The Strokes are putting on a concert in support of Bernie Sanders, news that satisfies both my iTunes library circa 2007 and my Spotify playlist from three days ago. The rally will take place at Whittemore Center Arena in Durham, New Hampshire on February 10, the day before the state’s primary. It’s free to attend with an RSVP accessible via Sanders’s official campaign website.
The Strokes are just the latest band to commit to putting on concerts for Sanders; Bon Iver and Vampire Weekend are both hosting concerts in the days leading up to the Iowa caucuses. And while Sanders appeals to a wide array of musicians—from Willie Nelson, to Cardi B, to Ariana Grande, to Miley Cyrus—these upcoming concerts are certainly zeroing in on the Former Indie Fuck demographic.
The Strokes are one of the more well-known rock bands of the aughts, and they had a seismic influence on the post-punk and garage rock revival scenes that dominated a prominent corner of the rock world at the time. But does Bernie Sanders even know who The Strokes are?
My gut says that Sanders has probably never heard “Last Nite” in his life. But what do I know? Let’s instead assume that this Strokes-Sanders matchup isn’t just the brilliant work of his 20- and 30-something-year-old staffers and that Sanders is actually a Strokes superfan. With that in mind, I just have a few questions for him, from one Strokes goon to another:
1. What is your favorite Strokes album? (There is only one correct answer here, so consider this a test.)
2. Is Room On Fire actually a good album or does it coast on the brilliance of “Reptilia” and three other decent songs?
3. Have you read Meet Me in the Bathroom yet? Our former senior editor, Katie McDonough, lent it to me months ago but I still haven’t read it yet.
4. Would you like to borrow my borrowed copy of Meet Me in the Bathroom? I don’t think Katie would mind. Just make sure to give it back to me when you’re done. I’ve heard it’s good.
5. So, what was up with Angles?
6. Are The Strokes allowed to play “New York City Cops” at the show, or would that be too controversial?
7. Are you more of a Julian girl, an Albert Hammond Jr. girl, or a Fabrizio girl?
8. What Strokes song would you sing at karaoke?
9. Who would win in a fight: Julian Casablancas or Jack White?
10. In 2014, Julian Casablancas famously said, “I don’t know how many, like, white people having brunch I can deal with on a Saturday afternoon” as one of many reasons he fled New York City for upstate New York. Will you consider introducing legislation to regulate brunch to make it less white and more bearable in American cities on Saturday afternoons? (This could be part of a robust reparations package.)
11. Which member of The Strokes has the best hair?
12. Would you advocate redistributing The Strokes’ royalties?
13. Can you get Interpol to do a rally for you too? I realize this is not about the Strokes but... whatever.
Thanks!
DISCUSSION
Fabrizio Moretti stood behind me in line to checkout of a resort after coachella in 2007. He was so hot, and i got super flustered and turned bright red when he smiled at me. But then Sia came over to him to borrow his deodorant, and I super love her, so I talked to her for a bit about how the use of Breathe Me in the finale of Six Feet Under was basically the best use of a song in a show ever. That’s my Strokes (Sia) story.
Also, Interpol, I support that idea.