On Friday, June 17, 2022, for the first time in 20 years, The Strokes took the stage at Metro in Chicago to perform an intimate concert in support of democratic congressional candidate, Kina Collins, who is running to represent Illinois’ 7th congressional district.
Collins was on hand to introduce the band and meet with IL-07 residents to share the many reasons why she decided to run for public office including a mission to stop politicians who want to ban abortions from “legislating our bodies.”
“You know the stories they have about the City of Chicago. They paint us as a villain. They use us as the punching bag around gun violence. I’m running to say, ‘No more.’ I’m running because everybody deserves hope here in this country. I’m running because I want to stand shoulder to shoulder with the workers at Amazon and Starbucks to unionize. I’m running because we need to fight for our planet and get the Green New Deal. And, I’m running to take on the NRA and gun manufacturers,” she said on stage to deafening cheers, adding, “We deserve a future free of gun violence.”
In a press release at the time of The Strokes show’s announcement, Julian Casablancas said. “Kina Collins has lived the challenges on the ground in IL-7 and she’s exactly the kind of non-corporate, good-hearted, progressive-minded leader the world needs in these corrupt times. In a system dominated by super-pacs and profit-fueled political machines, Kina is rejecting all that, and choosing to fight for people’s actual needs and desires.”
When The Strokes – Casablancas, Albert Hammond Jr., Nick Valensi, Nikolai Fraiture, Fabrizio Moretti – stepped on stage, fashionably late, they had the good idea to kick off the set with their 2020 hit, “Bad Decisions.” “Juicebox,” “Automatic Stop,” and “The Adults Are Talking” quickly followed. By the time the band ripped into “Reptilia” – Hammond’s iconic opening riff setting the scene for a monster solo from Valensi – the entire venue was pulsing with excitement and the band still had a three-song encore left in the tank.
“Eternal Summer,” with Casablancas crooning in a chill falsetto, and a “What Ever Happened?” sing-along opened the encore before the evening concluded as it should, with an extended rendition of “Last Nite.”
The Illinois primary is being held on Tuesday, June 28 and, throughout The Strokes’ Metro performance, Casablancas made sure everyone knew his thoughts on voting for Collins.
“She’s the best and she will represent this great city in Washington very greatly,” he said.
Check out photos from The Strokes’ June 17 concert in support of congressional candidate Kina Collins below and click here to learn more about Collins’ comprehensive platform. A full list of upcoming shows at Metro can be found at Metrochicago.com.
(Photos by Laurie Fanelli)
