> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.hypebot.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # The Stage Is a Microphone — Use It Like One - URL: https://www.hypebot.com/the-stage-is-a-microphone-use-it-like-one/ - Published: 2026-04-21T18:52:50.000Z - Updated: 2026-04-21T19:20:56.000Z - Description: The Strokes' Coachella projections drew criticism, garnered praise, and made headlines. What it tells us is that the stage will always be a place for your voice. - Author: Jeremy Young - Tags: The Live Stage, #coverstory, The Strokes, Coachella, American Politics, politics, music and politics, Festivals, festival, music festivals, Features If there’s a useful takeaway from [**The Strokes’**](https://www.bandsintown.com/a/258-the-strokes?utm%5Fsource=hypebot&came%5Ffrom=900) recent set at the **Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival** for independent artists like us, it’s not just that the closing portion of the set's projections were [political](https://www.hypebot.com/tag/politics/) — Julian Casablancas has a well-established track record of left-wing political activism going back 20 years — it’s how well it *worked as a live moment*. And it made me think about a larger, more practical point: It’s *okay* to use the stage to say *something*. Say *anything*, actually. There's an argument to be made that [the live stage](https://www.hypebot.com/tag/live-music/) might in fact be one of the last effective places left to do so. I love this. This [conservative troll](https://www.wsj.com/opinion/free-expression/a-stroke-of-stupidity-at-coachella-d77d8639?ref=hypebot.com) from ***The Wall Street Journal*** called The Strokes "political trolls," which is exactly how you know your message is working, as is the message delivery system. It's not about convincing everyone to cross over to your side, it's about asking where you'd rather be when you're communicating your values to your audience: on stage entertaining and interacting with people directly, or sitting behind a laptop in your condo? Even [Bruce Springsteen](https://www.bandsintown.com/a/26654-bruce-springsteen?utm%5Fsource=hypebot&came%5Ffrom=900) had to come out recently and [tell reporters](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/bruce-springsteen-land-of-hope-and-dreams-political-tour-1235537482/?ref=hypebot.com) about his upcoming string of dates, that: > *"This tour is going to be political."* As if The Boss needed to warn us. It's like, bring it on, Bruce! Coachella’s also got a pretty deep history of statement-making moments, not always political, but cultural and contextual. Beyoncé’s 2018 performance reframed the stage as a celebration of Black culture and history, Childish Gambino embedded themes of violence and identity into his 2019 set, and Rage Against the Machine have always used festival stages (including their reunion at Coachella) as explicitly political platforms. None of these were accidents, and they are almost always **designed for scale** — performances built with the understanding that Coachella isn’t just a concert, it’s a broadcast moment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3a/95/3a957c06-c825-4057-9939-0a274cc16d23/content/images/2026/04/4-21-strokes-1.jpg) **+Read more:** [*"How Festivals Act as Artist Development Accelerators"*](https://www.hypebot.com/how-festivals-act-as-artist-development-accelerators/) ## The Real Lesson From The Strokes The takeaway isn’t “be political for the sake of it.” The Strokes spent a lot of time and effort in building a visual thesis that depicts decades and decades of American imperialism and war-mongering using state-sanctioned violence as a narrative backdrop. The takeaway for me is that The Strokes clearly understood the broadcast opportunity of this moment, and leaned in to the fact that the stage is a space where one's voice is not filtered by any gatekeeping algorithm or third party. It's a direct megaphone that reaches the ears of your community, as well as those outside it. Even your most dedicated listeners are often encountering your work in fragmented ways on streaming platforms, and freely. Live performance flips that dynamic; it's an environment that demands undivided attention for an hour of time. That’s an incredibly rare amount of control to have over a moment nowadays. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3a/95/3a957c06-c825-4057-9939-0a274cc16d23/content/images/2026/04/4-21-strokes-3.jpg) ## Permission and Perspective There’s often an unspoken pressure on independent artists to “just play the songs,” especially early on. Don’t alienate the room. Don’t say the wrong thing. Keep it safe. But that instinct can also flatten what makes live music compelling. Most live music fans, if you ask them whether they'd prefer that their favorite bands "just shut up and play the hits" or create a challenging creative performance that felt one-of-a-kind, would likely choose the latter. Live music is always a space that breeds connection, as even the most grandiose theaters provide the intimacy and proximity of a shared space between artist and audience. Censoring the potential topics of conversation in that room would be a waste. Artists must always give themselves permission to use the stage in order to: - **Deepen connection.** Fans remember how you made them feel, not just what you played. - **Differentiate your show.** In a crowded live ecosystem, personality stands out. - **Signal identity.** What you say (or don’t say) tells the audience who you are, whether you like it or now. It doesn’t have to be heavy-handed. It can be brief, personal, even imperfect. That’s part of what makes it land. Because we live and operate at a time when platforms are increasingly mediated by algorithms, AI, and content saturation, the live stage remains one of the only spaces left where **you own the narrative, you control the message,** and **you can create a moment** that doesn’t rely on anyone else’s system for delivery. --- ## [**The Strokes 2026 Tour Dates**](https://www.bandsintown.com/a/258-the-strokes?utm%5Fsource=hypebot&came%5Ffrom=900) JUN 12 — Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival 2026 JUN 15 — Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre JUN 17 — Chicago, IL @ United Center JUN 19 — Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center JUN 21 — Toronto, ON @ RBC Amphitheatre JUN 23 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden JUN 26 — Philadelphia, PA @ TD Pavilion at Highmark Mann JUN 27 — Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion JUL 12 — Richmond, VA @ Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront JUL 14 — Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center JUL 15 — Noblesville, IN @ Ruoff Music Center JUL 17 — Milwaukee, WI @ American Family Insurance Amphitheater JUL 19 — Saint Paul, MN @ Minnesota Yacht Club Festival 2026 JUL 22 — Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre JUL 23 — Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre AUG 08 — San Francisco, CA @ Outside Lands AUG 22 — Pasadena, CA @ Just Like Heaven 2026 AUG 25 — Bend, OR @ Hayden Homes Amphitheater AUG 27 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena AUG 28 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena Garage SEP 12 — Tampa, FL @ Benchmark International Arena SEP 13 — Hollywood, FL @ Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Hollywood, FL SEP 17 — Charlotte, NC @ Truliant Amphitheater SEP 18 — Atlanta, GA @ Shaky Knees 2026 SEP 20 — Asbury Park, NJ @ Sea.Hear.Now 2026 OCT 06 — London, United Kingdom @ The O2 OCT 07 — London, United Kingdom @ The O2 OCT 11 — Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Ziggo Dome OCT 13 — Düsseldorf, Germany @ PSD BANK DOME OCT 15 — Berlin, Germany @ Uber Arena OCT 17 — Bologna, Italy @ Unipol Arena OCT 20 — Barcelona, Spain @ Palau Sant Jordi OCT 22 — Paris, France @ Accor Arena OCT 25 — Newcastle Upon Tyne, United Kingdom @ Utilita Arena Newcastle OCT 26 — Manchester, United Kingdom @ Co-op Live OCT 28 — Dublin, Ireland @ 3Arena