Third Eye Blind Trolls RNC, Makes Up For All Of 1997

Though some of us may never be able to fully forgive Third Eye Blind for the curse they wrought upon the year 1997, particularly if we worked at a mall around that time, the band did a mitzvah last night while playing a charity event at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, and trolled the hell out of the Republicans there for the RNC who had come to see them.

Apparently, Republicans are WAY INTO Third Eye Blind. Which is not that surprising! Ellie Shechet at Jezebel notes that they were previously asked to play the 2012 Republican convention -- and in response, lead singer Stephen Jenkins wrote an article for Huffington Post explaining why they would do no such thing:

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??

They are in fact, a party dedicated to exclusion. No where is this more clear than their stop-people-who-don’t-vote-for-Republicans-from-voting-at-all-Voter ID law. They now seek to subvert the democratic process itself because they no longer think they can win by adhering to basic tenets of our democracy like the Voting Rights Act. I call that craven. For that reason alone, if I came to their convention, I would Occupy their convention.

That's a pretty good HuffPo article!

Those in attendance last night were deeply disappointed when the band played their new stuff, instead of playing all their old hits. Which is actually usually how things work at shows anyway, but whatever. The only one of their '90s hits that they didplay, rather pointedly, was "Jumper" (the "I wish you would step back from that ledge my friend" one), which Jenkins had written about a gay man jumping off a bridge. BURN!

After playing that song, Billboard reports , Jenkins asked the audience to raise their hands if they believe in science, and the audience responded by booing . Booing at SCIENCE. Then the band told the audience that they believed in tolerance and acceptance, and were also booed.

Third Eye Blind tonite at #RNCinCLE event: We believe in tolerance, acceptance ?? (Followed by boos) pic.twitter.com/WPRIEMZmEp 

— Tina (@tinpant) July 20, 2016 

Several GOPers went online to express their dissatisfaction with the band's performance, naturally, but this has to be the best one of all.

It's weird to be that disappointed though. I mean, can you imagine if they were a deeply conservative band playing to a room full of liberals outside of the DNC? Probably they would have something to say also. Given this and the fact that Trump is getting into trouble with Sony for stealing "We Are The Champions" and broadcasting it without permission, maybe they should consider focusing on bands and musicians that support their views. Like Ted Nugent! And Pat Boone (I checked, he's not dead!), or Kid Rock or Wayne Newton or something? They're always claiming that we exert some kind of illuminati control over all the popular culture anyway, so maybe they should just start supporting bands and musicians that support them? It's not our fault they're all terrible.

[ Jezebel | Billboard | Huffington Post ]