The Strokes x Kina Collins: a concert for Congress.
Congressional candidate Kina Collins’s latest fundraising effort included a riveting performance by The Strokes.
photo taken by Amy Toroxel.
March 8th was Kina Collins’s birthday, and the congressional candidate threw herself quite the party. The Strokes took the stage at Credit Union 1 Arena alongside three other musical acts in an effort to help raise funds for Collins’s campaign to represent the 7th District of Illinois in Congress.
Before we get into the details of the event, here are some insights into Collins’s campaigns (past and present) from UChicago first-year Lucas Kult-Banout:
Kina Collins is a progressive running against long time incumbent Danny Davis, who has represented Chicago’s 7th congressional district for 27 years. In 2022, I served as Kina’s campaign videographer and photographer (this is her 3rd time challenging Davis). Some of the most powerful moments of the campaign took place in the predominantly Black West and South sides of Chicago. On the trail, we talked with nurses, public school teachers, artists, and activists, all who had lived in Chicago for their entire lives. Many of the voters we talked to had old ties to Danny Davis, and although people were proud of their communities, they thought that violence was only getting worse. Enter Kina Collins, a young and determined activist from the West Side with a track record of making things happen. Voters repeatedly said that, while they appreciated what Davis had done when he was first in office, they believed it was time for a change. I had the honor of becoming friends with Kina, and I know that interactions with everyday people were her fuel; fighting for these communities was her ultimate goal. Illinois’ Governor Pritzker, Senators Duckworth and Durbin, and President Biden all endorsed Davis. He won in 2022 by a slim margin of 7 percent. That 7 percent is the difference between the status quo politics my district has had for far too long and the new, genuine leadership Kina would have brought to the table. 2 years later, election day approaches again, and Kina’s campaign has been building momentum.
Now, onto the event itself. Music is known to be a great uniting force, and the aim of Kina’s fundraiser was to harness that energy. Collins brought together a group of talented musicians in hopes of encouraging an energetic audience to get out there and vote, and The Strokes were the perfect choice to headline given both their popularity and frontman Julian Cabasblancas’s historic passion for progressive politics.
The night began with sweet melodies by Nigerian American singer Uwade. She played a series of gentle songs which consisted of just her vocals and guitar—a simple way to start the evening. And not only was the sound of Uwade’s music heartfelt, but its message was too, as she performed “The Man Who Sees Tomorrow,” a piece inspired by her late father. It was an extremely unique opportunity for Uwade—her first opportunity to perform on such a big stage—and she embraced it wonderfully with an inviting combination of passion and composure.
The vibe changed quickly when NNAMDI, another Nigerian American with an extremely unique style, took the stage. Uwade’s calm demeanor was briskly replaced by erratic zeal. While NNAMDI’s recorded music is relatively soft and slow, the artist put on a live performance far more reminiscent of the likes of Rage Against the Machine. NNAMDI was running and jumping around the stage, yelling, and slowly flying off the rails, transforming his soft avant-pop pieces into hard-hitting, riff-heavy, quasi-nu metal renditions. While NNAMDI’s performance was undoubtedly flustered and confusing at times, it did certainly raise the energy in the building.
The last of the three opening acts was energetic indie band Beach Bunny led by vocalist Lili Trifilio. Best known for their viral hits “Prom Queen” and “Cloud 9,” Beach Bunny brought yet another distinct vibe to the stage: a bright, feel-good mood which was clearly influenced by their bedroom pop roots. Their setlist consisted of a whole slate of fun songs, including their most popular tracks as well as other pieces we had never heard before. The entire band played extremely well, both instrumentally and vocally, showing their relative maturity when compared to the smaller artists Uwade and NNAMDI. And Trifilio did well to energize the crowd—it was two hours in and the night seemed to be dragging on, but Beach Bunny excited nonetheless.
After the opening acts, Kina Collins took the stage, trailed by her family holding a cake and singing happy birthday. The 33 year old showed her love for Chicago, emphasizing that she doesn’t come from an established political family; her parents are Black union manufacturing workers from the West Side of Chicago. Kina noted that machine politicians, including Danny Davis, have dismissed her as trying to do too much. Recognizing that people are ready for a change, Kina invigorated the crowd with calls for student loan forgiveness and women’s reproductive rights, starting a chant: “they’ve got money, we’ve got people!” She encouraged people to organize and get out the vote in the approaching March 19th democratic primary.
Finally, it was time for The Strokes. After nearly three hours of opening acts and speeches, many fans were eager to see the band that they came for. The alt/indie rock outfit began with “Selfless,” one of the most popular songs off of their latest 2020 studio album The New Abnormal. Despite the song’s relatively slow pace, it was a wonderful sing-along opener to begin their set. And it was a well-rounded set which included many of their best songs, old and new. “The Adults Are Talking” got the entire crowd jumping and singing along with the song's incredibly catchy guitar line and muted vocals. And older classics such as “Last Nite,” “Is This It,” “Someday,” and “The Way It Is” inspired similar enthusiasm from the passionate crowd.
photo taken by Amy Toroxel.
The Strokes brought an electric energy building, likely due to everyone's mounting anticipation to see them. The instrumentals of the band were extremely principled—bassist Nikolai Fraiture and drummer Fabrizio Moretti laid a solid foundation upon which guitarists Nick Valensi and Albert Hammong Jr. perfectly executed their iconic guitar lines. Lead singer Julian Casablancas’s vocals were…well…very characteristic of him, meaning there was lots of muted murmuring and some questionable improvised lines. There were a few uncomfortable moments during the set due to Casablancas's drunken mumbling, whether he was talking about his alcoholic “elixir” or urging the audience to go vote for Kina. But Casablancas delivered nonetheless, bringing the trademark (albeit slightly awkward) energy that is integral to The Strokes’ identity.
The final song of The Strokes’ short, 45 minute set was “Reptilia,” the most popular song from their 2003 album Room on Fire. It was one of the most energetic moments of the night, despite being nearly four hours into the event. The song’s iconic opening bassline and guitar riff got the entire crowd jumping while green and white lights flashed erratically behind the band, and the fans shouting the lyrics to the chorus drowned out Casablancas’s singing. “Reptilia” was the perfect way to end the night, as the band left the stage with a bang that was well worth the wait.
Overall, Kina Collins’s music-filled fundraiser was extremely lively and entertaining, but only time will tell if the candidate’s efforts were successful as the March 19th primary elections draw closer. And yes, The Strokes’ set was short, and we all probably would have appreciated more stage time from the band, but their performance was electric as they stood in support of Kina Collins’s valiant congressional campaign.
edited by Alex Oder.
photos taken by Amy Toroxel.