DIIV // Blankenship (Live at The Dance)

DIIV perform “Blankenship“ from their album Deceiver, live at The Dance NYC on October 26th, 2019. Listen to Deceiver: From DIIV: “Like every band right now, we really miss playing shows. When we reminisce, it’s often Blankenship that comes to mind- the energy of the audience on any given night usually peaks right after the drum fill towards the end of the song and it’s a moment to look forward to. It’s also one of the few songs in the DIIV catalogue that points a finger away from ourselves, in this case it’s Don Blankenship, the union-busting, climate science-denying energy company executive. We didn’t intend to single him out: in the song he serves more as a face and representation of the corrupt relationship between politicians and the fossil fuel industry. The fossil fuel industry and its political enablers have engaged in rampant environmental destruction -- often at the cost of indigenous rights and sovereignty -- alongside massive disinformation campaigns, lobbying, and payouts of politicians who put the business needs of this brutal industry before human lives. This song came about during a period of climate-fueled wildfires across California, which we have only seen worsen. It puts faith in the youth-led movement of climate activists and eco-socialists, who envision a world where the dismantling of capitalism and its pathology of violence is the only real method for steering ourselves away from the certain destruction of the earth these children will inherit. It is our stance that climate science denialism is present across both major political parties, either overtly or more discreetly, coupled alongside performative messaging and promises of climate action. This is because both major political parties accept large campaign donations from the fossil fuel industry. In a better world, candidates would have to dress like NASCAR drivers with their sponsors plastered all over their suits. But in lieu of that, we have resources like to help us hold our politicians accountable for the money they accept and the destructive interests that money ensures they are beholden to. The Republican party and its enablers in the Democratic establishment have ensured a legacy of irreversible damage to the planet, which we will see advance even more dramatically with the near-certain confirmation of Amy Comey Barrett, a climate science-denying Supreme Court justice-to-be with familial ties to Shell Oil and groups that lobby for its interest. With an election looming, throw your support behind down-ballot candidates in local elections and primaries who are fighting for a Green New Deal, and outside the limitations of electoralism, we must hold politicians accountable for the corporations whose interests they represent. We must fight for justice and reparations for those affected most by global climate apartheid and eco-facist extremism, both realities deeply rooted in global histories of slavery, colonialism, and imperialism. That’s Blankenship in a nutshell. Thank you for your support.“ Directed by Marisa Gesualdi Cameras: Stuart Soloman, Vitor Hirtsch, Alessio Romano, Marisa Gesualdi Audio Engineer: Vitor Hirtsch Audio Engineer: Tyler Karmen Follow DIIV on Spotify: Facebook: Twitter: Instagram: Website: More From DIIV: The Spark (Official Video): Blankenship (Official Video): Skin Game (Official Video): Taker (Official Audio):