Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton Join Forces For Rally In New Hampshire
By Matt Harper
As I write this, rain is pouring down on Western New Hampshire. But this torrential downpour held off for a few hours this afternoon so that a historic union could take place in the sleepy town of Unity, New Hampshire. Of course, I’m talking about of the joint appearance of Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator/presidential hopeful Barack Obama. The two Democratic candidates ran a primary battle for close to a year and half, and with Obama recently stepping up as the presumptive Democratic nominee, there’s been a fair amount of speculation as to when and how the Democratic party would unify.
Well, the answer is here: June 27, 2008, in Unity, New Hampshire. You couldn’t really ask for a more blatantly symbolic spot for Hillary and Barack to take the stage together. Apart from its name, the minuscule town near the Vermont border was the place where both Democratic candidates received 107 votes apiece during the state primary in January.
As expected, the event was heavily attended and obsessively orchestrated by an army of college-age Obama volunteers. While I waited in the approximately half-mile-long line to get into the event, I was offered fresh-picked strawberries by a lady moving up and down the line, was warned by another lady that Barack was a Muslim and should be avoided at all costs, and had about 10 separate petitioners warn me that MoveOn.org is funded by George Soros, who had apparently made millions from investments in Halliburton. I could tell right away that this event had brought out a diverse crop of passionate New Englanders.
The rally itself was straightforward and well-orchestrated, despite starting late to account for the huge number of attendees and heightened security. But the unexpected heat and humidity from the impending rain left the crowd antsy. I saw two people pass out in the crowd, and I overheard a visibly sweaty mother beside me try to convince her two teenage children that they should just “go up the street and watch the rest of the event on TV.”
So after an hour-long parade of local politicians (a governor, a senate hopeful, and an “honorary mayor” who was an admitted, albeit apologetic, Republican), Obama and Clinton finally took the stage together (in noticeably matching blue outfits) amid wild applause and sign-waving. Senator Clinton spoke first and had a calm, surprisingly funny demeanor, joking about how great America was the last time we had a Democrat in the Oval Office — wink, wink — and wouldn’t it be great if that happened again? She was humble but inspiring, even next to the charismatic Obama. She closed her endorsement speech urging for party and national unity — and encouraged all of her supporters (especially the ones who threatened to jump ship if she didn’t get the nom) to put their votes behind Obama.
As Clinton closed her speech, the crowd chanted “Thank you, Hillary!” over and over — until a smiling Obama took the mic and wittily commented that the crowd must have peeked at his speech because they all knew his first line. Obama waited for the crowd noise to die down a bit, and then sang Clinton’s praises, encouraging party unity by noting, “We need the Clintons — not just me, but America.” Once he was done with his thank-yous and his praise of all things Clinton, Obama rolled out his standard policy speech. No surprises there — but to anyone present, it was clear that this day in Unity marked a milestone for the Democratic party, and for the election itself.
The big question, of course, is: Were these two front-running Democrats laying the groundwork for a joint Obama-Clinton ticket for the November election? There were no clear allusions to that, but Obama and Clinton certainly looked happy and comfortable up there together, and they can definitely draw a crowd.
Will Gas Prices Keep You From Making That Radiohead Road Trip?
There’s nothing better in the summer than going to an outdoor festival and enjoying live music under the stars, but jacked-up gas prices could put an end to that warm-weather tradition.
Higher prices at the pump mean less spending money — so is that going to keep you from seeing your favorite act onstage this summer?
As Phish Reunion Talk Heats Up, Pianist Page McConnell Says They’ll ‘Look At Possible Futures’ Together
By Alex Shapiro
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It might be time to grow those dreads back and unpack your tie-dyed Ts, because a Phish reunion might be on the way.
Reunion rumors began to swirl on Internet message boards a month ago, after Rolling Stone published an article in which Phish frontman Trey Anastasio hinted at his desire to bring the band back together. Anastasio (who recently completed a drug-treatment program stemming from his December 2006 prescription-drug arrest) has been recording with longtime writing partner and friend Tom Marshall, at his recording studio in Saratoga Springs, New York. In an interview with PopMatters.com, Marshall poured more fuel on the rumors. “Trey wants Phish to come back,” he said. And when all of the members showed up at the Jammies in May to accept their lifetime achievement award, talk continued.
The buzz has gotten so loud that one bandmember has finally gone on the record: Phish pianist Page McConnell posted an open letter on the band’s Web site on Thursday. McConnell says of his ex-bandmates, “I can honestly say that I’m closer with all of them now than I’ve ever been in our 20-year relationship.” He goes on to say that since they all have projects currently in the works, “the announcement of a reunion is premature.” But he says they plan on getting together “to take a look at what possible futures we might enjoy.”
For Phish fans, it’s good news (and as close to an announcement as you’re going to get until THE announcement). Page ends his letter with some wise words of advice: “Try not to focus too much on secondhand sources and random gossip. If there is anything real to announce, it will come from the four of us as a group.” So, it’s not yet the return of Phish, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed, because, as they say, where there’s smoke, there’s fire (or something you can burn, anyway).
Do you want to see a Phish reunion? Tell us what you think!
Chromeo Introduce Us To The Wonderful, Time-Sucking ‘Yo Gabba Gabba!’
By Steven Roberts and Rya Backer
If this picture doesn’t have you crying out, “Awesome!” then it’s sure to have you scratching your head and asking what the hell is going on. It had us, among other things, very much intrigued. Just what are Chromeo up to? Why are they rocking out with a yellow robot, a red cyclops and a green monster? (We also wondered, Why aren’t we?)
It’s a promotional shot for the Montreal dance duo’s upcoming appearance on “Yo Gabba Gabba!” But what’s that, you ask? Here are some important details: “YGG!” is a children’s television series on Nick Jr. and Noggin that debuted at the end of 2006. It’s a mix of live action, animated sketches and musical performances — a powerful combination known to yield joy from the preschool set and melted faces from the not-so-young. The show is hosted by human DJ Lance Rock and also features robot Plex, cyclops Muno and little green monster Brobee.
So why would a show on Nick Jr. have a guest appearance by Chromeo? It turns out the show has a history of strange music cameos, including the Shins, Shiny Toy Guns and Biz Markie. (Well, who doesn’t want to hang with the Biz?) “Sesame Street” has featured music guests for years; Stevie Wonder, R.E.M., LL Cool J and ‘NSYNC have all hung out on the fabled stoop. But P-Thugg ain’t no Stevie. Needless to say, whatever magical land “Yo Gabba Gabba!” takes place in is tremendously far from Sesame Street.
“YGG!” has its own over-the-top aesthetic, thanks to co-creator Christian Jacobs. He’s the lead singer of ska band the Aquabats, who dress as superheroes and fight evil through music … obviously. Parental-advisory-stickered albums to children’s show may seem like a strange progression, but the rocker is part of a wave of artists working tirelessly to make hip kids’ entertainment that doesn’t involve Raffi. And check out designer-toy retailer Kidrobot’s line of “YGG!”-inspired, mostly adult-sized clothing.
Now, the biggest question of all: Why wasn’t this show on when we were little? Sure, we would have forever yearned for something to match it as we grew older — something brought to you by the letters L, S and D — but it would’ve been worth it. Despite its intended demographic, we found ourselves watching clips on YouTube all day — mostly of Nathaniel dancing. Just look at the passion in his face! Have you ever felt such joy whilst cutting a rug?
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