{"id":388854,"date":"2026-04-12T21:43:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-12T21:43:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/388854\/"},"modified":"2026-04-12T21:43:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T21:43:08","slug":"watch-the-strokes-rock-coachella-2026-as-julian-casablancas-makes-subtle-dig-at-jeff-bezos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/388854\/","title":{"rendered":"Watch The Strokes rock Coachella 2026 as Julian Casablancas makes subtle dig at Jeff Bezos"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Strokes<\/a>\u00a0have\u00a0returned\u00a0to\u00a0Coachella<\/a>\u00a0after a 15-year absence, with\u00a0Julian Casablancas <\/a>making a subtle dig at Jeff Bezos \u2013 check out\u00a0footage\u00a0below.<\/p>\n

The NYC indie heroes\u00a0are preparing to release their\u00a0Rick Rubin-produced\u00a0seventh studio album \u2018Reality Awaits\u2019 in June<\/a>\u00a0(pre-order\u00a0here<\/a>)\u00a0and have already shared the lead single \u2018Going Shopping<\/a>\u2019.<\/p>\n

On Saturday night (April 11), they took to the festival\u2019s main stage, ahead of headliner Justin Bieber, in their first appearance at the California festival since their\u00a0own time topping the bill in 2011.<\/p>\n

Frontman\u00a0Casablancas made a wry dig at Bezos\u00a0by sporting a t-shirt\u00a0on stage\u00a0that mimicked the Amazon logo, but with the word \u201ccrime\u201d pasted in place of the\u00a0company\u2019s name.\u00a0He also\u00a0quipped\u00a0with the crowd that he was \u201chere for Bieber too\u201d,\u00a0saying he was not being paid for the show, but was instead offered to \u201cstand off to\u00a0the side of the stage\u201d to watch his set.<\/p>\n

The Bezos jab wasn\u2019t the only political comment from Casablancas \u2013 he also made reference to the news that the US government plans to automatically register men aged 18-25 as eligible for a military draft, as opposed to the current model of self-registration.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou guys excited about the draft?\u201d he said. \u201cOh wait no, not the NFL draft, I\u2019m talking about in six months, I think everyone\u2019s going to have to register who\u2019s eligible for the military. You guys excited?!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I hope to lead one of the Coachella units, the sexiest unit in our proud military, I\u2019m sure,\u201d he added. \u201cWhat in the 2026 is going on.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Going Shopping\u2019\u00a0was included in a setlist that otherwise saw the band reach into their back catalogue, with \u2018Is This It\u2019 and \u2018Room\u00a0On\u00a0Fire\u2019 both featuring heavily.\u00a0Check out footage from their performance here:<\/p>\n

One of the greatest songs of all time <\/p>\n

The Strokes \u2013 Reptilia (Coachella 2026) pic.twitter.com\/rV7863RRoM<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 zelda (@bbzeldy) April 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

WHEN YOU FIND OUT YOUR GOATS STILL HAVE IT \ud83d\ude2d\ud83d\ude2d\ud83d\ude2d\ud83d\ude2d pic.twitter.com\/OkEZ9Mmlu6<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 ruby #IAMGOINGSHOPPING (@rubysonfire) April 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

“Eu sei por que voc\u00eas est\u00e3o aqui. Eu acordei hoje de manh\u00e3 em um hotel aqui perto, e tinha um cara sarado, sem camisa, e ele estava do lado de fora do meu quarto gritando: \u201cJUSTIN BIEBEEEEER!\u201d Eu estou aqui pelo Bieber tamb\u00e9m, honestamente. Eles nem me pagaram; disseram que eu\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/VEmPBUuJZV<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Julian Casablancas Brasil (@casablancasfcbr) April 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The Strokes played:\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2018Bad Decisions\u2019\u00a0
\u2018Hard\u00a0To\u00a0Explain\u2019\u00a0
\u2018Selfless\u2019\u00a0
\u2018Someday\u2019\u00a0
\u2018Going Shopping\u2019\u00a0
\u2018Juicebox\u2019\u00a0
\u2018Last Nite\u2019\u00a0
\u2018Under Control\u2019\u00a0
\u2018You Only Live Once\u2019\u00a0
\u2018The Adults Are Talking\u2019\u00a0
\u2018New York City Cops\u2019\u00a0
\u2018Reptilia\u2019\u00a0
\u2018Automatic Stop\u2019\u00a0
\u2018Take It\u00a0Or\u00a0Leave It\u2019\u00a0
\u2018What Ever Happened?\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n

In an interview in 2024,\u00a0Casablancas shared a similar statement\u00a0with\u00a0NME\u00a0about the billionaire class<\/a>, in reference to The\u00a0Voidz\u00a0song \u2018Flexorcist\u2019,\u00a0a song he said explored\u00a0\u201cthe idea of the warlord, billionaire entity oppressing and being good at gaining wealth, and the struggle of individuals to gather and group against that type of people\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe main weapon of these \u2018bad guy\u2019 people \u2013 billionaires trying to pay no taxes \u2013 is distraction,\u201d Casablancas says. \u201cAnd\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0a long, complicated, indirect chain of exploitation, so\u00a0it\u2019s\u00a0not\u00a0really easy\u00a0to pinpoint\u00a0who\u2019s\u00a0doing what\u00a0damage. What bums me out is people love to talk on a daily basis about the distractions that are being fed to\u00a0us\u00a0and I\u2019m just so over it and so fed up with it. I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s the convenience or the\u00a0cosiness\u00a0and the professional fonts of a nice newspaper, or the magical\u00a0Superman\u00a0lights of\u00a0CNN, but the fact we can\u2019t unchain ourselves from this song or [stop being]\u00a0hypnotised\u00a0by this nonsense is the biggest challenge and biggest confusion I have.\u201d<\/p>\n

NME\u00a0gave the \u2018Going Shopping\u2019 single a three-star review<\/a>, writing:\u00a0\u201cAlthough \u2018Going Shopping\u2019\u00a0doesn\u2019t\u00a0feel bold, it does avoid playing anything safe. You\u00a0couldn\u2019t\u00a0definitively place its sound on any of The Strokes\u2019\u00a0previous\u00a0six albums, but the lack of spirit and tenacity \u2013 save for a guitar solo at the end \u2013 is noticeable.\u00a0\u201cIf you\u2019re better than\u00a0me\u00a0you don\u2019t have to judge me,\u201d\u00a0signs off Casablancas, with an imaginary raised eyebrow. But\u00a0perhaps even\u00a0he would admit that The Strokes are better than this.\u201d<\/p>\n

After Coachella, The Strokes will be playing at Bonnaroo, Outside Lands, Japan\u2019s Summer\u00a0Sonic\u00a0and more festivals, with more dates expected to be announced soon.<\/p>\n