3EB

Third Eye Blind trolls Cleveland concert crowd during Republican National Convention

Third Eye Blind were invited to headline a charity event for the Musicians On Call nonprofit (MOC) during the Republican National Convention (RNC), which happened last night (7/19) at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (It was produced and sponsored by the Recording Industry Association of America [RIAA].) Daily News points out that 3EB frontman Stephen Jenkins had written a commentary for the Huffington Post in 2012 called “Why We Aren’t Playing at the RNC,” but now four years later they apparently changed their mind to rail against conservatives from within.

They were supposedly expected to play a set of pro-America songs, but instead Jenkins awesomely trolled the conservative crowd by criticizing their views and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, while promoting tolerance, acceptance, gay rights, etc. He got booed by the crowd, but responded “You can boo all you want, but I’m the motherfucking artist up here.”

Audience members were apparently bummed not just because of the pro-acceptance talk, but also because “Jumper” was the only hit they played.

UPDATE: Third Eye Blind have released a statement about the show:

To clarify:
We did not play an RNC event. We performed at a benefit for Musicians on Call because we support their mission in bringing music to the bedsides of patients in hospitals.
Given that the benefit was held in Cleveland, we suspected that convention types might show up and we let it be known we were there to support Musicians on Call and that we in fact repudiate every last stitch of the RNC platform and the grotesque that is their nominee.
–Science is science.
–Coal is not clean.
–Black Lives Matter.
–LGBTQ = equal.
–Separation of church and state (still a good idea)
We could go on.
We have Republican friends, family members, and fans, and we love them all. What we reject is what their party has come to stand for. But in keeping with Musicians on Call’s message, we believe in the gathering power of music. With that spirit we don’t step back from our audience wherever or whomever they are.
Warmly, your friends in 3eb.

Check out some tweets from the show: