Duane Betts & Palmetto Motel made their debut at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts‘ Millennium Stage on Thursday, where they took aim at the current administration by debuting a cover of Buffalo Springfield protest anthem, “For What It’s Worth”.
As bassist Pedro Arevalo (brother of former Goose percussionist, Jeff Arevalo) introduced the song midway through their free show in Washington, D.C., he called it a unique privilege to play the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. To the passive observer, it sounded like he may have emphasized the title—and yes, he said the whole thing—a little bit harder. Maybe this was in response to President Donald Trump teasing last month that he would rename the cultural institution, the “Trump Kennedy Center…maybe in a week or so.” Or maybe we’re reading too much into things. (Under U.S. law, the Kennedy Center cannot be renamed, and the organization’s guidelines state that, after December 1983, “no additional memorials or plaques shall be designated or installed.”)
Before the song, Arevalo also introduced some of the band and where they’re from, including drummer Vincent Fossett Jr. from Los Angeles, “Where the revolution is not being televised.” Okay, definitely didn’t imagine that one. Introducing himself, Arevalo emphasized the Gulf of Mexico with enough force to raise even those with their heads dug deep in the sand. And if all of that wasn’t plain enough English, guitarist Johnny Stachela pinched the opening harmonics of “For What it’s Worth”…