Since 2014, Squadron has been trying to reform the state's ticket resale laws, which he argues are weighted in the interest of unscrupulous secondary sellers who snatch up hot tickets and then bilk fans on ticket resale websites.
We know we're still smarting about getting frozen out of the NKOTB/Paula Abdul/Boyz II Men show at Nassau Coliseum on July 7. (Still looking for two if anybody out there is selling!)
Squadron's Fans Against Inflated Rates for Tickets (FAIR Tickets) Act would take such measures as requiring that the face value be printed on tickets, secondary sellers by identified, and a 48-hour “cooling off” period before any resale is permitted.
The current laws have been extended annually since 2010. In 2014, Squadron began his performances by co-opting the lyrics to popular Kanye West songs, eventually giving the Weird Al treatment to songs by Jay-Z and Bruce Springsteen.
Last year, he changed the lyrics to some of the songs from some Broadway musical called “Hamilton.” We personally here at Pol Position have never heard of it. It must have been Off-Off-Broadway.
But what are we going on for, we know you just kept reading to get a sampling of Squadron's performance this year, so here's a few choice cuts.
• Sung to the tune of Beyonce's “Single Ladies”:
All the ticket brokers
(All the ticket brokers)
Now put your hands up
If you liked it cause you're profiteering on it
If you liked it cause you're profiteering on it
And you liked it cause you got cha-ching on it
If you liked it cause you're profiteering on it,/i>
• Here's little bit of Adele's “Rolling in the Deep”:
There's a fire, starting for our fans
Reaching a fever pitch, and it's bringing fans out the dark
Finally, they can see you crystal clear
Go 'head and sell them out and they’ll lay your ship bare
Resellers have it all
Rolling in the cheap
They have Albany in thrall
Rolling in the deep
• And last but not least, a little of the 2015 Grammy-winning “Happy” by Pharrell Williams!:
Fans unhappy
Vote a no if you feel it’s a law without a tooth
Fans unhappy
Vote a no if you feel like transparency is the truth
Fans unhappy
Vote a no if you know what happiness is to fans
Fans unhappy
Vote a no if you feel like that's what you wanna do
Trust us, that's just a small sample of the songs Squadron put his own unique touch on this year with his inimitable styling. Once Squadron sings a song, he makes it eternally his.
But don't take our word for it, check out Squadron's performance on the State Senate Youtube channel.
We hate to be critical of Squadron, but perhaps he needs to take some music lessons over the next year, because his performance isn't winning over his colleagues. The extender bill passed again this year by a vote of 36-24.
We think Squadron needs to enlist the help of that supergroup The IDC, who have been topping the charts in Albany over and over recently. We just know Jose Peralta's earworm “S.5754” is going to be the jam of the summer.
And who can forget the mind-blowing three-part concept legislation, “S.1266B-S.1518A-S.1931,” that Avella dropped on the same day last week.
Maybe he can convince the IDC to help him out, or as they say in Albany, “guest caucus some dope backing legislation on this 'S.5178' jam.”