The VoteYerMusic Review of the Conventions

This blog has features music related election stories, so writing about the conventions is a no-brainer. But what to expect from the usual pomp and circumstance, when the pomp is virtual and the circumstances are so unusual. 

Besides, music has always been an important part of rallying the base from Truman’s Missouri Waltz to Lee Atwater bringing the best blues men on stage.  There’s Sax-playing Rumours-loving Bill Clinton and a Obama extolling the virtues of Al Green, Etta James and Beyoncé, and lest we forget Frank Sinatra palling around with Reagan and JFK. 

So what are we to do with the two least Musically inclined candidates of recent years. 

It is likely little surprise that many of music’s biggest stars are backing Biden. The 2016 Democratic convention attracting some of the biggest names in pop music- Katy Perry, Demi Lovato, Alicia Keys and Lenny Kravitz.  Perry had been a big part of Hillary’s campaign so got a prominent role. The list included liberal all- stars like Carole King and Paul Simon along with Cyndi Lauper, Boyz II Men, Fergie, Sheila E, Lady Gaga and the ubiquitous (though surely not family friendly) Snoop Dogg. 

Without 5000 delegates to entertain, the 2020 Democratic convention was a pared down affair. Kicking things off were the Chicks (née Dixie) performing the Star Spangled Banner. 

A solid choice of great musicians that have become a litmus year for political views nowadays.  The Chicks were an obvious choice. As obvious as Biden using Springsteen’s “The Rising”. 

Unsurprisingly, the Dems went with some big names like Jennifer Hudson, Leon Bridges and John Legend, adding in Broadway star Billy Porter, Stephen Stills for the old hippies, and a Twitch streamed set by a different all Star DJ (like Jermaine Dupri or DJ Cassidy) ended each night. 

Another typical choice was James Taylor and Doug Emhoff having a Fest hours prior to Biden be nominating.  (Emhoff is Kamala Harris's husband.  As far as I know he isn't musically talented like Mr. Tulsi Gabbard) 

Since this is 2020, of course, there’s a playlist for that. Politico put one together called Run DNC. 

For me, the most unusual addition had to be Billie Eilish. 

For starters, Billie has zero energy. On a scale of zero to Andrew WK, she may be left of zero. 

Her biggest hit is a song called “Bad Guy”.  It was a pretty sizable hit, but in case you missed it. Supposedly written when she was 16, it suggests in exact words, that she might seduce her friends’ dad. It was a single release in between songs called “Wish you were Gay” and “All the Good Girls Go to Hell”. 

I would have played it more Conservative but then again I might have hit the Google Machine before booking her. In any case, I would then suggest ‘quit trying to be hip’. 

No suggestion of hipness at the Republican Convention. 

You know how I knew this was just a meme...

Though there was a meme that Kid Rock was going to speak, and another with Ted Nugent. Even in a convention featuring UFC main man Dana White, MyPillow peddler Mike Lindell,  and 83 year old college football coach Lou Holtz, these suggestions were just a meme.

Because two-thirds of the speakers weren't named Trump

I didn’t see much in the way of scheduled musician with the exception of Trace Adkins. Adkins, country music singer and Celebrity Apprentice contestant seems a perfect counterpart to the Chicks. If you don’t know the deep voiced Adkins, he’s like a harder living version of Blake Shelton and had a platinum  hit called Honky Tonk Badonkadonk in 2005.

Are you sure Hank done it this way?

 

NPR did cover the music at the 2016 Republican Convention with some interesting findings  

That year, GE Smith (the iconic former Saturday Night Live musical director) lead a house band, though Smith essentially said he was just doing it for the money, and his setlist was filled with a few oddball choices (Opening the set with Bowie’s Station to Station for example, with its lyrics about cocaine). 

There was also counter programming in Cleveland as the Uber political (Prophets of Rage featuring Chuck D and Tom Morello) and the unexpected (Third Eye Blind who skipped their hits to troll  the conservatives in attendance). 

The 2016 convention also, the AVClub reported had Chris Janson who famously this year had a packed concert in June at a Idaho festival with minimal COVID precautions, and an amateur band reworking Bruno Mars and Mark Ronson’s smash into Uptown Trump. 

With the promise of "Bawitdaba", Badonkadonks, reminisces about cocaine, counter-protests, and Communal Spread, the Republican Convention was like the year itself, disappointing.