Watch Bernie Sanders Thank a Bunch of Bands for Their Music

Bernie Sanders has been enjoying the support of more than a handful of musicians, including The Strokes, Vampire Weekend, Bon Iver, Miley Cyrus, Ariana Grande, Cardi B, Killer Mike, Jackson Browne and Speedy Ortiz. On Sunday night (Feb. 24), Soccer Mommy joined the ranks of musical Sanders supporters, performing at a rally in Houston, Texas, for the candidate and prompting him to utter the words “Let me thank Soccer Mommy for the music.”

On its own, it’s a fairly innocuous statement of gratitude, but something about Sanders saying it (the signature New England lilt combined with the inherent goofiness of a 78-year-old being familiar with Soccer Mommy) makes it funny, and as keen-eyed supporters have noticed, “Let me thank ___ for the music” has become a bit of a pattern for Bernie.

But while Sanders thanking the likes of Julian Casablancas or Ezra Koenig is charming, watching him thank lesser-known bands like Chicago’s Pet Symmetry or Ratboys is even better.

“He’s definitely the most punk-adjacent of the candidates. His messaging is all about community,” Pet Symmetry’s Evan Weiss told Mother Jones recently. “It feels like he’s one of us. He’ll wax poetic about not being a Washington insider till the cows come home and that really resonates with us.”

Check out some of the best videos of Sanders thanking bands below.