President Joe Biden, the first lady and the White House staff welcomed Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his partner, Jodie Haydon, to the White House on Wednesday.
The new wave group B-52s was originally scheduled to perform at the state dinner in their honor. On Tuesday, however, Jill Biden announced that the band would no longer be performing, per The Associated Press.
“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,” Jill Biden told reporters.
Jill Biden discussed the importance of the United States’ relationship with Australia, saying, “The United States and Australia may stand on opposite sides of the globe — different hemispheres, different seasons — but despite our distance, we share so much: A dedication to democracy, a reverence for freedom, a devotion to equality and a love for the natural wonders of our nation,” The Hill reported.
The first lady added that members of the band would be invited to the event as guests instead, according to The Guardian.
The White House invited over 300 people including lawmakers, business leaders and celebrities.
Spokesperson John Kirby said, “Being president of the United States means balancing an awful lot of priorities and challenges, whether they’re domestic or foreign, and oftentimes the line between those gets blurred pretty dang quickly,” NBC Washington reported.