Watch The Strokes Cover Talking Heads, Debut New Music At Bernie Sanders Rally

If what went down in Iowa last week is any indication, we’re in for an even bumpier ride in 2020 than we already expected. Tomorrow we get the next installment the saga with the New Hampshire primary. And ahead that, the Strokes played a Get Out The Vote rally in support Bernie Sanders in the New Hampshire town Durham. (They aren’t the first big-name indie act playing for Bernie, with both Bon Iver and Vampire Weekend taking the stage in Iowa in the past week and a half.) It was one a couple shows on the band’s calendar recently, as we slowly creep towards the long-awaited new album.

When it was announced last month, Julian Casablancas shared some thoughts on his support for Sanders: “We are honored to be associated with such a dedicated, diligent, & trustworthy patriot — and fellow native New Yorker! As the only truly non-corporate candidate, Bernie Sanders represents our only chance to overthrow corporate power and help return America to democracy. This is why we support him.” (Obviously support for Bernie in the indie community is not rare, but another artist who has been passionately talking about Sanders late is Zola Jesus, which is amusing because Amy Klobuchar is her cousin.)

Tonight, the Strokes hit the stage right after speeches from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders himself. There was a sort big group hug, and the band took their spots, Fab Moretti sitting behind a kit adorned with what social media teasers and posters have suggested is the art for a new album called The New Abnormal. From there, they kicked f a set that opened with a cover Talking Heads’ “Burning Down The House” before sliding into a mixture old favorites (“Hard To Explain” and “Someday”), pseudo deep cuts (“Killing Lies” and “One Way Trigger”), and new songs including the live debut “Bad Decisions.” (In the past day, there’s been a supposed tracklist for The New Abnormal, circulating on — it includes the previously debuted songs “The Adults Are Talking” and “Ode To The Mets,” as well as “Bad Decisions.”)

Later in the set, the band also debuted “At The Door,” but didn’t play it themselves — instead, a cartoon video and the recording the song played through the jumbotron. While “Bad Decisions” felt particularly like classic Strokes, “At The Door” was a bit different, built on moody, grainy synths without any real percussion. Afterwards Casablancas said that the lights that had been flashed at earlier points in the set were safety warnings from the police, so they decided to say goodbye with one more song — an “old favorite,” “New York City Cops.” By the end, fans were dancing onstage and a real life New Hampshire Cop was also onstage and clearly displeased with Casablancas.

But before the final song, Casablancas also fered an aside: The new Strokes album is out 4/10. So, a lot going on here! Check out video from the performance below, starting around the two hours and 23 minute mark.

SETLIST:

“Burning Down The House”
“Killing Lies”
“One Way Trigger”
“Bad Decisions”
“Someday”
“Hard To Explain”
“The Adults Are Talking”
“The Modern Age”
“Ize Of The World”
“The End Has No End”
“You Only Live Once”
“At The Door” (Recording jumbotron)
“New York City Cops”