The Strokes turned heads on Coachella’s second weekend when they closed their Saturday night performance with an unexpected political statement that divided music fans and sparked widespread debate online.
The Strokes spark controversy with a political montage at Coachella
The New York rock band performed a series of powerful visuals in the final moments of their set, featuring images and information about historical figures associated with alleged US foreign policy interventions.
The montage included former Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh and Congolese independence leader Patrice Lumumba, whose ouster was linked to US involvement in the leaked documents.
The presentation also touched on current issues and showed footage related to the verdict in the 1999 civil trial involving the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. More strikingly, the visuals highlighted the destruction of more than 30 Iranian universities following airstrikes since late February and showed images of the last functioning university in Gaza, which was destroyed during the 2023 conflict, which destroyed all 19 university campuses in the territory.
Frontman Julian Casablancas, who has a history of activism including signing a pro-Palestinian letter in the past, kept his comments on stage relatively brief. Ahead of promoting the band’s upcoming album, due out in June, he poked fun at the design, letting the visuals largely speak for themselves.
The Internet’s reaction
Audience reactions were immediate and varied. Some viewers described the montage as impressive, with one reaction writing: “That’s crazy. Hats off to those moves. That was powerful (sic).” Another comment said: “Strokes rage against the machine at Coachella. Say hello! (sic)”
Others suggested the group was taking a risk by presenting such material at a major event, with one post noting: “The Strokes used their Coachella set to show CIA and Gaza coup footage. They’ll probably never be invited back and they knew it (sic).”
Other reactions highlighted the setting itself. “Showing it at Coachella is so important (sic),” read one comment, while another said: “For those who missed it: this was the moment The Strokes made sure they would never set foot on Coachella again! So proud of them #Strokeschella (sic).”
The moment has since sparked a wider online debate about the role of political expression at music festivals, particularly large commercial events like Coachella.
