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The controversial Orioles' national anthem performance actually rocked

The controversial Orioles' national anthem performance actually rocked

USA Today11-07-2025
I think the Orioles have officially hit rock bottom pic.twitter.com/r4Tn7ZtbcW
The Baltimore Orioles caught some fans by surprise during a rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" by electronic musician Dan Deacon.
Perhaps the folks at Camden Yards should have given those attending the Thursday afternoon inter-league game, which was the first of a double-header against the New York Mets, some notice. This performance of the national anthem might not sound like what they are used to hearing at the ballpark.
An obvious change of pace compared to expectations and not necessarily the same cup of tea that everyone was looking for while at the stadium, Deacon's version got a mixed reaction from those who watched it live and online:
Some on social media said that the Orioles have "officially hit rock bottom" when the video was posted.
Other outlets like Jomboy said that the performance was "certainly something" and that isn't exactly a resounding review, either.
Here is the thing, though: Once you get over the initial shock that this isn't your mother's idea of what the song sounds like, it's actually fantastic.
Dan Deacon is an American hero around these parts 🇺🇸pic.twitter.com/k2rCI04KlS
Deacon is a critically-acclaimed, Baltimore-based musician who has turned heads with his experimental music since 2003.
He originally appeared on the morning show of a local NBC affiliate in Georgia two decades ago with a comparably unexpected eyebrow raiser. It's kind of his whole thing!
More: The 5 worst national anthems in sports history, from Ingrid Andress to Fergie to Carl Lewis
But just because it's different doesn't mean it's bad. We aren't talking about Fergie, who did something genuinely bizarre in 2011 at the NBA All-Star Game.
Maybe this wasn't exactly hitting the same notes that Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth reached during the 2025 NBA Finals.
Deacon, however, is a legend in his own right and deserves praise not ridicule for trying something a bit different. Not for nothing: The Orioles beat the Mets in both games of the double-header.
Orioles are undefeated since Dan Deacon did the Star Spangled Banner https://t.co/Cu1tf3cJmK
Remember, the parents of rock-and-roll fans weren't happy when Jimi Hendrix famously tried his hand at the song, either. Now, it's regarded as one of the best covers to exist of any song ever.
Sure, maybe Dean isn't Hendrix. Perhaps this stab at it was a little weird, strange, and (as Consequence of Sound described) haunting.
But maybe that's fitting for a song representing the country, which sometimes feels a bit unusual to live in as well.
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