Early on and before most of indie rock had started showing their stripes as Obamaniacs this Democratic primary season, Win Butler took to the internet to let us know how close we were coming to fucking up what was in his mind a historic opportunity. Gently, he nudged:
Barack is the first candidate in my lifetime to strip some of this bullshit away, and I just hope we don’t blow this chance.man if we miss this opportunity we don’t deserve it…how bad does it have to get?
Well by Win’s measure things must be a lot better because since then “Yes We Can” happened and will.i.am single-handedly galvanized the electorate to seeing things his way. But Butler’s no longer just blogging about the view from his windowsill anymore. This is politics in action, people: Win, Will (both U.S. born, Texans raised), Regine (dual citizen!), and Jeremy Gara (“a really nice Canadian who likes playing music and is sick of explaining to Americans what universal health care means”) are playing shows to help Barack rock the vote (are we still saying that?) for the March 4th primaries, which include contests in delegate-rich Texas and the site of the show, Ohio. Via press release:
Arcade Fire will be playing a free concert on Sunday, March 2nd at Stuart’s Opera House in Nelsonville, Ohio in support of Barack Obama’s bid for the
Democratic nomination. The show is at 7 p.m., first come first serve.They will also be playing a free show at the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland on Monday, March 3rd. Doors are at 7 p.m., and the show is 18 and over, first come first serve.
That’s a whole lot of love for Arcade Fire to show Barack, but really who’s surprised that they have POLITICAL OPINIONS. And also we hear Win was really flattered when he read that Barack Obama listened to his MP3.
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I was massively excited … until I looked on the Beachland Ballroom site and it says they came on Thursday. Damn.
The Arcade Fire supports Barack Obama. Hillary’s original campaign song was by Celine Dion.
We need a new Bono
are these guys even’t relevant anymore?
Oh, before I didn’t give a shit. But I guess if the Arcade Fire like Obama I’ll vote for him.
(Endorsements are dumb as hell.)
Barack, Barack, can’t stop Barack you can’t stop, Barack, can’t stop Barack!
With Barack in the white house we will finally get Bono back in the recording studio.
AF and BO stink of coolness.
I love these music blogs.
People’s attention span and fandom has been whittled down to one minute thanks to all the snark in every post.
Some guy is asking if they are even relevant anymore.
How is that for showing some love?
You people kill me.
Barack Obama made you cupcakes for no particular reason.
Looks like Barack has got the Quebec-residing expat vote nailed!
Barack Obama thinks you’re ugly for many particular reasons.
Is anyone in Arcade Fire even a citizen? Can they vote?
Finally the Arcade Fire have weighed in! I was about to vote Republican until they awakened me from my political torpor.
Maybe now, thanks to Win Butler, America will have the courage to take on the foremost issue of our time: adult bed-wetting.
Obama is an idiot like every other politician. What healthcare needs is for people to be in control of their own spending decisions. When’s the last time you chose a doctor based on price? Probably never right? That’s the problem with healthcare. You think healthcare’s expensive now? Just wait till they make it universal. But of course, then we’re insulated from the cost so it’s alright, right? Idiots.
Barack Obama burnt you the new Breeders.
seeing them tomorrow in athens, oh!!
Barack Obama stole my basketball
“You think healthcare’s expensive now? Just wait till they make it universal.”
lolz. clearly you know nothing.
barack obama said you could be his +1
Who are you talking to, Chuck?
Why does it always seem kind of pathetic when a band or celebrity endorses a candidate? A little less so during the general election when it’s Republicans vs. Democrats and one will do anything in his/her power to have a Democrat in office, but it’s just a bit too early now… and they’re not even US citizens… I don’t want to judge but all I’m saying is that this is probably a bad move on Arcade Fire’s part. I mean in terms of keeping their indie-gods-who-can-do-no-wrong status (what else?).
Wow, you people need to lighten up.
Barack Obama, black man doin’ his thing!!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=mi_c6D8SPcE
“and they’re not even US citizens”
Win Butler is from Texas.
Count it!
“You think healthcare’s expensive now? Just wait till they make it universal.”
“lolz. clearly you know nothing.”
Why don’t you enlighten us? Or maybe it will be cheaper for you as you freeride off of other taxpayers? Spare me. It is you that does not understand the system.
That picture of Obama with his sleves rolled up is so contrived, like he’s not afraid to get dirty and roll up his sleeves and fight for the American people. Please.
Even if he does create a universal health bill and it somehow passes through both the HOR and the Senate, we won’t see any real change for years to come. It’s just like what Pete Townsend said, er, wrote:
“Meet the new boss, same as the old boss”.
Hopefully they’ll cover “Cult of Personality.” That would be the fitting thing to do.
Word to that last comment b loud.
yomomma, i figure its the Hillary camp drinking the kool aid at this point, still convincing themselves they can win, changing the goalposts, saying state after state ‘doesnt matter’
OMG Obama rolled up his sleeves! What a phony!!!!!:>!!:#J:!J# R!PJ!PJ! RP#J! Next he’ll all be like wearing a Ramones t-shirt he bought at urban outfitters and start recording duets with Scarlet Johanson LOOLLLL!!!!S
ugh, nothing worse than these anti-Arcade Fire Indie Extremists. You know, the type of people that think once you’ve played at a venue the charges more than 10 dollars you’ve officially sold out. the type of people that hate U2 More than anything in the world, and Think Radiohead are the saviors of all music. You know, the Pitchfork kind. Go to hell, the lot of you.
I love the Arcade Fire, but we really need to get beyond the 2 party system of politics. Both the democrats and republicans are controlled by corporate interests. The differences between the parties are mostly cosmetic. I’d like to see a band do a benefit for Ralph Nader, or any third party candidate. As much as I’d like to see a black president, what the candidate stands for comes first, and Obama is a little too far to the center for me. We need someone that actually represents the people’s interests.
As a casual foreign observer, does anyone have any good recent information on Clinton and Obama’s health care policies? Everything I find on the net is a little dated.
Anti-AF hipster bullshit= Fucking LAME
AF doing free shows for Obama= Fucking LAME
Its a tie.
as for citizenship, don’t forget Win’s texan brother is also in the band. Why no free shows in texas?
I’m pretty sure if you form a band and your first two albums are Funeral and Neon Bible, you should be allowed to endorse Alf for president.
These elections won’t mean Jack Sprat if the easily-hacked touchscreen voting machines by Diebold are still in place.
And guess what folks…they are!
If the velvet-lined coup of 2000 didn’t teach you anything, let it be this: These guys are ruthless, they take no prisoners and they play to win. They’ve got a nation of Consumerist Goons strung out on credit card debt, refined sugar, iPods, XBox, American Idol and mocha-grande lattes that are too busy to notice. It’s history in-the-making and one has to (almost) admire them for their tactics. Really.
If you don’t think that the GOP hasn’t been preoccupied with re-rigging these machines for 2008 while we’re too busy jizzing over ourselves over the Democratic primaries, then you may want to set your alarm clocks for that much-needed wake up call and get some dual citizenship action while you still have the chance.
Good god, can some of you people actually read the article before you comment? It’s sad to see the “omg, but they’re canadian and can’t vote!1″ when everything is written out for you…
Obama just come by my town tonight and healed our sick and cast out our demons. The blind now see.
But I’m still not voting for him.
I thought the same thing Grand.
Too funny!
My political opinions have depth and meaning; I share them on an indie music blog.
GO LIBERAL AMERICA
Nobody likes what i like, that’s why i like it.
you shouldn’t vote for someone just because a band you like endorses them. If you vote it’s important that you form your own political opinion based on who you think will have the most effective stay in office.
they both suck.
Ew, you guys sound like libertarians.
All I do is smoke weed everyday, all day and I don’t give fuck about Obama Bin Laden. We should live in anarchy.
Rock the Casbah!
Mr. Rizo Gus-Man Sant
“I love the Arcade Fire, but we really need to get beyond the 2 party system of politics. Both the democrats and republicans are controlled by corporate interests. The differences between the parties are mostly cosmetic. I’d like to see a band do a benefit for Ralph Nader, or any third party candidate. As much as I’d like to see a black president, what the candidate stands for comes first, and Obama is a little too far to the center for me. We need someone that actually represents the people’s interests.”
Less than 0.1% of the public support Nader… How is that representing the people’s interest? He is a hypocrite just like them all; he lives in a multi-million dollar estate and launders millions through non-profit organizations yet still has the balls to discuss unequal distribution of wealth.