Music and activism are frequent bedfellows.
From the subtle spirit of rebellion embedded in African American slave spirituals, to John Lennon’s Vietnam War protest song turned Christmastime staple, to U2 frontman Bono’s anti-AIDS campaigning, music has given voice to some of history’s most significant causes.
All of which brings me to Pearl Jam. As modern musicians with a mission go, the world-famous Seattle rockers are surely among the most vocal.
The band has thrown its weight behind everything from cancer research to foster care through The Vitalogy Foundation, a nonprofit its members founded back in 2006.
Onstage, frontman Eddie Vedder is known for expressing strong political opinions in—and in between—songs. Take a wild guess as to which former US president is the subject of the band’s 2002 track “Bu$hleaguer.”
Pearl Jam certainly isn’t shy about its activism. Visit the band’s official website and you’ll find a prominently placed “ACTIVISM” tab right on the homepage. There’s also an official Facebook page dedicated to “Pearl Jam Activism” in all its forms.
And lest you think the band’s good intentions are just for show, consider this: Pearl Jam says it donates $2 from every ticket sold at every show to causes supported through its foundation.
That’s a serious chunk of change for a band that has been consistently selling out stadiums for more than two decades.
On September 26th, Pearl Jam will bring its trademark blend of rock and activism to the Great Lawn in New York City’s Central Park, where the band will join Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran, and Coldplay as headliners for the 2015 Global Citizen Festival. To show its excitement for the fest, the band put together this promo video:
At the festival, these greats performers will come together with world leaders and 60,000 global citizens to get behind the Global Goals, the world’s new roadmap for tackling extreme poverty by 2030.
Want to take part in this incredible event? Global citizens everywhere can earn FREE tickets by completing concrete actions—like tweeting world leaders or signing petitions—in support of the world’s poor. Visit the festival website to take part in one of six Action Journeys and earn your chance at tickets!
Action Journey number two is now live, and Pearl Jam is actively calling on its supporters-and all global citizens to get involved. There’s never been a better time to join the fight against extreme poverty than right now.
The members of Pearl Jam have done incredible work in support of some important causes. But if the world is really going to eliminate extreme poverty, it’s going to take the support of every man, woman, and rockstar on the planet.
Stand with Pearl Jam. Rock out for a better world. Become a global citizen and start earning your tickets to the 2015 Global Citizen Festival today!
And today you can join Pearl Jam as they specifically work to end global hunger by getting the leaders of Italy, Germany and the US to announce concrete steps towards lifting 500 million people out of hunger by 2030 (a goal they set collectively at this year's G7 meeting).
Get the leaders of these countries to join Pearl Jam at the 2015 Global Citizen Festival and commit to concrete steps towards lifting 500 million people out of poverty, by sending a tweet in TAKE ACTION NOW.