Paganism and Indie Rock
As modern Paganism continues to grow, references to this grouping of faiths keep popping up in unexpected places. Today, two different stories featuring indie rock bands reference Wicca and Paganism in one fashion or another. The first involves The Decemberists, the Coachella festival, and an unorthodox wedding ceremony.
“Kyle Cox and Lacy Lambert will be getting married on stage during a set by their favorite band, The Decemberists… For the couple, the band has been the soundtrack for their relationship. The two began their courtship over e-mail while Cox was in Iraq with the Army. A mutual friend introduced them. Their messages often revolved around music. Cox’s taste leaned more toward the punk and ska side, and Lambert urged him to listen to indie bands like The Decemberists. After that, Cox listened to the band every day during his year-long tour in the Middle East. He said it made him forget he was in Iraq… The drummer for The Decemberists reportedly will be performing the ceremony, which will be based on a pagan handfasting ritual.”
After being handfasted on-stage, the couple plans on seeing the reunited Rage Against the Machine for their honeymoon. Of course The Decemberists are no strangers to pagan themes, back in 2004 they did a musical re-telling of the Irish epic the Tain Bo Cuailnge.
The second story concerns Conor Oberst of the band Bright Eyes, who is currently promoting his new album “Cassadaga”. Oberst, in an interview with James McNair, discusses how he named the new album after a small town famous for its spiritualist community. Oberst also discusses an encounter with a Wiccan he had while he was there.
“This Wicca lady I saw reads auras, and if any spirits that are around approach you, she lets you know. She told me not to be afraid of death, and that I was headed in the right direction even though it might not feel like it sometimes. Anybody can tell you these things, but I felt a great peace.”
Are these signs of the ongoing mainstreaming of modern Paganism? Where it might once have been somewhat risque’ to admit to seeing a Wiccan psychic, it is now seen as no big deal, and a military man getting a pagan wedding at a rock show is a mere detail in the larger focus of how his mom is going to attend the sold-out concert. Next thing you know tabloids will start taking pictures of Hollywood stars wearing pentacles (stranger things have happened).
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