Third Eye Blind Takes a Stand Against Republican Views at Concert Near RNC

By Nathan Glover --
21 Jul 2016 --

Rock band Third Eye Blind lectures Republican attendees about Science and LGBT rights during Cleveland concert.

Third Eye Blind, the American rock band that has sold over 12 million records worldwide, recently performed a charity gig for the Musicians on Call at Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A lot of Republicans were also in the area for the 2016 Republican National Convention going on at the Quicken Loans Arena. The rock band did not miss the opportunity to take a jab at the Republican Party and its several members in the audience. Third Eye Blind's lead singer Stephan Jenkins openly condemned the Republican ideologies and started blasting the GOP.

Third Eye Blind Takes a Stand Against Republican Views at Concert Near RNC[/tweetthis]

Jenkins shouted at the audience to raise their hands if they believe in science, to intentionally antagonize the conservative Republicans. Also, instead of playing any of their hit songs, the band mostly played their lesser-known songs. They also promoted LGBT rights on stage. The audience, obviously not pleased, started booing. Jenkins defiantly told them that they could boo all they want, however, he was the artist performing on top of the stage.

The lead sponsors of the charity gig were RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) and AT&T. Musicians On Call, the non-profit organization that brings recorded and live music to patients in healthcare centers. Many of the concert attendees were Republican Party members.

The one hit song the band played was from the 90s, called “Jumper,” a song inspired by Jenkin's gay friend's suicide. Before playing the song, Jenkins told the audience “To love this song is to take into your heart the message and to actually, actually have a feeling to arrive and move forward and to not live your life in fear and imposing that fear on other people.”

Jenkins elaborated “To engage with that song means that you are participating in the belief system that all people are equal and deserving of dignity and protection, which is not what the Republican platform is. They think my gay cousin should be in conversion therapy.”

After the concert, one attendee took to Twitter and tweeted her disappointment with the band, to which the band responded by replying “good.”

@LWhiteGRLprob good
— Third Eye Blind (@ThirdEyeBlind) July 20, 2016

In 2012, the band was invited to play at the Republican National Convention, however, they declined, stating that the Republican National Convention is a public sales pitch, and everyone has to deliver a script. Playing at the convention is a tacit endorsement of the GOP presidential candidate.

Although previously stating that he does not believe in God, Jenkins asserted, “But I’m a big believer in praying, and I’m a believer in singing. So it’s an opportunity to sing and pray, and I like that a lot. I think religion is a bunch of hooey, and I think that the holidays are an opportunity for people to get stressed out, getting their rush to shop. It’s so conformist.”

Way to go @ThirdEyeBlind. This is fantastic. "Who here believes in science?" Republicans: "BOOOOO". https://t.co/rmocB6xOCK
— Chris Eng (@chriseng) July 20, 2016

Third Eye Blind often has politically charged song lyrics. 2008’s “Non-Dairy Creamer” also touches on LGBT rights and hypocrisy with lines about a gay couple’s marriage crushing their family and hypocritical phrases such as “young gay republicans.” The song was inspired by hypocrisy in headlines and Jenkins’ involvement in a grass roots campaign supporting then Senator Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign.