During his recent performances at the Red Rocks Amphitheater, Bassnectar took time out to address American political culture, and to call out members of the Republican party, specifically Dick Cheney and Jeb Bush:
“The whole system that we live in drills into us that we are powerless, that we are weak, that our society is evil, that it’s fragmented that it’s severed and so forth. It’s all a big fat lie. We are powerful, beautiful and extraordinary. There is no reason why we cannot understand where we are going, there is no reason why the average individual cannot be fully empowered. We are incredibly powerful beings!”
As if the masses of bassheads who heard the message in Colorado wasn’t enough, Bassnectar’s protest against ‘the machine’ has gone viral. The video of the performance recently posted on YouTube is difficult to see and understand. This 2008 clip offers a better copy of the visuals that accompanied the statement, and quote from American comedian, Bill Hicks:
“Life’s like a ride in an amusement park; and when you go on it you think it’s real, because that’s how powerful our minds are. And the ride goes up and down and ’round and ’round. It has thrills, and chills, and it’s very brightly coloured. And it’s very loud, and it’s fun for a while. Some have been on the ride for a long time and they begin to question, ‘is this real, or is it just a ride?’ And other people have remembered, and they come back to us and they say, ‘hey, don’t worry, don’t be afraid ever. ‘Cause this is just a ride.’ And we kill those people, ‘Shut him up, I’ve got a lot invested in this ride, Shut him up!’ Look at my furrows of worry. Look at my big bank account and my family. This has to be real… It’s just a ride … But we’ll kill those good guys that try and tell us that, you ever notice that? And let the daemons run em up; but it doesn’t matter, ’cause it’s just a ride and we can change it anytime we want. It’s only a choice, no effort, no work, no job, no savings of money, just a choice right now: between fear…and love.”
Bassnectar put his own twist on the images, adding the below photos of former Vice President, Dick Cheney, and 2016 Presidential Candidate, Jeb Bush, to his Red Rocks show. Colorado is about as Liberal as it gets.
