My Super Awesome Maddow Pre-Show Playlist

If you missed it, then I hate to rub it in, but Yerba Buena Center for the Arts was totally the place to be here in San Francisco on Saturday night, as Mother Jones' dynamic editorial duo of Clara Jeffrey and Monika Bauerlein shared the stage with everybody's favorite MSNBC host Rachel Maddow at an event packed with enthusiastic supporters of good journalism. In addition to having the most enviable cowboy shirt this side of Jack White, Maddow was also charming and informative, although I'm still troubled that this TV star doesn't actually watch any TV. Not even Aqua Teen?! Anyhoo, those of you who showed up early to get a good seat may have noticed a delightful little music mix playing over the loudspeakers. And who, pray tell, could have put together such an awe-inspiring CD? Why, your idiotically-named DJ and contributor, of course. Organizers asked me to come up with an hour of tunes to entertain the early arrivals, so I took it upon myself to find tracks that were not only diverse and entertaining, but also had (perhaps wryly) appropriate lyrics. Unfortunately, when I showed up at 7:45, the CD was just starting, so I don't know if the whole thing got played or not. But if you're curious about what you heard (or what you were supposed to hear), look after the jump for the full list of tunes. And yes, I totally included "The Bleeding Heart Show."

Party Ben's Mother Jones Rachel Maddow Pre-Show Playlist

Nicole Willis – Feelin' Free
ABBA – Take a Chance On Me
The Streets – Let’s Push Things Forward
The New Pornographers – The Bleeding Heart Show
Bjork – Army of Me
Erykah Badu – The Healer
Beck – Gamma Ray
Marvin Gaye – What’s Goin On
Jose Gonzalez – Down the Line
The B-52’s – Channel Z
Johnny Cash – The One on the Right is On the Left
Amadou & Mariam – Ce N’est Pas Bon
Bob Mould – If I Can’t Change Your Mind
Stereolab – Ping Pong
Public Enemy – Fight the Power
TV On the Radio – Golden Age
M.I.A. – Pull Up the People
Faithless – Mass Destruction
Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings – Got a Thing On My Mind
Tom Petty – I Won’t Back Down