On October 2, roughly 40,000 people gathered across the grounds of Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens for what was originally scheduled as a massive outdoor celebration. The Strokes have carried the banner of New York City garage rock revivalism for a quarter of a century, and hometown concerts naturally function as a communal check on that history. This particular date brought together an eclectic supporting bill featuring Fcukers, TV On The Radio, and Beach House, setting an ambitious tone before the headliners stepped out. Yet before Julian Casablancas and his bandmates played a single note, the evening shifted into an overt political showcase.
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez walked out in front of the Queens crowd unannounced, taking the microphone to proclaim that the greatest city in the world had gathered to welcome the greatest rock band of their generation. She did not remain alone for long. Ocasio-Cortez quickly introduced Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, bringing the veteran lawmaker out under the park lights to an audience that was entirely unprepared for a high-profile address.
Sanders directed his remarks straight at the stadium-sized crowd, speaking directly to the political themes that have anchored his public life. He commended The Strokes for their willingness to speak out, noting their consistent public defense of economic justice, their efforts against racism, and their stance that healthcare is a fundamental human right. With the November elections approaching, Sanders urged everyone in attendance to take an active role, emphasizing that they had to get out and vote while speaking candidly about the necessity of opposing authoritarianism.
While the moment caught thousands off guard, the connection between the New York quintet and Sanders has developed over several years of shared platform time. During the 2020 presidential primaries, The Strokes traveled to Durham, New Hampshire, to headline a Get Out The Vote rally on Sanders's behalf. Casablancas spoke warmly of him on that stage, describing Sanders as a dedicated, diligent, and trustworthy patriot who shared their New York roots, while commending his fight against corporate influence in national government. Ocasio-Cortez took part in that New Hampshire rally as well, and the political alignment carried over into 2021, when she and comedian John Mulaney joined the band for a fundraiser supporting Maya Wiley during her run for New York City mayor.
The Flushing Meadows performance also provided a major live marker for the group's latest studio effort, Reality Awaits. The Queens event had initially been unveiled back in June, coinciding directly with the band announcing a delay for the release of their seventh full-length record. The album arrived in July, exploring fresh musical paths through the opening sequence of Psycho Shit and Dine N'Dash, straight through to the closing track Tyrants On The Mellow Moon. For the audience in Queens, the gathering served as an affirmation of that creative turn alongside a broader celebration of the band's endurance.
From here, the group is preparing to take the Reality Awaits tour overseas. Later this month, The Strokes will head across the Atlantic for their first full tour of the UK in two decades, a trek highlighted by two nights at London's O2. For British concertgoers, the dates conclude a twenty-year wait for an extensive, full-scale domestic run. Still, as the scene in Queens made clear, the quintet's cultural foundation remains firmly rooted at home, where music and city politics continue to collide on the largest stages.
