50th ANNIVERSARY YEAR

Issue 1293 >> August 10, 2017

JUSTIN
TRUDEAU
Why Can’t
He Be Our
President?

HOW THE
TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION
IS DESTROYING
THE EPA

KHALID
The Lonely
Rise of a Teen
Prodigy

FOO
FIGHTERS
FIGHT BACK
ARCADE FIRE
 The Complete Issue.
Every Word. Every Photo.

Now Available on Mobile

 Khalid onstage in
Portland, Oregon,
in July. Page 32

F E AT UR E S RO CK & ROL L
32 44 11 23
Khalid’s Teen Spirit Scott Pruitt’s Crimes Foo Fighters’ The ’90s Rise Again
How a lonely Army brat Against Nature All-Star Return Behind the scenes at the
made 2017’s freshest debut. Trump’s EPA chief is gutting New album features Adele’s I Love the Nineties Tour,
By Jonah Weiner the agency and serving the producer, surprise guests. ground zero for a cultural
fossil-fuel industry. nostalgia boom.
36 14
By Jeff Goodell
The North Star Lollapalooza
ANTHONY CAMPUSANO

Is Canadian Prime Minister Legends DEPA R T MEN TS

Justin Trudeau the free ON THE COVER Justin Trudeau,
photographed in Ottawa, Ontario, Perry Farrell on his favorite
world’s best hope? Letters ........6 Records .... 53
on June 27th, 2017, by Martin Lolla memories. plus: A
By Stephen Rodrick Schoeller. preview of this year’s fest. Playlist ........8 Movies ...... 56

A u g u s t 10 , 2 017 RollingStone.com | R ol l i n g S t o n e | 3
 ROLLINGSTONE.COM
EDITOR AND PUBLISHER: Jann S. Wenner
MANAGING EDITOR: Jason Fine
Morrissey
LIST in 1984
DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR: Sean Woods
ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITORS: Christian Hoard,
Alison Weinflash

EVERY
SENIOR WRITERS: David Fricke, Andy Greene, Brian Hiatt,
Peter Travers
SENIOR EDITORS: Patrick Doyle, Rob Fischer, Thomas Walsh

SMITHS
ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Hannah Murphy
ASSISTANT EDITORS: Rick Carp, Jason Maxey, Phoebe Neidl
ASSISTANT TO THE MANAGING EDITOR: Ellen Nelson

SONG EDITORIAL STAFF: Betsy Hill

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Matthieu Aikins, Mark Binelli,

RANKED
David Browne, Rich Cohen, Jonathan Cott, Cameron Crowe,
Anthony DeCurtis, Tim Dickinson, Jon Dolan, Raoul Duke
(Sports), Josh Eells, Mikal Gilmore, Jeff Goodell,
Vanessa Grigoriadis, Erik Hedegaard, Will Hermes,
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Steve Knopper, David Kushner,
Thirty years after Greil Marcus, Alex Morris, Charles Perry, Janet Reitman,
the breakup, Rob Stephen Rodrick, Rob Sheffield, Paul Solotaroff,
Ralph Steadman (Gardening), Neil Strauss, Matt Taibbi,
Sheffield picks the Touré, Jonah Weiner, Christopher R. Weingarten, David Wild

best – and worst – DESIGN DIRECTOR: Joseph Hutchinson

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Jodi Peckman
from Morrissey, ART DIRECTORS: Matthew Cooley, Mark Maltais
Marr and crew. PHOTO DEPARTMENT: Sacha Lecca (Deputy Photo Ed.),
Griffin Lotz (Assoc. Photo Ed.), Sandford Griffin (Finance Mgr.)

HEAD OF DIGITAL: Gus Wenner

ROLLINGSTONE.COM EDITORIAL: Jerry Portwood

(Editorial Dir.), Justin Ravitz (Executive Ed.),
Brian Crecente (Glixel), Suzy Exposito, Ahmed Fakhr,
David Fear, Jon Freeman, Elisabeth Garber-Paul,
Sarah Grant, Kory Grow, Joseph Hudak, Lauren Kelley,
Jason Newman, Hank Shteamer, Brittany Spanos, Tessa Stuart
SOCIAL MEDIA: Shara Sprecher, Alexa Pipia
The DIGITAL CREATIVE STUDIO: Scott Petts (Dir.),
LaurieAnn Wojnowski (Senior Prod.), Sarah Allison,
Shining Adam Bernstein, George Chapman, Alberto Innella,
Megan McBride, Taryn Wood-Norris, Billy Woodward
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DIGITAL OPERATIONS: Alvin Ling

CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER: Michael H. Provus

HEAD OF DIGITAL SALES: Matthew Habib
HEAD OF MARKETING: Kerri Mackar
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: Jessica Grill
NEW YORK: Meghan Hoctor, Craig Mura, John Stark

PROFILE MUSIC MOVIES MIDWEST: Adam Anderson, Brian Szejka

WEST COAST: Kurt DeMars
SOUTHWEST: Adam Knippa, Ellen Lewis, Michael Stafford
THE REAL X REFLECT BEST STEPHEN SOUTHEAST: Christine Costello, Peter Zuckerman
NATIONAL MUSIC DIRECTOR: Mitch Herskowitz

VIC MENSA ON 40 YEARS KING MOVIES MARKETING/ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT: Gina Abatangelo,

Christine Ayuso, Emma Greenberg, Sara Katzki,
The Chicago rapper opens up John Doe and his pioneering With It and The Dark Tower Gabe Newman, Ashley Rix
ANALYTICS AND RESEARCH: Katie O’Mealia
about depression, addiction L.A. punk quartet take a break hitting theaters, we rank all of PUBLICITY: Kathryn Brenner
and his long-awaited debut from their tour to talk about King’s big-screen adaptations –
album, The Autobiography. their epic four-decade run. from Carrie to The Shining. MANUFACTURING: Chris Marcantonio

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER: Timothy Walsh

GENERAL COUNSEL: Natalie Krodel
HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR: Victoria Kirtley Shannon
POLITICS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LICENSING: Maureen Lamberti

‘MUSIC NOW’ PODCAST MATT TAIBBI CONTROLLER: Karen Reed

Wilson RollingStone.com/taibbi
Ahead of the release of his new solo album, Wenner Media
CHAIRMAN: Jann S. Wenner
Re-Covered, Semisonic’s Dan Wilson spills CULTURE VICE PRESIDENTS: Timothy Walsh, Jane Wenner
secrets of writing hits for Adele, Taylor Swift ROB SHEFFIELD CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Joseph Hutchinson
and the Dixie Chicks – and explains how RollingStone.com/sheffield Rolling Stone International
he got there from “Closing Time” – in an CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER: Meng Ru Kuok
interview with host Brian Hiatt. Rolling Stone MOVIES CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER: Ivan Chen

PETER TRAVERS
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER: Tom Callahan
Music Now airs Fridays at 1 p.m. ET on the
SiriusXM Volume channel. RollingStone.com/travers MAIN OFFICES: 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY
FROM TOP, LEFT TO RIGHT: ALAMY; SANTIAGO FELIPE/GETTY IMAGES;

ALL THIS AND MORE AT 10104-0298; 212-484-1616

NATIONAL MUSIC ADVERTISING: 441 Lexington Ave.,
ROLLINGSTONE.COM/PODCAST ROCK & ROLL New York, NY 10017; 212-490-1715
GEORGE ROSE/GETTY IMAGES; EVERETT COLLECTION; ALAMY

DAVID FRICKE DIRECT-RESPONSE ADVERTISING: 212-484-3492

SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: 800-283-1549
RollingStone.com/fricke
REGIONAL OFFICES
333 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1105, Chicago, IL 60601;

TO EXPLORE OUR ARCHIVES, VISIT FOLLOW US ON 312-782-2366

5700 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 345, Los Angeles,
ROLLINGSTONE.COM/COVERWALL CA 90036; 323-930-3300
Lewis Stafford Co., 5000 Quorum Dr., Suite 545,
Dallas, TX 75254; 972-960-2889
Z Media, 1666 Kennedy Causeway, Suite 602,
Miami Beach, FL 33141; 305-532-5566

Rolling Stone (ISSN 0035-791x) is published 22 times per year, of which four are double issues, for a total of 26 issues per annual term (the number of
Copyright © 2017 by Rolling Stone LLC. All rights reserved.
issues in an annual term is subject to change at any time), by Wenner Media LLC, 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104-0298. The entire
contents of Rolling Stone are copyright © 2017 by Rolling Stone LLC, and may not be reproduced in any manner, either in whole or in part, without Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is
written permission. All rights are reserved. Canadian Goods and Service Tax Registration No. R125041855. International Publications Mail Sales Prod- prohibited. Rolling Stone® is a registered trademark of Rolling
uct Agreement No. 450553. The subscription price is $39.96 for one year. The Canadian subscription price is $52.00 for one year, including GST, payable Stone LLC. Printed in the United States of America.
in advance. Canadian Postmaster: Send address changes and returns to P.O. Box 63, Malton CFC, Mississauga, Ontario L4T 3B5. The foreign subscription
price is $80.00 for one year, payable in advance. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices. Canada Poste publication agree- RALPH J. GLEASON 1917-1975
ment #40683192. Postmaster: Send address changes to Rolling Stone Customer Service, P.O. Box 62230, Tampa, FL 33662-2230. From time to time, HUNTER S. THOMPSON 1937-2005
Rolling Stone may share subscriber information with reputable business partners. For further information about our privacy practices or to opt out of
such sharing, please see Rolling Stone’s privacy policy at rollingstone.com/services/privacypolicy. You may also write to us at 1290 Avenue of the Amer- ROLLING STONE is printed on 100 percent
icas, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10104. Please include your full name, complete mailing address and the name of the magazine title to which you subscribe. carbon-neutral paper.

4 | R ol l i n g S t o n e | RollingStone.com A u g u s t 10 , 2 017
Correspondence Love Letters
& Advice

dick i nson i nclu de s i m-

portant issues of organization
R.I.P., Gregg Allman and strategy, but he missed a key
factor: the message. A large por-
In RS 1290, Mikal Gilmore offered an emotional tribute to tion of the country is concerned
the Allman Brothers’ legendary keyboardist and vocalist, about crap jobs at crap wages.
Gregg Allman, who passed away on May 27th [“The Last Until Democrats show concern
Brother: Gregg Allman, 1947-2017”]. Readers responded. for inequality and poverty, their
base among the working class
i’m fortunate to have The 45-minute “Mountain will continue to erode.
seen the Allmans in concert Jam” ending the show con- Stuart Lynn, via the Internet
at every stage of their sto- firmed it.
ried career. But I never truly Eric Anderson, Seattle Machine Gunning
understood the depth of loss
and pain this brilliant artist r e a di ng a bou t a l l- machine gun kelly is liv-
had to endure throughout man’s life is like reading ing proof that you can achieve
his life until Gilmore so art- about the life of an English anything you want in life if
Maddow’s World fully described it in this you want it bad enough [“The
superb story. Wounded Heart of Machine
i so enjoyed the “rolling Stephen Dessau Gun Kelly,” RS 1290]. “Instead
Stone Interview” with MSNBC New York of turning new leaves, I jump
host Rachel Maddow [RS into the pile.”
1290]. In an age of fake news gil mor e’s he a rt- Steven McDonald
and near-universal deceit, stirring tribute to Gregg Via the Internet
Maddow’s reporting is a clear Allman was the best ar-
and concise breath of fresh air. ticle I have ever read in Fleetwood’s Back
Well done! your magazine. He cap-
Aaron H. Warner tured the despair, the cour- Romantic poet. And maybe lindsey buckingham and
Seattle age and the overwhelming that’s what he was. Christine McVie [“Fleetwood
complexity of one of the Bruce Armstrong Mac’s New Spinoff,” RS 1290].
m a ddow k nows her greatest rock & rollers of Via the Internet I love the new album. “On With
strengths but is totally candid all time. the Show” is my favorite, along
about her weaknesses. No ex- Paul Runnels i just finished reading with “Red Sun” and “Too Far
cuses, no BS and especially no Lawrenceville, GA “The Last Brother” and it Gone.” It’s the perfect music
self-promotion. Just an honest was totally absorbing. I to play while driving. Nice and
view of her place in the world when i saw the allman think Gilmore ranks among mellow, just what I need when
as she sees it. Brothers at Ludlow Garage the best writers that you I’m behind the wheel.
Patrick Fort in Cincinnati, it was obvi- have ever published. Gloria U., via the Internet
Eagle River, AK ous that they were special. Glenn Olson, Anchorage, AK
Metallica’s Riches
i have been a fan of mad-
dow’s for years. She has braved maddow’s the best. but to for something. Instead, Dems lars ulrich talks of “get-
the putrid quagmire of our not put Southern-rock icon need to lead through optimism ting comfortable” with VIP
current political state to ex- Gregg Allman on the cover of – 2018 is just around the corner. autograph sessions that cost
pertly define what the current Rolling Stone after his pass- George Byrne $2,499 [“Metallica’s Monster
situation means to our nation. ing is sheer heresy. You should Venice, FL Summer,” RS 1290]. Back in the
America is finally listening! be tied to a whipping post. day, we’d call that sort of profi-
And the well-earned ratings Lisa Shivers i’ v e be e n a de mo cr at ic teering selling out.
are there to prove it. Signal Mountain, TN member of Dormont Borough John Karr, San Francisco
Scott Oliver Council for 10 years. Keith El-
Gorham, ME The Dems Rebuild lison tells Dickinson that “if the
people on the ground – the city Contact Us
ev eryon e lov es r achel . i read with much inter- council members, the alder- LETTERS to ROLLING STONE , 1290 Avenue
But where was she during the est Tim Dickinson’s insight- men – are not feeling like we’re of the Americas, New York, NY
10104-0298. Letters become the
last campaign? Shillin’ for Hill- ful article [“Can Democrats backing them up, then we’re property of ROLLING STONE and may
ary, of course, as were so many Fix the Party?” RS 1290]. Un- failing.” In my humble opinion, be edited for publication.
of our trusted wonks. She has a less the Dems get away from the Democratic Party is failing E-MAIL [email protected]
lot of catching up to do. “anti-Trump” and “Resistance,” epically. SUBSCRIBER SERVICES Go to
RollingStone.com/customerservice
Mike Jurkovic we will be viewed as being John Maggio •Subscribe •Renew •Cancel •Missing Issues
Wallkill, NY against something rather than Dormont, PA •Give a Gift •Pay Bill •Change of Address

6 | R ol l i n g S t o n e | RollingStone.com A u g u s t 10 , 2 017
SATISFACTION IN SECONDS
CONDS
™

HEAT IT UP. EAT IT UP.

 MY LIST

2. Selena
Gomez feat.
Gucci Mane
“Fetish”
Nick
Gomez is having quite
the hot summer. On her
Lowe
latest hit, she kicks some Five Songs
breathy sexology over
a slinky groove and has
My Son Loves
great chemistry with
Gucci, who kills it playing Lowe, whose 1980s rec-
the tough-guy smoothie. ords were recently reis-
sued, selected an eclectic
1. Nine Inch Nails mixture of songs he has
played for his 12-year-old
“Less Than” 3. St. Vincent son, Roy, to expose him to
This black-clad banger from Nine Inch different kinds of music.
Nails’ great new EP is a master class in “New York”
the science of violence. Trent Reznor Pure breakup gold: Annie Eddie Cochran
cranks up the goth-disco drum machines Clark says so long to “the “Cut Across Shorty”
and the sad-banshee synths, and knocks only motherfucker in This sounds like a nursery
out the kind of bizarrely anthemic yowl the city that can handle rhyme with a very agree-
from the abyss only he can deliver. me” with nothing but her able skiffle beat, which
piano to keep her sane. was an English version of
rockabilly. Eddie Cochran
had it all going on.
4. Elvis Costello
“American Tune”
6. Downtown Boys Bing Crosby and
“Lips That Bite” Louis Armstrong
Paul Simon’s 1973 meditation on our “Now You Has Jazz”
beleaguered national spirit in the We really loved this lefty
It sounds like an aural
post-Vietnam era remains one of his punk band’s 2015 LP, Full
cartoon, since the voices
most beloved songs. It’s been covered Communism – especially
have so much character.
many times, but Costello finds his own frontwoman Victoria Ruiz,
Bing Crosby was able to
way in, somberly making it a perfect who proves herself one of
swing in this very white

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: ANDREW CHIN/FILMMAGIC; JOHN LAMPARSKI/GETTY IMAGES; SACHA LECCA; BURAK
the top feminist bomb-

CINGI/REDFERNS/GETTY IMAGES; LORNE THOMSON/GETTY IMAGES; RICKY BASSMAN/CSM/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK

reflection of our Trump-era blues. kind of way.
throwers in rock on
Downtown Boys’
raging new one. John Holt
“Ali Baba”
This is John’s dream of
being pursued by a posse
of fairy-tale characters
set to a monster Studio
One groove. Exquisite.

Ron Sexsmith
“Gold in Them Hills”
7. Chance A beauty from the last
the Rapper and songwriter to know
where the bucket to the
Young Thug melody well is stashed.
5. The Struts “Big B’s”
“One Night Only” The rap dream Shalamar
team big-ups “A Night to Remember”
These U.K. glam rockers
Scooby-Doo I would describe this as a
are like the Strokes
and John fantastic 1980s floor filler.
reborn as Queen super-
Cusack on It has such a great groove
fans – right down to
a sweet, and sounds so fun and
singer Luke Spiller’s
spacey jam. clever. My son Roy got a
amazingly spot-on
Freddie Mercury big kick out of it.
impression.

8 | R ol l i n g S t o n e A u g u s t 10 , 2 017
 Subscribe Today

1 Year for $29.95

M
SAVE
75%
OFF THE
COVER PRICE

Iconic. Provocative. Influential.

rollingstone.com/subscribe
Digital Edition Available on Tablet and Mobile:

CANADIAN RATE IS $38 USD. GST INCLUDED.

 TV ‘SNOWFALL’ TACKLES THE 1980S DRUG EPIDEMIC P. 25 | Q&A JASON ISBELL P. 26

Foo
Fighters’
All-Star
Return
New album features
Adele producer,
surprise guests
BY KO R Y G R OW

A
fter foo fight-
ers went on hiatus
at the end of 2015,
Dave Grohl didn’t
know what to do with him-
self. “I barbecued for fuck-
ing months, man,” he says.
“I was doing eight briskets a
week. It got a little dark.” But
Grohl needed time to recu-
perate from an [Cont. on 12]
ANDREW BENGE/WIREIMAGE

BIG ME Grohl at Portugal’s

NOS Alive Festival in July

A u g u s t 10 , 2 017 RollingStone.com | R ol l i n g S t o n e | 11
 R&R
FOO FIGHTERS

[Cont. from 11] onstage fall in Sweden

the previous summer, which turned out
Guerrilla Radio: Fall’s Biggest Rock Albums
to be more serious than he thought. Grohl
snapped his fibula, tearing several liga- Prophets of Fall Out Boy
ments and requiring surgery. “I still have Rage September 15th
September 15th “Every once in a
hardware in me,” he says. “I was in physi-
The heavy supergroup while, you’ve
cal therapy for two or three hours a day for gotta do a hard
featuring members of Rage
almost a year.” Grohl finished the rest of Against the Machine, restart,” says
the band’s Sonic Highways stadium tour plus Chuck D and Pete Wentz,
perched atop a giant “throne.” But after the B-Real, made a topi- adding that
final date, he told his band he didn’t want cal LP touching on the band’s
to touch an instrument for a year. “When homelessness, mari- seventh album,
juana legalization Mania, takes a left
we finished touring, I thought, ‘You know, and more. “It’s turn from the stadium
life’s a lot bigger than the rock show. I think not all ‘Fuck pop of Fall Out Boy’s last
I wanna be able to run to the door when the Trump,’” says two LPs. “Sonically,
pizza guy arrives in 2033.’ ” B-Real. we are sewing
Grohl managed to hold off working for multiple eras
The Killers – of both
six months. Then he wrote “Run,” a hard- September our own
charging anthem about needing compan- Brandon Flowers had one band and
ionship during turmoil. Grohl wonders if goal for his band’s fifth our influences
the chorus – in which he sings, “Wake up, LP: “Be more personal.” – together in
run for your life with me” – “may have come On Wonderful Wonderful, a way that is
he reflects on everything completely new
from the fact that I was totally immobile
from his childhood love of to us.”
and restricted for a really long time. I’d boxing (“Tyson vs. Doug-
have dreams that I was running through las”) to his wife’s difficult
fields and shit, and wake up with a fuck- childhood (the Brian Eno-
ing split leg.” sampling “Some Kind of
“Run” became the first single from the Love”). “I wanted to inhabit
my age,” says Flowers.
band’s upcoming ninth LP, Concrete and “I don’t want to chase
Gold, due September 15th. The Foos felt what’s on the radio. It’s a
ready to try some new things: lush orches- more honest approach.”
tration, choral harmonies and rhythmic
experiments. “Run,” for instance, features a
dancehall beat. “I didn’t realize it was reg- sing a love song/Pretend there’s nothing headlines saying that “probably the biggest
gaeton until [producer] Greg Kurstin told wrong.” Meanwhile, on the heavy “La Dee pop star in the world” lends vocals. (All
me,” says Grohl. “Then I heard a fucking Da,” Grohl pays tribute to the underground he’ll divulge is that it isn’t Adele or Tay-
Justin Bieber song with the same beat and bands he loved as a teen, including Psychic lor Swift.) Other guests include the Kills’
I’m like, ‘Oh, God.’ ” TV. “After maybe 13 ideas, I send them to Alison Mosshart and Boyz II Men’s Shawn
It didn’t start out that ambitious. While the guys and ask, ‘A m I crazy, or is this a Stockman, whom Grohl met in the parking
Grohl made the last few Foo Fighters al- record?’ ” he says. “They say, ‘Both.’ ” lot and brought in to overdub 30-some-
bums with grand con- Looking for a pro- thing backup vocals for the Floydian album
cepts in mind – 2011’s ducer, Grohl reached closer, “Concrete and Gold.” “When he left
Wasting Light was re- out to Kurstin, who had the room, I turned to everybody and said,
“I brought wine and

FROM LEFT: ROB LOUD/WIREIMAGE; TIM HARLEY-EASTHOPE/MIRRORPIX/NEWSCOM/ZUMA PRESS;

corded all-analog, and co-written and pro- ‘The Boyz II Men dude just raised the fuck-
he made 2014’s Sonic sat in my underwear duced Number One pop ing bar,’ ” Grohl says. “ ‘Every song has to
Highways in eight leg- for five days, just hits like Adele’s “Hello” sound this big.’ ”
endary studios – he and Kelly Clarkson’s The Foos have been debuting the songs
wanted to simplify the writing,” Grohl says. “Stronger.” Grohl was at festivals this summer. They will launch
process. “I thought, most familiar w ith their own tour in October, which will also
KATJA OGRIN/REDFERNS/GETTY IMAGES; SHIRLAINE FORREST/WIREIMAGE

‘What’s the strangest Kurstin as a member include their own festival, Cal Jam ’17, in
thing for this band to do at this point?’ And of the indie-pop duo the Bird and the Bee. San Bernardino, California. Named after
I realized that it was just to go into a studio “I was so in love with their sense of melody the legendary 1974 speedway fest head-
and make a fucking album like a normal and harmony,” Grohl says. “It was clear that lined by Deep Purple and Emerson, Lake
band.” To write the songs, Grohl rented whoever was behind this music was not and Palmer, the bill includes Queens of
an Airbnb in the small valley city of Ojai, your everyday Guitar Center schmo.” Grohl the Stone Age, Liam Gallagher and more.
California: “I brought a case of wine and sat told Kurstin he wanted to combine “Seven- “There’s nothing more ridiculous than
there in my underwear with a microphone ties AM-gold radio like Gerry Rafferty and having a record-release party with 50,000
for about five days, just writing. I was in- my love of a band like Motörhead.” Says people,” Grohl says, adding that he’s re-
spired by what was going on with our coun- Kurstin, “It was like he was describing a lieved to be performing on his feet again.
try – politically, personally, as a father, an heavy-metal Sgt. Pepper odyssey.” “I lent the throne to Axl Rose because he
American and a musician.” Grohl hints at a The band recorded at L.A.’s EastWest broke his foot awhile back, and I went to
bleak worldview on songs like “The Sky Is a studio, running into everyone from Lady see [Guns N’ Roses],” he says. “It was the
Neighborhood,” where he narrates a sleep- Gaga to Shania Twain between takes. Some first time I’d watched someone perform in
less night worrying about the state of the of them sing on the album, Grohl says, this thing, and I thought, ‘That is the most
planet. On “T-Shirt,” he says, “I just wanna but he’s coy about who. He recently made ridiculous fucking idea.’ ”

12 | R ol l i n g S t o n e | RollingStone.com A u g u s t 10 , 2 017
 The Music, Politics and People
That Changed Our Culture

Explore Rolling Stone’s past 50 years through

the world’s greatest photographers and writers.
Luxurious and oversized, this is the definitive
look into the magazine’s fascinating history.

AVAILABLE NOW WHEREVER BOOKS ARE SOLD

 R&R

Lollapalooza Legends
What began as a farewell tour for Jane’s Addiction turned into
one of the world’s biggest festivals. We talked to founder
Perry Farrell about his all-time favorite Lolla memories Farrell

Nine Inch Nails’ stocking, ripping at her hair, “I really felt that it had gone
her ears, but she loved it. full circle, and finally we
Electronic Every once in a while I’ll were all together.”
Assault 1991 look at the YouTube video.
Not many things can make Muse’s Rock &
Nine Inch Nails weren’t yet me laugh for a good hour.”
famous when they traveled
Roll Circus 2015
the country on the first Foos Bring the When Lolla finally hit
Lolla (which included Jane’s
Addiction, Butthole Surfers, Thunder 2011 Europe, it took over a
shuttered airport near
Living Colour and Ice-T),
Nirvana were supposed to Berlin once used by Nazis.
but they already knew how
Eddie Vedder, headline the 1994 edition Headliners Muse played
to stand out. “They were
of Lollapalooza, but they an epic prog set, jamming
the only group that was 1992
canceled soon before Kurt out to Hendrix and Rage
messing with electronica to Against the Machine riffs,
Cobain’s death. It would
that degree,” says Farrell. and their own Drones LP.
gets harder and harder to much about that. It took me, take 17 years before Dave
“One time, all of Trent’s Promoters hired circus acts,
impress a panel of experts, like, days to recover.” Grohl finally got to play
electronic gear went down. some dressed as gorillas, to
but Pearl Jam had that ‘It’ Lolla, even if it came during
He was left with nothing factor the minute they took mingle with the crowd. “It
more than a guitar and Gaga’s Dirty Dive a downpour that turned
the stage.” Grant Park into a mud bath. was fucking hilarious,” says
voice, so he destroyed 2010
“I went out to give him a Farrell. The fest had to be
everything on the stage moved the next year when
and got off.”
George Clinton Lollapalooza transitioned big hug and almost fell on
my ass in front of 100,000 the airport became a camp
Funks It Up 1994 into a yearly festival in for Syrian refugees.
2005, regularly draw- people,” says Farrell.
Pearl Jam
By this point, Lollapalooza ing 100,000 people to
Come Alive 1992 was the biggest party of the Chicago’s Grant Park over
summer, with an incredibly a weekend. In 2007, an
Pearl Jam had no problem diverse lineup that included unknown performer named
bringing the energy of Smashing Pumpkins, Beas- Lady Gaga played the tiny
their raucous club shows tie Boys, A Tribe Called BMI stage in the afternoon.
to huge stages when they Quest, and George Clinton When she came back to
joined Lollapalooza as and the P-Funk All Stars, headline three years later,
Ten was blowing up. “I back when the Funkadelic she added a tiny surprise
remember Eddie [Vedder] king did more drugs than set for stunned fans. “She
did a second-story dive artists half his age. “I was wearing this see-
off the speaker stacks into remember partying really through body stocking, and
the crowd,” says Farrell. hard with members of his she started diving into the Lady Gaga
“I thought, ‘For sure this crew in Miami,” says Farrell. crowd,” says Farrell. “They in 2010
guy broke something.’ It “I don’t know if I can talk started ripping at her body

Chance
the
Rapper
Lolla 2017: Chance’s Big Homecoming
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: ERIKA GOLDRING/GETTY IMAGES, 2;

Arcade Fire and Lorde play again the following “We do festivals all over
also playing Chicago fest year. This year, Chance will the world, and Grant Park is
ALEXANDER TAMARGO/GETTY IMAGES; DANNY CLINCH

headline the main-stage the best festival site,” says

When Chance the Rapper Saturday-night slot. “It’s a Powell, who’s already plan-
played 2013’s Lollapalooza special moment to bring the ning the 2018 and 2019 Lolla
in Chicago, he was a little- hometown hero back to the lineups. Farrell is looking
known recent high school festival he grew up down forward to debuting “Game
graduate who released the street from,” says Powell. Says,” a tent where people
mixtapes on SoundCloud. “It means a lot to him.” play video games to win
“We barely knew who he Taking place August 3rd-6th prizes like backstage access.
was,” says Huston Powell, at Grant Park, the fest also “We continue to evolve,”
the fest’s head talent booker. features vets Arcade Fire, says Farrell. “You are mak-
Chance was such a hit that Liam Gallagher and Lorde, ing it fun and silly, but also
Perry Farrell invited him to plus first-timers like Migos. exciting.” ANDY GREENE

14 | R ol l i n g S t o n e | RollingStone.com A u g u s t 10 , 2 017
 R&R
ate a barrier,” Magy says. “We essentially
send the signal back at the drone that will
confuse it.”

Sophisticated Cameras
A new 360-degree camera can automati-
cally detect body language associated with
suspicious activity, such as looting and
“zone intrusion,” before it notifies staff.
This comes in handy at arenas, which are
equipped with anywhere from 300 to
2,000 security cameras – so many that they
can be tough to monitor. “The people in the
operations room have a hard time learning
what’s relevant,” says Thomas McIntyre of
Axis Communications, which manufac-
tures the technology.

Smartphone Body Cameras

At a U2 concert in June at Levi’s Stadium
in Santa Clara, California, 40 officers wore
ARMED smartphones containing a live-video app
FORCES
that can zoom in on suspects. “If there was
Elite cops
on duty in an active shooter, [the operations room]
New York could turn on all the live streams at once,”
says Alexander Popof, chief operating offi-
cer of a Silicon Valley firm that manufac-

Concert Security’s
tures the technology. After a show, police
can use that app’s “heat map” to determine
which parts of a venue need more security.

New Frontier Face-Mapping

It’s still a few years off, but facial-recog-
nition technology will eventually be com-
monplace at major public events. These
From dogs that screen hundreds at once to invisible cameras can cross-reference a person’s
anti-drone walls: How venues are trying to stay safe image with millions of photographs – from
FBI databases and background checks – to
BY ST E V E K NOPPE R instantly determine whether someone is a
security risk. Soon enough, similar technol-
certgoers one by one, Vapor Wake dogs can ogy will be able to recognize a person sim-

I
n t h e hou r s a f t e r a b om b
killed 22 people outside an Ariana screen hundreds of people at a time. They ply by the way he or she walks.
Grande concert at England’s Man- are trained to recognize the microscopic
chester Arena, representatives for 26 “thermal plumes” emitted by a person car- Social-Media Monitoring
of the world’s biggest venues held a rying an explosive. The dogs, mostly Labra- The Grammys and the Super Bowl are
conference call with security officials about dors, are bred in labs at Auburn University, among other big events that use software
how to prevent another attack. “To this trained for 15 months and often socialized like Babel Street, which scours 25 social-
point, security has been about crowd man- in prisons. “You could track the guy into a media sites in 200 languages for suspicious
agement, but now there has to be terror- [specific] seat in a stadium from the vapor online activity. Venue security sets a “geo-
ism [prevention] built into the concert,” wake trailing in the air,” says Mike Down- wall” around the event, and it scans every-
says Bill Bratton, the former New York po- ing, Prevent’s executive VP of security. thing from Facebook check-ins to tweets.
lice commissioner who is the executive “There was chatter on Twitter prior to the
chairman of Prevent Advisors, which con- Anti-Drone Technology Manchester attack,” says Downing. “Had
sults dozens of arenas, including Madison In May, a GoPro drone crashed into the there been a geo-fence established, it could
Square Garden and the L.A. Forum. On upper deck of San Diego’s Petco Park dur- have provided information pre-attack.”
a recent afternoon in L.A., 300 concert- ing a Padres game. It belonged to a nov-
industry veterans attended a conference ice drone pilot, but the incident spooked Advanced Metal Detectors
where Bratton and his team showed off and experts, who see a weaponized drone at- Security officials have told venues to ramp
discussed the newest technologies – from tack as a real possibility. Some venues up metal detectors post-Manchester, but
invisible walls that keep foreign objects out have been using a piece of equipment de- “long lines are a risk,” says Chris Robin-
to facial-recognition software – that con- vised by Dan Magy, a tech developer, who ette, president of Prevent. This is why
cert venues are using to battle terrorism. studied the signals between drones and venues like Dodger Stadium have started
controllers and devised an algorithm that using “magnetometers,” which can screen
Vapor-Sniffing Dogs
CHARLES ECKERT

builds a “virtual wall” around a venue that fans quickly without having them re-
Bon Jovi are just one band that requests keeps drones out. At the conference, Magy move everything from their pockets. Says
“Vapor Wake” dogs at concerts. While nor- showed off a suitcase-size box, explaining Robinette, “You can move through 80,000
mal police dogs are trained to screen con- how it scrambles drone signals. “You cre- people much more efficiently.”

16 | R ol l i n g S t o n e | RollingStone.com A u g u s t 10 , 2 017
 R&R
BOOKS

Redding
in 1967 A Less-Traveled
Path Back to the
Summer of Love
Music-industry vet Danny
Goldberg’s memories of 1967

In mid-1967, at the
tail end of the Sum-
mer of Love, Berke-
ley freshman Danny
Goldberg went
down to Haight-
Ashbury to check
out the scene. The
neighborhood was
buckling under the
weight of 100,000 new hippie inhabit-
ants, but a sign in a store window
told Goldberg all he needed to know;
it read simply “Nebraska Needs You
More.” “It couldn’t possibly survive
the attention it got,” says Goldberg of
the San Francisco counterculture. “It
was dead.”
Goldberg may have arrived late, but

The Mystery of Otis 1967’s transformational spirit stayed

with him as he navigated through the
music industry in the coming years,
first as vice president of Led Zeppelin’s
A new biography chronicles the little-known story Swan Song Records and eventually
as Nirvana’s manager. In recent years,
and world-changing influence of Otis Redding Goldberg has taken on a side career as
a historian. His newest book, In Search
of the Lost Chord: 1967 and the Hippie
I’d seen God onstage,” noted Bob

W
hen otis redding died Idea, explores and fuses together the
on December 10th, 1967, Weir), Gould unpacks how the his- musical, political and spiritual revolu-
the 26-year-old was an tory of Redding’s home state of Geor- tions of the time into a narrative about
a moment when “there was an instant
R&B master cresting into superstar- gia was a crucible of black pop. The
sense of tribal intimacy one could
dom. In June, he’d introduced his bigger picture, inescapably, is Amer- have even with a stranger.”
stun-gun soul to the Summer of Love ica’s midcentury civil-rights struggle. Goldberg’s primary goal for the
crowd at Monterey Pop, alongside Gould goes far afield at times, but book was to tell the actual story of
breakouts by Jimi Hendrix, Janis his research is deep; it’s
Joplin and the Who. And just three grimly illuminating, for
days before his twin-engine aircraft crashed instance, to learn Redding turned
into a Wisconsin lake, Redding finished “(Sit- 14 the same year as Emmett Till.

FROM TOP: MICHAEL OCHS ARCHIVES/GETTY IMAGES; © ROBERT ALTMAN/THE IMAGE WORKS
tin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” heralding a new If facts about Redding’s life are
chapter of his art. Released posthumously, sketchy, Gould still manages a rich
it would become his only Number One and picture of his world. Redding’s gold-
stand among pop’s greatest achievements. en years as a performer accelerate
But as Jonathan Gould notes near the start thrillingly as he’s discovered by na-
of his 500-page bio, Redding’s life story was tional promoters (Bill Graham de-
barely known at the time of his death. Rock scribed his three-night run at San
journalism hadn’t truly taken off; Redding’s Francisco’s Fillmore as “the best gig Golden Gate Park, 1967
only substantial print interview ran in the I ever put on in my entire life”), like-
fan magazine Hit Parader. (The first issue of minded musicians (Joplin turned
1967, not what he calls the “cartoon-
Rolling Stone debuted just a month before up at the club hours early each night to secure ish” version that has flourished for de-
his death.) The lack of first-person source ma- a vantage point near the stage) and critics (fu- cades. He goes deep on less-discussed
terial and the brevity of Redding’s life invite ture Bruce Springsteen manager Jon Landau topics like the short-lived but
Gould to go long on context, something he called Redding’s music “the highest level of influential underground newspaper
does well: See his 2008 Can’t Buy Me Love: expression rock ’n’ roll has yet attained”). And San Francisco Oracle, and psychedelic
The Beatles, Britain, and America. Otis Red- naturally, Gould charts the arc of the mighty scenemakers like the Fugs and the San
Francisco Mime Troupe. “There was
ding: An Unfinished Life takes a similar ap- “Respect” from Redding’s version to Aretha a real flash of idealism...and inner
proach, with equally admirable results. Franklin’s signature, noting there was talk of exploration,” Goldberg says, “and it
Opening on a detailed description of Red- the pair collaborating – which of course, sadly, created something I think is worth
ding’s Monterey set (“I was pretty sure that would never happen. WILL HERMES remembering.” ANDY GREENE

18 | R ol l i n g S t o n e | RollingStone.com A u g u s t 10 , 2 017
 ON THE ROAD

Jam’s Working-Class Heroes

Warren Haynes formed Gov’t Mule as an Allman Brothers side
project. 2,000 gigs later, they’ve created a cult of their own
BY DAV ID F R ICK E

G
ov’t mule are in the mid-
dle of a concert at Central Park
SummerStage in New York,
about to play the title track
from their new album, Revolu-
tion Come . . . Revolution Go. But first, Warren
Haynes, the band’s singer-guitarist-songwrit-
er, says he has “some exciting news” to share.
“Tonight is Gov’t Mule’s 2,000th show,” he an-
nounces over an awards-style roll by drummer
Matt Abts. “I know,” Haynes adds as the audi-
ence erupts in surprised applause. “I can’t be-
lieve it either.”
Backstage earlier, Haynes insists he “had no
idea” they’d played so many gigs until an archi-
vist friend e-mailed him the math. That tally
doesn’t include the concerts Haynes played
over 25 years, in two spells, with the Allman
Brothers Band. He founded Gov’t Mule in
1994 with Abts and bassist Allen Woody as a
side project from the Allmans. “It was a one-
off concept,” Haynes says, to explore the heavy-
blues dynamics of Cream and Free. “We didn’t
think we’d make a second record.” Haynes, RAMBLIN’ MAN
57, acknowledges the deaths he’s seen along Haynes onstage
the way, from Woody in 2000 to his longtime in 2015
guitar tech Brian Farmer in 2014. Two weeks
after the Central Park show, Haynes lost an-
other ex-bandmate, Gregg Allman. “It’s more was offered relocation. He refused to uproot
magnified in our lifestyle,” Haynes contends. his boys. “He chose starting over,” Warren
“But it’s not a bridge I’ve had to cross yet. Be- The Avetts’ Epic says of his dad, who took a factory job where
cause things in my world are better than ever.” Live Reinvention “21-year-old kids had seniority over him.” War-
Revolution Come . . . Revolution Go is Gov’t ren quotes his 2015 song “Company Man”:
Mule’s 10th studio album in a career short The band’s three-hour shows “Never thought I’d be starting over at this
are full of covers and curveballs
on hits but long on more substantial rewards. stage/Taking shit from some young punk half
Haynes, Abts, keyboard player Danny Louis my age.” “That was my dad’s life,” Haynes says.
The Avett Brothers
and bassist Jorgen Carlsson are a sellout act played exactly 101 “He was raising kids. That’s all he ever knew.”
on the jam-band circuit, and Don Was, songs at their recent Warren is a father now, raising a five-year-
who co-produced two tracks on the new three-night run at old son in Westchester County, New York, with
record, calls Haynes “one of the most Colorado’s Red his wife and manager, Stefani Scamardo. Life
soulful guys around.” The producer Rocks. Sets in- at home can be as demanding, in its way, as
cluded new songs,
likens the turmoil and determination rarities and covers
Gov’t Mule’s 100-shows-a-year calendar: “On
in Haynes’ songwriting to the “straight- the road, your job ends at 11 or 12 at night.
FROM TOP: © JAY BLAKESBERG; ERIKA GOLDRING/FILMMAGIC

Scott Avett ranging from Doc

forward honesty” of John Lennon. Watson to Chris Then you gotta unwind, and it’s four or five
Revolution Come is also powered by a Cornell. “We’re in a in the morning. To change that to getting up
political urgency that goes back to “Mule,” on sweet spot right now,” says early . . . inevitably, I don’t get much sleep.”
1995’s Gov’t Mule – with its bitter allusion to co-frontman Seth Avett. The Avetts Haynes does wonder what life might be
used to play for 75 minutes, but see-
the post-Civil War South (“Where’s my mule?/ ing Bruce Springsteen live encour- like with a bona fide hit, beyond the jam-
Where’s my 40 acres?”) – and Haynes’ child- aged them to aim for marathon gigs. band scene: “I still feel it can happen. People
hood in Asheville, North Carolina. His parents “He makes three hours feels like an discover us and go, ‘It’s not what I thought
divorced when Warren was eight; the youngest instant,” says Seth. “It takes years to they sounded like.’ ” In fact, Haynes is “doing
of three sons, he mostly lived with his father, get right.” Off tour, the Avetts are remarkably well,” Was says. “He’s at an age
tracking their 10th album at home
who voted Democrat and had a fierce inde- where, in 10 years, there will be an apprecia-
in North Carolina, a first for them.
pendent streak. Edward Haynes worked for “We’re a more sincere version of tion for holding your ground. And you become
a supermarket chain for 25 years. When the ourselves in our own backyard,” says legendary. If I were him, I wouldn’t trade his
company shut down in the region, Edward brother Scott Avett. career for anybody’s.”

A u g u s t 10 , 2 017 RollingStone.com | R ol l i n g S t o n e | 19
 The Music, Politics and People
That Changed Our Culture

Explore Rolling Stone’s past 50 years through

the world’s greatest photographers and writers.
Luxurious and oversized, this is the definitive
look into the magazine’s fascinating history.

AVAILABLE NOW WHEREVER BOOKS ARE SOLD

 IN THE STUDIO

The One Direction Solo Guide

Two years after their split, all five members of the boy band now have solo
careers. In the great Beatle tradition, they’re all speaking their minds
about each other, in the press and in their songs. Here’s the story so far
Zayn Malik Niall Horan Harry Styles Louis Tomlinson Liam Payne
SOLO MUSIC He quit 1D in SOLO MUSIC The Irish SOLO MUSIC His debut SOLO MUSIC One of the SOLO MUSIC The last to
2015, calling them “ge- guitar boy, always a hit was a Number One hit most prolific songwrit- test the solo waters,
neric.” His R&B debut, with the moms, scored and a personal singer- ers in 1D is working on Payne just released
Mind of Mine, went a smash with the folky songwriter statement. his first solo LP after “Strip That Down,” a
Number One in 2016, “This Town.” As a nos- “Sign of the Times,” a releasing “Just Hold On,” party-hearty flop with
as did his single “Pil- talgic breakup song, it downright weird five- a banging duet with Migos’ Quavo. He can
lowtalk.” The soft-porn doubled as a bittersweet minute ballad made Steve Aoki. do better – he co-wrote
video with model Gigi farewell to the group. up in the studio on the SOLO MYSTIQUE “Just Hold some of 1D’s finest tunes
Hadid was his inevitable SOLO MYSTIQUE He’s spot, still went Top 10. On” gained emotional – so it’s tough to guess
“Hello, I’ve just left a unflaggingly loyal to the SOLO MYSTIQUE He’s resonance from the way why he even released it.
boy band, so let me an- group – he’s the one making his mark as a he debuted it on The X SOLO MYSTIQUE He gets
nounce I am in favor of who talks about how it’s credible adult rocker Factor UK just days after personal about 1D in
sex-having” statement. inevitable they’ll reunite without throwing shade the tragic death of his “Strip That Down.” But
SOLO MYSTIQUE Talks – and he’s stuck to his at his pop fans – the mother from leukemia, it’s bizarre to hear him
about how repressed long-running monoga- hardest trick in showbiz. making it sound like a sing about hitting the
he felt in the group, yet mous relationship with He’s taking the all-smiles heartfelt tribute. club to grind on group-
hasn’t quite backed it up his acoustic guitar. Paul McCartney exit ies – it doesn’t ring true
LOVE MANCHESTER/GETTY IMAGES; CHARLES SYKES/INVISION/

SAMPLE LYRIC “What do

FROM LEFT: MIKE WINDLE/GETTY IMAGES; KEVIN MAZUR/ONE

GETTY IMAGES; ISABEL INFANTES/PA IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES

with his pleasantly blah SAMPLE LYRIC “Slow ramp while Zayn has you do when the chap- from a guy who just
AP IMAGES; ANDREW LIPOVSKY/NBC/NBCU PHOTO BANK/

solo music. hands/Like sweat drip- gone for John Lennon- ter ends?/Do you close started a family.
SAMPLE LYRIC “I don’t ping down our dirty style beef. the book and never read SAMPLE LYRIC “I used to
drink to get drunk/I feel laundry.” SAMPLE LYRIC “You can’t it again?” be in 1D/Now I’m out
all the right funk.” FIGHTING WORDS “When bribe the door on your FIGHTING WORDS “[Niall free/People want me
FIGHTING WORDS “Would One Direction come way to the sky.” is] the most lovely guy for one thing/That’s
you listen to One back, we’ll still have FIGHTING WORDS Re- in the world. Zayn has not me.”
Direction at a party with albums left to do. We sponding to Malik’s diss, a fantastic voice. Harry FIGHTING WORDS “None of
your girl? I wouldn’t. don’t want to put a time Styles said, “It’s a shame comes across very cool. us left the band. We’re
To me, that’s not an on it. But when that he felt that way.... I’m Liam’s all about getting on hiatus still, and what
insult. That’s not the phone call does come, glad he’s doing what he the crowd going, doing a great hiatus it’s been
music I would listen to.” no matter who it comes likes.” a bit of dancing. And so far.”
EQUIVALENT BEATLE RECORD from, we’re back again.” EQUIVALENT BEATLE RECORD then there’s me.” EQUIVALENT BEATLE RECORD
Lennon’s “How Do You EQUIVALENT BEATLE RECORD McCartney’s “Band on EQUIVALENT BEATLE RECORD McCartney’s “Spies Like
Sleep?” Ringo’s “Photograph” the Run” Harrison’s “What Is Life” Us” ROB SHEFFIELD

A u g u s t 10 , 2 017 RollingStone.com | R ol l i n g S t o n e | 21
 R&R

The Breakout Star of ‘Atlanta’

After a string of scene-stealing performances, Lakeith Stanfield
is now getting his shot in two leading roles
fornia, a parched patch of San

W
he n you pl ay a
character like Dar- Bernardino County. “It’s in the
ius, the pothead- desert,” he says, “which is a land-
philosopher of FX’s scape without a lot of distractions
Atlanta, people want to get you – and lots of room for your imagi-
stoned. At the club, in a mall, nation.” And though his upbring-
walking down the street – doesn’t ing was not exactly idyllic – he’s
matter. “They assume I smoke,” referred to his family as “dysfunc-
the 25-year-old actor Lakeith tional on both sides” – he notes
Stanfield says of the show’s fans. how he’d “do different characters
“I don’t, but yeah, I get a lot of to entertain my family, and they
offers. I’ve had three very large were the ones that kept pushing
bags of pot just handed to me. My me to take it further. They could
friends like hanging around be- have told me to just shut the fuck
cause they get free weed.” up. And they didn’t.”
Now, after a series of high- A Google search of “actor” led
profile supporting turns in ev- Stanfield into “some shady things”
erything from Straight Outta in L.A. before a supporting role
Compton (he played Snoop Dogg) in the modest drama Short Term
to Get Out, Stanfield is putting his 12, co-starring Brie Larson,
stoner act on hold in two leading earned him an Independent Spir-
roles in August. Crown Heights, it Award. That led to gigs ranging
which won an audience award from music videos – Run the Jew-
at Sundance, finds him playing els’ “Close Your Eyes (and Count
Colin Warner, a Trinidadian im- to Fuck)” – to crucial bit parts in
migrant unjustly accused of mur- films like Selma; it was because
der in 1980. “I had to keep telling of that role, Stanfield says, that
myself, ‘Toughen up,’ doing those Donald Glover started tailoring
prison scenes,” Stanfield says. the Atlanta part for him.
“It fucked with my head. But his The second season is due out
Summer of
family came up to me after we next year (“A lot of speculation
Stanfield
showed it and they had tears in about killing Darius off – I’m kid-
their eyes. It’s like, ‘Right, that’s ding”) and Stanfield has upcom-
why I do this.’ ” controlled by vengeful teens. “He’s like Ein- ing movies with Jessica Williams and Jason
And then there’s Death Note, Netflix’s stein as a detective,” says Stanfield. “And Segel. All of which, he says, would have
(semicontroversial) Americanized version he hates shoes – I used to go to high school seemed impossible a few years ago: “I re-
of a Japanese franchise, in which Stan- without shoes, so I get it. Like, fuck shoes, member living in my car and learning how
field stars as the series’ iconic good guy, “L” you know?” to fail at getting commercials. I just wanted
– an eccentric genius who compulsively Stanfield developed his immersive, all- to build a cool little résumé. I stopped giv-
gobbles candy and hunts down a demon in method growing up in Victorville, Cali- ing a fuck. And then it happened.”DAVID FEAR

Stanfield’s Hot Streak

From hit TV series and moody dramas to rom-coms and horror, here are the young actor’s defining roles of the past year
FROM TOP: JEFF VESPA/VESPA PICTURES; GUY D’ALEMA/FX

‘Atlanta’ ‘Get Out’ ‘Crown ‘Death Note’ ‘The Incredible

Stanfield’s breakout His character is Heights’ Of the manga adap- Jessica James’
performance as kidnapped in the A real-life Brook- tation’s supersleuth, The role of Jes-
a stoner rap-star horror movie’s open- lynite, wrong- an orphan with sica Williams’
sidekick is, he says, ing scene – then fully convicted in a genius IQ who ex-boyfriend, whom
the missing link “be- reappears as a smil- the Eighties, spends dresses like a ninja the rom-com’s star
tween the show’s far- ing party guest who two decades trying while solving a series dreams of crushing
out, imaginary world warns the movie’s to clear his name: of unexplained mur- with a piano, “came
and the real world. hero that something “He made me realize ders, Stanfield says, at me at a weird
Darius can talk about is seriously not right. that, even after 20 “There’s not too time,” Stanfield said.
morality and then “I won’t lie,” Stan- years in prison, you many things outside “I was going through
cryptically call his field says of acting can be a good per- of his focus that he’s a relationship transi-
gun ‘Daddy.’ The As Darius out the party scene. son. It was humbling concerned about, tion. I’m like, ‘Yeah,
extreme parts make in Atlanta “It freaked me the to be allowed to walk and I kinda feel the I must need to do
him fun to play.” fuck out.” in those shoes.” same way.” this.’” D.F.

22 | R ol l i n g S t o n e | RollingStone.com A u g u s t 10 , 2 017
 2

Fantastic Voyage
(1) Coolio shows off his custom-made
“mic saber.” (2) Cheryl “Salt” James (right)
and Sandra “Pepa” Denton. (3) Vanilla Ice.
(4) Young MC. (5) Color Me Badd.

4
5 3

The Nineties Rise Again Behind the scenes at the I Love the Nineties Tour,
ground zero for a pop-culture nostalgia boom
BY ROB SH E F F I E L D

World. At the merch stand, you can buy a lineup that also leans hard on the pop,

‘I
f you had a flip phone, make
some noise! If you had a cassette neon-colored fanny pack or a drop that rap and R&B hit parade: TLC, Tone Loc,
deck, make some noise!” Vanilla Ice zero and get with the hero T-shirt. Kid ’N Play and more. “These artists tour
is onstage giving orders to fans at There are lots of pastels in the crowd, and harder than they did back when they were
the Webster Bank Arena in Bridge- lots of confetti. Fans dress up like their hot,” says Universal Attractions Agency
port, Connecticut. The crowd is here favorite stars. As Salt from Salt-N-Pepa co-owner Jeff Allen, who co-created the
for the I Love the Nineties Tour, featuring says backstage, “You know you’ve made it tours. “The audiences are hungry for it.”
a lineup of hitmakers from the era of Club when you’re a Halloween costume.” It isn’t just the music – Nineties nos-
MTV: Salt-N-Pepa, Coolio, Rob Base, The I Love the Nineties Tour began talgia has become a huge franchise all
Color Me Badd and Young MC. last year and was an immediate hit: 98 over the culture, from the X-Files reviv-
Many of the fans here tonight weren’t shows in 98 cities for a gross of more than al to Fuller House (reportedly the most-
born when “Ice Ice Baby” hit Number One $21 million. Now, there’s a spinoff cruise watched show on Netflix), from the O.J.
in 1990. Others are tipsy moms and dads (the Ship Hop) and a second package trial to the Power Rangers movie (which
trying to party like they did in the mall tour, The Party Continues, which is play- just made $140 million at the box office).
parking lot the night they saw Wayne’s ing amphitheaters this summer with a Jude Law is famous again. Courtney Love

Photographs by Matthew Sal acuse RollingStone.com | R ol l i n g S t o n e | 23

 R&R
just starred in a Lifetime movie. Hell, even gives you diabetes isn’t sugar,” he says. shirt with a boombox and the words i
Zima is back. “It’s from chicken. They proved it.” Coolio remember real hip-hop. Young got an
You don’t have to be a Clinton voter – goes to work with a power drill, trying to economics degree from the University of
although that helps – to miss the days when fix his custom jewel-studded microphone Southern California, so he has strong opin-
the nation’s biggest threat was a semen- case. “It’s my mic saber,” he says. “They ions on the decline of the music business.
stained dress. There’s something romantic try to get us to use these dinky little fabric “Today it’s online scams about how many
about an era when people turned off their ones, but I ain’t having that shit.” Coolio clicks you get. ‘Oh, I had hundreds of thou-
phones for hours at a time – a time of raves repairs a twisted screw with the drill and sands of views’ – but you didn’t make $10.
and riot grrrls, erotic thrillers and There’s a lot more sizzle and a lot
poetry slams. “People forgot how less steak. Someone can have a hot
much fun we had in the Nine- record and go broke.”
ties,” Vanilla Ice says backstage. Salt-N-Pepa are easily the
“We didn’t have smartphones and shoop-tastic highlight of the
selfies and all this. So we had to night. At one point, they make
go out. We listened to music in the ladies in the house give their
our cars, not on our phones. We besties a hug. For “Push It,” they
got our movies from Blockbuster, invite hordes of women onstage
man. ‘Be Kind, Rewind’ – they’ll with them – as Salt says, “That
never experience that!” was a whole lotta estrogen up on
Ice, born Robert Van Winkle, the stage.” It’s genuinely moving
is jovial and chatty at 49, with to behold. DJ Spinderella’s break
teen daughters of his own. He’s skips from “Jump Around” to
made the move into home im- “Sweet Child O’ Mine” to “Smells
provement, flipping houses down Like Teen Spirit.” At the end,
in Florida on The Vanilla Ice Proj- Pepa says, “Thank you for keep-
ect, just starting its seventh season ing us so alive and so relevant all
on the DIY Network. But tonight, 31 years!”
he and his fellow stars will rewind FUNKY, COLD Cheryl “Salt” James and San-
through the old days. “The crowd Tone Loc on dra “Pepa” Denton have been
will dance for four hours – it’s like the Party friends since college. “We met in
a Zumba class,” he says. “Music Continues Tour
the lunchroom playing spades,
was crazy in the Nineties – you and that’s how it came together,”
can go into the Seattle movement, Salt says. “It wasn’t a put-together
from Candlebox to Kurt Cobain to “Music was crazy in the Nineties,” group. Even the asymmetrical
Pearl Jam. The Nineties was just a haircut started because Pep’s sis-
big melting pot of awesomeness.” says Vanilla Ice, now 49 with two ter burned her hair out on one
Mark McGrath is spending teenage daughters. “Just a big side.”
most of 2017 on the Party Con- melting pot of awesomeness.” Like nearly all their tourmates,
tinues Tour, doing his Sugar Ray they’ve served time in reality TV,
hits. “Michael Jordan would be on VH1’s The Salt-N-Pepa Show,
playing basketball right now if he where they reconciled after a few
could,” he reasons. “It’s funny when people a sledgehammer – showing off some seri- years apart. Now they’re on the road again.
ask me, ‘You still doing the band thing?’ You ous workmanship. “Didn’t you know? I’m “We always look at the parking lot,” Pepa
wouldn’t ask, ‘You’re 49 – are you still a den- BlackGyver.” says. “Forget the ticket sales – we look at
tist?’ ” To McGrath, the Nineties represent a In recent years, Coolio has been diversi- the cars and say, ‘All these people got up
kind of lost pop utopia. “All the genres col- fying his brand with projects like his fam- out of their beds to see us 31 years later.’
lided,” he says. “You would hear Kiss-FM ily reality show Coolio’s Rules and his Web The Nineties babies are in the house – with
or Z-100: ‘Coming right up, Mariah Carey, series Cookin’ With Coolio, which is also the their Sixties parents.” Salt laughs. “Our
Blink-182, Eminem, Sugar Ray,’ and you’re title of his cookbook, full of recipes for his Nineties babies aren’t here,” she adds. “I
like, ‘What the fuck is happening?’ The “ghetto gourmet” cuisine. He’s got his own invited my son – he had better plans. He’s
genres got blown apart.” theories on how music has changed since 17. He’s over it.”
Another factor in the Nineties boom, the Nineties. “Those were the crack days,” With the clock ticking and babysitters
McGrath points out, is that the post-Y2K he says. “The mumble-rappers now are the waiting at home, the crowd has thinned
era never got its own identity as a decade grown-up crack babies. So if they’re a little a little by the time Vanilla Ice comes on-
– it didn’t even get a name. “What would bit twisted and off and weird, it’s not re- stage for his amazingly bizarre head-
you call it, the Naughties? The 2000s? No ally their fault.” What advice would he give line set. After “Ice Ice Baby,” he segues
one knows. After the Nineties, the indus- them? “Get that money. While you can.” into his nu-metal-style covers of M.I.A.’s
try imploded, so there weren’t new bands Everybody here has had to keep hus- “Paper Planes” and Lil Jon’s “Turn Down
coming up. Name the last rock star,” he tling. Marvin Young, known to the world for What.” He opens the stage to pretty
MATT WINKELMEYER/GETTY IMAGES

continues. “Look at the top touring bands as Young MC, just directed his first film much anyone who wants to dance. By now
of the 2000s: It was still the Chili Pep- – the horror-thriller Justice Served, it’s getting close to 11 p.m. and the ushers
pers, it was still Soundgarden – God rest now available at your favorite video-on- are shooing the crowd out; there might be
his soul, Chris Cornell – it was still the demand portal. It was the seventh screen- more fans onstage than in the stands. They
Dave Matthews Band. Nothing replaced play he’s written; he also stars in it. His raise the houselights just as Vanilla Ice
the Nineties.” song “Know How” is currently on movie is beginning his poignant version of Bob
Backstage in Bridgeport, Coolio is talk- screens around the world in Baby Driver. Marley’s “Redemption Song.” The Nineties
ing to Rob Base at a catering table. “What But tonight he’s all music, wearing a T- live on? Word to your mother.

24 | R ol l i n g S t o n e | RollingStone.com A u g u s t 10 , 2 017
 Television

‘Game of
Thrones’
Stays on Top
The beginning of the
end for the epic

“Leave one wolf alive and the

sheep are never safe” – well
said, Arya Stark. That’s a per-
fect credo for Game of Thrones
as the George R.R. Martin crew
heads into its penultimate sea-
BOYZ IN
son. In Westeros, everybody
THE HOOD
knows it’s never safe to leave
Franklin Saint
(Idris, center)
GAME OF THRONES
and his crew SUNDAYS, 9 P.M., HBO
in South
Central L.A.
anyone alive – especially since
most of the sheep are wolves
in disguise. The new season

Lost Souls at the Dawn gets off to a roaring start with

Arya wearing the face of a man
she’d just butchered, Walder

of the Crack Crisis

Frey, so she can slaughter his
entire family by leading them
in a poison-wine toast. Even
Ed Sheeran does himself
John Singleton’s ‘Snowfall’ tackles the Eighties proud, making a cameo ap-
pearance as a merry bard
drug epidemic that changed America singing a ballad about the
Lannisters’ sex lives.
BY ROB SH E F F I E L D

drug dealing as a way to raise funds for a co-

I
t’s the summer of 1983 in south
Central L.A.: palm trees, boomboxes and vert war in Nicaragua.
the friendly neighborhood weed dealer. Snowfall moves fast through these tangled
This kid’s name is Franklin Saint – he stories, with a real sense of the human pain
went to a preppy private school in the Valley, at the center of them; it works emotionally
but instead of moving on to college, he’s drift- even when it reaches too far for the story
ed back to his old mean streets and is selling to make sense. English newcomer Damson
pot to the local kids who dance while their ra- Idris is excellent as Franklin. It’s not a subtle
dios blast “Jam on It.” Franklin has dreams story – Singleton names this dealer Frank-
lin Saint, and the first time we see him, he’s
SNOWFALL telling neighborhood kids that crime doesn’t
WEDNESDAYS, 10 P.M., FX pay and is making them give back the candy
they’ve stolen. Then, practically overnight, he Mother of
and ideals – he hopes selling drugs is his meets a vicious Israeli gangster and asks to Dragons
ticket to freedom. He has no idea that a drug join his coke-dealing operation. But Single-
called crack cocaine is about to hit L.A. and ton has always been into broad strokes – as The new season is already
will corrupt everything around him. in his remake of Shaft, where the Nazi cop is loaded with surprises – who
FROM TOP: MARK DAVIS/FX; MACALL B. POLAY/HBO

knew the murderous Hound

The new FX drama Snowfall is Franklin’s named Luger.
would become the rough-
story, co-created by Boyz n the Hood director For all the interlocking stories, Snowfall hewn moral center of the
John Singleton. In the style of The Wire and works best when it focuses on Franklin and show? How did Jorah end up
Traffic, it chronicles the rise of crack with a his family. He lives with his mama, Cissy, in the Citadel? And how long
few overlapping narratives. In addition to who works for a local slumlord; her job is can poor Samwell (and view-
Franklin, there’s Gustavo “El Oso” Zapata, a ejecting black families behind on the rent. ers) endure all the changing of
washed-up wrestler who falls in with Lucia, But soon her son will be much more com- bedpans? And when will Dany
the daughter of a Mexican cartel boss with promised, selling a drug that’s deadlier than meet Jon? It’s shaping up to
plans to change the drug game. There’s also anything he could imagine. He doesn’t real- be a brilliantly bloody season.
Kill ’em all, Arya. R.S.
Teddy, a disgraced CIA agent who gets in on ize it yet, but the crime world will never be
the Reagan administration’s scheme to use the same. And neither will anything else.

A u g u s t 10 , 2 017 RollingStone.com | R ol l i n g S t o n e | 25
 R&R

Q&A
Your wife, Amanda Shires, is also a

A
few years ago, jason is-
bell was an ex-member of singer-songwriter. What’s life like at
Drive-By Truckers, playing home?
clubs and drinking way too We live out in the middle of nowhere,
much whiskey. Now, the Alabama na- and we have all kinds of animals. We’re
tive is headlining venues like Balti- building a chicken run because a fox
more’s 19,000-seat Merriweather got all our damn chickens. You think
Post Pavilion while turning out sharp it’s hard for conservatives and liber-
country-rock story-songs. (John Mayer als to get along in this country? Try
has called him “the best lyric writer of putting some free-range chickens and
my generation.”) Isbell’s new album, foxes together in Tennessee.
The Nashville Sound, gets heavier and On The Daily Show, you said Trump’s
more political than 2015’s Something election made you lose faith in the
More Than Free, which won Grammys, South. Did you catch heat from anyone
including Best Americana Album. On in your home state of Alabama?
“White Man’s World,” he confronts the Well, The Daily Show is the least
struggle his two-year-old daughter will popular television show on cable in the
face later in life, and “Cumberland Gap” state of Alabama. I’m kind of surprised
captures the dismal anxiety of working how little trouble we’ve run into. When
in coal country. Isbell says his song- some people first heard this record,
writing hot streak “had to do with when they said that I was gonna alienate half
I got sober [in 2012]. That gave me a lot my audience. Where do they get those
more time to work. I had more focus.” statistics? Kendrick Lamar probably
does not have a whole lot of conserva-
You recently played the Outlaw Music tive listeners. I might alienate six or
Festival on the same bill as Bob Dylan. seven percent of my audience. But I
What did that mean to you? gain a whole lot more to make up for it.
It was pretty incredible, and you can What’s surprised you most about Trump
tell he’s having a good time onstage so far?
right now. I actually have lyrics from The Trump presidency has con-
“Boots of Spanish Leather” tattooed on vinced me that we are living in a post-
my arm: “Just carry yourself back to me Christian America. I could see how a
unspoiled, from across that lonesome lot of conservative right-wing Chris-
ocean.” That line always means some- tian Americans would vote for some-
thing to me in different ways, wheth- one like Mitt Romney, who seems like
er I’m talking about a relationship or a stand-up guy. But Trump is obvi-
some part of myself that I want to re- ously not a good Christian person.
main intact. I think the fact that so many people
You had a great tweet recently. Explain- voted for him means that there aren’t
ing why you didn’t play any Nashville that many good Christian people left
CMA Fest gigs, you said, “The reason is in rural America. God is gone from
because I did not want to do that.” those people.
I don’t like that kind of music at all. There’s a line in “White Man’s World”:
Sometimes I’ll hear a song that I really “Mama wants to change that Nashville
like that’s in that world. I like that song sound/But they’re never gonna let her.”
“Girl Crush.” Some of Miranda Lam- Are you writing about your wife?
bert’s songs are really well-written. Sta- Some idiot country-radio guy said
pleton’s great. But most of that stuff is that women were “the tomatoes on
just real bad music to me. It also seems
like a huge mess. I like Nashville when
it’s just regular old Nashville and there’s
not a whole lot going on.
Jason the salad,” meaning they were there to
kind of decorate country radio’s actual
revenue stream. That got me thinking
how little value is given to women in
You live near a lot of mainstream country
stars in Nashville. What happens when
you run into them at the grocery store?
I don’t really get any shit from any-
body. I own my record label. I have
Isbell that world. I’ve seen it with Amanda.
She writes her own songs and tours,
and through her experience I’ve seen
how much harder it is for her. You don’t
get the same respect. It is not a level
my own publishing. I do what I want. The Americana storyteller playing field by any means.
Nobody is selling a ton of records. Yes- You’re known as a great lyricist, but
terday, someone tweeted the Garth
takes aim at Trump’s what’s your worst lyric?
Brooks Chris Gaines album sold 2 Christianity and discusses My song “Cigarettes and Wine,”
million copies. At the time, that was where I sort of break character: “She
considered a disaster. Now, everyone
why he’s not afraid of kept me happy all the time/I know
would kill for that disaster. I don’t alienating Southern fans that ain’t much of a line.” It always
DANNY CLINCH

even know if Chris Stapleton’s Trav- bothered me, but John Prine loves it.
eller is at 2 million yet. So we’re all in BY PAT R ICK D OY L E If it’s all right with him, I guess it’s
the same boat. all right.

26 | R ol l i n g S t o n e | RollingStone.com A u g u s t 10 , 2 017
 The Complete Issue.
Every Word. Every Photo.

Now Available on Mobile

 th

ANNIVERSARY

FLASHBACK

The Drug Chronicles

From celebrating psychedelics to investigating the abuses
of the War on Drugs, ‘Rolling Stone’ has covered the
nation’s complex relationship with narcotics from the start
n october 1967, as the first

I
issue of Rolling Stone was
going to press, the magazine’s
small staff learned some stun-
ning news: Members of the
Grateful Dead had been busted for
weed at their communal house in
Haight-Ashbury, just a few miles from
the magazine’s San Francisco office.
“It was really weird,” recalls chief pho-
tographer Baron Wolman. “The bail-
bonds office was around the corner
from the office, so I went there and
found them posting bail.” Founder and
editor Jann S. Wenner told Wolman to
snap a shot of the band, and Wenner
wrote the accompanying story for the
first issue, describing eight narcotics
agents who “carried no warrant and
broke in the front door even after being
denied entry.”
Long, Strange Trip
By then, rock & roll and drugs had
become inseparable. The Beatles and Left: The Grateful Dead and
Bob Dylan sang or spoke of the cre- friends at the group’s
ative freedom that sprang from experi- Haight-Ashbury house
menting with psychedelics; fans rolled shortly after band members
were busted on pot charges,
joints on LP covers and got high to
1967. The story of the arrest,
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band written by Jann Wenner,
and Blonde on Blonde. Not surpris- appeared in the magazine’s
ingly, drug coverage became part of first issue. Above: ROLLING
the magazine’s beat from the start. STONE ran an ad in 1968
“Rolling Stone came out of the drug soliciting subscribers with
culture,” says Wenner. “This was an an offer of a free roach clip.
issue that related to our mission to
cover youth culture and the baby-
boomer generation.” ple in Rolling Stone willing to talk about getting high, which
One early cover promised forty pages full of dope, sex & was pretty courageous at the time.”
cheap thrills. A “Dope Pages” section offered advice and news, But the magazine’s drug reportage wasn’t always lighthearted.
like early efforts at pot legalization in Canada. The fifth issue ad- “We wanted to cover it responsibly,” says Wenner. “We should be
vertised a roguish gift for subscribers: a roach clip. (“This handy forthright about how much fun it is, but also about the dangers.”
little device can be yours free! Act now before this offer is made Based on questionnaires supplied to U.S. troops stationed around
illegal!”) Within the magazine’s pages, rockers felt free to talk the world, associate editor Charles Perry’s 1968 cover story “Is This
about pot – or light up – during interviews. “Rolling Stone was Any Way to Run the Army – Stoned?” explored the use of weed
LEFT: BARON WOLMAN

one of the first places where people openly admitted to smoking by soldiers in Vietnam. “The Army has taken hundreds of thou-
marijuana,” says Robert Greenfield, who was then associate edi- sands of students out of school and plopped them into what seems
tor at the magazine’s London bureau and later scored a rare inter- like a marijuana-heaven on earth,” Perry wrote. “In Vietnam, you
view with LSD king and sonic technician Owsley Stanley. “People can buy marijuana already processed into cigarette form, pack-
like Timothy Leary were going to jail for pot. But here were peo- aged 10 to the pack (200 to the carton), and a pack costs a dollar.”

28 | R ol l i n g S t o n e | RollingStone.com A u g u s t 10 , 2 017
 Back home, the Nixon administration was launching a second which called for “a new drug policy” that would decriminalize
war – on the nation’s own citizens. In 1971, the president declared small amounts of weed and “stop filling our prisons with petty
a “full-scale attack on the problem of drug abuse in America,” and dealers and unlucky users.” “It was a big deal to make it a special
established the Drug Enforcement Administration. In a two-part issue on policy,” says Nadelmann, noting the cover was dominat-
1972 story, “The Strange Case of the Hippie Mafia,” staff writer ed by a stark drugs in america headline. “Here’s a publication
Joe Eszterhas uncovered the recurring harassment of the Broth- famous for its coverage of arts and music not putting a celebrity
erhood of Eternal Love, a California hippie community treated on the cover but words about the drug war.”
by local prosecutors like a “denim Cosa Nostra.” (One bust netted Spanning 15,000 words, Benjamin Wallace-Wells’ 2007 arti-
only a scale, a letter that “talked about an individual using mar- cle “How America Lost the War on Drugs” chronicled 35 years of
ijuana” and a “roach clip containing marijuana residue.”) “The massive fiscal waste, making particular note of the $12 billion-a-
country was completely polarized, and the Brotherhood became year excesses under George H.W. Bush: “Fighter jets to take on
an example of that polarization in front-line terms,” says Eszter- the Colombian trafficking cartels, Navy submarines to chase co-
has. “In those years in Laguna Beach, there was a kind of war be- caine-smuggling boats in the Caribbean. . . . America would van-
tween the straight residents and quish its foe with torpe-
the people with long hair – and it 1 does and F-16s.” Still, as
was deadly, and occasionally le- contributing editor Tim
thally, serious.” Dickinson pointed out in
The magazine also launched last year’s “Why Ameri-
investigations into the darkest ca Can’t Quit the Drug
corners of abuse, including re- War,” “the deeper infra-
ports on the rise of cocaine, hero- structure of the War on
in and Quaaludes. “We were con- Drugs remains funda-
sistent in covering the downsides mentally unaltered under
of it,” Wenner says. “Early on, Obama,” who, among
we took the position that hard- other things, increased
er drugs were bad.” In a harrow- spending on drug en-
ing 1980 account of the spread forcement. Says Dickin-
of freebasing, Perry described son, “We’ve never been
how one basehead “be- afraid to point out how
came convinced he could fucking stupid the War
see ‘black antibodies’ in his on Drugs has been.”
muscle tissue forcing dan- Dickinson also re-
gerous white worms out Covering the Drug Culture calls how medical marijuana
of his skin. He examined (1) A 2010 ROLLING STONE feature was first greeted with raised
the antibodies and worms toured the U.S.’s new weed economy. eyebrows: “East Coast report-
with a thirty-power micro- (2) The cover of a 1994 special issue. ers thought anyone who want-
scope and, with a needle (3) A 2007 story examined the ed to use medical marijuana
and tweezers, began re- epic failures of the drug wars. was just a hippie try-
moving the ‘worms’ from ing to pull one over on
his flesh and put them in 3 people.” But in 2010,
vials for documentation.” 2 Mark Binelli’s “Mari-
Anthony Haden-Guest’s juanamerica” offered a
1983 article “The Young, sweeping look at how
the Rich and Heroin” painted a bleak por- medical marijuana
trait of the rise of smack in Ronald Reagan’s became an econom-
money-encrusted Eighties. ic force, describing a
A year earlier, Reagan had revamped the “singular, transfor-
War on Drugs. His Anti-Drug Abuse Act of mative moment” for
1986 instituted a new set of mandatory min- “an oddball combina-
imum sentences, including major discrep- tion of righteous out-
ancies in federal charges for crack and co- laws and straight-up
caine possession. Over the next decade, the hustlers, conscien-
number of people imprisoned for drug of- tious dropouts and
fenses jumped sixfold, to nearly 300,000. In a 1990 editorial, scary guys with guns, all of whom are now having to adapt their
Wenner dubbed the War on Drugs “Our Next Vietnam,” writing unique skill sets to an ever-shifting legal and economic landscape.”
that “despite decades of interdiction and enforcement efforts that Medical marijuana is now legal in 29 states, and eight states
have cost billions of dollars, there are more drugs and more blood and the District of Columbia allow recreational use as well. “It’s a
on the streets than ever before.” Mike Sager’s 1992 exposé “The different world than the one we grew up in,” says Dickinson. “The
Case of Gary Fannon” told of an 18-year-old Michigan kid sen- strip mall now has a Walgreens, a grocery store and a dispen-
tenced to life in prison for arranging a cocaine deal with an under- sary.” And even as Donald Trump and his attorney general, Jeff
cover cop. The magazine openly advocated for Fannon’s release; Sessions, signal a desire to return to the worst days of America’s
in 1996, a court ruling found his arrest amounted to entrapment. drug war, Dickinson says, “We’re watching where this is head-
For a special issue in 1994, Wenner enlisted Ethan Nadelmann, ed. We have to be vigilant.” As Wenner puts it, “We’ve done our
the founder of the Drug Policy Alliance, to co-write the cover story, part, and our audience is with us.” DAVID BROWNE

A u g u s t 10 , 2 017 RollingStone.com | R ol l i n g S t o n e | 29
RandomNotes

U2 and Noel’s
Redemption Song
LOVE ON
THE PLANE
Rihanna made
her way through
In London, on the first night of the European leg of U2’s the TSA in Los
Joshua Tree tour, the band welcomed opener Noel Gallagher Angeles. The
onstage for a rendition of Oasis’ “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” singer is rumored
which has become a national anthem since the Manchester to be releasing
concert bombing. Gallagher is donating royalties generated new music at the
by sales of the 1995 hit to help families of the attack’s victims. end of the year.

WITCHY WOMAN
Björk was on hand to
see Joe Walsh and
the Eagles reunite at
L.A.’s Classic West
festival.

MURRAY WAS THE CASE Snoop

Dogg and Bill Murray hung out at
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: DANNY NORTH; PEREZ/X17ONLINE.COM; KEVIN WINTER/
the ESPYs in L.A., where Murray GETTY IMAGES; THE1POINT8; KEVIN MAZUR/GETTY IMAGES; JOE WALSH/TWITTER

received an award on behalf

of his beloved Chicago Cubs.

Ringo’s Peace Party

For the 10th year, Ringo Starr held a public birthday party in
BUDLAND BUDS Tyler, the Creator, Schoolboy L.A., where hundreds gathered at the Capitol Records building
Q and A$AP Rocky (from left) teamed up for a to chant, “Peace and love.” “My dream – my fantasy – is that
set at California’s Budland festival. Tyler just one day in the future everyone on the planet will stop at noon
released his new album, Flower Boy, featuring and say, ‘Peace and love,’” said Ringo, who turned 77. The
two songs with his old friend Frank Ocean. event drew famous friends like David Lynch and Jenny Lewis.

A u g u s t 10 , 2 017
 GLASTONBURY GIRL
Ed Sheeran brought his girlfriend,
Cherry Seaborn, along for his
headlining Glastonbury set. This
fall, Sheeran will appear in an
episode of The Simpsons, an honor
he called “surreal and amazing.”

WALKING
ON AIR
Katy Perry
chatted up her
helicopter pilot
before playing
England’s
Glastonbury
festival, where
she crowd-surfed
and “got the itch
to tour again.”
Perry will be
back on the road
in September.

Who’s Miracle Tour

After wrapping a long 50th-anniversary tour, Roger Daltrey and Pete
Townshend returned to North America for a victory lap. At Festival d’été de
Québec, they delivered a powerful set, though they complained they weren’t
given a soundcheck. Later this year, they’ll kick off their first Vegas residency.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: XPOS/BACKGRID, 2; ERIKA GOLDRING/FILMMAGIC;
MEDIAPUNCH/BACKGRID; XPOS/BACKGRID; ROGER WONG/INSTARIMAGES.COM

YACHTY’S
RED ALERT
Lil Yachty
BACK IN JOHNNY’S showed off
BUSINESS BLACK HUMOR his red braids
Kesha is set to Johnny Depp at the BET
release her new was at Awards.
album, Rainbow, Glastonbury to He says
her first since a introduce his film they’re only
long legal battle The Libertine, temporary:
with former but ended up “I’m not
producer Dr. making news going to
Luke. “I’ve done for joking about drag on
a lot of healing,” assassinating braids
the singer said. Donald Trump. forever.”

A u g u s t 10 , 2 017 R ol l i n g S t o n e | 31
 Khalid’s
Teen Spirit
How a lonely Army brat made the year’s freshest, most
surprising debut while barely out of high school
By Jonah Weiner
Photograph by Peter Yang
K
halid robinson is
zigzagging through
galleries at the Los
A ngeles C oun-
ty Museum of Art
when a disturbing canvas stops
him in his tracks. It depicts a
naked man with a vertical gash
in his torso, through which a sec-
ond naked man, covered in blood,
drifts outward. The painting, by
the surrealist Victor Brauner, is ti-
tled “Suicide at Dawn.” “It’s from
1930!” Khalid says incredulous-
ly, scanning the wall text. “That’s
crazy to me, to think about how
long people have been making art
about pain, about love – about all
the things we’re still making art
about.” He lingers a moment, then
starts moving again. “I’ve writ-
ten songs about friends who dealt
with suicidal thoughts,” he says,
following a train of thought. “I’ve
never felt that way myself, exactly,
but I’ve felt close. Like, I’ve wanted
to disappear.”
Khalid is a 19-year-old pop
prodigy with a lovely, leathery voice
and a knack for big, breezy sing-
songs. His debut album, Ameri-
can Teen, came out a few months
ago, and although it pulses with
euphoric dance beats, Eighties
synths and tales of marijuana- and
booze-fueled high school raging,
melancholy is never far away, ei-
ther. The album is full of fragile
relationships – friends having a
blast only to grow apart; lovers
yearning for one another only to
get caught up in passive-aggressive
mind games. Technology refer-
ences – cellphone photo albums,
ride-share apps, GPS pins – pop
up constantly, sometimes enabling
connections, sometimes crippling
them. American Teen debuted at
Number Nine and is already cer-
tified gold. Khalid has appeared

33
 K H A L I D’S
T E E N SPI RI T

on tracks with Kendrick Lamar 2

and Future, and he’s befriended
Kylie Jenner, who gave his break-
out hit, “Location,” a crucial boost
when she played it on her Snap-
chat. In a few months he’ll hit the
road with Lorde, who called Kha-
lid’s “Young, Dumb and Broke”
“fucking gorgeous,” and whose
music has a similarly potent com-
bination of zoomed-in specificity
and generational sweep. (“I love
her,” Khalid says of Lorde.)
Khalid is new to Los Angeles,
but he’s already come to see the
art at LACMA “a couple times,”
posting shots of himself among
the sculptures and paintings on
his Instagram. He rents an apart-
ment in Studio City, in the Val-
American Teen
ley. A few months ago, he bought (1) Onstage in Los Angeles
himself a pre-owned BMW 428i this year. (2) With his
droptop in El Paso, Texas, where mother the night before
he attended high school his senior she shipped out to Iraq. (3)
year, and drove west to be closer to With friend and tourmate
the music industry. Before El Paso, Lorde in New York.
he lived in Carthage, New York, a
small town upstate; before that,
he lived in Heidelberg, Germany;
Georgia; and Kentucky: He was an
Army brat, and all the moving left
a mark on him.
Today, he keeps the walls bare in
his apartment, because, he says, “I 1
get attached to things like that, and
if I get attached, I won’t want to leave.” At you’re constantly moving and you don’t re-
the same time, he adds a moment later, he ally have any form of stability.”
can’t sit still anywhere for long: “I always Khalid’s mother performed with a U.S.
get restless and sad if I stay in one place Army band and chorus, and he grew up 3
– like, ‘I wanna see something else.’ ” I tell duetting with her at home. At school he
him that he seemingly just performed in musicals – “I
contradicted himself, and he was Cornelius in Hello, Dolly; male. I wasn’t afraid to sing, you know?
nods. “Moving makes me sad School was Seaweed in Hairspray” – and I wasn’t afraid to be in musicals. Kids are
and excited at the same time at home he studied YouTube shitty. I got joked on. You had people say-
– it’s a mind-fuck.” rough for clips of virtuoso singers like ing I was stupid, that I was lame, that I
When Khalid was about Khalid – Andrea Bocelli, the pop- was feminine, this and that.” He took that
seven, his life veered into opera don. “I kind of self- negative energy and turned it into motiva-
“people
FROM LEFT: JOHN SALANGSANG/“VARIETY”/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK; COURTESY OF KHALID, 2
tragedy. His parents sepa- taught myself, like, let me tion: “I was like, ‘OK, but I’m still gonna be
rated when he was “very calling you watch other singers, picking successful, and you’re not.’ ”
young,” he says, and when he fat, talking up on accents and how they Khalid once thought he’d become a
was in second grade his fa- portray their emotions.” His music teacher, but during his senior year
ther was killed: “He got hit by shit” – but list of favorite musicians in- in El Paso he began writing and recording
a car – drunk driver, didn’t songwriting cludes Fleetwood Mac (he’s his own songs to deal with the loneliness
stop.” By that point, Khalid called “Dreams” one of his of being in a new town and not knowing
was living in Germany with helped him all-time jams), Adele, Bill anyone. His experience throughout school
his mother, Linda, who re- through. Withers, Aaliyah and Father had had its rough patches – “people pick-
cently retired as a sergeant John Misty. “I don’t think of ing on you, calling you fat, talking shit
first class in the U.S. Army. “I genre when I create,” he says. about you” – but songwriting helped him
was very upset, mad – the stages of grief,” “I just wanna make shit that sounds good through. “I had to learn to love myself,”
he says. “That’s probably why I matured a in my car.” he says.
lot faster than a lot of people my age, be- After Germany, he moved to upstate Khalid started posting his songs to
cause I already lost something superclose New York, where “I was sad. I didn’t feel SoundCloud, building a following among
to me.” Beyond that, he felt strains from like I had a home there.” His interest in his classmates. “I put out this voice memo
the unsettled life of “a military child, where performing arts granted him a degree of for a song called ‘Would You’ that I never
popularity at school, but also made him a finished, and the popular guy in school said
Contributing editor Jonah Weiner target. “My mom raised a self-aware kid,” it sucked – he said it on his Snapchat, out
wrote about Haim in May. he says. “I wasn’t like the typical alpha of jealousy, because I was a new kid. I was

34 | R ol l i n g S t o n e | RollingStone.com A u g u s t 10 , 2 017
 like, ‘OK, if you think that sucks, I’ll make to a “we-made-it house – but I want to buy
another one to show you how much I suck. Pop’s Youth it in El Paso, because I want kids to drive
Which I obviously don’t.’ ”
Khalid scored a manager and finagled a
Movement by and say, ‘That’s Khalid’s house.’ It’ll in-
spire them. That’s how dreamers are born.”
connection to the producer Syk Sense, who
Khalid isn’t the only teenager

W
has credits on songs by Drake and Travis shaping the sound of Top 40 right e head north, into
Scott, and who invited Khalid to come now. Here are four others the Valley, where Kha-
work with him in an Atlanta studio. Kha- lid is due at a rehearsal
lid’s “Location” – a catchy, slow-stirred ode space. In a few days
to moving past the digital world toward an Lil Yachty he’ll head out on a two-
IRL hookup – grew out of those sessions, AGE 19 month headlining club tour, and he
which later moved to El Paso. Today, the BACKSTORY The needs to practice with his live band
song is a hit, certified double-platinum, but rapper scored a and two backup dancers. En route to
when Khalid first recorded it, his primary Top Five LP thanks a dance studio to learn choreography,
to a happily naive
ambition was making sure he posted it to spin on Southern
we pick up two of his old friends: Eric,
SoundCloud in time for high school prom, hip-hop referred to as whom he knows from Carthage, and
“because I wanted to win prom king,” he ex- “bubblegum trap.” Jerry, whom he knows from El Paso.
plains. To his delight, it worked: “I wanted GROWING PAINS He flew them out, and they’ve never met
to kind of beat the odds, where everyone “I don’t want to be 20 yet,” each other, which Khalid says is part of the
he says. “I dread my teenage
thought it was gonna be a football player.” fun: “It’s like a social experiment.”
years being over.”
But his relationship to his newfound Eric and Jerry will help out on the tour
public adoration is complicated. He says in ways that haven’t quite been defined –
he feels a powerful debt to his fans – that Shawn Mendes “We’ll do, like, the merch table and stuff,”
he cried at an El Paso mall when, run AGE 19 Jerry says. They’re pals-turned-employees,
ragged by work and jet lag, he had to BACKSTORY Mendes which might get awkward, but Khalid
end a CD signing early, even though has gone from seems comfortable with his place atop the
people were still waiting in line. That hockey-loving command structure – as Eric and Jerry
Canadian kid to
sense of obligation isn’t without lim- Vine star to chart-
cram into the BMW’s tiny back seat, I
its, though. As we’re leaving LACMA, topper, thanks to a offer to move my passenger seat forward.
a young couple stop him for a picture, gift for singer-song- “They’re OK,” Khalid says, answering for
asking if he is indeed Khalid and, in the writer intimacy (John them. Later he sends Jerry to buy him bot-
process, pronouncing his name incorrectly. Mayer is a mentor). tled water from Starbucks and, after that,
THE NATURAL “I was one of those
(For the record, it’s “kuh-leed.”) He is gra- to go feed his parking meter.
kids who was just...always on
cious nonetheless, gently correcting the YouTube, so it was easy for me to The dance studio is on a busy boule-
couple and posing separately with each of do it. It’s not work, it’s just fun.” vard. Khalid shakes hands with Tanisha,
them, but when we’re in his car, he says, the choreographer, and stands between
“You’re not a real fan if you don’t know his dancers. Songs from American Teen
how to say my name.” He thinks about this,
Noah Cyrus blare, and he moves with an easygoing
then shrugs. “It’s not that deep. It’s what we AGE 17 slinkiness. “Do three of these sways,
signed up for. We knew people were gonna BACKSTORY Miley’s then give me life on the fourth,” Tani-
little sis is finishing
not genuinely give a fuck about us and ask up her debut, NC-17,
sha instructs him. “OK, I got life for
for photos anyway. So just take it. It might which blends coun- you,” Khalid replies, improvising a
make their day, and that’s what I want to try, pop and R&B. quick little double-kick. “You’re giv-
do – help people.” NO-HATE ZONE ing me young James Brown!” she
American Teen is mostly about romantic “Miley always says, says, delighted.
‘Don’t ever look yourself
ups and downs, but the album title is also Back in the BMW, Khalid cues up
up or read your comments,
political – a way to combat outmoded ste- ’cause you’re gonna see stuff that an unreleased song with the working title
reotypes about who is and who isn’t prop- you don’t want to see.’” “Coast v1.” “I did this last week,” he says. It’s
erly American. “I’m an African-American built around a sparse banjo riff, and Kha-
man with an Afro, who isn’t your typical lid says he wrote the song with Father John
athlete – who wasn’t as masculine as other
XXXTentacion Misty in mind. “If I were to have an idol in
FROM TOP: KENNETH CAPPELLO; STEVE GRANITZ/WIREIMAGE; RICHARD

guys,” Khalid says. “And now people are AGE 19 terms of songwriting, it would probably be
SHOTWELL/INVISION/AP IMAGES; FLORIDA DEPT. OF CORRECTIONS

looking at me like, this is ‘The Ameri- BACKSTORY Jahseh him.” The lyrics relate to what Khalid was
Dwayne Onfroy’s
can Teen. . . .’ Especially with the elec- grim, confessional talking about in front of the Brauner can-
tion, having Trump as president, it’s and low-fi hip- vas earlier. The first verse begins with a
about pushing for ‘OK, I can be black, hop has already metaphorical suicide – “I killed a man the
you can be white, you can be Mus- garnered 400 other day/It was the man I knew the most”
lim, let’s all be woke to the issues, let’s million SoundCloud – and goes into an escape fantasy: “I left my
plays as well as a
all appreciate each other.’ ” (Khalid was pain behind/I’m on my way.”
Top 40 single, “Look At
raised Christian, but doesn’t identify as Me” – quite a feat for a kid who The song is gorgeous and sad, and the
being overwhelmingly religious.) met a key collaborator in a Florida lyrics make clear that, despite sudden suc-
Khalid says he wants other misfits and juvenile detention center. cess, Khalid still has some demons to tussle
outsiders to take solace in his example, in NO ID “I don’t say my age. I feel with. “I want a one-way ticket to Cabo,”
terms of both artistic and material suc- like the younger you are, niggas he sings, “so I can start over, alone on the
feel like they have something
cess. He tells me he sees his pre-owned over you. I don’t let anyone ‘lil
coast.” I tell him the track sounds great. He
BMW as a steppingstone to another, fan- bro’ me.” JON DOLAN
thanks me, then grins. “Who knows?” he
cier, “we-made-it car,” and, down the line, says. “I might never put it out.”

A u g u s t 10 , 2 017 RollingStone.com | R ol l i n g S t o n e | 35
The
He was raised
in jet-set privilege
but overcame
tragedy to become
Canada’s prime
minister. Is Justin
Trudeau the free
world’s best hope?

North
Star
L
et’s begin by sy nchro-
nizing our watches. We are
in the Eastern time zone.
The legislative session is
over, and Canadian Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau is about to give his
wrap-up press conference. The report-
ers trudge into the gallery, grumbling,
as reporters like to do, about traffic
and editors. Someone gives the “10
seconds” signal, and Trudeau strides
to the podium. He gives a nod and
starts ticking off his accomplishments.
The first is self-praise for cutting taxes
on the middle class and raising them
on the one percent. “We’ve given nine
out of 10 families more money each
month to help with the costs of raising
© MICHAEL KAPPELER/DPA/ZUMA PRESS

their kids,” Trudeau says.

By Stephen Rodrick It’s strange to witness: He speaks in

a modulated, indoor voice. His dark
hair is a color found in nature. At
home, there is a glamorous wife and
three photogenic children, still not
old enough to warm his seat at next
week’s G-20 summit or be involved in
an espionage scandal.

36 | R ol l i n g S t o n e | RollingStone.com A u g u s t 10 , 2 017
 Justin
Trudeau
When Trudeau moves on to his feminist And then there’s Russia. Trump’s son agree and is all about expanding Cana-
bona fides (women and minorities make up met with Russian nationals who promised da’s influence across the globe. Canadian
more than half of his Cabinet), he pauses dirt on Hillary Clinton. Trudeau’s foreign forces are installed in the Baltics to deter
for a moment, but does not lose his train of minister is Chrystia Freeland, a Canadian Russian aggression, the country’s largest
thought. His words are coherent and will of Ukrainian descent who is banned in Pu- sustained military presence in Europe in
not need to be run through Google Trans- tin’s Russia. more than a decade. He tells me a story
late when he is done (except if you want to “Our support for Ukraine, including about Harjit Saj jan, now his defense min-
translate his French into English). militarily, is something that stands us very ister, but once a major in the Canadian
He talks about steps taken to deal with clearly on the ‘Russia is an unhelpful actor military in Afghanistan. Sajjan was born
the opioid crisis and mentions the coun- in the world’ side of the dynamic,” Trudeau in Punjab, India, and wears a turban.
try’s dropping unemployment rate. He tells me. Trudeau recounts how an Afghan chief-
uses the original Clintonian recipe on the Justin Trudeau is trying to Make Cana- tain quizzed the major about his position,
crowd: “We’re focused on getting people da Great Again. He is using, let us say, dif- first wondering if he was with the Indian
into good careers and helping families get ferent methods. Army and being shocked when he told him
ahead and stay ahead,” he says. “But we he was Canadian and in charge.

O
know there’s more hard work in front of us n a r ecen t su mmer “The head man sort of watches, he goes,
than there is behind us.” afternoon, Trudeau takes ‘Wait, they let a man who looks like you
Then he gives the press corps a high-five. off his suit jacket and we lead in the Canadian army?’ ” says Trudeau,
“The back and forth between the press settle into two ornate who clearly loves telling this story. “Harjit
and government is essential to any good chairs in a corner of his says, ‘Yes,’ and the head man looks out:
democracy,” he says. “When you’re at your Parliament Hill office. His ‘Maybe, maybe you can actually help.’ ”
best, it reminds us and challenges us to sleeves are pushed up, his tie blue, his shirt And that was a Canadian brag.
be at ours. So thank you all for your tire- white, his socks festooned with moose.
less work.” Trudeau reminds me of, well, Obama as trudeau’s skeptics have decl ared
Where are we? Narnia? Coachella recov- he smiles and listens patiently to me dron- him “emotionally intelligent.” This is Ca-
ery tent? 2009? We are in Ottawa, Ontario, ing on about my Canadian wife as if it is nadian for “the man is a mimbo.” But that’s
a mere 560 miles from Washington, D.C. actually interesting. For Trudeau, listening not the case. Trudeau is the son of Pierre
And yet, we are half a world away. Join is seducing. But as soon as I start asking Trudeau, a 15-year prime minister and
Canada’s iconic 20th Century Man. There
are things he should have learned at the
“It’s the image of Canada, the way people knee of Papa, as he called his father. But
sometimes Justin doesn’t think things
through. Upon Fidel Castro’s death, he
look at you: ‘Oh, you’re Canadian’ – subtext declared the dictator “a larger-than-life
leader who served his people,” making lit-
tle mention of the unseemly portions of the
‘not American’ – ‘but you’re here to help.’ ” Cuban despot’s tenure. On Canada Day,
the country’s Fourth of July, Trudeau’s
speech praised all of Canada’s provinc-
me as we visit a nation led by a man who questions, he snaps into place, admiringly es, but somehow he forgot Alberta, Justin
wore a Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy forthcoming on his life journey and frus- and his father’s greatest provincial neme-
T-shirt on national television, rides a uni- tratingly on message when it comes to po- sis. Trudeau jumped onstage and tried to
cycle and welcomed 40,000 Syrian refu- litical answers. As we chat, he smiles and make things right. “Let me just start by
gees with open arms. locks in with his blue eyes, but Trudeau, saying I’m a little embarrassed – I got ex-
The contrasts between here and there whose mother’s side is of Scottish descent, cited somewhere over the Rockies. Alberta,
are not just superficial. Trump is defund- swats away all Trump-baiting questions I love you. Happy Canada Day.” But within
ing Planned Parenthood. Trudeau is firm- with a look that says, “Not today, laddie.” hours, some Albertan politicians were say-
ly pro-choice; abortions are provided as He is always pushing his product: a kind ing the slight was intentional.
part of Canada’s universal health care. but muscular Canada. I asked him why his He can come off like some modern dau-
(We know Trump’s position on that issue.) country, insulated by two vast oceans and phin; as a child, he traveled the world with
Meanwhile, Attorney General Jeff Sessions a superpower to the south, was increasing his father, practically as a member of the
is trying to roll back America’s weed laws its military spending by $14 billion. Some prime minister’s official envoy. He likes
to Reefer Madness days. Over the border, of it was about Canada doing its part in a himself. A lot. (His critics call him “shiny
Trudeau, who admits he smoked pot after dangerous world. But some of it, accord- pony.”) Once, before a boxing match that
being elected to Parliament, campaigned ing to Trudeau, had to do with the sheer would make or kill his career – more on
on legalizing it across Canada. Trump awesomeness of his native land. that later – he was caught babbling Obama-
ditched the Paris environmental accord. “A Canadian on the ground in different like about his personal destiny. His wife,
Trudeau is urging American cities and parts of the world, whether they’re a dip- Sophie, grabbed his arm, looked him in the
states to work with their northern neigh- lomat, an aid worker or a soldier, has an eyes and said, “Be humble.” Sophie and Jus-
bors to cut emissions. The opioid crisis extraordinary, powerful impact,” Trudeau tin met in their hometown of Montreal, and
that Trudeau spoke of in his press con- tells me. “I mean, the image of Canada, the Justin decided by the end of their first date
ference? His government is fast-tracking way people look at you as ‘Oh, you’re Cana- that they would eventually get married.
safe-usage areas to cut down on overdoses, dian’ – subtext ‘not American’ – ‘but you’re Trudeau doesn’t play golf; he snow-
while America’s opioid-related deaths have here to help, you’re not here for oil, you’re boards. There is a real person inside him.
reached epidemic levels. not here to tell us how to run our country.’ ” A longtime dork, he used to throw himself
That was a Canadian burn. down flights of stairs at parties for laughs.
Contributing editor Stephen Rodrick During the campaign, Trump talked He went trick-or-treating last year dressed
wrote about Tom Petty in July. of NATO being obsolete. Trudeau doesn’t as the pilot, while his son Hadrien went as

38 | R ol l i n g S t o n e | RollingStone.com A u g u s t 10 , 2 017
 1 2 Growing
Up Trudeau
(1) Justin’s father,
Pierre, raised three
boys. (2) Justin’s best
memories were
roaming the country
with his dad. (3)
Pierre died not long
after an avalanche
killed one of Justin’s
brothers. “I watched
it kill my dad,” Justin
says. “He lost it. He
couldn’t understand
why God had taken
his son.”

the prince, from The Little Prince, by An- compare with the Alberta oil sands, where Kinder Morgan pipeline between Alberta
toine de Saint-Exupéry. the countryside is pockmarked like a B-52 and the British Columbian coast, pumping
And he has a quirky sense of humor that bombing range. I ask him how he squares bitumen for sale to Asian markets.
doesn’t score points at the expense of his that with his evangelical support of the “Do we want to be locked into the U.S.
enemies. Trudeau, who is the equivalent of Paris environmental accord. market as we are right now?” asks Trudeau
a centrist Democrat, ran on returning an “It’s a great question,” Trudeau tells me rhetorically. “Or do we want to be able to in-
optimistic “sunny ways” to governing after while giving the distinct impression it’s not ternationalize or to create a new market?”
the almost decade-long reign of the Dick a question he is psyched to answer. “One of Despite these contradictions, the
Cheney-like Stephen Harper. Leaving a the things that we have to realize is we can- prime minister is a progressive, ratio-
House of Parliament room filled with por- not get off gas, we cannot get off oil, fossil nal, forward-thinking leader. Yes, he was
traits of French kings – where I heard him fuels tomorrow – it’s going to take a few manor-born, but he actually feels his citi-
sing an off-key verse from Dylan’s “Like a decades.” He shrugs a little bit. “Maybe we zens’ pain because he’s had his own un-
Rolling Stone” – Trudeau points out a por- can shorten it, but there’s going to have to thinkable personal tragedies. A major-
trait of Louis XIV. “He was the original be a transition time.” ity of Canadians believe he genuinely has
believer in ‘sunny ways,’ ” Trudeau tells me. The eco-spouting Trudeau is also a the interests of Canada’s 36 million at
He chuckles. (Louis XIV was known as the Keystone-pipeline supporter to the end. heart. In 2015, Trudeau met Syrian refu-
Sun King. I got the joke after I looked it up.) Part of this is paying for the sins of his gees at the airport and handed out winter
As prime minister, Trudeau is often father, who infamously taxed much of Al- coats. One of the refugees thanked him a
photographed surprising everyday Cana- berta’s oil profits and redistributed the year later in person on Canadian radio.
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: ANDY CLARK/CP PHOTO; COURTESY
OF JUSTIN TRUDEAU; AARON HARRIS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

dians as he kayaks or jogs across his vast revenue across the country. The younger Trudeau wept. Another named his son
land. He recently was caught in Vancouver Trudeau gave a speech in Calgary a few after the PM. Meanwhile, Trump is push-
posing for pictures with kids on the way years ago and, afterward, a man shook his ing Muslim bans, and Mike Pence went to
to prom while out for a run. Somehow, hand and said, “Good speech, good to meet court to prevent any Syrian refugees from
his official photographer always happens you – your dad was a piece of shit.” coming to his state.
to be nearby. A Trudeau skeptic told me if “The question becomes, how do we “If we take in 40,000 Syrian refugees,
he was running against him he’d have the transport it?” says Trudeau. “Obvious- it wasn’t because the government sent
homeless and the dispossessed pose hold- ly, trucks are expensive and dirty, rail is a couple of planes and signed a decree,”
ing signs saying “Where’s my selfie?” both expensive, dirty and potentially cata- Trudeau tells me. “It was because com-
His country has some problems. Cana- strophic. Pipelines are safer.” munities opened up their homes, their
da’s immense size makes it as much of a This is debatable, as the folks at Standing churches, their community centers. Ev-
slave to fossil fuel as the U.S. in both usage Rock will tell you. Less known in America eryone said, ‘Let’s do our part to give some
and trade. No North Dakota oil field can is Trudeau’s support of an expansion of the people in a terrible situation a better fu-

A u g u s t 10 , 2 017 RollingStone.com | R ol l i n g S t o n e | 39
 Justin
Trudeau
ture.’ We understand that bringing people agree with is not having a constructive father. There’s Justin showing off his yo-yo
here to build a better life for themselves relationship.” to the Swedish prime minister. There’s
makes the world a better place and makes Justin Trudeau is now the adult in the Justin listening as Ronald Reagan recites
our communities better as well. But I’ve room. the Canadian cowboy poem “The Shoot-
only been able to do this because Canadi- ing of Dan McGrew” to him, a verse his
ans are open, generous and dream big for the evening after trudeau’s ses- classics-loving father found lowbrow. And
the country.” sion-ending press conference, the prime there’s Justin ogling Princess Diana when
minister is clad in a tux with Sophie next to she hit the residence for a secret swim dur-

H
ere’s the ingenious him in a tan evening gown. We are in a ball- ing a state visit.
thing. Donald Trump room at Rideau Hall, the home of Canada’s “I got to see how international relations
likes Justin Trudeau. governor general. The Italian president is is all about relationships and how you get
While the president in town for a dinner of northeastern suck- along with people,” says Trudeau. “How
hangs up on Austra- ling pig and Québec wildflower panna cotta you listen to them. I mean, the way I chat
lia, Trump describes with Niagara cherry-and-apricot compote. with Merkel is very different than the way
Trudeau as his “new found friend.” This The Canadians will hate this, but at I chat with Trump.” (Trudeau had to deny
might be because Ivanka kept shooting times Trudeau and his young staff give off a Der Spiegel report that he asked Merkel
wolfish glances at the prime minister on the aura of a well-meaning Netflix adap- to go easier on Trump after he opted out of
Trudeau’s visit to the White House, or be- tation about a young, idealistic Canadian the Paris accord.)
cause Trudeau is hiking his country’s mil- prime minister. Trudeau even has a body Pierre had a public image as Canada’s
itary spending by more than 70 percent, man who draws good-natured compari- most interesting man. He oversaw the
satisfying Trump’s obsession with Ameri- sons with Gary, the Tony Hale character writing of a new Canadian constitution
can allies paying their fair share of defense on HBO’s Veep. and somehow held the country together as
costs. “We have a great neighbor in Cana- Trudeau, unlike his father, doesn’t seem French-speaking Québec threatened se-
da, and Justin is doing a spectacular job in to mind the small talk of the cocktail cession – most by ballot box, few with ter-
Canada,” Trump said at the G-20 summit. crowd. He works the room, giving a wink ror. In October 1970, the Front de libéra-
Meanwhile, perhaps unknown to the here and a shoulder grab there. tion du Québec murdered a provincial
details-averse Trump, Trudeau has largely Trudeau was born into this world. He minister and kidnapped an English dip-
ignored the president and is in the pro- grew up a half-kilometer away at 24 Sus- lomat. Pierre put troops on the streets of
Montreal. He was asked by a journalist
how far he would go in restricting civil
“People try and insult me by saying, ‘He’s liberties, and the otherwise progressive
prime minister famously snarled, “Just
watch me.”
not his father’s son – he’s his mother’s son.’ Behind the public facade, however, there
was strife in the Trudeau home. Much
of Pierre’s public flair was to cover up a
I immediately say, ‘Thank you very much.’ ” wounded man obsessed with regimenta-
tion, who told Justin and his brothers on
which f loors of their house they would
cess of enacting trade and environmental sex Drive, the official prime minister’s resi- speak English and on which they would
agreements with state and local officials. dence. (The residence is being remodeled, speak French. Pierre famously did a seem-
The New York Times reported Trudeau has so his family lives in a 10,000-square-foot ingly spontaneous pirouette behind the
enlisted former Conservative Prime Min- “cottage” a few hundred yards away.) His queen in 1977 at Buckingham Palace, but
ister Brian Mulroney to help with Trump, birth – Christmas Day 1971 – was King of even that was planned in advance – a sig-
and the Canadian government has hired a the North front-page news. It culminated nal of Canadian disdain for Brit pomp.
New York-based lobbying firm to lean on a shocking year that saw Pierre Trudeau, “My dad lost his dad when he was 15,
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to go easy a 51-year-old walk-to-work introvert who and it knocked the life out of him,” Trudeau
on imposing trade restrictions on the Em- happened to be prime minister, secretly tells me, not five feet from where his father
pire State’s northern neighbor. marry his 22-year-old girlfriend, Marga- once governed the country. “It left a mark
But ask the prime minister about these ret, who then instantly became pregnant. on him that would stay with him for the
policies and it’s clear Trudeau would prefer A jubilant Pierre strode out of an Ottawa rest of his life.”
if none of us in the Lower 48 actually no- hospital to announce his son’s name to a Meanwhile, Margaret chafed as a
ticed his exploits on the trade front. slew of cameras. twenty something showpiece and acted
“I don’t feel that I or Canada has to prove “He was in the public eye from the min- out in ways that much later were diagnosed
anything through big, loud, overt acts,” ute he popped out,” says Terry DiMonte, as bipolar disease. His parents split when
Trudeau tells me while sitting in the prime a close friend and Montreal DJ who first he was six, and Justin became a too-young
minister’s office, where he used to cavort – came into contact with Justin when the companion for his father on those foreign
JFK Jr.-style – as a kid. PM’s son called his radio station looking trips and a consoler to his mother, who
“Obviously, I disagree [with Trump] on for movie tickets in the late 1980s. The once showed up at his school in despair
a whole bunch, but Canadians expect me comparisons to a Canadian Camelot are in- about a boyfriend who left her.
to accomplish two things at the same time, evitable. Sitting in his office on Parliament “My mom has always been so generous
which is emphasize where we disagree and Hill, Trudeau shows me a secret hole in the and so sensitive and so vulnerable and yet
stand up firmly for Canadian interests,” wall where he used to hide. “When I first exudes so much strength,” Trudeau tells
says Trudeau, loosening his jacketless tie. came in here, I thought the walls used to be me. “Even through her tremendous, real
“But we also have a constructive working brighter when I was a kid,” he recalls, “but challenges with mental health.” He pauses
relationship, and me going out of my way I saw photos and it’s the exact same color.” and smiles. “She understood people and
to insult the guy or overreact or jump at Two brothers soon joined Trudeau, but got interpersonal relationships to a better
everything he says [that] we might dis- it was Justin who began traveling with his degree than perhaps my father did.”

40 | R ol l i n g S t o n e | RollingStone.com A u g u s t 10 , 2 017
 1 Trudeau’s style is to focus on individuals
The Fighter to make the crush of constituents slightly
(1) Trudeau likes less frightening, and today he tries to en-
the occasional gage some camp counselors in conversa-
athletic display. (2) tion. No dice – a wave of teens pushes him
At a charity boxing into the gym. It’s a joyous occasion with a
event, Trudeau slight undercoating of Canadian darkness;
beat his Conservative these kids are the descendents of survi-
opponent and vors of the Great Expulsion of 1755, when
dispelled any
the British forced much of the French-
thoughts that he was
just another soft rich speaking Acadian population to flee either
kid. (3) Marrying to Maine, France or, eventually, Louisi-
Sophie in 2005; they ana. Today, there’s nothing but love here.
now have three kids. It’s at a level I’ve never seen with a politi-
cian, sort of Obama-esque, if Obama was
2 ever allowed to wade into such uncon-
trolled mayhem.
“Think of Roosevelt on the radio,” says
Noah Richler, a Canadian journalist and
former NDP (socialist) parliamentary
candidate. “Churchill is a great speak-
er. Trudeau is an appalling speaker, but
he looks good.” After a moment, Richler
grudgingly gives Trudeau some credit. “He
loves his job – it is kind of fun to watch.”
Trudeau insists there’s a reason for the
up-close approach besides the massive ego
boost. “I have a deep conviction that you
cannot do this job unless you stay connect-
ed to the people,” Trudeau tells me back
in Ottawa. “And that means being close
enough that they can feel close to you.”
The rest of the day is equally joyous,
although there’s more than a little stage-
craft involved. His next stop, at the Fred-
ericton Fire House on the occasion of its
200th anniversary – where he jokes
that his wife was angry that she
3
was never allowed to accompany
As a kid, Justin endured head- him around firemen – is buoyant,
lines about his mom partying with with the youthful Trudeau climbing
the Rolling Stones and dancing at to the top of a truck and mucking
Studio 54. When Justin began mak- about with rescue equipment. An
ing his way into politics, his critics hour later, he jumps onto a picnic
sniped that he was more Marga- table to eat ice cream with support-
ret than Pierre. It didn’t bother the ers along the shores of the St. John
boy heir. River in postcard-perfect Grand
“My dad was an incredibly tough, Bay-Westfield, New Brunswick. He’s
brilliant, strong figure in all the clas- still taking pictures as his staff gen-
sic senses of strong, but also with the tly pushes him toward a waiting car.
weaknesses that come with being a The day goes without a hitch until
sometimes emotionally distant per- the motorcade detours onto a New
son,” says Trudeau. He smiles sadly. Brunswick dirt road after leaving
“People used to try and insult me by saying, dian Mountain Police detail. He grins a bit. the ice cream social. I wonder if there is a
‘He’s not his father’s son – he’s his mother’s “It took me six months to figure that out.” crisis or a security threat. And then I see
FROM TOP: GREG KOLZ; CHRIS WATTIE/REUTERS; BERNARD

son.’ And I’d immediately say, ‘Thank you Trudeau emerges from the car and is the prime minister roll down his window
very much.’ ” swarmed Hard Day’s Night style. He is and daintily drop his ice cream cone in the
supposed to watch a badminton match, dirt. He doesn’t want to be seen littering on

T
rudeau lets me travel but that’s not going to happen. Instead, a Canadian highway.
with him in a sedan to an he swims through a crowd of kids swaying
WEIL/”TORONTO STAR”/GETTY IMAGES

The personality cult and the cone dis-

appearance at the Acadi- and pulling, and producing what seem like posal speak to the choreographed way that
an Games in Fredericton, 6,000 phones. Trudeau feeds on the ener- Justin Trudeau rose to power, one that
New Brunswick. When we gy, a trait he shares not with his father but began with an avalanche and a funeral
arrive, I try to exit, but my British Columbia MP James Sinclair, Mar- procession.
door won’t open. Trudeau looks over with garet’s dad. Sinclair loved nothing more
a “be patient” look. than wading into a throng, making every- a f t er pier r e’s r et ir emen t from
“You have to wait for them to open it,” one feel important whether he was a bank- politics in 1984, he moved his three boys
says Trudeau, pointing to his Royal Cana- er or a miner. His grandson is the same. – Justin, Alexandre and Michel – back

A u g u s t 10 , 2 017 RollingStone.com | R ol l i n g S t o n e | 41
 Justin
Trudeau
to Montreal and into Cormier House, a in an avalanche while backcountry skiing There had long been a buzz that Jus-
cold, art-deco home near Mount Royal. near British Columbia’s Kokanee Lake. tin should enter politics, even before his
Pierre occupied an off-limits floor filled The slide carried his body into the lake, father’s death, but he bided his time. The
with books and his memorabilia, while and though his friends were rescued, Mi- year before his dad’s funeral, DiMonte
the three boys had wrestling mats down chel was never found. and Trudeau sat down for one of their
on the ground floor. The four guys would The nation watched as helicopters and usual lunches, and Justin explained why he
gather for supper, where Dad would query divers searched fruitlessly for “Miche,” as wasn’t immediately entering the political
his kids on Shakespeare and Thomas his friends called him. Justin flew to Mon- fray: He was waiting for the right moment
Hobbes. Justin attended a prestigious treal to be with his father. The weather and wanted to steer clear of the wreckage
Jesuit high school, hanging out with an turned dangerous, and the family made of the Liberal Party’s meltdown. Liberals
eclectic group of Protestants and Jews in the decision to call off the search. They were in the process of plummeting from a
a predominantly Catholic school. Some let the youngest Trudeau rest forever in Parliament-controlling 172 seats in 2000
tried to taunt him with headlines of his the lake. to 34 in 2011, as old left-leaning war horses
mother’s latest exploits, but mostly he was Justin moved back to Montreal at the fought and squabbled over the party’s car-
left alone. His classmate Marc Miller de- end of the following school year, after cass. “He knew the party had farther to fall
scribes him as “more of an acrobat than learning that his father had prostate can- before it could reinvent itself,” says Butts.
an athlete,” once arriving at school on a cer, a fact Pierre hid from his oldest son Trudeau went back to school for an ad-
unicycle while juggling. “He wasn’t a fan because he didn’t want him to abandon his vanced degree in engineering. There was
of that locker-room mentality, where it’s a students in the middle of the term. Justin a lamented turn as an actor in a Cana-
bunch of alpha males,” says Miller, now an watched his father slowly slip away over the dian production celebrating the country’s
MP from Québec. next few months. While it was cancer that service in World War I. He did not make
Among Trudeau’s best memories were killed his father’s body, Justin is convinced a political move until the announcement
days spent with his dad and brothers it was the loss of Michel that extinguished that he was running for Parliament, in
roaming the Canadian countryside, hik- his spirit. 2007. One of the quirky things about the
ing and kayaking. Much like he was at the “I watched it kill my dad,” Trudeau tells parliamentary system is that party orga-
dinner table, Pierre, perhaps sensing at me, his eyes watery. “He just lost it. He nizers ultimately decide which riding (dis-
his advanced age that he wouldn’t live to couldn’t understand why God had taken trict) candidates should run in. It might
see his kids reach 30, was obsessed with his son away from him like that.” not even be in the same province. Trudeau
was dispatched to the Papineau section of
Montreal, just a few miles from his father’s
“I have a deep conviction that you can’t do house, but a different world.
Papineau is filled with African immi-
grants, Haitians and an increasing sliver
this job unless you stay connected to the of gentrifiers. A Haitian separatist held the
seat, and Trudeau’s shiny-teeth look wasn’t
given much of a chance. But then, he just
people,” he says of wading into crowds. outworked everyone.
“If somebody was opening an envelope
and invited [Trudeau] to be there, he was

P
teaching his sons everything he could be- ier r e t ru de au died i n there,” says DiMonte.
fore he was gone. the fall of 2000. Besieged by Trudeau won in an upset in 2008, made
“He taught us we needed to know how to the media, Justin took shelter all the more significant because his Liber-
build a fire in the rain, needed to know how in an unlikely place: the home ty Party took another national thrashing.
to portage a canoe,” says Justin. “All these of his DJ friend Terry DiMon- Even now, as prime minister, Trudeau gets
things, trying to make us as well-rounded te, both figuring correctly that excited about his first race.
as we possibly could be in terms of all fields it was one place reporters wouldn’t look. “I beat the Greek candidate from the
of knowledge.” His father’s funeral would be held in Greek community,” recalls Trudeau. “I
Occasionally, a young Justin would pub- Montreal’s Notre-Dame Basilica, a 19th- beat the Italian candidate, even in the Ital-
licly pop up, much to the amusement of century landmark that was once the larg- ian community. My main adversary was a
Canada. At 18, he appeared at a high school est church in North America. For better or Haitian woman, and the Haitians voted
debate, arguing that Québec should stay worse, it was going to be a torch-passing for me.”
in Canada, with an eloquent sound bite in moment. Trudeau didn’t leave anything to Before I could ask why, he has the
French of “Canada is not shitting on Qué- chance. He gathered old friends Butts and answer.
bec,” showing an early whiff of his father’s Miller in DiMonte’s kitchen. He’d write “Canada’s a place where people don’t al-
prickliness. a paragraph and then his friends would ways vote on surface identity, but vote on
He went to McGill University in Montre- help him edit it. He wrote and rewrote his values,” Trudeau tells me. The broad hint is
al, where he joined the debate society and eulogy. “He knew the wattage of the spot- that this is quite different from the United
established a fast friendship with Gerald light he was going to be under,” remembers States, where tribalism dominates all of
Butts, now a top aide, cemented over end- DiMonte. politics. “My vision of the country reflected
less games of pool. “I think Justin’s great- The state funeral was held on October the community,” he says.
est accomplishment is somehow staying a 3rd, with Castro and Jimmy Carter in There have been recent chilling moments
regular person,” says Butts today. the pews. Justin spoke of his dad, ending when Trudeau and Canada’s live-and-let-
After graduation, Trudeau headed west, with a Robert Frost line: “He has kept his live ethos has been violently punctured.
first working as a snowboard instructor promises and earned his sleep.” He began In January, a 27-year-old Canadian
and then as a schoolteacher in Vancouver. to cry and shake. “Je t’aime, Papa,” he said murdered six Muslims inside a Québec
His extended childhood ended when he and rested his forehead on his father’s City mosque. Trudeau took comfort in the
was 26. Trudeau received a call that his flag-draped coffin, before collapsing in his nationwide evening vigils, but the country
younger brother Michel had been killed mother’s and brother’s arms. and its leader were clearly traumatized.

42 | R ol l i n g S t o n e | RollingStone.com A u g u s t 10 , 2 017
 the su n day befor e i met
Trudeau, the prime minister was in
Toronto dancing and marching in the
city’s gay-pride parade, wearing socks
marking the end of Ramadan. It was a
twofer talisman to downtrodden mi-
nority cultures that would make Sean
Hannity sick in his shoes. But this is
how Trudeau became prime minister.
He inherited his dad’s Liberal Party
at its lowest point, after a disastrous
2011 campaign left it with 34 seats
out of a possible 308. Trudeau became
party leader in 2013 and immediately
began the Obamanization of the Lib-
erals: reaching out to the young and
minorities, and utilizing social media.
He even imported one of Obama’s
deputy campaign managers.
Trudeau’s charisma didn’t hurt,
either. Richler sensed the opposi-
tion was in trouble when he got a
Face of a Nation call from a colleague who had watched
Trudeau work an Edmonton pride parade.
Trudeau is a beloved sight on Canadian “My buddy was stunned how everyone
social media. Of Trump, he says, young just flocked to him,” recalls Richler.
“Obviously, I disagree about a bunch, but He then watched Trudeau hold his own in
we have a good working relationship.”
nationally televised debates. “That’s when
I knew we were done.”
“People of the Muslim faith are all too Trudeau’s party swept into power on
often, unfortunately, victims of terror,” October 19th, 2015, increasing its vote
Trudeau says. The contrast with Trump’s total from 2.8 million in 2011 to almost 7
Muslim ban and what a nation can be million. A few days later, his Cabinet – an
could not be drawn any more starkly. exquisite sample of Canada’s multicultur-
Trudeau’s journey from backbencher alism – marched together into Rideau Hall
to prime minister was less elegant, but to be sworn in. A reporter asked what mes-
perhaps more calculated, than it appears. sage he was trying to send with his cadre
Reporting this story, I stayed in the Ot- of female advisers. Trudeau just smiled.
tawa Hampton Inn, where Trudeau’s life “Because it’s 2015.”
changed in a boxing ring. Trudeau’s tenure has sometimes been
Trudeau’s professed desire to learn the started with Brazeau rushing Trudeau like watching a kindergartner ride a bi-
ways of Ottawa as a young MP was ham- and hurting him with some wild haymak- cycle by himself for the first time: so much
pered by his big name and his big mouth. ers. At first, the crowd seemed like they promise, so many wipeouts. He still can
In 2011, Trudeau called a Conservative would get what they wanted: Trudeau act like a brat on occasion. Last year, he
politician a “piece of shit” on the floor of on his ass inhaling smelling salts. But barreled through the House of Commons
the House of Commons during a heat- Trudeau weathered Brazeau’s early storm in an effort to stop the stalling tactics of
ed debate. He had to apologize, and it and began making the shorter man eat his opponents, and his elbow grazed the
played into the Conservative media take on his jab. Brazeau took a couple of standing breast of MP Ruth Ellen Brosseau. This
Trudeau as a pretty-boy hothead. eight-counts and looked frightened. The became known as Elbowgate. His oppo-
He seemed to walk right into a trap the ref finally ended it in the third round, with nents jumped on Trudeau, morphing im-
following year, when he agreed to box Con- Trudeau whaling on his defenseless oppo- patience into a charge of abuse. In turn,
servative Sen. Patrick Brazeau for a cancer nent in a corner. Trudeau apologized four times, making
ADAM SCOTTI/PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE/REUTERS; MEDIAPUNCH/AKM-GSI

fundraiser. “You can’t find anyone who The victory was twofold: It showed that him the butt of John Oliver jokes.
isn’t lying who didn’t think it was a terrible Trudeau could back up his words, and that “I texted him right away,” says DiMonte,
idea,” says Miller, his close friend and ad- the stereotypically weak-kneed Liberal “and he texted me right back and said, ‘My
viser. “He let everyone underestimate him.” Party could take a punch. Five years and temper got the better of me – it’s not going
On a March night in 2012, the odds a few miles away, Trudeau mischievously to happen again.’ ” DiMonte laughed. “He’s
were 3-to-1 against Trudeau. Brazeau, an smiles when I ask how much of the boxing like his dad. He’s kind and patient, to a
indigenous Canadian, had long black hair match had been planned out. “It wasn’t point. Is he more polished? Yes. Still a bull
and a slew of fierce tattoos. (Trudeau has a random,” Trudeau says. “I wanted someone in a china shop, sometimes? Absolutely.”
tat of a raven and, sigh, the planet Earth.) who would be a good foil, and we stum- Recently, Trudeau’s been getting ham-
Brazeau looked like a guy who could man- bled upon the scrappy tough-guy senator mered by the right wing for OK’ing a pay-
age a dozen alkies at a strip club. The from an indigenous community. He fit the ment of $10.5 million to Canadian Omar
Conservative media couldn’t stop salivat- bill, and it was a very nice counterpoint.” Khadr, who as a 15-year-old was involved
ing, openly dreaming of the death of the Trudeau says this with the calculation of a in a 2002 Afghan firefight that left an
shiny pony. CFO in a company-budget markup session. American soldier dead. (Khadr’s father was
Screens were turned from hockey to “I saw it as the right kind of narrative, the a close associate of Osama bin Laden.) The
the bout in bars across Canada. The fight right story to tell,” he says. teen was held at Guanta- [Cont. on 57]

A u g u s t 10 , 2 017 RollingStone.com | R ol l i n g S t o n e | 43
 SCOTT
PRUITT’S
CRIMES
AGAINST
NATURE
Trump’s EPA chief is gutting the agency, defunding
science and serving the fossil-fuel industry
By JEFF GOODELL

S
cott pruitt, the administr ator of could to telegraph to the world that he thought Paris was
the Environmental Protection Agency, wants a bad deal for America, and urged Big Coal executives to
you to know that he was responsible for per- make their views known to the president as well. Trump,
suading President Trump to pull out of the who has dismissed climate change as a hoax perpetrated
Paris climate agreement. Pruitt has never by the Chinese, was lobbied equally hard by major busi-
said that explicitly, of course – he understands that if he ness leaders and some of his own advisers, including his
wants to keep his job, he needs to pretend that the de- daughter Ivanka and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson,
cision was Trump’s alone. But Pruitt did everything he to stay in the agreement. But Pruitt, aligned with White

44 | R ol l i n g S t o n e | RollingStone.com Illustration by Sea n McCabe

House chief strategist and populist provo- The mission statement of the EPA is sim- whom joined the agency because they be-
cateur Steve Bannon, won the fight. And ple: “to protect human health and the envi- lieve deeply in its mission. The administra-
when Trump announced the decision to ronment.” It says nothing about promoting tor, as a member of the president’s Cabinet,
withdraw from Paris in the White House economic development or energy security reflects the political priorities of the admin-
Rose Garden on June 1st, Pruitt was the or the glory of fossil fuels. But Pruitt has istration: Anne Gorsuch, who was appoint-
only Cabinet official who spoke at the cer- already carried out an impressive list of ed by Ronald Reagan in the 1980s (and was
emony. “We owe no apologies to other na- corporate favors: He rejected the advice the mother of Supreme Court Justice Neil
tions for our environmental stewardship,” of EPA scientists and approved the use of Gorsuch), is remembered for her anti-reg-
Pruitt said in a strikingly defiant tone. millions of pounds of a toxic pesticide that ulatory zeal; Gina McCarthy is best known
In the following days, Pruitt was all over causes neurological damage in children; for her role in shaping climate policy. But
the media, taking bows on Fox News and in a gift to Big Coal, he delayed tougher the job has never been a launchpad for po-
sparring with Jake Tapper and Joe Scar- ozone air-pollution rules; he plotted to kill litical ambition. In fact, no administrator
borough. He argued that the agreement Obama’s signature climate accomplish- in the 47-year history of the agency has ever
would slow the U.S. economy by hindering ment, the Clean Power Plan, designed to gone on to higher office.
America’s God-given right to mine, export put America on track to cut greenhouse- Pruitt may be different. After only six
and burn fossil fuels, even suggesting the gas emissions by 32 percent by 2030; he months running the EPA, he has elevated
agreement was part of a plot by European rescinded the Clean Water Rule, allowing the power and inf luence of the job to a
leaders to weaken America. “The reason countless streams and rivers to be exempt- new level, inspiring speculation within the
European leaders . . . want us to stay in ed from pollution controls; he undermined Beltway that he sees the position as a step-
is because they know it will continue to regulations on the release of mercury, a pingstone to bigger things. Given Pruitt’s
shackle our economy,” he said on CNBC. potent neurotoxin, from power plants and unabashedly pro-fossil-fuel agenda, it helps
At one press conference, he claimed that other sources; and he submitted a budget that he’s working for a president who gener-
50,000 new coal jobs had been created that would wipe out more than a third of ates such chaos that worrying about ozone
by the Trump administration since the the funding for the agency, including cut- levels in the air we breathe seems like a
beginning of the year – a fake fact he re- ting money for scientific research in half. quaint concern. Pruitt also has the support
fused to correct. (There are only about “Scott Pruitt is not secretary of com- of White House advisers like Bannon, who
51,000 miners in the entire coal industry; merce,” says a former top Obama admin- famously vowed to fight every day for “the
according to the Federal Bureau of Labor
Statistics, about 1,000 new jobs have been
created in the coal industry this year as
of June.)
Pruitt also dodged questions about
whether he and the president actually be- “IF THERE WAS EVER
AN EXAMPLE OF THE
lieve that climate change is a hoax. “All the
discussions that we had through the last
several weeks have been focused on one
singular issue,” Pruitt said. “Is Paris good
or not for this country?” It didn’t matter FOX GUARDING THE
that solar and wind energy are creating
American jobs at a rate 12 times faster
than the rest of the economy, or that 61
HENHOUSE, THIS IS IT.”
percent of Americans disagreed with the
decision to pull out of Paris, because Pruitt
was not talking to America. “He wanted all istration official. “His job is not to pro- deconstruction of the administrative state.”
his pals in the fossil-fuel industry to know, tect the fossil-fuel industry. It’s to make But now Pruitt’s political ambitions will
‘Hey, I did this for you. I got this done. I’m difficult decisions, based on science and be measured against the future prospects
the man,’ ” says Jeremy Symons, associate risk-reward analysis, that protect the en- of the planet – and the health and welfare
vice president of climate political affairs at vironment and the health of the Ameri- of the people who live on it. “The appoint-
the Environmental Defense Fund. “This can people. And he’s not doing that.” Sen. ment of Scott Pruitt as EPA administrator
was Scott Pruitt’s victory lap.” Al Franken of Minnesota, who opposed is as serious a threat to our environment as
While the rest of the Trump adminis- Pruitt’s confirmation, says that having a we’ve ever faced,” says Michael Brune, ex-
PREVIOUS PAGE: PHOTOGRAPH OF SCOTT PRUITT BY MARTIN H. SIMON/REDUX

tration has been mired in scandal or in- guy like Pruitt in charge of the EPA is evi- ecutive director of the Sierra Club. “Pruitt’s
competence (or both), and the media has dence of the “dangerous, bizarro world we entire career represents the exact opposite
been distracted by the Republican health now live in.” of the EPA’s mission, which is to protect
care debacle and daily revelations about In the past, EPA administrators have us from the reckless polluters and the di-
the Trump family’s involvement with the understood their role as the tough cop on sastrous consequences of climate change.”

E
Russians, Pruitt has been quietly tearing the beat. “You say yes to things that protect
down decades of environmental progress. public health and the environment while pa headquarters is only
“If there was ever an example of the fox growing the economy,” explains Gina Mc- a few blocks from the White
guarding the henhouse, this is it,” says Mi- Carthy, EPA administrator during Obama’s House, in a grand building
chael Mann, a noted climate scientist at second term. “But it’s often about saying with a curved stone facade
Penn State University. “We have a Koch- no – ‘No, you can’t dump that pollutant that now overlooks, of all
brothers-connected industry shill who is into the river. No, you can’t run that coal things, the Trump International Hotel.
now in charge of climate and environmen- plant without a scrubber.’ ” The EPA is an After a contentious seven-hour confir-
tal policy for the entire country.” enormous agency, with five regional offices mation hearing in early February, Pruitt
and 15,000 employees around the country; took his seat in the administrator’s wood-
Contributing editor Jeff Goodell only about 80 of them are political appoin- paneled office on the third floor and im-
wrote about Antarctica in May. tees. The rest are civil servants, many of mediately got to work. In interviews with

46 | R ol l i n g S t o n e | RollingStone.com A u g u s t 10 , 2 017
 orities.” On March 28th and 29th, Pruitt
had a pair of 30-minute meetings with
Bob Murray, the coal baron and Trump
confidant whom HBO’s John Oliver re-
cently called “a geriatric Dr. Evil” in a seg-
ment about a 2007 collapse at a Murray
Energy-owned mine in Utah that killed
nine people.
Some events seemed orchestrated to de-
moralize the agency’s staff. Trump invited
coal miners into the Rachel Carson Room
to witness the dismantling of Obama’s
Clean Power Plan. “Inviting the miners
to come over to the EPA for the signing
was such an invasion,” one EPA staffer
says, noting the rollback took place in the
very room where McCarthy had signed
the Clean Power Plan. “They knew exactly
what they were doing – it was staged to
be totally in-your-face.” Posters of Pruitt
shaking hands with miners now adorn the
halls of the agency.
In May, Trump’s budget director, Mick
Mulvaney, who openly mocks funding
for climate science, released the White
House’s 2018 budget proposal. It aims to
cut EPA funds from $8.2 billion to $5.7
billion – the 31 percent reduction would
conservative media, he touted a “back to THE DEAL BREAKER be the largest of any federal agency. Cli-
basics” approach at the EPA, which was In the White House Rose Garden after Trump mate science is a big target: The program
Pruitt’s way of saying he was going to gut pulled out of the Paris climate accord, Pruitt for reporting on greenhouse-gas emissions
said, “We owe no apologies to other nations
Obama’s progressive environmental lega- for our environmental stewardship.” would be zeroed out, and the office re-
cy and give polluters a free pass. “He’s not sponsible for drafting climate regulations
just going after climate, he’s going after would see its funds cut by nearly 70 per-
all the rules,” McCarthy says. “Air, water, they regulate.” He did not say a word about cent. Even programs Pruitt says he sup-
chemical safety. He’s not going back to ba- public health or the environment. That ports, such as Superfund, which cleans up
sics, unless the basics mean the 1960s.” same week, at the Conservative Political land contaminated by toxic waste, would
To help with his cause, Pruitt brought Action Conference, he said that those who be whacked by 30 percent. Pruitt, who
in a team of experienced EPA-bashers and want to eliminate the EPA are “justified” developed the budget in consultation with
climate-change obstructionists, many of in their beliefs. “I think people across the Mulvaney, argued that states would pick
whom have worked for Oklahoma Sen. country look at the EPA the way they look up the slack, but then failed to point out
James Inhofe, the most notorious and flam- at the IRS,” Pruitt said. As one EPA staff- that the budget also cuts a set of state
boyant climate denier in Congress. (Inhofe er commented later, “Could he have been grants by 45 percent. “This wasn’t just
once brought a snowball to the Senate floor more insulting?” penny- squeezing,” one EPA staffer tells
as evidence that global warming isn’t real.) Previous EPA administrators spent me. “It was just a giant fuck you to our
Pruitt’s favored pick for deputy adminis- their first months meeting with environ- mission.”
trator, Andrew Wheeler, worked for Inhofe mental groups, public-health organiza- As long as the House and Senate re-
early in his career, then became a lobbyist tions and industry. “We wanted to meet main in Republican control, Pruitt has
for coal magnate Bob Murray, among oth- with as many stakeholders as possible,” few checks on his power. And that includes
ers. Ryan Jackson, Pruitt’s chief of staff, says Matt Fritz, McCarthy’s chief of staff. the press, too. Except for his victory lap
was formerly Inhofe’s chief of staff. “He “We thought engaging in dialogue with after Paris, he mostly avoids mainstream
brought in the climate-denial all-stars,” these folks would help us gain a range of media. (Pruitt’s office refused numerous
says Frank O’Donnell, head of Clean Air perspectives on the issues and challenges requests to interview him for this story.)
Watch, a climate and anti-pollution advo- facing the country and the world, frankly.” And despite his often-professed belief in
cacy group in Washington, D.C. In Pruitt’s first months, he met with al- “the rule of law,” he has steadfastly resisted
Many of the career staffers looked on most no one from public-health or envi- and evaded Freedom of Information Act
in shock and disbelief. “Most people who ronmental groups. But for the fossil-fuel requests for e-mail records and other pub-
work at the EPA do it because they believe industry, he was wide open. One month lic documents. He’s so good at operating in
in the mission of the agency,” says one EPA after taking office, he hosted BP’s U.S. the shadows, in fact, that he was recently
CHERISS MAY/NURPHOTO/GETTY IMAGES

manager, who insists on anonymity – like chairman at his office. The next day, he given the Golden Padlock Award by inves-
nearly everyone I talked to at the agency. met with two top executives from Chevron tigative journalists, which recognizes the
“The people Pruitt brought in made it Corporation to discuss regulatory reform. most secretive publicly funded person or
clear they had no interest in pursuing that The day after that, he spent two hours agency in the United States.
mission.” Within the first week, Pruitt mingling with 45 CEOs from oil-and- Even within the agency, Pruitt remains
alienated many of the rank and file with gas companies at Trump’s D.C. hotel. On an almost invisible presence. Of the doz-
an uninspiring introductory speech about March 9th, Lynn Good, chief executive ens of agency staffers I talked to, only two
the importance of civility and how “regu- of the utility giant Duke Energy, got 45 had spoken to him directly, and none had
lators exist to give certainty to those that minutes with Pruitt to discuss “policy pri- received an e-mail from him. “He spends

A u g u s t 10 , 2 017 RollingStone.com | R ol l i n g S t o n e | 47
plenty of time traveling around the coun- POWER TO THE PEOPLE big houses on the city’s rolling hills are a
try and meeting with industry folks, but Anti-Pruitt protesters at the People’s Climate legacy of the black gold that came gushing
he’s completely uninterested in building March. “An industry shill is now in charge of out of the ground.
any relationship or trust with the people climate and environmental policy for the Pruitt’s first job out of law school was at
entire country,” says one scientist.
who actually work here,” one staffer says. a small legal practice he founded in Tulsa –
There’s also a new level of secrecy and Christian Legal Services – that focused on
paranoia within the agency. Unlike previ- Pruitt was born in Danville, Kentucky, religious-liberty cases. In 1998, as Presi-
ous administrators, Pruitt has round-the- a small town about an hour south of Lex- dent Clinton’s impeachment melodrama
clock Secret Service protection, and has ington, where his father ran steakhouses. riled up the religious right, Pruitt ran for
prohibited people from bringing phones The oldest of three kids in a devout Baptist state Senate as a 30-year-old God-fearing
into sensitive meetings out of fear that family, Pruitt grew up listening to Ron- Christian and won easily. In office, he in-
what he says may be surreptitiously re- nie Milsap, attending church and play- troduced legislation requiring a pregnant
corded. “It’s been six months,” another ing baseball (second base). He earned an woman to notify the father before getting
EPA staffer says, “and people are still cry- athletic scholarship to the University of an abortion and was one of only four sena-
ing at their desks.” Kentucky, where he met his future wife. tors to vote against an early-childhood-

I
As one of his roommates recalled, he “def- development bill targeted at helping low-
f y ou h a d t o gu e s s w h a t initely wasn’t a guy that went out and income, at-risk children.
Pruitt did for a living just by shak- screwed around much.” One of his team- But on the campaign trail, Pruitt didn’t
ing his hand, you might guess tax mates called him “the possum,” although possess much charm. In 2001, he got
accountant or school-board pres- it’s unclear if the nickname referred to trounced in a special election for the U.S.
ident. He is 49, balding a little his night-creature-like eyes or his crafty House of Representatives. In 2006, he
on top, and stout. Outside the office, he nature. gave up his seat in the state Senate to run
dresses conservatively in khakis and plaid Pruitt eventually transferred to George- for lieutenant governor and lost the Re-
shirts or fleeces, and is unfailingly polite, town College, a small Baptist school near- publican nomination. He spent the next
remembering your name even if he has by, and then moved to Oklahoma to at- few years licking his wounds and building
met you just once, and offering to get you a tend the University of Tulsa’s law school. a network among the state’s upper crust
cup of coffee if he’s getting one for himself. For most of the 20th century, Tulsa was as co-owner of the Oklahoma City Red-
Pruitt and his wife, Marlyn, have two col- known as the “oil capital of the world.” Hawks, a Triple-A baseball team. “It was
lege-age kids, and back home in Oklaho- Until the 1930s, Oklahoma was tied with always clear that Scott had big political
ma attend services at First Baptist Church California as the largest oil-producing aspirations,” former Oklahoma Gov. David
MIKE THEILER/REUTERS

in the town of Broken Arrow, where Pruitt state in the country (it’s now the sixth- Walters tells me. “But after losing twice, it
is a deacon. Nick Garland, the head pas- largest oil producer in the nation). Fos- looked like he had run too much and was
tor, knows Pruitt well and says he dis- sil-fuel pride runs deep here: The Gold- out of the game.”
plays “a tremendous amount of Christian en Driller, a 75-foot-tall statue of an oil When I ask what changed, Walters re-
character.” worker, adorns the fairgrounds, and the plies, “The money.”

48 | R ol l i n g S t o n e | RollingStone.com A u g u s t 10 , 2 017
 In 2010, the Supreme Court’s Citizens For Pruitt, bashing the Feds turned out executive committee, the group hauled in
United decision allowed virtually unlimit- to be good business. His staff expanded, the big donations from the fossil-fuel mafia:
ed giving from corporations to political ac- budget grew and he moved into swankier $530,000 from Koch Industries, the em-
tion committees. Big players like Koch In- office space. Lori Sheltman, who worked as pire owned and operated by the Koch
dustries could now rain millions of dollars a legal secretary under Pruitt for two years, brothers; $350,000 from Murray Energy;
on candidates who supported their anti- told an Oklahoma newspaper that employ- $160,000 from oil giant ExxonMobil, a
government, anti-climate-change agenda. ees were shocked when Pruitt began to pray longtime funder of climate deniers; and
That same year, Pruitt decided to run for before staff meetings. “When you work for a $125,000 from Devon Energy. Since 2015,
Oklahoma attorney general. As a politician, state agency, it’s something that you are not the fossil-fuel industry and its pals have
he was born-again. Instead of speaking used to,” Sheltman said. Former Gov. Wal- given more than $2.25 million to RAGA.
about the evils of abortion, he talked about ters recalls seeing Pruitt at a Rotary Club An even murkier source of money was
the limits of federal powers and the rule of meeting in Oklahoma City the year after he the Rule of Law Defense Fund, which iden-
law, code words for loosening regulations was elected. “His talk was all about Obama tifies itself as a “public policy organization
on polluters. And, of course, he trashed and suing the federal government. He did for issues relevant to the nation’s Repub-
Obama whenever he had the chance. “In not mention a single thing about what he lican attorneys general.” The group was
that race, Pruitt made Obama the big was doing for Oklahoma, or how he was founded while Pruitt was head of RAGA,
issue,” says Drew Edmondson, then the protecting the people of the state. I was hor- and he remained a board member until
incumbent Oklahoma attorney general. “It rified. Then the guy sitting next to me turns he took over as head of the EPA. As a non-
was an explicitly anti-Obama campaign.” to me and says, ‘Isn’t this guy wonderful?’ ” profit, the fund doesn’t have to disclose the
Pruitt amassed a $950,000 war chest, During Pruitt’s watch, enforcement of sources of the money it receives. “It’s just
almost twice as much as his Democratic environmental laws in Oklahoma virtually a dark hole,” Rhode Island Sen. Sheldon
opponent, who, among other things, re- ended. The budget for the Environmental Whitehouse tells me. But tax documents
fused to take money from Oklahoma’s Protection Unit, which investigated envi- from Freedom Partners, the Koch broth-
powerful chicken industry. Pruitt took ronmental crimes like illegal dumping and ers’ Super PAC, show that the organization
$62,000 from people connected with it, contamination from refineries, was slashed has donated at least $175,000 to the Rule
and shortly after he was elected – by a large to zero and the group was disbanded. In of Law Defense Fund since 2014. During
margin – he dropped a lawsuit against sev- 2014, an investigation by The New York confirmation hearings, Whitehouse pushed
eral major chicken producers for dumping Times revealed that a letter Pruitt sent to Pruitt to reveal the names of donors to
poultry waste into the Illinois River. the EPA in 2011 – complaining about feder- the Rule of Law Defense Fund and other
sources of dark money, pointing out that
if, say, Devon Energy had given the fund
$1 million, it is not hard to imagine that
Pruitt would be beholden to them. Pruitt

“IT’S BEEN SIX MONTHS,” refused to identify any donors, saying he

had been cleared by the EPA ethics office,

SAYS ONE EPA STAFFER,

and promised he “would take the appropri-
ate steps to recuse if [the EPA ethics office]
told me to do so.”
“AND PEOPLE ARE STILL To Whitehouse, that’s unacceptable. “He
knows who gave him money, and they

CRYING AT THEIR DESKS.” know who gave him money, but it is the
public who doesn’t know,” Whitehouse
tells me. “He is a puppet of the fossil-fuel
industry, and we have a right to know who
is pulling his strings.”
As attorney general, Pruitt spent most al estimates of air pollution caused by drill- No one has suggested that Pruitt per-
of his time suing the federal government. ing in Oklahoma – was actually written by sonally benefited from all this dark money;
In the 14 lawsuits he filed against the EPA, lawyers for Devon Energy, one of the state’s however, he certainly did well as a public of-
Pruitt attempted to stop rules limiting the biggest oil-and-gas companies. (“Outstand- ficial in Oklahoma. A year after he became
amount of smog that drifts across state ing!” the company’s director of government attorney general, Pruitt and his family
borders; block a new standard on pollu- relations wrote in a note to Pruitt’s office.) moved to a $1.2 million home in a neigh-
tion from mercury, claiming “the record The Times found that Pruitt had sent simi- borhood of estates built by oil barons in the
does not support the EPA’s findings that lar letters, drafted by energy-industry lob- 1920s. Pruitt’s four-bedroom, five-fireplace
mercury . . . pose[s] public health hazards”; byists, to the Department of the Interior, brick house in Tulsa, which he still owns
and stall a plan for reducing air pollution the Office of Management and Budget, and and, according to colleagues, returns to
in national parks. Most of these lawsuits President Obama. “I would have found that most weekends, looks like a British manor
were tossed out, but some were effective embarrassing,” says Edmondson. “Scott house that has been transported out of the
in clogging up the courts, buying indus- did not.” (Pruitt, with classic piety, told the Gilded Age and dropped onto the prairie.

O
try a few more years to pollute. Of course, Tulsa World that the Times story “did not
Pruitt couched it all in high-minded rheto- accurately reflect what motivates my ser- n august 3rd, 2015, the
ric about the American way: “Our battles vice and how we seek to make decisions on very day Obama stood in
against the EPA,” Pruitt wrote in a 2011 advancing these cases.”) the East Room of the White
editorial for The Oklahoman, “are about At that point, Pruitt was head of the House with McCarthy to
our right as a state to control our own des- Republican Attorneys General Associa- announce the Clean Power
tiny and resist attempts by the adminis- tion, a political group for state attorneys Plan, Pruitt was at the Greenbrier, a stately
tration to ramrod a wish list of regulations general to hobnob with corporate lobby- resort in the hills of West Virginia, partic-
through agency heads instead of garnering ists and CEOs at posh resorts each year. ipating in a four-day RAGA meeting with
approval from Congress.” While Pruitt was a member of RAGA’s coal and energy-industry lobbyists. (The

A u g u s t 10 , 2 017 RollingStone.com | R ol l i n g S t o n e | 49
topic of Pruitt’s discussion panel was “The plants grow. But Pruitt’s disregard for the million check to help underwrite Trump’s
Dangerous Consequences of the Clean risks of climate change runs deeper. Like inaugural festivities). In early March,
Power Plan & Other EPA Rules.”) On the many (but not all) evangelical Christians, Pruitt was scheduled to meet with Liveris
day the Obama plan was unveiled, Pruitt he sees fossil fuels not as the remains of on the sidelines of an energy conference
and the other attorneys general held a dead plants and animals, but as God’s gift in Houston. The sit-down was canceled,
press conference at the Greenbrier to an- to mankind. “God has blessed us with nat- but according to Pruitt’s office the pair did
nounce a lawsuit to stop it. The lawsuit is ural resources,” he told Politico recently. have a “brief introduction in passing.” A
still tied up in court, but it’s clear that, as “Let’s use them to feed the world. Let’s use few weeks later, the EPA chief announced
EPA administrator, Pruitt will try to kill them to power the world. Let’s use them to that chlorpyrifos would not be banned.
the Clean Power Plan. protect the world.” As for climate change, Pruitt said the decision was made out of
The Clean Air Act requires the EPA to that’s not something humans are responsi- a “need to provide regulatory certainty.”
regulate air pollutants “anticipated to en- ble for. “God’s still up there,” Pruitt’s men- But, as Philip Landrigan, dean of global
danger public health or welfare.” In 2009, tor, Sen. Inhofe, has said. “The arrogance health at Mount Sinai Hospital in New
in Massachusetts v. EPA, the Supreme of people to think that we, human beings, York, points out, Pruitt campaigned ag-
Court found that greenhouse gases are would be able to change what He is doing gressively as a pro-life candidate when
pollutants, and later that year, the EPA in the climate is to me outrageous.” he was running for office in Oklahoma.
determined the emission of greenhouse Not surprisingly, Pruitt has begun re- “Now he has approved a pesticide that
gases poses a threat. The agency’s deci- moving climate data and scientific infor- has a clear impact on the development of
sion became known as the “endangerment mation from the EPA’s website. In May, the children’s brains,” Landrigan says. “That
finding,” and the Clean Power Plan was the contracts of most members of the Board of makes him the worst kind of hypocrite.”
Obama administration’s vision for how to Scientific Counselors, which advises the Still, Pruitt hesitates to erode confidence
comply with it, putting overall limits on agency on internal research, were can- in climate science with full-frontal attacks.
power plants and vehicle pollution. celed. “The Board of Scientific Counselors “The new denialism is to admit that the
But because the Clean Power Plan stan- had 68 members two months ago – it will climate is changing, but that the science
dards were set by the agency, not by a law have 11 come September 1st,” says Debo- is still unsettled, and the role that human
passed by Congress, they are always subject rah Swackhamer, a retired professor at the activity plays is still unclear, and until we
to revision. “They can just say, ‘We don’t University of Minnesota who is chairper- figure that out, there’s no real reason to
agree with Obama’s interpretation of the
Clean Air Act,’ ” explains Jody Freeman,
who worked as a legal adviser on climate
and energy issues in Obama’s White House
and is the founding director of the Harvard
Law School Environmental Law and Policy “HE IS SACRIFICING THE
HEALTH OF CHILDREN TO
Program. “Or they can take another tack,
which is to make a much less stringent rule.
What approach they take depends on how
confident they feel – and how much time
they want to spend in court.” GIVE INDUSTRY A FEW
Pruitt, however, has bigger deregulation
ambitions than simply killing the Clean
Power Plan. “The goal is to destroy the legal
MORE YEARS OF RELIEF.”
foundation for greenhouse-gas regulations
of any kind,” says David Doniger, director
of the climate and clean-air program at the son of the board. “They’ve essentially sus- take action,” says Mann, the Penn State
Natural Resources Defense Council. For pended scientific activities by ending these climate scientist. As evidence of this ap-
that, Pruitt must successfully argue that terms. We have no meetings scheduled, proach, Mann points to an idea Pruitt re-
the endangerment finding is fundamen- no bodies to do the work.” In May, when cently floated of bringing together a red
tally incorrect. “Pruitt will either have to Swackhamer was summoned to testify team and a blue team to debate various is-
prove that accumulation of all greenhouse before Congress on the importance of sci- sues in climate science in public – perhaps
gases isn’t damaging, or that contributions entific integrity in the agency, she received even on TV. It’s an idea that might work in a
from vehicles and power plants aren’t con- a series of e-mails from Pruitt’s chief of debate over, say, health care policy. But cli-
tributing to the problem,” says Doniger. staff, Ryan Jackson, asking her to stick to mate science is based on physical facts, not
“And he will need to document it all with a “talking points” on the dismissal of several political or economic theory. As Mann says,
double Mount Everest of data to offset the board members. She refused. “I felt bullied “If our civilization doesn’t survive, it will be
Mount Everest of data that shows that ac- and intimidated,” she tells me. because of this kind of malicious stupidity.”
cumulated pollution does indeed endanger Pruitt’s debasement of science is not In the end, Pruitt’s goal might simply be
public health and welfare. No one thinks it’s limited to climate change. Earlier this to derail political momentum toward rap-
possible, especially with his resources and year, the agency approved the use of mil- idly cutting CO2 emissions. After all, the
staff. He will be laughed out of court.” lions of pounds of chlorpyrifos, an agri- fossil-fuel industry has invested billions in
For decades, the largest players in the cultural pesticide shown to be especially new pipelines, coal mines, drilling technol-
fossil-fuel industry – Peabody Energy, the dangerous to infants and young children. ogy and port infrastructure. A 2015 study
National Mining Association, ExxonMo- EPA scientists had recommended that by Carbon Tracker, a U.K. financial orga-
bil, Koch Industries – argued that changes it be disallowed, but Pruitt thought dif- nization, estimated that if the goals of the
in the climate were either from natural cy- ferently. It’s probably not a coincidence Paris Agreement are achieved, the global
cles or they weren’t happening at all. They that Andrew Liveris, the CEO of Dow fossil-fuel industry risks writing off $2
spent millions on campaigns to show that Chemical, a leading producer of chlorpy- trillion in assets. For Big Coal and Big Oil,
CO2 , the leading cause of global warming, rifos, heads a White House manufactur- a few million dollars to prop up a guy like
was actually good for you because it makes ing council (his company also wrote a $1 Pruitt is a very smart investment.

50 | R ol l i n g S t o n e | RollingStone.com A u g u s t 10 , 2 017
 For now, Pruitt’s rise could
not come at a worse time for
the planet. The Paris Agree-
ment, which aims to limit CO2
emissions to a level that will
prevent warming above 2 de-
grees Celsius, was signed last
year by virtually every na-
tion in the world. And not a
moment too soon. To avert
climate catastrophe, a re-
cent study in Nature deter-
mined emissions need to be
on a downward trajectory by
2020 – that’s just three years
away. America’s decision to
pull out of the Paris climate
deal, physicist Stephen Hawk-
ing recently warned, could be
“the tipping point where glob-
al warming becomes irrevers-
ible.” Companies like Apple,
Amazon and Wal-Mart are in-
vesting billions in clean en-
ergy, and U.S. cities and states
are pushing ahead on their
own (California just extended
its landmark cap-and-trade

S
program to cut carbon pollu-
o far, pruitt has ingr ati- AS THE WORLD BURNS tion). But on a global scale, for America
ated himself at the White A natural-gas flare at a North Dakota oil field. to reboot its love for fossil fuels at this late
House, proved his mettle to the “God has blessed us with natural resources,” stage is like taking five shots of tequila at
fossil-fuel industry and even got- Pruitt said. “Let’s use them to feed the world. midnight and promising to drive the rest
Let’s use them to power the world.”
ten late-night talk-show hosts to of civilization home safely.
tweet about him (“Put simply, Scott Pruitt There are plenty of other reasons to be
is a piece of shit,” Jimmy Kimmel tweeted Exhibit A: Subversive Twitter accounts appalled by Pruitt. He is destroying the
during Pruitt’s confirmation hearing). But like @altUSEPA and @ActualEPAFacts mission of the EPA. He is pushing policies
his honeymoon may also be coming to an (“leading the members of The #Resistance that will make poor people poorer and rich
end. In July, a federal court rejected his at- to a better world”) have hundreds of thou- people richer. And he is quite literally put-
tempt to delay new rules on methane emis- sands of followers and offer a daily stream ting his own political career above the wel-
sions. New York State Attorney General of Pruitt-damning commentary. fare of tens of thousands of people. While
Eric Schneiderman, who has already chal- As Pruitt knows, the last EPA adminis- the air quality in many parts of America
lenged many of Pruitt’s rollbacks, predicts, trator who came in with a burn-it-to-the- has gotten better in recent decades, air
“We’ll be spending a lot of time in court.” ground agenda was Anne Gorsuch. Like pollution still causes more than 200,000
Even more worrisome for Pruitt, his pals Pruitt, Gorsuch promised to roll back reg- premature deaths a year; even small in-
on the right are getting impatient. Myron ulations, slash the budget and cut agency creases in pollution mean more deaths.
Ebell, the noted climate-change denier who staff. But after a year, she was under siege, “He is sacrificing the health and welfare
led Trump’s EPA transition team, criticized turning the agency into what The New York of children in order to give industry a few
Pruitt at a conservative conference in April, Times called “an Augean stable, reeking years of regulatory relief,” says Jeff Carter,
saying he is a “clever lawyer” but his “polit- of cynicism, mismanagement and decay.” executive director of Physicians for Social
ical ambition” may undermine his willing- Eventually, the House cited Gorsuch, who Responsibility.
ness to take on heavy lifts like challenging repeatedly failed to hand over subpoenaed But it’s likely that Pruitt won’t hang
the endangerment finding. James Deling- records, for contempt of Congress. The de- around at the EPA long enough for anyone
pole, a writer at Breitbart who is close to bacle led Reagan to ask for her resignation. to count the bodies. His sights are set on
Bannon, said that if Pruitt refused to undo “Pruitt may think that because Republicans higher things: the Oklahoma governor’s
the endangerment finding, “it will repre- control all three branches of government race in 2018, or a run for Inhofe’s Senate
sent a major setback for President Trump’s right now, he has immunity,” says the for- seat in 2020. Either way, Gavin Isaacs, the
war with the Climate Industrial Complex.” mer Obama official. “He does not. If he gets former head of the Oklahoma Bar Associa-
Delingpole added, “If Scott Pruitt is not up in trouble, he will be jettisoned faster than tion, predicts “there will be more campaign
to that task, then maybe it’s about time he you can say ‘Donald Trump Jr.’ ” contributions than anyone has ever seen.”
did the decent thing and handed over the Then there is the possibility of an envi- For that reason alone, Pruitt should not be
reins to someone who is.” ronmental disaster on his watch. Imagine a underestimated. He may be on the wrong
Pruitt faces risks within the agency, too. high-profile Deepwater Horizon-like catas- side of science and the wrong side of his-
He has zero loyalty among the rank and file, trophe involving one of Pruitt’s cronies in tory, but given the post-factual trajectory
ERIC GAY/AP IMAGES

which means, as one veteran staffer says, the oil-and-gas industry. The congressional of American politics right now, that doesn’t
“Everything is gonna get slow-walked. Stuff investigation that would follow might shine mean his future isn’t bright. It’s the hope
that embarrasses Pruitt will be leaked. You a very bright – and unwelcome – light on for a stable climate and a rapid transition
will see the power of bureaucracy in action.” Pruitt’s corporate ties. to clean energy that’s really in trouble.

A u g u s t 10 , 2 017 RollingStone.com | R ol l i n g S t o n e | 51
 Subscribe Today

1 Year for $29.95

M
SAVE
75%
OFF THE
COVER PRICE

Iconic. Provocative. Influential.

rollingstone.com/subscribe
Digital Edition Available on Tablet and Mobile:

CANADIAN RATE IS $38 USD. GST INCLUDED.

Reviews
“Turn the speakers up till they break.
’Cause every time you smile it’s a fake.
Stop pretending you’ve got
Everything now!”
—A rca de Fir e, “Everything Now”

Arcade
Fire Go
Dancing
in the
Dark
The anthemic rockers
deepen their grooves
and confront our toxic
culture on an epic LP

Arcade Fire
Everything Now Columbia
HHHH
BY WILL HERMES
On their last LP, Arcade Fire
wrestled with an age-old ques-
tion: How does an earnest rock
band reclaim the music’s dance-
floor birthright? Reflektor’s an-
swer sprawled over two discs of
impressive groove curation –
synth-pop, disco, electro, Hai-
tian rara, dub reggae and more
– with help from LCD Sound-
system’s James Murphy, a bat-
tery of Haitian drummers and
even a cameo by the patron
saint of rock & roll transforma-
tions, David Bowie. The set was
ambitious and frequently daz-
zling. But sonically and themat-
ically, the LP also pulled back
on the emphatic intensity that’s
defined the band, and made it
matter, ever since its landmark
2004 debut, Funeral.
More comfortable in their
dancing shoes, Arcade Fire
have it both ways on Every-
thing Now, zeroing in on our
modern malaise while taking
inspiration from more con-
cise dance-pop styles. The title

Illustration by Nigel Bucha na n RollingStone.com | R ol l i n g S t o n e | 53

Reviews
track, co-written with Daft
Punk’s Thomas Bangalter,
evokes Abba’s earworm labo-
ratory, with dizzying melod-
ic ascents and a curveball pyg-
my-flute solo by Afropop scion Waxahatchee
Patrick Bebey. “Signs of Life” Out in the Storm Merge
conjures Seventies disco funk HHH½
with horns, hand claps, po- Truth-bombing indie songwriter
lice sirens and frontman Win keeps upping her game
Butler’s Bronze Age MC flow, a
cross between Blondie’s “Rap- “I spend all my time learn-
ture” and “Heart of Glass.” On ing how to defeat you at your
“Chemistry,” a Jamaican rock- own game/It’s embarrassing.”
steady groove skanks alongside So opens the fourth LP from
a Grand Funk Railroad break- singer-guitarist Katie Crutch-
down. The requi site song by field’s great indie-rock band,
Butler’s wingwoman, Régine Waxahatchee: two sentences
Chassagne, the dreamy “Elec- mapping out a relationship of
tric Blue,” is an unspoken bow tangled regret, helplessness,
to girl-group funk-pop fore- endurance and shame – driv-
bears the Tom Tom Club. en home with burning guitars,
Per usual, Butler’s teen- Newman in and ache and hunger in her
preacher-cum-rock-star per- February voice. It starts off the sharp-
sona steers the ship. The punk est set Crutchfield has come
rant “Infinite Content” and the up with, from the sport-drink-
loping country waltz “Infinite_
Content” are mirror versions of
a single song that takes aim at
Randy Newman ing, scene-causing country of
“8 Ball” to the Nineties-guitar
explosion “Silver” to the rug-
the digital excess of the stream-
ing era: “We’re infinitely con-
tent/All your money is already
Makes Irony gedly pretty ballad “Sparks Fly.”
Each caustic song is as grueling
as it is thrilling. JON DOLAN

spent,” Butler declares, recall-

ing the dissatisfied Everymen
of the Stones’ “Satisfaction” and
Great Again
Bruce Springsteen’s “57 Chan- The acerbic songwriting genius surveys
nels (And Nothin’ On).” On
“Creature Comfort,” a New Or-
hypocrisies and tragedies great and small
der-ish interrogation of “the Randy Newman Dark Matter Nonesuch HHH½ WizKid
white lie of American prosper- Sounds From the Other Side
ity,” kids lust for fame while Randy Newman is so busy as a film composer Starboy/RCA/Sony
they battle self-loathing, starv- (most recently with Cars 3) that we get new HHH
ing and cutting themselves. It’s albums from him only about once a decade. Border-blurring Drake assist man
treacherous territory, but the But the guy’s got pretty good timing: Just as has his solo coming-out party
band navigates it bravely, es- 2008’s excellent Harps and Angels served as
pecially when it turns the crit- a sardonic send-off to the Bush era, Dark Matter greets Twenty-seven-year-old Nige-
ical lens on itself. When Butler #MAGA America with his signature brutal comic irony rian production wunderkind
sings, “I’m a liar/Don’t doubt my and heartbreaking grandeur. WizKid found an internation-
sincerity,” he conjures no one The nine-minute “The Great Debate” is a Broadway- al audience with his appear-
so much as Bono as “The Fly” scale throwdown between religion and reason that’s so nu- ance on Drake’s worldly mega-
circa Achtung Baby – another anced Newman himself even comes on trial for the hanging hit “One Dance.” On his own,
earnest dance-rock conversion. offense of elite liberal condescension, and the laugh-out- WizKid turns his Afropop into
Ultimately, Everything Now loud “Putin” celebrates the dictator’s sexual powers with a meeting point for a host of
is about having a cultural ban- mock-heroic orchestration and backing singers that sug- party-starting dance styles,
quet on offer and still feeling gest the Andrews Sisters in heat. Some of the more sweep- getting a dancehall assist from
hungry. “A terrible song on the ing moments can feel forced; “Brothers” mashes up JFK, Major Lazer on “Naughty Ride,”
radio, baby/What else is new?” RFK, the Washington Redskins, the Cuban missile crisis bringing in Chris Brown for the
laments Butler on “We Don’t and salsa great Celia Cruz over a Latin groove. reggaeton-inf lected “African
Deserve Love,” a queasy, gor- Small-scale dramas hit home harder, like “On the Bad Gyal” and hooking back
MICHAEL KOVAC/WIREIMAGE

geous ballad that wonders if the Beach,” a wistful Western-swing tune about a depressing up with Drake for the sensual
human race has maybe earned aged surfer burnout, and the devastatingly beautiful solo- “Come Closer.” Even if WizKid
its pending extinction. Jury’s piano lament “Wandering Boy,” in which a father mourns a doesn’t move these genres for-
out. But Arcade Fire have made gifted prodigal son he hasn’t heard from in ages. “If you see ward, the breezy set still goes by
a perfect soundtrack for pon- him, lead him toward the light,” Newman sings, a prayer like the well-earned victory lap
dering the question. that resonates with our wayward national spirit. JON DOLAN that it is. BRITTANY SPANOS

54 HHHHH Classic | HHHH Excellent | HHH Good | HH Fair | H Poor Ratings are supervised by the editors of R OLLING S TONE .
 Mensa

Coldplay Alan Vega

Kaleidoscope EP Parlophone IT FADER
HHH½ HHHH
Big Sean and Brian Eno help out The late NYC proto-punk’s
on a tranquil EP fearless final testament

Titled after a soothing interlude Alan Vega, who co-founded

from the band’s 2015 LP, A Head the electro-noise duo Suicide
Full of Dreams, this five-song in New York in 1970, died last
EP continues that album’s mood year. But he did not go gentle
of tranquil satisfaction. Its lead into that good night – as if there
track, “All I Can Think About Is were any doubt. This posthu-
You,” goes from moody restraint mous album, recorded over six
to stadium shimmer, with Chris years with his wife, Liz Lamere,
Martin radiating euphoria. Big is proof. Knowing he was craft-
Sean lends a few surprising- ing his farewell, Vega leaves as
ly organic lines to the uplift- he arrived, raging over Suicide-
ing dance-pop snugglet “Mir- style industrial grinds. “We can
acles (Someone Special),” and see it/The red, white and blue is
Brian Eno produces the skitter- destroyed/Destroyed!” he snarls
grooved “Aliens.” A live version on “Screamin Jesus,” which be-
of Martin’s hit Chainsmokers
collaboration, “Something Just
Like This,” breaks the flow on
Vic Mensa’s gins and ends with dizzying,
throat-shredding shrieks. He
was punk rock’s battlefield re-
a record that otherwise goes
down as easy as Sunday brunch
with a cool uncle. JON DOLAN
Firebrand Hip- porter, staring into the horror
and relaying it back, uncen-
sored. R.I.P., man. WILL HERMES

Hop Storytelling
Chicago rapper pulls you into his complex
reality with Kanye-esque brilliance
Damian Marley Vic Mensa The Autobiography Roc Nation HHH½ Broken Social Scene
Stony Hill Republic Hug of Thunder Arts & Crafts
HHH½ Twenty-four-year-old Chicago rapper Vic HHH½
Bob Marley’s youngest son keeps Mensa has already established himself as Canadian indie collective roars
the family legacy alive one of hip-hop’s sharpest young voices. A back unto the breach
founding member of the rap crew SaveMoney
Between LPs with Nas and Mick (which has already produced Chance the In the mid-’00s, this Toronto
Jagger, and more recent tracks Rapper), Mensa got his start as the rhyme spitter for groove- band (currently numbering 15
with Jay-Z (4:44’s “Bam”) and centric indie rockers Kids These Days, then showed off his members) could rival Arcade
Skrillex (“Make It Bun Dem”), highly technical MC chops on his 2013 mixtape Innane- Fire in its bighearted gravitas.
Damian Marley (a.k.a. Jr. Gong) tape and a politically charged side on the 2016 EP There’s Broken Social Scene also played
has been his late father’s rang- Alot Going On. a big role in the careers of Feist
iest ambassador. His first solo On his proper full-length debut, he pulls us further into and Metric’s Emily Haines, who
album in over a decade is an his complex world, in the revealing, plainspoken style of are both on board for the band’s
inspiring 18-track collection, Kanye West. He raps about getting pulled off his bike by first LP since 2010. Haines
flexing authority on roots jams the cops when he was nine (“Memories on 47th St.”), and sings “Protest Song,” advising
and dancehall bangers, political struggling with drugs, alcohol and romantic relationships “take it like you’re strong” over
meditations (“Walking home, a as an adult (“Homewrecker” tweaks Weezer’s Nineties song sharp guitar flares and a gin-
youth gets killed/Police free to “The Good Life” until it sounds like MC Lyte’s “Poor Geor- gerly charging beat, while Feist
shoot at will,” he sings on “Slave gie”). The album’s most emotionally rich moment may be takes over on the Kate Bush-
Mill,” with his dad’s indomitable “Heaven on Earth,” which interpolates a beat from Aughts esque title track. The standout
ruefulness) and come-ons (the trip-poppers Lamb: It starts as an Eminem-style letter to is “Halfway Home,” on which
TAYLOR HILL/FILMMAGIC

Drake-ian “Grown & Sexy”). a murdered friend, moves on to a second verse in which Bruce Springsteen and My
It’s a reminder that reggae re- the friend writes back, and closes with Mensa rapping as Bloody Valentine meet up in
mains a potent pop force, espe- the person who pulled the trigger, trying to understand a the space between anxiety and
cially when it’s in the hands of stranger’s fear and guilt. It’s the work of a talent that could uplift where this band does its
a master. WILL HERMES take off in any direction. CHRISTOPHER R. WEINGARTEN best work. JON DOLAN

A u g u s t 10 , 2 017 RollingStone.com | R ol l i n g S t o n e | 55
 Movies
By Peter Travers

The Movie of the Year Theron Aces

a Spy Game
Dunkirk
Fionn Whitehead, Kenneth Atomic Blonde
Branagh, Tom Hardy, Mark Charlize Theron
Rylance, Harry Styles Directed by David Leitch
Directed by Christopher Nolan HHH
HHHH
nobody does the spy thing
note to du mba ss osca r better than Charlize Theron,
voters: no more ignoring and, unlike 007, she does it in
Christopher Nolan. Dunkirk, heels. Director David Leitch, of
the 10th film from the direc- John Wick fame, makes sure his
tor of the Dark Knight trilo- On the dynamite star stays untamed.
gy, is Nolan’s best yet, a mon- beaches Based on a graphic-novel series,
umental visual stunner that with Styles, Atomic Blonde is set in 1989,
also hits you like a shot in the Aneurin during the last days of the Ber-
heart. Leave it to this virtu- Barnard, lin Wall. This allows Leitch to
oso of pure cinema to break Whitehead combine brutal action with
(from left)
new ground and all the rules. angsty shades of Cold War John
Who else would make a trium- le Carré. It’s a tricky mix that
phant war film about a crush- Nolan mostly ditches dia- not even from pop idol Harry doesn’t always go down easy.
ing Allied defeat? And who but logue and backstory to put us Styles in the small role that
Nolan would tackle World War in the thick of it. A week on the he plays with grit and grace.
II without America in it? beaches with young soldiers, Dunkirk celebrates commu-
The time is 1940, the Yanks repped by newcomer Fionn nal heroism in the face of
haven’t yet entered the war, Whitehead, coping with the heavy casualties. Nolan rejects
and there are 400,000 Brit- buzz of looming death; a day on computer tricks and goes ana-
ish, French, Canadian and Bel- a rescue boat captained by a ci- log, using thousands of extras
gian soldiers trapped on the vilian (Mark Rylance); an hour and whatever boats and planes Theron
goes
beaches of a small French town in the cockpit with an RAF he could find from the era. He
nuclear.
called Dunkirk, waiting to be Spitfire pilot (Tom Hardy) argues that he hasn’t made a
evacuated before Hitler’s forc- dodging Luftwaffe bombers war film but a story of surviv-
es wipe them out on land, sea to cover the beach. al. Point taken. But there’s lit- But Theron, at her Mad Max:
and air. The English Channel is The actors, including Ken- tle doubt that Nolan, without Fury Road best, just nails it.
so close the Brits can see home. neth Branagh as a naval com- sentimentality or sanctimony, She plays Lorraine Brough-
But only small boats can enter mander, form a strong ensem- has raised genre filmmaking ton, an MI6 operative whose
the shallow waters. ble. There is no showboating, to the level of art. handlers (Toby Jones in league
with John Goodman’s CIA
mystery man) need her to stop
a list of secret agents from fall-
What’s the Emoji for a Film about Meh? ing into the wrong hands. Cli-
chés are milked shamelessly.
FROM TOP: WARNER BROS.; JONATHAN PRIME/FOCUS FEATURES; SONY PICTURES
Enter James McAvoy, clearly
The Emoji Movie art in a joke that enjoying himself as David Per-
T.J. Miller, Patrick Stewart keeps on giving, is cival, a twitchy agent who’s re-
Directed by Tony Leondis
OK with the shit cently spun into loose-cannon
HH½ thing. Gene wants mode. Is he the double agent
more. So off he goes known as Satchel? Is Lorraine?
c a n you bu il d a w hol e with his BFFs, Hi-5 Or maybe it’s Delphine (Sofia
animated movie about emojis (James Corden) and Boutella), a French spy with a
living inside the smartphone Ja i lbre a k (A n na jones for some sapphic sex ac-
of a teen named Alex (Jake T. Faris) to penetrate tion? No matter. It’s the fight
Austin)? It’s a stretch. But di- Meh Alex’s firewall (kill- scenes that count. And they’re
rector Tony Leondis and co- meets er scene) and get his astonishingly good, especial-
Hi-5.
writers Eric Siegel and the code rewritten be- ly the climactic free-for-all in
great Mike White take smart, fore he’s deleted. You a swanky hotel suite. Theron,
satiric licks at a technology by T.J. Miller), a Meh emoji can’t knock a fun ride that in- who did most of her own mar-
we’re all calling home. The who breaks the cardinal emoji sists there are multitudes in all tial-arts stunts, is bruising po-
plot? It spins around Gene rule: He can’t be just one thing. of us. Or maybe you can. But etry in motion. She’s a badass.
(voiced with twisted mischief Poop, voiced by Patrick Stew- there’s no emoji for it. How can you resist?

56 | R ol l i n g S t o n e HHHH Classic | HHH½ Excellent | HHH Good | HH Fair | H Poor A u g u s t 10 , 2 017

JUSTIN TRUDEAU listed the usually enlightened country’s ne- Trudeau waltzes in and listens as an In-
glect of everything from education to water dian boy talks of a country where he feels
[Cont. from 43] namo, where he was tor- quality on the nation’s reserves. Trudeau welcome as a Canadian, but also feels no
tured and then transferred to a Canadian has promised cleaner water, new schools fear in singing the Indian national anthem.
prison. Khadr was released in 2015, after and, most important, more self-determi- The prime minister takes the mic and
spending half of his life incarcerated. Ca- nation on how resources are spent on na- speaks in both English and French. “When
nadian courts ruled his rights had been tive lands. But progress has been excruciat- you look at a community, or a country,
grossly violated. Khadr sued the Cana- ingly slow. At his press conference, Trudeau divisions within the country can lead to
dian government, and Trudeau agreed to preached patience: “It took us hundreds of weakness, can lead to fights, can lead to
a settlement. Conservative leader Andrew years to get here. It’s going to take many, arguments,” he says. “We have differences
Scheer called the payout “disgusting,” while many generations to end this legacy.” in Canada, different backgrounds, dif-
Trudeau argued the settlement could have ferent stories, different religions, differ-
quadrupled if taken to court, adding that f e w hou r s a f t e r h is n e w s ent languages.” He gives the kids his old
“the measure of a just society is not wheth-
er we stand up for people’s rights when it’s
easy or popular to do so, it’s whether we rec-
A conference, Trudeau wants me to
see his vision of Canada. We make a
30-minute drive out to Berrigan Elementa-
schoolteacher look. “We figured out how
to make this a source of strength, a source
of creativity, a source of resilience for our
ognize rights when it’s difficult.” ry School in Nepean, an Ottawa suburb. As communities.”
Trudeau’s Liberals have also fumbled the Mounties do a security check, I stand in Trudeau heads back toward his three-
on some campaign promises, including the back of a room not unlike the classroom car motorcade that stops at all red lights.
electoral reform, but none as glaring as where George W. Bush learned of 9/11. In the hall, a couple hundred kids hold
Trudeau’s promise to Canada’s 1.5 million It feels like I’ve wandered into an ad hoc signs that say “Hope” and “Respect.” They
indigenous citizens. The country created third-grade plenary session of the United grab his sleeve and then skitter away wear-
the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Nations. The principal told me later that ing giant smiles. It would have been corny
and publicized the plight of more than the school of 900 featured more than 20 if it had not been so goddamned beautiful.
150,000 indigenous children taken from languages and children from 35 countries. This is Trudeau’s vision of what a coun-
their families since 1883, only to be placed But here, the kids jabber in English, French try can be. His land races toward inclu-
in orphanages and residential schools. (An- and their own tongue. It made me remem- sion, while our nation builds walls and
other board is looking into the murders and ber something that Richler had told me lusts for an era of vanilla homogeneity that
disappearances of more than 1,000 indige- about his country: “This country is so vast ain’t coming back. At this moment, Justin
nous women, and is already being criticized and will never be completely settled – we Trudeau’s Canada looks like a beautiful
for disorganization.) The commission also need immigrants as much as they need us.” place to ride out an American storm.

57

The Complete Issue. WORKS FOR YOU...

Every Word. Every Photo. OR YOUR MONEY BACK !

LIBIDO-MAX for MEN

75 Count ONLY

SAVE $3


EXPIRES 11/30/17 MANUFACTURERS COUPON

Consumer: Redeemable at retail locations only. Not valid for online or mail-order purchases. Retailer:
Irwin Naturals will reimburse you for the face value plus 8 (cents) handling provided it is redeemed by
a consumer at the time of purchase on the brand specified. Coupons not properly redeemed will be void
and held. Reproduction by any party by any means is expressly prohibited. Any other use constitutes
fraud. Irwin Naturals reserves the right to deny reimbursement (due to misredemption activity) and/or
request proof of purchase for coupon(s) submitted. Mail to: CMS Dept. 10363, Irwin Naturals, 1 Fawcett
Drive, Del Rio, TX 78840. Cash value: .001 (cents). Void where taxed or restricted. ONE COUPON PER
PURCHASE. Not valid for mail order/websites. Retail only.

Available for purchase with coupon in

Now Available on Mobile fine stores everywhere or online at:
www.appliednutrition.com
Enter Coupon Code: 012836
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
 THE
LAST
WORD

Joe Walsh
On surviving his wild years, advice from a Buddhist monk,
and why the Eagles were a ‘democratic dictatorship’
What are the best and worst parts of success? you define honesty in the music industry is the guy that’s steal-
Well, I never had to work in a factory, so that’s a blessing. The ing the least from you is honest. Also, don’t sign anything. I’m
worst part is the distractions: money, women, partying. When still sucking eggs from stuff I signed when I was 23. Somebody
you’re young it’s easy to lose your perspective. I started believing I should’ve sat me down and said, “Look, it’s OK to be an idiot, but
was who everybody thought I was, which was a crazy rock star. You be a smart idiot.”
know, “Life’s Been Good,” that whole story. It took me away from What’s the most indulgent purchase you ever made?
working at my craft. Me and a lot of the guys I ran with, we were I always had this fantasy: “I’m gonna get some land and live off
party monsters. It was a real challenge just to stay alive. the grid. I’m gonna hunt like Ted Nugent and chop my own wood.”
So many of your friends from that era – Keith Moon, John Belushi – So when I got a nice royalty check from the Eagles, I found this
didn’t make it. How did you survive? farm in Vermont with a lake and almost 800 acres. But then I had
I wonder every day. People ask me if I believe in God, and I kinda to live on it, and it was hard. I had to get up at 5 a.m. because there
have to because I’m still here. I had not planned on living this long. was so much to do. Chopping your own
What are the most important rules you live by? wood ain’t fun. The winters ain’t fun. I
Family comes first. I spent years as a loner. It was me against couldn’t find anybody to take care of
the world, but now I have this family, which takes care of the place, so I sold it. Some things
me, and I take care of them. I’ve also learned not to let are better off being a fantasy.
my emotions own me. Don’t write e-mails when you’re What’s your favorite book of all
pissed off. You can write them, but don’t send them. Be- time?
cause the next day you’re gonna go, “Oh, man, I did it The Illustrated Man, by Ray
again. What an asshole I am.” Bradbury. I was about 10 or 11
What’s the best advice you ever got? when I read that. Oh, my God, it’s
A Buddhist monk told me to be aware of the most amazing book because
every breath I take. He said, “If you do that, it sucks you in. Inside the book is
you will stay in the moment. This will save about eight other books, and each
you wasted time digging something up one of them is about one of the guy’s
from the past or going into the future tattoos and the tattoos move around
and writing a script about the day at night and shit. Imagination and a
after tomorrow.” I also meditate. book full of books, what a concept.
Man, being in the moment is You’re playing some shows with the Ea-
where it’s at. gles this summer. It must be bittersweet
Who are your heroes? to be playing without Glenn Frey.
Les Paul was one of the There’s all kinds of feelings mixed in,
coolest people on the planet. but I think we’re gonna be really good.
He invented the Les Paul Glenn’s son Deacon is joining the band.
guitar, and he invented How’s he doing?
modern recording as we He’s great. He has no attitude whatsoev-
know it. He was in a er. He just shows up and does it. I wish more
car accident, and they of us could be like that.
said, “You’ll never play You described the Eagles as a “democracy with
again,” because he two dictators.” Was that hard on your ego?
broke his arm in four Well, I joined their band. I would
different places. He sat say that it was a democratic dic-
down and started play- tatorship. How’s that? We all got
ing and said, “All right, to vote and then [Frey and Don
set my arm like this. Put Henley] did whatever they wanted.
the cast on now.” You famously ran for president back
What advice do you wish you received in 1980. If you won, do you think you would have
about the music industry before you done a better job than Trump?
began your career? Yeah. That’s because of common sense.
I wish somebody would’ve told I don’t think Trump really knows how
me, “Look, this is a business.” I just the government works, and I don’t think
thought it was an art form. The way he cares. Therefore, he’s not gonna get
much done. I think I know how it works.
Walsh will hold a benefit show I know how to live in a complex decision-
for VetsAid, his nonprofit to help making organization. For example, the
veterans, in Fairfax, Virginia, band. We got stuff done!
on September 20th. INTERVIEW BY ANDY GREENE

58 | R ol l i n g S t o n e | RollingStone.com Illustration by Mark Summers