Trending Now - The Strokes Criticize U.S. Foreign Policy During Coachella Show
WHO:
Pitchfork - The Strokes, an American rock band, performed at Coachella.
NBC News - The Strokes used their platform to express political views against U.S. foreign intervention.
WHAT:
The Independent - The Strokes showed a video montage during their performance that accused the CIA of enforcing regime change through political violence and included footage of Israel bombing Gaza and the United States bombing Iran.
The Independent - The video alleged that the CIA has been linked to the deaths of foreign political figures, including Panama's Military Leader Omar Torrijos, former President of Guatemala Jacobo Árbenz, and former President of Ecuador Jaime Roldós Aguilera.
The Independent - Footage of recent bombings in the Middle East was captioned, “Over 30 universities destroyed in Iran,” and another explosion was shown with the caption, “Last university standing in Gaza.”
The Independent - Julian Casablancas repeated the statement in the song’s chorus — “What side are you standing on?” — until the video abruptly ended and the band walked off the stage.
Pitchfork - The Strokes displayed footage of bombings in Iran and Gaza, as well as images of world leaders, during their performance of “Oblivius” at Coachella.
Pitchfork - The Strokes closed their Coachella set with a performance of the song “Oblivius.”
NBC News - The band utilized the festival's LED screens to display their political protests against American foreign intervention and military action.
WHERE:
Pitchfork - The performance took place at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California.
WHEN:
NBC News - The Strokes wrapped up their set on Saturday night, April 16th, 2026.
WHY:
The Independent - Julian Casablancas made a joke about the military draft during the performance, saying, “You guys excited about the draft? Oh, wait, not the NFL draft.”
The Independent - Casablancas commented, “In six months, I think everyone who’s eligible for the military has to register. You guys excited? Well, I hope to lead one of the Coachella units. The sexiest unit in our proud military, I’m sure.”
The Independent - Casablancas criticized Trump’s administration during weekend one of Coachella by joking about the prospect of the military draft amid the ongoing conflict in Iran.
Pitchfork - The band aimed to criticize U.S. foreign intervention and military actions through their performance.
HOW:
The Independent - The political protest video was shown for the first time during the second weekend of Coachella on April 16th, 2026.
The Independent - The political protest video was shown in full on the festival’s official livestream.
NBC News - The band utilized the festival's massive LED screens to project their political messages against U.S. foreign intervention and military action.
Pitchfork - The Strokes showed footage of bombings in Iran and Gaza, as well as images of world leaders that the CIA has been accused of overthrowing, during their performance.
(UPDATED April 20, 2026 17:19 UTC)
During a recent performance at Coachella, Julian Casablancas made headlines with a joke about the military draft, quipping, “You guys excited about the draft? Oh, wait, not the NFL draft.” He went on to comment that in six months, everyone eligible for the military would need to register, adding humorously that he hopes to lead one of the "sexiest units" in the military. This lighthearted moment came shortly after the debut of a political protest video at the festival on Thursday.
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(UPDATED April 20, 2026 09:31 UTC)
During their performance at Coachella, The Strokes presented a politically charged video montage that accused the CIA of orchestrating regime change through violence, featuring footage of bombings in Gaza and Iran. The video also claimed the CIA was linked to the deaths of notable political figures, including Panama's Omar Torrijos and Guatemala's Jacobo Árbenz, while highlighting the destruction of universities in the region. Lead singer Julian Casablancas emphasized the message with the repeated line, “What side are you standing on?” before the video ended and the band exited the stage.
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(UPDATED April 20, 2026 01:20 UTC)
During their performance of "Oblivius" at Coachella, The Strokes displayed footage of bombings in Iran and Gaza, along with images of world leaders. The band used the festival's massive LED screens to project their political messages, which criticized U.S. foreign intervention and military action. This bold move captured the attention of the audience and highlighted their stance on pressing global issues.
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(UPDATED April 19, 2026 21:06 UTC)
The Strokes performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, on Saturday night, on Thursday, where they closed their set with the song "Oblivius." During their performance, the band used the festival's LED screens to showcase footage of bombings in Iran and Gaza, along with images of world leaders linked to CIA interventions, as a way to express their political views against U.S. foreign intervention. Their message was clear as they aimed to criticize military actions through their platform at one of the biggest music festivals in the world.