Perhaps it was the moment of silence for Corey Comperatore, a silence broken by an opera voice, singing live, "Ave Maria"....
But maybe it was for you, as it was for me, the return of opera, after Trump's long speech and his concluding dance to "YMCA," when he beckons the opera singer — Christopher Macchio — back onto the stage and remains on stage and listens through the performance of 5 songs, not all opera songs, but all delivered operatically: "Nessun Dorma," "Hallelujah" (the song Leonard Cohen's estate complained about Trump's using in 2020), "America the Beautiful" (including the lesser-known fourth verse, the one with "alabaster cities"), "How Great Thou Art," and "God Bless America."
Who does that? Who subjects a present-day audience to that much unexpected opera? Especially after they've been confined for 4+ hours. Especially with the almost-assassinated former President looming there, swaying, through the whole thing. The operatic interlude finally ends, and a brash and incredibly annoying pop song plays — something I can tell is called "Gloria." No, no, not the Van Morrison "Gloria." It's this awfulness. A good choice if the message is: Time to get out here.
It's my understanding that Trump loves music and likes to be the one to choose the music, and he just assumes people should hear what he wants to play. You can take that as a metaphor if you like.
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I'm sure those who attended had a great time. I didn't realize that Musk is so tall.
Should have played U2’s “Gloria”. That’s a rouser.
My favorite part is that it increased the number of ballots democrats will have to mail in to Philadelphia to "win" Pennsylvania.
You don’t like Laura Brannigan’s “Gloria”? Seriously?
I thought the best part was when supposedly someone in the crowd needed medical attention and after a few minutes of Trump pausing his speech the crowd organically started signing the star spangle banner. Trump's reaction was to start directing and then changed his mind and in a more respectful tone started signing it.
I think anyl true music lover will assume "people should hear what he wants to play".
I watched the whole thing. My God, the man has stamina.
And I enjoyed the musical ending.
Just an offhand prediction- the rally will be barely covered on the national news, if indeed it is mentioned at all.
"Gloria" by Brannigan is an awesome song but you probably do have to have grown up with it.
That's two Trump rallies I've watched, beginning to end, in the last week or so. I watched the first to check up on claims of a certain commenter here that he's old and feeble. Turns out, nothing could be further from the truth. And I watched yesterday's because it was Butler.
In small doses, yes. I agree though, U2's "Gloria" is much better. But I doubt the Trump campaign wants to have to go to court when they get sued by Bono.
It’s very camp.
Honoring Corey - a person the hack-D Soviet Press ignore - was so important.
The VILE collective left do not care at all about an innocent Trump supporter - killed by a paid patsies bullet.
I think his fans would appreciate the unexpected opera interlude insofar as it's something genuine and individual. It wasn't focus-grouped by a committee of consultants. Trump may say but study and contradict himself, but you can usually be confident that it represents what he is actually thinking that day
My bias, but I like Laura Branigan and her song Gloria. I was 12 then and it was on the charts.Sad that she died at 52 in her sleep.
Camp as in "good", or camp as in "bad"?
It fits, too, that Branigan was working-class and came from roughly that part of the country.
Lies!
The media have made it clear that Donald Trump is tired and suffers from dementia.
Exactly. Had Comperatore been killed at a Biden or Harris rally, his name would be mentioned endlessly in every single mainstream media platform including FoxNews. He would be the new George Floyd.
I had the same impression the first time I saw Elon Musk on "The Big Bang Theory"- taller than I had expected.
I like "Self Control" better, but I was a fan.
C'mon, there's only one "Gloria" - if you don't believe me, ask Them.
As it is, he's the new Ashli Babbitt.
Poor Democrats. It ain’t easy manufacturing a hundred million ballots. Trumpies are so thoughtless. Where’s the empathy for those hard working Dems.
“Nessun Dorma” is absolutely appropriate, especially the concluding stanzas:
All'alba vincerò. (At dawn I shall win)
Vincerò. (I shall win)
Vincerò. (I win!)
Who’s Harris?
Yup, nothing wrong with Laura Brannigan’s Gloria.
Also good to see a gal sporting a proper set of eyebrows, as opposed to overplucked wisps or ones that have been drawn on.
Trump understands the importance of theater. Too many in the GOP don't; they want to be seen as competent managers and think that should be enough.
I might add that the sort of Deplorables who show up to Trump rallies are highly unlikely to be put off by songs like "America the Beautiful" (including the fourth verse or otherwise), "How Great Thou Art," and "God Bless America." This is true whether sung “operatically” or not.
I spent the last two weeks around people who have CNN/MSNBC on constantly. They know nothing of what actually goes on. Nothing. It's like looking at an alternate universe.
It's not a song I have on any of my playlists, but for a disco-y upbeat song, it's not a bad choice for their purpose.
Ice Nine said: "C'mon, there's only one "Gloria" - if you don't believe me, ask Them."
Heh ;-) To be fair (as they say in Letterkenny) Morrison's "Gloria" didn't really register much, at least in the US, until the cover by Shadows of Knight charted. Dave Barry once commented that if you threw a guitar over a cliff, it would play the cords to "Gloria" as it bounced to the bottom.
You leave teh Brannigan alone!
Best version by far
“It's my understanding that Trump loves music and likes to be the one to choose the music, and he just assumes people should hear what he wants to play.”
Now, of course, someone has to choose the music. But Trump picking the music rather than picking the person that picks the music? It must be a Metaphor.
Very impressed he went back to Butler. It’s such a poignant sign of strength and resilience. His leadership ability is off the charts.
Most, if not all of those songs, along with singer Macchio, have been employed at other trump functions, and that "Gloria" is a catchy enough exit tune.
The writer of the LA Times article linked by Ann, didn't seem to get many (any?) of the scriptural references in "Hallelujah", just cherry picked a few out of context lines to cobble together a criticism of the song being inappropriate for use by Trump.
Life is but an opera, dramatic and bold. Fight!
Ditto
Hey, you're right, cat - and Shadows of Knight is what I meant to say, honest, but I just had Them stuck in my mind. Well, there goes my OP down the drain! LOL. Thanks for steering me straight. And yeah, it is a primitive tune, but a great oldie classic. I honestly don't know how anyone can hear the song "Gloria" mentioned and not have the Shadows' version instantly tickling their mind's ear.
No, I like it, and I was born in 1954. The line, "You're headed for a breakdown!", would seem to be appropriate to the moment.
Oh noes! Not just mean tweets, but too many songs. And the wrong kinds of songs IYKWIMAITTYD.
Several years ago the Coast Guard band was in town. Being in the USCG Auxiliary I was helping. There was a young woman who was a singer with the Coast Guard. When she did America the Beautiful I could feel my scalp prickling in awe. When you have a trained singer that good you stick around and listen to that singer, it isn't an imposition at all.
Them’s “Gloria” is the definitive version. Van the Man probably wouldn’t object, either.
I have always loved that song.
Me three!
Best line. "As I was saying" at the start of his speech
A successful President has been known to call the tune. Unfortunately Biden could never find the sheet music. Partly because he was so far gone he didn''t know he had to look for it.
Many reasons, there, why I, and I'm guessing a lot of people, don't go to rallies.
A beautiful brunette often sets off an unreasonable negativity in a blonde.
I always enjoy seeing Trump dance!
A musical interlude gives people a chance to head for cars individually, so the exit traffic is spread out a bit.
It always annoys me when musicians complain about Republicans using their music. You sold the distribution rights to your music so you have no control over who plays it anymore. If you want total control over your music, don't sell the rights to play or perform it.
And it's more annoying when someone's estate complains. How do they know for a fact that the musician would object to the Republican candidate using their music? They're trying to inject their personal politics into the estate.
The Harris Campaign has been trying to get Taylor Swift or Beyonce to do a cover of "16 Tons" so that it can be used at the Harris rallies.
Imagine that. Even without a six-shooter being involved. Tarnation!!!
Only 16 tons? They're full of more crap than that.
Of the versions of "Gloria" mentioned here, Laura's did the best on the pop charts. For me, this version of Gloria takes me to a time and place way better than the others ... my college years. I was a sophomore when Laura's Gloria was released.
Considering that the Democrats are the party of the establishment...
As much as I love Van Morrison, my favorite renditions of Gloria are:
1. Jimi Hendrix
2. Patti Smith
3. Van live concert in Vegas, Jan. 2020.
"Who subjects a present-day audience to that much unexpected opera?"
It was just 1 aria, "Nessun Dorma," which Trump has been using since 2016. (Pavarotti's family objected to Trump using that recording.) I would think Trump fans would be expecting it.
someone's estate complaining could because estate know someone is voting D even if deadzs?
It’s not just a great political rally, it was excellent television. I kept thinking “I wish my friend Laura was watching,” but it probably wouldn’t change her preconceived opinion of Trump.
Narayanan - it's easier to know that a dead person will vote D than a live person will.
since everybody owes their soul to 'the company store' song is mighty appropriate + rubbing it in so satisfyingly!!
Ever hear The Doors’s version of Gloria? He’s going home with a schoolgirl.
Anyway, re Them, that is Van Morrison.
As for the Brannigan song, I truly hate it. And I did not know it. Not my era.
Nothing wrong with getting a little culture.
"And..., as I was saying..."
Perfect!
I personally am very enthusiastic about music, especially discovering good new or new-to-me music that I haven't heard before. I tend to tell my friends about my discoveries, but whether they choose to listen to the cool stuff that I recommend is up to them. Some people just aren't music enthusiasts. It takes all kinds, I guess.
Having listened to all five songs, I must say that I enjoyed them. I realize that many people on the other side who blanche at anything that whiffs of religion or patriotism would not enjoy the music. How sad for them!
"As for the Brannigan song, I truly hate it."
I made the mistake of looking it up. Now it's stuck in my head.
Fifty years ago, there was a good baritone in our Methodist church choir who'd belt out How Great Thou Art at every opportunity. I don't think I've heard it since.
Trump makes opera great again!
"Turns out, nothing could be further from the truth."
That is not true.
The farthest away from an old and feeble person is not DJT.
But, for a bunch of reasons, you have a bit of a crush on him, so your irrational exuberance is understandable. To you he is the farthest thing from an old and feeble man. He's dreamy! To you.
Carry on.
Note that Sprezz supports a candidate who actually sucked cock and fucked her way to the top and has exactly zero other accomplishments in her career.
Well outside of holding black men in prison past their sentences to pad California's prison work force numbers.
Short answer: NO. The lefties want to leave to country in the hands of the Obama team again. Who ever they are.
I hear Kamela loves the Brannigan version of “Gloria.” FACT.
Thank your the link to the Corey Comperatore tribute.
Sorry, but Laura Brannigan’s “Gloria” is the best Gloria :-)
"Who subjects a present-day audience to that much unexpected opera?" It was just 1 aria, "Nessun Dorma," which Trump has been using since 2016. Thanks for the clarification, grimson. I had been trying to guess which other songs from the opera repertoire were sung.
It is a favorite hymn of mine but we don't sing it hardly ever in our church. I was at a funeral Saturday, different denomination, and it was one of the hymns we all sang. In Spanish.
Someone would get all offended if Kamala sang a hymn at one of her ralleyettes.
John Henry
Blormf's self indulgent BS is pretty lame, but even so it's way more interesting and fun looking than the North Korean "I love you dear leader stuff that Harris, Biden & Walz do. Just saying. I down if I could stand more than about 15 minutes of either one to be honest.
Its not, and never has been, a question of "competence". What does "competence" even mean anymore in this war against marxist woke lunatics?
Its a clear question of policies the New Soviet Democraticals want implemented which will put the final naips into the coffin of our Republic...and they are almost there already.
"Gloria" is used to great effect in Scorsese's "The Wolf of Wall Street." The man knows his musical cues.
For each their own. Trump events are events. People have fun and enjoy them. Nobody forces or pays them to be there. I ran into a Georgia Democrat operative I know at one of them, and her mouth was hanging open. She couldn't believe the diversity and non-political nature of the crowd, and how amusing yet intelligent Trump was. Of course she was doing oppo research, not being convinced by him. But she walked away very impressed -- in a concerned way.
I've sat through a lot of Democrat and GOP campaign events. They're either people who do politics, or, in the case of Democrats, bussed-in public union faithful (who skip work) and paid welfare dependents given walking around money, and there to take more of our money. A few (usually wealthy) professional activist socialists mixed in.
Example: Poor People's Day at the Georgia Capitol. They pay homeless people and idle school dropouts to come rally/harass people all day. We don't leave our purses or anything else on the benches that day. Extra security is needed, and people get pick-pocketed and robbed.
Very different from a Trump rally.
I'm so weird that I've replayed the opera parts a half dozen times already. My favorite parts! Just glorious. And the unabashed worshipping of Jesus brought tears.
I rather like the playlist. And to hear it opera style is a treat.
“I'm so weird that I've replayed the opera parts a half dozen times already. My favorite parts! Just glorious. And the unabashed worshipping of Jesus brought tears.”
I spoke with several rally-goers yesterday who expressed that exact same sentiment. Keep Freedom of Worship Free Again!
Tina: Very well said.
Hey now, be nice to my girl Laura Branigan! I have some happy memories of dancing to “Gloria” at the high school sock-hops.
“Gloria” set a record for the length of time a song by a female artist spent on the Billboard Hot 100, and she had a few other top 10 hits, as well as some movie work (Flashdance), but never really became a major star. She was mostly forgotten and out of show biz by 1990, suffered early widowhood shortly after that, and died young from a brain aneurysm. “Gloria” had a renaissance eight or ten years ago when it became the unlikely anthem of the St. Louis Blues hockey team.
There was a time when sixteen-year-old me would have, as they say, crawled across broken glass just for the chance to hear her fart through a walkie-talkie.
Exactly!
"operatic interlude"
Just one aria from an opera -- Schubert's prayer doesn't count. Even Nessun Dorma has crossed over to become more of an athletic challenge than a musical event, and few even know that it comes from Turandot (and anyway they don't know what Turandot is). For the patriotic songs, what's the problem having them sung by someone with the chops and the training to do them justice?
From what I could see, the audience didn't react negatively. And don't think folks who have never been to an opera hate being subjected to even a little of it. Some years ago, I got my daughter and her then-boyfriend tickets to Carmen at the Met. She had been to the opera many times with us (doesn't go on her own, though), but he had never even been to a classical concert. Long story short, he loved it so much that he got tickets of his own to take his mother.
So, don't assume that Trump rally goers won't enjoy this music.
Yes, yes to this.
I found the opera ending was the best part of the rally.
Laura Branigan's "Gloria" is a translated cover of a European (Spanish or Italian, iirc) pop hit from a year or so before her record became a huge hit stateside.
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