New Radicals Will Reunite for Biden’s Inauguration

The New Radicals, widely known for their hit song ‘You get what you give’, will be reuniting. They are all gearing up to perform for U.S. president-elect Joe Biden inauguration. 

The band, consisting of keyboard player Jim McGorman, singer Gregg Alexander, drummer Stu Johnson, bassist Sasha Krystov, singer/percussionist Danielle Brisebois and guitarist Brad Fernquist, will be performing after a long hiatus, almost 22 years!

A Song Of Hope

New Radicals will perform “You Get What You Give” as part of the Biden-Harris administration’s virtual “Parade Across America” event.

The 1998 hit single resurfaced on the 2020 campaign trail as the handpicked walk-on song for Vice President-elect’s husband Doug Emhoff. 

“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,” frontman Gregg Alexander said in a statement. Alexander added, “Performing the song again after such a long time is a huge honour because we all have a 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.”

The hit song by New Radicals also has a personal connection with the Biden family. In Joe Biden’s 2017 autobiography, Promise Me, Dad, he wrote that “You Get What You Give” became the family’s rallying “theme song” for son Beau Biden during his battle with 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. The words to the song are:  “This whole damn world can fall apart. You’ll be ok, follow your heart.”

A Star-Studded Ceremony

The New Radicals’ one-day-only reunion performance will serve as the closing act at the inauguration virtual parade, which will take place after the swearing-in ceremony on January 20th, 2021.

Alexander and New Radicals co-founder Danielle Brisebois received an invitation to take part in the parade less than a week before the inauguration event, adding that “it was a mad, fun scramble” to plan out the performance 

Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake and Foo Fighters are among other acts that will perform at various Inauguration events on the day. Additionally, Fall Out Boy and will.i.am will appear at the pre-inauguration ‘We The People’ concert.

By: Aatira Kakroo