The Gin Blossoms are aiming for lawmakers to follow them down the road to health care price transparency with a performance ahead of next week’s Congressional Baseball Game.
The alternative rockers behind ’90s hits such as “Hey Jealousy” and “Til I Hear it From You” will take to the stage at the Bullpen in Washington just before first pitch between Democrats and Republicans at Congress’s annual charity baseball competition on June 11 at Nationals Park.
“It’ll be nice to play this show. It’s a good event and it’s a worthy cause,” Jesse Valenzuela, the Gin Blossoms’ guitarist and singer, said in an interview this week with ITK.
The band is performing on behalf of the nonprofit organization, Power to the Patients, which describes itself as a “bipartisan movement to strengthen healthcare price transparency rules that will protect patients and unleash choice and competition to lower costs.”
“It’s sort of a common-sense issue that they really want to get some sort of transparency on medical bills to people so that they don’t wind up getting sick and going bankrupt trying to pay all the bills,” Valenzuela said.
The 63-year-old songwriter mentioned his mother, who just celebrated a birthday this week: “She’s in her eighties, so she has health issues and concerns. And sometimes it can be difficult for people when there’s more bill than she suspected, being on a fixed income.”
“We all make our way through these things, but sometimes, for some people, it can be catastrophic,” the “Follow You Down” musician said.
Power to the Patients has brought a star-studded lineup to the nation’s capital over the years to advocate for healthcare price transparency and legislation, including rapper Fat Joe, Foo Fighters and Everclear, among others.
A limited number of free tickets to the pre-Congressional Baseball Game festivities are available to the public through the Power to the Patients’ website.
Valenzuela, who’s getting ready to hit the road as part of a nationwide tour this summer with Blues Traveler and the Spin Doctors, said he suspects the Gin Blossoms have some fans in Congress.
“I bet there are a few,” he said with a laugh.
“We’re certainly of the right age.”