Believe it or not, but the Beastie Boys has never licensed a song for any advertisement — that is, until now. As Variety points out, the legendary New York outfit gave the green light to Joe Biden to use “Sabotage” in his latest campaign spot.
The spot in question revolves around how COVID-19 has affected the live music industry, zeroing in on the collateral damage to Ann Arbor’s historic venue The Bling Pig. Founded in 1971, the club has played host to everyone from Joan Baez to Nirvana.
“For 50 years, the Blind Pig has been open and crowded, but right now, it’s an empty room,” Joe Malcoun, co-owner of the Blind Pig, explains in the commercial. This is the reality of Trump’s Covid response.”
Malcoun adds, “This is Donald Trump’s economy: There is no plan and you don’t know how to go forward. It makes me so angry. My only hope for my family and for this business and my community is that Joe Biden wins this election.”
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“Sabotage” drops around 40 seconds into the commercial, adding some attitude to both Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris. As a Biden representative told Variety, the group agreed to its use “because of the importance of the election.”
Watch the commercial below, which originally aired during today’s Steelers/Browns game. Hopefully Malcoun’s story will connect with fans of a league that has more or less dismissed the pandemic, seeing how stands are being filled across America.
In related news, Trump continues to get cease and desist letters from artists everywhere as he continues to ignorantly use music on his campaign trail. Last week alone saw John Fogerty and Phil Collins giving the big no.
