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The Strokes<\/a> have now played both weekends of Coachella<\/a> 2026, and whereas their April 11th set<\/a> saw them making jokes<\/a> about Jeff Bezos<\/a> and being billed second to Justin Bieber<\/a>, last night\u2019s appearance (also ahead of Bieber) had a far more serious tone. Specifically, the band closed their set by projecting a video montage that criticized the U.S. government for multiple assassinations and<\/em> its involvement in Gaza and Iran.<\/p>\n What Did The Strokes Show During Coachella\u2019s Second Weekend?<\/strong><\/p>\n Per setlist.fm<\/a>, the Strokes closed their 14-song set by playing \u201cOblivius\u201d (from 2016\u2019s Future Present Past<\/em> EP) for the first time since its release year. Given the the song is inherently political (so much so that it couldn\u2019t become a music video<\/a>), it\u2019s not surprising that they used it as the backdrop for what they displayed.<\/p>\n According to Consequence<\/a>, the track was paired with \u201ca video montage display[ing] images of leaders purportedly targeted by the CIA.\u201d The people shown included “Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh, Congolese Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba, Bolivian President Juan Jos\u00e9 Torres, Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos, Guatemalan President Jacobo \u00c1rbenz, Chilean President Salvador Allende, and Ecuadorian President Jaime Rold\u00f3s.\u201d<\/p>\n Consequence added that the video \u201calso stated the US government was \u2018found guilty\u2019 of Martin Luther King Jr.\u2019s murder in a civil trial, a reference to 1999\u2019s King family v. Loyd Jowers in which a jury found restaurant owner Loyd Jowers and \u2018others, including government agencies,\u2019 liable for King\u2019s assassination.\u201d<\/p>\n Finally, Consequence claimed, the collage \u201cended with a message claiming that more than 30 universities in Iran have been destroyed during America\u2019s war with Iran, followed by a final image of \u2018the last university standing in Gaza\u2019 being blown up in a military strike.\u201d<\/p>\n After the montage was finished, NME<\/a> noted, \u201cthe screen then faded to black, and the band walked off stage.\u201d Some people and outlets \u2013 such as the Los Angeles Times<\/a><\/em> \u2013 speculated that the sudden ending was unplanned and that the Strokes\u2019 \u201cbackground visuals appear[ed] to get cut\u201d during \u201cOblivius.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s worth mentioning, too, that \u2013 per Rolling Stone<\/a><\/em> \u2013 Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas<\/a> did make a political statement during group\u2019s April 11th Coachella show<\/a> by addressing the upcoming automatic registration for the military draft<\/a>. \u201cYou guys excited about the draft? Oh wait \u2014 not the NFL draft,\u201d he stated (via Rolling Stone<\/em>). \u201cIn six months, I think everyone who\u2019s eligible is gonna have to register for the military. I hope to lead one of the Coachella units. The sexiest unit in our proud military, I\u2019m sure.\u201d<\/p>\n You can see fan-filmed clips of the aforementioned April 18th video montage below:<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>READ MORE: 7 New Rock + Metal Tours Announced This Past Week (April 10-16, 2026)<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n As you can see from one of the posts above, some people are simultaneously proud of the Strokes and<\/em> worried\/confident that they won\u2019t be invited back to Coachella. In general, responses are as divided and contentious as you\u2019d probably expect, with some people championing the band, others chastising them, and plenty of people landing somewhere in the middle.<\/p>\n You can see some reactions below:<\/p>\n Moving onto the two Strokes setlists themselves, both included \u201cHard to Explain,\u201d \u201cYou Only Live Once,\u201d \u201cThe Adults Are Talking,\u201d \u201cBad Decisions\u201d and \u201cSelfless.\u201d However, their April 18th performance also included “Life Is Simple in the Moonlight,” “Ode to the Mets” and closer “Oblivius”; in contrast, their April 11th set was the only one to include “Automatic Stop,” “Last Nite,” “Under Control” and “New York City Cops.”<\/p>\n So, their time during the first weekend of Coachella 2026 focused a bit more on earlier material.<\/p>\n You can see the Strokes\u2019 entire April 18th\u00a0Coachella setlist below:<\/p>\n via setlist.fm<\/a><\/p>\n The Strokes are set to release their seventh studio LP \u2013 Reality Awaits<\/em> \u2013 on June 26 via RCA Records and Cult Records. It\u2019ll follow 2020\u2019s The New Abnormal<\/a><\/em>, and expectedly, their gearing up for an expansive tour in support of it.<\/p>\n The tour will run from mid-June to the end of October (off and on) and stretch across Ireland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, and North America. Along the way, they\u2019ll be supported by Cage the Elephant<\/a>, Hamilton Leithauser<\/a> (of The Walkmen<\/a>), Fat White Family<\/a>, Alex Cameron<\/a>, \u00d6L\u00dcM<\/a> and\/or Thundercat<\/a>.<\/p>\n You can see the full list of upcoming dates and grab tickets here<\/a>.<\/p>\n What do you<\/em> think of how The Strokes closed their second Coachella 2026 weekend set? Let us know!<\/p>\n Naming the best alternative rock album of each year of the 2000s as well as some noteworthy considerations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Chad Childers, Loudwire<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nReactions to Their Video<\/h3>\n
How Do Their Two Coachella 2026 Setlists Compare?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
The Strokes Second Coachella Weekend Setlist (April 18, 2026)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Other Strokes News<\/strong><\/h3>\n
The Best Alt-Rock Album of Each Year of the 2000s<\/h2>\n