The White House is a little old place where we can get together. Or at least it was supposed to be. Not anymore.
The B-52's were scheduled to perform at a state dinner for Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese tonight, but the Bidens have pulled the plug on those plans. As the Associated Press reports, First Lady Jill Biden announced changes to the itinerary today, asserting that bringing a wild party-rock band to dinner would be inappropriate at a time when "so many are facing sorrow and pain" — presumably a reference to the Israel-Hamas war. Instead of the B-52's, the Marine band and the Army and Air Force Strolling Strings will perform. The B-52's will instead be guests at the dinner.
"Nurturing our partnerships and relationships with our allies is critically important, especially in these tumultuous times," the First Lady said. "Food is comforting, reassuring and healing, and we hope that this dinner provides a little of that as well."
By coincidence, today we published an Alternative Number Ones column on "Love Shack," and a couple weeks back it was "Channel Z." After revisiting the band's origins and backstory, it's pretty wild to think they were ever booked to perform in a stuffy setting like the White House in the first place.
