The Youth are Getting Restless

A stirring call to action from the Facebook group 300 million strong to get Bad Brains to play Obama's inauguration:

We want - no, we DEMAND that - every single person in the U.S., whether they're here legally or not, and even if they're way too young to vote or frankly not cool enough to appreciate buck-wild hardcore rasta-punk, support our call to have Bad Brains play President-elect Obama's inaugural bash.

Bad Brains, the baddest of badasses, were famously "Banned in DC" almost 30 years ago! So, it's high time (if you'll pardon the expression) that the most DC of all the DC bands was not only officially unbanned, but received the honor that President Clinton saw fit to bestow on Fleetwood Mac. (No offense.)

I don't see why not. If President-elect Obama is willing to break the hearts of his LGBT supporters by inviting anti-gay Pastor Rick Warren onstage, why not get the famously homophobic Bad Brains' frontman HR to hype the crowd up between speakers? Maybe Obama's old foe Alan Keyes will show up and get in the pit.

In case all you Obama staffers out there need further convincing, here are the boys playing "Banned in D.C." at CBGB's in 1982:

Comments

Toxic | January 2, 2009, 3:48pm | #

Clips like the above are exactly the reason I always hated punk.

Chris Puzak | January 2, 2009, 3:51pm | #

If the Bad Brains still sounded like they did in 82, I'd say go for it. But HR vocals are beyond horrid these days and would just embarrass everyone involved.

Reinmoose | January 2, 2009, 3:57pm | #

If the LGBT community were like libertarians, they would have not voted for Obama because he is not for gay marriage, just to show that they have voting power and cannot be taken advantage of by the party who assumes they have their support.
Also, what if mainstream America starts thinking the LGBT community were against gay marriage because they voted for Obama?

Cool Cal | January 2, 2009, 3:58pm | #

Yeah but see, their homophobia is okay because it's part of their unique ethic minority based culture, man.

How 'bout Oingo Boingo headline with "Capitalism". Not their best song, but I would just love to see the thousands of people worshiping the Dear Leader and their reaction to that, you know after the free market has been invalidated and all.

P.S. Someone needs to read and review Paul Krugman's latest capitalization (har-har) on the financial bruhaha, "The Return of Depression Economics". It frustrates me tremendously to see such an intellectual champion of free trade resort to empirically indefensible positions on microeconomics.

Episiarch | January 2, 2009, 4:01pm | #

Actually, has Obama announced yet who will be playing? Maybe he can follow the style of a number of his cabinet picks and choose...Mick Fleetwood.

Fuck it, get Danzig to break the ice at the inauguration.

"I got a question: can you make the blood flow up the walls?"

ludwig | January 2, 2009, 4:03pm | #

Oy, why do these schvartzers have to hate the feygeles so much?

Pro Libertate | January 2, 2009, 4:04pm | #

He should get what's left of The Doors, along with a good Jim Morrison impersonator, and have the band play "The End".

Reinmoose | January 2, 2009, 4:05pm | #

Maybe he can follow the style of a number of his cabinet picks and choose...

Bill Clinton

joe | January 2, 2009, 4:06pm | #

Nah, Ministry.

90 minute version of Jesus Built My Hotrod.

Rick Warren can fill in on vocals.

joe | January 2, 2009, 4:07pm | #

Yes!

They can release an album: The Purpose-Driven Death.

Nigel Watt | January 2, 2009, 4:10pm | #

He should get Soundgarden. (Yes, I know they broke up awhile ago.) "Jesus Christ Pose" would be particularly appropriate.

Episiarch | January 2, 2009, 4:13pm | #

Oy, why do these schvartzers have to hate the feygeles so much?

LOL

I was watching a rerun of Kojack one time and Telly walks into a room where there are a couple of black guys who are being detained, one of whom is secretly an agent of Telly's. As he walks in, he says:

"What's up, schvartzas?"

Priceless. Who loves ya, baby?

Carl | January 2, 2009, 4:15pm | #

That's good right? Going up a wall? That's elf blood too. That's not cheap, you know.

KidCarnivore | January 2, 2009, 4:16pm | #

Wouldn't the most appropriate band be Living Color, playing 'Cult of Personality'?

Pro Libertate | January 2, 2009, 4:17pm | #

I always remember Telly as "Big Joe" in Kelly's Heroes.

KidCarnivore,

Indeed.

JW | January 2, 2009, 4:18pm | #

George Clinton should perform. He is the Minister of P-Funk after all.

Jeff P | January 2, 2009, 4:18pm | #

I have no problem with punk bands being anti-gay, primarily because gays have such shitty taste in music.

Pro Libertate | January 2, 2009, 4:19pm | #

Iron Butterfly would be nice, too.

VM | January 2, 2009, 4:19pm | #

this would also be a good act to play.

Toad the Wet Sprocket also did a show for clinton's first inauguration

JW | January 2, 2009, 4:24pm | #

::Shakes fist at VM for letting me click on the link.::

Pro Libertate | January 2, 2009, 4:24pm | #

Musical acts are for losers. He should have Penn & Teller perform.

Glenn Danzig | January 2, 2009, 4:30pm | #

How much you want?

Tim | January 2, 2009, 4:30pm | #

While thinking like another poster that they are pretty lame now I laughted out loud at this, "why not get the famously homophobic Bad Brains' frontman HR to hype the crowd up between speakers?" Besides, just because the kids think Obama is cool it's obvious that Hootie and the Blowfish is the more likely act compared to Bad Brains. At any rate if they want to drag an old DCHC band into it have Scream play. I'm sure they could still rock it and Skeeter is probably still black. So that counts, right?

Episiarch | January 2, 2009, 4:32pm | #

Musical acts are for losers. He should have Penn & Teller perform.

No--Zombie Evel Knievel.

Carl | January 2, 2009, 4:33pm | #

I don't know - Maybe - I don't know... a million?

Glenn Danzig | January 2, 2009, 4:35pm | #

Killer. Draft the check tomorrow.

BakedPenguin | January 2, 2009, 4:35pm | #

...if they want to drag an old DCHC band into it have Scream play

Marginal Man.

kid who thinks obama is his friend | January 2, 2009, 4:35pm | #

They should get Bono!!

VM | January 2, 2009, 4:36pm | #

*hangs head in shame*

Carl | January 2, 2009, 4:37pm | #

You're serious. Thank you, God!

Michael P. | January 2, 2009, 4:41pm | #

Had he not so sadly departed from this mortal coil a few years back, I would nominate Rufus Harley to perform at this forthcoming inauguration.

Kolohe | January 2, 2009, 4:43pm | #

True fact:

Danzig was a key advisor to the Obama campaign.

Episiarch | January 2, 2009, 4:44pm | #

You make our house bleed right now!

highnumber | January 2, 2009, 4:45pm | #

Clips like the above are exactly the reason I always hated punk.

Too much fun for you?
Rocks too hard?
I don't understand.

EJM | January 2, 2009, 4:49pm | #

Maybe they could have Ian MacKaye serve as a consultant.

Warty | January 2, 2009, 4:52pm | #

It'll be a sad day if anyone other than Amon Amarth plays the inauguration. Odin! Guide our ships!

Jeff P | January 2, 2009, 5:02pm | #

The Damned. They just played NYC.
And we need another Social Distortion tour, please.

And is there yet a parody of Genesis' "Mama" with "Obama" inserted yet?

HR | January 2, 2009, 5:05pm | #

You tell me what to say and when to say it
You tell me what to do and how to do it
And if I ask you why, you'll arrest me
And if I call you liar, you'll detest me

You control what I'll be
You control who I see
And if I let you
You'll control me

You're the man who owns all the keys to the stores
You're the man who always wants so much more
You're the regulator
You're the regulator
You're the regulator
YOU'RE THE REGULATOR

dbcooper | January 2, 2009, 5:10pm | #

Maybe they could have Ian MacKaye serve as a consultant.

Wo, we have straight edges on here!?

Episiarch | January 2, 2009, 5:13pm | #

Wo, we have straight edges on here!?

Man, I hope not.

highnumber | January 2, 2009, 5:16pm | #

When referring to people, I believe the proper term is "straight edge kids."

highnumber | January 2, 2009, 5:19pm | #

And anyway, Obama's not from DC. How about the Effigies, Naked Raygun, and as a special treat, a reunited Big Black with maybe a couple of Rapeman numbers?

Mister DNA | January 2, 2009, 5:20pm | #

I like the Bad Brains, but there's only one band suited to play Obama's inauguration: Complete.

It would be good to see Flipper on the bill, too...

SxCx | January 2, 2009, 5:21pm | #

I'd like to take us into further obscurity by bringing up Void.

SxCx | January 2, 2009, 5:24pm | #

Shiiit

Travis | January 2, 2009, 5:25pm | #

"Maybe they could have Ian MacKaye serve as a consultant."

Didn't the lead singer of Bad Brains introduce Ian MacKaye to the life philosophy that Ian turned into the straight edge movement(cult).

oldtimer | January 2, 2009, 5:37pm | #

I read this whole thing and understood not a word of who or what you guys were talking about.
Guess I'll look at porn, at least I understand that.

Jim Walsh | January 2, 2009, 5:45pm | #

I can't believe no one has mentioned the Dead Kennedys...

Bingo | January 2, 2009, 5:56pm | #

Porn, bridging the generation gap!

Right Wing Realist | January 2, 2009, 6:00pm | #

It bothers me that Republicans are considered the party of ignorant, homophobic, narrow-minded conservatives when the Democrats have their own similar population. The difference is that the Republican supporters are rural whites, so their ignorance is considered to be their own fault. The Democrat supporters are urban blacks, so their ignorance is considered to be the fault of society.

It amuses me to see one Democratic special interest group (urban blacks) continuously smack down the hopes and dreams of another (gays), thus destroying the image of the big, happy, oppressed-by-whitey family that Democrats have tried so hard to build.

Rimfax | January 2, 2009, 6:02pm | #

How about Accept? They can have Rev. Warren accompany them on "Love Child", then kick him off the stage with "Fast as a Shark".

franz kafka | January 2, 2009, 6:31pm | #

If he were alive the best choice would be Root Boy Slim and his Sex Change Band. Hands down. Or up.

juris imprudent | January 2, 2009, 8:02pm | #

He should get what's left of The Doors

I saw Robbie Krieger a couple of years back at Joshua Tree sitting in with Particle. He plays pretty damn well for an old guy.

bigbigslacker | January 2, 2009, 9:30pm | #

And anyway, Obama's not from DC. How about the Effigies, Naked Raygun, and as a special treat, a reunited Big Black with maybe a couple of Rapeman numbers?


Yes, Big Black

highnumber | January 3, 2009, 1:55am | #

Thanks for that, bigbigslacker!

Have some Rapeman!

steve albini | January 3, 2009, 7:07am | #

Thanks brahs

Here's me in Shellac.

Barry | January 3, 2009, 7:36am | #

If they want an 80s DC Hardcore band to reunite, how about getting Minor Threat to play "Guilty of being White"?

The Bad Brains' logo would be considered right-wing anti-government paranoia but for the fact that a black group used it.

. | January 3, 2009, 8:08am | #

This why I had a Facebook account for 5 minutes.

ed | January 3, 2009, 8:27am | #

gays have such shitty taste in music.

Just like Mexicans!

VM | January 3, 2009, 10:07am | #

Rollins would be a good choice (although for this citizen, his spoken word jumped the shark in about 1999/2000)

joe | January 3, 2009, 10:21am | #

Shorter Right Wing Realist:

A minority of Democrats are as prejudiced as almost all Republicans, so...go Republicans!

Really Confused Moose | January 3, 2009, 10:24am | #

oh yeah, well...

KERRY WOULD HAVE BEEN WORSE.

DO YOU WANT ALGORE (algore algore) HANDING OVER THE KEYS TO THE US TO THE UN???

GIVE ME TED NUGENT. OR JOHN COCKTOSEN. OR DR. ROSEN ROSEN

joe | January 3, 2009, 11:20am | #

KERRY WOULD HAVE BEEN WORSE.

I didn't realize Ms. Howley had a hardcore band.

Minion of URKOBOLD | January 3, 2009, 11:22am | #

THE LAW OF THE FROTH (= TYPEOS) IS INTACT. DO YOU SILLY MORTAL THINK THAT I WOULD DARE CHALLENGE THAT LAW???

JUST FOR THAT, JOHN EDWARDS WILL APPEAR IN A VISION TO YOU. AND HE'LL BE WEARING LEATHER AND BATING.

BOHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
*fades away*

Neu Mejican | January 3, 2009, 3:35pm | #

Can't use Bad Brains, they are too likely to remind everyone of Rod "pay to cum" Blagojevich.

Neu Mejican | January 3, 2009, 3:44pm | #

oldtimer | January 2, 2009, 5:37pm | #
I read this whole thing and understood not a word of who or what you guys were talking about.
Guess I'll look at porn, at least I understand that.

The linked video is 27 years old...you might be too young.

BakedPenguin | January 3, 2009, 4:01pm | #

Neu - you're thinking of Spitzer. "Leaving Babylon" might be about Blago.

Neu Mejican | January 3, 2009, 6:13pm | #

Baked,

Nah.
Blago.
Pay to cum (to Washington).

I can't think of a better match.

vote quimby | January 3, 2009, 7:48pm | #

"I have no problem with punk bands being anti-gay, primarily because gays have such shitty taste in music."

Fuggin hilarious, Jeff P.

Minor Threat was a D.C. creation. Think of Ian MacKaye screaming "Guilty of Being White" at the event.

KyleG | January 3, 2009, 8:00pm | #

The 'Nuge gets my vote because him performing at such an event would the only reason for me to watch it.

mk | January 3, 2009, 8:15pm | #

They could merge Chicago's Ministry and DC's Minor Threat by getting Pailhead back together. They could do I will refuse

mk | January 3, 2009, 8:27pm | #

As a person who could actually claim having been a DC punk back in the day, with the X on the back of the hand and everything. I say that Bad Brains would be a horrible idea.

If they want a good black band to play then they should get TV On The Radio. Those guys are really good now.

Neu Mejican | January 3, 2009, 9:40pm | #

mk,

Alas, TV on the Radio's latest is a big move in the wrong direction...I hope they can recover.

BakedPenguin | January 3, 2009, 10:08pm | #

I mentioned Marginal Man above, not just because they were a DC HC band, but Ken Inouye was Daniel Inouye's son. Obama's already shown he wants insiders...

highnumber | January 3, 2009, 10:35pm | #

Yes! Pailhead!

Yes!

Duncan | January 4, 2009, 2:14am | #

Or Obama could just arrange for a cement mixer to do its thing during his inauguration. The best thing about Bad Brains is that they proved, once and for all, that not all black people have a sense of rhythm.

lolwut | January 4, 2009, 2:19am | #

The second best thing about Bad Brains is that they proved that a substantial number of white people are so stupid that they will listen to black people play the cement mixer if they think that it will get them pussy. Bad Brains should be in the list of "things white people like (in order to lord it over other white people)."

Anyway it's an easy test- you can like music, or you can like Bad Brains, but you cannot like both.

nonPaulogist | January 4, 2009, 4:33am | #

What's with the endless gay advocacy? What does homophobia thought-policing have to do with free minds or free markets? A mind not free to be homophobic (if that's even a real word) is not a free mind.

If my only freedom to think like beltway libertines, then how free am I?

nonPaulogist | January 4, 2009, 4:45am | #

George Orwell said that corruption of society begins with corruption of language. I believe it. Terms like "homophobia" and "gay marriage" are corruptions of language.

Gay marriage is a square circle. It's a dull point, a loud silence. Homophobia is an irrational fear of something that is rational to fear. it's not fear of homosexuals or sodomy. It's fear of the loss of the traditional family as the basic foundation of society.

As a person who doesn't think the state is legitimate, it is amusing to hear all the pissing and moaning over California's refusal to recognize gay marriage. It's just one illegitimate institution refusing to recognize another.

Dee | January 4, 2009, 9:09am | #

Obama sits in as a Beatle and they play the Tax Man.

dhex | January 4, 2009, 9:43am | #

"Gay marriage is a square circle."

not if you're doing it right!

the traditional family uber alles rah rah rah zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. smells kinda collectivisty to me.

dhex | January 4, 2009, 9:47am | #

"Anyway it's an easy test- you can like music, or you can like Bad Brains, but you cannot like both."

i want to strap you into a chair and play some discordance axis, 'cause watching your brain explode would be hilarious.

i can't say i'm going to reach for the bad brains on an average day but it's not like it's that crazy a choice. it's firmly rooted at that point in time / weird crossroads of punk and what was to become hardcore.

highnumber | January 4, 2009, 1:19pm | #

nonPaulogist,
What does having your head up your own ass have to do with Bad Brains?

Oh, wait, I get it.

joe | January 4, 2009, 5:06pm | #

I like the faux-outsider pose that homophobes strike.

"I agree with about 97 sitting Senators on gay marriage! I'm, like, totally a rebel! I'm not prejudiced, because gay people really do scare me!"

mk | January 4, 2009, 5:21pm | #

And "The lie I tell myself" award goes to..

it's not fear of homosexuals or sodomy

Nick | January 4, 2009, 5:58pm | #

...if they want to drag an old DCHC band into it have _____ play

Gotta be Nation of Ulysses.

Wo, we have straight edges on here!?

Man, I hope not.

Um, I am for the most part, albeit not a kid... Ian MacKaye hated the movement when it became intolerant and violent towards non-straightedge people. The point was that they didn't want shit forced upon them, so it's ironic that straightedgers ended up forcing shit on others. If you don't believe me, you should note that Ian MacKaye opposes the drug war. The original intent of straightedge was to encourage kids to stand up against conformity and peer pressure to "fit in" or "be cool" by doing drugs, and also to prove that one need not be a drug/sex/booze fiend to be a rock star. It was punk because it was a rebellion against punk conformity. I think MacKaye was really conscious about the example he was setting for younger scene kids and wanted to encourage them to do something positive and constructive. You can't taint MacKaye with the actions of intolerant/extremist straightedgers any more than you can taint Milton Friedman with the actions of Pinochet.

mk | January 4, 2009, 6:09pm | #

Well put Nick.

I was a straightedge back then because, to be honest, I never would have made it out of high school if I hadn't given up drugs. It had nothing to do with my making any kind of statement. I still don't drink or do drugs now, decades later. I just don't see the point of it.

Nick | January 4, 2009, 6:14pm | #

Maybe JR can tell the Lesbian and Gay Band Association to "Burn in hell, bloodclot f*ggots." Srsly, what a dick...

ShoeSize | January 5, 2009, 1:15pm | #

I vote for Green Day playing American Idiot.

B | January 5, 2009, 5:54pm | #

So being opposed to gay-marriage, a position that is supported by quite a bit of Biblical Scripture, is enough to be labelled as anti-gay now? Give me a fucking break. It is bullshit like this that causes accusations of racism and homophobia to be rightfully ignored by huge segments of the population.

highnumber | January 6, 2009, 6:48am | #

So being opposed to gay-marriage, a position that is supported by quite a bit of Biblical Scripture, is enough to be labelled as anti-gay now?

Oh, well, if you feel that way because of your interpretation of your special ancient book, that's not anti-gay. That's perfectly rational.