Ever since I heard the do da doo doo song (Semi-Charmed Life for the well-informed), I’ve been hooked on Third Eye Blind. There were at their peak, in terms of popularity and music quality, during my most formative years. Yet, despite years of trying, I was never able to see them in concert. They haven’t released a CD since 2003, and didn’t tour much. When I found out that they were playing at Loyola University in Chicago, a mere 30 minute El ride from Northwestern, I was pumped. I gladly dropped my $10 for a ticket and packed into a gym that couldn’t have been much larger than my high school’s. It probably was the best concert I have ever been to. The playlist was perfect and the crowd was buzzing.

And then, for me, it all came crashing down.

In the middle of the set, lead singer Stephen Jenkins stops to address the audience. I won’t pretend that Jenkins isn’t a weird guy. After all, the band’s name is not a reference to genitalia (minds out of the gutter!), but to a mind’s eye. If I had paid attention in my high school AP English class, I probably could understand and analyze it better. Anyway, this is what I remember of Jenkin’s conversation with the masses:

“Let’s be one tonight, okay? You and me. Let’s be one. We feed off of the energy and you fuel us. You have fueled us to make a new album and we are way excited about it…

I love being in Chicago (crowd cheers)

Chicago is home to great fans (cheering)

Chicago is home to great music (cheering)

Chicago is home to the next president (crowd goes INSANE with cheering)”

Alright, so Jenkins is an Obama supporter. That’s cool…I guess. Do I think he should have used his fame to publicize his views? Not really. If there was any ambiguity about how we felt about politics, he removed it with a song from the new album, Non-Dairy Creamer.

Some of the highlights from the lyrics, in case you couldn’t pick them up:

“Young Republicans” and “Mission Accomplished” are repeated over and over again.

“…And the pastor in the pulpit is a bigot and a liar” may be my favorite line. I really hope he understands that this lyric fits Rev. Jeremiah Wright as well as any religious in the free world, Joel Osteen included.

Jeremiah Wright: bigot AND a liar Joel Osteen: only a bigot

Alright, so here’s my problem: why does Jenkins need to be political? Why is it important for him to bash the hell out of everyone to the right of Barack Obama? Is this necessary? Does the band not accept that it is one of the most famous 90s alt rock bands because of its ability to generate catchy tunes and stadium anthems?

More generally, I take issue with those who use their fame as a political pulpit. Jenkins is certainly not the only one. Eminem’s “Mosh” launched arrows on the Bush administration. Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn, Leo DiCaprio, and countless other stars have made highly political remarks at movie premieres/awards shows/other non-political venues. Marshall Mathers is not a multi-millionaire because of his keen understanding of the (in)feasibility of neoconservatism. Jenkins does not have platinum-albums because people really want to know how he interprets the success of foreign policy objectives.

I rationalize my right to spread my political views here because I have defined this site as a political one. It would be inappropriate for me to showcase my singing skills, or lack thereof, here. I may be old-school, but I think that people should stick to what they know and not overextend themselves. Jenkins’ ability to intelligently debate the Bush tax cuts is presumably more pathetic, and ridiculous, than Michael Jordan’s foray into baseball.

I am not, and will not, prevent free speech. If stars want to spread their views, that is their choice. At the end of the day, I just think it’s pointless and manipulative. The sad truth is that people will vote for Obama because some rock star said to (think: groupies, with less sexual misconduct). I’m not sure what I’m more disappointed in: Jenkins’ arrogance or his fans’ ignorance.