AOC and Bernie Sanders introduce Strokes to 40,000 fans in Queens
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders walked onstage together on Friday, 2 October, to introduce the Strokes at Flushing Meadows in Queens, New York.
The appearance was a surprise. Ocasio-Cortez came out first to address the crowd of about 40,000, then brought out Sanders to join her for the introduction, Rolling Stone reported.
Ocasio-Cortez told the audience the Strokes were the greatest rock band of their generation. She said the New York band had been committed to fighting fascism and genocide, raising wages and guaranteeing healthcare for everyone.
Sanders kept his remarks short. He thanked the band for standing up for economic justice, fighting racism and treating healthcare as a human right.
He then turned to the election. Sanders urged the crowd to vote to stand up to authoritarianism and to win in November.
Frontman Julian Casablancas followed with a joke. He quipped about bandmate Fabrizio Moretti making out with Sanders before the group started its set.
The band opened with Lonely in the Future. The Queens date was billed as a hometown show in New York City, NME reported.
What makes this stand out is the history. The Strokes previously headlined a Get Out the Vote rally for Sanders during the 2020 New Hampshire Democratic primary, a concert staged to encourage voter registration and turnout.
That earlier show tied the band directly to Sanders’ campaign. Friday’s introduction brought that connection back in front of a far larger hometown crowd.
