May The Best Band Win

I'm beginning to think that the only artist who approved of his music being used at the Republican National Convention was Enzo Morricone, the Italian composer who came up with Clint Eastwood's signature theme song for his "spaghetti western" persona. Just imagine poor Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan, trying to relate to the audience in Tampa by touting his Ipod content - from AC/DC to Led Zeppelin - as well as his long standing affection for Rage Against The Machine, only to have his favorite band immediately turn their "rage" on him. Other rockers who cried foul over the GOP using their output included Twisted Sister's Dee Snyder, Tom Petty and even the mother of Thin Lizzie's lead singer Phil Lynott. This would be like Leonardo DaVinci preventing anyone from seeing the Mona Lisa unless they agreed with his politics. Art for art's sake - right?

On the other side of the spectrum, it was definitely different to see the Foo Fighters perform at the Democratic National Convention just hours before President Barack Obama's keynote speech, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. The lineup in Charlotte include James Taylor, Earth Wind & Fire, Mary J. Blige, Marc Anthony, Branford Marsalis, and even tireless Tony Bennett. It was obvious from the plethora of camera shots showing the delegates bumping to EWF'S "September" and rocking out with the Fighters that the music helped enhance the message.

The Republicans have long complained about President Obama's "celebrity" support, as if to say that Hollywood is filled with drug addicts, Communists, perverts, morally deficient sideshow freaks who are so brain damaged they can't understand the GOP's platform. It was oddly appropriate to see Clint Eastwood introducing Mitt Romney, as if the party was trying to prove it could attract movie stars as well. Eastwood made several comments that made it sound as if he would be burned at the stake by the rest of the industry for revealing his political philosophy, but it wasn't much of a secret anyway.

However, watching Clint's "empty chair" routine, I began to realize that - demographically speaking - he was an angry old white man introducing another angry old white man. It was even more unsettling to consider that some of the RNC's Top Ten artists are angry young white men. I really didn't want to generalize about either party's taste in music, but I couldn't help being a bit analytical. We are polarized enough in this country without me adding to it. Just make sure that, when you got to the polls, don't bring your Ipod!