Dave Matthews played Pittsburgh last night hoping to lend his star power to Democratic candidate for Senate John Fetterman.
Pennsylvania has become the focus of the 2022 election. Before the ink can dry on a press pass, the union printer has to insert their tag for the next event. If you had asked me years ago as John Fetterman and I would sit in the back of Mr. Smalls Theatre if rockstars like Dave Matthews would rally for his campaigns, I think we’d laugh.
I listened to Dave Matthews like anyone did before the invention of lo-fi hiphop on YouTube. Jekko, has covered Matthews at Farm Aid in 2017 and 2021. We’ve covered Fetterman for over a decade. Matthews is pitch perfect every time. But a free Dave Matthews concert is rare. What’s rarer is the candidate he’s supporting.
Fetterman comes into the rally after underperforming at the Dr. Oz debate. The cards were stacked against him. The gentle giant with a recent stroke handicap went up against a television personality. It played out as expected. But while legacy media might claim campaigns can be lost on a night, new media knows its a marathon. And in the realm of politics, support comes in various ways.
Disclaimer: We haven’t had a chance to cover Dr. Oz this campaign as he has focused on Eastern Pennsylvania.
Behind scenes, I ask the hard questions, “Where do you get a large American Flag last minute?” Apparently, there’s a company for that and it comes in a lunchbox according to Molly Onufer. “Where did Matthews get a Fetterman staff hoodie?” Someone sacrificed it. On stage, he even commented that the pockets were still lined with trinkets from the previous owner.
Fetterman was on familiar grounds. Matthews was with familiar songs.
The rally was cut short by rain that soaked everything in sight. But, for voters and those who care about celebrity endorsements the message soaked in.
