Jello Biafra, the punk rock legend and former member of Dead Kennedys, surprised fans with an unexpected performance.
Months after the iconic figure suffered a major health scare, the 68-year-old hit the stage in style.
An Instagram update shared by the independent label Alternative Tentacles, founded by Biafra, featured the musician’s first live performance since suffering a stroke.
On June 27, the former Dead Kennedys lead singer took the stage at Great American Music Hall in San Francisco for TentacleFest.
The “Holiday in Cambodia” singer turned heads wearing a military-style hat, a long black robe over a black undergarment and a black leather strap draped across his chest.
Biafra joined the experimental punk band Wheelchair Sports Camp for a striking performance of “Make It Make Sense,” from the album oh imperfecta by the Denver-based band.
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Hinting at the rock star’s speedy recovery, the record label said one of the biggest highlights of the music festival was Biafra’s comeback to the music scene.
“Not only was TentacleFest was an amazing show, it also featured the return of Jello Biafra to the stage! Check out this clip of Jello coming out to sing “Make It Make Sense” with Wheelchair Sport Camp! Thank you to Crisis Actor for the clip!,” the caption reads.
Moreover, his team also expressed its deep gratitude to everyone who made the event possible.
“Huge thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate all things Alternative Tentacles with us! Thank you to the amazing Great American Music Hall for hosting us. Huge thank you to our amazing bands Wheelchair Sports Camp, Death Hymn Number Nine, Voodoo 5, Vic Bondi And His Issues and Crisis Actor for their incredible performances!” the post stated.
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On March 7, Biafra experienced a hemorrhagic stroke due to high blood pressure.
At the time, he collapsed shortly after getting out of bed and noticed numbness affecting the left side of his body.
Meanwhile, the news was confirmed by Alternative Tentacles Records on Instagram, which also assured fans that the musician was stable and “very thankful he is okay and getting the care that he needs.”
In addition, Biafra delivered a playful yet heartfelt message to fans, expressing that he was ready for his recovery journey.
”I hopped out of my bed because I needed to pee, and my left leg just collapsed under me and I fell to the floor,” he said, adding, “I couldn’t even break the fall with my left arm because it wasn’t working either. I tried to hop back up again, and I couldn’t. I realized I had ‘fallen and I can’t get up!’ It was at this point I thought, ‘Oh no, I’m having a stroke!’ I still have a lot of great stuff in me, but right now I gotta lotta of rehabbing to do.”
Two months after the incident, it was revealed that he was “progressing nicely,” especially with his speech.
With his first performance since the stroke, fans may soon see more of the former Dead Kennedys frontman on stage.
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