Every Time I Die's Keith Buckley to "MAGA" Bigots: "My Band Doesn't Need You"

Every Time I Die played the closing date of the last-ever Vans Warped Tour yesterday, August 6th. Writing on Twitter about the crowds he'd seen at the festival over the past few weeks, the band's frontman Keith Buckley observed, that "with over half a million tickets sold to Warped this year, I didn't see a SINGLE maga hat — and I looked." He added, "Say what you will about the bands playing, you can't deny that the kids of summer are gonna be okay." The frontman's subtle jab at "Make America Great Again" supporters resulted in a brief entanglement with a right-wing fan, followed by a swift take down, as the PRP points out.

The brief war of words started out the same as most tense political conversations carried out over social media: Twitter user @fixin_stupid (nickname: UnCucking Believable) complained that Buckley's anti-Trump rehetoric was alienating Every Time I Die's fanbase, prompting Buckley to proclaim, "Adios, Bitch!" Later, he added: "We don't need or even want your money. Take a hike."

Buckley wasn't swayed by Mr. UnCucking Believable's resultant suggestion that the Proud Boys — a prominent alt-right group known for their brawls with leftists — would show up en masse to the next Every Time I Die show, and that he should "watch out" as a result. "You know what? LET these frumpy motherfuckers show up to an ETID," he declared.

The frontman concluded with the following:

Below, watch Killswitch Engage's Jesse Leach and Keith Buckley discuss their formative influences, the value of humor and the challenge of channeling personal hardship into art.