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politics & rock n' roll
Ask most people what Rock music means and you could expect to hear
such answers as "sex," "drugs," big hair," "loud guitars," "a driving
rhythm," etc. Furthest from his/her mind is the idea of Rock n' Roll
as a political tool. However, many attempts have been made to
silence politically charged songs and the genres' outspoken artists.
For example, in 1970 their were attempts by Ohio's governor, James
Rhodes to ban from the air Neil Young's popular song about the Kent
State University shootings, "Ohio," fearing that it would incite more
campus violence.
More recently, in 1999 police around the country called for the
cancellation of a benefit concert in New Jersey for political
prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal, featuring the political Rock group, Rage
Against the Machine, and Rap artists, The Beastie Boys.
The plight of Mumia Abu Jamal was the main inspiration for a Lake
Superior YSA sponsored benefit Rock show, "Jams 4 Justice," held at
Northland College in Ashland, WI in December of 2000. More than 150
attended to help raise money for Mumia's defense fund. But more
importantly, the event again proved the featured Rock, Techno, and
Hip-Hop effective platforms to convey political and social ideas
concerning capitalism and its attendant problems of racism, sexism,
xenophobia, police brutality, poverty, police brutality, the prison
system and the death penalty.
The show was so successful that Lake Superior YSA decided to do it
again, and on May 17, 2002, they sponsored the second "Jams 4
Justice" at Northland College's Sigurd Olson Environmental
Institute. This year's event helped raise money once again for
Mumia's defense fund and also for the 3.5 million Afghan refugees
displaced by the U.S. led war in Afghanistan. The bands included,
from Wisconsin: The Knifing Assessment, Antithesis, The Smerves, Big
Zero, and Mozzletoff Cocktail. An all women power punk trio, The
Keepaways, from Duluth, represented Minnesota.
With its often raw edge, each performance energized the crowd of more
than 70. Nor was there a lack of political energy, and throughout
the evening bands often paused to speak out against war and death
penalty. Between sets, YSAers took to the stage to give impassioned
speeches on those subjects, pointing out that they are linked because
both target the poor and oppressed.
YSAer, Rob Welsh gave a rousing speech about the so-called "War on
Terrorism" and addressed U.S. aided Israeli repression of the
Palestinians. He called for solidarizing with the Palestinians in
their struggle for self-determination and then led the crowd in a
chant, "No Land. No Justice. No Justice. No Peace!"
Big Zero rapped up the show with an extended punk rock rendition of
Ben E. King and the Drifter's "Stand By Me" during which the crowd
joined in the drummer's chant, "Brick by brick, wall by wall, we're
gonna free Mumia Abu Jamal!"
A thanks is extended to all the bands and sound crew for providing
the music. Thanks to the band members and YSAers that gave inspiring
talks. And a special thanks to YSAer Jeb Ebben for helping to
organize the show.
"NO U.S. LED WAR!"
"OVERTURN MUMIA'S CONVICTION!"
The article above is by Mark Ostapiak.
