Booing Bushleaguer

FiveB247x · June 2006

So I was at the show and when EV began talking to the crowd about Bu$hleaguer, all I heard was people chanting and cheering for them to play it. Then when EV asked the audience who would boo - if they did play it, everyone boo'ed. Did the audience get confused and boo cause they wanted them to play it? I felt like they got it mixed up and really wanted to hear it.

For those of you who were at the show as well, is this what you thought as well or did you think the audience boo'ed cause they didn't want to hear it?

thatgirl · June 2006

ii44 wrote:

Anyone who boos Bu$hleaguer is a pu$$y.

well thats a very educated statement. i guess im a pussy then bc i stand up for what i believe in. awesome dude.

Theydontscurry · June 2006

Stoney wrote:

Eddie's shirt was a Plasmatics (indie band?) shirt and on the back was a swastica with a red line through it. The words said something to the effect of stamp out gestapo tactics. I was at the Uniondale show and it was an amazing show until bushleager was played. While I love the song and its message, nassau county is too close to the World Trade Center and it was not far enough removed from 9-11. Yes a good deal of Long Island leans right and many people in the region felt the effects of 9-11 more so than most of the country. It was harder to deal with because many people knew someone that was affected by the attacks. The shows energy turned so quickly it was amazing. I have never seen anything like it at a rock concert and I have been to many. It was one of the better shows I have been to and this kind of killed the good vibe and energy it had built up. I am fairly sure ed got hit by something (quarter?). After bushleager, they played a blistering version of know your rights which seemed to me like ed was giving the crowd the big fuck you. Unfortunately, they cut a few songs out of the set and finished with rockin in the free world which was also amazing. It was a great show, but could have been better if not for the assholes that threw shit. I am fairly sure ed would not have cared about being booed but once shit gets thrown at them, it crossed the line. I do not think they will ever play nassau county again. This is too bad because I live about 5 min from both the nassau col and Jones beach. That being said, they should never play anywhere but MSG when they come to this area. It is the most amazing place to see a show. The crowd energy is amazing.

Yea that show did turn sour after Bushleaguer,, and it is a damn shame if that is true about PJ not coming back to Nassau because of that reaction from the crowd, it seems odd he brought it up last nite considering it happened over 3 years ago and NJ is still a bit of a trip from Nassau, I wouldnt be surprised if you are right and Ed is holding a grudge,, f--k those republicans,, dirty Nazi sympathizers....

Atomic Punk · June 2006

FiveB247x wrote:

For those of you who were at the show as well, is this what you thought as well or did you think the audience boo'ed cause they didn't want to hear it?

I thought they were confused as well. I do not think it was boo'ed because people did not wanna hear it (for the most part). I think most of the crowd wanted it. I know I would have liked to have seen it again. I have seen it 4 times and it is a lot better live than it is on the album.

elevation622 · June 2006

clydefro wrote:

At the NJ show tonight, Ed commented on the last time they were in the area that there was some unhappiness in the crowd when they played Bushleaguer (referencing the Uniondale '03 show). He then said they were not going to play that song tonight, but asked how many people would boo if they did. To my surprise, there were a very large number of boos. I don't understand how, after everything that has gone on in this country, people still feel a need to boo a song critical of GWB.

I was a little disgusted and uncomfortable at the crowd's reaction. I would have loved to tell the band that I'm sure plenty of people would welcome Bushleaguer and any other songs critical of this administration. The funny thing is that at the Nashville '03 show, people had no problem at all with the song and TN is a much more conservative state than NJ or NY. Anyway, I'm just a little stunned at the crowd's reaction tonight and confused.

People the song BLOWS!!!! WWS is critical, but its rocking, well written and well performed, THAT"s the difference!!!!!

Flagg · June 2006

Atomic Punk wrote:

I thought they were confused as well. I do not think it was boo'ed because people did not wanna hear it (for the most part). I think most of the crowd wanted it. I know I would have liked to have seen it again. I have seen it 4 times and it is a lot better live than it is on the album.

Really? I don't like it live at all. I don't think it gets the same crunch as it does on the album. Maybe its because Stone uses an acoustic live.

I know the acoustic is on the album to, but there is also a heavy, distorted guitar that's missing live.

elevation622 · June 2006

HEY STONEY-

You are dead-on-balls accurate about Uniondale. Ahh what could've been...

C D N · June 2006

i booed, who wants to hear a song when love and postive energy is happening, the american president doesent deserve the attention. move on bring the song back in 08.

MILKwasAbadChoice · June 2006

i didnt boo the song...but geez enough is enough with it. i dont know i just dont think its a cool song. i guess i just hate people who base their politics on a band. i am not a george fan but i have reasons, and i dont let pop culture (pj) effect those desicions and reasoning

FiveB247x · June 2006

Just because people like a song about an issue, doesn't mean they agree with that particular stance which is represented in the song. Secondly, just because people want to hear a song at a concert, doesn't mean something bad. Did people want to hear Leash because of what it stands for (youth and fighting back) or because it's a rockin song?

MILKwasAbadChoice wrote:

i didnt boo the song...but geez enough is enough with it. i dont know i just dont think its a cool song. i guess i just hate people who base their politics on a band. i am not a george fan but i have reasons, and i dont let pop culture (pj) effect those desicions and reasoning

Ledbetterman10 · June 2006

clydefro wrote:

At the NJ show tonight, Ed commented on the last time they were in the area that there was some unhappiness in the crowd when they played Bushleaguer (referencing the Uniondale '03 show). He then said they were not going to play that song tonight, but asked how many people would boo if they did. To my surprise, there were a very large number of boos. I don't understand how, after everything that has gone on in this country, people still feel a need to boo a song critical of GWB.

I was a little disgusted and uncomfortable at the crowd's reaction. I would have loved to tell the band that I'm sure plenty of people would welcome Bushleaguer and any other songs critical of this administration. The funny thing is that at the Nashville '03 show, people had no problem at all with the song and TN is a much more conservative state than NJ or NY. Anyway, I'm just a little stunned at the crowd's reaction tonight and confused.

i booed Bushleager last night. even though i hate George Bush (possibly more than the band does), it's not a very entertaining song. the spoken word vocals don't do it for me. i didn't want to hear it at all. i do, however, enjoy watching Ed dance around with the Bush mask on the Showbox and Live at the Garden DVDs

Stryker · June 2006

It always makes me laugh when people get pissed about Pearl Jam's politics and how it sometimes (ok, most always) spills over into their shows. ITS FUCKING PEARL JAM, PEOPLE!! They have alway been political and always will. I may not always agree with 100% of what they say (I think Nader is a douche), but I know thats what to expect when I go to a PJ show. Anybody that has been a fan for years know that PJ is political and Ed will probably bring something up at the show. If this bothers you, stay home. Its part of Pearl Jam's soul. Its for this reason that I almost choked and my beer at boston 2 when Ed sort of apologized for being political. I wanted be be like "What the fuck Ed, you don't need to apologize." Fucking Ed :rolleyes:

oxypoet · June 2006

If Ed asked the crowd if we wanted to hear him fart the hokey pokey, I wouldn't boo it because I didn't want to hear it. If he did it and it sucked, I still might not boo. Why would you boo? I guess to show disapproval, but is it worth all the agonizing?

josevolution · June 2006

yeah i was there that night at nassau and the look on ed 's face was dissapointed he was very mad at the reaction that's why i don't think long island will get another pearl jam show again ,long island sucks for the pearl jam fans.

josevolution · June 2006

as a matter of fact long island should be renamed bushisland.makes me sick

JPR · June 2006

i was there last night and i booed because of all the songs they could choose to play at that moment, bushleaguer was the last song i wanted to hear, and everyone near me semed to feel that same - they just wanted to hear them tear it up.

they have so many better songs they could play - i think the song is a total buzz kill, especially in an encore.

do they have the right to play whatever they want - yes. obviously they know, by the way eddie approached it, that some people like it and some people don't.

mrrybread · June 2006

I was at the show at Nassau and believe me when I say that it was one of the most uncomfortable moments of my life...people who were singing all night were suddenly giving Eddie the finger and getting so pissed it was scary. Some folks up and left. The rationale that I gave it then was that it was too close to 9/11 and that the crowd was too affected and equated Bush bashing with America bashing. Now..3 years later, to hear that people booed again when Eddie mentioned Bushleaguer is just stunning to me. I was under the impression that most Pearl Jam fans were pretty liberal and 3 years later could identify and understand Eddie's point and would applaud him for taking a stand. It is kind of like being at a Dead show and having Jerry Garcia talk about smoking weed and taking LSD and having the crowd boo...I mean, WTF!
Thank God that you all feel the same way...I was getting nervous!

PearlGardenChains · June 2006

GivenToCarve wrote:

Although i agree with Bushleaguer as a personal statement, it's not a good performance song. To be honest, I usually skip it. It's not a song known for musical quality. The majority of its lyrics aren't even sung, they're just spoken. It's not even like you can sing along with it. I would never in my life boo Pearl Jam because i can name about 200 great reasons not to, but I'd probably leave to take a piss if "Bu$hleaguer" came on and i had to go.

Yep, you read my mind

why cant it be mine · June 2006

cincybearcat wrote:

Sure you have. Doesn't pearl jam want others to practice what they themselves preach? Speaking your mind.

agreed, and I am a Republican and I booed last night and if asked again Saturday I will boo again.

mark arm · June 2006

jeez, thats so crap, thats just so depressing. How there could be people in States supporting WAR for gods sake. Thats pathetic. Shame on you right wings Americans.

crap, I'm frustrated.

Booing Bushleaguer

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