It's been 16 years since Pearl Jam caused a huge stir among their conservative fan base by resting a George W. Bush mask on a mic stand, so it was about time for Pearl Jam to make some political waves again. This year, it came in the form of the poster for their show in Missoula, Montana. The poster, designed by bassist, Jeff Ament, and skateboard artist, Bobbydrawsskullz, featured the word "Vote" and Senator Jon Tester jumping a tractor over a scene of Washington DC on fire and President Donald Trump's skeleton being picked at by a bald eagle.
The poster drew criticism from Republicans and FoxNews as threatening of the President. The Tester campaign even found themselves needing to distance themselves from the poster:
the campaign doesn't like the poster and doesn't condone violence of any kind. The campaign said earlier in the day it had no involvement with the poster's creation and never saw it, the band's playlist or anything else related to the show before it began.Ament stood his ground and defended his right to political discourse, issuing the following statement and showing up to his next concert in a shirt with the word "metaphor" on the front.
“The role of the artist is to make people think and feel, and the current administration has us thinking and feeling. I was the sole conceptualist of this poster, and I welcome all interpretations and discourse. "Love, from the First Amendment, Jeff Ament.”
