Like Bruce Willis drilling himself into the core of an evil asteroid, Third Eye Blind performed to a sea of GOPers at a charity concert in Cleveland last night with the apparent intention of pissing everyone off.
According to Billboard, the band refused to play most of its hits—except for “Jumper,” which is about a gay man who jumps off a bridge, and which singer Stephan Jenkins introduced by talking about the need to bring people like “my cousins, who are gay, into the American fabric,” and to “not live your life in fear and imposing that fear on other people.” From Billboard:
Witnesses at the group’s Tuesday night show in Cleveland, a charity gig inside the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, reported that Jenkins used the occasion to say he “repudiates” what the Republican party now stands for. Clips uploaded to social media platforms show the crowd booing, followed by Jenkins exclaiming: “You can boo all you want, but I’m the motherf—-in’ artist up here.”
Jenkins also reportedly asked the crowd to “raise your hand if you believe in science,” to which they responded with boos. Nice!
Third Eye Blind is apparently a fan favorite within the Republican base—unsurprising, really, for a party known for its misplaced nostalgia—and were asked to perform at the 2012 Republican convention as well (this latest performance was not an official RNC event). At the time, Jenkins wrote a blog for the Huffington Post titled “Why We Aren’t Playing at the RNC”:
Mitt Romney says he wants to have an open and welcoming convention. Wow. Open and welcoming to whom? Students who need Pell Grants? My gay Republican cousin who wants to get married? Brown people from Arizona who forgot their ID? People who like roads, air traffic controllers, and disaster funding for hurricanes — you know, all that stuff Republicans think is wasteful spending? The over three million Americans who got working again because of the stimulus? Women who want fair pay or choice with their health? I mean really, who do they actually welcome??
“If I came to their convention,” Jenkins added, “I would Occupy” it.
Anyway, conservatives are pissed:
As for Third Eye Blind, they’re having a wonderful time.
Jezebel has reached out to Third Eye Blind for comment and will update if they respond.
Image via Getty.
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