Bernie Sanders Endorses Phish, And Vice-Versa: ‘One Of The Great Bands In This Country’
Bernie Sanders has endorsed Phish, the venerable jam band known for epic sell-out concerts and its own ice cream flavor. The feeling appears to be mutual.
As Rolling Stone reports, Phish drummer and namesake Jon Fishman “felt the Bern” at a Sanders rally in Portland, Maine, on Wednesday. Following disappointing Super Tuesday primary results, Sanders, ever the trooper, soldiered on, this time speaking to the assembled crowd where he was joined by Fishman, who played drums and spoke to the crowd.
Bernie Sanders calls @Phish one of the country’s great bands at a Maine rally, thanking its drummer for his support.https://t.co/kQryFylxbg
— Mashable News (@MashableNews) March 2, 2016
Bernie returned Phish’s endorsement with one of his own.
“Let me thank, I guess, one of Vermont’s heroes who is now transplanted, Jon Fishman. Jon and Phish have made New England proud. They are one of the great bands, have been one of the great bands in this country.”
It seems like there’s a lot of love between Bernie and Phish, and it’s a love that goes back a long way. The band and the man both have Vermont roots: Phish was formed in 1983 at the University of Vermont, and the band members all live in or “maintain a deep connection to” the Green Mountain state, according to Mashable. Sanders, though born in New York, has spent the better part of his life and career in Vermont, having served as mayor of Burlington (at the time Phish was getting started, no less) as well as representing Vermont in Washington in both the House of Representatives and as one of the state’s two U.S. Senators.
Phish’s Jon Fishman, for his part, has been a Sanders supporter for some time, long before Sanders started running for president. Back in 2006, when Sanders was running for the U.S. Senate after having served as Vermont’s representative in the House, Fishman – and Phish bassist Mike Gordon – both threw their support behind The Bern.
Rock ‘n’ roll and politics have had a contentious relationship almost from the beginning. As the genre gained popularity in the 1950s, according to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, its association with the black underclass, as well as accusations that it was “vulgar,” drew the attention of concerned parents and politicians alike. And rock ‘n’ roll’s image as an iconoclastic and anti-establishment art form peaked with the 1960s “Protest Rock” movement, through the 1980s Satanic scare, and continues to this day.
Rock musicians, meanwhile, aren’t above making their music political and even supporting (or opposing) political candidates. Bruce Springsteen, for example, has openly supported Democratic politicians for almost as long as he’s been holding his guitar. Other bands throwing their names behind leftist causes include The Foo Fighters and Mary J. Blige, according to Mother Jones. And that’s just the beginning.
And if you’re a Republican, you’ve got a pool of musicians whom you can count on for an endorsement as well. Kid Rock and 3 Doors Down both rocked the house at the 2012 Republican National Convention. Another Republican rock star, according to Paste Magazine, is Ted Nugent. However, if Ted is a little too unhinged for your tastes, you also have Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, both Republicans, according to Russia Today.
Back in Vermont, Phish is not the only Green Mountain State institution to Feel the Bern. Ice cream guys Ben & Jerry have also endorsed Bernie Sanders, according to the Boston Herald.
Does Phish’s endorsement of Bernie Sanders mean you’re going to vote for him? Does Sanders’ endorsement of Phish mean you’re going to take up listening to their music?
[Image via YouTube]
