no sh*t? the fever 333 got nominated for a grammy

It’s pretty rare for the Grammys to actually recognize the best bands in their fields, as opposed to the most commercially successful ones. The long-in-the-tooth awards (and show) is notorious for snubbing the rebels in favor of establishment darlings. (Though admittedly I’m the one person on Earth who would regularly choose Jethro Tull over the sell-out hacks in Metallica, as the Grammys did in 1989.) (Not you, Robert Trujillo, you’re cool…)) Nevertheless, we are beyond overjoyed to share that AFROPUNK favs The Fever 333 have been nominated for a Grammy in the Best Rock Performance category, for their song “Made an America.”

In the grand scheme of things, for a band whose focus is squarely on smashing the system, not shifting units, does this matter? Not really. A golden gramophone statuette isn’t currency in the punk world — Ian Mackaye likes to joke that the Recording Industry Association of America has owed Minor Threat a gold record for 30 years. But it’s still recognition of the fact that The Fever 333’s “Made An America” probably actually is the Best Rock Performance of 2018. Certainly the most incendiary. Sure as hell beats the photocopy of a copy of a copy of Muddy Waters calling itself Greta Van Fleet over there. So let’s raise a Molotov cocktail for The Fever 333 — Jason Aalon Butler, Stevis Harrison, and Aric Improta — and let’s blast “Made An America” loud. Any excuse to play that one out.

The Fever 333, backstage at AFROPUNK Brooklyn 2018 (photo: Chuck Marcus)