AOC and Bernie Sanders Surprise-Croduce the Strokes in Queens

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders made a surprise appearance Friday to introduce the Strokes before the band's concert at Flushing Meadows in Queens, New York — with Election Day just over a month away.

Both New York-born politicians praised the band's political stance before reminding the roughly 40,000 fans in the crowd to vote.

"The greatest city in the world is now welcoming the greatest rock band of our generation who have always been committed to a better future for all of us as we fight fascism and genocide, raise wages, and guarantee healthcare to everyone," Ocasio-Cortez told the crowd before bringing out the Vermont senator.

Sanders opened with a joke. "Well, I'm gonna sing a few songs. No, you wouldn't want to hear that," he said as he took the stage.

What did Sanders tell the crowd?

The senator then turned to the band's record of activism: "Look, I'm here tonight to thank the Strokes for not only being one of the great bands in the world, but — for years and years and coast to coast — for standing up for economic justice, fighting racism, understanding that healthcare is a human right, and understanding that we have all got to get out to vote to stand up to authoritarianism, and to win in November. And with that, it's my honor to introduce the Strokes."

Frontman Julian Casablancas answered with a joke of his own. "Fab, would you quit making out with Bernie Sanders? We got a show," he quipped, referring to drummer Fab Moretti, before the band launched into "Lonely in the Future."

Is this the first time the Strokes and Sanders have shared a stage?

No. The Strokes headlined a "Get Out the Vote" rally supporting Sanders during the New Hampshire primary in 2020, when the Vermont senator ran for the Democratic nomination.

At the time, Casablancas released a statement praising the candidate: "We are honored to be associated with such a dedicated, diligent, & trustworthy patriot – and fellow native New Yorker."

He went further in the same statement: "As the only truly non-corporate candidate, Bernie Sanders represents our only chance to overthrow corporate power and help return America to democracy. This is why we support him."

Friday's Queens appearance extends that alliance into another election cycle, pairing one of New York's most recognizable rock bands with two of the country's most prominent progressive voices — five weeks before voters go to the polls.