I saw Pearl Jam last night...

the politics of rock music have been around since rock itself. jeez....if 'artists' cared about offending folks, they wouldn't really be 'artists' anyway.

What ever happened to Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll? I miss it..

Chris

Well said Jaybo and Dreadhead. To my other fellow audiogoners: Are you offended that Pearl Jam brought politics into their show or, is it that they brought politics that you disagree with that offends you most of all? Pearl Jam took a big risk in doing what they did. I recall the tribute to Bob Dylan's 30th anniversary. Vedder was there and sung Masters of War. The song was well received. Sinead O'Conner read poetry and was booed off the stage. And this at a Dylan concert! Point being, Pearl Jam knew the risks and took it anyway. Of course we would rather be entertained and avoid difficult issues. I do not see how wrongfully convicted prisoners are a "leftist cause." Unless, of course the right views injustice as politically conservative. Steve Earl, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Bragg, Neil Young, Pete Seeger, Pearl Jam, Dixie Chicks and others, keep making your music.

The political stances don't bother me so much when it's in their lyrics. It's the speeches that are the problem!
After attending Net Aid, I felt like jumping off a bridge. Indeed it was for a great, great cause, but after a few minutes of driving home the fundraising point, everybody is just dying to hear some music.
Springsteen is one who IMHO has mastered briefly getting his point across without resembling to a babbling fool in Speakers Corner. Cheers,
Spencer

I agree that bands and politics should be separate. I also think that most offenders secretly agree and are simply introducing political speeches into their shows out of desperation, a "Someone has do something" mentality. I heard Sanatana last summer, and he took a brief moment to promote world peace -- but in an apolitical way that was not offensive to anyone. No one booed but not everyone clapped, and all left happy.