At a recent TED Talk event in Richmond, VA featuring GWAR bassist Michael “Blothar” Bishop, the hometown rocker took on some very big themes that continue to plague the United States today, including race relations and economic hardship/inequality. A graduate of the University of Virginia’s PhD program in Music, with a specialty in regional identity, Bishop detailed why GWAR has always reflected “the culture, history and geography” of his hometown, positing “Like it or not, Richmond, Gwar is one of your most recognized cultural products. I’m very proud of that.” 

You can watch Bishop’s entire speaking engagement and learn about the fictional history of GWAR, which includes aliens crashing into Antarctica and being rescued by the hairspray of 1980s hair bands, below:

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