Pearl Jam Apologizes For Postponing Tour, Lashes Out At Trump Administration

Adding to a growing list of cancelled events amid coronavirus fears, Pearl Jam announced Monday that it was postponing its tour, apologizing to fans and taking a swipe at the Trump administration in the process.

In a “postponement announcement” posted on social media Monday, the Seattle-based band explained why they came to the decision to call off the tour, for now. “As residents of the city of Seattle, we’ve been hit hard and have witnessed firsthand how quickly these disastrous situations can escalate,” the first post in a 10-tweet thread reads. “Our kids’ schools have closed along with universities and businesses. It’s been brutal and it’s gonna get worse before it gets better.”

“So we are being told that being part of large gatherings is high on the list of things to avoid as this global health crisis is now beginning to affect all of our lives,” the band, headed up by lead singer Eddie Vedder, explains. “Unfortunately, communing in large groups is a huge part of what we do as a band and the tour we’ve been busy planning for months is now in jeopardy…”

“We have and will always keep the safety and well-being of our supporters as top priority. So it is with deep frustration and regret that we are forced to make this most unfortunate of announcements,” the statement continues. “This scheduled first leg of our PJ/Gigaton tour will need to be postponed and shows rescheduled for a later date.”

“We’ve worked hard with all our management and business associates to find other solutions or options but the levels of risk to our audience and their communities is simply too high for our comfort level,” the band explains. “Add to that we also have a unique group of passionate fans who travel far and wide. We’ve always been humbled by this and respect their energies and devotion. However in this case, travel is something to avoid.”

The popular ’90s band then worked in a shot at the Trump administration. “It certainly hasn’t helped that there’s been no clear messages from our government regarding people’s safety and our ability to go to work,” they state. “Having no examples of our national health department’s ability to get ahead of this, we have no reason to believe that it will be under control in the coming weeks ahead.”

“Again, here in Seattle what we are witnessing we would not wish for anyone. What we do wish for the rest of the country is that they can avoid the harsh negative effects of this and retain their sense of community and take care of one another,” the statement, signed “Ed & Pearl Jam,” concludes. “Just as we look forward to our next concerts and the ability to gather together and play loud songs as energized as ever. We are so sorry… And deeply upset.. If anyone out there feels the same based on this news, we share that emotion with you.”

(1/10) As residents of the city of Seattle, we’ve been hit hard and have witnessed firsthand how quickly these disastrous situations can escalate. Our kids’ schools have closed along with universities and businesses. pic.twitter.com/SRcZasIVsk

— Pearl Jam 🇺🇦 (@PearlJam) March 10, 2020

Other famous acts have had to cancel events in recent days, including pop icon Madonna, whose final two shows in her “Madame X” tour in Paris, France, were abruptly canceled this week. The performer’s website issued a brief statement Monday announcing the decision, which was imposed on the singer by French authorities.

“Following official notification from the Office of the Police this morning prohibiting all events with an audience attendance of over 1000, Live Nation regrets to announce the final two Madame X performances previously re-scheduled to 10-March and 11-March are forced to be cancelled,” the announcement reads.

Related: ‘Reprehensible’ Trump-Killing Pearl Jam Poster Causes A Stir