Moe Tucker, Velvet Underground Drummer, Stuns Fans With Tea Party Support (VIDEO)

It's safe to assume that most Velvet Underground fans never imagined that "All Tomorrow's Parties" would end up referring to Tea Party rallies in Georgia.

The legendary band's followers and admirers are buzzing about reports that drummer Maureen "Moe" Tucker showed up at a Tea Party rally earlier this year and expressed her anger that the government is leading the country to socialism.

A woman identified as Maureen Tucker was interviewed by news station WALB-TV at a rally in Tifton, Georgia last April, expressing her fury:

"I'm furious about the way we're being led towards socialism. I'm furious about the incredible waste of money when things that we really need and are important get dropped because there's no money left."

The Tea Party Patriots, one of the largest umbrella groups of Tea Party activists, has a page for Tucker on its website, in which she urges activists to write to "King Obama":

"DONT WAIT FOR A TEA PARTY - SEND HIM A LETTER/POSTCARD! YOU'LL FEEL BETTER!! KING OBAMA THE WHITE HOUSE WASH; DC 20500".

According to the Guardian, Tucker says she has also been protesting against cap and trade, the administration's proposal to stem global warming.

Tucker continues: "This 'administration' HAS TO GO! I have come to believe (not just wonder) that Obama's plan is to destroy America from within. It is the only reasonable explanation for his actions/inactions!"

Tucker, who has also performed with Half Japanese and released her own albums on small labels during the 1980s and 1990s, has lived in a small town in Georgia for several decades.

Reached at her home by The Huffington Post, Tucker confirmed her identity but she refused to discuss her appearance at the rally or her political views.

Reports of Tucker's Tea Party affiliation aroused mixed feelings from fans -- on Prefix magazine's story, comments ranged from plenty of support to some disappointment.

Obama Is Carter noted: "What a total shame that a musician is not walking lockstep with the liberal left. I guess the part about punk musicians being anti-establishment only applies when that establishment is not being run wholly by left-wing Democrats."

hells littlest angel writes: "Just goes to show no matter how cool you are when you're young, you can still end up a bitter old crackpot."

WATCH (Tucker appears at the 2:40 mark):

Here is video of Tucker appearing with Lou Reed at a Velvet Underground reunion last year in New York:

Comments

[Domingo Lopez]

08:32 PM on 10/10/2010

Face the facts, Moe Tucker never saw a great amount of wealth before, during or after her time in The Velvet Underground. She was one of many artists ripped off by the music industry during the 1960s, so stop trying to portray her to be a wealthy rock star. Think about Arthur Alexander, he was ripped off by and later left the music industry altogether to drive a school bus. He was a talented r&b singer in the 60s who wrote Anna for The Beatles and You Better Move On for The Rolling Stones. Record companies put a stranglehold on the market and either didn't pay artists, or often found creative accounting ways not to pay artists. Moe Tucker is a middle class woman. I'm not even a Republican, but find it amusing that anyone who doesn't support the Democrats or high taxes is labeled a right-wing Nazi. There is nothing right wing about the stuff I said regarding America's foreign policy and practices of globalism and imperialism.

[Domingo Lopez]

08:15 PM on 10/10/2010

America needs to re-think basic world human rights and overspending. Like President Bush, Obama has no problem spending billions in U.S. tax dollars to fight wars in the middle east that don't benefit our people. America invades sovereign nations and forces them to change their form of government and indirectly influences their cultures and religions. What if the communists invaded America ? Most Americans would be mad. It's not our right to tell other nations how to live and there is a reason people live where they do. Obama supports globalism and imperialism and tries to force change on other nations in the world. It's time to stop spending money on saving the world and fighting other people's wars in the middle east. Stop sending donation monies to other nations who are not grateful. Let's take care of America first; heal our weak economy and bring the troops home and let them rebuild our decaying infrastructure. America is wrong to bring war to the middle east and force Afghanistan and Iraq to accept democracy as a new form of government. There is a reason why people live where they do and America wants to go "Global" by turning every other nation into another America . We need to embrace the cultural and religious differences of other nations around the world and accept the fact that their form of government may not be a democracy like we have in America .

[Nic Baker]

02:58 PM on 10/07/2010

Is this shocking to anyone? I have long thought that, in addition to the "sincere" deficit hawks who had NOTHING to say during the Bush years, the TPers have more than their fair share of 60s unwashed hippies and counter-culture types who crave the same attention they once got when they were in their 20s. All you have to do is hold a poster with Obama sporting a Hitler mustache and you are sure to make it on the evening TV news just like you did in '68 when you burned your draft card / bra. The self absorbed have a home in the TP movement. Oh... and before I forget... the self-titled third Velvet Underground album is one of the best records of all time.

[michael429]

04:42 PM on 10/07/2010

Uh, They were never "HIppies" nor Counter Culture Icons...they were a product of Andy Warhol who made them up in his Factory cause he was pissed at Bob Dylan for taking Edie Sedgwick away from him....these people were apolitical then and likely just as ignorant as they are now....to the best of my knowledge non of the Velvet Underground ever expressed a political idea or a coherent thought.....we ain't talking about John Lennon, Jackson Brown or Joni Mitchell here...

incidentally, some of us protested the war and risked jail because we believed in something other than our own narcissism...it was called "Idealism".....

[Nic Baker]

02:45 PM on 10/08/2010

VU was formed by Lou Reed and John Cale when Reed worked as a writer for Pickwick records. Warhol took credit for a great many things that he shouldn't have. My point is that plenty of the self-serving brats that were hippies in the 60s, were the Reagan voting yuppies in the 80s, and are the current TPers. They never had any real convictions.

[Domingo Lopez]

08:19 PM on 10/10/2010

Why do you call them ignorant? These are the people fed up with the stupidity of the Republicans and their twin brothers, Democrats. It is ignorant and un-American to spend billions in U.S. tax dollars to invade sovereign nations and force them to change their form of government, influencing changes in the existing cultures and religion. Talk about creating enemies within the Muslim community. America is wrong to bring war to the middle east and force Afghanistan and Iraq to accept democracy as a new form of government. There is a reason why people live where they do and America wants to go "Global" by turning every other nation into another America . We need to embrace the cultural and religious differences of other nations around the world and accept the fact that their form of government may not be a democracy like we have in America .What if the communists invaded America ? Most Americans would be mad. It's not our right to tell other nations how to live and there is a reason people live where they do. Obama supports globalism and imperialism and tries to force change on other nations in the world. It's time to stop spending money on saving the world and fighting other people's wars in the middle east. Stop sending donation monies to other nations who are not grateful. Let's take care of America first; heal our weak economy and bring the troops home and let them rebuild our decaying infrastructure.

[Tyler520]

11:13 PM on 10/06/2010

Oh my god, she isn't a stereotypical, lockstep lemming?! - oh, the humanity!

Oh, the irony of leftists being dismayed by varied opinions and people

[leftyrock]

09:19 AM on 10/07/2010

i keep hearing this "lockstep" mentality, projection maybe???????

[Youhavegottobekiddingme]

05:48 PM on 10/07/2010

Now isn't THAT the pot calling the kettle BLACK!

[studana51]

10:48 AM on 10/06/2010

News flash!
Being in the Velvet Underground does not a rocket make..

[rmutt1917]

10:03 AM on 10/06/2010

Lessee, the VU wrote songs about heroin and urban dissolution, but they were somehow cultural progressives? Yes, their sound (especially while Cale ran w/them) was a blessed counterpoint to west-coast Aquarians, but I never saw a hint of populism in their approach (c'mon, Warhol a man of the people?). If the accounts I read are true, Tucker was just another musician ripped off by the industry, and left w/out royalties to speak of, so I don't think she's taking a stand on "don't tax me, I'm rich." Sounds like she was an outsider within an outsider band, and she's now an outsider within an outsider movement.

[Dawn Castle]

09:02 AM on 10/06/2010

who?

[catbyte]

09:02 AM on 10/06/2010

Forget Moe. What does Nico think? :)

[Domingo Lopez]

09:12 PM on 10/10/2010

What Nico thinks is irrelevant. She passed away more than 20 years ago and we don't know whether she would currently be a Republican or Democrat, although I hope she would reject both parties. Nico was German, so does that mean she would support socialism? No.

[Domingo Lopez]

09:20 PM on 10/10/2010

On 18 July 1988, while on holiday with her son in Ibiza, Spain, Nico had a minor heart attack while riding a bicycle and hit her head as she fell. A passing taxi driver found her unconscious and had difficulty getting her admitted to local hospitals. She was incorrectly diagnosed as suffering from heat-exposure and died at eight o'clock that evening. X-rays later revealed a severe cerebral hemorrhage as the cause of death.

Spain's socialized medicine didn't benefit Nico, who was incorrectly diagnosed and faced difficulty in getting admitted to a hospital.

[pattypank]

09:02 AM on 10/06/2010

What's to be stunned about, besides the number of "fans" who seem to be short-sighted when it comes to categorizing people by their profession, appearance, etc. Moe's not unique. Fact is, there are many Dems/Progressives in what's considered a Republican-heavy genre: Country music. Expand your mind a little, already...and quite assuming. That said, I don't have time to get anal about the music I like. For example,if I found out Jerry Garcia was a closet Republican that wouldn't influence my being a Deadhead. Moe's entitled to be a TPer if she wants. Move on.

[noisejoke]

09:54 AM on 10/06/2010

Very well said. Thank you.

[Domingo Lopez]

09:09 PM on 10/10/2010

Last year, I read that country singer Charley Pride is a Republican. Aside from black cowboy singer (and former Duke Ellington vocalist) Herb Jeffries who still performs at almost 100, Charley Pride was one of the first successful African-American country singers and his music is still great. Even if I disagree with the Republicans, I still love Charley Pride's music. Although I disagree with John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival and his liberal views as a Democrat, I still love his music.

[bblueskye]

04:53 PM on 10/18/2010

Do you listen to Patti Smith and Bad Religion but hate their views also?

[Chris1962]

08:48 AM on 10/06/2010

>>>The legendary band's followers and admirers are buzzing about reports that drummer Maureen "Moe" Tucker showed up at a Tea Party rally earlier this year and expressed her anger that the government is leading the country to socialism.>>>

Gee, I can't imagine where she ever got that impression: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8573H12Xqk

[Domingo Lopez]

09:02 PM on 10/10/2010

Moe Tucker is right to question the government. This video footage was actually taken at the Democrats' One Nation rally and demonstrates that the Democratic party are destructive. There are many Democrats who would probably leave the party if they saw this video. My question for you is, who do we vote for when our only other choice is to become a Republican? Both parties are un-American and destructive in their own ways. Which is the lesser of two evils or is there one?

[Donns]

08:24 AM on 10/06/2010

My kids' a drummer, same blank look from too many Dbs on the brain.

[mickflynn]

08:22 AM on 10/06/2010

Why wouldn't he? If he's a taxpayer and is concerned about this country then its makes perfect sense.

[JTJMOMEDTEK]

08:25 AM on 10/06/2010

He? See that's the trouble with you right wingers, You don't read therefore you are misinformed.

[Domingo Lopez]

08:39 PM on 10/10/2010

You're wrong, I'm not a Republican or a right winger. I find it amusing that anyone who questions the practices of Obama or the Democrats is automatically labeled a right winger. The Democrats and Republicans might as well be twins, because they both support the spread of globalism and practice imperialism. Look at Bush and now Obama. Many Americans are so twisted, they believe that we have the right to invade sovereign nations and force them to change their form of government, which indirectly impacts their cultural and religious beliefs. Instead of trying to turn the world into one big America, we need to embrace the cultural and religious differences of other nations around the world and accept the fact that their form of government may not be a democracy like we have in America . So, how would you feel if the communists invaded America and forced us to change our form of government? You would probably be angry and those who oppose would be labeled a terrorist.

[discouragerofhesitancy]

08:29 AM on 10/06/2010

Why aren't you under your bridge?

[guitargeorge1964]

08:20 AM on 10/06/2010

My first reaction is "What would you expect from a drummer?". I myself, was never a fan of the Velvet Underground. I was about 15 or 16 when I saw Lou Reed in Concert. I had already been playing guitar for a few years and Steve Hunter has always been a huge influence on me. Lou Reed's "Rock and Roll Animal" is still one of my favorite recordings.
As far as Ms Tucker? Who really cares what she says? Her rantings about King Obama leading the country to socialism shows a real lack of intelligence. Looks like she got her catch phrases from reading bumper stickers.

[Domingo Lopez]

08:43 PM on 10/10/2010

I've already established that I dislike Republicans, but your rude and judgmental comments about Georgia demonstrate that Democrats are just as ignorant. Your political parties are comparable to private clubs or or infantile playground gangs. You are living proof that the Republicans and Democrats are destroying America.

[guitargeorge1964]

12:27 AM on 10/11/2010

Wow. Considering I didn't say a thing about Georgia at all it makes wonder what you are so upset about. But just so I got this part straight...

You're judging me, calling me "living proof" of representing Democrats "Destroying America" based on what again?

Let me ask you a serious question. Do you recognize ANY hypocrisy in your statement or attitude?

Oh, and the comment about "What do you expect from a drummer" was tongue in cheek. I've played music in bands for over 30 years and drummers are always picked on. But of course, someone with a chip on their shoulder, who has no idea what I'm talking about and no frame of reference can use it to judge me (I guess). I'd say someone like you is living proof that ignorance, demonstrated by the likes of Ms Tucker and yourself, is destroying America. Good job buddy.

[Countess]

08:01 AM on 10/06/2010

I just realized that she has been steeped in the white culture of Georgia for quite awhile which explains where she is coming from.

[BMcCue7]

08:08 AM on 10/06/2010

No, that's not right.

I come from Georgia too, and have also been "steeped in the white culture of Georgia for quite awhile," but I'm as liberal as can be.

People have the freedom to make up their minds for themselves. I have that freedom, and so does Moe.

[toolology]

08:52 AM on 10/06/2010

Thank you for being one of the only rational liberals commenting on this so far. I'm a die hard conservative, more moderate on social issues, but even though I don't agree with the progressive/liberal agenda most of the time and will speak out against it, I don't hold it against someone (well most of the time). It's your right to speak up for whatever it is you believe in. I may not agree but you still have your right just as the Tea Party does.

[toolology]

09:01 AM on 10/06/2010

Thank you for being one of the few reasonable voices of reason on this post. I may not agree with libs or progressives such as yourself all the time and the debate/rhetoric can get heated, but I would never, and I believe most conservatives (true conservatives) would never deny your right to think for yourself or to speak up for what you believe. I find all the hate and mischaracterizations about the Tea Party or conservatives in general frustrating and laughable at times, but the only way to combat is to keep speaking up and defending what I believe. Just as you have the right to do the same.

[hallowellboy]

08:00 AM on 10/06/2010

Way too much "Heroin" for "Sweet Jane".

[JumpySnark]

08:25 AM on 10/06/2010

It's her life and it's her wife, but I guess she just don't know...

[VoodooDoll]

08:51 AM on 10/06/2010

Oh rats,now I can hear that song droning onnnnn and onnnnn in my head.Thanks allot! ;)