Beastie Boys joined forces with Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, lending a rare sync of their song “Sabotage” to a new ad about the pandemic’s effect on live music venues.
The Biden ad aired on Sunday during an NFL game and featured Michigan venue Blind Pig’s co-owner Joe Malcoun discussing the limited revenue due to venue closures and need for federal assistance. “This is Donald Trump’s economy – there’s no plan and you don’t know how to go forward,” he says.
“Sabotage” plays towards the end of the ad, but the band only offers rare commercial sync appearances. Adam Yauch, after his passing in 2012, wrote in his will to not allow his “image or name or any music or any artistic property created by me be used for advertising purposes.”
According to Variety, a Biden campaign spokesperson said the Beastie Boys allowed the use of “Sabotage” in the ad “because of the importance of the election.” Also per Variety, this marks the first time the group has allowed use of their music in an advertisement.
Watch the new ad below.
