'I'm hinged': Jason Isbell pokes fun at GOP remarks during Bredesen rally with Ben Folds

Show Caption Hide Caption 'I'm hinged': Jason Isbell pokes fun at GOP remarks during Bredesen rally Jason Isbell (a recovering addict) jokes about the @NRSC calling him 'unhinged.'

The political arm of U.S. Senate Republicans accused Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Phil Bredesen of partnering with "the unhinged left" by holding a rally headlined by musicians Jason Isbell and Ben Folds in Nashville on Monday evening.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee went on the attack against the two critically acclaimed artists ahead of the Bredesen rally, fundraiser and concert Monday night at Marathon Music Works.

In a statement Monday morning, the NRSC pointed to Folds' support of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, in the 2016 Democratic Primary and remarks that Isbell made in an interview with Rolling Stone when he said, "God is gone from those people," referring to Christian voters who supported President Donald Trump.

Complete coverage: Tennessee's 2018 campaign for U.S. Senate

Bredesen fundraiser: Jason Isbell, Ben Folds to headline Phil Bredesen fundraiser

"Phony Phil partners with the unhinged left," the subject line of the emailed NRSC statement reads.

“Despite Bredesen’s moderate act, he continues to embrace people who have made it a habit of insulting the Tennessee voters who proudly supported President Trump,” NRSC spokesman Michael McAdams. “Today’s fundraiser is the latest example that Phil Bredesen is completely out-of-touch with a majority of Tennesseans.”

More than 1,500 people piled in to Marathon Music Works Monday night for the fundraiser. While Folds largely steered clear of politics, Isbell — someone who is very public about his status as a recovering addict — joked about the NRSC statement.

"I feel so hinged, for the first time in my life I'm hinged. This is as hinged as I get ... I'm hinged as hell!" Isbell said, to laughs and cheers.

Bredesen, governor of Tennessee from 2003 to 2011, has campaigned as a centrist who would operate independent of his political party in his race against Republican U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn.

He's sought to minimize the national implications the race could have on control of the U.S. Senate and has said he is not running against Trump. Bredesen has said he expects to be in the minority if elected in November. Tennessee is among a handful of states considered battlegrounds for control of the U.S. Senate.

During the fundraiser Monday, Bredesen thanked the crowd for supporting his campaign. The speech, lasting less than five minutes, included a shortened stump speech and a shout out to millennials in the crowd.

"I'm no spring chicken. I'm trying really hard to speak to all of the young people in the state," Bredesen said.

Amidst his three songs, Folds did call on those in attendance to make sure they were registered to vote, and to vote for Bredesen because he's a smart, competent candidate.

While Folds and Isbell played, Bredesen watched from a raised platform to the side of the stage. Fans wearing short-sleeved button ups and toting beers in tall cans sang along with the both artists or screamed Bredesen's name.

Several local Nashville Democrats attended the event, including state Sen. Jeff Yarbro and state Reps. John Ray Clemmons, Bill Beck and Jason Powell.

Before the event, the Bredesen campaign said the Isbell-Folds event — dubbed "Our Country, Our Future" and designed as outreach to Millennials — was intended to bring together "Tennesseans of all political stripes who are excited about Bredesen's candidacy."

“Jason Isbell is a champion for working men and women. Ben Folds is a leading advocate for arts education and he even played at the Republican National Convention," Laura Zapata, Bredesen's communications director, said in a statement. "The swamp needs to spend less time worrying about these popular recording artists and more time looking into Marsha Blackburn’s ties to hate groups and Russian nationals, and her illegal coordination with dark-money groups in Washington.”

Publicists for Folds and Isbell declined to respond to the GOP attacks. But Isbell took to Twitter, where he is regularly outspoken about politics, on Monday morning to respond to the criticism.

"I've been in the paper a few times now, but this one is my favorite," Isbell tweeted, along with a link to this story. "This is one I'll be proud to show my grandkids."

I’ve been in the paper a few times now, but this one is my favorite. This is one I’ll be proud to show my grandkids. https://t.co/rUhhalbmfE — Jasoñ Isbell (@JasonIsbell) August 20, 2018

Folds, meanwhile, was one of the few people to speak at both the Republican and Democratic national conventions in 2016, when he spoke on panel discussions on behalf of more funding for the arts.

Republicans in recent weeks have attacked Bredesen over comments that supporters have made, including singling out negative tweets Mark Brown, an operative for the Tennessee Democratic Party, made in the past about Trump and comments from U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, about what he said was a joke about wishing Blackburn would jump off a bridge.

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Reach Joey Garrison at 615-259-8236, jgarrison@tennessean.com and on Twitter @joeygarrison.