Between the ear piercings, nose rings and bushy triangular sideburns, it wasn’t hard to tell who the musicians were Tuesday morning at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the music business. But appearances aside, at least one rocker was eager to cozy up to the lawmakers.
John Ondrasik, aka Five forFighting, said: “I recently was touched when I heard that Senator [Orrin] Hatch wrote a song for his friend Senator [Edward] Kennedy. That gesture made me proud as an American, and reminded me how music, at times, can express our basic humanity and feelings better than any other medium. I look forward to hearing that song.”
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Later that afternoon, a spokesman for Hatch said the senator had still not been able to give the track a spin for Ondrasik.
Speaking of giving it a spin, Joe Kennedy, president and chief executive officer of Pandora Media Inc., tried to demonstrate Pandora’s Internet radio capabilities during the hearing. Too bad for him he couldn’t get a signal. “Now what does that tell you?” Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., wondered aloud.
Ondrasik chimed in, “I love Pandora, it’s very cool. It’s very hip.” When it works, that is.