Today marks five years since the insurrection of the US Capitol that left five dead and nearly a thousand charged with federal crimes (most were eventually pardoned). It proved to be the first salvo in a far-right takeover of the United States.
So, cue the lights: It’s time for a rock show.
Along with the QAnon Shaman, onetime Proud Boys head Enrique Tarrio, Bob’s Burgers costar Jay Johnston, the son of a Brooklyn judge picked up in his Baby Yoda jammies, “Zip Tie Guy” (and his mom), and the onetime BuzzFeed videographer known as Baked Alaska on that violent day was Ariel Pink, the LA “hypnagogic pop” musician.
Pink, the only person present at President Donald Trump’s rally before the assault to be awarded Best New Music four times by Pitchfork, will be in San Francisco on Friday playing at the Chapel at 777 Valencia St.; opening for him is the musician Donnie Emerson, whose pretty good song “Baby” Pink covered back in 2012.
Sure, it’s been five years and a major vibe shift, and yeah, Pink didn’t participate in the riot nor get hit with federal charges, but what a way to honor one of the darkest moments in recent US history. (A spokesperson for the venue did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Gazetteer.)
If the presence of this right-wing, experimental-pastiche musician at the insurrection completely missed your radar, here’s a brief recap: Pink says he attended the pro-Trump rally with musician and collaborator John Maus, who was bestowed Pitchfork’s Best New Music designation twice, and incel and Alex Jones documentarian Alex Lee Moyer “to peacefully show my support for the president.” Pink insisted that he “went back to hotel and took a nap” in a tweet the day after, and did not go to the Capitol, and added that he has never “advocated for violent confrontation or rioting.” Moyer told Pitchfork that they were in DC for something else entirely but “felt obliged to record” the failed insurrection. (While arguing online, Pink also tweeted disparagingly about Black Lives Matter protests.)
Three days after Pink’s presence on Jan. 6 was noted, he was dropped by his label Mexican Summer. Almost a week later, he made his debut on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show complaining about his “cancellation” by the indie music elite that catapulted him to minor stardom. It is a strange, sad watch, should you choose to press play.
You have to wonder why The Chapel, one of the city’s rare indie venues (made rarer by the recent announcement of Bottom of the Hill’s closure), is hosting him at all. A lot of performers who have recently taken to their stage, like Kimya Dawson, Hunx and His Punx, and Fantastic Negrito (who played the venue’s New Year’s Eve party, espouse much kinder, more progressive worldviews. Not for nothing, the Chapel’s Instagram comments have been filled with critics calling out the venue for bringing Pink to the city. Also worth noting: Cornerstone, the gastropub and live venue in Berkeley, hosted Pink in November. Maybe nothing matters anymore.
Tickets, as the Chapel points out in their post promoting Pink’s show, are still available.
