When i saw the flyer for this year’s “punk in the park”, with DEAD KENNEDYS on the bill, my first reaction was a massive eye roll. It was almost embarrassing that the most famous punk band from San Francisco was that out of touch. As many of you know, Cameron Collins (the man behind “Punk in the Park”) is not only an unabashed Trump supporter, but also donates money to Trump. Which means he’s not only a supporter of Trump’s agenda, he’s also a sponsor! Now, i spend every day in the punk rock salt mines, so I’m up to date on the posers trying to throw punk fests. But maybe the current DEAD KENNEDYS are not. I gave them the benefit of the doubt. But now, just a day or two ago, they issued a statement saying they were aware of this guy’s financial contributions to Trump and they are going to play the show anyway!!! Their reason is they don’t want to disappoint their fans that already bought tickets. Which is obvious the biggest load of crap cop out. They are taking the money. And in doing so, helping our little Trump sponsor get richer. It’s disgusting. Besides any true punk who wants to see Dead Kennedys now would probably be happy to see them stand up to the fascists!…Now i know what some of you are thinking….who cares this isn’t even the real Dead Kennedys. It’s like a cover band without Jello…Okay well think of it this way. In your record collection you probably have Fresh Fruit for Rotten Vegetables, right? That record kicks ass. Okay, so there’s these guys who played on that record. Who will be playing those songs, under the name Dead Kennedys. At a big show, with the proceeds going to line the pockets of a Trump sponsor!! They know it, and they’d prefer money over standing up for what’s right. I should feel outraged, but mostly i just feel sad at how unsurprising this all is. There was a time when being a Sellout used to really mean something. But the brutal gears of capitalism show us over time how thin our political beliefs truly are. Well, not all of us. Keep fighting the good fight. Don’t let fascists into our scene. And if you see Klaus or East Bay Ray on Saturday or anytime, please tell them they are making a gross error in judgment, please reconsider!