Music

Bernie Sanders Saying Band Names In His Thick Accent Is Now A Huge Meme

Hearing Bernie Sanders thanking "the Joyce Manor Band" for their music has filled me up with joy.

by Joseph Earp  3 March 2020
Bernie Sanders musician meme

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Indie musicians love Bernie Sanders.

It’s not so surprising as to why. The contemporary music industry is rife with exploitation of all kinds — your favourite bands spend their time hauling gear from venue to venue, living on peanuts, while massive streaming services like Spotify make all the money.

Sanders’ healthcare plan, his emphasis on saving the environment, his understanding of working class struggles, and his socialist outlook make him the ideal candidate for all who have been exploited, and who dream for better.

The musicians that have rolled out to support Sanders are therefore many and varied, ranging from Ricky Martin to the notoriously reclusive Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel, who endorsed the Vermont-born nominee for President via an email to his supporters.

Notably, a number of musicians have shown their support for the Senator’s Presidential bid by playing at his rallies. So far, everyone from indie punkers Joyce Manor to acclaimed singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus have used their profile to draw younger voters to the cause.

And in the process, we have been gifted that rarest of pleasures — Bernie Sanders saying the names of beloved indie bands in his distinctive Vermont accent. Here’s him thanking young indie game-changer Soccer Mommy, for instance:

Here he is shouting out “The Joyce Manor Band”:

And here he is shouting out “the Lucy Dacus Band”:

This new wave of clips has in turn prompted a series of wonderful Sanders music memes, including but not limited to, the man dancing to some of your favourite indie pop hits:

And Bernie reciting the lyrics to the Talking Heads hit ‘Once In A Lifetime’ in that distinctive drawl:

Truly, he is the man of the people.