The most enduring range of a function of American folk music singer Woody Guthrie is of the Dust Bowl Troubadour flourish a guitar emblazon with the message , “ This machine kills fascists . ” potent word that still vibrate today , specially among the thirsty multitudes who have amass in Philadelphia for the Democratic National Convention .
I had expected the city to be brim with public spirit — along with John Barleycorn spirit — but what surprised me was the medicine . It was everywhere . So last night , I chatter a series of local stripe to require people , “ What song / cocktail combination make you feel most patriotic ? ”
Spoiler alarm : Guthrie ’s “ This Land is Your estate ” succeed by a country mile . But the booze was all over the function .
Michael Ochs Archive / Getty Images
“ I regain Irish whiskey to be very patriotic , ” said Sean McGovern , who hail from the Frankford plane section of the city . “ I ’d toast America with a nip of Jameson and ‘ This Land is Your acres ’ cranked all the way up . ”
When I was suggest that an American - made whiskey might be more apropos for temper the stew of autonomy , McGovern answer , “ My ascendent came from Ireland and helped establish this country . And besides , I like Jameson more than Bourbon dynasty or Secale cereale . exemption of choice is what this nation is all about . ” Fair play , Sean .
Lara Gainey ride up from North Carolina to support Bernie Sanders . The Sung dynasty about this state that amps her up most is craze Against the Machine ’s “ Bulls on Parade . ” signal flag - wave sheeple she ai n’t , at least allot to the jumbo RATM clench fist logo tattooed on her rib John Cage . She said that when she gets home , she ’s get Bernie ’s face permanently etched on her torso too . I grind the committal , Lara .
What drink gets Ms. Gainey lit up about the Land of Opportunity ? “ This , ” she beamed , raising her half - empty dry pint of lager . “ Beer ’s my cocktail . ” You had me ‘ til beer , Lara .
My wingman on this mission was my cousin Dennis , who ’s been raise hell in Philadelphia since the day he was yield . He cited “ The destruction ” by the Doors as the tune that let his ‘ Murrican mojo risin ’ . Whatever floats your boat , Dennis . I have a good therapist if you take . And no , I ’m not embedding that thing here . This is a house show .
“ As for the drink , ” he tell , “ here , ” and turn over me a shot . We clinked drinking glass and tilted back . Jägermeister . You ’re aware we ’re talk about United States drinks , right , Dennis ? “ I drink it here , that makes it American . ” for certain does , buddy . It surely does .
Yvette Samuel live just over the Delaware River in New Jersey . Which jolly much count as Philly so long as you do n’t rub it in anyone ’s expression . She said she cry on the 4th of July when she heard Ray Charles ’s “ Georgia ” after drinking Mint Juleps all day . say it gets her every sentence . Drinking Juleps all daytime gets me every time too , Yvette .
“ It ’s funny , ” she said . “ Something about the South just feels , you know , real American to me . ” I did n’t have the heart to tell her she was at the wrong formula .
We check by a DNC company project by Patriotic Millionaires , part of the Agenda Project , a nonprofit that hold left wing causes . It was held at a huge brownstone at 16th and Locust that I ’m pretty confident they used as the Duke Brothers ’ abode inTrading place . That ’s where I saw John Popper from Blues Traveler sipping on white vino . Way to destroy your image , John Popper ! I reminded him that we ’d met once before at a party at Adam Carolla ’s sign where we ’d had a jape about the fact that Ron Jeremy had record up wear out sweat pants . Some mass drop name in a deliberate lucid style to make themselves seem significant . Other people Jennifer Lawrence Carrot Top the J. Lo Rush Limbaugh with Tila Tequila .
John Popper , of course , is most renowned for his rendition of “ The Preamble ” on Schoolhouse Rock Rocks The Vote , which does n’t seem to be anywhere on the internet excepthere . It ’s all right , John Popper . I still think you ’re celebrated .
“ Seriously ? ” Bob LaBrum of Fishtown asked at Rouge on Rittenhouse Square , incredulous . “ Nobody else you ’ve asked so far has mentioned this birdsong or this deglutition ? ”
No , Bob . No they have n’t .
“ rent ’s desex that properly now , ” enounce LaBrum . He order a stave of Manhattans . Stiff . Then give-up the ghost to the nickelodeon and put on the Godfather of Soul , the hardest working man in show business , Mr. Dynamite , the amazing Mr. Please Please Please himself … James Brown !
On his cue , I enhance my glass and look up at the big screen where Bill Clinton was auditioning for the role of First Hubby . Then I peeked at LaBrum , and I aver I saw teardrop welling up in his eyes . Though to be fair , he might have been thinking aboutRocky IV . After a good retentive moment , he turned and looked at me and grinned .
“ America , ” he said reverently . “ Fuck yeah . ”
You said a mouthful , Bob LaBrum . Because that sweet short ditty from Team America World Police is my patriotic boozing song of choice . I wish to listen to it while drink Jack Daniel ’s . And riding a optical maser eagle . Across the Grand Canyon .
I highly recommend you try it sometime . If you ask a optical maser eagle , I know a cat .
