The Strokes Take Protesting To Another Level in New Hampshire

by Nada Alturki

From Prince’s “Ronnie, Talk to Russia” to the Sex Pistols’ “God Save the Queen,” protest music has held its own weight as a historic and powerful genre of music for centuries—and it doesn’t stop there. Politics and music have been getting more and more intricately involved; From indie alternative bands like Vampire Weekend supporting the Obama campaign to pop stars like Miley Cyrus rooting for Bernie (and then Hillary Clinton after Bernie conceded his defeat at the DNC). Last Monday’s Bernie Sanders rally in New Hampshire was no different.

On February 10th, Bernie Sanders held a rally at the Whittemore Center Arena, which fits roughly 7,500 people, in Durham, New Hampshire in support of his current campaign for president in the 2020 elections. The event involved many politicians and Bernie supporters including Nina Turner, Cynthia Nixon, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, all preceding an appearance by Sanders. During his speech, he emphasized many key values of his campaign, many of which tackled student debt, healthcare, and incarceration; and the demographic in attendance resonated with his message. Scanning the audience, I would estimate about half the people there were of a younger demographic. The Strokes have cultivated a cultural significance amongst teens, young adults, and adults alike. Some of their music has had a similar message to what Bernie is trying to take on. They are both spreading the message that this is not the time to take on the guise of model citizens who refrain from voicing our opinions. Now it’s time to rebel.

This was a big event for The Strokes and the fact that they have shown support in backing everything that Bernie Sanders stands for will go down in history. The Strokes’ lead singer Julian Casablancas plenty of political commentary to provide in between songs, at one point likening politicians and businessmen now to pirates who steal and rape. Ultimately, they aimed to bolster Bernie’s campaign with proclamations like, "I've been super into pirates lately, as one is, as one does. Don't ask. I'm saying how pirates are the enemies of all mankind-great fashion sense, but they stole and raped for money, as the people that Bernie is trying to knock out of office [...] No disrespect to pirates though– modern business people, way worse."

That night was filled with firsts for The Strokes. That was the first time the band had played their track “The End Has No End” live since 2014. The song portrays the cyclical nature of all aspects of life, and in a way, singing that song brings attention to the repetition of political history. It also sheds new light on their album Room On Fire (2003), presenting it as a political statement. They also debuted their new song “Bad Decisions” off their new album, which came as a surprise to myself and others I was with. In addition, while the band took a rest between songs, their new single “At The Door” was released, along with the fantastic animated video for the song which will be featured on their new album.

Speaking of their new album, after the video premiere, Casablancas nonchalantly announced that the album was coming April 10, 2020, titled The New Abnormal, which sent the crowd into a frenzy of cheers. The last full project The Strokes produced was seven years go, with their 2013 album Comedown Machine.

However, those were not the only shockers of the night. The angst really hit when the lights were turned on by the police. Too many people were leaving all at once and it was an apparent safety hazard to have the lights off. Fans were forcefully coming up on stage by the impromptu last song, the rousing “New York City Cops.” This provocation caught the attention of numerous media outlets, especially since it wasn’t planned and was not on the setlist. Law enforcement came up and started escorting people off stage while the lead singer “taunted” them. The song was played last, although in the original setlist they had 4 songs to perform, including “Automatic Stop” and “Last Nite.” It was an unexpected selection, as they did not play their most popular tracks, including the ubiquitous “Is This It,” off their album with the same name.

One of the key roles of music is to communicate the happenings of its day and age. This is more prominent now than ever before as music and politics become allies. As we get closer and closer to the elections, politicians and artists alike are emphasizing the importance of standing up for your political values and showing support for candidates. The Strokes, through their literally and metaphorically loud rally concert, have sealed their support for political candidate Bernie Sanders. Through their song selections, onstage improvisation, and politically charged commentary to both the police and their audience, they have, without a doubt, set a precedent for any protest concert that is to come during this upcoming term’s elections.