The new spot, which was aired during NFL games on October 18, highlights the devastating impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on music venues across the country.
- October 20, 2020
AceShowbiz - The Beastie Boys have allowed officials at Joe Biden’s presidential campaign to use their classic hit "Sabotage" for one of the first times ever in a new ad.
The 1994 track featured in a new spot which aired during NFL (National Football League) games on Sunday, October 18, highlighting the devastating impact the pandemic has had on music venues across the U.S.
It features an interview with Joe Malcoun, the owner of The Blind Pig grassroots venue in Ann Arbor, Michigan, who slams "the reality of (President Donald) Trump's Covid response," noting, "We don't know how much longer we can survive without any revenue."
"A lot of restaurants and bars that have been mainstays for years will not make it through this," he adds. "For 50 years, The Blind Pig has been open and crowded, but right now, it's an empty room."
"This is Donald Trump's economy," he continues. "There is no plan and you don’t know how to go forward."
The Beastie Boys are known for being highly protective over the usage of their songs and last approved the use of "Sabotage" in a 2017 video game trailer.
A spokesperson for the Biden campaign said the Beastie Boys, who had "never licensed music for an ad until now," agreed to the use of "Sabotage" in the spot "because of the importance of the election."
The latest commercial comes after officials from The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) urged the White House and U.S. Congress to prevent a "mass collapse" of the live music industry.
