Pearl Jam London Show Features Trump Baby Balloon As Eddie Vedder Speaks About ‘Divisive’ U.S.
The “baby” balloon that was designed to protest Donald Trump’s visit to the U.K. made a cameo at Pearl Jam’s recent concert in London. The Seattle rock band got permission to fly the 20-foot-tall helium-filled balloon, which depicts the U.S. president wearing a diaper, outside of London’s O2 Arena during their show at the venue, according to NME.
The price tag for the infamous balloon was a whopping $45,000, which was paid for by money raised from a crowdfunding campaign. Trump reportedly said the balloon made him feel “unwelcome” during his visit abroad.
Donald Trump probably would have felt unwelcome at the Pearl Jam show, too–and not just because the baby balloon was flying high outside of the venue. Video from the show, which you can see below, shows Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder crediting the people of Europe for realizing that most Americans did not vote for Trump and not throwing any animosity his band’s way during their tour. While Vedder said that things in the U.S. are “divisive,” he admitted some good has come from Trump’s controversial presidency.
“I know at home it feels very divisive. It feels like he’s added such divisive energy into how we get along back home. Then I realized the other day watching all the protests here down in the square. He’s actually bringing people together in a great way. When you get 250,000 protesters of all ages, cultures, different sexual orientations … you know, maybe he’s united people in a way that could be needed in the near future.”
The baby Trump balloon made an appearance at a Pearl Jam gig last night https://t.co/lNb6r6dZpo pic.twitter.com/vA8r8pLT4f
— NME (@NME) July 18, 2018
Eddie Vedder has made his strong feelings about Donald Trump known during the band’s six-week trek across Europe. Consequence of Sound reported that Vedder dedicated a song to Trump at an earlier London show, but admitted the POTUS would probably never hear it.
After dedicating “Love Boat Captain” to Trump, the Pearl Jam frontman added, “I would like him to hear it but he doesn’t listen to music or read books. Could someone tweet this to him or something? For moms and dads and children being separated at the border. That isn’t the country I remember.”
YES WE ALL CARE. Y-DON’T U. pic.twitter.com/T32C99GG1c
— Pearl Jam ?? (@PearlJam) June 22, 2018
In addition, Vedder’s wife, Jill, recently fired back at First Lady Melania Trump’s controversial “I really don’t care” jacket, which she wore when visiting with detained children who were separated from their parents at the Mexican border. After Melania Trump’s tone-deaf jacket made headlines, Jill Vedder wore a response jacket of her own during Pearl Jam’s Milan gig. At the show, Vedder’s wife wore a customized jacket that read: “Yes we all care. Y don’t u?”
You can see Eddie Vedder’s speech about Donald Trump at Pearl Jam’s London show below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7qbkpTRJ6c
