President Barack Obama took some time off from running the country to vacation with his family in Hawaii. Toward the end of the trip, the Obamas stopped by Eddie Vedder's pad in Kailua to visit the Pearl Jam frontman and his family. The First Family spent less than 30 minutes with the rocker and his clan, the Associated Press reports.
Vedder has been a supporter of Obama since 2007, when the politician announced he would be running for president. The singer used his position as a public figure in Pearl Jam to criticize the George W. Bush administration — see "Bushleaguer" below.
The iconic frontman showed up to a fundraiser for the president in 2012 prior to Obama winning his second candidacy. Vedder talked about how a government security job helped him reach his dream of becoming a professional musician.
"It was that job which allowed me to keep affording guitars and microphones," he said, Rolling Stone notes. "For me, it all began with that ability to get the proper training for a decent job."
"For you to share that story with us, Eddie, speaks volumes not only about you but about this country," Obama responded. "That story captures better than anything what this campaign is about and what this country is about."
The singer performed four tunes at the event, which raised $1.7 million to get Obama re-elected.
Pearl Jam released its 10th studio album, Lightning Bolt, in 2013. It received generally good reviews and hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The band has no tour dates scheduled for 2015, but Vedder will appear at the 2015 MusiCares ceremony to perform on behalf of the night's honorary, Bob Dylan.
Readers: What do you think of Vedder meeting the Obamas? Would you have wished to be in Vedder's shoes when it happened? Let us know what you think down in the comments section.
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