.
  • SmozillaSmozilla Posts: 12
    edited May 2016
    As a refunded Raleigh NC show 10C ticketholder, but non-NC resident, I am curious as to how closely Ed + the band are following the recent developments involving North Carolina and US Justice Department.

    North Carolina sues U.S. Justice Department over bathroom bill
    http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/09/politics/north-carolina-hb2-justice-department-deadline/
    Post edited by Smozilla on
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  • JP LosmanJP Losman Raleigh Posts: 149
    Many were so opinionated about this issue before so I think it is important and relevant to follow how the issue proceeds.
  • I'm listening to their response now... http://www.wral.com/
  • EM194007EM194007 Posts: 2,827
    First, I don't care what bathroom people use. We haven't had any laws about it, don't need any now, IMO.

    But the NC Governor is doing the correct thing, regarding the DOJ threat. The DOJ has no authority to threaten to withhold any money from any state for anything.
  • KV4053KV4053 Mike's side, crushed up against the stage Posts: 1,503
    edited May 2016
    EM194007 said:

    First, I don't care what bathroom people use. We haven't had any laws about it, don't need any now, IMO.

    But the NC Governor is doing the correct thing, regarding the DOJ threat. The DOJ has no authority to threaten to withhold any money from any state for anything.

    Ever think about how it came to be that the legal drinking age is 21 in all 50 states? You may find it hard to believe that it was pressure from the US Department of Transportation.
    Post edited by KV4053 on
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  • EM194007EM194007 Posts: 2,827
    KV4053 said:


    Ever think about how it came to be that the legal drinking age is 21 in all 50 states? You may find it hard to believe that it was pressure from the US Department of Transportation. Like God, the US Government works in mysterious ways.

    The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, was a bill passed by Congress on July 17, 1984. The new law required all states to enforce a minimum legal drinking age of 21 or else risk losing 10% of all federal highway construction funds. The US Department of Transportation didn't do it on their own, and couldn't do it on their own.

    Again, what authority does the DOJ have withholding money from NC over this bill? Which is exactly what they're threatening to do.
  • KV4053KV4053 Mike's side, crushed up against the stage Posts: 1,503
    EM194007 said:

    KV4053 said:


    Ever think about how it came to be that the legal drinking age is 21 in all 50 states? You may find it hard to believe that it was pressure from the US Department of Transportation. Like God, the US Government works in mysterious ways.

    The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, was a bill passed by Congress on July 17, 1984. The new law required all states to enforce a minimum legal drinking age of 21 or else risk losing 10% of all federal highway construction funds. The US Department of Transportation didn't do it on their own, and couldn't do it on their own.

    Again, what authority does the DOJ have withholding money from NC over this bill? Which is exactly what they're threatening to do.
    There will be pressure. Financial or other pressure. It's simple. Not saying you're wrong, but this is the way the US Government controls the States.
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  • EM194007EM194007 Posts: 2,827
    KV4053 said:



    There will be pressure. Financial or other pressure. It's simple. Not saying you're wrong, but this is the way the US Government controls the States.

    I agree, they'll try to pressure, or pass something in Congress. But with NC taking this to court, it will most likely end up in the Supreme Court. If it does, then it all depends on the outcome of the Supreme Court ruling.

    IMO, Government has to much control of everything. And they say were a free country, ya right.
  • Tim SimmonsTim Simmons Posts: 8,212
    lol
  • Tim SimmonsTim Simmons Posts: 8,212
    Glad some fans still think they are the real victims of discrimination here.
  • LukinFanLukinFan Florida Posts: 29,065
    When PJ does make this show up, it's gonna be one hell of a show!
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  • I had GA tickets for the Raleigh show – I hope I get lucky and get them again!
  • jordn6971jordn6971 Posts: 675

    Glad some fans still think they are the real victims of discrimination here.

    Wrong! The fans got screwed out of their money. The LGBT people were already discriminated against. So maybe you can explain how those two wrongs make things right?
    "There was a band playing in my head, and I felt like getting high"
  • I don't think the fans see themselves as the real victims. It's OK for us to be disappointed that a show we have been looking forward to was cancelled.

    Not for nothing, but because of the Boss and PJ cancelling, I have gotten more involved with fighting HB-2. I am putting in my own time and using my career background in helping out. All this has definitely brought my into the fold of trying to make a difference.

    I still think those who had tickets have every right to be bummed about missing the show.
  • ComeToTXComeToTX Austin Posts: 7,849
    From Mike in RS:

    But we did have to cancel that show in North Carolina. That was a thing we thought really hard about. As a band, we just don't tolerate any kind of abuse or intolerance of any kind of LGBT people by any kind of government. We felt we needed to support people that didn't have a voice.

    It was a long, drawn-out meeting that we had over a period of days. "Should we do it? Should we not do it?" It turns out that [Bruce] Springsteen had kind of set the mark there. We felt these transgendered people are being discriminated against under this law, and there's just no room for that in my mind. We felt very, very sad that we had to not play. We wanted to play. But at the end of the day, we felt like we couldn't do it. It was a moral belief. We had to boycott the state.

    Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/pearl-jams-mike-mccready-talks-prince-north-carolina-boycott-20160510#ixzz48HGMMCwb
    Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook
    This show, another show, a show here and a show there.
  • JP LosmanJP Losman Raleigh Posts: 149
    Yea, they couldn't do it. But then things like this happen...

    http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/animal-collective-offer-live-albums-to-help-fight-north-carolinas-hb2-20160509

    PJ was very out of touch with how to overturn the bill. As was Bruce...they did not have an understanding at all about the way the state legislature is setup and where the votes are and what votes could get changed. You all do realize the legislature has been in session and NO, they did not repeal the bill.
  • lolobugglolobugg BLUE RDGE MTNS Posts: 8,195
    JP Losman said:

    Yea, they couldn't do it. But then things like this happen...

    http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/animal-collective-offer-live-albums-to-help-fight-north-carolinas-hb2-20160509

    PJ was very out of touch with how to overturn the bill. As was Bruce...they did not have an understanding at all about the way the state legislature is setup and where the votes are and what votes could get changed. You all do realize the legislature has been in session and NO, they did not repeal the bill.

    funny, i just sold my tickets to that show on Sunday. found some cool millennial hipsters that really wanted to go.

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  • JP LosmanJP Losman Raleigh Posts: 149
    ComeToTX said:

    From Mike in RS:

    But we did have to cancel that show in North Carolina. That was a thing we thought really hard about. As a band, we just don't tolerate any kind of abuse or intolerance of any kind of LGBT people by any kind of government. We felt we needed to support people that didn't have a voice.

    It was a long, drawn-out meeting that we had over a period of days. "Should we do it? Should we not do it?" It turns out that [Bruce] Springsteen had kind of set the mark there. We felt these transgendered people are being discriminated against under this law, and there's just no room for that in my mind. We felt very, very sad that we had to not play. We wanted to play. But at the end of the day, we felt like we couldn't do it. It was a moral belief. We had to boycott the state.

    Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/pearl-jams-mike-mccready-talks-prince-north-carolina-boycott-20160510#ixzz48HGMMCwb
    Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook


    Well, that didn't stop PJ from playing Italy, which still doesn't have gay marriage. Italy has done lots of bad stuff for LGBTA and even violated the European Court of Human Rights. Bad laws in Poland too. They played Poland and Italy in 2014.
  • jordn6971jordn6971 Posts: 675
    They cancelled 48 hours before, when they know they have a traveling fan base who took off work, had nonrefundable flights, car rentals, hotels etc.

    So the band cares less about those people than they do about making a political statement. Next time find a way to make a statement without screwing over your fans.
    "There was a band playing in my head, and I felt like getting high"
  • JP Losman said:

    You all do realize the legislature has been in session and NO, they did not repeal the bill.

    Yeah, this thing is unfortunately get drawn out. I had high hopes that a repeal would have happened yesterday, but McCrory instead wants to sue the Department of Justice ... and now they are suing NC. And that's my tax dollars being put to waste.

    I am doing my best to help, but I am pretty embarrassed to live in NC at the moment. The discrimination in this state is bad enough, but this is now projected to affect federal funding for education. I know we joke about leaving the US if Trump becomes president, but for the first time ever, I am considering moving out of NC just to help secure a better future for my family.
  • JP LosmanJP Losman Raleigh Posts: 149

    JP Losman said:

    You all do realize the legislature has been in session and NO, they did not repeal the bill.

    Yeah, this thing is unfortunately get drawn out. I had high hopes that a repeal would have happened yesterday, but McCrory instead wants to sue the Department of Justice ... and now they are suing NC. And that's my tax dollars being put to waste.

    I am doing my best to help, but I am pretty embarrassed to live in NC at the moment. The discrimination in this state is bad enough, but this is now projected to affect federal funding for education. I know we joke about leaving the US if Trump becomes president, but for the first time ever, I am considering moving out of NC just to help secure a better future for my family.
    Don't be embarrassed that you live in NC. Its not like the majority of the residents agree with it. The representatives in rural areas are the ones that support the bill. The governor is a scrub. But the metropolitan areas and more populated areas are against it. Remember, Charlotte tried to the right thing by being pro-active and passing a progressive law protecting LGBT rights! Houston and other municipalities have shot down such bills. and there are bad laws all over the country. The state legislatures in many states have passed horrible laws (Indiana, Miss, Florida, GA), many more. This is not representative of NC or of our state.
  • DeLukinDeLukin Posts: 2,757
    Not sure if anyone has posted this, but Mike talks boycott in a new RS interview:
    http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/pearl-jams-mike-mccready-talks-prince-north-carolina-boycott-20160510
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  • ComeToTXComeToTX Austin Posts: 7,849
    A few posts up.
    This show, another show, a show here and a show there.
  • bootlegger10bootlegger10 Posts: 16,025
    ComeToTX said:

    From Mike in RS:

    But we did have to cancel that show in North Carolina. That was a thing we thought really hard about. As a band, we just don't tolerate any kind of abuse or intolerance of any kind of LGBT people by any kind of government. We felt we needed to support people that didn't have a voice.

    It was a long, drawn-out meeting that we had over a period of days. "Should we do it? Should we not do it?" It turns out that [Bruce] Springsteen had kind of set the mark there. We felt these transgendered people are being discriminated against under this law, and there's just no room for that in my mind. We felt very, very sad that we had to not play. We wanted to play. But at the end of the day, we felt like we couldn't do it. It was a moral belief. We had to boycott the state.

    Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/pearl-jams-mike-mccready-talks-prince-north-carolina-boycott-20160510#ixzz48HGMMCwb
    Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook

    Bruce...supports my theory and others' that if Bruce had not of canceled PJ would have played. Ed said at one of the shows they didn't want to cross the picket line (i.e., not follow Bruce's lead).

    It is what it is though.
  • rssesqrssesq Fairfield County Posts: 3,299
    #stunningandbrave
    #pcprincipal
  • PJ1973PJ1973 Winston-Salem, NC Posts: 415
    My state tax dollars are being used to sue the federal government who's using my federal tax dollars to counter sue. This is the most fucked up insane situation I've encountered in a long fucking time. Also, I have no expectations that Pearl Jam will be back anytime soon.. They played NC one time in the past 13 years. It's not a market they can't live without.
  • JP LosmanJP Losman Raleigh Posts: 149
    PJ1973 said:

    My state tax dollars are being used to sue the federal government who's using my federal tax dollars to counter sue. This is the most fucked up insane situation I've encountered in a long fucking time. Also, I have no expectations that Pearl Jam will be back anytime soon.. They played NC one time in the past 13 years. It's not a market they can't live without.

    which is yet another reason why many of us think they would not have cancelled if it was a different place, like nyc or boston or chicago.
  • There is zero doubt in my mind – they cancelled because Bruce did.
  • bootlegger10bootlegger10 Posts: 16,025
    Think about all of the wars the band has been against and yet they still play the US. They still played shows in Washington DC during the Bush years.
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