Chippendale endorses Obama

Providence artist and noise rocker Brian Chippendale has announced his endorsement of Barack Obama with this radiant artwork and a statement posted at “Noise for Obama,” a website collecting statements from Obama-backing noise artists and rockers and various members of the noise underground. Chippendale, a co-founder of Fort Thunder and half of the band Lightning Bolt, writes at the site:

Political non-participation in my social sphere often stems from not wanting to 'play the game.' But I’m pretty sure that if you are standing in a city, driving a car down a public road, emailing whoever for whatever, or eating food not grown within walking distance (and even then) you Are playing the game. Earth (and beyond) is the board, and it needs your help to stay a cool place to play. Your town, the country, the entire planet is interconnected now more than ever. We share resources across the globe and we need to participate in our little corner to hold the whole puzzle together. ... I vote in all my local and national elections, and though it won’t solve my every problem, it might effect something. It might mean more money for science, or a more flexible, inspired educational system. It might mean marriage rights for all or government incentives for new energy research. Sure it’s a “maybe”, but it’s an easy one to reach for. Picture a huge heavy ball with hundreds of people trying to push it, add your little bit of weight and at that moment it may give, the ball is rolling. Four years ago Lightning Bolt was on tour in Europe right before the election watching the debates when we could, I specifically remember watching Edwards debate Cheney. Cheney, his pals probably seizing contracts to rebuild Iraq already. What a scheme they had, blow a country up and get everyone to pay you to put it back together. At this point I wouldn’t be surprised if Bush had an adviser with a bodybag company. These people are my representatives? Touring in Europe and apologizing to everyone for being from the USA. My country, a country that invades sovereign nations. A country that from the rest of the world’s perspective is a thuggish bully with the capacity to nuke the planet to atoms.

My eyes welled up with tears listening to Obama speak at the DNC, finally a person who I can be proud of, a figurehead who respects intelligence and speaks with intelligence. … [He will] make the mature decisions to put us on the path towards reason and renewal.

Read Chippendale’s full text here.