The Strokes ended their performance on weekend 2 of Coachella on a note of political protest, capping the set with a video montage that accused the CIA of enacting regime change in foreign countries over the decades, finally concluding with footage of Israel bombing Gaza and the United States bombing Iran.
These several minutes of video commentary came as a surprise to audiences viewing at home as well as in the desert, since it bore no resemblance to how the group rounded out its set the previous weekend. The song that accompanied this statement, “Oblivius,” had not been performed by the Strokes in concert at all since 2016; it included singer Julian Casablancas repeating the statement in the chorus, “What side you standing on?”
As the Strokes wrapped up their final number Saturday night, performing in front of an illuminated mosque backdrop, the footage on the huge LED screens behind them portrayed recent American bombings in the Middle East with the large caption “Over 30 universities destroyed in Iran” — followed by another video clip of a large building in Gaza being destroyed in a controlled explosion, with the caption: “Last university standing in Gaza.”
Most of the long montage took issue with what the band presented as America’s historic misdeeds, from the era of slavery up through America’s missile strikes in Iran. But bringing the Israeli/Palestinian conflict into it at the end was notable, given how the biggest controversy at last year’s Coachella had to do with the group Kneecap using its set to condemn Israel for military actions in the Middle East, albeit in more profane terms.
A fan who posted video of the climax on X wrote: “This was the moment the Strokes ensured they’ll never set foot in Coachella again! I’m so proud of them.” But it seems like a long shot the group will be subject to any such blacklisting, with the Strokes already booked to headline Goldenvoice’s next Southern California festival in August.
Unlike the Kneecap proclamations and video that appeared to take Coachella organizers aback in 2025, the festival appeared to be ready for and accepting of presenting the Strokes’ political statement, with long shots in the live video feed on YouTube making all of the group’s footage clearly visible.
The bulk of the Strokes’ video montage had to do with assertions that the CIA has been responsible for overthrowing governments in South America or even assassinating leaders — along with giving voice to the conspiracy theory that the U.S. was involved domestically in the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. After showing an image of King, a caption read: “US govt found guilty of his murder in civil trial.” (The trial referenced took place in 1999, and was followed by the Justice Department declaring in 2000 that there was no evidence to lend validity to the jury’s verdict.)
Among the other accusations of secret U.S. intervention over the years, the Strokes’ video asserted that the CIA was suspected of involvement in the 1981 plane crashes that killed Panamanian president Omar Torrijos and the president of Ecuador (spelled “Equador” on screen), Jaime Rondos, as well as involved in the overthrow of figures from Iranian prime minister Mohammed Mossadegh in 1953 to Chilean president Salvador Alende in 1973 and Bolivian president Juan Torres in 1976.
Following the climactic portrayal of bombings in Iran and Gaza, the Strokes’ video montage ended with a shot of a bomber plane in the air, as the song abruptly ended.
Much of the reaction to the band’s video commentary at Coachella among their fans was initially positive, with statements on their Instagram posts like “Thank you so much for using your stage to highlight Gaza and Iran and Latin America” and “Amazing show and a bombshell of reality at the end!”
Reaction among pro-Israel music fans and conservative U.S. fans may grow as clips of the performance are further disseminated on social media Sunday. Most followers of the Strokes, however, are likely to be aware of Casablancas’ past support for Palestine, as he signed a 2021 “Musicians for Palestine” letter.
Following the group’s Weekend 1 appearance, the Strokes announced a world tour that will begin in June and run through the fall. It includes an L.A.-area headlining appearance in August at the Just Like Heaven festival at Brookside at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, produced by Goldenvoice, which also produces Coachella.
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