New Radicals will reunite after 22 years to perform at Joe Biden’s inaugural parade.
Rolling Stone reports the band will perform their signature hit “You Get What You Give” to close the virtual “Parade Across America” on Wednesday, January 20th.
During the presidential campaign, “You Get What You Give” was used as the walk-out song for Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff. The song was also beloved by President-elect Biden’s late son, Beau, and became something of a personal theme song for him as he battled cancer.
“During breakfast, Beau would often make me listen to what I thought was his theme song, ‘You Get What You Give’ by the New Radicals,” Biden wrote in his 2017 memoir Promise, Me Dad. “Even though Beau never stopped fighting and his will to live was stronger than most – I think he knew that this day might come. The words to the song are: This whole damn world can fall apart. You’ll be ok, follow your heart.”
In a statement announcing New Radicals’ reunion, frontman Gregg Alexander said, “If there’s one thing on Earth that would possibly make us get the band together, if only for a day, it is the hope that our song could be even the tiniest beacon of light in such a dark time.”
“America knows in its heart that things will get bright again with a new administration and a real plan for vaccines on the way. That’s the message of the song… this world is gonna pull through.”
“Performing the song again after such a long time is a huge honor because we all have deep respect for Beau’s military service and such high hopes for the unity and normalcy Joe and Kamala will bring our country again in this time of crisis,” Alexander added.
The inaugural festivities officially kicked off on Sunday night with a virtual concert featuring Fall Out Boy, Carole King, Ben Harper, and more. During Biden’s swearing-in on Wednesday, Lady Gaga will sing the National Anthem and Jennifer Lopez is also slated to perform. Later that evening, Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, Justin Timberlake, Demi Lovato, and John Legend will all participate in a nationally televised concert event called Celebrating America.
