With Donald Trump making one offensive statement after another, D.O.A.’s Joe Keithley just couldn’t resist.
The B.C. punker released a music video, as well as a 7-inch vinyl, of a song called F—-ed up Donald that’s getting thousands of online views and shares.
“I believe in people,” said Keithley, “and Donald Trump is offending the sensibilities of most sensible people, including minorities, women, I would say almost everybody.”
The frontman, who performs with D.O.A. on Friday, Sept. 23, at the International Beer Haus in Red Deer, ran unsuccessfully for the Green Party and NDP nomination, and is known for his leftist views.
While Keithley feels “I’m more centrist than people might think,” that doesn’t mean he can relate to the Republican U.S. presidential candidate, a self-proclaimed fan of Russian president and strongman Vladimir Putin.
“My real role model is Pete Seeger,” said Keithley, who noted the American folk musician and social activist was with The Weavers when some band members were blacklisted during the McCarthy era.
Seeger never stopped singing about political causes, protesting against the Vietnam War in the 1960s.
Keithley believes D.O.A. has been around since 1978 because its music constantly takes a stand and tackles timely political subjects.
The group, which is planning a 40th-anniversary album in 2018, released Hard Rain Falling in 2015. It includes the song Not Going to Take Your Crap Anymore, which supports increasing the minimum wage to $15/hr.
A friend recently nominated Keithley for B.C.’s Walk of Fame, and his name — to his surprise — was accepted.
“It’s pretty cool,” said the punk rocker — although his favourite honour was being voted B.C.’s most influential person out of 150 historic and current names in a 2010 newspaper poll.
The paper claimed D.O.A. fans had waged a campaign, recalled Keithley. “But the dead guys on the list didn’t have friends who could vote for them.”
For more information about the show with the Dayglo Abortions, please contact the venue.
lmichelin@www.reddeeradvocate.com