Ongoing History Daily: When musicians run for mayor

It’s one thing to for a musician to scream at politicians but it’s quite another for a musician to walk the walk and actually try to do something about it.

In 1979, Jello Biafra, lead singer of the ferocious punk band, the Dead Kennedys, ran for mayor of San Francisco. One of his planks was to pass a law requiring all businessmen to dress in clown suits. He finished fourth in a field of ten, getting almost 4% of the vote.

But then there’s the case of Jon Gnarr Kristinsson, the bass player in an Icelandic punk band called Runny Nose. He later went on to a career as an actor and comedian. In 2009, he formed the Best Party in time for the municipal elections in Reykjavik. They won and Jon became mayor of the city.