Like any good spokesman, departing White House press secretary Jay Carney rarely made himself the center of attention. He made a brief exception to that rule Saturday, May 24, though, when his favorite band, Guided by Voices, played a show at DC’s Black Cat club.
Departing WH press secretary Jay Carney has damn good taste in ‘90s indie rock
Dylan Matthews was a senior correspondent and head writer for Vox’s Future Perfect section. He is particularly interested in global health and pandemic prevention, anti-poverty efforts, economic policy and theory, and conflicts about the right way to do philanthropy.
Carney, whose love for GBV was the subject of a fun profile by the Washington Post’s Chris Richards last year, took to the stage to introduce the act (see the video above). “I told the White House press corps once that there are three great things that came out of Dayton, Ohio,” he said. “The Wright brothers, the Dayton Peace Accords, and the pride of Dayton, Guided by Voices. I give you the greatest rock and roll band in the world, Guided by Voices!” He then hugged the band’s lead singer, Robert Pollard, who gave Carney a birthday shoutout later in the show.
I don't know that I'd go as far as Carney; there are a lot of rock and roll bands in the world. But GBV is indeed amazing. Carney's favorite album of theirs is Bee Thousand; a framed copy, signed by Pollard, is in his White House office. That's a very solid choice, but I'm more of an Alien Lanes guy. Here's "Game of Pricks" from that album:
If you’re not a fan, start with their best-of, Human Amusements At Hourly Rates:
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