DENVER ? Angry Pearl Jam fans stormed out of a concert Tuesday after lead singer Eddie Vedder impaled a President Bush mask on a microphone stand and stomped on it on stage.
"It was like he decapitated someone in a primal ritual and stuck their head on a stick," fan Keith Zimmerman said.
Vedder, who's pouplarity peaked during the mid-'90s grunge craze, impaled the mask during the encore of the band's opening show of a U.S. tour. Earlier in the show, some concert-goers booed and others cheered as Vedder told the crowd he was anti-war and anti-Bush. But defacing the mask offended dozens of audience members.
"When he was sharing his political views in a fairly benign manner - supporting our troops, opposing policy - that's OK," Zimmerman told the Rocky Mountain News. "When he takes what looks like the head of George Bush on a stick, then throws it to the stage and stomps on it, that's just unacceptable."
Vedder used a Bush mask in Australia and Japan to perform the song "Bushleaguer," from the band's latest album, Riot Act. The song's lyrics say, "He's not a leader, he's a Texas leaguer."
During the show, Vedder said: "Just to clarify... we support the troops."
"We're just confused on how wanting to bring them back safely all of a sudden becomes non-support," he said. "We love them. They're not the ones who make the foreign policy .... Let's hope for the best and speak our opinions."
Pearl Jam manager Kelly Curtis could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday.
"It was like he decapitated someone in a primal ritual and stuck their head on a stick," fan Keith Zimmerman said.
Vedder, who's pouplarity peaked during the mid-'90s grunge craze, impaled the mask during the encore of the band's opening show of a U.S. tour. Earlier in the show, some concert-goers booed and others cheered as Vedder told the crowd he was anti-war and anti-Bush. But defacing the mask offended dozens of audience members.
"When he was sharing his political views in a fairly benign manner - supporting our troops, opposing policy - that's OK," Zimmerman told the Rocky Mountain News. "When he takes what looks like the head of George Bush on a stick, then throws it to the stage and stomps on it, that's just unacceptable."
Vedder used a Bush mask in Australia and Japan to perform the song "Bushleaguer," from the band's latest album, Riot Act. The song's lyrics say, "He's not a leader, he's a Texas leaguer."
During the show, Vedder said: "Just to clarify... we support the troops."
"We're just confused on how wanting to bring them back safely all of a sudden becomes non-support," he said. "We love them. They're not the ones who make the foreign policy .... Let's hope for the best and speak our opinions."
Pearl Jam manager Kelly Curtis could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday.
