rock and roll
One positive trend of the current election is that finally, finally, finally, the Oregon state Democratic Party has pushed aside Art Alexakis, front man for the band Everclear, as the major celebrity rock man for youth outreach. I am pretty sure that Art Alexakis — with or without Everclear, a band that I guess is malleable anyway – has toured every college in Oregon since 1996 with the Democratic candidates in tow, sponsored by College Democrats — and sang their hit songs interspersed with the politicians’ speeches. I’m sure the one I saw, in 2000, was the high-light of this side-career of Alexakis’s — he invited a confrontation with some Naderite protestors. It’s all downhill from that, and come to think of it it’s all downhill for Alexakis’s career — a big thing in the middle 90s, not so much today.
Alexakis’s role came largely due to a lack of anyone else to fit the role. I think the torch has been passed — maybe for a brief tenure, maybe for a longer tenure — to Storm Large, recent contestant on the reality program and rockized version of American Idol — Rockstar Supernova. She made a robo-call on behalf of Ted Kulongoski.
You must always find your way to change. The Youth need something Fresh and New, you know.