Baseball fans at the Baltimore Orioles game were left stunned on Thursday afternoon after electronic musician Dan Deacon performed a bizarre version of the national anthem.
A half-full Camden Yards stood to attention for the Star-Spangled Banner ahead of a double header against the New York Mets, but were forced to listen to what some described as a ‘disgrace to America’.
Opting against the usual vocal-only rendition, Deacon – a Baltimore-based musician – used auto-tune technology to create a sound that has to be heard to be believed… and some were left underwhelmed by the change-up.
On social media, Deacon quickly went viral, racking up close to a million views, with one fan noting: ‘I think the Orioles have officially hit rock bottom.’
Another added: ‘This is a disgrace to America’, while a third said: ‘You can literally see people thinking “what the f*** is this?”‘
Others, though, felt Deacon’s efforts were a breath of fresh air and one fan was quick to defend the singer, claiming: ‘No Dan Deacon slander will be tolerated.’
Dan Deacon sings his very unusual rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner on Thursday
Fans watching on TV didn’t take well to it, and he was labeled a ‘disgrace to America’ by some
He had another backer who said: ‘That kinda slapped tbh… I dig it!’
In the video clip from the stadium, fans can be seen looking confused as the anthem gets underway, as they try to get used to the bizarre special effects being used.
On his Instagram account, Deacon himself posted a clip of the rendition, alongside the caption ‘Go Os’.
Baltimore’s pregame national anthem is already shrouded in some controversy, because fans yell ‘Oh!’ in the middle of it.
The Orioles won both games of a double header against the New York Mets on Thursday
Brett Baty flips over the dugout railing after catching a foul ball from Jackson Holliday
While fans of some teams feel it is disrespectful, locals stand by the tradition.
At the start of the seventh line – ‘Oh say does that star-spangled banner yet wave’ – Baltimore sports fans over-pronounce the first word.
The anthem actually originates in Baltimore and was written by local lawyer and poet Francis Scott Key during the Battle of Baltimore in 1812.
The ‘O’ is even short for ‘Oriole’, making the job of singing the anthem in Baltimore a more sacred task.