Unless you’ve been under a rock for the last couple of months, then you know that the United States’ midterm elections will be held on Tuesday, November 6th, 2018. Midterms are held during the middle of the presidents current term of service — hence, “miderms” — and they are elections for the House and Senate, as well as governors.

So while we may not be voting for a new president just yet, the representatives that we put into office will really affect how “easy” the last two years of President Trump’s current term is.

So, yeah, you could say that midterms are pretty important.

To get in the spirit, I have created a top ten list of politically-motivated songs that I love and inspire me to get out and vote.

“Happy Judgement Day” by Neck Deep

“Happy Judgement Day” comes off of Neck Deep’s third studio album The Peace and The Panic. Hailing from Wales, UK, the pop punk band took their political stance on the political climate of the world shortly after the election of U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Theresa May.

There’s a strong, sarcastic tone throughout this song, seen in lyrics like “Oh, what a time to be alive! / Wake up and smell the dynamite.”

Themes that are touched upon include reliance on our phone screens, Brexit, the infamous Wall, and worshiping celebrities. There’s a lot touched on, but considering the enormity of what Judgement Day is supposed to be, it’s fitting to touch on that many themes.

The songs overarching opinion is that ultimately, we are f**ked, and we did this to ourselves.

“Building walls / dropping bombs / stop the world, I’m getting off / oh we almost had it / then we pissed it all away.” 

“Everyone Lies To Me” by Knuckle Puck

This track comes off of their latest release Shapeshifter. While the album in its entirety isn’t a political album, this track is one that comments on the nature of our current government.

The lyrics comment on how our current generation is undoubtedly listening to what the government is telling us, and how they make up our minds for us. There are lyrics in here that can’t be taken as anything but political — for example, “They’ll cut tax for crooked and corporate” and “Cause education only taught you what they want you to know.”

It’s on the angstier side of pop-punk, something that I’ve always really enjoyed about Knuckle Puck.

“Hands Held High” by Linkin Park

This song came off of their 2007 album Minutes to Midnight, and this track has always hit me right in the gut. The song criticizes rich men and politicians who use their power to further themselves in life.

There’s much speculation that this song directly comments on the Bush Patriot Act, by saying that Bush was taking away freedoms entitled to us as Americans.

Other parts of the song comment directly on the War on Terror, and certain scenarios that were happening in Iraq and Afghanistan.

What I like most about this song is not only the lyricism, but the simple snare drum beat that follows it. It reminds me of something that a marching band would play — and I’m sure it’s meant to sound like something a soldier would march to.

“Hero of War” by Rise Against

This acoustic track is always heartbreaking to listen to. The song follows a Iraq veteran looking back on the hardships that he endured during war.

The lyrics allude to a couple different situations, one of them being the human rights violations committed by American troops against detainees in Iraq.

“We took him away / A bag over his face / From his family and his friends / They took off his clothes / They pissed in his hands / I told them to stop / But then I joined in / We beat him with guns / And batons not just once / But again and again”

Another situation that arises is a woman or child that walks out during a firefight and how the narrator has to shoot them down, as they don’t know if they are an innocent bystander or a suicide bomber.

The song is meant to showcase the heartbreaking situations that our soldiers go through overseas, and to hopefully persuade people to not support the War on Terror.

“Dear Mr. President” by P!nk

P!nk is one of my favorite vocalists, and songs like this play a huge reason as to why that is. This song is so underrated.

This song acts as P!nk’s open letter to the president, who, at the time, was George W. Bush. The lyrics comment on the War on Terror, No Child Left Behind Act, the disapproval of homosexuality, lack of empathy for the poor, and Bush’s strong religious beliefs.

The lyrics are posed as questions, such as “How do you sleep while the rest of us cry? / How do you dream when a mother has no chance to say goodbye?”

It’s a really moving song that stands the test of time; many comments on the YouTube video of this song suggest that President Trump have a listen.

“Still Waiting” by Sum 41

This song has a sick guitar riff that takes off in the beginning, which really drives this powerful anthem.

The song opens up with “So am I / still waiting / for this world to stop hating?”

Vocalist Deryck Whibley said in an interview with MTV back in 2002 that this song isn’t just about the war on terrorism, but “. . .the war on everything. It’s about the world as we know it.” He also said that the song was heavily inspired by the events of 9/11.

“American Idiot” by Green Day

Who would I be if I didn’t include “American Idiot?” This entire album of the same name was a concept album during the time of George W. Bush’s reelection in 2004. The song was heavily inspired by his politics, 9/11, and the War on Terror.

This song also comments on the affects that the media has on consumers, especially in the post 9/11 period where Americans were on edge.

This song is an absolute banger, in case you haven’t heard.

“A World Divided” by Our Last Night

This song doesn’t comment on politics the same way that the others on this list have, but it still shows a strong point of view: we are divided amongst ourselves by the color of our skin and our beliefs.

“Divided by the colors / Split by our beliefs / Forced against each other / nothing’s as it seems / But between white walls, we could forget it all / The fear would fade, we could start to change / A world divided and afraid”

I think it takes a good approach and is a little bit more timeless than the rest of the picks on this list. Segregation has always been an issue in our society and the way that we see each other.

“20 Dollar Nose Bleed” by Fall Out Boy

One of my favorite things about Fall Out Boy is that their lyrics are very much left up to interpretation — this song is no exception.

The song mostly refers to a drug called Benzedrine, an amphetamine that is known for causing nosebleeds. But there’s also some political references in the second verse:

“It feels like fourteen carats but no clarity / When I look at the man who would be king / The man who would be king / Goes to the desert, the same war his dad rehearsed / Came back with flags on coffins and said / “‘We won, oh we won!’”

It’s been speculated that this verse is about George W. Bush in his president-elect state (looking like fourteen carats but no clarity) and going to the same war that his dad had (George H. W. Bush also went to war in the middle east during his presidency).

“Imagine” by John Lennon

To close out this list, I figured I would bring back this gem. This has got to be one of the most political songs of all time, perhaps. This song came out by former Beatles member John Lennon in 1971. It was very anti-war, this war being the one in Vietnam at the time.

The lyrics are asking the listener to just imagine what life would be like with no religion, no countries, no possessions. It’s a really interesting thought. The simple piano that flows throughout the piece carries the lyrics from one verse to the next.

It’s a sugar-coated, optimistic, hopeful song. That’s something that we might need more of sometimes.

I hope you enjoyed my picks! Let me know what yours are!

The post Jen’s Top Ten’s: Favorite Political Songs appeared first on KRUI Radio.

American Idiot follows Johnny (Aaron Brewer), Tunny (Sage Spiker), and Will (Skyler Matthias), three angsty youths who – sick of pop-culture controlled suburban life – decide to break out of their mundane lives and take control of their destinies.

Each main character makes his own personal journey throughout the show. Johnny escapes the suburban hell he’s trapped in and finds love in the form of Whatsername (Niki-Charisse Franco), only to lose everything to drugs. Tunny deserts Johnny to join the military. He is quickly injured and spends his rehabilitation and had a great experience then falling in love with his nurse, The Extraordinary Girl (Madeline Asher). Will never escapes. He decides to stay back and care for his pregnant girlfriend, Heather (Maya Bassuk), who eventually leaves him for a cooler, newer man. At the end, the three men are reunited. Tunny with a new girlfriend, and Will and Johnny with new perspectives on life.

As a huge Green Day fan, I enjoyed the musical/rock opera. Do I wish there had been a more concrete plot? Yes. Do I wish there had been more real dialogue? Hell yes. Are either of those things at the fault of the department? Absolutely not. Every person involved in this production – whether they were part of the artistic team, cast, band, performance crew, scenery and props, electrics, costumes, or production staff – did a great job bringing this show to life.

That’s not to say there weren’t a few hiccups here and there. A shaky opening number does not a comfortable audience make. Brewer was able to get his vocal back on track relatively quickly, but an opening like that tends to leave a bad taste in your mouth – er, ears.

I could go on about the instances of pitchy vocals, the technical acting oopsies, and the missing chemistry that made me die a little on the inside, but I won’t. There was so much that impressed me about this performance that I don’t want to waste time nitpicking.

I happened to be sitting next to what I can only describe as a, “mini-stage.” Basically, it was a decently-sized piece of stage set up right at the end of the first five rows. Throughout the show, many performers hopped on and entertained from the unique space. The character frequenting the mini-stage the most was Tunny.

Major props to Sage Spiker for playing guitar and singing six feet away from me. I was staring at him and scribbling furiously in my notebook.

While I’m administering props, I’d like to acknowledge the following:

• Further props to Spiker for doing such a great job on the silks during “Extraordinary Girl”
• Also props to Madeline Asher for her work on the silks
• Super props to Brewer, Spiker, and anyone in the Company for being able to play the guitar. Such a great element of the show
• And really, props to all the guys who ended up in their underwear on stage and kept it down, especially the one who had women feeling him up the whole time. I’ve been told this isn’t difficult to do, but I remain impressed

Back to Tunny. I think one of my favorite parts of the show was being so close to Spiker while he played the guitar and sang. He was so connected to his character the whole time, and getting to watch and hear him so closely was truly a pleasure.

Franco also provided a spectacular performance of her character. Because I did a ton of research on the show beforehand, Whatsername had become my favorite character. Niki-Charisse Franco, you definitely did her justice. What a gorgeous voice, and what amazing intensity and depth she brought to the role. She was absolutely perfect. Post script props to both Franco and Brewer for their on-stage sex scene. It was a little short lived, but they played it honestly without making it too uncomfortable.

And now for my favorite, St. Jimmy (Christopher Matheson). St. Jimmy is Johnny’s drug-addict/dealer alter ego. He kick starts Johnny’s descent into addiction, and ultimately stands in the way of Johnny’s happiness with Whatsername. St. Jimmy becomes so central to Johnny’s life that, after a while, Johnny is never seen without St. Jimmy close behind.

Matheson brought so much flair to the role that I was reminded of Dr. Frankenfurter from Rocky Horror Picture Show. Matheson made the character his own and emitted a kind of sexiness in the unapologetic attitude of the character. “I’m a bitch and I’m fucking up your life, but goddammit I love what I do.” Matheson even carried this attitude through St. Jimmy’s “death” scene.

While I’m on St. Jimmy, let me just say that the giant puppet was amazing. I was in awe. For those who didn’t attend, a large-scale puppet made out of paper mache and fabric and dressed like St. Jimmy was brought out during the number (I believe – the musical numbers tended to run together) “Know Your Enemy.”

As it loomed over Johnny, coming closer and closer, enveloping him in the murky embrace of addiction…There really is no eloquent way to put this. I lost my shit. It was cool. I sat there and had my mind blown because there was giant version of the most rock ‘n’ roll musical villain I’d ever seen taking up half of the stage area. I don’t care if you hate Green Day. I don’t care if you think it’s devil music. The musical is worth seeing just for that puppet, if nothing else.

This production was fantastic. So much talent was showcased, and I’m very excited to see what these actors, artists, technicians, and production staffers do in the future.

For more information on the Theatre Department, tickets, and their upcoming shows and events, visit their website.

The post Show Review: American Idiot appeared first on KRUI Radio.