Jim Bennett/WireImageBeastie Boys songs rarely appear in advertisements, but the group made an exception for a Joe Biden campaign video.
The spot stars the co-owner of the Blind Pig, a music venue in Ann Arbor, Michigan, who says the club is in danger of closing for good due to President Donald Trump’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There’s no plan, and you don’t know how to go forward,” he says, as the iconic riff from “Sabotage” plays in the background. “It makes me so angry.”
“My only hope, for my family and for this business and my community, is that Joe Biden wins this election,” he continues. “That’s the kind of person we need.”
The ad also features a snippet of “Where Is My Mind?” by Pixies.
As for the Beasties’ involvement, a Biden campaign spokesperson tells Variety that they agreed to license “Sabotage” for the video “because of the importance of the election.”
Late Beasties member Adam “MCA” Yauch wrote in his will that he did not want the band’s music used in product advertisements, which has resulted in lawsuits with several different companies. However, “Sabotage” has been used in the Star Trek reboot films and the trailer for the Destiny 2 video game.
By Josh Johnson
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