Jill Biden opts for low-key state dinner with Australia because of the ‘sorrow and pain’ in Israel: First Lady cancels band B-52’s performance and reveals the menu for visit by PM Albanese

Jill Biden scrapped her plan to have the B-52s perform at the state dinner for Australia on Wednesday night due to the “grief and pain” being felt around the world.

Instead, the band members will attend the event as guests. Performing will be the President’s Marine Band and the Army and Air Force Strolling Strings, who will provide instrumental music for the evening.

The first lady did not directly refer to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, but the violence there dominated the news last week.

“We are now in a time when so many are facing grief and pain, so we have made a few adjustments to the entertainment portion of the evening,” she said during a press preview of the dinner on Tuesday.

“Maintaining our partnerships and relationships with our allies is critical, especially during these tumultuous times. “Food is comforting, comforting and healing, and we hope this dinner offers a little of that,” she noted.

The Bidens will host their fourth state dinner on Wednesday evening. It, like three other of their events, will take place in a tent built on the South Lawn.

According to the White House, between 325 and 350 guests will attend the black-tie event.

Lawmakers, celebrities and business leaders typically make up the guest list, which is not released until shortly before the dinner.

President Biden is welcoming Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to the White House after promising a state visit in exchange for scrapping a stop in Australia earlier this year to focus on debt-reduction talks in Washington.

The president was due to go to Syndney after a G7 meeting in Japan in May, but changed his plans to continue talks to avoid a US debt default.

Albanese and his partner Jodie Haydon arrived in the United States on Sunday evening.

They were officially welcomed by the Bidens to the White House on Tuesday evening. The two couples exchanged gifts, signed a guest book and had dinner together at the residence.

The Bidens presented Albanese with an antique desk designed in 1886 by an American furniture company in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The side panel contained an inscription in gold commemorating the official visit.

President Biden gave Albanese a custom-made turntable from a family-owned American audio manufacturer. Albanese is a big fan of vinyl records.

Jill Biden gave Haydon a petite green enamel and diamond necklace, designed and handcrafted by an American jeweler.

The two couples ate cacio e pepe, pan-roasted halibut, grilled baby vegetables, stewed marzano tomatoes and poached butt with vanilla bean ice cream.

The official visit is Wednesday with an Oval Office meeting, a joint press conference and a state dinner.

Also on Wednesday, Jill Biden and Haydon will visit the NIH Clinical Center to promote the National Cancer Institute’s pediatric cancer research.

The main event, however, will be the state dinner.

It will combine the best of both countries, both in terms of food and seasons.

Event designer Bryan Rafanelli brought together the seasons of autumn, currently taking place in the US, and spring, taking place in Australia, in his decor and settings.

The decor is reminiscent of spring, while the menu consists of seasonal autumn dishes: farro and roasted beet salad, pumpkin soup, short ribs braised in sarsaparilla and, for dessert, hazelnut and chocolate mousse cake with crème fraîche ice cream.

Ice cream is President Biden’s favorite dessert and is often served at state dinners.

“It makes him happy,” White House Social Services Secretary Carlos Elizondo said.

Katie Button, co-founder of Asheville, North Carolina’s Cúrate, is the guest chef who designed the menu.

“We wanted to welcome guests from Australia with the warmth and bounty of autumn in the United States,” Button said.

Color predominates. Soft lavender forms one tablecloth, while colorful sequins dominate the other. Huge flower bouquets with pink, yellow, blue and red flowers in the middle of the tables. Apples, grapes, berries and pears are part of the decorations.

The flowers represent both countries: roses and delphinium for the United States and eucalyptus for Australia.

The backdrop for the dinner will be a canvas of American Monarch butterflies and Australian Cairns Birdwing butterflies.

Elizondo said the first lady wanted decor that reminded guests of their home.

‘She has chosen a decor that will surprise and delight and that will continue to surprise guests, whether they are from Australia or the United States, something that will remind them of the familiar landscapes of their home. As soon as guests walk into the pavilion tomorrow, they will be immersed in color,” Elizondo said.

The visit comes against a chaotic backdrop: Republicans in the House of Representatives are still trying to elect a president and the US is concerned about escalating violence in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives has been invited to previous state dinners, but with the party in chaos it is unclear who their top leader is. When asked who she would invite, Jill Biden replied, “I don’t know.”

But the main topic of the conversation between President Biden and Albanese will likely be China and its broader influence in the Indo-Pacific.

Albanians will visit China, Australia’s largest trading partner and the biggest buyer of its iron ore, on November 4.

His meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping anticipates a possible meeting between Biden and Xi.

“The president has said many times that Australia and their relationship with China are incredibly important to managing. Regarding the first question, I have no doubt that the challenges and opportunities in relations with the (People’s Republic of China) will be on the agenda tomorrow. There is no doubt about that,” White House spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday.

The president could sit down with Xi oOn the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in San Francisco next month.

“Such a meeting has not been organized, but it is a possibility,” Biden told reporters earlier this month.

Biden has focused heavily on the Indo-Pacific region during his presidency.

Wednesday will be his fourth state dinner since becoming president, and two others – for South Korea and India – also focused on the Indo-Pacific. The first state dinner was for France.

Albanese’s politics are closely aligned with Biden’s democratic values ​​and both men have expressed concerns about the environment.

And US-Australia relations have grown stronger since the advent of the AUKUS Pact – an agreement between the US, UK and Australia to build nuclear-powered submarines.

The US is said to be concerned about the Australians’ military preparedness as China takes a more assertive stance in the South China Sea.