US First Lady Jill Biden, on Tuesday, announced that the US pop band B-52s, famous for their song 'Love Shack' won't be playing at the White House. Biden had roped in the band to play during a dinner being hosted for Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday.
Biden said that the decision was made due to the “sorrow and pain” caused by the Israel-Hamas conflict, which has killed at least 5,000 people in Gaza. “While we had initially planned for the legendary B-52s to perform their iconic dance and party music, we are now in a time when so many are facing sorrow and pain, and we have decided to make adjustments to the entertainment portion of the evening,” Biden told Reuters.
Instead, the presidential military bands will play instrumental music. The pop music band, named after a US bomber aircraft will still attend the dinner as guests. Among the delicacies served at the dinner will be sarsaparilla-braised short ribs. Albanese, who is on a state visit to the US, arrived on Tuesday. He and President Joe Biden will discuss topics including China, Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war.
