New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani made a surprise video cameo during Djo’s sold-out Forest Hills Stadium show last night – watch footage below.
Djo – the musical project of Stranger Things actor Joe Keery – played the huge headline show in Queens yesterday (July 17), with support coming from Australian psych-rock band Pond.
During a performance of ‘Charlie’s Garden’, Mamdani unexpectedly appeared in a pre-recorded message on the screens behind the stage.
The song usually features a voicemail-style contribution from Keery’s Stranger Things co-star Charlie Heaton, but the mayor appeared in his place to greet the musician and congratulate him on selling out Forest Hills Stadium.
The crowd erupted as Mamdani appeared, making much of the remainder of his message difficult to hear. Heaton was also reportedly in attendance at the show.
Check out footage from the moment below.
‘Charlie’s Garden’ appears on Djo’s third studio album, ‘The Crux’, which was released in April 2025.
Keery has previously clarified that the voicemail heard on the studio recording was not genuine. The song was written as an homage to Heaton and their friendship, after the pair lived in neighbouring properties while filming the final season of Stranger Things in Atlanta.
Djo will also be supporting Tame Impala at a string of North American arena dates this summer and will return to the UK next month to join Lorde at All Points East in London’s Victoria Park on August 22. He will also support the New Zealand singer at Forwards Presents in Bristol on August 28.
Earlier this year, Djo’s 2022 single ‘End Of Beginning’ reached Number One on the UK Singles Chart following renewed attention surrounding the Stranger Things finale. The song initially entered the chart in February 2024 and peaked at Number Four, before finally reaching the summit almost two years later.
Speaking to NME about the song last year, Keery reflected on its references to the years he spent living in Chicago.
“I’m not trying to live in the past,” he said. “I have new memories that I’m linking to [Chicago]. I’m not 27 anymore. That’s a part of me, maybe, but not the whole part.”
Mamdani, meanwhile, is no stranger to getting involved in music events in New York City.
His inauguration last November featured a performance of ‘Bread And Roses’ by Lucy Dacus, whom he had previously joined on stage during the All Things Go festival at Forest Hills Stadium.
He was also spotted in the audience at a PinkPantheress concert shortly before the mayoral election and previously appeared on stage during an MJ Lenderman show at Brooklyn Steel.
More recently, Mamdani revealed his five favourite rappers of all time, choosing New York icons The Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z and Nas alongside Chicago artists Lupe Fiasco and Common.
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