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I Got A Soul That I Won't Sell And I Won't Accept Postcards From Hell

M.J.U. — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

The present evolving state of political discourse in our country truly is ponderous. Without the benefit of polling data or statistics, I can draw on anecdotal evidence to suggest that young people have always been involved in politics. The precise level of involvement -- and roles played -- is what has evolved significantly over the last decade. I think that it relates to a dichotomey in our pop culture. On the one hand, you have the theme that articulated in songs like The Wood Brothers' "Postcards From Hell," in which the listener is told that the narrator will not entertain the notion of selling his soul, and Wilco's "Hell is Chrome," playing on the idea the Devil is not a red, horned, creature, but rather a beautiful, shiny, enticing offer that is difficult to refuse. And the dichotomy is that some kids grow up with an interest in politics, government and group dynamics because of an interest in high school history class. Other kids grow up with greater interest in math, science, art, music, and are not tuned into to politics until they get older and for some reason start to pay attention or register to vote. The first group, the high school students interested in history who then study political science in college go on to work on capital hill or relatively low level positions on political campaigns around the country. The participate in government and politics because the pure act of participation is interesting to them. But they may also become engulfed in the system for the sake of job security. Changing the status quo is dangerous because that may mean that your next job is one outside of government or politics. The second group of students grew up and needed to be driven to vote, or to participate in government, because of issues. For example, the back story on former GOP House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is that he became involved in local Texas politics because he was an exterminator and a new bill to ban certain pesticides threatened his business. But in the wake of the era of big media, less people were interested in pursuing government jobs because of the type of public scrutiny to which you become subjected. Overtime, the more idea driven or purpose-driven individuals, those not driven by specific issues or interets, became a rarer bread of politician. As politicians became less pure, younger people grew up more cynical. Older generations experienced the fallout from Vietnam and Watergate. The next generation experienced the Iran-Contra scandal and a convicted felon (Oliver North) get off on a technicality and now his own show on Fox News. But modern cynicism is emerging as a different bread. Members of Colbert Nation and viewers of the Daily Show and Real Time with Bill Maher are hearing political humor that is filtered not through cynacism, but through romanticism. Bill Maher is clearly a romantic ideologue, but cynical about the brand of individuals that tend to run government lately. [. . .]

Garcia says Young Voters Key

alicescheshirecat — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Joe Garcia running in Florida's 25th District in way southern Florida says that young voters are key this election and will decide a lot of races.

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Andy — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

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The Jacket, LCD Soundsystem, Gnarls Barkley on Darfur Compilation

Andy — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:33:54 +0000

Darfur has slipped from the news a bit in the last year but it remains on the minds of America's artistic community - which has really led the fight to end genocide in the Sudanese province. New York's Waxploitation Records just released its second compilation album, "Causes 2," to raise money for three charities providing aid to the more than 2.7 million people who have been displaced by violence there (Oxfam America, Doctors Without Borders, and Human Rights Watch).

Among the highlights on the album: A VHS or Beta remix of My Morning Jacket's "Highly Suspicious."

The track list is below:

1. Black Moth Super Rainbow - Happy Melted City

2. The Decemberists - After the Bombs (Live Version)

3. Devendra Banhart - White Reggae Troll

4. Diplo - Wassup Wassup (Samim Remix)

5. Federico Aubele - Luna Y Sol

6. Gnarls Barkley - Mystery Man

7. LCD Soundsystem - Starry Eyes Original

8. My Morning Jacket - Highly Suspicious (VHS or Beta Remix)

9. Matthew Dear - When She Don't Need Me

10. Mum - Asleep In A Hiding Place

11. Neon Neon - I Lust U featuring Cate Le Bon (DJ Eli Escobar Remix)

12. RJD2 - Wherever

13. Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings - It Hurts To Be Be Alone

14. Tim & Eric - Petite Feet (Devlin & Ghostdad Remix featuring Sylvia Gordon)

D Tour

Nicole Parisi-Smith — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Sri Lanka: We Looked it Up

SteveCorson — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Last week Dave Matthews took to Twitter to raise awareness of the humanitarian crises in Sri Lanka. "Let's see if Sri Lanka will end combat operations,” he Tweeted. “What a nightmare. If y'all don't know what's happening in Sri Lanka look it up." We took Dave up on his call and put together a brief summation of the situation, with links to respected news sources and human rights groups. We encourage everyone in the DMB and HeadCount community to learn what they can and take action. Sri Lanka is a small island situated off of India's southeastern coast. It has been involved in a civil war with a separatist group known as the Tamil Tigers since 1983. Many believe that the war is in its final days and as the conflict moves closer to a conclusion, the situation on the ground has intensified. Throughout the years of on and off fighting, the Tamil Tigers have built a reputation for brutality, however, both sides have been accused of engaging in abduction and the use of child soldiers. Most recently, government forces have taken actions that have been alarmingly severe. Right now, government forces have the Tamil Tigers pinned to the north eastern corner of the island and it is estimated that over the course of the last few months, as many as 250,000 civilians have been held hostage and used as human shields. Shortages of food, water and medicine are exasperating the situation and tens of thousands of civilians may perish. More recently, as many as 115,000 civilians have fled the Tamil strongholds, as documented in this BBC video. Government forces appear poised to fight until they can obtain an unconditional surrender from the Tamil Tigers. The Government of Sri Lanka has resisted calls from the United Nations and others to allow humanitarian assessment teams onto the island, making it extremely difficult for anyone to have a full understanding of the consequences borne from recent fighting. Here in the U.S., many American’s, including many members of Congress, are largely unaware of the recent human rights atrocities that have been taking place. One thing that you can do is contact your elected officials through the advocacy organization People for Equity and Relief in Lanka (PEARL).

Andy — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

[caption id="attachment_1377" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Marc Brownstein with Camp Bisco \"Reality Check\" winner Casey Cashman"][/caption]

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Richard Gehr — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

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admin — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Vinyl Dead? Not for The Dead Weather

Sebastian — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

With Record Store Day only a few weeks behind us I'm sure everyone still has their recently purchased vinyl on heavy rotation. But how long until you put those heavy black things away substituted by your trendy light-weight iPod? We know one man out there who loves his vinyl and thats Jack White. Known best for his bands The White Stripes, The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather, Mr. White also owns a record store in Nashville, TN called Third Man Records, which only sells vinyl. So it seems quite fitting that when his newest band The Dead Weather want to give us an early peak at their second album 'Sea of Corwards,' they don't go about it in your typical online streaming format. Starting at 1pm EST today you'll be able to watch and listen to the entire album being played on an old school record player. It will be available for 24 hours. In an age where quantity seems to triumph over quality on so many levels its nice to see someone taking the time help us appreciate the value in playing an analogue record vs. a stripped down mP3. He's not the only musician who feels this way. In a recent HeadCount interview, Bob Weir talked about how analogue music moves people, and our bodies reject the digital format. If you're turned on by streaming record, check back Monday May 3rd at 6pm EST when the band plays 'Sea of Cowards' live in its entirety at Third Man. It will be available on myspace.

Telluride Won't Bust Scalpers

Andy — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

In a battle of free-market Colorado spirit versus a quaint town's desire to keep out extra hippies, the Telluride town council rejected a proposed ordinance that would slap a heavy fine on ticket scalpers. It came down to a 4-3 vote after two council members did a late about face on the measure and sided with the opposition. The measure was meant to dissuade ticketless fans from descending on Telluride when Phish plays there on August 10-11.

Interview: Rock and Wrap It Up! Founder Syd Mandelbaum

Josh Greenberg — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I had a chance to sit down with the founder of Rock and Wrap It Up! and anti-poverty activist Syd Mandelbaum to discuss his inspirational non-profit. Rock and Wrap It Up! (RWU) is a grassroots organization that was founded to address the needs of one soup kitchen in Queens, NY. After realizing the potential of collecting food at one concert Syd founded the concept of RWU. The core goal has not changed, feed needy Americans, however, the efforts have expanded in recent years. Who were some of the first bands to support RWU and how many total bands have agreed to participate? Over 160 bands since 1991 have participated in donating food that is prepared and not served from back stage catering. The first bands, in no particular order, were Bruce Hornstein & The Range, The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Phish, and Michael Bolton. All of these bands were signed up with us nationally in 1994 but it really was Bruce Hornstein and Branford Marsalis who I first bounced the ideas off of starting RWU. At the time, Bruce was in the Grateful Dead so they were one of the first bands to support us as well. How many pounds of food do you expect to collect this summer and how many people will that serve? RWU has expanded where the majority of the food is not just in music; music is a very small part of the RWU model. We now are in professional sports, we have over 40 sport franchises throughout the United States and Canada that give us all food that is prepared but not sold at their stadiums and arenas. We also have hundreds of schools throughout America that give us food and other assets to fight poverty. We also have hotels that give us food as well as when films and television shows are shot, like NBC Universal, we partner with them so we have plenty of opportunities to recovery food from other venues other then backstage catering at rock concerts. Also many rock bands have given us entrée into the arenas themselves so it’s not just the bands who are giving us food, the entire arena, whether the band is signed up with us or not, is giving us food that is prepared but not sold and we have that in a dozen arenas throughout the United States. In a nutshell we will probably feed, just over the summer, about 4 to 5 million people. Have the recoveries at schools and colleges been successful? I have to give credit to your mother, Alyssa Greenberg, and Dori Fishban, who were the first group on Long Island, as volunteers, to start a program in the Port Washington school district. We now have well over 200 schools throughout the United States who give food, not even mentioning the schools on the college level. On the college level our largest partners are USC and UCLA, all of the food from the UCLA campus goes to RWU and is recovered by LA mission, our partner in downtown Los Angeles. On the college level we have two programs, one is called College Wrap! and the other is Give and go Green. These programs were started in the NY area, one of them at Barnard and Columbia, Give and go Green, where students who graduated began giving all of their room and dorm assets upon graduation. Instead of taking them home they give them to RWU, where we arrange with agencies to take those mini-refrigerators, microwaves, toaster ovens, televisions, books, clothing, linen, bedding to give them directly to families in crisis that instantaneously use them to have a place live. That program is huge and we would love to see the supporters of HeadCount, as your mado is Music, Democracy and Action, we would like to see the action work with RWU so that our mission, which we say is reducing the poverty footprint while still reducing the carbon-footprint, can be more inculcated throughout colleges throughout the United States and North America. Will you be continuing food recoveries at music festivals this summer? I think we are going to be partnering with HeadCount also where we are going to have, like you coordinated at Mountain Jam, more festivals like Coachella. We coordinated at Bonnaroo, but they had already been setup, yet they continued our work. We have reached out to the people at Lollapalooza and we will be reaching out to other festivals like Gathering of the Vibes to try to arrange that all food that is prepared but not sold or used, feed the hungry in those communities. We have had great support from the management of the festival themselves. What other greening efforts are being made? We are looking to expand our hotel work. So right now, one of the larger projects of RWU is to have bands that travel, and this was started by Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne many years ago, wherever they travel they would encourage their entire tour to take the shampoo and conditioner and soap that was unused, because many of them travel with their own toiletries and they would collect all the shampoo and conditioner and they would send it to RWU. In their first tour we received over 45 shipments from them which was a tour in Europe. This has been continued by bands like Phish, The Zen Tricksters, we have reached out to Vampire Weekend, which is our newest band. T: We had the opportunity to go to Bonnaroo and talk to people in the artist hospitality area, the artists themselves, their management to talk to them about the types of things that we want to do and basically spread the word about RWU as an organization. Bands like Temper Tramp and Mike Snow expressed a lot of interest in the types of things we are doing. So we are definitely looking to expand to both established and up-and-coming bands that are traveling throughout the festival scene to raise their fandom which is what are trying to do at these festivals. Vampire Weekend has been the most responsive so far, even though they are not touring at large venues so we can’t get large amounts of food, they still have expressed interest in partnering with us to get the message out about RWU. Some of the things that have been really important are that bands have been looking at the sustainability; RWU was the first green charity according to Sharon Osbourne. We understood 17 years ago that food that could be eaten and kept out of landfills could only be good for the environment but more importantly could help feed the hungry. All these bands we work believe that through teenagers and kids in their young twenties that that is where the world has changed. So the more we can do to teach people that they themselves, individually, can make a difference the better. It really comes down to re-empowering the individual. RWU has programs that start as young as working with 5 year olds in our Snack Rap program. The Snack Rap program was started with RWU in 2002, but in 2010 it has been exploding. Like HeadCount, RWU has a small core group of permanent employees. How does the size of the organization thrive with the limited help? Because we have been around this long we have very few people who leave us. We are like a big bus that goes on a route and goes a little bit further out each time, but people can get on that bus whenever they want. We have people who have been with us for 16 years who want to make a difference through us. We have a staff of 6 with 3 interns on top of that; however we also have over 6,000 volunteers throughout the United States. Where does RWU progress to now? Right now our biggest issue is reducing poverty at a time when this country has never had more people that have had food issues. The economy sucks, where we were making a dent at reducing poverty before 2007, with economy being so so weak there are now close to 50 million Americans that are food insecure, where in 2007 the number were dropping to about 35 million Americans. The other positive thing with RWU is that the partners and agencies we deal with are in dire need of the assets that we are able to develop for them. Because, as you know, our mission is very simple, the more assets that we give to agencies that fight poverty, the more money they have to pay for the services that attack the root causes of poverty. I believe we are still in our infancy; we still know we have so much more to do because the need is so great.

The Oil Spill is Your Fault, and Mine

Andy — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

The Gulf Oil disaster was 30 years in the making, according to an eye-opening Ted Talk by conservationist Dr. Carl Safina. The noted ecologist and author spoke at the TedxOilSpill conference in Washington, DC. Through detailed investigation and heartbreaking images and stories, he answered the questions: “What does the Gulf oil disaster really mean and why did it happen?” Dr. Safina identifies the trend that has befallen the country and the environment: the culture of deregulation where corporations have risen above the law. "I refuse to acknowledge this as anything like an accident... I think this is the result of gross negligence, not just BP. BP operated very sloppily and very recklessly because they could and they were allowed to do so because of the absolute failure of oversight of the government that is supposed to be our government protecting us,” he said. He examines how the approximate 30 year trend of deregulation has been behind some of the major and recent crises our nation has experienced including the BP oil disaster, the bank bailouts and the mortgage crisis. "Where did this oil leak stem from? It really started from the destruction of the idea that the government is there because it’s our government meant to protect the larger public interest... root causes: money and ideology." Safina adds, “There has been a culture of deregulation that is caused directly by the people who we need to be protected from, buying the government out from under us.” If we accept his premise as true, then it also leaves us with some questions to ask ourselves. How did we, the public, let it get this way? As consumers who have gotten used to getting pretty much whatever we want and rather quickly, have we turned the power over to the corporations who have everything but our best interest in mind? By corporations feeding our “wants” like a drug dealer feeding a heroine addict, have we become so comfortable and complacent that it’s us – the American people - who have allowed them to grow so big? Is it possible for us to reduce the power of corporations by retraining ourselves to seek out smaller businesses, mom and pops, farmers markets, coops etc... and doing more for ourselves? As Safina said, "We're either going to have an absolutely unmitigated catastrophe of this oil leak in the Gulf, or we will make the moment we need out of this."

Team Leader of the Week: Jesse Campbell

Sebastian — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

McDonald's - a burger you can count on

Andy — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

It's easy to pick on poor ol' McDonald's. So easy we can't resist. Check out this little piece of art and science... a New York photographer bought a Happy Meal and decided to photograph it until it decomposed. As of day 137, it still looked tasty as ever - in other words, it barely changed composition at all. Only a little "patty shrinkage" (must have gone in the pool). But before anyone dismisses McDonald's as a force of global evil, consider that Celebrity chef James Oliver praises Mickey Dees in the UK for their use of free range eggs, organic milk and quality beef. Oliver, a Brit himself, is host of ABC's "Food Revolution," a reality show where he sets out to change the eating habits of Huntington, WV (the fattest city in America). He notes that McDonald's had it's best year ever in the U.K. after embracing healthier ingredients. But he adds that Americans' taste for over-processed fattening food made it economically unnatractive for McDonald's to make the same positive changes here as it did in the motherland. Hear Oliver on a segment from Sunday's "This Week" on ABC. It's a long (but interesting) piece about school nutrition. Oliver pops up toward the middle.

The "Apple Store" of Cannabis

Jonathan Perri — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

You know the times are changing when Fast Company is writing about a California medical marijuana dispensary and calling it the "Apple Store of Marijuana Shops." The dispensary they're referring to is SPARC, the San Francisco Patient and Resource Center and it just opened it's doors a few weeks ago. SPARC has also been featured in the New York Times and in 7x7, a stylish entertainment magazine.

In a city that fetishizes everything it eats and drinks, it was inevitable that what it smokes would be next. To this end, SPARC (San Francisco Patient and Resource Center), SF’s latest medicinal marijuana dispensary, has brought the cannabis club to a new level. From the outside, the facility is a glimmer of modern design among a stretch of SoMa residential hotels and donut shops. The windows—a graphic mix of blue and white opaque glass framed in black metal—represent the genetic code of THC. Inside, the light-filled space calls to mind a spa or chic apothecary.

While medical cannabis is still illegal under federal law, counties in California that have decided to regulate and control their medical marijuana dispensaries have seen dispensaries like SPARC and Harborside Health Center becoming a model for what others should look like.

Front Row Tix to moe. at the Beacon

Sebastian — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Catch moe.'s Oct 8th show in New York City from the front row, and come backstage to meet Al after the show. Available via charity auction to support HeadCount. Bid now.

HeadCount Questions: What little thing can you do everyday to better the world?

jennifers — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Leave a comment below or on our Facebook Page.

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Interview with Ben Knox Miller of The Low Anthem

Sy Sommer — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

HeadCount: So you're putting the finishing flourishes on the new album? Ben Knox Miller: Yeah, details, mastering. Did you give yourself a due date or, who is breathing down your neck, you or someone else? I guess we all sort of all agreed together that the due date was gonna be the Friday before XXXXXXXX but yeah, it's kind of self-imposed. When do you want it to come out? We're thinking probably mid-February. I'm not exactly sure if we'll make this deadline. XXXXXXXXX I don't know. Things are kind of XXXXXXXXX right now. Well it looks like you're doing some cool gigs coming up, from that e-mail that you sent out. That Emmylou Harris stuff sounds great. Bet you're looking forward to that? Yeah, she may sing a song of ours with us. It's pretty cool. That would be great. Maybe she can do "Cage the Song Bird." She wants to do "To Ohio," which kind of XXXXXXX a long time ago. She'd be great at that. I think she would be wonderful at that. Yeah. Anyway, yeah, that will be great. So basically, HeadCount is a non-profit organization whose job is to try and engage young people in the voting process, especially with registration, because a lot of young people don't realize you have to register, you can't just go in the day of voting and just pull a lever, and it's non-partisan. But they know that while they've had a tremendous success - Jay-Z did their PSA recently - and they really did do an incredible job getting people involved in the process, but the theory is that perhaps a younger generation isn't engaging in the actual issues that much, whereas they were voting on the person and not on the planks. The thought process was that, "Look, we're only half succesful if we get people to register to vote and to vote. The other half is to get them to understand what they are voting for and why they are voting for something, and really, to do a little digging so that it's not just a popularity contest." So I guess, in this very short couple of questions interview, is there an issue that you feel particularly strongly about? Is there something that you feel is really important as an issue, really any issue? If you could engage and lead a seminar, an engaging conversation, what would the issue be? Well, I think that issues of transparency in government are important, because, we find out and understand who is pulling the strings every day. Potentially it creates XXXXXXXXX. So, you know, things like finance reform seem to be important... XXXXXXXXX It happens at the ground level and it grows out XXXXXXXXX It effects Main Street just as much as it effects the people lining their pockets. Someone is winning, and that means someone is losing. I think that the big point is that big corporations knew what the last election was and that change, there is a counter-reaction XXXXXXXXXX??????????????????????

Sen. Tom Coburn calls

Jonathan Perri — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 22:27:09 +0000

In Sen. Tom Coburn's Wastebook 2010, a compilation of what he considers wasteful government spending throughout the year, the University of Santa Cruz's Grateful Dead archive comes in at No. 4. Aaron Houston, the executive director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (and my boss), has called for slang dictionaries to officially refer to the sharing of a joint between two people as a "Coburn" in honor of the senator. What do you think HeadCount readers? Is this the archive a waste of tax dollars or an important sociological tool that Sen. Coburn is singling out?

Social Media Report - do not delete

jennifers — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

VIEW REPORT

Media Police: "Big Brother" vs. Violation of First Amendment

Sasha Patel — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

On Saturday January 8, 2011 the unspeakable happened in Tucson, Arizona. In an act of random terror, six people lost their lives, and the rest are still fighting for theirs, not knowing what their lives will be like in the future. One thing is for sure, and that is that no one's lives will ever be the same. The suspect has been named as Jared Lee Loughner, a 22 year-old, self proclaimed loner. He had previously been suspended last September from his local community college, and asked not to return until he received help for his sudden outburts in class. Instead of receiving professional help as recommended, it appears that Loughner turned to blogging on the internet about the government and controversial topics, such as abortion and war to ease his troubled mind. He found a cyber ear to listen, by posting his irrational thoughts on social media sites such as Myspace and YouTube. "Dear Reader ... I'm searching. Today! With every concern, my shot is now ready for aim. The hunt, a mighty thought of mine." This disturbing post was dated December 30, 2010. Similar criminals have written about their thoughts and crimes. "Unibomber" Ted Kaczynski, won the appeal to sell his writings, which total a near 40,000 pages. Victims fear that he will sell or post them on the internet. Supporters of the first amendment support that they are Kaczynski's proprty to do what he wishes with them. While we all can't be psychiatrists or police officers to the general public, there is one thing that almost everyone can do in our current society. Anyone in possesion of a social media page can most certainly report irrational and suspicious posts that may present harm to the public. As already implemented in New York City, "if you see something, say something!" With the age of social media, posts can spread like wildfire and be seen by millions at the click of a mouse. Some believe that everyone keep their eyes and ears open for people reaching out into the cyber world, for help - even if it's not a direct call for help. Too often we focus on our own hectic day- to- day schedule, but never a day goes by that people don't log in to their Facebook, Myspace, or YouTube accounts to catch up on the daily events. Social media presents itself as the perfect opportunity for civilians to "police" the net and the people of their immediate community. Others believe that freedom of speech is violated if you cannot say what you want on social media pages. Difference of opinion will always exist, and the right to say whatever you feel is an American right. It's a right that everyone has in this country, which makes America that land of Democracy. There seems to be an indistinct line in this scenerio between what appears to be a form of protection and exercising our constituitional rights. Do you think that users of social media sites would be willing to anonymously report posts as "suspicious" or "potentially dangerous" to an authoritative cyber figure? Are we treading thin water and possibly getting closer to a real life "Big Brother" scenerio if that is implemented? Will we live in society where our First Amendment rights are at jeopardy because society doesn't like what we have to say?

Andy — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Stars Sing for Peace Sudanese rapper Emmanuel Jal goes to the internet with a call for peace, releasing a new single titled “We Want Peace”. Enlisting the help of such names as Alicia Keys, Peter Gabriel, Sir Richard Branson, Kofi Annan and Jimmy Carter the Sudanese rapper sends his message for peace in his troubled country. The music, for the break out single, was written by singer songwriter Peter Gabriel. Jal was a former child solider in the Sudanese People's Liberation Army (SPLA) in the south. He left that life before the end of the civil war to peruse a rap career. This rebel turned rapper has had success before in his calls for peace. In 2005 Jal collaborated with fellow Sudanese musician, Abdel-Gadir Salim, for “Ceasefire” with great success. Salim is an established folk-pop singer from the countries north. Six years later each of these artists has seen increasing success in Sudan and internationally. Both artists still hope for their original message of peace and unity to resonate amongst all of the turmoil their country has experienced. Peace and unity have take center stage in Sudan as the country waits on edge the see the results of its recent referendum. Two weeks ago southern Sudan voted in a referendum seeking to split Africa’s largest country in two. Many opinion polls suggest that the country will secede and southern Sudan will be born. With huge issues still to be worked out between the opposing north and south such as the sharing of oil revenues Sudan’s future is far from certain. These musicians no matter what the outcome are working towards a better Sudan for the future. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1ZEJWVSiEI

Test

jennifers — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

ABC Handgloves [caption id="attachment_11730" align="alignleft" width="100" caption=""The Mona Lisa""][/caption] The quick brown fox etc. blah blah blah bla blah

Music Television vs. Reality Television

Sasha Patel — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Remember the days when MTV was awesome? When Music Television actually played music videos 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? I can remember being a teenager and getting ready for school, which in those days consisted of crimping my hair and jamming out to Soundgarden’s latest video “Black Hole Sun.” Those were the days. If those days were still around, music lovers may find it easier to fork out the extra money for cable. Reality television fanatics are definitely using MTV as their way to feed the addiction. First launched on August 1, 1981 with The Buggle’s “Video Killed the Radio Star,” MTV was on the rise to becoming the most popular channel on broadcast television. MTV’s resume does include some great classics such as: Beavis and Butthead, Total Request Live with Carson Daly, Unplugged, the creation of VJ’s, and the days of 24/7 music videos. Looking at the current lineup for MTV is a very different story. With shows like Jersey Shore, 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom, Skins, and I Used to be Fat flooding the prime spots, it’s a reality, (or should I say scripted reality) kind of world. By 2003, MTV was only playing an average of 3 hours of music, out of the 24 hours in a day. In 2010, the station officially dropped the “music” from their logo. They are now officially known as “MTV,” the “M” not standing for anything. Vh-1 seems to be traveling down the same road. Many evenings filled with reality shows, but not much time spent actually playing music videos. The one advantage that VH-1 does seem to have over MTV is that they often do a “Top 100” countdown of videos throughout the years. There are still channels such as CMT, Palladia, and Fuse that dedicate their air time to music Reality television is everywhere you look. It would appear that over time, people enjoy to spend their free time staring at the television watching other people's real-life drama. While this may be the ideal way for people to "veg" out, others prefer to stop and hear, or in this case watch the music.

Joseph Kelley — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

im at work it suck

Top 10 Music Scenes in the U.S.A.

chrisr — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

10. Washington, DC The nation's capital is not only a hotbed of politics. From hardcore groups like Fugazi to Chuck Brown, the father of go-go, many influential artists call the city home. The 930 Club has a virtual monopoly on club shows. No wonder it's the busiest venue in the country. When you hit a show in DC, you never know what you might get!

9. Atlanta & Athens, GA

What do the Goodie Mob, Outkast and Gladys Knight & the Pips all have in common? They all hail from the ATL! If hip-hop and R&B are not your speed, head 70 miles East and hit up the 40 Watt Club to see the newest indie band that is sure to hit the national spotlight in the near future. Widespread Panic, the B-52s and Bubba Sparxxx all emerged from the Athens scene, as well as a lesser known band called R.E.M.

8. Nashville, TN

The main reason Nashville ranks so high is because, quite simply, it is an awesome place! It is the country music capital of the world. Home of the Grand Ole Opry and Music Row, it is not so much a matter of who came from Nashville, but rather, who hasn't spent time in the studio or performing in one of the local venues. Home to a diverse array or artists such as Dolly Parton, Jack White and the Kings of Leon, it also gave birth to the influential Cyrus clan - Miley, Billy Ray and of course, Billy Ray's mullet.

7. Portland, OR

This cutting edge city may be the nation's leader in street food, but it is also a hotbed of some of indie rock's pioneers. The Decemberists, The Dandy Warhols and The Shins all claim this as home. Hit up MusicFestNW in September to hear some of the latest bands on the scene before they are done.

6. Chicago, IL

The Windy City, is a hub for live music. As a major stopover for pretty much every band traveling from coast to coast, Chicago boasts numerous venues as well as many acts originating in the city. It also happens to be the permanent home of Lollapalooza and Pitchfork Music Festival. If you don't know that Chicago blues also originated here, you don't know diddly. (VENUES, ARTISTS?)

5. New Orleans, LA

New Orleans is arguably the birthplace of jazz. Walk down Bourbon Street and you cannot escape the music floating out of open doorways, beckoning you into smoky jazz halls and quaint cafes and bars. However, NOLA also has a presence in many other musical scenes. Who can forget this classic from the heavy metal gods, Goatwhore? Hip-hop also has roots in NOLA. Before Lady Gaga sang about her Telephone and Beyonce warbled about her Videophone, New Orleans native Master P was rapping about his Sidekick.

I THINK NOLA CAN BETTER BE CAPTURED THAN THIS. ARTISTS, VENUES, JAZZFEST)

4. Seattle, WA

Grunge, flannel & coffee - a triumvirate made in heaven. Pearl Jam and Nirvana may be the most recognizable names that came from this Pacific Northwest hotbed of culture but Soundgarden and Alice in Chains were hot on their heels. With a laid back atmosphere and ever-present mist in the air, Seattle has given rise to many of the most influential bands of the 20th Century. And Candlebox. WHAT ABOUT TODAY?

3. San Francisco, CA

Some of the best venues in the country can be found in San Francisco - the Fillmore, the Warfield & the Bottom of the Hill. The free spirit of the City by the Bay lends itself to a vibrant music scene. San Fran and the surrounding bay area gave rise to influential acts such as The Grateful Dead, Santana & The Steve Miller Band. It is also the home of Tony! Toni! Toné! and M.C. Hammer, but that is from an era many of us try to forget.

2. New York, NY

Beastie Boys, Velvet Underground, New York Dolls, TV on the Radio, Billie Holiday - such a diverse array of artists and venues. The cultural diversity of the five boroughs lends itself to a vibrant cacophony of sounds. Brooklyn's music scene alone is often seen as the heart of modern indie rock. While the 'Brooklyn vibe' used to generally mean bands that sounded suspiciously like Animal Collective, current acts are bleeping and blooping their way in new and exciting directions.

1. Austin, TX

As a "scene" you can't beat Austin. Whether you are eating the brisket at Stubb's while listening to Matisyahu's latest tunes or hanging out at Antone's, something is ALWAYS going down in this music capital of the world. South by Southwest and Austin City Limits Music Festival are the preeminent events every year for the music enthusiast. Every lover of music, regardless of preferred genre, must make a pilgrimage to Austin sometime in their lives.

Obama's Re-Election Campaign Hits the Web Running

Chris Mocharla — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Monday morning Obama’s campaign launched a video announcing his re-election bid for 2012. Rather than attempting to encourage people to re-elect him himself, Obama instead lets his supporters take the reins and has them as the driving force in relaying the message that we must re-elect him. His campaign slogan this round, “It begins with us,” is based on his reasoning for beginning the campaign now:

“We're doing this now because the politics we believe in does not start with expensive TV ads or extravaganzas, but with you -- with people organizing block-by-block, talking to neighbors, co-workers, and friends. And that kind of campaign takes time to build”

In effort to excite and regroup members of Obama’s grassroots operation from 2008, in addition to the video, the Obama campaign has sent out tweets while Organizing for America sent out an email. It is also quite obvious that the video etc. are meant to motivate supporters to get involved and become enthused about the possibility of Obama remaining President. There will no doubt be expensive TV ads later on, but for now perhaps the most powerful (and cheapest) resource and perhaps cheapest to implement the campaign has at its disposal is an excited socially active voter base that if wielded correctly could hand the election to whoever has the most friends on Facebook. However it is a double edged sword, since there is one thing that is pervasive to most political issues in America and that it is a short attention span, the worst thing that could happen would be to shine too bright too early and burn out before young people make it to the poles. In a world where social media has invaded most aspects of life as a citizen of the 21st century and a willingness to embrace it can make or break a product or campaign it is possible to over saturate the digital world. The midterms in 2010 saw a decrease in youth turnout, compared to 2008 as well as other midterm elections. It could have been due to less excitement and discussion in the digital world but the Obama campaign does not intend to sit back and lose a voting demographic that came out for him in 2008. Following the election in 2008 the political arena has become more divided and appears to be getting more and more divisive as we approach November of 2012, but there remains a large demographic that has not yet chosen a side. This population is exactly the people who are reached through social media. The Obama campaign seems to be looking to create new Democrats from first or second time voters rather than converting members from the other side. A new generation of voters has emerged who are not yet set in their voting habits. Which will force the battlefield of the 2012 election to occur in the digital space that is social media. It may even be won or lost on the internet and more specifically through Facebook and twitter. Whichever side utilizes the connectivity and free flow of information that comes with social media will take home the win next year. This in part is due to the realiztion that the internet is slated to affect the election of 2012 more than any previous election and no one knows that world better than the youngest members of the voting populace who essentially live on Facebook. Perhaps Jeff Bridges was correct in Tron when he said “In there is a new world! In there is our future! In there is our destiny!”

Fight back for Wisconsin through the public domain

Mike Rosenblatt — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

A new wave of political speech is spreading in America, following the Wisconsin labor tussle, and it comes in the form of a protest song written for and by the people. Between the rise of the deregulation-centered Tea Party and the controversial Citizens United Supreme Court decision (which allowed corporations to spend without limits for political purposes), corporations' ability to act politically is now broader and less restricted than ever. By comparison, an individual's capacity for political speech can seem dishearteningly small. When it comes to getting their message out though, what people lack in funds and infrastructure, they are making up for with creativity. Adam McKay, writer of the films Anchorman and Talladega Nights (among others) envisioned "The Public Domain Protest Song" as a project for artists to get a protest message out in their own artistic style. “The songs are completely free… We want your songs and raps. We also want you to take one of our songs on this site and re-record it, re-write it, mash it up, hack it to bits, tear it apart, then put it back together again… We don’t care. We just want music about what’s going on.” The version of the original public domain protest song on the website, for example, makes reference to the protests in Wisconsin over collective bargaining rights for public sector employees. McKay wonders why we don’t see more of these types of protest songs. Right now, there is no lack of issues to protest about. Could it be that the music industry itself is not conducive to promoting these types of efforts? After all, it is easier to make a hit out of a song about the desire to own a Mercedes than about teachers' unions in Wisconsin. Up against that barrier, creativity is required for artists to get their political songs into the public ear. For example, the Dropkick Murphys were moved to send their new single to Madison before it was even released, and country star Ryan Bingham provided a heartfelt version of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land.” Recent polling numbers show that the public more than stands behind the teachers and firefighters. More than 60% of Americans polled believe in the right to collectively bargain. McKay’s surprise at the lack of modern protest songs is understandable, especially considering the issues that the youth today faces. But maybe it takes an event like the Wisconsin debate to get the youth energized.

Give Me Your Cash, Ho.

Jonathan Perri — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Watch this video put together by Turn Right USA PAC attacking Janice Hahn.

Michigan Woman Faces Jail Time for Growing Vegetables

Jonathan Perri — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Oak Park Woman Faces 93-Days in Jail For Planting Vegetable Garden: MyFoxDETROIT.com

How being a Head Count Tour Leader Inspired me to Start a Conscious Alliance Student Group Chapter at UMASS Lowell

Krystal Peirce — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Last year by sheer randomness, I ran into Andy Bernstein backstage at Camp Bisco, and he asked me to write about how I started a Conscious Alliance student group at UMASS Lowell. So here's my story about how being a Head Count tour leader inspired me to start a Conscious Alliance Student Group at UMASS Lowell. In 2008, I was one of the O.A.R tour leaders for Head Count. (It's crazy that it's been 3 years since then! ) That tour turned out to be one of the best leadership experiences I've ever had. Looking back now, it was amazing how we made the passenger seat of our car into an "office" while being on the road. I learned that, among other things, you can never have enough pens on a Head Count tour, and of course, the value of a GPS. The air was electric in every state that we passed through, and people everywhere were eager to change the world. One of my favorite highlights of that tour was when the singer of O.A.R came out to our booth and personally asked people to register to vote. There were so many amazing volunteers eager to register people to vote in their communities that it inspired me to stay involved with non-profit organizations. After Head Count, I truly started to believe that individuals can make a difference in the world through art, music, and democracy. So, after the tour was finished, I started a Conscious Alliance student group chapter at the UMASS Lowell. For those who aren't yet familiar with Conscious Alliance, they are a nationally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates through ongoing grassroots food collection and hunger awareness programs throughout the United States. The majority of their organized food drives are conducted at concerts and music events. Recently, Conscious Alliance has begun student chapters all over the U.S.. As a student group, we serve as an effective platform for youth leadership, community involvement and volunteerism. Students work to raise food, funds, and hunger awareness; all of which assist in fulfilling the mission of Conscious Alliance. The groups educate their local community, create opportunities for civic involvement, and address hunger issues on a local level. It has been a blast bringing the "tour/festival spirit" to my local University. We started a garden in a community greenhouse to learn how to grow our own food. We are also involved with the local Community Supported Agriculture group in our area, by educating people about the importance of supporting local farmers. We also have thrown benefit shows on campus to support the Hati releif and The Relay for Life. Our club members have walked in the Boston Walk for Hunger. We also host an art table at the campus food drives each year. If you want to check out more about Conscious Alliance, or want to start one at your school, check out this link: http://www.consciousalliance.org/ This year we will be representing the Conscious Alliance at the Third Annual Bella Terra festival, along with numerous other non-profit organizations. If you want to learn more about the festival, go to: http://bellaterrafestival.com/

Do The Republicans Want Us Dead?

Jeff Simonds — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Have you been watching the Republican candidate debates of the past few weeks? Okay, me neither. But— have you at least been reading the summaries and highlights online? Well, if you have, you may have noticed a small, interesting little trend in the Republican Party’s candidates. It seems that they want… TO KILL YOU!!! Okay, that’s an exaggeration. But that’s the gist of a New York Daily News article that ran earlier this week. The story describes how events in the two debates demonstrate the GOP’s tendency to celebrate death. But, those who watched the debate have noticed that it wasn’t the candidates who are most guilty of this — it was the studio audience. The story starts with the September 7^th MSNBC debate. Moderator Brian Williams mentioned that Rick Perry, as governor of Texas, has executed “more [convicts] than any governor in modern times.” This statement was met with a stalwart grin from Perry and a fairly routine answer about how he doesn’t lose sleep over his state’s frequent use of the death penalty. But the most interesting part of the question came when Brian Williams’ quote was met with wild applause from the audience. Execution is, for obvious reasons, a very contentious issue in America (see Lindsey Burke’s article for a very recent example), and support for it as an institution varies wildly— but no one expected to hear a group of adults applauding the execution of over 200 people. Especially not Brian Williams, who reacted to this applause with a look of “befuddlepression” (a word I just made up combining “befuddlement” and “depression”… it’ll catch on). But, execution is an ethical grey-area… it’s not like anyone was advocating unplugging the life support machines of uninsured comatose citizens. …that came from the other debate’s audience. At the CNN/Tea Party debate on Monday, Wolf Blitzer posed an elaborate hypothetical question to Ron Paul: If an American citizen doesn’t have health insurance, and falls into a coma (or other medical crisis) what should happen to him? Before Paul could get his answer out, the audience answered for him: “Let him die.” Paul took a beat before explaining his opinion that the hypothetical man should’ve taken responsibility for himself (a very diplomatic statement that only slightly hints that we should “let him die”). It’s no secret that the GOP has always struggled to shrug of the label of war mongers and gun nuts (especially when you compare it to the Democrats stereotype as boring, tweedy, intellectual poindexter wimps). But, it has become difficult for Republican political figures to separate themselves from the dire things that come from their supporters. Just as Gov. Perry is going to be tied to the audience applauding execution, and Ron Paul is going to be tied to the audience members that want to unplug some hypothetical people, Republicans earlier this year were tied to violent threats following the Health Care Bill’s passage. So, are the Republicans really trying to kill us? Of course not. While the debate audience made some shocking and unsettling gestures, we shouldn’t make any sweeping generalizations about the candidates or their party. There will be occasional political figures who are linked to seemingly dangerous or violent moments (Sarah Palin’s cross-hair filled election map or Congressman Allen West’s rage-filled comments to Debbie Wasserman Schultz), but these are isolated incidents. So, instead of making generalizations about how dangerous our political parties are, we should just speak up for the things that we do believe. Right? …also… we should really look into getting some health insurance before President Paul is sworn into office.

Oregon uses iPad for voting

Greg Sarafan — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

By: Adam Scott

In the past decade, technology has grown exponentially. Tablets and smart phones have made just about anything possible with the click of anyone's finger. Oregon has taken that just one step further by allowing residents with disabilities to vote via iPad. The program was tested for the first time nationwide in 5 counties to nominate a U.S. House of Representatives replacement for disgraced congressman David Wu. Oregon was the first state to allow voting by mail in 2000, and this time they have made it easier for individuals with impairments to participate. Votes are not cast directly through the iPad, but instead printed out and mailed in. Apple donated 5 iPads towards the cause, and the state spent $75,000 dollars to create the software. According to Steve Trout, the state elections director, in order to go statewide, they would need 72 iPads. Individuals voting on the tablet can also update registration, track their ballots, and ask questions.

I must say, it’s a really neat idea. Just about everything these days is available on a laptop, phone or tablet, so why not voting? Each year, thousands of people do not participate in elections. Although this is not solely attributed to physical inability, it can’t hurt to make voting a little more convenient. In the 2008 presidential election, the voter turnout was only 63 percent. Just the other day I spoke with a woman who said that for years her husband could not vote because he could not go in and pull the lever himself.

Granted, iPad voting is not as simple as it seems. I see two obvious concerns regarding the election. First, the idea behind voting on a tablet may raise doubts about the privacy and accuracy of the voting process. Second, the overhead costs in running these programs are high. Look at Oregon, for example: if they were to run another election using iPads, they would have to spend an extra $36,000 on computers on top of the $75,000 for the program, plus the cost to hire county workers to help the disabled. So do I necessarily think this is the solution? No, but Oregon has started something that we may see more of in the years to come.

This was first posted on the blog SensibleReason.com

Young "Punks" Arrested, Detained, and "Re-Educated" in Indonesia

Jonathan Perri — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Last week, police in the Aceh province of Indonesia raided a punk rock charity concert. Why? To round up 65 young men and women who they felt were living a "punk" lifestyle in violation of Sharia law and Islamic values. Aceh is one of the most devout Muslim provinces in Indonesia. It's a place where Islamic law was implemented a few years ago and outside of the Aceh, most Muslim's practice a more moderate form of the religion. The youth were released today, after 10 day's of "re-education." Once detained, the men had all of their mohawks and hair shaved off and women we're given short bobs. They were stripped of all jewelery and piercings and forced to take communal baths. Gustav Leo, an Aceh police spokesman said this is being done to help them.

"They are Aceh's own children - we are doing this for their own good. Their future could be at risk. We are re-educating them so they don't shame their parents." "They will undergo a re-education so their morals will match those of other Acehnese people," says Mr Leo.

Aceh's Deputy Mayor Illiza Sa'aduddin Djamal said the punks are in violation of Sharia law and must be detained and reformed. "In Islam, women should wear headscarves and men must not have tattoos, because they won’t be able to perform mandatory prayers with their tattoos," she told the Jakarta Post. These authorities claim that the human rights of the so called punks were never violated despite them being held for 10 days without any criminal charges being brought against them. And many stated that even after being subjected to military drills and classed aimed at improving their morals, they would not stop their lifestyle.

The 65 youths are being subjected to military drills to improve their moral character in conservative Aceh province. But the detainees shout, "Punk will never die!" between drills, and some even managed to escape briefly, according to The Associated Press. “They can’t change me," one young man, a 19-year-old named Yudi, told the AP. "I love punk. I don’t feel guilty about my lifestyle. Why should I? There’s nothing wrong with it.”

Following the detainee's release, Aceh groups who supported their detainment and re-education are now calling for the local government to issue an ordinance that would outlaw a punk lifestyle. Josh , the editor of Blow the Scene, an online music and culture magazine, has launched a campaign on Change.org that he hopes will stop the province from implementing the new law.

angie — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 21:38:31 +0000

angie — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 21:40:22 +0000

Don't Mess with the Internet

Jonathan Perri — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Yesterday, the internet took a stand against two pieces of legislation backed by the entertainment lobby and the politicians that take contributions from those companies. The Stop Online Piracy Act (now a dead bill) and the Protect IP Act (up for a vote on January XX) are Today, the Department of Justice stepped into the game by shutting down Megaupload.com - a popular file sharing site. The Feds are calling the owners of Megaupload a "criminal enterprise" who now faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on racketeering charges, five years for conspiracy to commit copyright infringement, 20 years on money laundering charges and five years on related charges. Megaupload's CEO is Swizz Beatz, a producer who is married to I'm familiar with Megaupload as a tool for trading and sharing recordings of live music with my friends. Only 15 minutes later, Anonymous had justice.gov by short and curlies - shut down Right now, Congress is the oldest it's ever been. The average age of a senator is 60 (the oldest ever) and the average age of a member of the House is 55 (the oldest in more than a century). Some of them think the internet is a series of tubes. Most of them don't understand that, like it or not, the way music and film is shared has changed drastically. I think we're at a point where the disconnect between the Americans under the age of 40 and the politicians who supposedly represent us, is so incredibly massive that they can't begin to understand how we will respond to their efforts to attack what has become our most prized possession: the internet. Take Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) for example. She is often praised by Democrats for her stance on issues like . But she's a co-sponsor of PIPA, a move that is certain to cost her a significant amount of support from young people in California (she's lost my vote over this and I'm 27 - that's still young right?). According to Maplight, Boxer has received nearly equal amounts from groups that either support or oppose PIPA (about $200K more from interest groups supporting the bill). But she also gets an additional $2.5 million in contributions from the music/entertainment industry. It's hard to imagine these numbers didn't play a role in her decision to co-sponsor PIPA. I'll leave you with a quote that I think summarizes what few people understand about the unstoppable power of the internet. It's from John Gilmore - an internet pioneer and co-founder of the Electronic Freedom Foundation:

The Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it.

Can Occupy Change Politics?

Laura Bedrick — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

For many it started with an insight, an idea, or a taste of freedom that brought them to the stage of history to try to change it’s course. Leading this new era of protests, America’s youth united together to become the face of 'Occupy', a movement that changed the landscape of our society and politics. Now the Occupy movement is in everyone’s heads, including the presidential candidates who have been forced to speak publicly about issues of class inequality and corporate domination. Meanwhile, there seems to be a lack of interest in politics amongst young people. With less than 3% of the youth voting in the Massachusetts Presidential Primary and now eight states with new voter ID laws that suppress the youth vote with little backlash; It leaves me, as a young American, questioning: Is there a real connection between protesting on the streets and changing the system? I decided to check out the New York ‘Occupy’ working group, Political Action and Impact, who focuses on making an impact on the political system and government by taking the message of OWS to the people, media, and government. Interested in finding a real connection between Occupy and politics, I contacted the group leader, Stuart Leonard, who was grateful to get the word out. I found out that the Political Action and Impact group does not endorse or support any specific party but they are still active in the political arena in order to confront “the politicians where they ‘live.’... [The group] believes you can (and perhaps must) change the system from within and without.” To echo this idea, they recently joined with 'Occupy' NH to “occupy” the New Hampshire primary to educate and agitate politicians. Leonard shared with me: “We harassed the candidates and disrupted events, this included an action at the democratic headquarters, as well as against the republicans. A real highlight is when we disrupted a Romney event in NH and he engaged one of us from the stage.” The Political Action and Impact group is also working to bring attention to legislation that truly initiates campaign finance reform, addresses income inequality, and promotes job creation. One of the first pieces of legislation that they supported was the revised American Jobs Act of 2011. There is also discussion about supporting political candidates that are accountable but not “paying lip service to ‘Occupy’”. With the "American Spring" arriving, the group’s main focus is “to build connections” by attending upcoming community events. While the Political Action and Impact working group seems to be done playing politics as usual, it is obvious that they are far from making a deep impact in the political arena. The group agrees that in order to be a strong influence, they need more people to join. Will the youth rise to the occasion? Right now, young Russians are having massive protest for honest elections and Germany recently elected an anti-government activist with no party affiliation as their new president. I know that Im young but it feels like never before has the tantalizing possibility of true freedom been so real. Political attitudes underwent a transformation in 2011 and it could be difficult to harness that attitude into actions that are successful for ‘Occupy’ and wider movements but it's critical to develop in 2012, especially with the upcoming elections. Leonard, who is apart a group that is paving the way, knows that “the means of achieving this are not yet certain, what is certain is that it is time to fight. The first task is to mobilize the people.” When will you see a sudden flash of insight that this taste of freedom is not in the distant future but it is every moment and every action we take to stand up?

It's Time to Get Serious About Legalizing Marijuana

Sam DArcangelo — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

If you’re the kind of person who reads their local paper every day then chances are you’ve heard about “synthetic marijuana”, the latest super scary drug craze to sweep the nation. You may have read that the stuff is sold legally in convenience stores across the country under names like “Spice” and “K2”. You may have heard about the alarming number of young people who’ve wound up in the emergency room after smoking the stuff. You may have even heard that a few deaths can be linked to the use of these unregulated and readily accessible herbs. And if you’ve heard about all of this, then you undoubtedly know that just about every state in the union is trying to ban the stuff in one way or another. Banning other drugs hasn't stopped people from using them in the past, and it looks like the ban on synthetic marijuana has been no different. Every time state lawmakers make some of these marijuana-like chemicals illegal, a few new ones show up to take their place. Yet there is an effective alternative to this endless game of legislative whack-a-mole that few of these safety minded lawmakers are suggesting. If we really want to keep people from using these little understood and potentially dangerous synthetic marijuanas then the solution is very simple. Legalize the real thing. For far too long the idea of ending marijuana prohibition has been marginalized by so called “serious people” in our public discourse. Newspaper and magazine articles on the subject are almost always littered with half-hearted puns (“Will marijuana laws go up in smoke?” etc.) and dismissive jokes that help ensure that this pressing issue remains a political sideshow. Barack Obama laughs off questions about legalizing marijuana, while thousands of people are saddled with criminal records every day for using the same substance that the President himself admits to having smoked regularly in his youth. Yet this dismissiveness is the necessary response from those who support continued marijuana prohibition because -- quite frankly -- it is the only way to distract people from the fact that there are absolutely no legitimate reasons to pursue such an expensive and counterproductive policy. First off, keeping marijuana illegal is very expensive. Conservative estimates put the costs at around $14 billion dollars a year and that’s probably low. At a time when every Republican and their mother is crying out for cuts in government spending, why are we wasting $14 billion a year enforcing these ridiculous marijuana laws? If the few million dollars that the government gives NPR is on the chopping block, why isn’t this? Spending this much money might be understandable if marijuana prohibition worked but then that brings me to my second point. Marijuana prohibition is ineffective. In 1973, just a couple of years after President Nixon declared War on Drugs, only 12% of the population admitted to having tried marijuana. A 2008 survey put the current number at 42%. The U.S. government’s own studies have found that the number of teen marijuana users continues to rise, while the rate of teen alcohol and tobacco use is at a historic low. Yet our politicians continue to support this utter failure of a policy in the name of protecting America’s youth despite its obvious inability to actually stop people from using marijuana. If the definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over again while expecting different results -- then marijuana prohibition is literally insane. Now all of the lives ruined and money spent on this futile endeavor might be worthwhile if marijuana was some terrible plague that needed to be eradicated for the good of humanity. It might not be working but at least we’d be doing our moral duty to protect civilization from certain collapse. However this is not the case and that brings me to my third point. Marijuana just isn’t that bad. I’m not going to sit here and tell you that it's completely harmless, but compared to a wide variety of other legally ingestible substances the stuff is pretty benign. While marijuana does contain more carcinogens than cigarettes, study after study has shown that even regular use does not damage lung function or increase the risk of getting lung cancer. Drinking two cokes a week is more likely to kill you in the long run, and no one has ever died of an overdose throughout the whole of recorded history. Yet instead of just dealing with the fact that some adults are going to smoke weed in the privacy of their own home, we’ve decided to make things much worse -- which brigns me to my fourth point. Marijuana prohibition has done far more harm than marijuana ever could. By leaving the distribution of pot to black market dealers we’ve given an endless source of revenue to violent criminal organizations. While legitimate businesses tend to settle their disputes in court, gangs and cartels settle their disputes with guns. Most of these bad guys would be making a lot less money --and wreaking a lot less havoc-- if it weren’t for our strict drug laws. Alcohol prohibition had a similar effect, but we got rid of that stupid law for many of the same reasons that we should get rid of this one. It’s a good thing that we buy our beer from Coors or Budweiser instead of Al Capone’s grandson. Drug prohibition related crime has gotten so out of control lately that the Presidents of various Latin American countries recently got together to all but beg Obama to consider legalization. He wanted none of it, of course, but the meeting was indicative of a shift in world opinion. Latin America no longer wants to bring violence and corruption upon itself in the name of keeping drugs out of the United States. With cartels in Mexico getting up to 60% of their money from the marijuana trade, wouldn’t it be a good idea to cut out one of their biggest sources of profit? But increased crime is not the only negative side effect of marijuana prohibition. By strictly regulating what American citizens can and cannot put in their bodies, the government has substantially increased the level of police power. We may call ourselves the land of the free, but the United States has a much larger percentage of its population in prison than any other nation on the planet. There were 850,000 marijuana related arrests in America in 2010, and the vast majority were for simple possession alone. The kind of police intrusion that was unthinkable a few decades ago has now become the norm, as the Fourth Amendment is all but ignored and cops go to schools to get children to rat on their parents. Marijuana prohibition is an expensive and destructive policy that hasn’t even been remotely effective in achieving its stated goals. There really aren’t any good reasons to continue with this nonsense given everything we know now, and more and more people are finally starting to come to this realization. A recent Gallup poll found that a record high 50% of Americans now support legalizing and regulating cannabis, and that number will only rise as the older generations die off and younger generations begin to vote. Yet for some reason only a handful of Congresspeople have come out in favor of something that half the American people seem to want. With full legalization initiatives appearing on the ballots in Washington and Colorado this November, it’s about time our media and our politicians started taking this issue more seriously. The demographic trends point to increasing support for legalization in the coming years -- let’s hope a few more of our leaders decide to be on the right side of history. After all, we don't want Americans smoking that dangerous synthetic stuff.

The Democrats Vs. The Democrats

BillieN — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 17:14:54 +0000

The election is impending and everyone is getting involved. Headcount is involved in the duty of registering voters and helping to give young people a voice, but with more and more young people turning out, who's side are they on? It really is hard to tell who's who. More than anything, I hear a lot of democratic names being tossed around. The media has begun to portray the primary elections as the "democratic gauntlet" in which only one's idealism will survive--and its sure to a bloody mess. Hillary. Obama. They are positively everywhere. Each constantly has a rebuttle against another, but are these two precedential candidates dividing their own people? It is hard to say whether the ripples of the primary will cause a divide, but for me, I feel that the nature of the primaries are in a downward tail-spin. That is not to say that entertainment value is down, or furthermore, that the drama does not make for a proverbial "perfect storm" in the call for youth involvement--it does. In choosing a candidate, I do want to feel that I have a good pool of people to choose from, but the dismembering of reputation that is inevitably tied to election processes is tiring. Why do we thrive on the carnage of the campaign trail? So, too, do we speculate about civility; when we see Hillary smiling during the debate, we are sure that we can see the hate oozing from her. Perhaps it is simply human nature to revel in competition and choose a side. Or Maybe it's that sometimes things get so bad, or so heated, that people come out with their voices to say what they want. Revolutionary times call for evolutionary measures... Perhaps we are evolving.

Why a blog?

Sebastian — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 20:02:31 +0000

This is an extremely important time for both HeadCount and our country. We are launching new teams every week in different cities across the country. We are registering more voters every day at shows and on our website. We continue to expand; working with like-minded partners on projects that will help us reach the goals we set out to achieve. Young people are showing up in record numbers for the primaries and itâ€™s impossible to read a newspaper or watch an hour of CNN and not hear about the â€œyouthquakeâ€. While candidates like Barak Obama and Ron Paul have managed to successfully capture this movement in their campaigns, they are certainly not the cause. Several organizations like HeadCount have been working hard for years to engage young people in politics again. Whether registering people to vote at concerts or running online get out to vote campaigns, these groups have had a direct impact on young voters. The phenomenon we are now witnessing is the culmination of years of hard work by progressive organizations, and young people becoming outraged by the current situation of this country. The numbers speak for themselves, its clear that the youth movement is here and more young people will be registered and voting. What does this mean though? It is important to discuss where this movement will take us. Simply registering to vote, and voting on November 4th is not enough. It is important that young people begin to take an active role in society, searching out for what is important to them and doing all that they can in order to create a change. Registering to vote is a perfect catalyst for igniting this sort of interest. Once people are registered they are not only prepared to take part in democracy a few days a year by voting, they can also become aware that they have the ability to take part in democracy 365 days a year. If people want change, they will have to fight for it themselves. Politicians will not be able to solve all the problems we are facing today, people need to become responsible for themselves and the society they live in. HeadCount is fueling this type of social engagement throughout the live music community. People gather at the table, register to vote, sign our mailing list, read about the organizations history and discuss current events. HeadCount was started from scratch by two guys who saw a problem and chose to do something about fixing it. This can be an inspiration to all people who feel that they are insignificant and powerless in the greater scheme of things. The purpose of this blog is to create the same type of environment that we maintain at concerts. HeadCount staff will be sharing stories and experiences from working at concerts and interacting with different people at those shows. We will be posting about current events concerning everything musical, political and activist orientated. Most of all, we encourage all of you to join our discussion and comment on our posts. HeadCount is a grassroots organization and its volunteers, both current and future, are its soul.

Plug in/Turn on/Tune out

Sebastian — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 16:50:00 +0000

I recently watched part of a Ralph Nader lecture on YouTube. He made an interesting statement that young people listen to too much music these days. He was frustrated by the fact that people are so caught up in their IPods that they donâ€™t take the time to stop and talk to activists and sign petitions. Let me preface this by stating that I listen to my IPod during my entire commute to and from work, the crowded subway ride would be intolerable without it. Still, Mr. Naderâ€™s comment got me thinking. Are portable music players contributing to a lack of social engagement in society today? While music is mind expanding and uplifting, the way we listen to it may not have the same effects. Live concerts contribute to social interaction, listening to albums with friends at home, or on a jukebox in a public setting are great ways to spark conversation. But, when you close yourself off to everything around you by putting in your earphones, what are you missing? In a time when social networking seems to be the most popular form of communicating, are we losing the ability to act socially in person? Millions of people ride the NYC subway everyday and based on my experience at least a quarter of those people tune out with headphones. Iâ€™m not arguing that the subway is an ideal forum for discussion; in general people are usually tired and not eager to converse. Still, several people read the newspaper in plain site and this is a perfect opportunity to arouse comments and discussion. Even though I agree with Mr. Nader in that too many people are closing themselves off from their community by plugging in their IPod, Iâ€™m most likely going to listen to it my entire commute home today. Maybe if I didnâ€™t have so much awesome music on there it would be easier. Iâ€™m curious to know if people are noticing the same type of solitary confinement on public transportation in other cities. What do you think about IPods and their impact on social interaction?

Could it all fall apart?

Sebastian — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:26:14 +0000

In the late 1960â€™s there was an increase in youth voter turnout. Then in 1972 when the voting age was changed to 18 youth voting peaked at 55%. Throughout the late 70â€™s and 80â€™s youths became disenfranchised with politics and voting. In the 90â€™s we had Generation Xâ€™s anti-establishment and nihilistic view of civic engagement. Up until about 5 years ago it was not cool to talk about politics, let alone engage in it. Now with the hard work of several progressive organizations and the success of the Obama campaign the youth movement has made its way into the mainstream and its cool to vote again. Everybody knows the deal; I donâ€™t have to explain it. The problem I see in all of this is what if it is becoming too mainstream? I think part of the appeal in anything for young people has been to partake in something different, outside the status-quo. After the long wave of apathy during the 80â€™s and 90â€™s, civic engagement became something you could do that was different. Is all this coverage of the Obama campaign and Wycleff videos going to be a turnoff for those just coming into the scene, or for those who have helped to build the youth movement? There all already criticisms of the Obama clan for being cultish and creepy. Youths have always been faulted for not caring, so it is a bit unfair to now accuse them of caring too much. In 72â€™ McGovern was able to utilize the youth vote in a way that Obama has now done. My worry is that youth participation will peak in 08â€™ and well then see another fallout like the 80â€™s and 90â€™s. Last night I attended a release party for Mike Conneryâ€™s new book entitled â€œYouth to Powerâ€. Mike founded Music for America in 2003, blogs at www.futuremajority.com and is also now on HeadCountâ€™s advisory board. I asked Mike about the situation above during a Q&A after his presentation of the book. Mike seemed optimistic that this would not just be a passing phase. The parties saw what a mistake it was to lose the youth vote and they wonâ€™t let that happen again. Progressive organizations like HeadCount are embedded in youth society and they wonâ€™t be going anywhere. So while there may be a peak in youth voting in 2008 and a slight drop off afterwards, we will not see the kind of follow up there was in the 70â€™s. Itâ€™s reassuring to know that â€œmillennialsâ€, the group making up the youth movement today, are extremely strong in numbers. There will be over 50 million millennials able to vote in the 2008 election. By 2016 there will be 83 million and they will make up 36 percent of the electorate. While the Obama campaign might be a turnoff to some, we know there is a great deal more to this movement than that. Regardless of what happens in 08â€™, organizations like HeadCount will continue to register voters, create awareness and help train activists for the future. By the way, the stats at the end of this post come from the first chapter of Mikeâ€™s book which gives a great description of who the millennials are.

Feeling the Fear

BillieN — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 15:39:25 +0000

One thing that has astounded me, (and quite frankly, I sort of feel uncomfortable talking about it) is how much I have heard Barack Obama supporters say how scared for his safety they are. I am big believer in the power of positive thought, and the power of the mind to bring thoughts into reality, and as such, the power of these fears makes me very nervous. On a more sociological end of things, I feel really sad to have the realization that in today's world, when we have these people who are beacons of hope to so many, that we are automatically afraid of the dangers that they inherit through their status and prominence. One can see that this is a product of past experience and the loss of JFK, and Martin Luther King, Jr., and it's almost daunting to realize that the country still has post-traumatic stress disorder over these events, but it seems increasly evident. I think it also speaks to the degree of which we really all do fear one another. If America is supposed to be "the greatest," why can't we break through the fear of eachother... Furthermore, why do so many feel that others are always trying to foil unity? Are they? There are deeper seeded questions that go hand in hand with the fear factors that are painting the campaign these days. Personally, I (mostly) choose not to speak about these things and I try to have confidence that the people surrounding our likely presidential nominee are looking out for his safety as their top priority. But when it is reported that the people in Dallas stopped searching people coming into a rally for Obama, (because most of the supporters, "looked like nice people",) it makes my stomach turn...

Part of a Bigger Picture

drew — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 18:56:01 +0000

On Friday, I had the chance to contribute to the IMPACT: Conference on Service, Advocacy, and Social Action (www.changingthepresent.org/campusconference2008). The conference, held at Northeastern University, was supported by many great sponsors and a worthy planning committee. The IMPACT conference was a mainstay of activism for 24 years, and when it looked like sponsorship was about to dry up in 2007, groups from many different campuses and organizations took action to make sure the legacy of the conference would live on. The event is, at its core, a truly community-driven achievement.

With over 800 registered attendees, the IMPACT Conference is historically the largest convening in the country of campus community members involved in service, activism, politics, advocacy, and other socially responsible work across philosophical and ideological lines.

It was not only very humbling and inspirational to be among all these socially mindful folks, many of whom were there during their college spring break, but very constructive as well.

Sitting on my panel were: moderator Karlo Marcelo- CIRCLE (www.CivicYouth.org) research associate and HeadCount Advisory Board member, Maya Enista- CEO of Mobilize.org, and Mike Connery- editor of FutureMajority.com, author of the book YOUTH TO POWER, and himself a HeadCount Advisory Board member.

Now, much like this blog post, this was essentially my first time presenting in a forum. Not only that, but the conference participants had PAID to be a part of this. I certainly did not want to let them down, and at the same time wanted to make sure I was doing right by HeadCount and myself. I knew I had a lot to contribute, but would I be able to do so effectively?

Over the week leading up to the conference, I poked around with HeadCounters who had done this type of thing before, bothered Karlo for info and tips (thanks dude), and, in general, agonized over this little block of 3 hours I had coming up.

Karlo, Maya, Mike, and I had the pleasure of contributing to the Get Out the Vote (GOTV) forum. Participants had a variety of choices during the "Friday Forums" portion of the conference, and I was in awe at how many fellow young people found the GOTV forum to be the one for them.

Eventually, participants would break into groups to discuss different obstacles and strategies of their potential GOTV campaign. Some gathered to discuss GOTV campaigns exclusively on campuses. That was their interest. Other groups focused on GOTV campaigns for often ignored groups of voters, and another group discussed national or state-based GOTV campaigns.

First though, the panelists tried to put a bit of perspective on GOTV campaigns in general. We tried to impart our experiences from the field, and as organizers, so that the conference attendees could come up with the best campaign possible without having to tackle many of the obstacles we already have.

Then, when the participants broke into their focus groups, the four panelists would rotate through the different groups- offering advice or answering questions that came up during group discussion. Afterward, groups had the chance to share their ideas with the rest of the forum and we were able to do a bit of brainstorming as well as a Q&A with the panelists.

Once we had broken into the groups, the pressure of sitting in the front of the room was over. It was amazing how many issues and questions raised by the groups have been dealt with by HeadCount in the past. I was happy to be able to share some suggestions and otherwise learn from them!

Some ideas can't help but stick with you after something like that. Key ideas that many GOTV groups are faced with include knowing the community you want to target, mutual recognition within that community, incentives for volunteers, and networking through your community and beyond. The enthusiasm of the participants was second-to-none. The lively rate at which all of our ideas were shared, and at which email addresses were exchanged, was uplifting.

In addition to being on-the-look-out for other people like them who can contribute unique talents or services, as non-profits or small do-it-yourself campaigns, the common theme of course, is making the most of what you have and what is already available to you.

I hope to address these different ideas in future posts. For now, I will leave you with my impression of the conference and the perspective it gave to me.

Between now and then, I ask that you reflect on these concepts and make as many comments as you like about them, or any other ideas, here on the blog. After all, discussion is the catalyst that leads us to the answers we need. Others have "been there, done that" (a concept which came full circle for me after drawing on HeadCounters for general "panel" advice and parlaying that into advice for the conference attendees).

And while we always hope to explore new ground and come up with new & better solutions, there is no end to what we can learn from others. This became evident to me as I began to feel comfortable in front of the room, and at the conference as a whole- as a part of a bigger picture.

Why HeadCount? Why me? Why you?

Court — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 22:19:37 +0000

Whenever I tell people about my involvement in HeadCount, I am usually met with various forms of agreement and approval. "Yeah, I've see those booths at shows," "Way to go," or "Wow, that's cool. I wish I could volunteer," and to them I reply, "You can!" But sometimes people seem baffled about why I would've become engaged with HC in 2004 in the first place, but now why I am back four years later. Here's what I tell them - call it my spiel.

"I grew up the daughter of a State Senator (WA) and an ethnomusicologist professor, so politics and music have always been together in my life. After being absurdly involved with civics and student government in high school, I earned a BA in Political Science and went to work in the State Senate, but never really felt like I was engaging all of interests. Politics are interesting and constantly in flux, but government can be a bit of a bore. I missed being out of my element and on tour with my friends, seeing places I'd never see if Phish or moe. wasn't playing there and meeting people who'd never been to Seattle or even the west coast. I relish the seat of your pants lifestyle. And so when I heard of an organization called HeadCount that strived to integrate music and politics, to engage a segment of the concert-going population that had become largely apathetic, and to instill a degree of civic involvement in those younger than my ripe age of 26 (at the time), I was all over it."

This is a pretty effective bit of wording and having listened to it, most peeps want to know more. But sometimes folks need more convincing and that's when I break out my "Oh, the humanity" speech, which goes like this.

"I believe in civic engagement and I believe in democracy. I believe in compassion for others and looking beyond yourself. I believe in love. I believe that giving your time and other resources is incredibly gratifying. I also believe that we exist in a polarized, fragmented society - whether it be race, politics, money, or something else that drives us. Too many extraneous things - material objects, emotional drama, and life's static - now distract us. I believe that as a society we are losing our humanity and thus, some of America's core values. And I don't like it. This is a chance for me to feel like I am making a difference in a tangible way. That's why I am involved in HeadCount, and that's why you should, too."

At least if I can't convert them, I can give them something to think about. Maybe they'll come around and maybe not. But it doesn't make me feel any worse.

Client 9 loves long time

Sebastian — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 02:29:57 +0000

I stay away from the ethical or moral argument as much as possible. I’m not secure enough in my own ethics to possibly pass judgment upon another’s moral choice. I find it even more disturbing that throughout the United States history the “moral police” have been implementing morality though law or brutish tactics with an unfounded sense of righteousness. I won’t go into detail on that, but hey, we burned witches?

What is even more disturbing is the consistent hypocrisy that almost always goes hand in hand with those who speak out in the name of morality. It wasn’t surprising that the politician arrested for soliciting sex in an airport men’s room had previously spoken out against gay rights. Just as I wasn’t the least bit surprised today to find out that Elliot Spitzer, the Governor of New York, who promised to bring credibility back to Albany, and has sent everyone to jail from Wall Street Bankers to low-level drug dealers, was linked to an upscale prostitution ring today. Again, I don’t judge the guy for hiring a prostitute. He broke the law, and he should face legal repercussions just like any citizen would, but where he stands on an ethical scale means nothing to me. What pisses me off is that when Spitzer was attorney general he prosecuted more than two prostitution rings similar to the one he so frequently enjoyed. After arresting sixteen people he spoke out against the rings with disgust.

After thinking about this a little more I realized how crazy it is that I am no longer surprised by hypocritical politicians who are caught in the same scandals they simultaneously fight against in the name of morality. I have become desensitized to political scandals. If Al and Tipper gore were closet S&M fans I would say, told you so! If GW was secretly learning to read I would say, wait what? Does anyone else feel this way?

I’m now going to allow my youthful righteousness to come out a bit. I am of the opinion that young people have a distinct advantage over their elders in being able to see through bullshit. Ask any teacher and they will tell you that if you’re full of it, the kids will see right through you. It’s got to be more than a coincidence that young people have not voted in high numbers in the past 30 years and somehow our government is full of hypocritical, judgmental, and downright dirty old men. So this year, take a good look around at all the politicians you plan on voting for, trust your judgment, and if they seem full of shit, they probably are.

Also, I am stating here and now that from here on out anytime a politician is outted in a scandal he or she should be referred to as a "client 9" in honor of our wonderful governor Spitzy. Lets coin the phrase people.

Huckabee is Right

BillieN — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 19:28:42 +0000

This war has entrenched us in a major, major debt. (And its growing right this second) And, let's not forget, we'll all be recieving those nice "bribe" checks from our lame-duck President for $600 each (more if you're married, more if you have kids, and half as much if you just don't work). I'll be taking my money with a spoonful of sugar--it helps the medicine go down. And this is a hard pill to swallow for me. I know that in some way or another, we are all going to be forced to pay that back when the democrats take office and subsequently take on this debt. (Thanks, old white men, for putting your grandchildren in soo soo much debt!) But I think Huckabee is right. Okay, he's quirky--maybe even strange--but he plays the guitar and had a tax plan which any demoocrat is smart to keep silenced right now, but may want to consider once they are elected into office. The Consumer Tax!

The consumer tax is just what our country needs. For anyone who may not know, the consumer tax means that you keep your paycheck and then when you go shopping for things, you pay tax there. Under this premise, those who make the most, (and most importantly, consume the most), pay the most. Those who live more meagerly, or those without a lot of money to spend, therefore get to keep more of their money. This also cuts out the money that government loses as a result of the blackmarket (drugdealers, prostitutes, gambling) and totally disintegrates the much-hated IRS. We could get people paying taxes in a fair way, and this plan could do more to pay down the debt than what we (the government) have coming in from taxes now. I believe that this system could save our country from this enormous debt, as well as help to distribute burden more evenly.

From each, according to their means; To each, according to their needs.

Vietnam Blast

BillieN — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:23:03 +0000

My partner's father is a Vietnam veteran. He was sent around the age of 19 and flew schanooks over Vietnam, mostly being responsible for picking up bodies (from both sides). I have heard him describe how when they picked up casualities on the side of "the enemy" how they would dump them in mass graves that would be covered in one swoop by a bulldozer. It was a grim scene.

This weekend, my partner and his father Bougie went on a snow boarding trip to West Virginia, accompanied by an old Vietnam war buddy, Tim. As opposed to Bougie, who went the route of hippy after the war, his friend is the more prestigious war veteran, having gone on to many years of education and living the "stright and narrow." When my partner came home, he told me a story which touched me deeply, and saddened me about the situation that our own youth are facing within the supposed "war on terror" today.

He told me that the one night, (after a great day of snowboarding) Tim approached Bougie and told him that he wanted to thank him...

Tim, while in Vietnam, was on a tank going down the road, and someone jumped out in front of the tank. Tim, being responsible for firing, blasted the person with machine gun bullets, and the person fell to the ground. Apparently, they later learned that the person was just a child. Tim was 23 at the time, and when he came home, he was wrecked with regret and his soul was sad for the life he had taken. He simply could not get over it. He consulted a priest, who told him to "pray for his sins" which made him angry. At this time in his life, he expressed his feelings to his war-time buddy, Bougie. Bougie turned to his friend as said, "Tim, what were we supposed to do? We were all children."

This day in West Virginia, in front of Bougie's son, Tim thanked him for those words so many years ago. He said that it was the only thing that put his mind at peace. It was the only thing that allowed him to stop reliving the horrible things that were forced upon him as a soldier. They were children....

We are children... we are just children...

Langerado: My First "On the Ground" Experience with HeadCount

BrandenL — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 17:02:52 +0000

If you looked at my ankles right now, you would think I had Chickenpox. There are red dots everywhere, and they do itch. However, those red dots were not caused from the varicella virus. Nope, I was the victim of fireants!

Now that I have been back in D.C. for a few days, the fireant bites are healing. I am also sleeping now without the fear of a panther coming up to me in my sleep or stepping on a gator or snake on the way to the portable toilet in the middle of the night. But living on the edge like that is exciting. That edge was there throughout my visit to Langerado. Not only was I nervous about the creatures prowling around me at night, but to be honest, I was nervous about my first experience in the field with HeadCount. Would we be able to get everything accomplished? After a few hours, my nerves about getting the job done and making sure the team was was working well together went away. I could not be more satisfied with the folks working with me. Our organization is so lucky to have leaders like them. They were so talented and dedicated. We were well on our way to registering a lot of voters. But then there was a different type of nervous energy that emerged. I saw all around me, 15,000 members of the live music community who could be organized to make a difference in our society, a difference at the polls and a difference in our communities. I saw so much excitement in the eyes glued to the big screen during setbreak of Phil and Friends as our documentary, A Call to Action, was screened. I saw this same excitement in the 316 folks we registered. I met 19 and 20 year old students with dreams of becoming lawyers and working for the least well offÂ among us. I met pre-med students wanting to give care to the uninsured. And I met musicians who in the footsteps of Brownie, Bobby and Franti, wanted to connect our community through music. It reminded me of when I was in college, walking through North Campus at the University of Georgia, rushing to a final after after just getting back in town from a festival, djembe in tow and everything. It reminded me of how I wanted to register voters and organize the jamband community at festivals then, and how lucky I am to be helping an organization do exactly that. At Langerado I saw so much potential. That kind of potential makes you a little bit nervous. But it's a good nervous. You realize that we can make a difference at the ballot box and in our communities. You realize that our time has come. You see it in the smiles and bright eyes of folks jamming to a Government Mule or Keller show. You see it in the way people are coming together. We must register our peers to vote. We must make sure they go the polls on Election Day. We must keep them engaged and develop them into leaders of our community, and the community at large. Langerado was a blast...fireants and all. I am so happy to be working with folks who like me see the potential that lies within the live music community. It's going to be a terrific summer. Come November, we will be heard at the ballot box. And in years to come, we will see folks who were at Langerado emerge as leaders in our communities.

Read this book, after this blog.

Sebastian — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 20:23:05 +0000

I just finished reading Mike Connery’s book “Youth to Power” and I felt the need to write about it. Not because I feel the right to critique it, or that anyone would take that critique seriously. I want to write about it because it has given me so much to say and I work in an office by myself with no one to talk to.

The youth movement is something that is now a popular topic. From campaigns, to news, to social networks, to bars, almost everyone is either a part of it or talking about it. Yet, most people probably have no idea how it came about. They figure its Obama or…, well they probably figure it’s because of Obama. So some guy says to you “okay, if it’s not because of Obama, then why?” You then proceed to list a bunch of reasons you know to be true but you can’t quite get your thoughts out clearly. Wouldn’t it be nice if the history of this movement was laid out conveniently in a 186 page book?

(Insert cheesy introduction here)

I feel as though I’ve just had a crash course in a subject that I have been a part of for a long time. Up until recently this whole movement didn’t really go further than HeadCount for me. I knew we weren’t alone, but I just figured all these organizations were doing their own thing, with similar goals, but no connection within a greater picture. What the book does so well is accurately describe how these organizations came about, what their goals were and what affect they have had. It makes you realize that while all these groups have found their own niche, and reach out to a certain demographic or particular cause, they are all working together to form a unified young progressive movement.

A popular criticism of the book will probably be that Mike fails to mention a great deal of the organizations that have played a significant part in the past five years. While it might be true, this criticism sort of misses the point. In order to touch even briefly on every organization that has done something in the past five years you would have to write a long tedious book that nobody would read. The point is that every organization has dealt with the same situations and been through the same experiences as the ones discussed in the book. They have applied for the same grants and been screwed by the same laws. HeadCount is only a mentioned a few times in YTP and with no real details, yet while reading it I felt as if parts were written specifically about HeadCount. This book is about every organization involved in the progressive movement, and if you don’t pick up on that by reading it, you and/or your organization probably aren’t involved.

The other criticism will probably come solely from College Democrats, who get it pretty bad in the book. I don’t know much about these guys other than the one meeting I went to in college was a complete waste of my time full of bickering amongst members about outreach ideas and budgetary problems (sound familiar?)

In making it clear that there is a greater youth movement beyond each organization, he creates a greater sense of optimism. Achieving the goals set out by individuals and organizations would be much more difficult if they thought they had to go at it alone. Knowing that are others there to support you is a great comfort and allows you to take more risks. Not that there is some sappy undertone or an “everything’s going to be okay” message. Mike lays out very clearly the great obstacles that lie ahead for the progressive movement. This is an important point. While things are moving along nicely right now with Obama picking up on the youth movement, it would be the worst time to assume success. Where will the energy from the campaign be funneled if he wins, or loses? What will happen to all these organizations if the elections don’t sway in the direction they would like? Mike notes that by 2050 Millennials will hold all branches of office. That is an inevitable fact; it is up the progressive movement today to decide what that government will look like.

There a lot of people out there who are more involved and more informed than me, who probably already had a pretty good idea of the information in this book. But I am willing to bet there are a larger amount of people who don’t. There are so many who want to get involved but don’t know how, or have become involved by some inner urge, but don’t really know why. This is the perfect book to help someone realize the bigger picture that they are involved in

Remember that Speech

Sebastian — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:27:37 +0000

I know this post is about a week too late but I still wanted to talk about that speech. I spent a lot of last week thinking about it and listening to commentary on it. To this point I would not have called myself an Obama supporter, and I am still not quite there, but after that speech, I am definitely a lot closer.

The most refreshing part of that speech was that for once, it was clear, that here is a politician who actually has something to say. For sure, there were tid-bits of bullshit mixed in, but for the most part, it was genuine. It’s come to the point in American politics where you take every speech with a grain of salt. You know most of what they are saying is too vague to possibly mean any sort of commitment to policy or action, and the rest is spineless assessments towards the state of the country, trying not to offend anyone, therefore ignoring everyone.

Obama addressed race in this country in a completely different manner. Instead of referring to the best stereotypes of each race, and simply pointing out their achievements in society, he pointed his finger directly at what they are doing wrong. He used history and personal experience to expose where we stand today. In the end, he argued whites need to appreciate and accept the injustices towards the black race that have occurred throughout history, and blacks need stop using them as a crutch. He took a huge risk in doing this, as most of the country unfortunately won’t understand much of what he said, and several others will spin it as reverse racism or anti-patriotism. This is exactly what was so wonderful about the speech. He disregarded the repercussions that speaking his mind might have, and chose to just be honest.

You rarely get to see great speeches these days. Political junkies are limited to reading those given by politicians 50 to 200 hundred years ago. It is inevitable that pieces of this speech will be taken out of context and turned against him. Hopefully the public will be smart enough to see through these unfortunate attacks. Still, the greatest tragedy that could occur is if this speech is ignored, or forgotten. In the past week it has received a lot of coverage, but how long will that last? Most people probably didn’t hear it in its entirety or take the time to read it online. I strongly suggest that if you have not done so already, find the speech online and read it beginning to end. The media will find something new this week and coverage of the speech will die, but the people themselves can continue to read it, dissect it, and discuss it. The content of the speech was important, but the affect is has on people and policy will be the true test.

The only problem I had with the speech, and the reason Obama gave the speech to begin with, is Obama’s denouncing his Pastor’s comments. It showed a lot of character to not completely distance himself from him. He pointed out that a few radical comments don’t make a man, and he wasn’t going to end his long relationship with this person because of his views on American history and foreign policy. Still, why were these comments even denounced? As far as I know the pastor said that America was founded on racism (true), continues to be racist today (true), and that our horrible foreign policy caused the terrorist attacks of 9/11 (true). Why are comments like these still considered radical? I thought we were past the point where terrorist attacks were blamed solely on crazy Muslims who “hate our freedom.” In the tapes released after 9/11 didn’t Bin Laden say that the reason for the attacks were the United States support of Israel, ties with Saudi Arabia and its overall presence in the Middle East? These are the same type of statements that Ron Paul was making. While he clearly wasn’t going to get elected on that platform, he wasn’t considered crazy and necessary to denounce.

I was hoping that people had come around enough to the point where they were no longer eating up the bullshit served by the current administration telling them that our policy is just, and terrorists only hate us because of the freedoms we so justly enjoy. But if comments like Pastor Wrights are still going to be viewed as radical, and a candidate for President must denounce them, we haven’t come as far as I thought.

Hopefully part of the reason for the objection to these comments was that they were made in an emotional sermon, in angry condemnation, and in “god’s” house. We know Americans are still afraid of anybody who shows any emotion, as we learned with Dean in 04’. I don’t think it’s possible for Obama to be stirred, so maybe one day he will address these issues in his calm manner, and people won’t be so freaked out. But if we go through another election where the candidates don’t address even the possibility that our foreign policy is the reason for the hatred towards us in the Middle East, we are in big trouble.

Washington Post Article

Sebastian — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:50:25 +0000

The Washington Post’s Catherine Rampell released an article yesterday that basically shat on progressive youth organizations. Rampell makes the claim, as so many uninformed journalists do, that the recent surge in youth turnout should be accredited solely to Barack Obama and not in the least to youth activist organizations.

She mentions Rock the Vote and Declare Yourself specifically, and ignores every other organization that has been working hard in the past 5 years. She clearly has had no involvement in this movement, and failed to look beyond what is covered in the mainstream media in order to write this one-sided piece. First off, she attacks groups for making voting to appear as a rebellious act, a way to fight the system. While this might have been a popular tactic in the 90’s (when young people didn’t vote), it is not the case today. The millennial generation that is driving this movement doesn’t share the apathetic rebellious attitude towards politics that its predecessors of Gen X did. Instead, they are more likely to accept the system that has been created and work within it to create a positive change. The notion that voting is a way to “stick it to the man” died a long time ago. P. Diddy tried to revive it with his bullshit public image campaign in 04’ “Vote or Die”, and he failed miserably.

Ms Rampell claims that “removing barriers to registration generally results not in an increase in youth turnout, but, rather in a decline in the proportion of those registered to vote.” How is it then that in 04’ 81% of all registered 18-29 olds voted? While the youth turnout was not as high as expected that year, those who were registered mostly showed up. Therefore removing barriers to registration does increase voting. This is exactly what HeadCount and other groups have been doing for the past 5 years. Barack Obama has given many young people a candidate to believe in and vote for, but he hasn’t made it any easier for them to vote. Even with the help of voter registration organizations, thousands of people will be denied their basic right to vote because of unjust laws created by their state or local board of elections.

The real problem with this article is that Ms. Rampell hasn’t been paying attention for the past 5 years. Her arguments point out all the flaws in youth organizing and voting in the 90’s, and for the most part they are correct. But now it’s 2008 and for the past five years progressive organizations have been working hard to drop the bogus tactics used in the past such as celebrity endorsements and shallow media campaigns in exchange for grass-roots peer-to-peer organizing which are mostly responsible for the recent turn-out in young voters.

I can understand how the average citizen might have missed how all of this has been happening in the past 5 years. Most grass-roots organizations are shunned by mainstream media, and unless you’re going to the places where these groups work you may not have been aware of their existence. But isn’t it the job of a journalist to dig a little deeper than that? If Ms Rampell had put any effort into researching the topic beforehand, she might have talked to some people or read some articles that informed her of what has been going on in youth organizing.

Check out the article at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/28/AR2008032801857.html

What do you think?

Sebastian — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:56:25 +0000

I want to put a question out there that I have been hearing around the news circuits recently.

The Clinton campaign has done a pretty good job of running attacks on the Obama campaign, and these attacks have only grown as Obama's lead increases. They have made it clear that they don't believe he is fit to take office and it would be detrimental to our country if he becomes our next president. At the same time they have subtlely praised John McCain as a "descent guy" and a "patriot".

Keep in mind that if Hillary or Obama lose to McCain in November, Hillary will most likely run again in 2012, while Obama has said he will only run once.

So the question is do you think if Hillary loses the nomination to Obama, she would rather Barack Obama or John McCain become the next President of the United States, honestly?

SPEAK UP

drew — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 05:26:21 +0000

Striking items from our "to-do" lists invokes different emotions. Sometimes it's "relief," othertimes, "accomplishment."

One thing that should be on all of our lists this summer is: "speak up." After all, we could probably do a much better job letting others know what we really think, or standing up for what we really believe in. Whether you still need to register to vote for the first time or change your address, whether you are behind the cause enough to pick up a clipboard at Bonnaroo this year, or if you just remind your unregistered friend to stop by the HeadCount table, speak up.

I would love nothing more than to see each and every concert-goer, each and every one of my peers, take to the streets, venues, and beyond this summer for HeadCount. But at the same time, I know the cause is not for everybody. I have come to recognize that "participating" means different things for different people.

But when it comes down to it, voting is really just a microcosm of speaking up for yourself and doing what's important to you- whatever it may be. For that reason, even as I find myself in the middle of HeadCount's most ambitious year to date, I am so excited for what's to come.

I know that HeadCount wants to become, "the community organizing arm of the live music scene." Our mission is to give every socially-conscious music fan an outlet for his or her passions, working with artists and volunteers to stage political, environmental, and charitable activity throughout the United States. So, really, HeadCount is all about "speaking up" for whatever it is that's most important to us. HOW COOL IS THAT?!? Sign me up.

I am so afraid that people my age are too often held-down by the fact that their dream, their vision, seems simply...unachievable. Registering to vote is one really simple step we can all take toward speaking up. And when we are empowered in this way, we are one step closer to reaching our vision- to achieving our dream. Come help give everyone their own personal outlet- or just take a couple minutes to do it for yourself. All it takes is remembering to stop by our table this summer, at your favorite festival or show. We'll be there- speaking up.

What "they" think of us...

BillieN — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 20:59:46 +0000

I have some family in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. No, they aren't Mexican, (although due to my darkish skin, people often assume as much) they are ex-patriots who have become so fed up that they left. There is something different about the people of Mexico. They are very impoverished...but they are very happy.

Through speaking with the people there, I learned that there is a vast difference in values between their country and our own. Moreover, it is a lot of how they are socialized and taught. This is not to say that we do not have people in America who think as they do; In fact, perhaps many who will read this will share the beliefs of the Mexican people. In contrast, there are probably many Mexican people who would disagree...isn't this the way of the world?

To see so many people who are so poor, living on less than one dollar a day, yet so happy to the core is beyond the grasp of many Americans. But in Mexico they do not believe that THINGS make you happy. Money doesn't make you happy, and no man or woman is about to go out and sell themselves out instead of having family time or time for themselves. This is a core belief. I was also surprised to learn that many people--rich or poor--participate in politics. This is a difference, according to Arturo, a man we spoke with. He says that the people of Mexico are very political, and that it is very important to them. In San Miguel, which is an ex-patriot community nestled in the mountains, there are also many native Mexican people. Arturo said, as he drove us to the thermal springs, "The Americans are building things here," he points, and a golf course is visible. "And they start with walls." This, Arturo says, is the first mistake. Americans always want to keep someone out. The Mexican people have a strong sense of community. They know their neighbors--even if they don't like them. They help one another. There is not so much of a hidden agenda; you will help your neighbor and you assume he will help you, and this is often the way things play out. The thing about America that I am personally having so much trouble with is precisely this: Where is my community???

I think that we can take a cue from the Mexican people. To be poor and happy is a luxury. It is an old addidage. But the saying holds true now. Through all this hardship--war, death, control, economics,etc.--are we any happier? Are our lives any more rich?? Do we know or help our communities with greater selflessness?? There are people helping one another out there. Here (headcount) is an example. But the thing that we need to sustain our life's happiness is a perpetuation of these beliefs. "Teach your children well" right? Teach eachother well....treat eachother well... We, as Americans need to begin to see ourselves as others see us; not through these drunk goggles we seem to be wearing.

It is my hope that through organizations like HeadCount, people can begin to wake up and care for themselves and eachother. I need that, and so does everyone else.

Greg Sarafan — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

If you put a few hundred adolescents together in a relatively confined space for months on end, hormones will rage, insecurities will be magnified, developing personalities will clash, and bullying will happen. I see it every day at the middle school where I teach, and I know that what I see in my classroom and the hallways is only part of the story. Cortney Elder, a Phys. Ed. teacher at William Penn Middle School in Bucks County, PA, sees it, too. He also experienced it when he was younger. When the teachers were asked to participate in the making of an anti-bullying video, Cortney thought back to the times he was picked on in middle school. He remembered a conversation he had about it with his father and the advice his father gave him. Cortney wanted to pass the same advice on to the students, so he did it the best way he knows how - through music. Cortney’s song, “You’ll See”, communicates the message that things will get better. It’s a message that students have heard a million times. Cortney knew that this time the message had to be delivered in a way that was meaningful to the students. It had to be conveyed in a way that would make them listen. For that to happen, the students need to hear his song from the voice of other students, both victims and the bullies themselves. With the help of Music teacher Joseph D’Alicandro and local composer Joe Mass, the music Cortney wrote for the guitar was transposed for keyboards, violins, horns, bass, drums, and other instruments the students would play. Using input from students, scenes showing the bullying that takes place at school on a daily basis were brought to life for the small screen under the direction of Special Education teacher Jeffrey Kobasa. Cortney received a grant from the Pennsbury Education Foundation and worked with student musicians in a recording studio over their Winter Break to lay down the music and vocals. In the early Spring, students that were hand-picked by the staff to act in the music video that would accompany the song. On the evening of Monday, May 14, 2012, the music video for “You’ll See” was released on YouTube. By the end of the week the video had over 8500 hits and was viewed in 26 different countries. The students and teachers involved in this project all expressed their surprise at how the community embraced the final product. While the students know that bullying is a problem that won’t go away immediately, they share the belief that their efforts were a success if just one student hears the message in Mr. Elder’s song and thinks before they act.

Anti-bullying Video Going Viral

Abby Brazina — Mon, 21 May 2012 16:52:56 +0000

If you put a few hundred adolescents together in a relatively confined space for months on end, hormones will rage, insecurities will be magnified, developing personalities will clash, and bullying will happen. I see it every day at the middle school where I teach, and I know that what I see in my classroom and the hallways is only part of the story. Cortney Elder, a Phys. Ed. teacher at William Penn Middle School in Bucks County, PA, sees it, too. He also experienced it when he was younger. When the teachers were asked to participate in the making of an anti-bullying video (below), Cortney thought back to the times he was picked on in middle school. He remembered a conversation he had about it with his father and the advice his father gave him. Cortney wanted to pass the same advice on to the students, so he did it the best way he knows how - through music. Cortney’s song, “You’ll See”, communicates the message that things will get better. It’s a message that students have heard a million times. Cortney knew that this time the message had to be delivered in a way that was meaningful to the students. It had to be conveyed in a way that would make them listen. For that to happen, the students need to hear his song from the voice of other students, both victims and the bullies themselves. With the help of Music teacher Joseph D’Alicandro and local composer Joe Mass, the music Cortney wrote for the guitar was transposed for keyboards, violins, horns, bass, drums, and other instruments the students would play. Using input from students, scenes showing the bullying that takes place at school on a daily basis were brought to life for the small screen under the direction of Special Education teacher Jeffrey Kobasa. Cortney received a grant from the Pennsbury Education Foundation and worked with student musicians in a recording studio over their Winter Break to lay down the music and vocals. In the early Spring, students that were hand-picked by the staff to act in the music video that would accompany the song. On the evening of Monday, May 14, 2012, the music video for “You’ll See” was released on YouTube. By the end of the week the video had over 8500 hits and was viewed in 26 different countries. The students and teachers involved in this project all expressed their surprise at how the community embraced the final product. While the students know that bullying is a problem that won’t go away immediately, they share the belief that their efforts were a success if just one student hears the message in Mr. Elder’s song and thinks before they act.

Tyler Clementi Remembered Via Dharun Ravi Trial

Greg Sarafan — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

There are two sides to every story. Tyler Clementi’s side is unknown, which leaves the events of what happened before Tyler jumped off the George Washington Bridge to be pieced together by the stories of others.

Dharun Ravi can be described as a typical college bro. Someone who hasn’t found himself yet and maybe never will. Not everyone can find their true selves and their morals. As such a confused kid, he makes a dumb decision, follows an inner voice that tells him that what he is doing or saying will make other kids think he is cool. From writing negatively to his friends through instant messenger to spying on Clementi’s private moments, Ravi made poor decisions to impress his friends.

To put Dharun on trial for causing Tyler’s suicide could be a little overkill because he never set out specifically to hurt his roommate. A charge of invasion of privacy is understandable. Is Ravi a bad person? Maybe, but did he set out to sabotage Tyler to the point of killing himself? We don’t know. I believe the answer is no. Molly Wei, Ravi’s friend, was a witness to her friend's dumb behavior and did nothing to stop him. Does that make her a bad person, or just another kid trying to fit in? While Tyler had told his friends that his father completely accepted him when he came out, it was made clear that Jane Clementi, Tyler’s mother, did not accept that her son was gay. Tyler said she rejected him. After the suicide, Jane said they had talked it out and were completely okay. We will never know if she said this because it is true, or if she is saying they were on loving terms because Tyler is gone and because of the publicity of the situation. Would you want to admit that you rejected your own son because he was gay, knowing that it could have lead to his feeling completely alone and eventually played a factor in his death? Many different conscientious actions of the people that surrounded Tyler Clementi played a role in his feeling that there was no way out. Someone taking their own life is never an easy pill for anyone to swallow. In the end, it comes down to a loss of life and the question of where the line of blame is drawn. This story was first posted on Sensible Reason a blog about music, art, politics and everything in between.

The father of Tyler Clementi

Complete text transcript of statement by Tyler Clementi’s father, Joe Clementi:

Good afternoon, everyone. On behalf of the family and our supporters, I’d like to thank Judge Berman, who presided over the process in a firm but restrained way that maintained the dignity of the court while preserving the rights of the press, and for his sensitivity to the need to protect the privacy of the victims. Thanks to the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office for their investigation and presentation of the case, especially to First Assistant Julia McClure, who not only prepared and presented the case thoroughly but who was very sensitive to our concerns and our feelings and took great care to protect the privacy of our son and his friend, M.B. And of course, thank you to the folks at the victims advocacy unit, who took care of all of our needs during this stressful time. The trial was painful for us, as it would be for any parent who must sit and listen to people talk about bad and inappropriate things that were done to their child. We were here every day because we wanted to be here for our son and because we believe the trial was important because it dealt with important issues for our society and for our young people today and because of worldwide media attention that was brought to it. The criminal law is important because it deals with conduct that we find so bad, that we make it a crime. We have come to understand that the criminal law is only one way of addressing these problems and that there are other ways that are better, particularly when it comes to changing the values and behavior of young people in [the] important areas of respect, privacy, responsibility in a digital world. As you know, our lives have taken a new turn, and we’re on a mission to address these issues in an affirmative way through the Tyler Clementi Foundation, which we have set up in memory of our son. We hope that the media attention will not fade and that positive efforts on these important issues will be acknowledged. Just a word about personal responsibility. To our college, high school and even middle-school youngsters, I would say this: You’re going to meet a lot of people in your lifetime. Some of these people you may not like. But just because you don’t like them, does not mean you have to work against them. When you see somebody doing something wrong, tell them, “That’s not right. Stop it.” You can make the world a better place. The change you want to see in the world begins with you. We will be issuing a statement regarding the results of the trial in the near future via press release. I thank you for your attention.

Voter Guide On the Way...

Court — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 04:08:04 +0000

Well the HeadCount train is definitely rolling into a metropolitan area near you. The Team Leaders are getting shows up on our intranet and registering voters along the way. In my capacity as Content Editor, I have been working on creating a Voter Guide for the upcoming election. Basically it will be a short synopsis of where each presidential candidate stands on several issues we’ve chosen to address. These are issues we believe young music fans would be most affected by and include the affordability of college, sustainable energy and climate change, Israeli-Palestine relations, and medical marijuana, among others.

The Voter Guide will also have messages from several artists and will be available in the coming months leading up to November’s election. Though the list of issues we chose to address is by no means comprehensive, we think it will provide voters with enough of a guideline and feeling for each candidate on issues near and dear to them. Helping with this enormous task are three dedicated students from Columbia University in NYC and a talented writer from the Buffalo, NY area.

And if the Voter Guide isn’t keeping me busy enough, I have also taken on the role of Seattle’s Team Leader. I love writing and editing, but the hands-on act of registering people to vote is pretty cool and I wanted some of that action, too. Though we haven’t had any shows yet –Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds (a benefit for Seeds of Compassion with the Dalai Lama) next week is in the works, but may not happen – I am looking forward to some killer gigs and festivals down the road.

One I am most excited about is the upcoming Sasquatch Festival at the Gorge in WA State. www.SasquatchFestival.com. The lineup is ridiculous, especially for a girl who cut her teeth listening to 80’s music, and I can’t wait to catch some of the acts. But it is the incredible diversity of the acts that Live Nation and producer Adam Zacks have secured that made me think HeadCount would be a natural fit. Though there are a multitude of bands for an older generation (ie. me), there are oodles of up and coming acts that will attract a whole new generation of voters. And we’ll be there to register them!!

Next blog I will tell you how I pitched Sasquatch’s promoters and how surprised I was with their incredible generosity towards HeadCount and our mission…

What's the Point?

M.J.U. — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 03:43:25 +0000

The other day I re-watched Primary Colors, the Mike Nichols directed adaptation of Joe Klein's novel based upon Bill Clinton's 1992 primary campaign. Much of the story is told through the eyes of Henry Burton, a campaign staffer whom the other professional staffers call "a true believer." The penultimate scene in the film finds Burton telling Governor Jack Stanton (i.e., the Bill Clinton character) that he intends to resign from the campaign. Burton tells Stanton that he wants out of politics because it is too dirty. Instead, he says, he will focus on voter registration. Stanton's response, to paraphrase, is: What's the point? You'll always have to vote for people like me.

Burton doesn't directly answer Stanton's question. But watching this in 2008, while our presidential hopefuls are John McCain, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton, the point is more apparent than ever. Obamamania is about being the new kid on the block. A fresh face. If young people keep registering and stay active, there will be more "Obamas" even when Obamamania itself inevitabley fades away. By registering voters and encouraging participation in the system, HeadCount is expanding the franchise. When you expand the franchise, you open up the possibilities of future candidates that may seem unelectable by today's standards. Sure, it won't happen over night. It is a never-ending process of reminding elected officials that you exist, that you are paying attention and care about how your government functions or how your tax-dollars are spent.

In Mike Nichols' most recent film, an adaption of another book, Charlie Wilson's War, a democratic congressman from an unknown district in Texas declares that his constituents are not the residents of his district, but the people on Wall Street who finance his campaign. This reminds me of the classic delegate/trustee debate, a philosophical quandry as old as our form of government. The delegate/trustee question asks: Do you elect somebody to represent what you believe and act as your proxy every time he makes a decision? Or do you elect somebody that you trust will make the right decisions, even if unpopular with the constituents at the time that the decision is made. But in this type of debate there is a disconnect between theory and modern practice because it misses the threshold question. What comprises the constituency?

That is the point of voter registration and participation. Not to vote for a specific candidate on a specific date. But to remind public officials that you exist and have interests. That you are a voter and part of the constituency that bears representing.

To put more bluntly what I touched on above, I think that Obamamania is fueled by the fact that he is the youngest person to run for president in an era in which HeadCount and organizations like it are actively registering 18-29 year-olds to vote. If you take into account that this far into the primary season it remains difficult to find an Obama supporter who can articulate Obama's policy on any issue, it is not unreasonable to assume that if a 35-year-old ran for president -- and was just as gifted an orator -- he might also be headed to his party's convention this summer with a chance to become the party's nominee.

That's the point of voter registration and HeadCount. Not to perpetuate the system, but to increase the number of participants. Because that is the only way to increase the number of possible outcomes beyond an up or down vote on the Governor Jack Stanton's of the world.

Santana Brings Out Diverse Crowd

BillieN — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:52:49 +0000

I had the opportunity to attend a Santana concert at Merriweather Post Pavillion, 4/6/08. Although I have seen a multitude of concerts, this was my first Santana concert, and I knew I was in for a treat.

As soon as we were in the lot, it became apparent that this was a different kind of crowd. There was no one kind of person at the show. You know what I mean; you go to a Ratdog or Phil Lesh show, and you see dreadlocks and tie dye abounding. But this was immediately different. There were young people, old people, middle aged people. There were latinos, african americans, white people, and indian people. It was pretty evenly dispersed, which was surprising to me because it got me to thinking about how an artist is able to diversify themselves so much that they speak to an audience who is more than black, indian, or white--they are now one people.

Santana began the show with what I would call a "message of peace," which was beautiful. He had a clear aim from the beginning of the show, which was to unite people. I don't know if he quite knows it, but there was a definate sense of unity. As different as everyone was, it was a party! I have never danced so hard in my life! And the smiles--oh the smiles on everyone's faces! Sometimes, at least for me, when I go to shows that deviate slightly from my normal shows, I feel intimidated by the crowd--or at least a little "outside." This was different, and my hat is off to Santana--not just for his beautiful, wonderful music (which was flawless!), but for the power he has as a person AND a musician to bring people together and really reach people of all backgrounds to make them united. If only for a couple of hours.

Democracy Not Fade Away

Sebastian — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 22:45:40 +0000

Monday night was probably one of the biggest turning points in the history of HeadCount. We held a private fundraising event at a Washington D.C. home where special guest Bob Weir met with a wide variety of people and performed a short set. HeadCount was born out of the music scene where it is well known, and well regarded. It has been our goal recently to reach out to a broader audience and gain recognition in different realms within the political and philanthropical world. Monday nightâ€™s party did exactly that. The guest list of about 100 people included three Congressman, political commentator Tucker Carlson, FCC commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, Union heads, Foundation chairs and several other D.C. V.I.Ps. Bob spent most of the night meeting and greeting the guests, discussing politics, the importance of young people voting, and everybodyâ€™s â€œbest Dead show ever.â€ It was a great opportunity for the people of D.C. to meet HeadCount staff and volunteers and really get a feel of what the organization is all about. I answered several questions throughout the night related to our field operations, form processing, database techniques and the overall goals we aim to achieve. I got great feedback from everyone I spoke with and it seemed as though everyone there was excited to be involved. The obvious highlight of the evening was Bob Weirs brief but emotional performance. He lead off with a passionate speech on the importance of democracy, insisting that if we are not careful, democracy as know it will slip from within our reach. He talked about how the decisions being made today are going to effect young people for the rest of their lives. He urged the audience to join HeadCountâ€™s cause in registering voters and help save democracy as we know it. Then just as Bob was about to start playing, he stopped and said â€œIâ€™m sorry, I canâ€™t play tonight, I really want to, but I just canâ€™t.â€ He had been talking to guests for over two hours and sang the national anthem earlier at the Orioles game, his voice was shot. It was a scary moment, this was basically what everybody at the event had paid good money to see, and it could have been disastrous for HeadCount. Since he couldnâ€™t sing as loud and clear as normal, Bob chose to lead a sing-along to the Grateful Dead staple â€œRipple.â€ It was one of the most beautiful moments I have ever witnessed. Just imagine over 100 D.C. elites in suits and formal wear swaying and singing along with Bob Weir to one of the greatest songs ever written. Iâ€™m pretty sure I saw tears in at least a few eyes. He finished it off with another sing-along to â€œNot Fade Awayâ€, getting everyone excited and leaving on a high note. This climax was a perfect example of the true nature of HeadCount, which is music and musicians bringing people together to discuss important issues and take action. And while people might argue and differ on those issues, at the end of the night they are brought together by one simple entity; music.

"American Idol" Demonstrates the Importance of Voting

BillieN — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:01:31 +0000

Yes, it sounds strange, doesn't it? But I believe it to be true. Those of us HeadCount know that every vote is important in deciding an election, but it is sometimes hard to impress this on the general public (especially youth) because in this vastly growing nation and world, it is easy to feel like one of billions.

For those of you who aren't 'Idol' watchers, this week was an "upset" week. For those of us who have been watching for many seasons, this is usually the week that it happpens--that is, one of those who was formerly in the top goes home as we watch the person who really should get the boot glide through to next week. Everyone in the audience (as well as those three judges we LOVE to hate) are all shocked as they "boo" the decision. But they essentially made the decision either by voting for someone else, or abstaining from the vote. Last night, as I watched the oh-so-cute Australian gentlemen who made me think fondly of the late 80s with his rendition of "Don't you forget about me," it made me think that this guilty pleasure, prime time show may be doing more than meets the eye.

Although on a smaller scale than any presidential election, this contest demostrates the power of the vote. Its base that participates is mostly the youth of the country, who swoon over the cute guys, and want to be the pretty girls. They get their results quickly and feel the pangs of the person who goes home swiftly. It is really a stroke of genius, if you think about it. These people are getting used to voting from the age of 7 or 9, as opposed to 18.

Perhaps the connection does not translate as I have laid out here, but I like to think that it can. Now in it's 7th season, there are people who are currently 18 who were 11 when the show first came out. Perhaps having had this television powerhouse as an example of 'democratic' music choice, with Ryan Seacrest saying every week, "If you don't like the results, you should vote" will help the young people to realize the concept is the same in our political arena.

Back to Basics

drew — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 20:40:54 +0000

Every grassroots, volunteer organization must be weary of where and how they choose to allocate their resources. Ambition is one of the keys to success and to growth. But sometimes, when one shoots for the stars, it is too easy to overlook your base. Sometimes though, it all come back to the place where it all started.

Never was that more true than last night. Where, in the Disco Biscuits show at the Nokia Theatre, HeadCount registered more volunteers than at any other Biscuits show this year...before the Biscuits even took the stage. By the end of the show, the stellar team of volunteers had almost doubled that number.

It was a great show (Kamaole Sands> 7-11> Little Betty Boop> The City> Kamaole Sands, anyone?), a great experience for a lot of people who were able to be there, and a great night for HeadCount. Sometimes, when you find yourself in the midst of new, exciting things to come, it sure is refreshing to see where it all began.

A Call to Action

Sebastian — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 15:24:17 +0000

“A Call to Action” is now available for your viewing pleasure online at iClips.

http://www.iclips.net/acta.php

The documentary which tells the story of HeadCount’s mission to register voters, as well as the mission of other non-profits involved in the music community, is the perfect way for someone to get a better idea of what we are all about.

One of the great aspects to HeadCount is that it was born out of a community that already existed, outside of the status-quo political realm. The live-music community has provided family for thousands of people and the artists have always represented the heads of those families. “A Call to Action” displays how much the artists really do care about what HeadCount is doing, and how important it is for the music community to have their voice be heard.

HeadCount has also allowed artists to help a cause they believe in, voting, without having to endorse a certain candidate or party. It can be a hard situation for musicians to mix politics into their art. They want to keep their music as pure as possible, and endorsing a candidate on stage can sometimes corrupt a show in the eyes of a band, or its fans. My favorite moment of the documentary is when Trey Anastasio is being interviewed and he says “I’m not the most political person, as a musician I’ve always tried to steer clear of directly speaking politically, because a lot of the times, I think politics divide, and music brings people together…I still vote, I just don’t talk about to who I vote for.” I think this quote basically sums up the vast amount of artist support that HeadCount has. Our musicians believe in political activity, and civic engagement. They believe in the spirit of music and the community, and they believe in their fans. They know that once the fans are active, they will make the right choice on their own, and there is no need for them to say which candidate they should vote for, all they need to do is vote.

On a related note, the documentary is being screened tomorrow night, April 16th, in Asheville, North Carolina a theatre called Cinnebarre. It will also screen at the Bonnaroo Music Festival this summer in Tennessee and at the Fine Arts Theatre in Asheville in September.

The screening at Cinnebare made the cover of the Asheville Citizen Times Arts section and the article can be found online here…

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200880411089

Check out the documentary at iClips, read the article, and let me know what you think. This documentary is extremely important to HeadCount and we hope it has a successful effect in getting more people involved. It will also be available in hard-copy form free of charge at concerts and festivals where HeadCount is present this summer.

How Insurance Companies Get You By The Balls...

BillieN — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:05:55 +0000

Perhaps this doesn't seem related to HeadCount, but for me, it is. You see, I joined HeadCount for a couple of reasons, a) because I needed to feel that I was making a contribution, and b) because I felt like registering voters in the youth population would lead to better decision making in the polls...afterall, it is essentially our country; although you would never know it by the way things look today.

Â In my day-life, I work as an office manager at a therapy center. We have been taking insurance here for as long as the practice has been alive. We have also had insurance problems since we've been billing insurance companies. The scariest times here are when things are going well--because you know they are about to take a downturn!

From this side of the fence, I can tell you that my personal company has not been paid for over 6 months from Medicare....so now, faced with this situation, what is a business to do? First, there is an issue of patient care, in that we now have to turn around and hand people bills; which is the last thing I want to do. Secondly, there is an issue of where these people are going to go--some of them have been patients here for upwards of 8 years. Then there is the future--ahh the future.... If any of you help take care of your grandparents, you probably already know that with Medicare there comes lots of downfalls--and I mean LOTS. One of them is that you often get a secondary insurance carrier; that is, Medicare will only pay half your bill, and so you need another insurance carrier to supplement you so you aren't stuck holding your ass when its time to pay your medical bills. What most people don't know is that if the primary insurance doesn't pay the claim (or bill) the secondary insurance refuses to pay as well.

Â So when the business think-tank-team of me and my boss sat down and were forced to make a decision regarding the future of Medicare with our company, we decided that we could no longer face the unanswered questions (along with hundreds of unreturned messages that I have left in desperation trying to be paid) and just stop excepting Medicare. What does this all mean??? Â

Well here's the Kicker:

Blue Cross and Blue Shield thinks that they should completely cut us out of our contract because we can no longer accept Medicare...since you know, they have a total of 3 patients here who are the primary/secondary deal with Medicare...(let's just not mention the other 100 patients that we have where things go smoothly with Blue Cross!)

They have us by the balls....and this is how it happens...

All of these programs are outdated, underfunded, and do not work properly! The time for something new has come, and we have got to find a way to fix this broken, beaten system. The whole thing is aÂ sharade! There is a crisis in the health care industry that is suffering patients and providers alike, but the saddest part of it is that the one's who will be hit hardest in the future are us! This is why it is so very critical that we begin using our voices to unite this country and find a better way! Registering voters is the only way I can find an answer for myself, but even so, I grow increasingly weary of the country that professes itself "the best" in the world, yet cannot even take care of its people......

Reinventing the Wheel

M.J.U. — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:04:13 +0000

Earlier this year, I started reading Chuck Klosterman. He generally writes essays or articles about post-modern pop culture (for a better sense of what this means, read Sex, Drugs And Cocoa Puffs). Typically Klosterman pens essays that are laugh out loud funny and that do not explicitly address politics. The closest that Klosterman comes to politics might be his argument that you could figure out your position on an issue based upon which team you prefer in the old school Lakers-Celtics rivalry, or his description of his experience watching live a taping of the McLaughlin Group.

By way of the Hidden Track blog, I recently discovered that Klosterman regularly contributes to Esquire and an archive of his writings for that publication could be found at Esquire.com. Earlier this week, while taking a much needed mental break at work, I read an essy that Klosterman wrote in 2006, entitled "Invention's New Mother," available at http://www.esquire.com/features/ESQ0306KLOSTERMAN_124_2. The general premise is that everything necessary has already been invented, therefore making modern invention an exercise in creating things that people never thought that they wanted or needed until they started using the item. By way of example, Klosterman provides a discussion of his experience with text messaging, something with which we could all identify.

So what does any of this have to do with voting or the 2008 election? Klosterman addressed invention, but he got me thinking about re-invention. Perhaps everything necessary has been invented. But it is quite clear that much of what has been created has yet to be perfected. One such creation is the system of democracy employed in the United States. And the system for voter registration and the methods employed that affect whether a registered voter is permitted to actually vote on election day. This year, voters in the remaining primary states should use the opportunity to determine what imperfections could be corrected before November.

Without attempting to list even a fraction of the deficiencies, I'll tell you what I've learned from personal experiences just this year. I was in South Carolina for the Democratic Primary, and in New York on Super Tuesday, in both instances manning voter protection hotlines. On each day, the overarching lesson was that registered voters are not always on the voter registration list at their polling place. Life-long voters get purged from the voter registration list without being told in advance and first time voters not infrequently don't make it onto the voter registration list even though they have received a card in the mail telling them that they had successfully registered to vote. According to the Brennan Center for Justice and the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, in places like Brooklyn, New York, life-long voters arrived at the polling place at which they have always voted, only to learn that their name was purged from the registration list. If you take a few minutes to peruse the Brennan Center's website (brennancenter.org), you will notice that since the Help America Vote Act ("HAVA") was enacted in 2002, numerous would-be voters get removed from voter registration lists in various states for various reasons, including simple human error.

The worst part about voters being purged from the rolls is how poll workers handle such situations. If your name is not on the list, it does not necessarily mean that you cannot vote. But the volunteers at polling locations on election day are very often ignorant or misinformed of their state's rules. If you are not on the list, but are registered, some states allow you to vote using a paper ballot that has a presumption of validity. Other states allow you to vote using a provisional ballot or affidavit ballot that has a presumption of invalidity. Despite what the pollworker may tell you or the presumption associated with the type of ballot, neither case means that the paper ballot automatically does not count. It also does not mean that casting that ballot is a waste of time. Even if the vote does not get counted, there are steps to take that will help non-partisan organizations determine whether there is a greater problem in your county or polling place that bears addressing.

If this happens to you, there are a few things that you should do to help improve the system in your county or state:

(1) You should demand to vote, regardless of what the pollworker tells you.
(2) You should re-register to vote, so that you know that you will not experience the same problem in November.
(3) You should report the problem to a non-partisan organization, such as the National Campaign for Fair Elections, an initiative of the Lawyers' Committee For Civil Rights (1-866-OUR VOTE). The great thing about this organization, and others like it, is that they are available to assist you if you call while you are at your polling place and the poll worker is attempting to turn you away.

The National Campaign for Fair Elections recruits volunteer attorneys and law students and trains them to participate in a voter protection hotline for many of the primaries, as well as for the general election in November. The organization's press release regarding its plan for the Pennsylvania primary is available here: http://www.lawyerscommittee.org/2005website/publications/press/press041108.html. My understanding is that the organization has already started recruiting volunteers for similar voter protection programs for the primaries in Indiana and North Carolina taking place in early May.

Whether you are registered as a member of the Democratic or Republic Party, or unaffiliated in a state that allows unaffiliateds to vote in a party primary -- and even if you think that your vote in the primary will not impact your party's choice of nominee for the general election -- you need to take your county for a test run because not all counties or polling places are created equal. By voting and testing the process in April or May, you could make it easier for yourself and others to vote in November.

Numerous aspects of our voting system are far from perfect, but you could help improve some of the problems by helping to identify them early.

Come on, children, come on clap your hands!

JAZ — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:34:48 +0000

Greetings everyone! Iâ€™m John Z., the Washington, D.C. Team Leader for HeadCount. Thanks for checking out our blog!

Like many of our volunteers, unfortunately I have a day job that doesnâ€™t entail going to concerts. Luckily, however, I work at small polling firm that does public opinion research. While most of our work is on behalf of our corporate clients, I do spend at least a day each week looking at polling data for the upcoming election. I figured Iâ€™d use this space to share some interesting findings from the world of polling that relate to you, the Young Voters who are Our Future (sorry for the cheesy turn of phrase, it was too tempting).

I thought Iâ€™d draw your attention to a story from todayâ€™s New York Times that portrays todayâ€™s primary contest between Obama and Clinton as a generational struggle. Exit polling data from the previous Democratic primaries does support the seemingly-obvious notion that young voters break for the young candidate. Why do you think that is? My opinion is that itâ€™s mostly due to the simple appeal of a young candidate who just seems like someone intelligent who youâ€™d want to get to know, but I also think Obamaâ€™s deft use of the Internet to both spread his campaign message virally and raise record amounts of money to pour back into those efforts has allowed him to energize young voters.

If all politics is generational, then these are exciting times to be a young voter. This awesome, in-depth report from Rock the Vote and CIRCLE shows that a historic number of young people voted in the 2006 midterms. The 9% surge over 2002 shows that young people are increasingly engaged and participating in the political process. Thereâ€™s also a bunch of other encouraging data about the youth and minority voter turnout. In a time when elections are decided by a few hundred thousand votes, getting out and voting matters more than ever.

All sorts of socio-cultural theories have been floated as to why Generation X has the lowest turnout of any cohort of voters when in the 18-29 year old range, but theyâ€™re no more than (sometimes educated) guesses. Why do you think people under 29 are voting in record numbers? If you chose not to vote in previous elections but have voted in this primary or are volunteering with HeadCount, why did you choose to get involved?

If you ever have any questions about polling data or methodology or about something you read or see in the news, feel free to email me at JohnZ@headcount.org and I will gladly answer them on this blog. Iâ€™ll be back later with some more polling-related stuff.

One little disclaimer: anything written here is solely my own opinion and is not that of either HeadCount or the Lombardo Consulting Group.

Who will have the final say?

BillieN — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:08:13 +0000

With the PA primary coming to a frustrating end, I am wondering what the end will be, but, more importantly, who is REALLY going to decide this election: popular vote, or the super delegates??

It pains me to think that we may have another upset, but the sad truth is that congress can highjack our election. This smacks of a greater problem which needs to be addressed; many voters are going to feel disenfranchised if popular vote doesn't win out (again). The last 8 years have been a trying time, and whether or not you support Hillary or Obama, (or McCain?), I think that there is a general consenus of what needs to happen in the county--some kind of change! It is hard for me to imagine that the super delegates would choose someone who doesn't hold popular vote, but the thought scares me nonetheless.

Then there is the issue of the race itself. I think that the PA primary has left me more frustrated than anything else, but the worry set in yesterday as well. The Democratic Convention isn't until August! If we let this whole democratic nominee election go until then, then we only leave 4 weeks until the first debate with McCain, which is a bad idea. We will also lose valuable campaign time, ie- the entire summer! I look at the candidates, and I see an increasingly bitter woman who is dragging out the race in an effort to salvage her own ego. I am a little disgusted with the behavior of someone who has presented herself with such poise in the past. In fact, I began this whole run as a Hillary Clinton supporter....but her behavior became so erractic-- nay, desperate-- that I began to wonder. And it took me only a few weeks to jump the fence after hearing the fervor and passion that Barack Obama spoke with. It's not that I am without compassion. I mean, Hillary thought that this would be her year. She has been waiting for her golden moment in the sun, and now it is seemingly snatched from under her--by a younger, swifter, more able opponent, and she never saw it coming! Oh, and let's not forget, she is using a take-off from the Obama campaign stating yesterday in a "victory" speech "Yes, we will!" Tasteless, at best...

I certainly don't have the answers...only opinions, but I really feel that all of this is dividing the party and making for a horrible start. If Hillary really cared perhaps she would (at the very least) stop the attacks on Obama so that, either way, the party will back the winning candidate....

I really think it is time for her to throw in the towel.

Pearl Jammed, Records Broken, Stone's Rolled

Sebastian — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:44:50 +0000

Just wanted to drop a quick post about some of the exciting things that have been happening recently within HeadCount. It started Saturday when we got word from Pearl Jam that they agreed to be an offical HeadCount band. Normally this means that the band puts our "Register to Vote" button up on their website, provides us with access to their shows in order to set up a table and register voters, and provide any additional support they want. Pearl Jam took the extra step. They decided to bring a HeadCount volunteer on tour with them for their entire spring tour! This means a HeadCount volunteer will ride on their tour bus from city to city and meet up with local HeadCount volunteers at each show. Its going to be a pretty incredible experience and you can apply now at www.HeadCount.org. On Sunday HeadCount broke its previous single day registration record by registering over 500 people. The majority of these registrations came from the Green Apple Festivals in Washington D.C., San Francisco, Boulder, and Chicago. Over 250 coming in from Chicago alone. The Green Apple Festival was an overall huge success and we were extremely grateful to be a part of it. Then early this week, at a most convenient time with all these great things happening, the latest Rolling Stone magazine came out with "The Best of Rock 2008" cover. Turn to page 18 and you will see a half page article dedicated to the HeadCount benefit recently held in Washington D.C. where Bob Weir signed autographs and performed a short solo acoustic set. Special thanks to our new publicists Dave and Colin at Giant Noise for getting us the spot in Rolling Stone. Look out for more HeadCount in the news when we issue our press release announcing our new bands and future plans.

The Importance of Cultural Spaces

MikeConnery — Thu, 01 May 2008 21:20:05 +0000

HeadCount operates by partnering with artists to help engage their fanbase and the live music scene. It's a good strategy. Studies show that peer to peer organizing is the most effective way to engage people in the political process, and who are more our peers than those who listen to the same music and live in the same culture as ourselves?

So what does that look like? Here at Head Count, looking from the top down, it means partnering with artists. It means finding a band with a commitment to our democracy and to making the world a better place, and help them and their fans fulfill that commitment at the ballot box. It's an organizing model based around an artist's geographically dispersed fanbase, united by their love of the music and desire to see change.

That's the view from the top down. It's a good model. It's what makes Head Count successful and has registered tens of thousands of voters. But it's not the only model for organizing around live music, and from the bottom up, the live music scene is anything but geographically diverse or based around individual artists. It lives in tight clusters centered around cities and more specifically the music venues within those cities. For me, it used to be the Wetlands Preserve in NYC - a great venue where, before it closed in 2001, the jamband and hip hop scenes mixed with environmental activism. These are the homes of live music for many. They can also be local centers for change.

This is the other model of music activism - using venues as the local focal point for social change - and there are a number of projects across the country doing just that.

Recently, WireTap magazine sat down with some of those groups as the final installment of a nine-part series on cultural activism. Here's a few of those organizations and what they have to say about a compelling question: Why Build A Movement Among Youth-Driven Cultural Spaces?

Shannon Stewart - The Vera Project - Seattle, Washington

I echoed a lot of what had been said, and added something of a social urban planning perspective, "I think about space -- like physical space -- and its role in cultural change and social change. For The Vera Project, I feel like the space was what was holding the possibility for there to be social change within that cultural community."

And of course, it's how you hold and shape the space that matters. In Seattle, aside from producing music, spaces like Vera also tackled mass voter mobilization efforts that changed the course of elections, community responses to sexual assault, strong alliance-building for youth rights and liberation, anti-war protests and anti-globalization organizing. Connecting young people through art -- and in a space that was set up unconventionally -- created a platform for people of different identities and communities to come together and tackle hard issues, alongside of nurturing new sounds, artists and aesthetics.

Lori Roddy: Neutral Zone - Los Angeles

Lori explained how she is trying to understand culture's function in her work, "I think [culture] is sort of a consciousness of the way that people think, the way they understand the place that they live in and the way that they interact with one another. It's the way they express their interaction or the way they sing, the way they write, or the way they perform. It's a way of internalizing and understanding the way things are. And to change that internal hegemonic perception of [culture] is a big piece, I think. Social change then to me is identifying more of the actual policies, practices, and laws. ... With that definition, the Neutral Zone is really functioning more on the cultural change [side]. It's raising the consciousness of young people, [affirming] that they are competent, capable individuals, that they should have ownership. They don't have to wait to be adults."

Gavin Leonard: Elementz - Cincinnati

Gavin went next. "So the crux of it is ... does the organization see itself as doing cultural or social change work? ... Probably, actually, neither. ... Our mission is to inspire and engage. You can't make cultural change unless you have a culture and are connected with people or, like I say to people all the time, that Elementz is this youth center that has street credibility and then pretty much all I do all day is figure out how to define street credibility." Gavin explained that street credibility is what helps an organization like Elementz get connected with young people, helps young people get connected to one another to create their own culture, and also connects them to the power to make change.

Kevin Erickson: Department of Safety - Washington State

Kevin Erickson from the Department of Safety in Anacortes, Washington, added, "Well, the Department of Safety in its founding was sort of operating on a lot of different levels. They wrote manifestos and deployed all this Marxist rhetoric, meanwhile maintaining a radical humility about their actual expectations about what they would be able to accomplish. Now, I think that we're permanently radical by virtue of existing where we exist and by doing the kind of work that we're doing in the place that we're doing it. I think it's indicative of the current state of cultural politics in America today [that] we have left rural areas out and the red states have been defined as cultural wastelands. [So] by putting together [an argument] that, 'No, actually the town you are in is valuable. You and your friends are capable of doing really good things,' it tends to break down that binary between social and cultural by really shortcutting the fundamental dynamic at work."

There is a lot more on the way that culture can bring about change, and the role that a physical space/community out of which to organize plays in that change. Go read the whole piece.

If your Voting Today

Sebastian — Tue, 06 May 2008 14:29:07 +0000

Just a quick reminder for everyone voting in the Indiana and North Carolina Primaries. If your voting in Indiana, BRING YOUR ID! Remember, this ID card does not have to match the address you are registered to vote at. You can vote as long as you have an ID card. If a poll worker tells you that you can't vote because your ID card does not match your registered address, THEY ARE WRONG! Insist upon voting and if all else fails fill out a provisional ballot and follow up with your local election board. If you are having any trouble at your polling place, or finding your polling place in general, please call 866-OUR-VOTE. You can use this number in both Indiana and North Carolina. There are a group of lawyers and election workers on the other end that will help solve any problems you are facing. Good luck at the polls. Remember, it is your right to vote, and there are a lot of people out there who are trying to stop you from doing so. Dont let that happen! If you haven't done so already, Register to Vote at www.HeadCount.org today.

NO NUNS ALLOWED!

Sebastian — Tue, 06 May 2008 22:23:59 +0000

Already stories of voters being turned away at the polls are popping up. First, a group of nuns were turned down in Indiana for not having proper Identification. Read about it here...

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gRN59j2QQCVZYwfdLSokUeN1K9hQD90GCNHG0

The Student PIRGS just released a group of stories about students that are being turned down at the polls. See below. Remember, your ID does not have to match your registered address and it does not have to be an Indiana state issued ID.

19-year old Angela Hiss, a sophomore and computer science major at the University of Notre Dame, was turned away from the polls this afternoon as she attempted to vote in her first election. After arriving at her polling location, she presented several forms of identification - her school ID, a piece of mail that showed her campus address and an Illinois driverâ€™s license â€“ but was misinformed that she could not vote because she could not show in-state ID. Poll-workers, according to Hiss, also did not advise her that she could cast a provisional ballot, as required by state and federal law. Instead, they suggested visiting local Department of Motor Vehicles to obtain the in-state identification required by Indianaâ€™s newly-upheld law, an endeavor that could take hours, she explained. Furthermore, while the law allows her ten days to obtain the required ID from the DMV, Hissâ€™s travel plans will not give her time. As a result, she said, she will not be able to vote in the primary.

19-year old Allyson Miller, a sophomore at the University of Notre Dame and volunteer at a local childrenâ€™s clinic was similarly turned away from the polls today. An Indiana resident since the age of five, Miller left her driverâ€™s license in her dorm room, and arrived straight from class at the polls with her school ID and registration confirmation papers from the County Registrar. Upon arriving, however, poll-workers did not allow her to vote without a state-issued ID. â€œI plan to come back because voting is a big deal to me,â€ said Miller, â€œbut itâ€™s a huge inconvenience, especially with a final tomorrow.â€

19-year old Becky Jenkins, a sophomore and member of the tennis team at Butler University was also unable to vote in her first election today. â€œI didnâ€™t know that I had to have an Indiana ID,â€ she said after she was turned away from the polls for attempting to cast her ballot using a driverâ€™s licenses issued by the State of Illinois. When asked if she would instead cast a provisional ballot, Jenkins also said her travel plans wouldnâ€™t allow her to.

Wii Vote

BillieN — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:18:31 +0000

So, for those of you out there who aren't big gamers, I feel your pain! I am not a big gamer. But my partner is, and he is always reading up on the latest and greatest games, and finding out cool little tid-bits about the gaming world. Every now and then, there is something he tells me about that catches my attention, and is actually pretty cool.

Nintendo Wii is truly a cool gaming system. I mean, you can break a sweat without leaving your living room, and for me, that is news-worthy! I have to admit, I am impressed with the system and all of it's perks. (Like being able to hook it up to a broadband connection and play with anyone around the world--pretty groovy.) In today's world, it seems technology is boundless. A couple of days ago, in the dorkiest magazine for gamers, I came across a pretty cool feature of the Nintendo Wii that I had been unaware of: Voting!!!!!

Yes, that's right HeadCounters--it's everywhere! So here's how it works; You have to be hooked up to the internet and there is a section you can access where people all over the US are voting. They are voting for things like, "do you prefer pie or cake" (people actually prefer cake by more than 20%!!!!) And the system gives you the results, and then breaks it down my region as to who prefers what. (Let it be known that people on the East Coast and Deep South prefer to eat pie, and those in the Midwest and West coasts, let them east cake!) Now, while pie and cake may not seem the most relevent issues, (unless it's your birthday) I am always impressed when I see these types of things. It's kind of a funny thing because we seem a culture obsessed with voting. Don't believe me? Just go on your favorite news website. I'll bet you that they have a daily vote....like "Should Hillary drop out of the race?" (That was on www.time.com yesterday.) So, being as such, why don't so many go out and vote in the "biggest vote" our country has? Furthermore, if Nintendo Wii can manage to have an effective vote casting arena...why can't the government???

Standing for Something

BillieN — Thu, 15 May 2008 14:32:47 +0000

In 2001 when I got my license, I distinctly remember pulling my used white 1998 Dodge Neon into the gas station and pumping my tank full of 99 cent per gallon gas for a grand total of 11 dollars. When I was a senior in high school, and I wanted to skip class, I remember having 25 bucks which would get me from Sussex County, Delaware to Philadelphia, Pennsylvannia with enough money left over for a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts, lunch, AND a pack of cigarettes!

When I turned 16 and got my license, my Mom was overjoyed because I LOVED to drive. I mean, I LOVED it. I began taking over the responsibility of grocery shopping. I would get a list of items, about $100 cash, and I had to shop for our family of three and make it last for one week. I was pretty good at it--getting crafty and using my calculator (which has stuck with me to this day) and my little brother loved it because I could usually budget to get him some zebra cakes and myself some perogies.

Today, it is 2008. I am almost 23 years old. My car is a low emissions vechile which gets 25 mpg, and it costs me $45 to fill my tank with gas. I live with my partner and when the two of us go shopping we spend at least $100 per week--and I don't always get perogies. A year or two ago we got those reusable bags, which we use every week. We own 6 of them; yesterday we only able to fill 4 1/2 of them with food on our budget.

Now, don't get me wrong. We are very grateful for our lives. We love our lives, to be exact. But money IS getting tighter and tighter. Every day the gas prices are going up. (Yesterday they were $3.67; today it's $3.71). Milk is $3.59 for a half gallon. Bread is at least $2.50, but if you want something healthy, be prepared to pay more. The number of people eating at soup kitchens has almost doubled in the last year. Is anyone getting the picture????

Food is becoming a problem... people are starving. Our responsibility as Americans is to let our government know when they are letting us down in whatever way they will listen. Voting is important and it is the best way to effectively erradicate corruption from office. But I really believe--heart and soul--that rioting and marching are another responsibility that we have to tell our government when something is OUTRAGEOUS and WE WILL NOT STAND FOR IT. Take a cue from Al Sharpton--who was arrested in the marches he led on behalf of Sean Bell. Where has the heart of America gone? Where is our backbone?

Are we so disconnected that we are willing to suffer in silence rather than to band together and stand for something?

Obama: Don't Fund the Outside Groups

MikeConnery — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:19:26 +0000

Ben Smith at the Politico is now reporting what Matt Stoller blogged as rumor earlier this week: that the Obama campaign is telling progressive donors to withhold funds from "outside" 527 organizations. At this point it's inclear whether this means all 527 organizations or all just the media organizations that might run negative campaigns in the fall.

Senator Barack Obama's campaign is steering the candidate's wealthy supporters away from independent Democratic groups, calling into question what had been expected to be the groups' central role in this year's Democratic offensive against Senator John McCain.

Obama's national finance chairwoman, Chicago hotel mogul Penny Pritzker, told supporters at a national finance committee meeting in Indianapolis May 2, and in other conversations, not to give money to the groups, people familiar with her comments said.

From the perspective of the Obama campaign, this makes sense. It reinforces their message of rejecting the partisanship of the past and don't need anyone muddying their message with negative ads. They have a large enough volunteer base geographically dispersed enough to run their own 50-state field campaign (which they already launched this last weekend).

That's a short-sighted view, however. The Obama campaign isn't the end-all, be-all of progressive, or even Democratic, politics. He may well have the money and volunteers to pull this off all by himself this year, but will he do the same next year, while he's busy pushing policy and his name isn't on a single ballot? Will he lead the media and field campaigns during the 2010 midterms? What happens when Obama is no longer on the ballot? Or if Obama should become an unpopular president and can no longer muster the same forces as we're seeing now?

One of these things will eventually come pass, and when they do, we will need those "outside" organizations to step up and fill the gaps as they have these last years.

In the realm of youth organizing, there was nothing happening outside of non-partisan voter registration prior to 2003. That was rectified by the creation of numerous 527 and 501c4 organizations during the last election cycle. Presumably these, too, would be defunded if the Obama campaign has its way.

Not all campaigns, will be as successful with youth as Sen. Obama. The state parties are still quite bad at targeting young voters. We will have a hard time maximizing youth turnout without those organizations, and I worry that if these new institutions have funds withheld this year, they will wither on the vine and in a few short years we will be back where we started pre-2003.

Some might argue that Obama is posturing. That this is just a pose to maintain his post-partisan image. That all depends on how serious the donors take him and what they decide to do with their money this cycle. If donors ignore Obama's statements and give anyway, then no-harm no-foul. The article makes clear, however, that some donors are taking him seriously:

The donors have been considering entreaties from Progressive Media USA, run by conservative-journalist turned liberal media critic David Brock; from former Clinton aide John Podesta's Fund for America; and from America Votes, a group backed by billionaire George Soros that focuses on voter mobilization, among other efforts.

But in recent days, major donors have begun to conclude that Obama is serious in trying to cut off funds to the outside groups.

"It's given donors pause," said one prominent Democratic donor of Pritzker's words.

Youth organizing is supported by so few donors. Indeed, the big struggle now is to find mid-level donors to help make our new infrastructure more sustainable and less dependent on the whims of one or two funders. If even a few of these funders heed the Obama campaign's words, it could have drastic effects on the sustainability of our nascent youth movement.

I hope that doesn't happen.

The Modern Nexus of Pop-Music and Politics

M.J.U. — Wed, 21 May 2008 05:14:52 +0000

One often wonders whether politicians are paying attention to young or younger-minder voters. I resist the term "millennial" because the newly active voter demographic should include, to an important extent, voters born at least as early as 1980.

I often espouse the opinion that Obama is successful because he is the youngest, least overtly political candidate for president running for the Democratic Party nomination in 2008. But tonight, watching Obama's speech in Iowa just prior to the official poll-closing in Oregan, I saw a glimpse of the new politics of which he promised to espouse. No, it was not in his pseudo victory speech. Instead, it could be heard in the outro music to his appearance tonight. One thing that I noticed early this season is that once Obama became the "front-runner" his outro-music for most appearances was Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours." That is a great musical call, but certainly more aggressive a campaign move than a political statement.

Tonight, however, I saw something different. And I wonder if anyone noticed. The prologue to this event is that days ago President Bush delivered a speech before the Israeli Parliament during which he analogized diplomacy with Iran, Syria, etc., to appeasing Hitler's Germany before or during World War II. Leave to one side the fact that (a) depicting a philosophy of diplomacy as akin to one of appeasement is nothing short of depicting an elephant's eating habits as indicative of that of rabbit (i.e. not at all similar); and (b) the only congressmen in the Untied States during the 1930s or '40s who favored appeasement were members of the GOP. Instead, focus on the important issue that President Bush is once again revitalizing the fear-mongering that has dominated politics since 2002. It is undeniable that the Karl Rove era, post-Cold War, politics is premised upon fear-mongering in the new foreign policy landscape. And it is quite clear that much of this theory is premised upon a parade of horribles in the middle east. President Bush escalated this to a new level in his speech overseas.

But today Obama responded. Not with rhetoric -- although he did deliver a speech reminiscent of his triumphant speeches in Iowa, South Carolina, and other genuine "Yes We Can" moments -- but with instant classic post-9/11 Bruce Springsteen. You most certainly will read about Obama's resurgent tone of confidence and change. More importantly, however, his speech ended with Springsteen's "The Rising." The album, The Rising, is a Springsteen's post-9/11 effort that is beautiful, sad, but most of all hopeful. (It has a sequence of songs: "Empty Sky", "Worlds Apart", and "Let's Be Friends".)

I'll spare you the details of my experience working on a campaign in fall 2002, taking the day off for the first anniversary of 9/11, and spending the day driving around the Rocky Mountains listening to The Rising for the first time (before listening to some Wilco and Jerry). But since that very first listen, what has always stuck with me is how the album -- and the title track -- is overtly hopeful. The Rising expressly rejects the notion that we should live in -- or vote based upon -- fear. Instead, in the title track's closing lyrics, the Boss opines that along with fear comes new opportunities for growth. In other words, new reasons to hope for an evolved politics. Admittedly, it is not Dylan in the '60s. But it is a 21st Century nexus of politics and meaningful lyrics. Here is the closing lyrics to the tune that Obama employed tonight, just prior to "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours." Please, tell me if I'm crazy to think that employing this song as Obama's outro sends a message rejecting Rove's politics of fear.

Sky of blackness and sorrow ( a dream of life)
Sky of love, sky of tears (a dream of life)
Sky of glory and sadness ( a dream of life)
Sky of mercy, sky of fear ( a dream of life)
Sky of memory and shadow ( a dream of life)
Your burnin' wind fills my arms tonight
Sky of longing and emptiness (a dream of life)
Sky of fullness, sky of blessed life ( a dream of life)

Come on up for the rising
Come on up, lay your hands in mine
Come on up for the rising
Come on up for the rising tonight

HeadCount hits the road...

Brande Jackson — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 16:41:23 +0000

The past few weeks have been busy here at HeadCount â€“ our volunteers have been hard at work in their communities registering lots and lots of voters, and our touring teams have hit the road in full force, getting hundreds of people registered to vote and involved with HeadCount along the way!

Erin, Ashley, Stephanie and Ethan are our Dave Matthews Band touring team for the first leg of the tour. They got started two weeks ago in Pittsburgh and have been braving rainstorms, heat and long drives ever since. Bad weather hasnâ€™t gotten them down though â€“ theyâ€™ve gotten well over a thousand people registered to vote just a few weeks into the tour and are getting more and more people involved every night! Theyâ€™ll be in Hartford this weekend, and working their way to Darien Lake and Boston next week.

Our Pearl Jam tour kicked off this week in Florida. Amanda is our touring rep, hitting the road with the band in style as a part of their touring crew! Her and her volunteer teams got the tour off to a great start in Palm Beach and Tampa, getting hundreds of PJ fans registered to vote and informed about Headcount. A big â€˜register to vote with Headcountâ€™ shout out from Eddie Vedder was also a nice bonus and unexpected surprise for us!

Also hitting the road this week was our Jack Johnson team of Nicole and Johanna. They got their tour started in Indianapolis, braving rain with their hard core volunteer crew and getting over a hundred Jack fans registered to vote on their opening night.

Joining our touring teams on all of these dates are local Headcount volunteers â€“ our Team Leaders, Regional Cordinators and local volunteers, all of whom are coming out in full force and really helping us get thousands of people registered this summer.

Weâ€™ve got lots of dates ahead of us â€“ check back here often as â€˜on the road updatesâ€™ will start to roll in, check out our photos here, and be sure to sign up to volunteer if you havenâ€™t done so yet!

Bonnaroo updates...

Brande Jackson — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 15:47:46 +0000

Headcount is back out at Bonnaroo this year in full action! In addition to our all star team hitting the ground and registering voters â€“ weâ€™re at 700 currently, getting dangerously close to our 1000 goal â€“ Headcount co-founder Marc Brownstein has also been on site and was featured on a panel on Friday.

Our team in Mansfield includes Shane, our RC for the Midwest, Dan, our RC for the upper Midwest, Danâ€™s brother Gabe (who, is, we understand, engaging in some friendly competition with his brother when it comes to registrationsâ€¦), Andy, Stacey, Kelly, Jennifer and Celeste - all volunteers from the Nashville HC team, and Jessica, HeadCountâ€™s Regional Coordinator from the south. We are also joined this weekend by members of HeadCountâ€™s core national team, and by members of our touring teams who have stopped by to help. Itâ€™s been a lot of fun to get to work with such awesome people, and to talk to countless fans about the importance of voting and ways that they can get involved with HC.

More updates coming soon â€“ and more Bonnaroo photos can be found here!

1,145 at Bonnaroo

Sebastian — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:53:26 +0000

Just wanted to let everybody know that HeadCount ended up registering 1,145 people this weekend at Bonnaroo. This was a record breaking weekend for HeadCount and a sign of how far the organization has come. We are extremely proud of all the volunteers that came out this weekend. We had an incredible team of 9 of our best volunteers. It was also extremely moving to see people who had already payed for tickets come to the booth, grab a clipboard and help us out. While the HeadCount volunteers worked hard canvassing out in the campgrounds, stages and tents; the booth also received a great deal of traffic. People were determined to find our tent and register. This was a great example of how motivated young people are these days and a sure sign that the live music community will be well represented at the polls come November.

Interest Rates on Student Loans Drop

alicescheshirecat — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:29:38 +0000

Beginning July 1st, the first phase of largest college aid expansion in six decades kicks in, according to a release sent out from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office. This was part of the number of bills pushed through Congress in 2006 when the New Direction Congress rolled into town.

In efforts to help middle class families live more affordable, the House passed, among other things, a minimum wage increase as well as the the expansion in college aid which includes an expansion of Pell Grants as well as this reduction in interest rates which will cut in half by 2011 and will begin with a drop from 6.8% to 6.0%.

According to the release

"This cutting of the interest rate will benefit the 6.8 million students who borrow need-based federal student loans each year. Once fully phased in, this interest rate cut will save the typical student borrower – with $13,800 in need-based student loan debt – an average of $4,400 over the life of the loan."

Thanks to the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, which provides more than $20 billion in federal student aid over the next five years, interest rates on need-based (subsidized) federal student loans will drop from 6.8 percent to 6.0 percent on July 1st – making these loans more affordable for millions of low- and middle-income students. This is the first of step towards halving these interest rates – over the next few years these rates will continue to decrease until they reach 3.4 percent.

Low and middle income students and families benefit most form this plan as 6.8 million students borrow need-based federal student loans each year.

other benefits they can begin receiving this fall. For the 2008-2009 school year, the College Cost Reduction and Access Act will also increase the Pell Grant scholarship by $490 (raising the maximum award to $4,731) an provide up-front tuition assistance of $4,000 each year for students who commit to teaching high-need subjects in high-need public schools.

On the road update...

Brande Jackson — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 02:20:06 +0000

Time has indeed been flying by here at HeadCount - we are a month into our touring season, but it feels like we've been on the road forever!

Over the past month, we've had teams on the ground and on the road with the Dave Matthews Band, Jack Johnson, Pearl Jam, and Ratdog. We are about to hit the road with John Mayer, O.A.R. and STS9 in the upcoming weeks as well - there will be plenty of opportunities to volunteer, so do be sure to sign up to do so! It's the work of the amazing volunteers who come out to see us night after night that has helped us register thousands of fans over the past month!

Our first leg of Jack Johnson wrapped up in Minneapolis about a week ago. We came just shy of getting 1,000 people registered to vote over our first five dates, and recruited several hundred new volunteers as well - we hope to see you all out at a show soon! Jack himself has been super supportive - coming out to greet our volunteers on a few occasions, and even giving us a shout out from stage in Minneapolis! We're pretty eager to get back out on the road with the All At Once Tour once it comes back to the US in August.

Our Dave Matthews team is still braving scary weather, but they are pulling through - we haven't even hit the halfway point of the tour and have already gotten over 3,000 DMB fans registered to vote! Our touring crew even got a chance to meet Dave, and were pretty pumped by his support and interest in our work.

Pearl Jam is wrapping up their tour tonight in Boston - Amanda, our HeadCount touring rep is tired, but still sad to see the tour end! We are wrapping up with close to 1,200 Pearl Jam fans registered to vote and committed to hitting up the polls this November. Shout outs from Eddie have also been a nice bonus along the way!

Our Ratdog team of Sara and Lizzy got started in Oregon last week. They are on a west coast run, having already hit up Eugene, Seattle, Boise, Salt Lake City, Sacramento and Los Angeles. They have a few more stops before their tour wraps up in Northern California next week, and have gotten several hundred Ratdog fans registered to vote along the way!

Be sure to check back for more updates from our on the road teams, and you can check out more tour photos here. And don't forget, we need you to VOLUNTEER! Sign up today!

Upclose Activism

alicescheshirecat — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 02:23:03 +0000

The Center for Community Change's Sally Kohn has a piece today about the passionate Millennial activism that is taking place online and the extent to which it happens off line.

We've kinda heard this complaint before with Thomas Friedman's Generation Q piece that slammed the Millennial Generation for not being disgusted enough by our contemporary world to take to the streets. In Mike's rebuttal of the piece and indeed many of us who spoke out against Friedman's uneducated assumptions, it isn't that Millennials aren't taking to the streets, indeed they are, they are just virtual streets

Kohn is bothered by the virtual part. She agrees that young people feel "deeply connected" with causes - things going on in Darfur, Tibet, you name it.... Bus she fears the online activism will "erode the community values [Millennials] seek"

"On the one hand, they have grown up with new technologies that have helped the world connect more easily; on the other hand, they have been raised alongside the rise of hyperindividualism in American culture that has isolated us from each other and the world around us...

But social movements are based on collective action. The American Revolution, the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, and every significant social change movement in between and since has relied on community organizing, building mutually responsible communities to challenge the status quo."

Kohn says that the internets are very individualistic. Seems Kohn hasn't heard of Web 2.0. I don't know about ya'll but we are collectively communicating right here on the tubes. And this blog is fed into facebook - which if you haven't seen it is this SOCIAL networking site where all these people who went to school together, work together, or associate in the same causes collectively chill together on line.

For example, Invisible Children started out just on MySpace and Facebook, living through social networking sites, this organization brought awareness and action to a cause among an age specific group of people. Now, young people are serving to help walk these children to safe houses daily, people are donating online, showing the film, and raising awareness about something no one was talking about a few years ago.

IC isn't the only one. Save Darfur is another cause that I hardly think would have the passion and power that it does today without a mobilized group of people online. If you look at online donations on Change.org or the FB Causes application you see that Save Darfur has raised $2,657 on Change with 1997 actions and $24,000 on the Causes Application on Facebook.

Young people have a lot of power and that power can take place on-line or off, each action is just as valid and just as powerful and appreciated. No one should be allowed to get away with diminishing that.

Voter Protection Key to Legislation Today

alicescheshirecat — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 05:00:34 +0000

UPDATE: Shakowsky just announced it on the House Floor in the late night session about 30 minutes ago.

At a time when organizations across the country are focused on increasing voter registration, the Student Association for Voter Empowerment (SAVE) has worked hard to make sure that when those newly registered voters go to the polls, their votes will count.

Today the movement to protect our votes will take a giant leap forward when SAVE teamed up with Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois and Congresswoman Jan Shakowsky of Illinois and Congressman Steve LaTourette of Ohio present the Student VOTER Bill of 2008.

Durbin said on the floor:

"The success of America’s experiment in democracy lies in broad participation and deep civic engagement. From the Reconstruction Amendments, to women’s suffrage, to the abolition of the poll tax, and finally the ratification of the Twenty-Sixth Amendment, we have witnessed a steady but difficult march toward a more inclusive nation. To realize the full potential of these great strides, the Student VOTER Act provides a pathway to participation for America’s youth."

SAVE has worked non-stop for 4 years as a national non-partisan, non-profit with a mission to increase youth voter participation by removing access barriers and promoting stronger civic education. They constantly lobby Congress and the Senate in efforts to ensure that the right to vote is accessible to young people and that those votes are protected.

"Voter protection is personal to me,"said Director and Founder Matt Segal earlier this summer in an interview. He began SAVE after standing in line for more than 12 hours on election day in 2004 to help encourage his fellow students who stood in the cold and rain just to cast a ballot.

"We held umbrellas, we brought them pizza, we got them excused from class so they wouldn't lose their places in line, we did everything we could to ensure everyone who wanted to vote got to vote. Voting is our right, that should never happen again."

Segal says he applauds Senator Durbin and Representatives Schakowsky and LaTourette for their leadership and attention to student voter turnout and the barriers students face when voting.

"All the while many congressional members pay lip service to the idea of increasing civic engagement, it is refreshing to see these members act, and call on our education institutions to be more proactive in getting student signed up and aware of the laws in their various states and districts."

Young voters face some of the most difficult obstacles when it comes to going to the polls.

The Higher Education Act of 1998 was passed in efforts to increase youth participation in elections by requiring that U.S. colleges and universities make a "good faith effort" to register students to vote. This could easily be done at a student orientation or during class registration. But it isn't.

Durbin continued to say on the Senate floor

"Several obstacles stand in the way of youth voting. Because so many students are first time voters, they often are unfamiliar with how to register. In some states, first time voters must register in person in order to cast an absentee ballot. For students who attend college outside of their home state or who do not have access to transportation, these requirements can be cumbersome, confusing, and insurmountable."

Many schools forget about that civic duty. When that happens the partisan groups move in to fill the gap, fighting it out between College Republicans and Young Democrats the groups debate and register students off campus and on. But the result is that some students who remain undecided and independent can become alienated by the partisanship.

The bill would amend existing laws that say colleges would have to be like the Department of Motor Vehicles, which is supposed to ask folks if they want to register or re-register to vote when they get their driver's license or public assistance benefits. The new law would make state colleges and universities abide by that rule. So now, new students would be asked if they wanted to register when they sign up for classes, or get a new student ID for example.

The Student VOTER Bill of 2008 seeks to institutionalize the distribution of voting procedure and register more young people. SAVE's bill will apply a much more up to date standard to the existing 1994 "Motor Voter Act." This can help state colleges and universities, and ensure that all students will have their votes counted.

Forty-four million young people (ages 18-29) will be eligible to vote this November and with the help of the House and Senate, we can move forward to stop disenfranchisement this election year.

Another big HeadCount weekend...

Brande Jackson — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 22:22:30 +0000

HeadCount just had one of our biggest weekends yet – we registered over 1,000 people at the All Points West Festival, hundreds more at the Virgin Festival, and our touring teams on the Jack Johnson, O.A.R. and Dave Matthews Band tours all had record setting shows! It’s really exciting to see the momentum that we’ve been building come to fruition – the weeks ahead will see us register even more and more voters, and we can’t do it without the help of volunteers like yourself! If you haven’t done so yet, be sure to check out upcoming shows for your area – we are still out on the road with bands like Dave Matthews, O.A.R, Jack Johnson, and Ratdog, and are soon to be joining forces with the Music Builds Tour and we need you to join us in making this movement happen! One of the highlights this past weekend was having Marc from O.A.R. come out and help us register voters in Saratoga Springs: It’s not often we get a lead singer on the ground with a clipboard! Below are some more action shots from the past few weeks – and you can check out more photos here.

Student Voter Rights

Sebastian — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:28:51 +0000

With schools back in session there are plenty of students looking to vote in the State where their University is come November 4th. This has always been a sensitive and unfortunately difficult issue for students. Many state and county election boards don't want students voting in their precincts, and some have gone as far to create laws to prevent this from happening.

For those of you back in school and looking to vote locally its important you are aware of your rights.

The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU recently put out an extremely helpful guide for Students looking to register and vote. If you want to vote where you go to school in November I highly suggest you refer to this guide. It can be found here www.brennancenter.org/studentvoting

There was a also a very interesting article in the NY Times a few weeks ago about student voters and the great lengths the state of Virginia has gone to in order to discourage them from voting at school. Check it out here http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/08/education/08students.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Virginia%20Student%20Voters&st=cse&oref=slogin.

Huge day for Voters from Congress

alicescheshirecat — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 22:24:07 +0000

"Today was a huge victory for us," Matt Segal the Executive Director of the Student Association of Student Empowerment (SAVE) said Thursday evening in an interview after testifying before the House Administration Committee on voting rights for young people.

This was the culmination of 5 months of SAVE members and volunteers working the Hill in efforts to educate Congress on the difficulties young voters face each election year.

These stories are not unique to us. Recently, even, we've heard about voter disenfranchisement affecting students. In Colorado and New Mexico as well as Virgina Tech students who are "being told that they risk losing their scholarship and tax dependency status if they register to vote in their college, as opposed to home, state."

At a time when CNN is talking about the League of First Time Voters and the issues that matter most to them, few are stopping to ask whether or not these young people or first time voters will ultimately be disenfranchised on Election Day and turned away from the polls. Despite the lack of cameras and fanfair for the SAVE volunteers, members of Congress were pleased with the young people who took the stand.

The day leading up to the hearing, SAVE even had a press conference with Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and 9 other members of Congress, all who stood up for the rights of young voters.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, one of members of the 30 Something Caucus, congratulated SAVE on their work saying she was surprised in the progress that has been made in just a little over a year.

SAVE has also launched their campaign to SAVE VOTING RIGHTS along with Campus Advantage that works to help students with problems around housing issues, and Headcount a voter registration group that signs young people up at live music events.

Thursday's success wasn't easy. Segal and his friends began testifying on the Hill 4 years ago when along with the rest of Kenyon College, he was forced to stand in line for 10 hours just to vote. The question to the committee :

"What standards or safeguards are in place to ensure that Kenyon College 2004 can never happen again?"

The answer, sadly, is there is no guarantee, merely "recommendations." This is the first time students and young people have had an opportunity to air the issues that face them in Washington. There have been hearings on disenfranchisement for African Americans, Spanish speaking Americans, overseas troops, many different communities... but never one focusing on students. The first step in guaranteeing this occurs, happened today thanks to SAVE's hard work.

"This democracy isn’t going to save itself" Segal said, "young people are stepping up, and that’s an inspiring story. Its time they are able to do so without fear."

SAVE lacks the glamor and non-stop excitment many young voter organizations provide. Instead, they work in the sometimes ugly world of Washington to write laws behind the scenes. They've championed Capitol Hill advocacy and formed careful and key relationships to garner results. From 10 hour lines to standing with the Majority Leader, the hope is to move even further toward more hearings and further investigation after the election to guarantee students' votes are counted.

They have earned the reputation of a group that gets things done.

"We are damn persistent" Segal laughs, "But we’re polite about it."

20/20, John Stossel to Run Hatchet-Piece on HeadCount Fans

MikeConnery — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 21:14:43 +0000

Cross-posted from Future Majority.

On Friday at 10pm, 20/20 will run a piece on the youth vote called "Maybe It's Your Civic Duty Not To Vote," in which they suggest that uninformed voters - primarily young people - not turn out to the polls. In talking to the youth group,HeadCount, featured in the piece, it is clear that 20/20 and Stossel were less interested in discovering the truth about young voters while filming their piece than in crafting a hatchet job meant to cast doubt on the growing youth vote.

You can view the 4 minute segment here.

There is a lot that is wrong with this piece. Yes, there are many uninformed voters, but that category is not limited to young people, who are unfortunately the main target of this piece. Anyone who has ever watched Jay Leno could tell you that many Americans are uninformed about current events. Unfortunately, some see that as an excuse to rob people of their constitutional rights, and Stossel and ABC are happy to play along.

But all is not as it appears in this report. In talking with HeadCount, the group featured in the piece, it's clear that Stossel and 20/20 were not interested in giving the young people they interviewed a fair shake. They had a narrative to their story and stuck by it - facts be damned. More than that, they worked -um, creatively - to make sure their point of view dominated the piece. Here's a list of inaccuracies and selective editing that viewers won't see:

At 1 minute into the piece, Stossel interviews two voters who can accurately answer questions about American civics, after which, far more concert-goers and "regular folks" are shown who are unable to answer similar questions. According to HeadCount, this is not an accurate representation of the percentage of interviewees who successfully answered the questions. Far more concert-goers were knowledgeable than implied by the report.
At minute 1:20, the report shows a girl saying that there are only 12 Senators in the US. The only problem? She wasn't responding to a question about the number of US Senators, but about the number of Supreme Court Justices. Yes, she was still incorrect, but Stossel and 20/20 manipulated the footage to make her appear even less knowledgeable than she actually was.
Staffers at HeadCount say that this is often the case with the featured interviewees, who were asked not a single question, as the report implies, but many. Many interviewees were knowledgeable about some issues, but less so when it came to other issues. The young voter responses included in the report were cherry-picked by Stossel and ABC producers to highlight only the incorrect answers.
At 1:42, Stossel asks Marc Brownstein if voters should be "knowledgeable" (whatever that means) before casting a ballot. Brownstein replies that "there are a lot of of uneducated voters out there." But that wasn't all he said. In the full interview, Brownstein went on to explain that HeadCount distributes nonpartisan issue sheets at the tables alongside the voter registration materials the organization offers each night. That educational effort was completely left out of Stossel's report.
Also cut out of the full report were interviews with very knowledgeable young HeadCount staffers, teachers, and youth activists - generally the most informed portion of the pool of interviewees.

HeadCount staffers who followed the camera crew throughout the day offered interesting coda to those interviews. During the filming, Andrew Sullivan, a Harvard graduate and producer of the piece, mistakenly tried to correct one young concert goer who was asked about the length of single term for a congressional representative. The young concert-goer, correctly, said two years. Sullivan, incorrectly, tried to tell them it was four. I guess Sullivan won't be voting this year?

All of this is par for the course for John Stossel, who has often had a rocky relationship with the truth. Here are just a few examples pulled from his Wikipedia page:

Controversies

[edit] Galbraith and Stossel

Liberal economist James K. Galbraith said that Stossel, in a story on laissez-faire economics in September 1999, used an out of context clip of Galbraith to make it seem that Galbraith had said nearly the opposite of what he meant. Stossel denied that Galbraith's views had been misrepresented but changed the words with which he introduced the Galbraith clip in rebroadcasts of the program.[27][28][29]

[edit] Organic Vegetables

A February 2000 story about organic vegetables on 20/20 included statements by Stossel that tests had shown that neither organic nor conventional produce samples contained any pesticide residue, and that organic food was more likely to be contaminated by E. coli bacteria. The Environmental Working Group objected to his report, mainly questioning his statements about bacteria, but also managed to determine that the produce had never been tested for pesticides. They communicated this to Stossel, but after the story's producer backed Stossel's recollection that the test results had been as described, the story was rebroadcast months later, uncorrected, and with a postscript in which Stossel reiterated his claim. Later, after a report in The New York Times confirmed the Environmental Working Group's claims, ABC News suspended the producer of the segment for a month and reprimanded Stossel. Stossel apologized, saying that he had thought the tests had been conducted as reported. However, he asserted that the gist of his report had been accurate.[30][31][32][33][34]

[edit] Televangelist Lifestyle

In a March 2007 segment about finances and lifestyles of televangelists, 20/20 aired a clip of a TV minister originally broadcast by the Lifetime Network in 1997. The clip made it seem that the minister was describing his wealth in extravagant terms, when actually, he was telling a parable about a rich man. ABC News twice aired a retraction and apologized for the error. The minister filed a lawsuit against Stossel, his source for the clip, 20/20, and ABC for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.[35][36]

Stossel, who is a self-proclaimed libertarian (a position that obviously does not extend to the freedom to vote for one's leaders), and frequent contributor to the conservative website Townhall.com, closes out the piece by highlighting the work of fellow libertarian Byan Caplan, an econ professor who made his bones espousing an elitist view of democracy in which only a select few should cast their ballots:

"Maybe 75 percent of people can name the vice president. ... The public's knowledge of politics is shockingly low," economist Bryan Caplan said.

In his book "The Myth of the Rational Voter," Caplan argues that people who know little about our government ought to stay home on Election Day.

But aren't Americans always told it's their civic duty to vote?

"This is very much like saying, 'It's our civic duty to give surgery advice,'" Caplan said. "Now, we like to think that political issues are much less complicated than brain surgery, but many of them are pretty hard. If someone doesn't know what he's talking about, it really is better if they say, 'Look, I'm just gonna leave this in wiser hands.'"

But isn't it elitist to say only some people should vote?

"Is it elitist to say only some people should do brain surgery?" Caplan said. "The bottom line is, if you don't know what you're doing, you are not doing the country a favor by voting."

Voting is serious business. Democracy works best when people educate themselves. So maybe instead of telling people things like "Rock the Vote," these groups should say "Rock or Vote."

All Americans - young and old - may not be experts on the every issue, but they are experts on their own lives. They know that they're not getting enough help. That tuition is too high and grants are too low. That they need to drive to work, and heat their house or apartment, but energy prices are too high. That they are one broken leg away from bankruptcy and that getting a loan to buy a house just became that much more unattainable. And let's face it, it's not as if the experts have that great a track record when it comes to the issues of the day, whether we're talking about the subprime housing market, the war in Iraq, or ending our addiction to fossil fuels.

Democracy is for all of us, not just a select few. As a nation, we eliminated the idea of literacy tests decades ago, and rightly so. Kudos to HeadCount for pushing back on this argument to the extent that was possible within the piece, and shame on Stossel and ABC for enabling it. Young voters have faced a hostile media for decades, always pining about youth apathy. Now, on the cusp of a record breaking turnout, for a major media outlet to question the validity of those votes on such flimsy grounds, in opposition our constitutional rights, is the height of irresponsibility. Dare I say it, it's unamerican.

If you would like to express your displeasure about this piece to ABC, send a polite but firm email to the producer, Andrew Sullivan, outlining your concerns: Andrew.G.Sullivan [at] abc [dot] com

20/20 Has Slanted Vision

Andy — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:14:11 +0000

A privilege that comes with running one of the largest grassroots voter registration campaigns in the U.S. is occasionally being invited to speak for the youth voter movement itself. So when producers from ABC’s 20/20 called and said they were putting together a segment (view or read the segment) that would ask whether attracting new voters to the electorate was a good thing or not, we eagerly agreed to represent the “pro” side of the argument.

In preliminary interviews, the producers showed great enthusiasm for our viewpoint. We argued that democracy is, by definition, inclusive and functions best when involving the broadest number of citizens. We argued that the notion of only an educated elite deciding who should lead is an age-old idea that is still championed today in totalitarian regimes, but that one only needs to look toward the stark differences in quality of life between those countries and ours to support the merits of a republic where all individuals have equal say.

When we were told that John Stossel would be conducting the on-air interview, it probably should have alerted us that the final segment would be more of an editorial representing a contrarian view than a piece of actual journalism that strived for quality. But in extensive conversations with the producers, we were promised a balanced piece.

So when the producers then explained they’d been doing “man on the street” interviews testing people’s knowledge about the election, and would like to conduct some at one of the concerts where we register voters, we were more than happy to help. We suggested several concerts on our schedule, and they selected the festival Camp Bisco, hosted by our co-chair Marc Brownstein.

When the camera crew began an afternoon of shooting these interviews, something pretty funny happened. The producer, Harvard graduate Andrew Sullivan, read a list of questions from a piece of paper – “How many states are there? Who is the vice president? How many Senators are there? What is Roe v. Wade?” The first interviewee answered some correctly, some incorrectly. Sullivan then came to the next question on his list – how many years a member of the U.S. House of Representatives serves in each term. The interviewee answered “two.” Sullivan, with a smug smile, said “No, it’s actually four.”

“Uhm,” I said uncomfortably. “It’s two.” He shook his head no, insisting it’s four. Was this really happening? I mean, were we actually going to debate this? One of our volunteers went to his Blackberry to verify, but that was farcical in itself. The answer was obviously two and has been since the birth of our country. The fact that an ABC producer was reading off a sheet of questions and had it wrong was just – well comedy and tragedy all at once. We corrected him and moved on. According to Stossel’s argument, Sullivan should not vote (we respectfully disagree).

We then spent several hours interviewing fans as they came to the concert. They were not, as the ABC piece would falsely assert, people we registered to vote. They were simply entering the concert grounds. Some answered almost all the questions correctly. Some knew very little. Interestingly, the segment that aired on ABC showed interviewees struggling with two of the questions that the majority of people answered correctly (all but two people, out of dozens, knew how many states there are, and most were familiar with Roe. V. Wade). Not surprisingly, the question about how many years a U.S. Rep serves for never made it to the air.

In hindsight, it was naïve of us to believe that 20/20 would do anything but use the worst interviews of the dozens at their disposal. The purpose of the segment was to entertain, not to win any awards. The goal is to generate ratings and probably nothing more. And it’s certainly more entertaining to watch someone get stumped than correctly recite a 7th grade government lesson.

The fact that ABC quizzed people on civics and not their awareness of issues in this election pointed to just how tone deaf Stossel and his crew are. Had they asked how young people felt about the economy, the War in Iraq, and the environment, they may have gotten a very different reaction. Their little “test” was more an indictment of the American education system than a cogent or credible argument against voting.

That aside, what the segment did not properly represent is how seriously HeadCount takes the education piece of our mission. They left out, for instance, that we printed and distributed 10,000 voter guides. They even chopped up a quote from Brownstein where he acknowledge that there are large numbers of uninformed voters, but cut off the next sentence where he detailed our efforts to educate as well as sign people up – the classic “out of context quote” that’s a sign of weak, and agenda-ridden, reporting.

But we conclude by pointing out that, if indeed we accept the notion that the electorate and particularly young voters are not as well informed as we’d hope, it only speaks to the need for organizations like HeadCount that encourage civic engagement. Voting is, almost by definition, the first and most inclusive step a citizen can take toward participating in democracy. HeadCount addresses those who may not see politics as personally relevant to them, and reminds them that in this country we all have a voice and that people have died to defend our rights to use it. On Election Day, over 100 million Americans will vote, and more than 10 million of them will be young voters age 18 to 24. Some will have spent the last few months voraciously reading blogs and consuming cable news and come to the polls with deep knowledge about the issues. For others, voting will be a lone act of civic engagement. But HeadCount aims to create an environment in the live music community that encourages them to do more. We try to make the issues of the day part of the ongoing conversation among music fans, and weave that into the social fabric of our community. This is a long process that will take many years to fully bear fruit. The first step – registering 100,000 voters – is near completion. Post election, you’ll see us take on new initiatives that use music as a platform that inspires people to get more involved and politically active.

John Stossel has carved out a niche for himself as an independent-minded reporter whose shining moment came more than 20 years ago when he got manhandled by a professional wrestler. Since then, he’s been in and out of the news from time to time, facing accusations of shoddy journalism. We are confident that regardless of the angle of the piece and the opinions Stossel espoused, that most Americans will recognize that young voters have a great deal at stake in this election and will be serving the greater good by making their voices heard on Election Day.

HeadCount's Future

Andy — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 01:20:34 +0000

The most frequently asked question I get as the executive director of HeadCount is, “what are you going to do after the election?” My canned response is, “take a nap.” It took us five years to build a national organization and register over 160,000 voters. After Election Day, we almost need to start again from scratch. I'd rather sleep it off a little. But, really, there's a plan for HeadCount after this November that we've been thinking about for almost as long as we've been around. It's a plan that takes HeadCount logically forward -- building on our collective momentum and experience -- but is also far more ambitious than anything we've yet attempted. Call it HeadCount 2.0. Starting in 2009, our broadened mission will be to use music as a platform to inspire people to be more active participants in our democracy. We will stretch the incredible grassroots network we've built to new purposes. Voter registration will always be a core element of HeadCount's work. But registering voters is only the first step. The next step is to give music fans the tools and inspiration to become more involved, more organized, and ultimately more influential citizens. By our count, there are more than a million of us attending festivals or concerts by the heavily touring artists we love. We make up a community, and we believe that our community, in all its many faces and branches, has something significant to contribute to the world. There is a set of inherent values that tie us all together: an underlying "Love thy Neighbor" credo that is implied by our lifestyle and our choices. That extends to how we treat the planet, what we expect from our leaders, and what we expect from ourselves. Personally, I believe the world benefits when these values are reflected by the electorate and by our government. So what would happen if we got organized? If we, as a group, were politically active? If there’s any doubt that the live music community has the power to change the world, just think back 40 years ago, when the culture and aesthetic we’re keeping alive was born. Musicians provided the soundtrack and the rallying cry for people taking to the streets -- demanding a national debate on issues like Vietnam and gender equality. They won some battles and they lost others, but they forever shaped the future in ways we can't quite measure and should never take for granted. Back then, the '60s counterculture was at the forefront of a social revolution. We are living in its echo, and it is up to us whether it will be a ripple or a wave. With 21st century technology at our disposal--the social networking sites and blogs and text messages and micro-communications that have already changed the way our society functions -- a unique window has opened. With the right strategy, resources and people, we can weave this all into something truly transformative, something that will have an impact well beyond the homey confines of the live music scene. In many ways we are like any other subculture or population segment that is poised stand up for its values. If labor unions or mega-churches can be politically influential, so can Festival Nation. We have something they don't, remember. We have the all-powerful force of music at our backs, and that makes the potential as limitless as improvisation itself. When the artists get behind us, as they have with excitement so far, it pours rocket fuel on everything we do. We can change the planet. We can and we will. Here's how it's going to happen: we are going to take HeadCount's teams of volunteers and bring them well beyond concerts, using live music and affiliations with musicians as a conduit to bring socially-conscious young people together. A HeadCount table won't just be a place to register to vote. It will be place for people who share strong convictions to meet. The concerts will be the gathering place, a point of entry, but our real work will go on away from shows and in the communities we live - both online and physical. HeadCount's current structure will be the foundation of something far grander. We're going to build a home that politically-conscious music fans can call their own. There are many, many ideas as to what exactly this will look like. And this evolution comes with challenges. How do we take a stand on issues and remain politically non-partisan? How do we maintain a defined sense of purpose when our results can’t be measured by number of voters registered? What exactly will a politically engaged live music community do to make the maximum difference? We don't have all the answers yet, but many exciting ideas are already brewing. Perhaps we'll work with other non-profits who are already making a positive difference and can break new ground with help from our volunteers and musicians. Perhaps we'll tackle issues through a national campaign, or turn our sites to the Gulf Coast and New Orleans -- a place so dear to live music fans that remains neglected and in great need. Maybe we'll work with the non-profit and charitable organizations that our supporting artists hold most dear, and put our volunteer network and know-how at their disposal. The ideas don't end there. Imagine using music to directly drive civic engagement and socially conscious acts. What if someone could get better seats at a concert or a free download by writing a letter to their congressperson or documenting their carbon footprint? Who is to say HeadCount can't make that happen? Or, what if we were to connect the musicians themselves with the fans who are making a positive difference? Thousands of music fans are leaders In their community or their schools and have a long resume to prove it. What if these fans were to receive special invitations to soundchecks, or dinners with artists? How about a weekend-long retreat, bringing together the most socially conscious musicians with the most socially responsible fans? We can create a dialogue between the artists and the public that can be the spark that lights a fire. Over the next few months we will consider these ideas and many, many more. Like our country's future, it's an open book. We encourage your input and welcome your suggestions. HeadCount is a collaboration between fans, the artists and the people who make live music happen. Our future will reflect a collective vision where all the best ideas have an equal chance of coming to fruition. Some of the best concepts, we hope, will come from the musicians. When I meet with the musicians and their managers next year, I will ask them a series of questions: "What do you want your impact on society to be?" I imagine the answers will be similar -- that they hope to use their influence to enlighten and awaken, to make the world a better place. I will then say to them, with humility and confidence, “We’re here to help you do that.”

Dead Nights in DC

Andy — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 16:55:58 +0000

Black-tie Bonnaroo. That’s what the inauguration of Barack Obama became as musicians descended on Washington, DC to play fancy private gigs and pay homage to the new president. In two short days, I managed to catch The Dead, Jay-Z, Kanye West and Kid Rock. And that was just a smidgen of the musicians who came together to lay down a live soundtrack to history.

Much was written about the wide array of musical performances at the Democratic National Convention in Denver last summer. In many ways, that was similar to the Super Bowl or any big-time corporate event, A-list talent is lined up to play private parties and cash hefty paychecks to do it. The official Convention Balls were a different story. The artists actually paid their own way and expenses, which is absolutely unheard of in music today. When presented with the chance to be part of history, the artists gave their accountants the night off (or a coronary) and dug into their own pockets just to play.

By the time I got to DC on Monday the 19th, I’d already missed a lot. On Friday, Warren Haynes played a private show for the Obama transition team. On Saturday, Haynes and Phil Lesh joined Jackie Greene on stage at The Dead’s new hangout, The Old Ebbitt Grill (it’s also where Phil and Bob Weir watched the returns on election night).

Warren Haynes holding the Gibson guitar signed by The Dead and donated to HeadCount

My first destination was a cocktail party at the Washington law firm that is the center of The Dead’s strong and growing presence inside the Beltway. Without revealing too much, let’s just say there is a cadre of Deadheads in high places in DC. They all know each other, many have known the band members for years, and many more have gotten to know the band members in the wake of the Dead’s embrace of electoral politics. HeadCount hosted a party for many of these folks last April, where Bob Weir led an acoustic sing-along of “Ripple” to 200 people in suits. Since then, the music never stopped. The Dead are as at home in DC as they are in San Francisco.

This particular cocktail party represented that as much as any show. Phil, Bobby, Mickey and Warren were all on hand. I had the pleasure of chatting with Bob and FCC Commissioner Jonathan Addlestein (one of the bigger Deadheads in DC) for some time. The guys also signed a Gibson guitar that was donated to HeadCount, as did Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and former White House chief of staff John Podesta (it will be auctioned as a fundraiser, check http://www.HeadCount.org for details).

Bob Weir and (Deadhead) FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein

It was a pleasantly sedate affair, and a rare chance to spend quality time with these icons. I then headed to a completely different world – Jay-Z at the Warner Theater. While it was a public, ticketed concert, this sold-out show still had the air of a private party for insiders. A good chunk of the audience was decked out in tuxedos, coming from, or on their way to, one of dozens of events spotting the city. When Jay-Z took the stage just after 9:30, the entire crowd came to its feet and never sat down again. He swooned how thrilled he was to be there celebrating Barack Obama’s inauguration, and how he hoped everyone brought a snack because he was going to play for three or four hours.

He didn’t – the show lasted less than two – but everything else he said rang with truth that could only come from the heart. The stage show featured a live band, backup vocalists and a large video screen. Straight from the amphitheater circuit, it was probably one of the most expensive and dramatic productions the Warner Theater had ever hosted. Guest appearances by Mary J. Blige and Beyonce brought the house down, as did “99 Problems” (it was almost as good as the version from Coney Island in ’04). But the highlight and emotional center of the show was undoubtedly Jay-Z’s direct ode to the incoming President. With newspaper headlines from Obama’s victory in November streaming past on the video screen, he sang “My President is Black” to wild cheers from the multi-racial audience. If anyone had forgotten for a second what brought everyone to DC that week, Jay-Z reminded them with a profound strike to the soul that only music can deliver.

When the big day came on the 20th, there was just one true rock star in Washington, DC. A crowd 15 times the size of Bonnaroo, and three times that of Woodstock, stuffed onto the Mall to see the 44th president sworn in. Hours later, the official celebration began with party after party and 10 “Official Inaugural Balls.”

I was lucky enough to have tickets to two of them (yes, I had two Balls). First came the “Youth Ball,” an event put together by the Presidential Inaugural Committee to honor the unique roll that young people and young voters played in President Barack Obama’s election. HeadCount, a strictly nonpartisan organization, was one of many nonpartisan youth voter groups that were honored with an invitation to this first-time event, in the basement ballroom of the Washington Hilton.

Kid Rock played a very enjoyable acoustic set, with a rendition of “Sweet Home Alabama” that brought a Republican perspective to the festivities (“Watergate does not bother me; does your conscience bother you?”) but still drew cheers from every line. Kanye West followed, and I can report that he was on time. I guess he was on a much stricter schedule than at Bonnaroo, as the entire show was timed around the appearance, shortly after 10 PM, of the President and First Lady.

As soon as he appeared on stage, friends watching at home on MTV began texting me madly. This is how I know the President made an appearance, as I was already on a mad dash to the Mid-Atlantic Ball to see The Dead!

Ever see a guy running down the street in a tux trying to catch a Dead show? Well that was me. The DC Convention Center was host to several balls, and tens of thousands of similarly dressed politicos. I raced through the lobby, made a couple of turns and then, in a moment I cannot begin to truly describe, heard the sounds of The Dead wafting through these unfamiliar environs. Then, there was the site of well over 5,000 crowded around the stage.

Bobby, Phil, Mickey, Billy and Warren were sporting tuxes as well, and sounded wonderful, even with the horrible convention hall acoustics. The Obama logo sat in a Steal your Face on Mickey’s drum kit. He and Billy drove “Touch of Grey” (Obama’s favorite Dead song) up to the rafters, pushing and pushing as only the Dead’s percussionists can do. It set up a “Box of Rain” closer that brought every Deadhead in the room together and surely entertained the uninitiated.

The Dead at a black-tie political affair may strike some as a square peg. But to anyone who has really paid attention the last few years, it is a fine expression of who these men have become and how their passions intertwine. Shared convictions are what brought Phil and Bobby together in this stage of their lives. They have embraced Washington, and Washington has long-embraced them.

In this and many other ways, The Dead sit at the spiritual center of the HeadCount organization. Our nonpartisan message that all music fans should be active participants in Democracy, and that together we truly can make a difference – The Dead and the Deadhead community capture this message in a way that can’t be reduced to tangible specifics. It’s about a way of life and a way of seeing the world, and how the world is what we make of it.

That particular idea, that “It’s what we make of it,” is one that resonated for me throughout my trip to Washington. There are great challenges in this world. And there is great promise. During his inauguration, President Obama called on Americans to accept “a new era of responsibility.” To me, this very much captures the new direction of HeadCount. Our work does not end at the polls. Regardless of who we voted for, it is up to all of us to fight for what we believe in, and be a part of reshaping America.

The President and the First lady, shot from the crowd following The Dead's performance

This theme was delivered one last time that night, by the honored guest himself. Shortly after the Dead left the stage, the President and the First Lady greeted the Mid-Atlantic Ball. He thanked the crowd, and gave a very short address declaring that it’s up to all of us to tackle the challenges facing America and be part of the solutions. The color guard band that welcomed them on stage then took out their instruments and played a waltz for Barack and Michelle Obama, who danced with a grace befitting of the first couple. The soundtrack to history was complete.

Neil Young Turning Gas Guzzlers into Tree Huggers

Andy — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 18:12:38 +0000

Neil Young is converting a gas guzzling Lincoln into an environmentally-friendly electric car. Making a hobby a statement, ole' Neil has been blogging about it at www.lincvolt.com (where there's also a live video feed). You can also find a complete interview with Young by Richard B. Simon (who wrote the feature on HeadCount in Relix last year) at http://scorpionbowl.blogspot.com/. Leave it to Neil Young - probably the one rock icon who can straddle the line between working class hero and progressive ideologue, to find a "vehicle" to spread a message that hits from both ends of his persona.

Merger Talks Lead to Potential Antitrust Suit

Dana — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 20:10:15 +0000

In case you haven't yet heard, the two behemoths of the live music community, Live Nation and Ticketmaster, are discussing a merger. After the epic failure of the Live Nation ticketing service a few days ago, it is not a big surprise that their business executives are searching for options. It is, however, surprising that the two competitors would choose to team up, and perhaps will be even more surprising if the merger is not carefully investigated by the antitrust authorities. This could create a very powerful monopoly in the live music industry with direct effects on ticket prices, sponsorships and record deals. The indirect effects are countless.

Live Nation has been a good friend of HeadCount, welcoming us at hundreds of concerts last year and making many special efforts on our behalf. But our best friends of all are the fans, and fans can't be fans without affordable tickets. When Live Nation decided to do its own ticketing, there was hope that competition would directly benefit ticket buyers. Now, we're all left asking the same questions that the government inevitably will - where will this leave the consumer?

Check it out as reported from brooklynvegan or from the source at the Wall Street Journal

Ticketmaster gets Bosscocked

Sebastian — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 21:23:08 +0000

Your television screen wasn't the only thing getting slammed by Bruce Springsteen's crotch this past Superbowl Sunday. The next morning thousands of fans had a nightmare of a time trying to purchase tickets to upcoming Springsteen shows. At this point we are all pretty used to dealing with the ridiculous hurdles thrown at us by Ticketmaster and figure there is nothing we can do about it. Well The Boss has our back and hes speaking his mind. This message was posted earlier today on his website...

A LETTER TO OUR FANS:
We know there was much confusion regarding Ticketmaster and TicketsNow during last Monday's on-sale dates. We were as confused as you were, as we were given no advance notice of the major changes in the Ticketmaster-TicketsNow world. (Bear in mind that we are not clients of any ticketing company, and that all those arrangements are between venues and ticketing companies.)

Last Monday, we were informed that Ticketmaster was redirecting your log-in requests for tickets at face value, to their secondary site TicketsNow, which specializes in up-selling tickets at above face value. They did this even when other seats remained available at face value. We condemn this practice.

We perceive this as a pure conflict of interest. Ticketmaster is there to ensure that we have a good, fair sale of our tickets at their face value plus normal ticketing charges. TicketsNow is supposed to be a secondary site where people who already have tickets may exchange, trade, and, unfortunately, speculate with them. We have asked this redirection from Ticketmaster to TicketsNow cease and desist immediately and Ticketmaster has agreed to do so in the future and has removed its unwanted material from their and our site.

We know the many cynical arguments some make in favor of the Ticketmaster system: There are rumors that some artists or managers participate in Ticketmaster charges--we do not. There are rumors that some artists or managers are receiving a percentage of the amount above face value at secondary outlets like TicketsNow--we do not. Some artists or managers may not perceive there to be a conflict between having the distributor of their tickets in effect "scalping" those same tickets through a secondary company like TicketsNow--we do.

While many of you have sent notes to us and your local promoters, you may also send accurate informational letters to Albert Lopez of Ticketmaster and he will try to address your questions.

A final point for now: the one thing that would make the current ticket situation even worse for the fan than it is now would be Ticketmaster and Live Nation coming up with a single system, thereby returning us to a near monopoly situation in music ticketing. Several newspapers are reporting on this story right now. If you, like us, oppose that idea, you should make it known to your representatives.

The abuse of our fans and our trust by Ticketmaster has made us as furious as it has made many of you. We will continue to do our utmost now and in the future to make sure that these practices are permanently curtailed on our tours.

Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau and the entire Springsteen Tour Team

Thank you Bruce! This message was so effective that it earned this apology from Ticketmaster CEO, Irving Azoff...

While we were genuinely trying to do the right thing for fans in providing more choices when the tickets they requested from the primary on-sale were not available, we clearly missed the mark. Fans are confused and angry, which is the opposite of what we hoped to accomplish. We sincerely apologize to Bruce, his organization and, above all, his fans.

We recognize that we need to change our course. We have committed to Bruce and state publicly here that we have taken down all links for Bruce's shows directing fans from Ticketmaster to TicketsNow. This redirection only occurred as a choice when we could not satisfy fans' specific search request for primary ticket inventory, but to make sure there is no misunderstanding in the future, we also publicly state that we will never again link to TicketsNow in a manner that can possibly create any confusion during a high-demand on-sale. Specifically, we will not present an option to go to TicketsNow from Ticketmaster without the consent of the artist and the venue, both of whom work together to bring the joy of live entertainment to millions of fans.

If any fans inadvertently purchased tickets in the resale marketplace believing in error they were purchasing from the initial on-sale, we will refund the difference between the actual purchase price and the face price of the ticket. (Please don't abuse this good faith gesture - we did not give brokers any preferential access to tickets.)

We are committed to helping deliver the most transparent and best live entertainment experience to fans. We will do better going forward.

Sincerely,
Irving Azoff, CEO, Ticketmaster Entertainment

It doesn't stop there. On Tuesday Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) called for the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the matter of Ticketmaster sending people to Ticketnow to pay scalper prices for tickets that should have been available for face value.

"I am troubled by how quickly tickets priced exponentially higher became available on the secondary market to thousands of rejected fans, many who also endured unfortunate technical problems on Ticketmaster.com," Pascrell wrote to FTC chairman William Kovacic.

"With so many families struggling in this economy, I am outraged by how expensive tickets to ball games, concerts and other shows have become," Pascrell wrote. "I understand the economic principles that have driven up the cost of entertainment, but will not tolerate unjust business practices that put regular Americans at a disadvantage."

For years, independen brokers re-sold tickets above face value. Then Ticketmaster decides to get into the act with its own subsidiary, TicketsNow. That may be fair game but what drove everyone into a tizzy is that at the very same time people are trying to buy face value tickets and not able to come up with any, the very same website is offering tickets at 3X the price. It throws the whole notin of face value out the window and pretty much uses the main ticketing side as a funnel for scalping. It's like going into a store to buy an air conditioner advertised for $200, and them saying, "Sorry, we don't have any for $200 but we'll sell you the same AC for $600. And my, its hot outside isn't it! Too bad we are the only store in town selling air conditioners."

So if you feel that there is something wrong with Ticketmaster basically selling scalper price tickets from their site, or with them merging with Livenation, tell somebody about it. And not your mother, get in touch with your congressperson, just like Bruce told you.

DEA Slow to Get Memo on New Medical Marijuana Policy

Andy — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 01:34:31 +0000

The drug war is now raging inside Washington, as Bush administration holdovers in the DEA are carrying out raids on state-sanctioned medical marijuana facilities in California -- raids that President Obama has pledged to halt. The Washington Times quotes an administration official saying “The president believes that federal resources should not be used to circumvent state laws, and as he continues to appoint senior leadership to fill out the ranks of the federal government, he expects them to review their policies with that in mind.” In other words, when states legalize it, the Feds leave it alone. That’s the new law of the land, or is supposed to be.

But DEA spokeswoman Sarah Pullen (yes, that’s her name, Sarah Pullen) told the Times that four medical marijuana shops were raided last weekend.

Advocacy groups like the Marijuana Policy Project were chirping about the raids throughout the week, and then the administration finally affirmed what Obama had said during the campaign, specifically that state law prevails. The President's position on medical marijuana itself is a bit murkier. Before he announced his candidacy Obama had said he supported legalization for medical use, but then his campaign staff tried to back him off that position when the primaries were heating up.

We're Our Own Tribe

Dana — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:41:32 +0000

Seth Godin has his own action figure. Why? It may be because he is a superhero. Named the Marketing Guru, Godin has made a career in writing books focused on marketing techniques. However, it is quickly becoming apparent that these techniques are not only applicable to business models. Every day he has at least one blog post that is overtly business and covertly life altering. His ideas change perspectives (I'm really not exaggerating).

Godin recently posted an interview with Wired.com on his blog discussing his most recent book, "Tribes".

Although "Tribes" is targeted at business, it epitomizes the mission of HeadCount and our role in fostering political activism. The book suggests that the most "available" method of great change "is this idea of finding and connecting like-minded people and leading them to a place they want to go." Godin believes that these like-minded people need a leader and some direction. He mentions in the article that, "...if you can find the 1,000 or 5,000 or 50,000 people out there who want to make a certain kind of change and can connect them and show them a path, they want to follow you. And you can use that tribe, that group of people, to make change that matters."

The live music community is swarming with fans with strong convictions and something to say. Maybe your favorite band is displeased with the national dependence on oil and you agree. The person next to you at the show, that girl who is dancing and singing along, agrees too. Will you talk about it?

"The need is always there-- the need to connect, to matter... And what leaders do... is they find a particular subset of people who also share a goal... and bring in the right people to support it..."

As expected, Godin has the right idea and HeadCount is running with it. There are leaders at every level in our community, from musicians right down to our volunteers. The tribe is alive and growing, and we're really excited about it.

I'm Tired of Grammy Gripes

Dana — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:30:03 +0000

The 51st Annual Grammy Awards were on last night and, although every knowledgeable music lover I know has had more gripes than praises about the ceremony, I had more fun watching this event than any awards show I can remember (except maybe adolescently swooning over N*Sync at Nickelodeon's Kid's Choice Awards). Sure, The Jonas Brothers should never, ever be paired with Stevie Wonder (link not included for a reason) and Boyz 2 Men were disappointingly underutilized in a thrown-together ensemble performance of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together." However, these glitches did not keep me from dancing in front of the TV and singing along. We can all find problems with so many things about the Grammy's: its relevancy to the digital age, performance choice, terrible teleprompted intros, music quality, nomination choices... etc. It is important to realize, though, that the Grammy's are much like record labels. They are industry standards. Furthermore, it is one marketing tool that is actually still selling records (or singles). To change the format of the show and the decision makers will take time. It will happen, just not quickly...

On a very optomistic end note, I have found one positive element that only the incredibly jaded will argue with: Radiohead's breathtaking performance of 15 Step, backed by part of the USC marching band. I'm sorry they were not given the Grammy to vindicate their innovative addition to music and the business this year. But honestly, they're Radiohead. Everyone already knows, statue or not.

Merger Intentions Confirmed, Politicians Speak Up

Dana — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 21:37:28 +0000

As of Tuesday morning, Ticketmaster and Live Nation confirmed their intended merger. The new company, named Live Nation Entertainment, would be headed by Michael Rapino, Live Nation CEO.

Ticketmaster Chairman, Barry Diller, spoke up immediately on behalf of the honest intentions of the company. Both companies claim the mixture of economic turmoil and everlasting music industry profit barriers sparked the interest in combining the powers of two competing companies. As reported by Pollstar.com, they will be able to better withstand the shocks ahead as well as, "improve service to fans by bringing together their [Live Nation and Ticketmaster's] expertise in promotions and ticketing."

Many politicians have already spoken up on behalf of the necessary investigation, including Charles Schumer (NY-D) and Bill Pascrell (NJ-D). It will be even more difficult for the merger to easily slide through investigation as President Obama emphasized his increasing care toward all matters anti-trust during his campaign. As reported by Coolfer, he commented on the elimination of competition in a speech to the American Antitrust Institute in 2007:

When it works well, capitalism is great for consumers. Firms compete to cut prices and improve the customer experience, and consumers have plenty of alternatives, so they are not vulnerable to corporate greed or incompetence. Most of the time, American business enthusiastically participates in this win-win system.

Antitrust helps to keep that system in force. It addresses the temptation that some businesses will sometimes experience, to merge with key rivals instead of outperforming them, to agree not to compete too hard, or to sabotage rivals’ efforts to serve consumers instead of redoubling their own."

Ticketmaster and Live Nation claim the merger will save $40 million a year. Forbes announce both company's stock prices fell before the deal was confirmed.

Ticket Brokers Breaking Hearts

Andy — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 21:13:14 +0000

One of the many dirty secrets behind the secondary ticketing market (what some would call “legalized scalping)” is that the ticket brokers don’t always have the tickets they advertise. They “sell” the tickets, get the money in hand, and then try to buy the same tickets at a lower price. If they can’t, then they just refund the buyer’s money. No loss, no gain for the broker. Many fans who bought and paid for tickets for the Hampton Phish shows on the after-market are now getting letters like the one below. Some people might gloat that fans who buy from brokers are getting what they deserve for supporting that market. That’s debatable. But what’s not debatable is that advertising a product you can’t necessarily deliver, to create a risk-free transaction that only benefits one side, is at best deceptive and at worst, fraud. The notion of Ticketmaster re-selling their own tickets to “sold-out shows” to the highest bidder now has the attention of Congress. Perhaps this should too. Read the letter, and be warned:

Dear Client,

We are emailing you today to let you know that you have been given a full refund for your Phish purchase for 3/7. We found out today that our allotment of Phish tickets for the weekend is far less than expected. We know that is NOT the answer any of you were looking for, but we are refunding you 100% immediately. We are letting you know this 3 weeks in advance so that you may prepare and plan accordingly. There are several options that we can explore now that you have received this news, but we will not continue to hold your money for something we cannot 100% guarantee. One option is for you to look for other tickets across other websites, such as Ebay and Stub Hub. Tickets have been printed, but are not delivered to all phans as of yet, so you will probably see more tickets come on the market as the event draws near. Another thing we can do is continue to search along with you for tickets to fill your order for Saturday night. We are going to work fervently with all of our sources to see what we can do. Sadly, this process does not look promising at all. Third, we can provide you with tickets to another show across the country. We know that a lot of you are planning on traveling along with the band, and providing you with discounted access to those shows is a possibility. There are some shows that are in much higher demand than others, i.e. the Fabulous Fox Theater show. We will entertain any option that is viable for you and us, even if it means taking a financial hit on our end. If you don't want tickets to any other show, and a refund is your only option, this has already been provided to you. Expect to see it hit your bank in the next 2-3 days. We understand your frustration, and want to help you as much as we can. Unfortunately, the odds of getting you in to the Phish show in Hampton for any night are extremely slim. That is why we have given you a refund. Please contact us at the numbers below if you have any questions. We are very sorry for this inconvenience.

Sincerely,

www.ticketstock.net

A Guitar for the Ages

Andy — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 21:26:42 +0000

The following was written by Gregg Nevens, who made the highest bid on a guitar signed by members of The Dead as well as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to commemorate The Dead's appearance at the Presidential Inauguration. While Gregg's views are clearly his own and do not reflect HeadCount's nonpartisan political stance, we thought we'd share his words here on the HeadCount blog.

This particular instrument symbolizes the soundtrack of a world filled with peace, love, hope, understanding, tolerance, environmental responsibility, honest intelligent leadership, renewed pride, and, of course, good ole rock and roll.

Not only am I a longtime fan of the Grateful Dead, an avid guitar collector, and music lover in general, but… we are a also multi-ethnic family with two of our three beautiful children having come from Ethiopia. I was in Addis Ababa with our then new children when the U.S.S. Cole was bombed in nearby Yemen in Fall of 2000. We brought these two children out of certain challenging circumstances from the fifth poorest nation in the world, presumably, to a life in relative paradise. Shortly thereafter, the rainbow turned very dark. In the eight years since the Clinton-Gore era came to an end, we have been horrified by the Bush-Cheney-Rove destruction of this once much loved, trusted, prosperous, and inspiring country. The election of President Obama naturally touches us on many levels – not the least of which is the electrifying genuine hope and renewed inspiration in an America that had, for a while, appeared to have lost its compass. President Obama’s apparent intention to lead America to become the champion of alternative energy seems destined to become one of the most important turning points in the history of humankind. Meanwhile, this auspicious axe is a truly special memento of this incredible point in history. Of course, it would have been that much more exciting if Barack and Michelle had been able to add their signatures.

Finally, I am adding a Les Paul to my collection. My 16-year old often taunts me with his. Between the two of us, we have a rather wonderful collection of fine guitars and many other musical instruments. This beauty will be a new highlight.

Looking forward to The Dead in Los Angeles, truly the best way to spend Mother’s Day weekend. Mickey Hart is a distant cousin of mine; but, of course, The Dead are all brothers to me. I think Jerry would be proud of this America as well.

Peace,

Gregg Nevens

Independent Report Ranks HeadCount No. 1 (By Far)

Andy — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 03:57:19 +0000

Air Traffic Control, a non-profit that connects musicians to social action, put together a report summing up the various "music related political events" in 2008. The report found that 82% of that activity involved HeadCount. The next closest organization, Rock the Vote, was responsible for 7%. We knew we were staging the largest event-based voter registration campaign in the U.S. and that no one was doing nearly as much at concerts. We knew, but were never sure who else knew. So it sure is nice to be recognized.

The Future Majority blog did a nice writeup, with links to the report itself. It also notes that many organization that were active in 2004, Music for America being the largest, didn't make it to 2008. There are many reasons this happened and that we were practically the only game in town when it came to concert-based outreach. But I can break it down pretty simply - quality of volunteers. All the organizations in 2004 (HeadCount included) struggled with volunteer flake-factor. Last year we really emphasized protocol, accountability, and training. Our volunteers responded, and we attracted the sort of solid citizens capable of great responsibility. This report is a testament to all the HeadCount volunteers who truly made this happen.

Phish Fans Caught Up in the Ticketing Perfect Storm

Andy — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 19:13:50 +0000

I was writing an email and one of those creepy Google ads popped up for the Phish page on TicketsNow, the Ticketmaster-owned secondary ticket site similar to StubHub. A few observations:

- The market has ballooned to nearly $650 per ticket for the opening night Hampton show - nearly double where it stood a couple weeks ago (are Phish tickets the only thing in America that have gone up in value over the last two months?).

- The spike came right before paper tickets were mailed out and received. Not sure what that means, but the availability of actual paper tix will probably push the marketplace in one direction or another. It's hard to believe single tix are going to go for MORE thann $650, so that would indicate it's not a great time to buy. If you feel you MUST buy tickets on TicketsNow or Stub Hub, or any other broker site, consider waiting another week or so.

- TicketsNow is pushing a laughable 100% Unconditional Guarantee that is dressed up to look like consumer protection, but actually is a shield for sellers (brokers) who put tickets on sale before they actually have them. The brokers "sell" the tickets they don't have, run people's credit cards, then go out and try to buy tickets for less then what they charged the buyer. If the brokers can't find tickets for less than what they sold them for, they just refund the person's money. No loss. No gain. And the buyer is left with no ticket, and staring face up at the higher price. TicketsNow is doing nothing to stop this. They've stopped brokers from putting tickets on sale before they actually go on sale to the public, referred to as "speculative tickets" in a policy listed on the TicketsNow site, but there is nothing to stop brokers from advertising tickets they don't actually have after that point.

- Here is TicketsNow's pitch for Phish (who wrote this? as if Phish fans need to be sold): "When it comes to jam bands, few can top the energy, passion, and precision of Phish! Don’t miss your chance to see Trey Anastasio and the rest of Phish perform LIVE! Phish puts on a must-see show at every stop!"

These are interesting times for the world of ticketing. Lets recall a brief timeline of the recent past.

- Aug 22, 2007. Live Nation, the world's largest concert promoter, announces that it won't renew its long term contract with Ticketmaster. It later reveals plans to launch its own ticketing service.

- Oct 18th, 2008. Phish tix go on sale on Ticketmaster. Maybe 1 in 20 people snag a pair. But everyone notices the TicketsNow link on the Ticketmaster site, selling them for 6x face value or more.

- Oct 23rd, 2008. Super manager Irving Azoff (Guns N Roses, Journey, Smashing Pumpkins) buys Ticketmaster

- Jan. 30, 2009. Live Nation launches its ticketing platform with a quiet little on-sale from a quixotic quartet from Vermont. The system can't handle the (highly predictable) influx of buyers and breaks down.

- Feb. 2, 2009. Springsteen tix go on sale. Maybe 1 in 20 people snag a pair. Everyone notices the TicketsNow link selling them for 3x facevalue of more. And suddenly the world takes notice, including NY Sen. Charles Schumer (D), the New Jersey Attorney General and the Boss himself (He calls it a "conflict of interest" on his website).

- Feb. 4, 2009. Live Nation and Ticketmaster merger talks are reported in the Wall Street Journal.

- Feb. 4, 2009. Ticketmaster issues an apology to Springsteen, and says it won't allow ticket postings for shows that haven't been put on sale yet.

- Feb, 2009. Phish fans who bought through brokers start getting emails saying the brokers didn't really have the tickets they were advertising, with a refund. The phans are stuck with no tickets or having to pay the new market price - nearly double.

- Feb. 10, 2009. Live Nation and Ticketmaster officially announce merger plans.

- Feb. 17. Phish tickets get mailed. Aftermarket prices skyrocket.

Phish fans now find themselves right in the middle of a brewing consumer protection and anti-trust issue. So what can we do about it? Lots.

HeadCount is going to put out a poll this week asking music fans what issues we should focus on in 2009. We will be staging letter writing and education campaigns around three issues, chosen by the community. We just added one new issue to the list of choices - "Consumer protection for concert ticket buyers." We will wait to see the results of the poll, but we are ready to take this on. It's obviously something the community cares about deeply, affects us all, and has the ear of the government.

Personally, I believe in the free market. I don't think the aftermarket for tickets is inherently bad. And I don't think these companies are bad either. We have great friends at Live Nation, and years ago I personally knew the CEO of Ticketmaster, who was a brilliant guy. But I think there are real issues of disclosure, fairness in advertising, credit card fraud, and stifling of competition here. If Senators and attorney generals are already taking notice, then it means our community can organize and shape the debate. That's what HeadCount is here to do. We can make our voice heard on this. Afterall, we can make our voice heard every day, not just on election day.

Interesting People Doing Interesting Things

Dana — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:04:28 +0000

Here at HeadCount, we are always excited to see people, especially youth, speak up. If you're in the mood for a little inspiration, check out a few of these incredible change makers.

"You Voted, Now What?": Have you ever been stared down by a man draped in metallic, gold fabric with all exposed skin painted in gold? Were you then surprised to realize you weren't in a piazza in Venice, but outside your Congressman's office? The Bus Project focuses on getting young people involved in politics through any means necessary including, but obviously not limited to, mimetic costumes in front of Capitol buildings, Halloween canvassing and high school field trip-style travel. Its all about effective fun to these guys

"It takes a hood to save a hood": Can Chris Brown take his lessons learned and, after reforming himself, change an entire community's view on violence? United Playaz violence prevention and mentorship organization was started by a former convict and drug addict. Their goal is to "uplift communities with people power while transforming thugs into community leaders"

"Free TibetTV": Would you ever consider interviewing Chinese and Tibetan officials, then sneaking the interviews past governmental censoring restrictions? What happens if you get caught? Students for a Free Tibet used their tech savvy to explore, record and disseminate photos, videos and interviews about injustice in China and Tibet to their communities and the world.

If you just can't get enough of these stories, you can check out a few other spots: futuremajority.com, becausestrategies.com and wirtapmag.com are great places to start.

Skeptics Question Election Day Registration

Dana — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 21:57:20 +0000

I was at a local NYC comedy club Monday night, where one of the comedians started talking about voter fraud. He started to explain how the people controlling election day polling places should be less 'community volunteer' and more 'NYC bouncer.' He then proceeded to cross his arms, beef up his shoulders and turn his mouth into a down-turned pout, pantomiming the study of a questionable ID from someone trying to vote. We all laughed, but it brought up a serious concern. With so much recent attention pushing for more voting convenience, is anyone worried about too many ineligible voters?

Many states are trying to make it easier to vote by instating Election Day Registration. With this process, unregistered voters may turn up to the polls, register, then vote, right then and there. Many of the states have their own qualifying details on the topic (for example, in Connecticut EDR is implemented only for presidential elections), but one characterstic is consistent through all ten states: EDR states have average turnout rates that are 10-12% higher than the national average.

Check out this article from Funders' Committee for Civic Particiption for more specifics on the uprising againse EDR.

Twitter on Capitol Hill

Dana — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 20:45:19 +0000

Twitter: noun. A social networking site that allows its users to send and read other users' updates (known as tweets), which are text based posts of up to 140 characters in length.

Ex: "I'm following Barack Obama on twitter."

At first glance of the top 100 most popular twitter users, it is not surprising to find the innovative social networker and President, Barack Obama, at the top spot, followed by a bunch of celebrities and witty tech entrpreneurs including Kevin Rose, Britney Spears and Shaq. Granted, you can't learn much about people in 140 characters, but it's an effective, authenitc and free form of PR. Suddenly Britney Spears seems like a friend instead of an out of reach superstar.

The bigger surprise is how popular Twitter is becoming on Capitol Hill. Upwards of 60 members of Congress, plus many other D.C community influentials, use Twitter. The formerly stereotyped impersonal and longwinded users are suddenly showing a little more personality. Number 1 on Politco's list of 10 Most Influential D.C Twitterers is Karl Rove, former Deputy Chief of Staff to former President George W. Bush. Apparently this guy is funny. PR scheme or not, it seems America's policy makers are reaching out a little bit. Weird, but kind of cool.

A Busy Day on Capitol Hill

Dana — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:22:24 +0000

As we all know, President Obama addressed Congress last night. In case you missed it or want to review his speech in agonizing detail, the NY Times has an incredible feature online. You can watch the video (divided into categorized segments so you can dissect the stimulus package details but skip over the Intro) and read through a transcription of the speech while listening to the man himself. There is also a collection of reporters' notes, sort of like annotations. It kind of reminds me of reading annotated Shakespeare where an editor explains what "I bite my thumb at you" actually means, but the list of references and insight is beneficial and interesting nonetheless.

On the other side of Capitol Hill yesterday, CEOs Irving Azoff and Michael Rapino from Ticketmaster and LiveNation were interrogated by members of the US Senate Judiciary antitrust subcommittee. This was not the start to an official investigation, but could encourage one. In an article by Billboard, Azoff claimed that, "If we are successful... ticket prices will go down," while Rapino argued, "This deal will benefit them [music fans and rival businesses] as we spur competition and innovation."

I'm not sure what they will decide, but much of the music industry is skeptical of the deal. Unfortunately, I can't think of a Shakespeare reference for Irving Azoff or monopolized ticket prices at the moment... Regardless, I don't think this is the last we will hear of the potential investigation.

Musicians encouraged to follow the DIY route

Dana — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 20:42:27 +0000

Record labels are going the way of dinosaurs as creative entrepreneurs develop less costly methods of development, recording, promotion and distribution.

Although the transition from physical to digital distribution caused the recent lawsuit between rapper Eminem's former publishing company and Universal Music Group, further digital innovation could actually prevent future legal issues between powerful record labels and their artists (...because the labels will not exist).

An example of this sort of innovation is slicethepie.com, a site dedicated to the exposure and development of new musicians. Artists put up a profile page reminiscent of MySpace music pages, but the purpose of a slicethepie page is not just to promote the artist- it's to attract investors and finance a record. If an artist generates 15,000 pounds ($21,000) or more on the site, they are given the money to make and advertise an album. If they do not raise the money, it is returned to the investors.

For the service, slicethepie collects 20p per purchased track plus 10% of all investment earned from their site. This includes digital distribution charges through TuneCore to music stores like iTunes and Amazon. As listed by slicethepie, the artist will collect approximately 3 pounds per album, based on a purchase price of 8 pounds. In the US, songwriters usually receive 9.8 cents per song on a physical album sale. This would translate to about $.98 per album, or 70p, depending on the exchange rates. Granted, these numbers are artist specific and can change with each contract, but if what slicethepie says is wholly accurate, they are giving three times the amount of money per album sale to the artist. And the initial investment does not need to be recouped! That means no artist goes into debt and everything is profit. In an announcement this morning, Slicethepie allied with social networking site bebo. The ally with bebo strengthens the community that makes the UK financial development platform more relevant.

It takes a special kind of musician to do everything himself, and an even more special musician to be good at it. But the possibility of making three times the profit on an album and building a community of fans who love your music at the same time is encouraging. New music. New ideas. New allies. Stronger music community...And you can get paid to write reviews. Definitely worth a look.

(Very) Young Republican Wows Conference

Andy — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 04:40:14 +0000

A 13-year old conservative author upstaged Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh at the Conservative Political Action Conference this week. Jonathan Krohn's brief remarks, captured here on video, laid out a definition of conservatism that wowed the VIP audience.

He said he was inspired to write his book "Define Conservatism" because during the Presidential campaign "too many people who threw the term around who didn't understand what they were talking about (applause). They didn't understand what conservatism was. They didn't understand conservatism as a base of principal. But they understood it as a base of policy."

An amusing sideshow? The kid actually may be speaking to the core ideological and political battle that will play out in the U.S. over the next two years. Beleaguered and beaten, the Republican Party is clearly pining to find a new future and new identity. It will come from young leaders like Bobby Jindahl and Tim Pawlenty (governors of Louisiana and Minnesota, respectively), and maybe from the barely pubescent Krohn. But age aside, what really matters is that the Republican Party is not likely to shoot for a centrist middle ground that can win back swing voters. Instead, its new voice is coming from far right ideologues like Limbaugh and this new face Krohn who distance themselves from policy, government and party and make it all about political and social philosophy.

That doesn't leave room for the pragmatists or any sort of unity. It instead points to a potentially tumultuous next two years when very disparate views mark the political landscape, and middle ground is hard to find. That's a lot to read into a 13-year old's two minute speech. But bottom line is that the kid is "on message" for the right. He was not a side show. He stole the show.

It seems to be that time again

Dana — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 17:31:05 +0000

Yesterday was a mayoral election in Los Angeles, California. I know, it snuck up on me too. With 55% of the vote, Mayor Villaraigosa easily won his second term in office. Although it seems like we just had a pretty big election (because we did), there are still more local issues that need to be tackled and, the person to handle those issues is not Mr. President, though I'm sure he would if he could.

Check out this list of 2009 Mayoral Elections. Your city may be in it. If you want to learn who the heck is trying to run your town, you can browse bios, positions and histories.

"Just As Radio Promotes Music, Music Promotes Radio"?

Dana — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:40:27 +0000

Billy Corgan was in Washington DC yesterday speaking up to Congress (in a suit!) on behalf of the right for musicians to receive royalties from traditional radio. This legislation, the Performance Rights Act [H.R 848] (check pg 3), first introduced then rejected by Congress in December of last year, would make the US the last of the 30 countries in the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development to pay performance royalties AND mechanical royalties, instead of just the latter. That means musicians and writers get paid, not just writers. That's right: We are the only of these countries not doing this yet. The radio stations, obviously opposed, argue that the promo time is equivalent, if not greater to, the monetary standard that would be set for the song's worth in performance royalties.

Radio stations used(?) to be paid (in a very illegal kind of way) to play music. Years later, record labels and musicians are now asking them to pay to play music, as if they are now simply an additional form of revenue instead of a partner in crime (no pun intended). I can understand why the stations are a little up in arms. Fact of the matter is traditional radio used to be one of two main gatekeepers to popular music (MTV being the other) and now it is not. With many other options to get the word out about the cool, new band, the power of a radio DJ is no longer worth paying for, in the eyes of musicians and record labels.

The bill will be introduced this week. Stay tuned to see what happens.

Reunited and It Feels So Good

Dana — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 17:33:30 +0000

Some of the HeadCount team was in Hampton, VA this weekend, enjoying the reunited sounds of Phish. In addition to registering people to vote, we decided it would be cool to allow fellow fans to make their voice heard everyday, not just on election day by writing letters to their congressmen. If you're wishing you were there (and believe me, you do), take a sick day from work tomorrow, turn up the heat in your apartment, grab a beer (21+ only please) and listen to the MP3s of all the shows while sweating in your living room. You won't get any temporary rush of nostalgic claustrophobia from 3rd row center, but it'll be close enough.

For HeadCount, returning to Phish is always very special. They are the band that has a special place in the heart of many of our volunteers. We even have fond memories of Coventry, where we registered over 600 people. Phish represents the quintessential live music community. The intimate relationship between fans has such a power to change and is what HeadCount thrives on. Because of that, this was a very important weekend for us. It was our first series of shows in 2009 and the launch of our letter writing campaign. It marks the next step in getting music fans active in civic participation. Yes, you voted! Now it is time to take the next step. The Phish crowd made us feel at home, as always, with their enthusiasm for HeadCount's return to touring and their own involvement in democracy. We learned what fans respond to and what we can improve on for future shows. So, to all that were there next to us this weekend, thank you and congratulations for being such an incredible example of a community.

Another big congratulations goes out to Brent Fraim from Norfolk, Va, winner of the weekend raffle: a limited edition HeadCount Pollock poster. That thing's a beauty. I framed it myself.

Radiohead's FAC Meets in London

Dana — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 18:56:31 +0000

The Featured Arts Coalition, an organization recently created by innovative music industry case study Radiohead, had its first meeting yesterday in London. The Coalition aims to "give musicians and artists more control of their music" and a "much fairer share" of their profits. At first glance, the difference between this organization and the Future of Music Coalition seems a little hazy. I think FofMC is more politically charged whereas FAC is more industry focused. Perhaps as FAC takes more action and matures as an organization the differences will surface. Regardless, this is something to keep an eye on.

If you want to listen in on yesterday's first meeting, you can download the podcast here.

Scalped Tickets on Ticket Exchange Sold by Artists

Dana — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 19:01:29 +0000

Between the public scrutiny concerning Ticketmaster's relationship with TicketsNow and Ticket Exhchange, and the Congressional investigation regarding the proposed merger with Live Nation, Ticketmaster's PR department has had their hands full. As the inquiries continue, the media seems to find more skeletons hanging in those Ticketmaster closests.

This week's skeleton: Scalped tickets on Ticket Exchange are sold by the artists.

An exposing article in the Wall Street Journal uses the recent Neil Diamond ticket sales as a study. According to the article, just minutes after the tickets went on sale through Ticketmaster, higher priced tickets were for sale on Ticket Exchange, a secondary ticketing website owned by Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster's former and current chief executives, Diamond's personal manager and a person familiar with AEG Live have all confirmed that the source of these tickets was in a deal between those three parties.

The article continues to explain that, although the site claims "tickets posted by fans," most of the tickets listed on the "Marketplace" are posted by the artists and their promoters. After the WSJ article was published, this claim was removed from the Ticket Exchange Website.

Almost all major touring acts make deals similar to that of Neil Diamond. The specifics are undeclared, but in an arrangement between artist, promoter and ticket agency (namely Ticketmaster), acts including Bon Jovi, Celine Dion, Billy Joel, Elton John, Van Halen, Britney Spears and Brue Springsteen scalp their own tickets.

This is flabbergasting. The acts that are built from their fans are taking extra dollars right out of their pockets. Unfortunately, it seems we can't just blame the big bad record labels anymore. This is the music BUSINESS. While many involved in the business love music, and I know they do, it is still a business and they are pressured to make a good buck. You can make your own judgments as to the ethics of how they do/did it. In my opinion, Green Day selling out is one thing. Green Day scalping me tickets is completely another.

For a nice summary of the WSJ article plus some other interesting tid bits, check coolfer.

Antitrust Board Could Learn from the Past

Dana — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 17:48:56 +0000

David Balto, an antitrust attorney in DC who testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the Ticketmaster-Live Nation merger, wrote a guest op-ed for hypebot today. Balto frequently represents parties in government merger investigations and presents a very comprehensive view of the potential merger sitution. Among his discussion of how 'too good to be true' the merger seems for Ticketmaster and Live Nation, Balto also brings up an interesting point about how we can always learn from the past. It always comes to back to good ole' Karl Marx...

"Permitting a single firm to dominate any market, especially one where choice and innovation is so vital seems a large check to write for these limited benefits. History tells an important lesson. For years we had a single phone company – Ma Bell – and if one wanted to develop new products or innovate, it was only after Ma Bell gave her permission. As people used to say in those days you could get any phone you wanted, as long as it was “black.” Once the Justice Department broke up Ma Bell there was a flood of innovation and new product development. The simple message is that competition is essential to the greatest level of innovation and creativity."

My Morning Jacket Release Only in Independent Record Stores

Dana — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:11:06 +0000

My Morning Jacket has always been a friend to HeadCount. In 2008 we registered voters at dozens of their shows. Front man Jim James did a Public Service Announcement supporting voter registration. They gave us the original demo to the song "Gideon" for streaming on our download page (it's still there), and each band member autographed a guitar that we later auctioned. As with all good friends, we like to keep an eye on what they're up to.

As announced by The Insider, My Morning Jacket has "come up with a thank you for its die-hard and new fans." They are releasing a brand new EP on April 18 with all live tracks called Celebracion De La Ciudad Natal. The EP will only be sold at independent record shops, in support of local music businesses.

About the release on the special day of April 18, National Record Store Day, My Morning Jacket released this statement:

"We are excited to make this a special release that you can only get at your favorite local independent record store, as now more than ever we all need to take the time to celebrate what our favorite local record stores and businesses mean to us – the value of community/human-to-human, non-internet related physical and spiritual contact, and supporting the hardworking people in your community who strive everyday to keep it unique and keep it local. We are fortunate in our travels to get to see many wonderful things, but one of the most distressing things is the increasing "normalization" of the world and how all these places are starting to look the same – everywhere you look more and more towns are starting to be filled with the same gigantic corporations, and while some of these huge companies undoubtedly provide valuable services, it is so important that we realize that it is our local businesses and people (and natural landscapes, but that’s a different letter) that are what make different towns worth coming to... things you can only get in one place, made and sold by people who believe in what they are doing... people who are trying to keep good weirdness alive in this crazy dome. "

Legislature Empowering Artists and Radio Stations

Dana — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:27:11 +0000

Just this morning, Future of Music Coalition gave an update on the Local Community Radio Act of 2009, which would allow 100-watt, non commercial FM stations (Low Powered FM) broadcasting to more niche markets. As described by FofMC, LPFM could encourage school, church and nonprofit radio stations while providing an outlet for local artists.

The implications of the Local Community Radio Act get more complicated in conjunction with other Acts being passed around Congress as of late. Last week I did a write up of some pending legislature regarding the Performance Rights Act [H.R 848] wherein artists will be paid performance royalties from traditional radio airplay. This could get interesting.

Future of Music Coalition, Michael Bracy, said that there is a "series of interconnected policy agenda items intended to reform the radio industry to benefit musicians and radio stations." The goal is to create a "thriving radio station that supports the artist." However, this goal needs to be considered in two stages. "Stage one is deciding if the performance right should exist." This is the topic at hand with the Performance Rights Act. Stage two is then, "...assuming the right should exist, how to implement [the performance rights of artists] without being counterproductive."

Low Powered FM helps to support the artist as well as new radio stations. However, the creation of a thriving radio station might be hindered due to the passing of the Performance Rights Act. One of the LPFM selling points is how they can create low cost radio accessibility to communities. If the Performance Rights Act is passed and stations must pay performance royalties, suddenly these low cost ventures are not nearly as low cost. Granted, as outlined in Section 3 of the Performing Rights Act, small, non commercial, school and religious radio stations will be granted a blanket license (legal performance rights for all music played) for a fee of either $1,000 or $5,000, depending on the nature of the station. This is a minimized fee compared to royalties paid by major stations. However, for nonprofits and schools with low budgets, $1,000 is just not a liquid option.

Bracy explained that all of this legislation is still at the "philosophical level" and the specifics need to hammered out. These implications will not be neglected and "cut outs" might be created within legislation to encourage the small stations. There are many options to preserve the rights of both parties.

The ultimate purpose of this series of legislation is to empower both artists AND radio stations. Radio stations will disappear if neglected for the sake of the artist in this economic climate. While traditional radio is not our only source for new music anymore, it is still a beneficial service that would be greatly missed.

SXSW is Taking Over the World (in a good way)

Dana — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:59:22 +0000

The whole world is at SXSW this week. Seriously. Increasingly renowned for its ability to break new artists and serve as a music business networking Mecca, artists and industry professionals from all over the world trying to make a name for themselves have spent the dough to make the trek- some all the way across the world. Billboard reports that international artist and music company representation ranges from Canada and Mexico to Spain and Germany, all the way to Australasia. They all seem to believe it is worth the exorbitant costs (almost $18,000 for the Australians) to see and be seen.

Who's the band to be seen this year? Spin says Telekinesis. If you're wishing you were there to decide for yourself, this site gives a few different options for live concert streaming, including a week-long webcast from npr or directions for 8 hours of performance every day if you are a Direct TV user. I wish I knew about this sooner...

Beatles Might Release Digitally, Again

Dana — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:58:53 +0000

Though this is news we have heard before, George Harrison's son, Dhani Harrison, is pushing toward an Internet music store devoted wholly to the Beatles. Harrison points out in the article by guardian.co.uk that, "We're losing money every day." The executors of the Beatles' music estate and UK record label Apple are considering a deal with Steve Jobs, though there are no details disclosed just yet.

Sounds like promises we've all heard before, but we'll be waiting. Until then, I'll go listen on lastfm, or pandora, or my own iTunes library (but not spiralfrog which closed down last night).

FCC Open Call On Tech Agenda

Dana — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 19:21:54 +0000

A couple years ago, a thing called Legislation 2.0 was getting a lot of attention as Senators and Representatives began asking for the input of bloggers in writing legislation regarding the national broadband strategy. It was a bit of an experiment, but the theory was basically, "Hey, we have the Internet and there are some really smart people out there, so why not get their input?" Thus, an open conversation was started online.

We haven't heard much about this since 2007, but there are hints here and there of resurgence in this sort of activity. Representative Mike Honda asked for public input about redesigning his website and facilitating a relationship with his community of voters. As reported by TechPresident, Senator Claire McCaskill is "asking the public for input on how to do a better job with government contracting oversight."

It seems trends are running in our favor of a more democratic democracy where legislators not only want to hear public opinion, but are strongly encouraging them. Legislation 2.0 is even evident on the national level of law making.

The FCC is holding an open call for comment on the role government should play in "making the country richly wired and unwired." This activity is in correspondence with a Technology paragraph in the White House agenda that aims to:

Deploy Next-Generation Broadband: Work towards true broadband in every community in America through a combination of reform of the Universal Service Fund, better use of the nation's wireless spectrum, promotion of next-generation facilities, technologies and applications, and new tax and loan incentives. America should lead the world in broadband penetration and Internet access.

Epicenter, a tech blog through Wired.com, is collecting comments on the topic. The "best and most popular" ideas will be shared with the FCC at their meeting on April 8th.

Woodstock 2009?

Dana — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 19:18:02 +0000

The 40th Anniversary of 1969's Woodstock Festival is this year. As celebration, Woodstock founder Michael Lang is trying to plan a free, green festival. Lang was reported at a SXSW panel saying, "We want to have as small a carbon footprint as we can and use as many green techniqes as we can." The ideas are all speculative at this point, as reported by Billboard (page 6). Ideally, the festival will take place outside of New York City and run concurrently with another in Berlin, Germany.

The main production barrier as of now is funding (surprise, surprise). To be a free show, Lang needs major sponsors. Though environmentally responsible and progressive, green festivals are extremely expensive. If all goes well, the fesitval will be held in August. Keep your fingers crossed.

Ticketmaster President Speaks Up About Phish and TicketsNow

Dana — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:49:40 +0000

In an exclusive interview with Ticketmaster North America President, David Butler, Hidden Track journalist Luke Sacks explores the Phish presale mishap, TicketsNow, how they battle scalpers and the passionate following of Phish. In Short:

The presale was the total fault of human error at Ticketmaster for which an "I'm sorry" in the form of a $50 gift certificate was sent to all affected purchasers. Butler made it clear that they are "working to improve..." the system every day to avoid situations such as these, but also wanted to point out that out of last year's sale of 100 million tickets, this didn't happen once to his memory. Understandably frustrated, one mess-up (or 1700, depending how you count) out of 100 million was turned into a major media scandal. Then again, when you have a semi(?) monopoly on ticket distribution and make $4 per ticket just for this service, it better be flawless. And honestly, what fan base could have been worse for the .01% error than Phish? Butler said himself that "there are few acts that have the passionate following that Phish does," not to mention the sheer volume of ticket sales. Perhaps this would have been a lower scale ordeal with Peter, Bjorn and John fans...

Butler also explained the relationship between TicektsNow and the sale of the tickets themselves, in an attempt to clear Ticketmaster's name a little bit:

"...We don’t own the tickets on TicketsNow. We simply provide an e-commerce site for buyers and sellers to meet and have a safe transaction between them. The tickets that are listed, typically, for resale on TicketsNow as an example, are owned, some by fans and most by brokers. Brokers get their tickets either by going in the on sale and buying tickets; many times they have season tickets for events so they get them that way. They may have a relationship with a promoter or a band but they don’t get any preferential treatment from Ticketmaster whatsoever."

The interview provides a different perspective to the whole debacle that is mostly believeable. Listening to a grown man act solely as a personal damage control manager is an added bonus.

Op-Ed: All Industries Run in Cycles

Dana — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:16:21 +0000

Everyone is so worried about the state of the music industry and it just continues to bother me. I am young, but I know this: Everything works in cycles. Everything. Music tastes, the state of the economy, housing markets, exchange rates, skinny jeans... Some of these cycles are longer than others, but they are cycles regardless. Business preferences will work the same way: Big business vs. self employment, centralized vs. decentralized management organization, huge salaries vs. intrinsic incentives.Technological advance and general innovation affect the tools used within the cycle and the speed at which it flows (mp3s, the Internet, loans, spandex...) but the cycle continues nonetheless.

Every industry is experiencing cut backs at the moment. Meaning, if you can do it with three, why pay four? Granted, the music industry has been on this path for a few months (or years) longer, but everyone is leaning towards the so-called DIY route. The Wall Street Journal published an article today that tried to dissect where the music industry is going today based on some words of a few musicians at SXSW. It mentioned a "broken industry" and how artists want "creative control." I love WSJ, but besides being fairly uninformative, it was dated. These things have been analyzed to death at industry panels for years.

The industry is not broken, it is just changing. It's time for some innovation, and we're getting there. As far as creativity, I'm willing to bet artists have always wanted creative control, but it was easier to give up a bit of control as compromise for not having to do the dirty business work. There is no doubt that business-acute musicians exist. However, just beause you can do it doesn't mean you are the best or you want to. When times are good, you outsource. You hire a secretary for your law practice so you can focus on your craft instead of answering distracting phone calls every five minutes. You pay a college kid to post flyers all around the East Village instead of wasting your own afternoon doing the tedious work. When times are a little tougher, you do it yourself.

Call it DIY, call it more control, call it whatever you want. The music industry is not this special case scenario. I'm not suggesting we all sit back and wait for the cycle to get back to the late-90s golden era. That will not happen anytime soon, if ever again. I am suggesting we stop analyzing what has happened or what could happen and just start doing. That might just be my mode of operation, but the possibilities are so wide open right now and I find it difficult to sit back and watch it happen.

How to Effectively Demonstrate Putzhood

eric — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 07:02:09 +0000

Mohandas Gandhi once said, “The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems.” Gandhi certainly was an optimist. As a 24-year-old law student originally from Long Island now living in Austin, Texas, I feel uniquely qualified to address my generation’s pessimism. What Mark Rudd, Kent State and Richard Nixon didn’t do, my generation’s sense of humor and conception of governmental ethics accomplished in full.

As the newest contributor to HeadCount’s blog, my goal throughout the next several months and beyond is to move you away from the pessimism of disbelief to the optimism of can-do. I vow to be explicitly nonpartisan and urge the formulation and support of as many perspectives as possible. The issues I will discuss will vary but, in keeping with HeadCount’s mission, I intend to delve deeply into subject matter which polling data has shown to be significant to the organization’s key demographic. In my quest to turn bong to Bono (weed to Wittgenstein?) and gossip to go-getter, I have three primary goals.

Above all else, I seek to combat apathy. I want my readers to want to learn more about the complex intricacies of modern Malthusian thinking. I want to encourage a debate on whether, 55 years later, the Supreme Court’s landmark Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas decision was truly one of optimum beneficence. If I can get just one of you to take some time out of your summers to read something other than Phantasy Tour, other than festival artist additions, other than Paul Languedoc’s wood preference, and quite frankly, other than me, I will consider my time here a success.

Secondly, I wish to enhance the value and influence of debate in the live music community. Too often, I hear political deliberations among strangers devolve rapidly into Howard Stern microphone volume bickering matches where the loudest “wins.” While I won’t deny I have never lost any of those arguments, neither has anyone else (except of course Sophie Fowler Gallaudet, but she wins less than the Mets in September.) My point is merely this: making a statement about politics is one thing (“You’re wrong you putz!”) but backing it up with reasoned, logical and rational argumentation towards the noble purpose of intelligent discourse is truly great (“You’re wrong, as evidenced by the data in the 2000 US Census, this Reuters poll and as exemplified by a paper written by Thomas Putzinson, a leading academic scholar in the field. So, you see? You really are a putz.”) Raising the level of dialogue is the best thing ordinary citizens can do when a democracy is troubled.

Lastly, President Obama has made a major point of stressing the significance of public service. I want to remind readers that while the President may be referring more specifically to volunteering to teach or mentor in an underprivileged community or joining the Peace Corps, there are plenty of uniquely positive tasks which ordinary citizens can do to demonstrate their interest in improving America. I want you all to know that becoming more educated about the issues which confront us on a daily basis (the treatment of War on Terror detainees, the perceived legitimacy of governmental institutions, the changing intellectual property landscape and the counterbalance between cultural and political ecology in feeding the poor, to name a few) is a wholly different yet altogether equally noble public service. If your responsibilities as a stockbroker, “heady burrito maker” or flat-out "college know-it-all," won't let you commit to the extent the President suggests, the best you can do is to educate yourself. Serve your country by preaching the gospel of knowledge.

In closing, I hope that you will use the HeadCount blog as a springboard towards constructive criticism, laudatory praise, or, when all else fails, cite data confirming by putzhood. All of this is fine, of course, so long as you refrain from saying anything I disagree with. That was a joke.

Free Music Service Launched Today in China

Dana — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 19:04:38 +0000

In an effort to monetize an un-monetized music market in China, Google launched a music service available only in China today. The main objective is to draw Internet users from "China's Google," Baidu to, well, Google. With an effective deal between Top100.cn and over 140 labels, including the four majors (for now), EMI, Warner, Sony and Universal, Chinese can search music, stream and download any songs in the licensed catalog. If the song is not licensed, the users have access to lyrics and a clip of the song, and then are lead to a link through which they can purchase the song. The businesses will make money through advertising.

The attempt to monetize such a massive market wherein an estimated 99% of all downloads are illegal is major step in profitable global music revenue streams, though EMI did launch a similar service in conjunction with Baidu in mid-2007 where Chinese-music streaming only was available for free and downloads were available for a small fee.

There has been little mention of the effects of free access searching paired with a communist government, but this must be something that was discussed between Google China President Kai-Fu Lee and all other involved parties. In a Yahoo! News article, Lachie Rutherford, President of Warner Music Asia, said that, "When you're in the music business in China, you know you have to follow regulations. We wouldn't give files to people in China where a song has been banned."

I don't know how substantial is this list of banned songs. Then again, I guess we should battle one issue at a time. First Google must gain a profitable foot hold in the market, then they can fight for Chinese free speech rights. That seems like a fair course of events to me (For once, that wasn't sarcasm). It is much easier to be heard when you have a voice in the system. Though, I'm not quite sure that is in Google China's business plan.

$75,000 Gets You a Famous Personal Assistant, A Cruise on Shrooms, and more

Dana — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:16:25 +0000

Last month, Bob Lefsetz, popular music industry blogger, did a post on the wacky shenanigans of Josh Freese, a drummer most well known for his Devo days, though his list of accomplishments is well established (Devo, The Vandals, NIN, A Perfect Circle...). Lefsetz wasn't focused on Freese's new album or his sweet drumming technique, but on his creative marketing techniques used to rake in the dough from his newest release, "Since 1971". Freese has created a series of tiered packages that are sold for up to $75,000 on his website and range from signed CD/DVD sets to Mini Golf with Freese and his friends. This is what you can buy for $75,000: a signed CD/DVD and digital download plus...

-T-shirt**

-Come out on tour with me for a few days.

-I write, record and market a 5 song EP about you and your life story.

-Take home any of my drumsets (only one but you can pick which one)

-*Take shrooms and cruise Hollywood in Danny from TOOL's Lamborgini OR we play "quarters" and then hop on the Ouija board for a while.

-If you have a band, I'll join it for a month....play shows, record a CD together, have a swim party, etc.... or none of the above. We could also just sit in yer basement and jam old Van Halen.

If you don't have a band I'll be your personal assistant for a month (4 day work weeks....10 am to 5 pm) and then we take a limo down to Tijuana and I'll show you how it's done (what that means I can't legally get into here, right this minute). If you don't live in LA but are in the USA I will come to you and be your personal assistant/cabana boy for 2 weeks.

-Take a Flying Trapeze lesson together in the San Fernando Valley and then Robin from NIN and his wife make us raw lasagna.

I could spend hours reading the different packages. This dude is funny. Wired just wrote an article on the same tactics that I think deserves a bit of a shout out (Consider this my personal version of digg).

iPhone Newest Addition to Orchestra

Dana — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:27:22 +0000

I think most of us have heard of the Lap Top Orchestra at this point (if you haven't you MUST check it out). Well, Ge Wang, particpant in our favorite Geek Orchestra, is now the conductor of something even more tech savvy and musically mobile: Mobile Phone Orchestra (MoPhO for short). WATCH THIS

Using the iPhone and an application created by Wang where a user can change the timbre or pitch of a note by turning and shaking the phone, MoPhO can play "Stairway to Heaven," many other pop songs and chamber music (for those music purests). The Orchestra is presently working to increase their repetoire.

This is like a mobile version of Wii music mixed with Mac and extreme computer gamers (their equipment and expressions mean serious business). I also keep imagining a little etch-a-sketch action whenever they mention the shaking. Whatever it is, it is cool.

Green Apple Festival

Dana — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 18:02:44 +0000

As some of you may know, Earth Day is coming up soon. In celebration every year for the past three years, the Green Apple Festival has held a free concert in cities around the country. This year, they are revamping the system a bit, in the hopes of encouraging as much enthusiasm to volunteer as to hear live music. At the end of a weekend of environmentally friendly projects, there will be a free concert for all the volunteers to celebrate their participation in their "address of current challenges [to] help cities and organizations get important work done." You can join in the celebration in New York, Boston, Washington DC, Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Austin, LA, San Fransisco or Seattle in projects ranging from tree planting to urban gardens, water protection to forest restoration. For a list of specific projects in your area click here.

Volunteer opportunities are available from Friday, April 17 to Sunday, April 19. The concerts are only for volunteers on Sunday night.

The Dead are Coming and Giving Along the Way

Dana — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 17:29:50 +0000

Today is Monday, April 6, 2009 and I am sitting inside, dreading my lack of an umbrella as it thunderstorms in New York City. Up side: The Dead will be here in 19 days. I could go play in that rain, I'm so excited! Touring with HeadCount friends Jeff Chimenti and Warren Hayes, the 19 dates in 16 cities are sure to be a tad nostalgic and a heap inspirational.

Just as exciting as the show itself (in theory), the band is auctioning off ticket packages, in association with Charity Folks, to contribute to some of their causes including the Rex Foundation, Further Foundation, Unbroken Chain Foundation and Sea Shepard Conservation Society. In an interview with Billboard, Weir explained, "It always seemed to us that you get some, you give some back. It's just something we've always done..." So even though those tickets are a bit pricey (Madison Square Garden is not my favorite venue...) it is a nice consolation to know that part of the fees is going to a good cause.

If you want to participate in the auction, head here.

Neil Diamond Gives a Pep Talk

Dana — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 18:21:27 +0000

Today's letter from popular music industry blogger Bob Lefsetz was a piece of hate mail explaining what Record Store Day is from someone who is "involved and knowledgeable" about the day. The author then tells Lefsetz he needs to incorporate more fun into his life. I give Bob major kudos for publishing such a letter. It wasn't too nice, but definitely exhibits a noticeable trend in professional industries lately.

A creator of Record Store Day explained that this day is "an excuse for record stores to have a party with artists who love them and want to celebrate their art..." He said one of the most important parts of what they are doing is having fun and that it is time to "be appreciative about music and the very special people who make it, as well as the fans that love it."

This is not a new concept, but one that is coming back into perspective within the music industry and many others lately. As the opportunities to "hit it big" in various industries fade, the idea of doing something for the love of it is becoming more and more important. Undergraduate finance major dreams of 130K jobs right out of school are not so prevalent right now and buzz on campus is "What do I love?", instead of "What can I do to make the most money?".

Even Neil Diamond is realizing there is more to life than work, though it seems his quest for fun was less influenced by the recession and more by the realization that life is actually finite (he was born Jan 24, 1941). But, in a surprise Q&A with a few NYU Music Business students last night, Diamond emphasized how important it is to do something you absolutely love. He told the group that there is more to life than work and that he missed out on many great years with good friends because he was too focused on making money for his family. He announced, "If you are here to make a lot of money, you should go do something else." He continued by saying that all songwriters are just trying to "throw a pebble" and see how far the ripples will go. It is all about the music- let us not forget.

Neil Diamond loves music. HeadCount loves democracy and the live music community. The Girl Scouts love to empower girls and Steve Jobs and Apple have a thing for "leading the [computer] industry in innovation." I usually agree with Bob Lefsetz in his infinite music industry wisdom, but today I have to agree with this corrective emailer. It is time to find something you love and have fun doing it. Thanks for the pep talk Neil.

White House Lawn is Getting Greener

Dana — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:55:27 +0000

Living healthier and going green is not just a wonted dream of environmentally conscious youth and Whole Foods addicts. Initializing the "expansion of service learning in our nation's schools and youth programs" as outlined in the White House Agenda, First Lady, Michelle Obama, and Agriculture Secretary, Tom Vilsack, hosted students from Bancroft Elementary to plant a garden and learn about healthy eating. This is the same group of kids who participated in the initial groundbreaking for the south lawn garden. The kids will continue to learn about and cook their grown food, which will then be eaten and donated to homeless shelther in the DC area.

The Life of a Photographer...

Dana — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 19:56:57 +0000

So I just finished flipping through Jay Blakesberg's book of photographs from 1978-2008 entitled "traveling on a high frequency" and realized there is no way to leave from my day's report this tid bit of info regarding he and The Dead.

Paging through these photos of muscians wasn't the standard, 'oh, this is nice' two minutes of looking at pretty pictures in a coffee table book. It started that way, but then I got caught up in how cool BB King is, how invigorating it would feel to play a packed house at Red Rocks (the most beautiful venue I have ever seen) and how many stories Jay must have to match the 300 pages of musicians captured within his book. Twenty minutes later, I am wondering what a life it must be to watch and capture people doing what they love.

Anyway, now that I have developed this little envy-crush on every rock photographer and writer, I should get to my point: The Grateful Dead and Jay Blakesberg are making a concert book for every show on their 17 date 2009 tour. Read more about it here.

Research, then Watch

Dana — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 17:50:08 +0000

There are some really interesting documentaries and musical investigation opportunities on TV this week, all outlined in a weekly blog on hidden track. Thursday, there is a documentary investigating the personal and professional relationship of Jerry Garcia and David Grisman. There is also a biography of Ray Charles on Biography Wednesday and Pearl Jam "Ten Revisited" on VHI Classics Tuesday. Visit the site for a complete listing.

This Pearl Jam revisit could be a happy little coincidence, as the band was also just announced as a headliner for Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco Aug 28-30th (Others include DMB and Beastie Boys). It is a strange lineup consisting of bands I haven't thought about or really listened to in years, but quality music nonetheless. It might be time for that refreshing rush of nostalgia mixed with some credited indie band groove.

Free Music Archive Up and Running

Dana — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:42:47 +0000

Imagine a catalogue of free music, organized by genre and recommended by curators. Members of the catalogue can make their own personal profiles and add selected music to inividualized players (like last.fm or Pandora). They can learn about new music and communicate with others about what they like (countless blogs), download full albums (iTunes), "tip" the artist for a job well done (street performers, Radiohead), learn about that artist and their touring schedules (pitchfork, jambase, brooklynvegan...) then finish up by donating to the organization that allows all of this to happen legally (paypal). All of these services are now available from one platform: Free Music Archive, an organization directed by WFMU, a NJ radio station, and in collaboration with a few other curators.

Partnering with Creative Commons, a nonprofit that allows copyright holders to easily change the default "all rights reserved" of copyright protection to "some rights reserved," FMA is quickly broadening their library with supportive artists. The collection is not full of your top 200 artists, but it is a good way to stumble onto some hidden gems or explore new artists you have heard about legally. FMA cites it's audience as not only general music listeners, but "podcasters looking for pod-safe audio...radio or video producers...remix artists looking for pre-cleared samples..."

The allowable actions differ depending on which rights are witheld or released by the copyright holders. The best way to see what you can do with the song is find it on the site and click on it. All the tools are at our fingertips, now we get to use them!

President Obama Wears Tie-Dye

Dana — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 17:43:43 +0000

Not really, but it would be cool if he did.

It has been a busy 3 months at the White House, as explained on the blog, between instating and furthering initiatives on housing, the markets, the auto industry, small businesses, financial cooperation, and job recreation through the Recovery Act, not to mention a brand new Portugese Water Dog for the family. But with all this going on, President Obama still made time to meet with the surviving and touring Dead when they were in town for a show Monday night (No one was wearing tie-dye...).

The visit was a major tribute to President Obama, as he is identified as the reason The Grateful Dead reunited for their tour in 2008. Their discussion with the President was more history based than music, but that didn't stop the band from visiting some of their biggest fans in the office, senior advisors David Axelrod and Pete Rouse and deputy chief of staff Jim Messina.

To see where the Dead will are going next, go here. To follow the actions of President Obama and the trio (among others), this is more accurate.

Pirate Bay Buddies Play It Cool

Dana — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:49:16 +0000

Although sentenced to a year in jail, the boys at The Pirate Bay do not seem exactly worried. A little confused, but not worried. On the previously functional website, there is a message that says, "Don't worry- we're from the internets. It's going to be alright. :)"

Late last night, the four founders of the file sharing website were found guilty of breaking copyright law and sentenced accordingly. The official statement was made this morning. The boys were joking about how it's not only music and movies anymore- even their own verdict leaked.

In addition to the jail sentence, The Pirate Bay is required to pay damages of 50 million kronor (or 2.4 million pounds) to entertainment companies, including Warner Bros, Sony Music Entertainment, EMI and Columbia Pictures.

Again, the guys aren't too nervous. They do not host any of the content themselves, but direct users to usable locations. They claim this is the same as using a Google search.

The damages recouped do not come close to covering actual damages, but this is a very strong metaphoric win for Hollywood and the music industry. The chairman of the Federation of Phonographic Industry, John Kennedy, said in a great BBC article, "There has been a perception that piracy is OK and that the music industry should just have to accept it. This verdict will change that."

I do not know if that is necessarily true. Legislation will continue to chase the computer wiz kids who work quickly and innovatively in their basements, trying to break movie encryption codes and share music with their friends. Big business entertainments execs said the same thing with the bust of Napster. According to the San Francisco Chronicle in 2001, file sharing initially fell 87%, until new techniques were developed. It will be a continuous game of cat and mouse for these entertainment industries. They can continue spending exorbitant amounts of money making unrecouped 'metaphoric wins' in the court room, or develop their own innovative strategies.

International Steps to Promote Green Initiatives

Dana — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:36:33 +0000

Developing countries have asked that the US "show leadership on climate," as reported by the BBC. With an US-Mexico announcement regarding climate changes, our country is finally living up to international expectations.

The EPA released a statement today that confirms the harmful effects of carbon dioxide and 5 other greenhouse gases on public health or welfare. The scientific findings call for a response that is in accordance with Obama's, "call for a low carbon economy and strong leadership in Congress on clean energy and climate legislation."

Just yesterday, the White House blog reported details on a visit to Mexico where, among other things, Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon announced the "US-Mexico Bi-Lateral Framework on Clean Energy and Climate Change." Specific areas of cooperation focus on information exchange between bordering states and nations regarding greenhouse gas inventories, reduction strategies, renewable energy resources and clean energy technologies.

We are finally stretching from complacency in what we know (Energy resources AND information resources). Lets hear it for a world community working together.

Coachella, Cohen and Chris Isaak Make Life Worth Living

Dana — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 18:08:09 +0000

It is not often (or ever, really) during a Spin concert review that I get teary and comment out loud, "Oh my god!" but the coverage of Best Set: Leonard Cohen tore at my insides. Coachella, that evergrowing-in-popularity music and arts festival in Indio, Ca, was this weekend. Spin has a nice recap of the bests and worsts from all three days, including Best Personality (Morrissey), Best Encore (Paul McCartney) and Worst Stage Banter (We Are Scientists), among many others. I'm not sure if my emotional reaction to Best Set was to the report of a crowd singing back to Cohen in delight, Cohen's tearful response to the singing, the combination of the two or if I just have a special place in my heart for euphoric old men. Whatever the case, the live performance and crowd interaction seemed magical.

Again, this confirms the point and power of live music, a topic I can never let slide when I hear about it. Bob Lefsetz had a similar experience this weekend while watching Chris Isaak (really? ok...) that jolted his faith in the power of live music and the overreliance of the industry on recorded music. We can all remember an instance of jaw dropping bliss from our own concert-going adventures, but Lefsetz puts it into words in a very poignant way:

"Maybe music is something you hear live as opposed to a concoction perfected in a studio. Maybe it's supposed to live and breathe as opposed to being perfected to the point of sterility. Maybe that's why we tuned out. Auto-tune...

Life is for living. It's not something that's got rules, that has to be done a certain way so a small elite of gatekeepers will approve.

You know the hit of a live show. The great ones are all different. Didn't the Grateful Dead prove this? The music washes over you and not only do you review your life memories, you make new ones, you can't help yourself, life is unfolding as you're standing there listening. You're catching the humans, wandering around in all their uniqueness... you're telling yourself HOW FUCKING GREAT IT IS TO BE ALIVE!

That's music's power. Don't you ever forget it."

Health Care Reform Comes Before Climate Change in Congress

Dana — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 18:17:36 +0000

Even after the announcement by the EPA this past Friday confirming the dangers of green house gases, The Wall Street Journal reports today that Congress is more likely to act on health care reform before climate change.

While the administration continues to work on climate change reform, health care is "a way of delivering major good news to voters" in the face of impending 2010 midterm elections, as explained by Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN). Charles Schumer (D-NY) agreed that while health care and climate change are both of high priority on the agenda, "health care is probably a little bit higher" on a proverbial ranked listing.

Neither topic will have an easy path through the executive branch. Climate change legislation is almost a brand new mainstream topic to voters and will take some time before a Congressional consensus is reached. Healthcare, while working from previous legislation attempted in 1994 and thus theoretically achieving a consensus in a more timely fashion, will cost an estimated $1 trillion over the next 10 years.

Regardless of the tribulations caused by both agenda items, they are promised to be dealt with as quickly as possible. However, it is reported that "Capitol Hill has rarely completed landmark legislation on two fronts in one year."

Theta Means: Be Careful With Our Environment

Dana — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:15:32 +0000

On April 22, 1864, the US Congress passed the Coinage Act, mandating the inscription of "In God We Trust" on all coins minted as US currency. On this day in 1870, Lenin was born and in 1954, the Army-McCarthy Hearings began. In 64', New York World's Fair opened for its first season and in 1970, April 22 was named as the day to celebrate the environment. Today is Earth Day.

In 1970, then Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson announced there would be a national grassroots demonstration on the preservation of the environment on Wednesday, April 22. This partcular day was chosen by Nelson simply for its convenience. College students, a primary target of celebrators, are not away on spring break or celebrating Passover or Easter. It is not yet final exam time but warm enough weather for outdoor activities. This day marks the beginning of the modern environmental movement, as 20 million Americans participated with a goal of healthy, sustainable environment.

Among the developments from Earth Day is the Ecology Flag, an adaptation of the American flag with 13 green and white stripes and a combination of the letters "E" and "O" in the upper left in reference to "Environment" and "Organism." The symbold happened to resemble the Greek letter theta and so, with its historical symbolism as a warning (like the skull and crossbones), the theta was adopted as the official symbol for the flag, warning the public of the impending harm being done to our environment.

Thirty-nine years after Earth Day's inception, initiatives are being enacted all over the world. Green Apple Festival celebrated a weekend of environmental volunteerism across the nation last weekend that culminated in a concert Sunday night. Earth Day Canada has lists of events anyone can register for and Earth Day Jam is now an annual concert in the Philippines. Even our government is celebrating in their own coincidental way as the first Climate Change Bill was circulated through Congress yesterday.

Happy Earth Day!

Oklahoma Legislature Fights Over State Rock Song

Dana — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:04:03 +0000

Oklahoma state beverage: Milk, state amphibian: Bull frog, state folk dance: Square Dance, state rock song: "Do You Realize??" by the Flaming Lips. Or at least that is what was voted as the state rock song by the Oklahoma public as requested by Oklahoma state legislature. The Lips beat out nine other songs written or performed by Sooner state natives, including Wanda Jackson, The Ventures, JJ Cale, and the All American Rejects.

After the vote, no one expected much of a backlash, but apparently the Oklahoma House of Representatives didn't approve of the democratic vote and vetoed the results. Rep. Mike Reynold's actually said, "Their lips should be on fire." I am a little confused as to why the House of Representatives is worried with the state rock song of Oklahoma, but that's a different issue all together.

In support of the democratic process, the Oklahoma Governer, Brad Henry, overruled the decision by the house and validated the people's choice. He will sign an executive order on April 28 etablishing The Flaming Lips as the official rock song of Oklahoma.

Summer Sunshine Tease

Dana — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:17:35 +0000

With this sudden (and hopefully not temporary) departure from dreary spring to optimistic sunshine, I am now impatiently awaiting the official summer months and the associated festival season. I am not the only one.

Here's Ben Harper's Guide to Summer Festivals. I don't know if he is more qualified than any other regularly touring musician or festival addict, but I can't think of a more mellow musician with smile inspiring pipes to follow around all summer from show to show.

First on the list is New Orleans Jazz Fest, which is almost over. If you've got the time (or can make it), head on over, pick up a hand grenade from Tropical Isle, then revel in blues at its finest.

Rock The Earth Awards 2009 Planet Defender Awards

Dana — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:19:38 +0000

Rock the Earth announced their 2009 Planet Defender Award winners on Thursday. In three different categories, Artist, Community Leader and Grassroots Activism, winners included the band, Incubus, for their interaction with the Make Yourself Foundation, Green For All founder, Van Jones and Energy Action Coalition Executive Director, Jesse Tolkan.

In response to his award, Jesse Tolkan said, "Young people are building a powerful grassroots movement that is leading the way to a more sustainable, equitable and prosperous future we deserve. We started by making our campuses and communities living models of sustainability and possibility. Now we are redefining what is politically possible in order to pass bold federal climate and energy legislation."

For their support of Rock the Earth's mission of defending the planet one beat at a time, each winner will receive an original award collectively designed and created by Joe Benevento, Jason Garrett and Chico Raskey (Chico Artglass).

100 Days of Change

Dana — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:08:03 +0000

Today marks day 100 since the inauguration of President Obama and his accompanying administration. Few president's have been faced with such adversity and high expectations as our current, number 44. The 100 days is a presumed indicator by the public and media of the overall success a president will have during his term. It is tough to gauge how effectively an administration is operating after only 100 days given the long run perspective that is needed to make decisions on national and international welfare, but a few sites give it a try.

The New York Times gives a comparison of a few notable past presidents with President Obama, The Wall Street Journal gives an interesting summary of changes and initiatives, followed by some ventured predictions of what is to come and Reuters mentions the anniversary gift given to President Obama by Arlen Spector. My favorite article, though, is an interactive calender from the Financial Times that color codes actions taken day-by-day in five categories: Domestic policy, economic policy, foreign policy, personal matters and early political crises. There is no analysis predicting the effects of his and his administration's enacted policies, but it is very informative and I'm always a sucker for a good color coding scheme.

President Obama made promises of change and action during the election season. From these summaries, it is obvious he has been living up to those promises.

The End of Organic Farming?

amyvaden — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:35:11 +0000

H.R. 875, the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2009 has become the subject of some heated conversation among small farmers and sustainable food system advocates. The bill, if passed, would essentially establish a new government agency to oversee and regulate ‘food production facilities’ and farms. All included farms would be required to register with the agency and prove that they are taking preventative measures to protect consumers.

But would this really be the ‘end of organic farming,’ as some voices claim?

The need for a food safety bill is clear: no-one wants to live in constant fear of contaminated peanuts and salmonella because of poor safety and cleanliness standards at large-scale production facilities.

Although I find it hard to believe that Congress expects or wants to make backyard veggie gardens, farmers markets, and organic farming illegal, I do understand the fears arising as people read this Bill. The problem seems to be found in the vague language of the Bill. Maybe, for instance, it should be worded more specifically, with a concrete exclusion for ‘backyard farms’, ‘local farms’, ‘farm-to-consumer direct sales’, and the like.

Allegations that large-scale agricultural company Monsanto might be somewhere behind this does not make it sound more benign. However, Monsanto claims that it has 'no position' on the bill.

We all want safe and healthy food – but we need to be sure that we don’t let something slip by that might (at some point in the future) be construed to apply to our beloved local farms. Sometimes we need to ask what COULD happen if a bill passes, rather than what WILL CERTAINLY happen. True, H.R. 875 does not say ‘local and personal farms will be illegal’, but is it clear enough to protect us if someone tried to interpret it that way?

To find out more, go to govtrack and search for H.R. 875. Also take some time to read what others are saying. You can read read Sponsor Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)'s 'myths and facts' about HR 875. Huffington Post has a great, relatively unbiased article. Slow Food's blog on the issue link also spells out some truths about what’s really going on.

Remember to take what you read with a grain of salt – and make sure to remember that Bills can sometimes empower agencies to do things that the Bill itself does not explicitly mention. Do your own research, see what you think, and then contact your representatives with your opinion. They should know what you think and vote accordingly - That’s what you pay them for!

Don't Burn the Pig

MattFrancis — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 19:48:31 +0000

When I read a post few days ago on Dave Matthews' Twitter about how he had just read a CNN article regarding “a deadly strain of swine flu,” it was the first I heard of the disease. I immediately began scanning different news sites to find out more. For about four days now, swine flu has been atop Twitter’s most frequented topics, and more and more cases of the virus have popped up in certain areas of the U.S. (New York, California, Texas, Ohio and Kansas). Sure, it can be deadly if not treated, but it can also be prevented just like other types of influenza.

Some feel that the country, and rest of the world for that matter, is overreacting to this outbreak citing for instance, President Barack Obama’s request of $1.5 billion from Congress to fight swine flu.

It has also been reported that authorities in Egypt have ordered the extermination of all pigs in the country in fear that the disease will spread further, although there have been no reports of the virus in the African country. DMB fans expressed their discomfort, or in some cases, facetiousness, concerning this in a forum on one of the band’s popular fan-sites, antsmarching.org saying things like bacon will be cheaper, or as one poster put it "I wouldn't have to be ethnocentric if other countries weren't so stupid." But the question remains: is this pandemic a serious issue, or is the media just blowing it out of proportion? Only time will tell…but until then, please wash your hands.

Lefty Supreme Court Official May Say "Adios"

Dana — Fri, 01 May 2009 18:18:22 +0000

Though officially unconfirmed, it seems likely that Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter will retire at the end of June. This provides the first opening on the Supreme Court for President Obama to fill. Though appointed by former President Bush, a moderate Souter moved further and further left as his term continued. There is talk of Obama appointing a liberal woman as Souter's replacement, as the only woman on the bench right now is 76 year old Ruth Bader Ginsurg.

A liberal appointee would not change the general make up of the court, though Souter was known for recognizing and strongly considering the opinion of opposing views. As reported by wtopnews.com, "Obama's own record and rhetoric make clear that he will seek left-wing judicial activists who will indulge their passions, not justices who will make their rulings with dispassion."

Reports say Souter has never been shy about his hatred for Washington, citing his current situation as, "The best job in the worst city," and is finally acting on it. The President is waiting for an official confirmation before commenting.

Guilt-Free, Free Music

Dana — Fri, 01 May 2009 17:56:16 +0000

Wilco has released a cover of Woody Guthrie's "The Jolly Banker" for download on their website. While you can download it for free (with the stipulation that you will "make it up" to them later) there is a suggested $2 donation with every download that goes to The Woody Guthrie Foundation, a foundation devoted to the peservation and perpetuation of the life and legacy of Woody Guthrie. Also, since the song lyrics are strangely reminiscent of present banking issues, there is a download option that reads: "I am/was a banker/hedge fund manager/credit default swap trader. I know times are tough, but I'm just fine thank you. (Suggested minimum donation $100)."

In other free, though notably less interesting music news, Coldplay is giving away a new, live album to every fan who attends one of their concerts and is providing it free for download online starting May 15, the opening night of their tour.

It is OK to Disconnect

Dana — Mon, 04 May 2009 18:57:48 +0000

RepMan, Peppercom PR co-founder Steve Cody's "take on the importance of a good reputation in a world gone mad", had a guest blogger a few days ago. Ted Birkhahn began questioning the effects of Web 2.0 on live music, specifically the jam band scene. He relayed a story about the latest Dead show he went to and how the magic was ruined by a friend next to him, calling out the set seconds before the songs even started, thanks to a Twittering buddy backstage with access to the set list. Birkhahn goes on in his post to suggest the injustice performed by Twitter, the violation "of the sanctity that a band shares with its fans." He felt robbed of his live music experience and began to doubt the power and future of live music with the prevalence of Web 2.0.

My response to this whiner is simple: You have a choice in the matter and at this point, we all need to learn to just put down the communication devices and enjoy who and what we are with. It is like that Dentyne campaign. So, tell your buddy to stop twittering, put down his phone and enjoy the experience. Disconnect for the sake of connecting, please.

Relix Alive and Kickin'

Andy — Mon, 04 May 2009 20:30:45 +0000

We're pleased to help spread the word that Relix magazine is entering a new era, as reported today on Folio.com, the leading magazine industry news site.

When rumors started flying around a few months ago that Relix might cease publication, we couldn't really believe it. Emotionally, it didn't make sense. How could there be a live music scene without Relix? And logically, we knew that whatever the woes of print media may be, there is too much talent and passion under that masthead for a solution not to be found.

OK, we're a little biased here. These are like, our friends and family. Our very first supporters and our most loyal ones. They did a whole feature story on HeadCount. We always have a booth next to them at festivals. They help us run events. They donate ad space. They helped put HeadCount on the map.

But all that aside, we can say we truly believe that Relix is absolutely vital to our community and serves a very important function.

Therefore, we are delighted to share the news that HeadCount board member Peter Shapiro has taken over as publisher, and the magazine has been revitalized by new financing and a complete restructuring without missing an issue.

The redesigned June issue features Phish on the cover. So Phish may have had to take a few years to get their act together. Relix didn't miss a beat.

Dave Matthews raises awareness on Sri Lanka

SteveCorson — Tue, 05 May 2009 16:30:25 +0000

Last week Dave Matthews took to twitter to raise awareness of the humanitarian crises in Sri Lanka. "Let's see if Sri Lanka will end combat operations," he Tweeted. "What a nightmare. If y'all don't know what's happening in Sri Lanka look it up."

We took Dave up on his call and put together a brief summation of the situation, with links to respected news sources and human rights groups. We encourage everyone in the DMB and HeadCount community to learn what they can and take action.

Sri Lanka is a small island situated off of India's southeastern coast. It has been involved in a civil war with a separatist group known as the Tamil Tigers since 1983. Many believe that the war is in its final days and as the conflict moves closer to a conclusion, the situation on the ground has intensified. Throughout the years of on and off fighting, the Tamil Tigers have built a reputation for brutality, however, both sides have been accused of engaging in abduction and the use of child soldiers. Most recently, government forces have taken actions that have been alarmingly severe.

Right now, government forces have the Tamil Tigers pinned to the north eastern corner of the island and it is estimated that over the course of the last few months, as many as 250,000 civilians have been held hostage and used as human shields. Shortages of food, water and medicine are exasperating the situation and tens of thousands of civilians may perish. More recently, as many as 115,000 civilians have fled the Tamil strongholds, as documented in this BBC video. Government forces appear poised to fight until they can obtain an unconditional surrender from the Tamil Tigers.

The Government of Sri Lanka has resisted calls from the United Nations and others to allow humanitarian assessment teams onto the island, making it extremely difficult for anyone to have a full understanding of the consequences borne from recent fighting. Here in the U.S., many American's including members of Congress, are largely unaware of the recent human rights atrocities that have been taking place. One thing that you can do is contact your elected officials through the advocacy organization People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (Pearl).

Celebrities Make the Best Politicians (?)

Dana — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:50:34 +0000

There was a time when becoming a publicly elected official in the United States required some sort of experience, or at least accredited capabillities as determined by a vouch from a higher ranking official or masters degree. We required some sort of confidence in our candidates engendered by more than charisma and recognition based trust. It seems this is no longer a defintive requirement. While we are still quick to require more extensive and veritable experience in a national candidate's qualifications than two years as Governor of Alaska, Minnesota put their trust in a former wrestler to rule the state and Californians elected an Austrian born Governor best known for trying to eliminate the human race as a cyborg assassin. This is not to say that these men have not been respectable representations of their states, but there is a clear theme in democratic voting. It is not a coincidence that the Obama election campaign is now being used as a case study on millennial marketing. The upcoming generation of voters responds to this kind of messaging because viral marketing is all they know. And this is not just in the US.

In India, the world's largest democratic nation, the public must elect their Parliamentary representatives tomorrow. In a few states, the most relevant experience of one of the candidates, Shekhar Suman, is interviewing politicians on a late night talk show. His main opponent, Shatrughan Sinha, has served two terms in the appointed upper house of Parliament, but draws a crowd more excited, "to see [a movie star] up close" than listen to him speak about the many issues facing the growing population. While attendance to rallies has not yet translated to marking ballots, this trend in faith of the familiar is still on an upswing internationally.

Sometimes these leaps of faith workout. While Jesse Ventura held office for only one term, Schwarzenegger experienced some favorable successes during his first term and, despite political backlash, was re-elected for a second. Just because people begin as celebrities does not mean they will be poor politicians or do not care about important issues. However, just because they are the most familiar face on the ballot does not mean we should trust them. Sometimes the goal of a celebrity candidate is as simple as superficial personal advancement or a fun little endeavor. Mr. Sinha said it best on the campaign trail: "Glamour has limited power, whereas power has unlimited glamour." Then again, sometimes the goal of a purely political candidate is just as simple.

It wil be interesting to see who the Indians decide to trust and who turns out to voice their opinion.

M.I.A, Oprah and Sri Lanka

Dana — Fri, 08 May 2009 20:47:21 +0000

A few days ago, we reported on Dave Mathhews and his twittering for a cause: Awareness for Sri Lanka. It seems he is not the only musician worried about the brutal situation.

On Tuesday, M.I.A attended the "Time 100" honorary dinner, as she was included in their list of 100 Most Influential People of 2009 (it actually lists 107 people). I'm not quite sure how you can already have this list compiled, as it is barely May, but ok. Nonetheless, M.I.A was honored and rubbed elbows with some very interesting people, including Stella McCartney, journalist Tavis Smiley (whom she commended for his honest and in-depth reporting on the situation in Sri Lanka) and Oprah. The last of this list was obviously the most exciting for M.I.A.

This was all reported on M.I.A's MySpace. At the end of her post, she links to a video of camps in Sri Lanka and reaches out to Oprah, asking if she can "DO SOMETHING PLEEEEEEEEEEASE?" If anyone can actually save the world, I guess its Oprah.

Anastasio Lobbies for Drug Courts

Dana — Fri, 08 May 2009 20:47:04 +0000

Trey Anastasio was on Capitol Hill this week lobbying for Drug Court funding. He told his own story, recalling how he had hit rock-bottom and, "that the police officer who stopped me at 3 am that morning really saved my life." Because of that officer, Anastasio spent 14 months in the Drug Court system, and has nothing but good things to say about the effectiveness of the programming.

According to the Huffington Post, 75% of Drug Court graduates stay out of jail for at least two years after their release. This is in contrast to the prison system where 60%-80% of convicts commit a new crime, often drug related, upon release. Anastasio said that, from his weekend stay behind bars, "...there was rampant drug use," and most of the people there blamed the system for their faults instead of taking responsibility for their own actions.

President Obama seems to be getting behind this trend of treating drug addiction as an illness instead of a crime. The 2009 budget tripled drug court funding to $64 million with proposals even higher for 2010. As reforms are made in the American healthcare structure, this will be a topic included in Congressional discussions, from both Democrats and Republicans alike.

Yusuf Islam (Formerly Known as Cat Stevens) Hitting the Late Night Circuit

Max Bernstein — Mon, 11 May 2009 19:19:09 +0000

When Yusuf Islam, known to many as Cat Stevens (his given name is actually Steven Demetre Georgiou, but he changed his name after a conversion to Islam in 1979) will be making the rounds on television this week. For the first time in ages, it will be because of his music.

Islam will be performing Wednesday on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Friday on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, in support of his new album Roadsinger. A pop album that harkens back to classic Cat Stevens work like Matthew and Son and Tea for the Tillerman, the new disc is being heralded as a return to form.

Many say that it’s been quite some time since Yusuf has been in “form,” but he’s been no stranger to the media these past few years, usually resulting of being on the receiving end of anti-Muslim paranoia. In 2004, his flight from London to Washington (where he was to meet with Dolly Parton) was diverted to Maine due to Islam being on a no-fly list. He was subsequently deported back to the United Kingdom over suspicion of terrorist-related activities, despite having been recently given a Man of Peace award from the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates Committee. Two popular British tabloids supported his deportation and made claims that Islam had supported terrorism. He sued them both for libel and won.

Then, in 2008, another tabloid claimed that Islam did not speak to women other than his wife, which was completely untrue. He sued them and won too.

Islam was most recently in the news last week, adding his name to the long list of musicians claiming that Coldplay stole their work for their song Viva La Vida. Coldplay has denied the allegations, but given Islam’s winning ways in the courts, they should have reason to worry!

A Concert Series to Fight AIDS in Africa with O.A.R. and More

Max Bernstein — Wed, 13 May 2009 08:49:46 +0000

You're probably familiar with the (RED) brand, or at least have seen it at the Gap or at Starbucks. It's a simple business model, devised by Bono and and ONE/DATA founder Bobby Shriver where products people already buy are turned "(RED)", and when someone buys a (RED) version of that product, a portion of it goes to provide medicine for people with AIDS in Africa. The model has been both praised and derided for making philanthropy cold and numerical. Having raised over $130 million for The Global Fund via sales of iPods, Dell Computers, clothing from The Gap and more, the cold, numerical model that appeals to the self-interest of consumers as much as their good will, seems to be working.

Today, (RED) announced their newest "product", (RED)NIGHTS, a concert series where ticket sales follow the (RED) model. There will be 26 shows – artists announced so far include O.A.R., Santigold, Gomez and more.

O.A.R.'s Marc Roberge had this to say about turning an O.A.R. show (RED): "If bringing awareness to what (RED) is doing helps one person receive antiretroviral treatment and live a healthy life we have accomplished our goal."

Whether it brings awareness or not, the concerts will bring something better: medicine. $13 can provide one person with a month's worth of medicine. 26 concerts will generate a lot of those months for a lot of people.

Wilco Streams new Album

Sebastian — Wed, 13 May 2009 16:52:58 +0000

One of our favorite HeadCount partner bands, Wilco, has a new album creatively titled "Wilco (The Album)" due out on June 30th. For those of you who can't wait, the band is streaming the entire album on their website right now. Enjoy, and you should probably save that album art as your computer wallpaper and blow it up and frame it because it is awesome.

Music City Council

Max Bernstein — Wed, 13 May 2009 20:27:34 +0000

Be forewarned, aspiring young pedal-steel virtuoso with your sights set on the the Nashville skyline -- you just might end up becoming a politician. Well, not quite... but the Nashville Mayor Karl Dean has tapped Emmylou Harris, Kix Brooks and Jack White (the Michigan native with a million bands has lived in Nashville for years) to join Nashville's Music Business Council, designed to help the city maintain both the reputation and tax base it enjoys as a result of being the epicenter of the country music world. The council, a 46-member body consisting of people from all parts of the music industry (musicians, managers, producers, even an owner of a tour bus company) is working on a host of programs to make Nashville continue to attract and accommodate creative people. A songwriters' hostel, a new amphitheater, and the creation of a new non-country music festival are all on the table. Presumably, tax incentives for creative endeavors, common in places like Los Angeles and Vancouver, BC, will be as well. Music is the necessary ingredient to Nashville's allure, as anyone who's been there for more than fifteen minutes can attest to. It's great that they have a mayor who recognize that it's equally necessary to its fiscal health, and is making bold moves to preserve both. Props!

Too Big to Fail, Round 2?

Max Bernstein — Thu, 14 May 2009 17:51:55 +0000

The looming behemoth that is the Ticketmaster/Live Nation merger just got one step closer. Over half of Ticketmaster's lenders have approved the deal, and despite much protest over antitrust concerns, a Justice Department investigation into the merger and millions of concertgoers who have learned to shake their head at anything that would make the ticketing giant any more giant, the deal is expected to go through.

While Ticketmaster is a part of modern life for people of any age, those of us born in the late-seventies and early eighties have a special relationship with Ticketmaster, which was founded in 1978. When we came of age, it did too. When our teenhoods were survived only by the grace of Phish, Nirvana, Dave Matthews Band, or any of the other acts that sprang up on the nineties, Ticketmaster survived its own adolescence with our service fees of a dollar. Then two. Then three plus convenience fees and building facility charges (we thought life was getting more complicated as we got older -- really, it was just Ticketmaster.) We remember Pearl Jam and String Cheese Incident trying to take them down a couple notches. Short story long, we remember a world before Ticketmaster, but barely. We certainly remember it turned 30, but thought it was 40 and started crashing all those Porsches and dating its shrink.

Or buying the prime seats to all Bruce Springsteen shows and automatically directing fans to a website for the reseller which they in fact own. Engaging in a semi-scam that that was basically Neil Diamond knowingly scalping tickets to his own concerts through that same website (Note: in a peculiar instance of questionable journalism, the Wall Street Journal article that broke this story mentions the fact that Ticketmaster CEO Irving Azoff is Diamond's manager in the TENTH paragraph. And you say blogs are killing the newspaper industry? But I digress. Where was I? Oh yeah, Ticketmaster...) Like selling too many tickets through secondary websites to Springsteen's DC show next week and having to refund customers' money or give them worse seats since they sold them tickets they couldn't actually provide.

Stepping back from this a second, we just bailed out the banks because they were "too big to fail". They got that way through a series of megamergers, swallowing up smaller competitors, and the addition of interest payments and fees on their customers that at the very least caused some eyes to open particularly wide. Ticketmaster? Check, check and check. In the wake of the bailouts, many understandably mentioned that if something is too big to fail, it might make sense to do some things to not let it get so big.

This impending merger with Live Nation, the largest concert promoter in the world, will of course make the new company an even more powerful force for music fans to both fund and reckon with, and might be exactly the kind of institution that requires a good gut check, short-term memory recall, and some input from live music fans who have dealt with Ticketmaster more than the folks in the DoJ antitrust division. Ticketmaster/Live Nation may or may not be too big to fail, but that doesn't mean it's not going to be too big anyway.

Pay For What You Get

MattFrancis — Thu, 14 May 2009 22:23:19 +0000

With the ever-decreasing success of physical record sales and the onslaught of digital free-bees and bonus material for many artists’ new releases, marketing departments are stretching the proverbial limit nowadays. Even huge artists with worldwide exposure like U2 and Dave Matthews Band are experimenting with new ways to promote new albums in a dynamic marketplace and are digging deep into promotional brainstorming. The release of DMB’s Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King is just a few weeks away, and several recent announcements have been made surrounding the promotion of the new record including television appearances, bonus materials and different formats for release. The New York Times highlighted the myriad of choices DMB fans have to order Big Whiskey. Pre-orders, iTunes passes, vinyl copies, t-shirts, original art lithographs by Dave Matthews himself, and a benefit concert at Manhattan’s Beacon Theatre on the eve of the release (June 1) to be broadcast live on FUSE will ice the cake. The most expensive of packages, the super-deluxe box set t-shirt bundle (13 Big Whiskey tracks + extra tracks, DVD, photo book, lithographs featuring artwork by Dave Matthews and a copy of Live Trax Vol. 15: Alpine Valley), rings up at around $75. But if you want the vinyl copy, you’d have to buy that separate for about $18. There’s really no one package that includes everything which may have been a well-thought-out strategy to make a few extra dollars. Can fans really afford all of this on top of whatever they might have paid for summer tour tickets? What happened to the $10 CD? Well those days are long gone, and formats will continue to change as technology evolves and marketing masterminds think of new ways to rake in the dough.

Agriculture Blog War: Perfect vs. Good

Max Bernstein — Fri, 15 May 2009 20:46:21 +0000

The words "battle" and "organics" aren't usually keeping one another company in a sentence, but there is a battle over organics brewing over at Huffington Post.

Two food/ag/blog heavy hitters, Chelsa Green's Makenna Goodman and Stonyfield Farm CE-Yo Gary Hirshberg are engaged in a blog vs. blog about the organic movement. On one side, we have Goodman, a Vermont farmer and writer claiming that the organic food movement is a half-lie where producers adhere to a set of feed standards to be certified organic, but ignore every other aspect of ethical and sustainable farming. Then we have Hirshberg, the yogurt maker who is New Hampshire's largest private employer, saying that this is all making the perfect the enemy of the good, and focusing on disingenuous organic producers ignores the real problem: the other 97% of the food industry that laughs at New Englanders like Hirshberg and Goodman with every bank deposit of cornfed cash.

Here's Goodman:

"Organic may, in fact, be little more than a sweet notion and marketing campaign that rests easy the hearts of the eco-conscious consumer. Organic, in other words, is not always the right choice. Sorry, but it's true. In fact, if all of us knew exactly what "organic" means and the other available alternatives (fast corporate food never being one of them), it is possible we could actually save money and be better informed about the food we're putting into our bodies.

Hirshberg, one of the first to become hugely successful via organics, argues that this focusing on a minor part of the problem and ignoring the real enemy:

"Much like the person who frets over which china to use while the house is on fire, you take organic-- which accounts for 2-3% of food sales-- to task while ignoring the rest of our food system. Organic consumers have certainly not been robbed. On the contrary, they're reaping the documented and well-researched benefits of choosing organic, both in terms of their own health and the health of the planet."

If you fail to see why Hirshberg's and Goodman's arguments are mutually exclusive, you're not alone. Can't we all just get along?

Can Artists and Readers Help PASTE Stick It Out?

Max Bernstein — Fri, 15 May 2009 22:49:45 +0000

Print media is engaged in the fight of its life, having already suffered major casualties like the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and Rocky Mountain News. Unfortunately for music fans, venerable alt-rock monthly Paste may be next. Advertisers have tightened their belts, and in turn Paste has tightened theirs, instituting salary cuts across the board, elimination of all non-essential travel, and a creative new "pay-what-you-want" subscription model. Still, a cash shortage is requiring the mag to call on readers for help. They sent this plea to their readers earlier in the week:

As the global recession has continued, many of you have written us (especially as ad pages shrunk) to say, "If you ever need help, let us know." That day has come. Today, we are launching the "Campaign to Save Paste" to raise money to keep Paste coming to your mailboxes and computer screens. If you are in a position to give even a little, please consider donating. As thanks for your generosity, over 70 amazing artists (including The Decemberists, Neko Case, Bob Mould, Cowboy Junkies, Indigo Girls, The Jayhawks, Brandi Carlile, John Roderick of The Long Winters, Patterson Hood, The Avett Brothers and Josh Ritter - with more to come) have gathered and donated rare & exclusive MP3s for all who join us in the campaign.

If you'd like to help give Paste a boost so that they can continue to do the same for up-and-coming alternative artists, as they have done since 2002, please click here.

Walk a Mile in No Shoes: DMB and TOMS Pair Up for Summer Vagabond Tour

Debra DeSalvo — Mon, 18 May 2009 19:10:09 +0000

The Dave Matthews Band is headlining the TOMS Shoes Vagabond Tour 2009 to help meet the company’s goal of giving away 300,000 pairs of shoes in 2009. As TOMS founder and Chief Shoe Giver Blake Mycoskie wrote on his blog, “It’s so neat to have one of the most influential, progressive, forward-thinking, change-making bands in American culture supporting the TOMS One for One mission. It’s just amazing. We hope to soon see millions of Dave Matthews Band fans sporting TOMS and becoming part of this movement with us!”

Many children growing up in poor regions have no shoes. As a result they’re exposed to the leading cause of disease in developing countries—soil-dwelling parasites that slip into the body through cuts or sores on the feet. Wearing shoes can prevent this and reduce the risk of amputation and death. Children without shoes also don’t get to school, since most schools require them. A child without shoes is a child whose world is a lot smaller and more dangerous than it should be.

Enter TOMS Shoes, which has given away over 140,000 of its hip little canvas shoes since Mycoskie founded the company in 2006 after befriending some children in Argentina and realizing they had no shoes. The TOMS business model is simple—for every pair of shoes a customer buys, TOMS gives away a pair to a child who needs them.

Mycoskie told Business Week in January: "My thinking was that TOMS would show that entrepreneurs no longer had to choose between earning money or making a difference in the world. I wanted to prove that conscious capitalism is a viable business model for innovators worldwide, and entrepreneurs can focus on being ambassadors of humanity.” What do you think?

Click here for the tour schedule. DMB will be selling special TOMS toward the end of the tour. Check the TOMS blog for more details.

Debra is the lead singer/guitarist for Devi, “a ferocious guitar-driven power trio equally adept at sprawling psychedelic jams and terse, haunting three-minute rockers." (Lucid Culture)

Summer Starts with Summercamp

Max Bernstein — Mon, 18 May 2009 22:45:23 +0000

The festival season officially kicks off, as it does every year, with the annual moe. and Umphrey's mecca that is the Summercamp Festival. Tiny Chillicothe, IL (population: 6,000) will double in size for the weekend as moe., Umphrey's McGee, Les Claypool and the illustrious Willie Nelson bring some of that downhome, grassroots spirit that have made Summercamp one of the most popular, enduring and truly authentic small festivals on the circuit. You can check out the full lineup here.

Though you could probably spend all three days watching sets and doing little else, Summercamp has always made a concerted effort to make its nonprofit/greening activity a central part of the experience.

HeadCount, of course, will be on hand registering voters and asking people "What's Your Issue?" Stop by our booth if you are attending. We'll also be hosting moe. guitarist and HeadCount board member Al Schnier for a little Q&A and acoustic set at the "Soulshine Tent" on Sat, May 23rd at 2:30 PM.

We certainly won't be alone in trying to bring some added consciousness to Summercamp.

Green Energy Team, an organization rooted in simple, ingenious invention, will be displaying their solar powered air and water heaters made from old soda cans, and showing you how to make them too. The group donates devices to needy families who can't afford air and water heating. If you think taking aim at global poverty, the need for recycling and our overreliance on unclean energy sources with one simple creation is ambitious, you're right. That's why it's worth seeing for yourselves what these guys are doing and how you can help.

Also, The Bloom Biodiesel Bus, a bus that runs on biodiesel made by high school students in Chicago Heights, will be parked at the festival, and the students will be demonstrating how to convert used vegetable oil into fuel that works in any diesel engine.

"[Summercamp] is a wonderplace to get the word out, and a really great way to get the names and missions of these organizations into someone's head," says Vanessa Robinson, the organizer of the nonprofit and greening initiatives at Summercamp 2009. "It's important for people who are going to this festival to try to learn a new idea."

For more: www.summercampfestival.com

Is Napster Making A Comeback? Would Anybody Notice?

Seth Fiegerman — Wed, 20 May 2009 01:10:13 +0000

When is the last time you even thought about Napster? Or Kazaa, Morpheus and Audiogalaxy for that matter. Today, these names just seem like irrelevant gibberish. However, Napster has been waging a long, slow comeback fight, culminating with next month that they are introducing a new pricing model and unlimited music streaming.

Customers now have the option to pay $5 a month and get five downloads, plus you can listen to as much streamed music as your heart desires for that time. A few months ago, this plan might have sounded ridiculous. Who wants to just listen to streamed music online when you can download it for free on thePirateBay.org or buy it cheaply on iTunes and take the songs with you anywhere?

Yet, given that the creators of thePirateBay are struggling to appeal a guilty verdict in court and that iTunes has raised prices for many of their more popular songs, maybe now is, strangely, the perfect time for Napster to become relevant again.

So, Metallica and Dr. Dre, if you're reading this, get ready. Your archenemy is back.

Seats Open in Smashing Pumpkins, Supreme Court

Max Bernstein — Wed, 20 May 2009 01:41:10 +0000

They've both lost key members. It's up to two of Chicago's finest to replace them. Nearly everyone with an opinion and an internet connection has an idea of who the replacement should be. Yes, the Supreme Court and the Smashing Pumpkins have a lot in common right now. On the heels of Billy Corgan's announcement that longtime Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlain, provider of the steady backbeat to such classics as "Cherub Rock" and "Bullet With Butterfly Wings" was leaving the band, news broke that David Souter, whose steady, centrist hand was the driving force behind early-nineties landmarks like Planned Parenthood v. Casey and Lee v. Weisman would be leaving the Supreme Court. All right, I've taken this joke about as far as I can take it, but both of these events are pretty huge deals if you're into 90's alternative rock or the third branch of government. I remember when David Souter was nominated to the Supreme Court by Bush 41 in 1990, when I was ten years old. Many on both sides were certain that the quiet patrician from New Hampshire would quietly stick a fork in Roe vs. Wade. My mother, actively pro-choice to say the least, wrote a limerick about Souter to share at an event opposing his nomination, and all I remember is that it rhymed his name with "neuter" - I think that was also the occasion where I learned the meaning of the word. Her concern proved unfounded, as Souter ruled with the majority against any slashing of Roe v. Wade when he joined the majority in Casey, dealing abortion opponents a bitter disappointment similar to the one felt by Smashing Pumpkins fans while hearing their misguided 2000 release Machina/Machines of God for the first time. Suggestions abound for who should fill each seat. Safe consensus choices like Illinois favorite son Dax Nielsen and Circuit Judge Sonia Sotomayor? Some say the best move is to please the base: former System of a Down drummer John Dolmayan and Chicago labor lawyer/movement progressive Tom Geoghegan would be "red meat" for hard rock nerds and left-leaning Dems. There's also a rumor of 19 year old Mike Byrne being Chamberlain's replacement, but some worry this may be Corgan's Harriet Miers moment. All we can say with certainty is that the chatter will tap on endlessly until the moment these two seats are filled.

Monkey See Monkey Do

eric — Wed, 20 May 2009 09:24:43 +0000

Since I found out I would be working for HeadCount, a number of people have asked me precisely what Headcount “stands for.” Like any self-respecting graduate student, I cite text written by others, in this case our mission statement: “HeadCount is a nonpartisan, non-profit organization dedicated to voter registration and inspiring participation in democracy through the power of music.”

Some people seem skeptical of any reference to a “power of music.” Ontologically, does it exist, and epistemologically, if it does exist, how can anyone be sure of what precisely it is? They cast a malady of cynicism upon the legitimacy of HeadCount’s battle cry: “Dude, do you mean the power of love? Have you heard ‘the news?’ - you suck and so does Huey Lewis.” And to those persons I say, “Shenanigans my good sir. Any band that’s sold 30 million records worldwide is certainly, to use the parlance of our Wu Tang brethren, 'nothing to [procreate] with.' And that’s entirely besides the point.”

An amateur anthropologist of sorts, my thoughts instantly turned to the field of primatology. The theoretical conception of Volker Sommer and other primatologist researchers rests upon the notion that, although the idea may seem abhorrent to some, humans are inherently alike our primate brothers on the evolutionary tree. Apart from pointing to Darwinian phenotypic and Mendelian genotypic traits, Sommer in particular believes that no human behavior is immune from this connection. Perhaps most controversially, Sommer classifies the high degree of violence and sexual assaults committed against children by stepfathers as arising from the same lack of parental investment innately acted upon by male primates in committing sexually selective infanticide. Regardless of how one feels about this hypothesis, few would dispute that researching our closest genetic matches is a worthwhile endeavor with an eye towards a greater grasp of human behavioral science.

In my quest to understand the “power of music,” I delved further into this underlying notion of the innate anthropomorphism of humanity. (Does this help to explain why Disney sells so many plush play-pals?) I was immediately drawn to Desmond Morris’ 1967 opus, "The Naked Ape." In the chapter entitled “Rearing,” Morris analyzes maternal behavior:

. . . 83 per cent of right-handed mothers hold the baby on the left side, but then so do 78 per cent of left-handed mothers . . . the heart is on the left side of the mother’s body…Groups of new-born babies in a hospital nursery were exposed for a considerable time to the recorded sound of a heart-beat at a standard rate of 72 beats per minute. There were nine babies in each group and it was found that one or more of them was crying for 60 per cent of the time when the sound was not switched on, but that this figure fell to only 38 per cent when the heart-beat recording was thumping away . . . Another test was done with slightly older infants at bedtime. In some groups the room was silent, in others recorded lullabies were played. In others a ticking metronome was operating at the heart-beat speed of 72 beats per minute. In still others the heart-beat recording itself was played. The heart-beat group [fell asleep] in half the time it took for any of the other groups . . . the sound of the heart beating is a powerfully calming stimulus . . . a highly specific one.

Morris culminates the argument by bringing us full-circle. Although his assessment of popular music is pretty antiquated ("Far out! The heart is a giant metaphor for microcosm man."), it’s still revelatory with regards to the notion of imprinted dominion and sovereignty:

It may . . . explain why we insist on locating feelings of love in the heart rather than the head . . . It may also explain why mothers rock their babies to lull them to sleep . . . at about the same speed as the heart-beat . . . Nor does it stop there. Right into adult life the phenomenon seems to stay with us. We rock with anguish. We rock back and forth on our feet when we are in a state of conflict . . . Wherever you find insecurity, you are liable to find the comforting heart-beat rhythm in one kind of disguise or another. It is no accident that most folk music and dancing has a syncopated rhythm . . . It is no accident that teenage music has been called ‘rock music’ . . . it is now called ‘beat music’. And what are they singing about?: ‘My heart is broken’, ‘You gave your heart to another’, or ‘My heart belongs to you’.

I dare those who say we should give up on the power of music to stop tapping their feet long enough to make me. I’m no EMT, but I feel the beat, don't you?

Eat for the Environment

MargaretHiden — Wed, 20 May 2009 23:31:06 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, I was treating myself to sushi with some friends and I also happened to be on one of my “trying-not-to-eat-meat” streaks. There was an item on the menu that I was unfamiliar with, so I asked if it was MEAT?! Who knows!? I don’t read Japanese and am not the most poised sushi eater, so for all I knew it could have been some kind of crazy fruit, special sauce or meat – well, what I consider meat to be at least. The answer I got was shocking to me and it lead to quite the debate over a good portion of dinner. Let me just preface this with the fact that I am thinking, if it’s sushi and there is meat involved, it’s going to be fish! To my surprise, everyone at the table answered, “No, no meat. It’s fish.” After the argument of whether or not fish is meat was well on the table, another friend said, “I guess they do have eyeballs.” To be having this conversation, to me, was completely insane.

Though, I did come to find out that regardless of whether or not one considers fish to be meat, there has been a debate regarding pain felt by fish and shellfish. In fact, Science Daily recently reported on a study done at Purdue University regarding pain felt by fish. Again, something to me that seems so obvious it’s hard for me to believe there is even discussion on the topic!

How you choose to eat, meat or not, is a personal decision whether it be for your health or some deep-seeded ethical belief. However, there is something else to consider when thinking about what you put into your body. Recent studies have shown that how and what you eat clearly have an impact on the planet. The food production industry, including livestock, has significantly contributed to the global warming epidemic we find ourselves in. Vegan Society offers up information regarding the correlation on what we eat and how it affects the environment. Get healthy while helping the environment. Go to the source!

Of course, making the shift from carnivore to vegetarianism, veganism or well…pescatarianism is a big change that will probably need easing into. There are some other interesting and alternative ways to make the changeover if you are just starting to think about the change and don’t want to dive-in head first. NPR's article released on earth day has some great ideas on how to do this and also includes some interesting earth-friendly recipes. Good luck!

The Real American Idol

Seth Fiegerman — Thu, 21 May 2009 18:42:46 +0000

Well, it’s the day after the season finale of American Idol and Kris Somebody is the winner. Good for him. But if you’re like me, being semi-conscious in America the morning after an American Idol finale is a lot like living through the day after the Super Bowl when all you care about is checking cricket scores. Impossibly frustrating. I love music but I hate the celebrity and drama that surrounds it on the show.

No one can say for sure what the future of this most recent American Idol will be, or whether he will do something significant to merit that audacious title, but we can now look back at the birth of a true idol. Christie’s announced today that it is auctioning off one of the earliest known poems by Bob Dylan, written when he was just 16 years old at summer camp.

The poem, titled “Little Buddy,” is credited to Bobby Zimmerman and tells the sad tale of a boy’s dog that gets beaten to death by an angry drunk. "He was such a lovely doggy/ And to me he was such fun/ But today as we played by the way/ A drunken man got mad at him/ Because he barked in joy/ He beat him and he's dying here today."

Even Zimmerman’s work couldn’t escape charges that he lifted words from someone else, charges that still plague some of Dylan’s later songs. This time, he adapted the lyrics of an old Hank Snow song. In any case, the lyrics aren’t exactly as complex and nuanced as With God is On Our Side, although the lyrics to that song are also being auctioned off at Christies.

Maybe the lesson here is that the best musicians are the ones that come out of humble beginnings rather than the glitz and glam of a TV contest broadcast live to a hundred million people.

The Awareness Village: Raising Consciousness at Mountain Jam

Max Bernstein — Fri, 22 May 2009 16:57:03 +0000

Showgoers who will be trekking up to Mountain Jam in Woodstock, NY at the end of the month might not have much time to take a break from a genre-hopping aural excursion with hosts Gov't Mule, Umphrey's McGee, the Allmans, hometown heroes Coheed and Cambria, The Hold Steady, Richie Havens and more. If they do, Melissa Eppard from Woodstock Wellness is ready to raise some consciousness in the Awareness Village.

The Awareness Village is a community for people to get spiritually and politically active, whether through crystal healing sessions with Micah (a healer traveling from Arkansas), photos and analysis of their energetic fields at the Aura'bout You booth, or by taking Headcount's "What's Your Issue?" survey.

Melissa Eppard, who directs the Awareness Village, sees the project as a means for people to slow down through spiritual growth, and to increase their focus on community by getting involved with organizations promoting sustainability and environmental health: "We're coming to the end of an age. Humanity's been growing at a very fast page and we can't continue to grow at this rate without reassessing the direction we're going. Sustainability is an absolute necessity -- we can't just keep using the amount of resources that we are, and must focus on how we can be responsible for ourselves on a local level."

If that sounds a little too relaxing, don't worry. There are belly-dancing performances -- with snakes. And lessons too. Naturally, I asked if the snakes were part of the lessons because that seemed a little advanced, but she reassured me that those are for the performances only.

HeadCount is cosponsoring an acoustic stage in the Awareness Village that will have smaller, more intimate sets by Mountain Jam performers, among them John Medeski and Melissa's personal favorite, Michael Franti.

"Michael Franti is someone who really walks his talk. Last year when Michael came out and played the Awareness Village, he talked about his experience playing in Iraq for soldiers. Everyone around him had tears in their eyes. It made me think 'This is why I'm doing this.'"

Mountain Jam runs from May 29th to May 31st. You can find out more about the Awareness Village here.

Dave Matthews Band Blitz

MattFrancis — Fri, 22 May 2009 20:42:07 +0000

The buzz about Dave Matthews Band’s new album, Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, is overwhelming and if you poke around on the Internet enough, you’ll come to find out that a few songs from the upcoming record have leaked—it was inevitable. But according to Dave’s Twitter, the bandleader thinks “the leaks may have been part of a grand plan of which I had no part.”

By now, most DMB fans know about the band’s exclusive invite-only for fan club members show on June 1 at the Beacon Theater in New York City. Unless you are a member of the band’s fan club (the Warehouse), you’re most likely not getting in, and even if you did get an invite from the club, you’d have to be lucky enough to get your ticket request confirmed via random selection. With only about 3,000 seats in the room, a very select few will have that opportunity.

For the less fortunate fans that would love to go to the show, but cannot attend for one reason or another, there are several alternative options. The concert is going to be broadcast live across the country on the FUSE (also giving away 4 tickets to the show) cable television network as part of a week’s worth of DMB coverage on the channel surrounding the release of Big Whiskey.

It was also recently announced that popular television website, Hulu.com, will have a live stream of the concert so those who don’t get FUSE will be able to see the show. This will mark the first ever concert stream on the site.

And if you can’t make it to the show, don’t get FUSE, and can’t be parked in front of your computer at 9 p.m. Eastern on June 1 to watch the stream, there is still hope—the concert will still be available to watch on Hulu.com after it is over. Phew!

Radical Yogi: Astanga Master Teacher Sri K. Pattabhi Jois

Debra DeSalvo — Mon, 25 May 2009 17:01:29 +0000

The world lost a radical yogi with the passing of master Ashtanga yoga teacher Sri K. Pattabhi Jois on May 18, two months shy of his 94th birthday. A tree trunk of a man with a commanding presence softened by his sly sense of humor and frequent, beaming smile, Jois made a radical departure from orthodox Brahmin tradition when he accepted his first Western student in 1964. What does it mean to be radical? The word is derived from the Latin “radix,” or “root.” My yoga teacher Sharon Gannon, co-founder of Jivamukti Yoga School, likes to say, “To be radical means that you’re willing to dig to the root of an issue.” Radicals don’t just accept “what is.” They open their minds a little wider and they dig a little deeper. They take a closer look at “what is” and think about whether it should be changed. And if they come to the conclusion that it should be changed, they take action. Jois had assumed that Westerners, because they were not raised as vegetarians, would never be able to learn the strenuous physical postures of the Ashtanga system. Jois believed a vegetarian diet to be the most important practice for yoga, not only because it is in line with ahimsa (non-violence), the first precept of yoga, but because, as he put it in his straightforward, practical way: “meat eating makes you stiff.” But when he saw that the first few Westerners who made their way to his small school in southern India were willing vegetarians, he was so impressed by their own radical departure from their cultural upbringing that he agreed to teach them. Because of this one, small change in his own consciousness, Jois wound up teaching thousands of devoted students from all over the world. He kept up a relentless schedule in his school in Mysore and traveled around the world to teach for hours, even in his 80s and 90s. Ashtanga is tough, and Jois was old school. He inspired both discipline and love; barking admonishments one minute and chuckling at a student’s awkwardness the next. And he made it clear that although Ashtanga will get you into amazing physical condition, the goal of the practice is not a great body, it is enlightenment. Yogis believe to be enlightened is to live in a state of unconditional love, completely free of neurotic preoccupations and self-centered thoughts and desires. An enlightened person serves, and serves joyfully. Jesus and Buddha are the classic examples of enlightened teachers. Jois’s own teacher, Krishnamacharya, always emphasized the importance of using the spirit of yoga to enhance the lives of others. The concept of enlightenment gets bandied about a lot in yoga circles, but it’s a very rare experience to be around someone who embodies it. The first time I took class from Jois, at his annual month-long workshop in NYC, I was a bit nervous to get into the impromptu receiving line that always forms after class. Students were bowing and touching his feet and I wasn’t sure I felt comfortable doing that. But to my surprise, the moment Guruji looked at me and smiled, I felt such a rush of joy that I ran toward him like a little child to touch his feet and hug him. We shared a few words as we looked into each others' eyes and all I can say is that he was a wonderfully open, happy, wise and loving presence. (Video: Pattabhi Jois teaching in NYC at age 87) A true teacher wants his students to become independent, and eventually not need him anymore. He wants them to think for themselves, to be well-equipped to make radical decisions of their own. I’d like to think that Jois stuck around as long as he did and gave so much of himself because he wanted to make sure the Ashtanga practice was firmly rooted, not just in Mysore, but around the world. As he once said, “After my life is all finished, Yoga only will remain.” Debra is the lead singer/guitarist for Devi, “a ferocious guitar-driven power trio equally adept at sprawling psychedelic jams and terse, haunting three-minute rockers."(Lucid Culture)

New Orleans still working to find its footing in education rebuilding

ecawein — Tue, 26 May 2009 19:44:31 +0000

When it comes to the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast, we're more likely to see stories about housing, business and employment than education -- which is why we thought this story on the state of elementary and secondary education in New Orleans was so interesting. Here's the situation. As families returned to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, their children needed schools to return to, as well. The state of Louisiana had dissolved the previous New Orleans Public School system (NOPS) and fired all its teachers and staff. The way forward, they decided, was charter schools. But it turns out there weren't enough charter schools to service all the students returning to NOLA. To quickly solve the problem and get students in desks, the state developed Plan B -- they created a Recovery School District (RSD) to operate alongside the charter schools, re-opening some of the more than 100 public schools that were considered "failing" pre-Katrina. Now, nearly four years later, the lines between charter and RSD have blurred; some schools are public charters, some are charter RSDs and some are still just RSD schools. Proponents of charter schools say this autonomy of governance from one school to the next is a positive thing for the students, because it allows principals and teachers to make decisions about curriculum and other previously district-wide issues on a case-by-case basis within their own campuses. They say it's working, and they've got a number to prove it. The unfortunate thing is that this number -- 66.4, their district performance score -- is misleading. Like any average, it doesn't accurately represent the lowest performing schools. In a sad and ironic twist, it seems that just as some of the wealthiest areas of New Olreans were spared the most painful effects of the storm, while the ninth ward remains beaten and battered, wealthier schools and the students who attend them are prospering in the charter set-up while poorer schools and their students are not. Not only do the lower-performing schools have academic issues to think about, a significant portion of the student population deals with the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. As was the case with the physical destruction of Hurricane Katrina, the private sector has stepped up to the plate to help ease the burden on NOLA's schools. Though it is a little weird to think that a bunch of high schools and middle schools go by the name "Capitol One University of New Orleans Charter Network," the investment itself is an interesting concept, designed to transition a child seamlessly from kindergarten to university. Groups like the Greater New Orleans Education Foundation and Save Our Schools New Orleans offer the kinds of services other cities might get from a school board or governing body, like needs assessments, strategic plans, cost analyses and teacher improvement workshops. Head here to read the full story. For more information on the issue, here's a site listing tons of resources on education in NOLA pre-Katrina and post, as well as education statewide in Lousiana.

Hybrid to Hell

Richard Gehr — Thu, 28 May 2009 18:27:51 +0000

With everybody from the mysteriously affluent punk rocker down the block to the president of these United States driving a hybrid vehicle, it may be important to remember that not all hybrids are created equally. London Times auto writer Jeremy Clarkson, for example, recently reviewed the new Honda Insight 1.3 IMA SE Hybrid. And for some strange reason, I don't think I want to buy one:

And the sound is worse. The Honda’s petrol engine is a much-shaved, built-for-economy, low-friction 1.3 that, at full chat, makes a noise worse than someone else’s crying baby on an airliner. It’s worse than the sound of your parachute failing to open. Really, to get an idea of how awful it is, you’d have to sit a dog on a ham slicer. So you’re sitting there with the engine screaming its head off, and your ears bleeding, and you’re doing only 23mph because that’s about the top speed, and you’re thinking things can’t get any worse, and then they do because you run over a small piece of grit.

And it only gets worse from there.

'You SCOTUS 'Cause You Ain't Us'

eric — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 17:00:11 +0000

Much has been written about the politicization of the confirmation process since Tuesday's nomination by President Obama of 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Sonia Sotomayor for appointment to the United States Supreme Court, in Justice David Souter's soon-to-be-vacant slot. As HeadCount's legal intern, I wish to correct a few misconceptions: 1) Just as the Constitution does not actually contain the phrase "separation of Church and State" (that was Thomas Jefferson), the Constitution also never articulates anything resembling the modern confirmation process. Article II, which explicitly details the role of the executive branch (assuming we actually have a "limited government of assigned powers" and not merely two branches subject to the whim of a more powerful, dare I say divine, president. See: Abraham Lincoln, FDR, Ronald Reagan, etc...) merely provides the President with "Power...by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate" to "appoint...Judges of the Supreme Court." Nowhere in the Constitution does it say, for example, that every potential Justice should be forced to answer questions about abortion on national television. ("If a tree falls live on C-Span...") 2) The Senate rarely rejects nominees. Flat out rejection has only happened twelve times. To be fair, I would have sided with the majority of the 1893 US Senate, which rejected Grover Cleveland's nominee, simply on the grounds that anyone named Hornblower should not be permitted to add the title "Justice" to his name. Often, as with Harriet Miers in 2005, a president will withdraw a nomination because of a perception that the nominee will not succeed in gaining the required majority of votes in the Senate. 3) The most recent rejection was Robert Bork in 1987. Bork was/is an originalist in that he follows a line of legal reasoning holding that the framers of the constitution's historical intent and our historical understanding of the original audience is of paramount significance to our constitutional interpretations. (Justice Antonin Scalia is perhaps best known on today's court for this belief structure.) Bork's originalist views conflicted with many on the pro-choice side of the political aisle. As a result, left-wing lobbyists successfully helped block his appointment. By contrast, Sonia Sotomayor has expressed a preference for decision-making on a case-by-case basis, a so-called legal-realist line of reasoning. 4) Judicial activism, a much-maligned characteristic often leveled at judges on both sides of the political spectrum, is, for lack of a better term, a considerable misnomer. Many feel a need to stop judges who "legislate from the bench." The controversy arises on the grounds that such a judicial role runs contrary to the middle-school history lesson demonstrating how legislature makes the laws, the president enforces the laws, and the judiciary interprets the laws. However, every judge is of necessity an activist, particularly on the Supreme Court, where the overturning of Congressional legislation is akin to the unmaking of law (= the "making" of un-law.) Furthermore, just as anyone hearing a Grateful Dead lyric necessarily imparts their own personal feelings and understandings into any interpretation they draw from it, judges are human and thus inherently affected by their own core beliefs and values.

'You Are Brilliant, And the Earth Is Hiring'

Nicole Parisi-Smith — Fri, 29 May 2009 18:01:40 +0000

Best-selling author, entrepreneur, and environmental activist Paul Hawken gave an incredible commencement address to the University of Portland's class of 2009 on May 3. It's both a call to action and a heartfelt message to anyone who believes that change is possible.

There is invisible writing on the back of the diploma you will receive, and in case you didn’t bring lemon juice to decode it, I can tell you what it says: YOU ARE BRILLIANT, AND THE EARTH IS HIRING. The earth couldn’t afford to send any recruiters or limos to your school. It sent you rain, sunsets, ripe cherries, night blooming jasmine, and that unbelievably cute person you are dating. Take the hint. And here’s the deal: Forget that this task of planet-saving is not possible in the time required. Don’t be put off by people who know what is not possible. Do what needs to be done, and check to see if it was impossible only after you are done. When asked if I am pessimistic or optimistic about the future, my answer is always the same: If you look at the science about what is happening on earth and aren’t pessimistic, you don’t understand data. But if you meet the people who are working to restore this earth and the lives of the poor, and you aren’t optimistic, you haven’t got a pulse. What I see everywhere in the world are ordinary people willing to confront despair, power, and incalculable odds in order to restore some semblance of grace, justice, and beauty to this world. ... Ralph Waldo Emerson once asked what we would do if the stars only came out once every thousand years. No one would sleep that night, of course. The world would become religious overnight. We would be ecstatic, delirious, made rapturous by the glory of God. Instead the stars come out every night, and we watch television. This extraordinary time when we are globally aware of each other and the multiple dangers that threaten civilization has never happened, not in a thousand years, not in ten thousand years. Each of us is as complex and beautiful as all the stars in the universe. We have done great things and we have gone way off course in terms of honoring creation. You are graduating to the most amazing, challenging, stupefying challenge ever bequested to any generation. The generations before you failed. They didn’t stay up all night. They got distracted and lost sight of the fact that life is a miracle every moment of your existence. Nature beckons you to be on her side. You couldn’t ask for a better boss. The most unrealistic person in the world is the cynic, not the dreamer. Hopefulness only makes sense when it is doesn’t make sense to be hopeful. This is your century. Take it and run as if your life depends on it.

The address can be read in its entirety here. Hawken will also deliver the commencement address for Portland State University's graduating class on June 13.

Hitler Orders a DMCA Takedown

Richard Gehr — Fri, 29 May 2009 19:21:14 +0000

Electronic Frontier Foundation chairman Brad Templeton's version of Hitler going batshit in Downfall (Der Untergang) is not only one of the funniest takes on the ubiquitous YouTube phenomenon, it's also a comedy tutorial on what is and isn't allowed under the Digital Management Copyright Act (DMCA) and the provisions of Fair Use. After you watch his parody, check out the hoops Templeton had to jump through in order to create it legally.

Intentions Clear

Lauren Shaw — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 17:45:27 +0000

Health food could potentially reach new heights of popularity with an everyday tool some companies currently use: positive intentions. Organic and fair trade products have definitely been making a strong presence in recent years, but some companies go one step further. They use music, prayer, words, and symbols as a means to connect positive and healing thoughts to their foods and beverages. What could be more wholesome than added spiritual value? One example that hits home for me is Intentional Chocolate, which is blessed by monks. "My intent," states ompany's founder Jim Walsh, "is "to reintroduce the ancient wisdom of embedding conscious intention and love into food." This company also shares half of its profits with organizations aimed at benefiting humankind. (Intentional Chocolate also gives away one thousand free samples each week via its site!) Whether or not you believe the findings of intentionalist studies such as those conducted by Dr. Masaru Emoto, positive intentions toward food are fairly common. Just consider how many people pray before meals or envision strong growth while watering the garden. Who isn't thankful for the food being provided to nourish your body? And while companies instilling products with love and prayer is a great idea, we can do it ourselves with a little common mindfulness. Let’s take all the positive vibes we can get!

The Great Music Bailout

Seth Fiegerman — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 10:00:45 +0000

Forget the greed on Wall Street. A new study indicates it may simply be the downloading habits of the average peer-to-peer user that toppled the global economy. According to a report commissioned by the Strategic Advisory Board for Intellectual Property, illegal file sharing in Britain costs the country 12.5 billion pounds ($19.4 million) and at least four thousand jobs a year. How did they get these impressive numbers? The study took the average number of users (1.3 million) on a particular P2P network and assumed that each person would download one thing (whether it be a copy of the new U2 album or an old World of Warcraft game) each and every day. Which adds up to a lot of money over the course of a year. Now imagine the total number of people in the world who use P2P downloading sites and apply the same formula. The Pirate Bay alone has 22 million users, according to Forbes. The resulting numbers would rival the stimulus package. "[I]llegal downloading robs our economy of millions of pounds every year and seriously damages business and innovation throughout the U.K.," said David Lammy, England’s minister of state for intellectual property, in a statement. "It is something that needs tackling, and we are serious about doing so. However, it is also an international problem that needs an international solution through countries working together." On the flip side, one economist offers the example of Australia, where an estimated 57 percent of the population uses peer-to-peer networks. The government owns a 17 percent share in the major P2P provider, Telstra, providing them with billions in revenue. (Ironically, Australia still has very rigid copyright laws, so they are actually prospering financially from something technically illegal). If countries relaxed their copyright rules, they could collect revenue from holding shares in these companies and also through the various accessories people buy to feed their downloading habits (external hard drives, portable music players, etc.) Record companies have for years been trying to pressure peer-to-peer users to quit downloading so that record companies and musicians could prosper. Maybe they should switch to another efficient mantra: Stop it for the sake of your country.

RockforLife's List of 'Pro-Abort' Bands

Debra DeSalvo — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 11:00:53 +0000

Like HeadCount, the right-to-life group RockforLife seeks to engage young people in politics through music. And while RockforLife condemns the murder of late-term abortion provider Dr. George Tiller, who was gunned down Sunday while serving as an usher in his Kansas church, on its website, the organization still provides an alphabetized list of “pro-abortion bands.” That list includes the Dave Matthews Band, Ben Harper, Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, Phish, Sheryl Crow, Soundgarden, the Donnas, the Bangles, Ween, Spearhead, Audioslave, Alice in Chains, and others. To get on the list, a band doesn’t exactly have to wear “I had an abortion!” T-shirts in concert. From RockforLife.com: “There are many reasons for a band to be on our pro-abortion bands list. Some of them donate money or play concerts to raise money for Planned Parenthood, Rock for Choice, Voters for Choice, Axis of Justice, America Coming Together, PunkVoter.com, Air Traffic Control Project, or other pro-abortion causes.” Phish, for example, performed a benefit for Gloria Steinem's Voters For Choice organization in Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1995 – and haven't played a benefit since. I didn’t recognize any of the names on RockforLife’s equally long list of “pro-life” bands, although Hand of Onan certainly piques my curiosity. Nonetheless, with murder in the air, bands labeled “pro-abortion” might want to know that just as Dr. Tiller was, they too are on a list. Debra is the lead singer/guitarist for Devi, “a ferocious guitar-driven power trio equally adept at sprawling psychedelic jams and terse, haunting three-minute rockers." (Lucid Culture) Dr. George Tiller addressing The Feminist Majority Foundation:

Introducing... HeadCount Festy Food Reviews

Andy — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:31:36 +0000

[caption id="attachment_378" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Spicy Pie"][/caption] While attending a festival, my friends spend a lot of time critiquing, analyzing and dissecting. They talk about the music sometimes, too. Mostly though, serious analysis is reserved for food. We share important information, like Spicy Pie going up to $6 a slice (and still burning the roofs off everyone’s mouths) or that some quiet little stand is dishing out the best home-cooked grub on the grounds. OK, maybe my friends are a little out of the ordinary. I remember once being in a hotel room after a Phish show and hearing my old Pharmer’s Almanac co-authors go on and on about this great pot cookie they’d had that afternoon – the texture, the perfect amount of chocolate, how it wasn’t too filling. I interrupted to say, “You guys realize that most people raving about ganja food four hours later are talking about how high they got?” So the food obsession is a little offbeat. But food and dining are an essential and central part of the music experience. And as HeadCount evolves, I've come to view that in a new context. Food is political. How we eat, how our food is made, and how it is transported touches virtually every issue facing this country. From health care to the environment to how special-interest lobbyists influence policy – it all plays out on our plates (or pitas). With all this in mind, I’d like to announce and introduce a new feature to the HeadCount blog: FESTIVAL FOOD REVIEWS. Food reviews with a special emphasis on health, the environment, vegetarian menus, organics, locally grown food and the ability of concert festivals to be a place where food becomes a statement. This is linked to HeadCount’s new “What’s Your Issue?” campaign where we try to drive awareness and action around six hot-button issues of importance to the music community - “Food and Farm Policy” being one and "Sustainability and Conservation" another. So what better way to start that discussion than by reviewing the food in HeadCount’s natural habitat? Now, anyone remotely familiar with my diet is probably laughing at the thought of me trying to write an organic-food review. The closest I’ve ever come to vegetarian eating at a festival is living on fried dough and arepas. But I made a conscious decision to adjust my diet a bit at Mountain Jam in Hunter, New York, on May 30th; to eat a little healthier, try some new things and learn about where it came from. My first stop was Michael’s, a food truck that parked itself at Mountain Jam’s “Awareness Village.” It was the only food in the village and appropriately served an ecclectic menu including some vegetarian items and pork dumplings. OK, so I went for the dumplings. But first I noticed that the gas tank on the truck was marked “vegetable oil only." This was the first food vendor I’d ever visited that could get to the show on the same oil my lunch was getting deep-fried by. I asked about the ingredients and the source of the dumplings, and that was somewhat disappointed: bought frozen in Boston's Chinatown. They tasted a lot like the frozen dumplings you’d get in Chinatown, too, which is to say pretty good if you like that sort of thing, which I do. But I don’t think I was changing the world by eating them. [caption id="attachment_361" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Michael\'s vegetable oil-powered food truck"][/caption] A few hours later I stopped by “Crescent Foods,” a purely vegetarian vendor set up in a long row of less healthy food stands. I asked the server if, beyond being vegetarian, there was anything particularly environmentally or health-conscious about their fare. She silently pointed to a compostible cup. I ordered noodles with peanut sauce, which was bland and tasted like it was made with basic supermarket ingredients. (I gave up meat for this?) [caption id="attachment_362" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Crescent Foods World Vegetarian Cuisine"][/caption] A few hours later, I moseyed over to the “Solar Cafe” for a late-night snack. It was perched by itself on the outskirts of the main concert field, close to the action and doing brisk business throughout. I’d heard these guys had the best noodles at the fest, and that the grilled cheese was no ordinary parking-lot food. They had a buzz. They also had three solar panels reaching far into the air above a sign that read, “All proceeds support solar education.” I spoke for a while with the owner’s daughter, a charming young woman named Willow Mauch. As she worked a row of blenders, making some very creative veggie concoctions, she was kind enough to let me in on the back story. Her dad has been installing solar panels for about 20 years in the tiny town of Northwood, NH. The café is an offshoot of his business, Sun Weaver, to promote solar energy. The blenders and lights are powered by the sun. [caption id="attachment_364" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Solar Cafe"][/caption] Willow described the café as a statement, as an attempt to raise consciousness. It’s also a pragmatic business, as the folks at Solar Café had clearly figured out that an environmentally friendly approach to making food has its benefits at a festival. “See how we have this fat spot?” she said, leaning in to me. “It’s because we don’t have to plug in.” I passed on the spinach and broccoli quesadilla and went for the grilled cheese, which definitely lived up to the hype. I walked away a happy customer. I also felt satisfied that my snack was a tasty manifestation of how festivals and the music community can push America forward. Festivals are a place where consciousness thrives and an entrepreneurial spirit seamlessly coexists with a love-thy-neighbor ethos. This should be embodied by the food served and the people who serve it. I hope to see more vendors like the Solar Café at the festivals HeadCount visits this summer, and I hope that locally grown ingredients someday become a standard and profitable selling point on Shakedown Street. To do our little part to champion the inevitable food revolution, we would like to offer up the HeadCount blog for festival food reviews that are far better informed than this one. Do you have a refined pallet when it comes to health, nutrition and festy food? Well the next time you hit a music festival, take a few notes and ask a few questions. Take a photo of the best (or worst) food stands and find out what festivals they’ll be at. Then email your review and photos to editor@headcount.org. A core belief of HeadCount is that the music community has great power to drive change. How we eat at festivals is a way to start, one bite at a time.

New Orleans Shall Rise Again

Richard Gehr — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:25:37 +0000

Actor-author-musician-radio-host Harry Shearer, AKA Spinal Tap's Derek Smalls and the voice of at least a dozen of your favorite Simpsons characters, has been a dripping faucet of bad news about his half-time hometown of New Orleans ever since, as he always puts it, "the failure of the federal levees" in 2005. In his latest Huffington Post post, Shearer notes the dire lack of affordable rental housing for the hundreds of thousands of residents displaced by both the Katrina-related catastrophe as well as state and federal governments' slow-footed, confusing, and often counterproductive response to the housing crisis. In the latest twist, the New Orleans Times Picayune reports that the department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is paying to maintain empty rental units until "completion of a massive update of the agency's citywide waiting list, which contained 6,572 names when Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005 and has not been revised since then." Meanwhile, back on Earth, our friends at Bonnaroo and Sound Tribe Sector 9 are providing concrete support to the citizens of New Orleans. This year, Bonnaroo will donate $240,000 to New Orleans nonprofit groups, including New Orleans Habitat Musicians' Village/Ellis Marsalis Center for Music, New Orleans Musicians Clinic, the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts, and Tipitina's Foundation. Funds for the donation come from donations made by visitors to the 2008 festival's "Somethin' Else – New Orleans" tent and the 2005 benefit concert "From the Big Apple to the Big Easy," which featured Dave Matthews, Trey Anastasio, Tom Waits, the Neville Brothers, and others at Manhattan's Radio City Music Hall. New Orleans housing is the specific focus of STS9's charity objective this year. The band will donate all profits from the June 23 release of Peaceblaster: The New Orleans Make It Right Remixes to the city's Make It Right Foundation, whose goal is to build 150 sustainable and affordable homes in New Orleans's hard-hit Lower 9th Ward. The band will also contribute $1 from every ticket sold in 2009 to the foundation. (Look for more on Peaceblaster in a couple of weeks.)

Obamas Bring Back the Arts With a Night on the Town

Dave Marmon — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:56:41 +0000

One of the more refreshing aspects of Barack Obama's new message is his acknowledgement that even in times of financial crisis, we cannot let the arts fall by the wayside. Over the weekend he and Michelle Obama even practiced what they preached by taking in Joe's Turner's Come and Gone, a play about the experience of former African-American slaves in the early twentieth century. The preaching part happened during an earlier visit to New York, when Mrs. Obama spoke to a crowd at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and rebuked those who feel the arts shouldn't be prioritized in American education. "The arts are not just a nice thing to have or to do if there is free time or if one can afford it," she said at the reopening of MOMA’s American Wing. "Rather, paintings and poetry, music and fashion, design and dialogue, they all define who we are as a people and provide an account of our history for the next generation."

'Maybe So, Maybe Not': A Phish Film

Richard Gehr — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:10:35 +0000

The past eight years have been rough on me, you, and pretty much everyone else – certainly not excluding our rock buddies Phish. But even the most skeptical fan couldn’t help but feel very optimistic on the evidence of last night's solidly satisfying show at Jones Beach. Man, those cats can wail. And while the space-time continuum has yet to be shattered by a life-changing "Harpua," set one's "Timber Ho," and basically all of set two (especially an jagged, emotionally complex "Hood"), went a long way toward restoring my faith in both the group and its constantly evolving community of fellow travelers. I sometimes joke that there are really only two Phish eras: the Clinton years and the Bush years. But now it feels as though we'll have to start paying attention to the smart yet cautious, sober yet sophisticated Obama-administration Phish. They're not here to help us party down so much as to demonstrate a little deft damage control, or common-sense harm reduction, with the help a fat rhythm section and a charismatic front man with big plans and both feet firmly on the ground. The new Phish vibe is embodied in the seven-minute teaser for Maybe So, Maybe Not, a documentary-in-progress by Noah Wilderman that uses participatory technology (you can submit your own photos and stories for possible inclusion) to capture the contemporary Phish scene. The articulate talking heads include HeadCount's Andy Bernstein, the Mockingbird Foundation's Ellis Godard, and artist Jim Pollock. My favorite quote comes from blogger Paul McGuire, who more or less echoed my feelings about last night when he says, "You know, I've lost a lot of money in the stock market....But I don’t care, because Phish is back."

Koko Taylor 1928-2009

Richard Gehr — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 13:41:27 +0000

The powerful blues singer Koko Taylor, who died yesterday after complications from surgery for gastrointestinal bleeding, never seemed particularly torn between the demands of Saturday night and Sunday morning. As she told Ben Manilla in Dan Aykroyd's Elwood's Blues, "Everyday I'd look forward to that 15 minutes on the radio listening to the blues. My dad say, 'If you ain't singing gospel, then it's the devil's music.' But I don't call it the devil's music; I call it good music." If you dig the Grateful Dead's version of her 1952 hit single "Wang Dang Doodle," check out the original with guitarist Little Walter. Then spin the equally devilish "Don't Mess With the Messer" and "Insane Asylum" (with Willie Dixon).

HeadCount Seeks Conan O'Brian Twitter Tracker Love

Richard Gehr — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 14:04:42 +0000

HeadCount has a lively new Twitter feed, which we encourage you to subscribe to here. With any luck, Conan O'Brian's Twitter Tracker will snag it on the "Tonight Show." via Boing-Boing

Remembering Tiananmen Square?

Richard Gehr — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 17:07:22 +0000

In China, the only people who apparently remember the Tiananmen Square massacre are the olds and the police. According to the New York Times, "China blanketed Tiananmen Square with police officers Thursday, determined to prevent any commemoration of the 20th anniversary of a military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters that left hundreds dead." But as James Fallows wrote wrote in the Atlantic:

I have spent a lot of time over the past three years with Chinese university students. They know a lot about the world, and about American history, and about certain periods in their own country's past....But you can't assume they will ever have heard of what happened in Tiananmen Square twenty years ago. For a minority of people in China, the upcoming date of June 4 has tremendous significance. For most young people, it's just another day.

The Chinese government is also marking the occasion by flooding the square with plainclothes agents who open their big umbrellas in front of nosy camerapersons. And don't even both searching for Tiananmen Square information on the Internet in China. June 4 no longer exists on Chinese Google at all.

Carlos Santana's Architects of a New Dawn

Richard Gehr — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:03:29 +0000

One of the country's most socially active musicians, Carlos Santana is probably know best, at least philanthropically, as the founder of the Milagro Foundation, which provides grants to not-for-profit community organizations working with children in education, health, and the arts. Santana's latest nonmusical project, Architects of a New Dawn, neatly combines his passions for the spiritually intangible and the progressively concrete:

Architects of A New Dawn is a project, born from the dream and vision of Carlos Santana, to create a new global network, driven by extraordinary music and powerful media content. It is designed to engage people of all walks of life to work together to create positive change in the global community where love can replace fear and where peace can replace conflict.

The Architects website hosts groups and forums devoted to green living, health, healing, meditation, solutions for the common good, and other areas of interest. In the video message below, Santana also proposes a TV station devoted to "beauty, elegance, excellence, grace, dignity, purity, and innocence, 24 hours a day, worldwide." With some 2700 "architects" already onboard, Santana's vision appears to be gaining traction.

How to (Not) Read ‘The Economist’

Richard Gehr — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 11:18:25 +0000

Bet you can't guess what the world's most profitable magazine is. It's The Economist, London's dry yet essential highbrow standard bearer of news, analysis, and opinion. And with even celebrity journalism a non-starter in the era of Gawker and TMZ, it's become the magazine American newsweeklies such as Time and Newsweek most aspire to emulate. It costs about $100 a year to subscribe to The Economist, but who's got that kind of money to throw around on print these days? I used to be a proud subscriber, though, and I still would be if I only had the time to read the cleanly written and meticulously researched thing every week. Fortunately, I don't have to anymore. Why? Because Tucker Stone is doing my reading for me in his semiregular "Economist Versus Idiot" synopses in The Factual Opinion, a blog devoted mostly to snarky reviews of comics, music, TV, and film. Stone is smart enough, though, to dispense with the snark in the face of The Economist's authority and gravitas, and ends up mainly making fun of himself and his ignorant American countrymen. His capsule rewrites of Economist articles are pithy and conversational. He treats the magazine as though it were his favorite band and reviews its performance with knowing respect. While even his summaries are so long I usually don't make it all the way it through, they're still a lot easier to slam back than the mag itself, which in spite of everything I would actually strongly encourage you to read. Until you do, here's an example of Stone's work:

The World Last Week -Everybody figured that India's general election would end up with another coalition of disagreement, but that isn't the way it went down at all. The Congress party smoked the competition, and the guys and gals who write the Economist broke their legs falling over each other in the race to call that awesome. -According to the United Nations, Pakistan's ongoing struggle with the Taliban has forced 1.5 million people to leave their homes in hopes of not getting killed. Pleasant, that. -So, if a British lawyer gets convicted of perjury over lies he told to "protect" Silvio Berlusconi, doesn't that meant that the same Italian courts now have evidence against Berlusconi as well? Oh wait, that's why Berlusconi changed the law to protect Italian prime ministers last year, isn't it. -Hey, just because some report was released that says children have been abused at Irish Catholic institutions on a non-stop basis for sixty years, don't get all worked up. The head of the church said he was "profoundly sorry." I'm pretty sure that Christians are supposed to forgive and forget in cases like these. Isn't that how it works? I can't be sure--i've never physically or sexually abused children for sixty years, so I might be the wrong guy to ask. -Here's a nice update on the war on drugs: an armed gang released fifty prisoners in Mexico, including some high ranking cartel guys. That whole prohibition thing is working so fucking well.

Barack Obama's New Beginning Speech in Cairo

Richard Gehr — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 17:25:25 +0000

Watch it below or read it here.

For human history has often been a record of nations and tribes -- and, yes, religions -- subjugating one another in pursuit of their own interests. Yet in this new age, such attitudes are self-defeating. Given our interdependence, any world order that elevates one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail. So whatever we think of the past, we must not be prisoners to it. Our problems must be dealt with through partnership; our progress must be shared. (Applause.)

Five Questions For Bonnaroo Sustainability Coordinator Laura Sohn

Andy — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 11:00:30 +0000

What's your role with Bonnaroo and how did you come to hold this position? I'm the festival’s Sustainability Coordinator. The festival has had a long commitment to greening and sustainability and worked with outside consultants for years. As the greening efforts grew they realized the importance of having someone involved in the day-to-day, year-round operations of the festival. I was working as an assistant to one of the promoters and the transition made sense. Planet Roo is probably the largest nonprofit vendor village at any festival. What can we expect to find in Planet Roo this year? Planet Roo is going to be really exciting this year. We’ll be welcoming back the now almost famous Bonnaroo Carbon Shredders, who will work with everyone to reduce their carbon footprints. We will have the first-ever Bonnaroo Victory Garden, which will be supplemented with gardening and composting workshops. And, as always, Rock the Earth’s Social Change Through Music program will be featured on Bonnaroo’s Solar Stage. How many nonprofits are you able to accommodate at Bonnaroo each year? We are able to accommodate about 20 nonprofits a year in Planet Roo. We like having groups back for multiple years as it gives them an opportunity to develop a real relationship with the fans. You clearly devote serious resources to Planet Roo and cause-related activity at Bonnaroo. What's the thinking behind that? I mean, promoting a festival is a business. How does Planet Roo and supporting non-profits fit in with that? Bonnaroo has always looked for innovative ways to engage both fans and artists to support a variety of worthy and necessary causes in their community. Working with groups that further the causes most important to the festival is an integral component to how we do business. Planet Roo began with basic tabling and over the years has grown to reflect Bonnaroo’s business values, beyond the bottom line. Not only do you support nonprofits by welcoming them to Planet Roo, you also generate funds for some causes via the annual silent auction. Can you tell us a bit more about that and what fans can expect to find up for bid? Bonnaroo generates funds to support a variety of nonprofits in multiple ways. The silent auction is a key component along with $1 from each ticket purchased. All of the funds generated are contributed to the newly established Bonnaroo Works Fund, which aims to support national and regional organizations making their communities healthy through arts and education, sustainability, economic development, and healthcare. The Bonnaroo Works fund is committed to local reinvestment and asset building for the community we work in as well as fans, artists, and the industry.

Two American Journalists Sentenced to 12 Years' Hard Labor in North Korea

Richard Gehr — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:18:13 +0000

Current TV reporters Laura Ling and Euna Lee were sentenced by North Korea's Central Court to twelve years' hard labor for "committing hostilities against the Korean nation and illegal entry," according to the New York Times. The reporters, who were on assignment for the San Francisco-based company co-founded by former vice president Al Gore, have become pawns in an ugly international confrontation over North Korea's nuclear test program. Gore hasn't commented publicly on the reporters' plight. The sentence comes in the wake of North Korea's threat to retaliate with "extreme" measures if it were punished for last month's nuclear tests. According to the U.S. State Department, North Korea's National Security Agency operates a "gulag" of concentration camps. Former inmates have reported that escapees were hunted down and executed in front of other prisoners.

Nice People Take Drugs

Richard Gehr — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:48:33 +0000

That's the message of a new British advertising campaign for drugs policy reform. And I suspect it's a phrase we'll be hearing more about in the coming months as marijuana legalization, or at least pot decriminalization, reaches a tipping point here and abroad. The campaign is sponsored by Release, "the national centre of expertise on drugs and drugs law":

* Over a third of adults in England & Wales have used illicit drugs * More people have used cannabis than voted for Labour at the last election * 13,000 children were arrested for drug offences in 2006/07 * Over 1 million adults used class A drugs last year Release specialises in drugs and drugs law and has over 40 years experience defending the rights of drug users. We have lawyers, policy advocates and drugs experts working full time to move our society towards a more sensible approach to managing drugs, but WE NEED YOUR HELP. It is time that we demanded that politicians and the media have a realistic and honest discussion about drugs. It's time to shift the debate - we need laws that are fair, information that is accurate and a debate that is meaningful.

The statistically backed observation that many people like you, your friends, your favorite musicians, and quite possibly your parents use recreational substances responsibly is the obvious kicker to the simple fact that the war on (some) drugs is, after several decades, an abject failure both economically and sociologically and should be dismantled ASAP. via Dose Nation

Farm Sanctuary Has Serious Beef With USDA’s 'Naturally Raised' Meat Label

Debra DeSalvo — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:03:49 +0000

On January 16, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) began allowing agricultural companies to slap a “naturally raised” label on meat and meat products from animals whose upbringing may well be far from natural. In response, Farm Sanctuary, a nonprofit that combats the abuses of factory farming, has launched a petition demanding a more literal interpretation of the phrase. The USDA label, the organization argues, "misleads the public and exploits consumer trust in advertising and packaging claims and in government regulation of agriculture." The petition states:

We believe that "naturally raised" implies animals have access to sunshine, fresh air, freedom of movement and the ability to perform natural behaviors. Allowing meat and meat products from animals raised in intensive confinement to be marketed as "naturally raised" is false and misleading and defies the public's understanding of the term. We urge the USDA to reconsider this recent decision.

The Consumer Reports offshoot GreenerChoices agrees that the agency’s “naturally raised” sticker is bull. "This regulation will allow an animal that has come from a cloned or genetically engineered stock, was physically altered, raised in confinement without ever seeing the light of day or green of pasture, in poor hygiene conditions with a diet laced in pesticides to be labeled as 'naturally raised,'" said Dr. Urvashi Rangan, director of GreenerChoices. "This falls significantly short of consumer expectations and only adds to the roster of misleading label claims approved by the USDA for so-called natural meat." The Animal Welfare Institute offers its own certification, the Animal Welfare Approved (AWA) program, which is adhered to by farmers such as Lee Menius. The Winston-Salem Journal recently ran an excellent article describing Menius's methods, comparing AWA with various other programs recognizing farmers and food producers who use humane practices to raise livestock.

The centerpiece of AWA's standards has to do with confinement, or the lack of it. AWA insists that animals be raised outdoors in pastures, not in crowded feedlots, cages or crates. The program has separate standards for different animals, but all of them cover everything from the genetics of the breeds, to the nutrition, weaning, pasture management and slaughter. Beef cattle standards, for example, prohibit tail docking (cutting off the end of the tail), cloned or genetically engineered animals and growth hormones. Calves must have access to high-quality forage from the age of seven days. Cattle must have continuous access to outside pastures. Pesticides and herbicides are not allowed on cattle grazing areas.

If you want to get thoroughly bummed out about the inhumane corporate meat industry, watch Farm Sanctuary's Life Behind Bars: The Sad Truth About Factory Farming. Debra is the lead singer/guitarist for Devi, “a ferocious guitar-driven power trio equally adept at sprawling psychedelic jams and terse, haunting three-minute rockers." (Lucid Culture)

Hidden Track Interviews HeadCount Founders

Richard Gehr — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:45:57 +0000

[caption id="attachment_444" align="alignleft" width="211" caption="Marc and Andy"][/caption]Over at Hidden Track, Scott Bernstein interviews HeadCount founders Andy Bernstein (no relation) and Marc Brownstein about HeadCount's new What's Your Issue? campaign, staying engaged beyond elections, and bringing the HeadCount message to a larger community.

MB: It’s interesting that you mention Bonnaroo, Andy. In following the model of Bonnaroo in terms of starting with a core and spreading out, you almost have to give credit in a lot of ways to Bonnaroo for being the people who spread the wings of the jamband community to include bands like Death Cab For Cutie because Death Cab For Cutie isn’t completely clueless as to what our community is all about now because they go to Bonnaroo and Bonnaroo is engaging all these acts from all over the spectrum of genres of music and that really makes our job easier. I’ve never really thought of it before or put it into words but it’s so helpful for all of these bands to see what this community is all about it. What the grassroots community is all about. How you can put 80,000 people in a field in the middle of nowhere. Everybody’s heard of Woodstock but it’s interesting to see it in the modern day with modern bands from every genre coming together. In a lot of ways it’s what HeadCount is all about. Bringing it all together.

In the Wake of the Quake: Abigail Washburn and Shanghai Restoration Project's 'Artquake'

Richard Gehr — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:11:24 +0000

I first heard the singer and clawhammer banjo player Abigail Washburn in the excellent all-female bluegrass group Uncle Earl. It's always cool to hear Washburn sing bluegrass in Mandarin, which she learned while studying in China. Washburn returned to China in 2005 with her Sparrow Quartet, which includes Bela Fleck. In May 2008, an earthquake killed more than 88,000 people in China's Sichuan province and left more than 5 million homeless or relocated. After the quake, Washburn traveled there with electronic musician Dave Liang (AKA the Shanghai Restoration Project) and the pair recorded Afterquake, which was released on the anniversary of the disaster. Washburn and Liang's benefit album for Sichuan Quake Relief combines acoustic and electronic music with the real-life voices of relocated and orphaned children from the area. In "Quake," the kids eerily recreate the sound of the earthquake as they experienced it. And an eighth grade art class sings "Little Birdie," a traditional folk song Washburn translated into Mandarin, which is combined here with kindergarten classroom noises. (The website includes videos of kids making their own fun in relocated schools.) It's all about as poignant and beautiful as you might imagine. Listen to an NPR report on Afterquake here.

Battling for the Soul of Young Republicans (in 140 Characters or Fewer)

Seth Fiegerman — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:45:08 +0000

Not only older Republicans like Gingrich and Cheney are grappling with the age of Obama. According to a recent article in Slate, even College Republicans are having an identity crisis. "We're the dead-meat party," said one young conservative. "We need to be the happy meal." The first College Republican National Committee (CRNC) convention since the election took place last week in Washington D.C. In the past, the convention has been a breeding ground for such political luminaries as Karl Rove and Lee Atwater. This time around, however, the gathering had to face certain depressing facts. A single party (hint: not them) now controls the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives; and it's on the verge of swinging the Supreme Court in a more liberal direction. Moreover, young people voted 2-1 for Obama in the 2008 election, and an increasing share of that demo is trending Democrat. A recent Gallup poll indicates that only one out of every five people under 25 identifies as Republican. So what solutions did these young disenfranchised Repubs pitch at their first megagathering? Outgoing CRNC president Charlie Smith advocated twittering a whole lot more, While others advocated wooing more minority voters to the party in the interests of diversity. But if the party’s message is unappealing now, it will only look worse at 140 characters or fewer. As for attracting minorities, that's a tough battle given our current president. Nevertheless, it’s clear that one man thinks he has what it takes to accomplish this. And that man is Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele.

Phish Fans on Dave Matthews Fans – and Vice Versa

Richard Gehr — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 16:21:50 +0000

Riverfront Times writer Annie Zaleski's polling data are in. And it turns out that many more Dave Matthews Band fans are also Phish fans than vice versa. Zaleski's article, "Jam On It: Phish and DMB fans sound off — about each other," is accompanied by caricatures guaranteed to offend both camps equally. Also, and not unexpectedly, a whole lot more DMB fans (42.6%, to be exact) felt their man did a swell job of preserving Phish's "musical traditions and legacy" during the popular Vermont foursome's five-year separation than did Phish fans (0.6%). Zaleski doesn't say exactly how many people responded to her informal online poll, but it pretty much confirms every prejudice you harbor about DMB (alcoholic preppy fratboys and sororigirls) and Phish (bongwater-drinking hippie poseurs) consumers. Zaleski also says she received many pleasant and passionate personal responses from Phish fans, who extolled the community's loyalty, respect, and camaraderie. While on the other hand, "no DMB fans e-mailed me privately when I solicited their opinion about the band."

Democrats Mock GOP Dinner, Non-Showdown Ensues

Dave Marmon — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:45:13 +0000

If there's one thing the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee knows how to do, it's take advantage of the follies of their Republican rivals. Witness the Sarah Palin invite fiasco, for instance. Now sure, the Dems could have just let the headlines about infighting and egos at last night's National Republican Congressional Committee gala fund-raising event speak for themselves. But why not fan the flames a bit? Granted the humor is questionable, but hey, it’s the DCCC we’re talking about here! And here's Jon Stewart's take on the "giant kerfuffle" that wasn't:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

GOP Dinner Showdown

thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Newt Gingrich Unedited Interview

Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani Breaks Judicial Ground

eric — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:54:51 +0000

On June 9, Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, a Guantanamo detainee specifically mentioned by President Obama as suitable to be tried in the civilian court system, pleaded not guilty in a federal district court in Manhattan. Ghailani is being held at the federal Metropolitan Correctional Center. In a well-publicized speech on May 20, President Obama criticized the Bush administration as taking an "ad hoc legal approach" to "fighting terrorism that was neither effective nor sustainable." The Bush Administration's policies regarding detainees were reflected in several internal memorandums, since released to the public, and have sparked much controversy. (CNN reported that, "Among the documents from the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) is a 2001 memo declaring that in terrorism cases the military may conduct searches in the United States without a warrant if approved by the president.") President Obama decried the Bush policies as un-American and called for the shuttering of Guantanamo Bay, an absolute ban on torture, and a forward-looking policy of persistent reevaluation. Perhaps most controversially, President Obama has suggested that detainees, both those previously held at Guantanamo Bay and those captured in the future, ought to be tried in the federal court system. Guantanamo Bay is a naval base located in an area of Cuba that is – while subject to some international law disputes – technically "leased" to the United States. In internal memoranda, senior Bush administration officials suggested that Guantanamo Bay was outside the United States' legal jurisdiction. This in turn enabled the United States government to "break" international and national law there. The issue of where to hold and how to legally address terror detainees is of paramount significance to both President Obama and the long-term legitimacy of his foreign policy alterations. While no trial date has been set for Ghailani, however his case is handled will set a precedent for the 240 other Gitmo detainees Obama hopes will be sent to the U.S. for trial.

Rock the Earth at Bonnaroo

admin — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 05:03:04 +0000

Rock the Earth has confirmed the lineup of its fourth year of environmental programming at Bonnaroo, where it will host panel discussions, artist interviews, films, and performances on the fest's Solar Stage. Founder Marc Ross will host a panel discussion on the topic of "Social Change Through Music" on the Solar Stage each day at 1 p.m. The panelists will include Erykah Badu, Danny Louis (Gov’t. Mule), Al Schnier (moe.), Will Sheff (Okkervil River), Vieux Farka Toure, Ben Sollee, Eric Johnson and Ryan Rightmire (Turbine), Laura Sohn (AC Entertainment), Rebecca Lichtenfeld (WITNESS), Bob Ferguson (Oxfam), Andy Bernstein (HeadCount), Paul Faeth (Global Water Challenge), Sally Palmer (The Nature Conservancy), Jasna Brown (Green Mountain Coffee Roasters), and Justin Levy (Conscious Alliance). The "Storytellers" series of interviews and performances will feature Del McCoury and Friends, Patterson Hood, Ben Sollee, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, and Brett Dennen Or take a break from the music and check out the "Green Screens" film series: Thursday 6/11 @ 6:00 PM: Mountaintop Removal / Intro: Ben Sollee / Q&A: Maria Gunnoe Friday 6/12 @ 5:45 PM: Flow: For the Love of Water / Q&A: Paul Faeth (Global Water Challenge) Green Screens: / JoAnne Anderson, Consumer Marketing Manager, STANLEY Saturday 6/13 @ 5:45 PM: Grand Canyon Adventure Sunday 6/14 @ 12:30 PM: Earth Days / Q&A: Director Robert Stone

What Now? HeadCount's New Campaign

Andy — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 15:49:57 +0000

"What is HeadCount doing now that the election's over?" That's a question I get asked almost every day. I've got a ton of answers, but if I had to sum it up, I'd say, "We're gonna make $!#@ happen." When Marc Brownstein and I launched HeadCount in early 2004, it was a time when many people felt their values weren't being reflected by our government and their voices weren't being heard. So we did something about it and pulled together a grassroots network of artists and volunteers who registered more than 160,000 voters. Mission accomplished? Umm, no. It's not just about voting for candidates we each believe in. It's about what the candidates do once we put them in office. As a community, we have a unique opportunity to influence this. The people in power recognize that musicians and their fans helped get them elected. Heck, the Grateful Dead even got invited to the White House! So we can now help dictate the political agenda - if we stay organized. That's where HeadCount comes in. Our mandate is to make it fun and effective to participate in democracy. We're doing this through a campaign called "What's Your Issue?" We'd like you to pick from this list of six issues and tell us which one you care about most. Food and Farm Policy Gulf Coast Recovery Health Care Reform Human Rights Personal Liberty Sustainability and Conservation PICK AN ISSUE Just by picking your issue, you'll get access to our free downloads page and be entered into a drawing for VIP Tickets to San Francisco's Outside Lands festival (with Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam and the Beastie Boys) plus a pair of plane tickets to anywhere in the country on Southwest Airlines. We'll then keep you updated on the issue you chose. Nothing too heavy - just one short email every six weeks with a rundown of recent developments. With not much effort on your part, you'll end up pretty well informed on the issue you care about most. Next year we'll also let you know how your Congressional reps voted on that issue, so you can go back to the polls armed with knowledge and the power to hold them accountable. So please pick your issue now. If you want to go a step further, we invite you to contribute to or comment on the HeadCount blog, or check out the new www.HeadCount.org and the pages we've devoted to each issue. Each has headlines updated daily, artist interviews, and a "Take Action" area that makes it easy to email your Congressional reps or volunteer for a local organization. HeadCount works with 80 bands. They all have passionate fans with strong and diverse political convictions. We know you are out there. Let's come together, make our voice heard, and make $!#@ happen.

Going Viral at the Ypulse Youth Marketing Mashup

Nicole Parisi-Smith — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:30:08 +0000

Last week I attended the two-day Ypulse Youth Marketing Mashup in San Francisco. It was fantastic. I got to speak with youth marketers about their innovative campaigns and promote HeadCount's new strategic plan. I was most impressed by two corporate campaigns that use the Internet to provide young people with creative outlets for self-expression: Ashoka's Youth Venture and Best Buy's @15, and Disney's U Rock the Summer. Known by the Twitter-friendly handle @15, Best Buy's social-change platform promotes philanthropy to kids 13 to 18. Users complete activities on the website to earn points they can subsequently deliver to the nonprofit of their choice. Best Buy then makes monetary donations to the nonprofits based on the number of points each receives. Another part of @15 involves a partnership with the social change organization Ashoka's Youth Venture, which helps teams of young people launch innovative social ventures. For @15, Youth Venture selected teams of young social entrepreneurs from the database of teams that they already work with. These teams then competed for votes on the @15 website. Fifteen winning teams received $10,000 each from Best Buy for their social ventures. The partnership received a 2009 Halo Award for Social Marketing from the Cause Marketing Forum. Surprisingly, there is no commerce on the @15 website – not even a link back to Best Buy. It's all about supporting young people through a critical period of life by promoting the 4 L's: Learn, Love, Life, and Lead. Disney's U Rock the Summer also debuted in 2008. It was so successful that Disney will repeat it this summer as U Rock 2. The deal is that kids create a music video of themselves performing a song by a Disney recording artist and (after parental permission and Disney approval) post it to the website. Viewers can vote and comment on the clips. By posting their videos, kids are entered into contests to win prizes such as tickets to the premiere of High School Musical 3 and Jonas Brothers shows. (For better or worse, videos are solely hosted on the Disney site and can't be embedded elsewhere.) My favorite youth panelist at Ypulse was Teens Turning Green co-president Carly Wertheim. Teens Turning Green is a national coalition of teenagers whose members educate their peers about the importance of making lifestyle choices that will help keep chemicals and pollutants out of their bodies and their environments. The coalition also advocates for policy changes. This year Teens Turning Green held a "Green Your Prom" contest, in which contestants uploaded videos to a YouTube channel. In addition to having its own cosmetics and body-care products line in Whole Foods, TTG also coordinates the campaigns Teens for Healthy Schools and Teens for Safe Cosmetics. Their work is a great example of how you can make a difference by making conscious consumption decisions.

Man on the Lot: What Issue Matters to You Most?

Richard Gehr — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:32:04 +0000

Man on the Lot: Health Care Reform

Richard Gehr — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 10:32:35 +0000

Bob Weir on the Fund-Raising Trail

Richard Gehr — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:02:02 +0000

[caption id="attachment_556" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Bob Weir and Jay Lane at HeadCount benefit"][/caption] HeadCount board member Bob Weir has been known to take a break from RatDog and his occasional reunion tours with his former Grateful Dead bandmates to play the occasional house concert. Most recently these have consisted of fund-raising events for his favorite politicians. On June 20, for example, you can enjoy a "summertime BBQ and performance" featuring Mickey Hart and Weir for as little as a $250 contribution to California Senator Barbara Boxer. The event takes place at the Ross, California, home of Carnel and Eric Greenberg. Back in March 2008, Weir stepped up for noted Deadhead Al Franken's senatorial campaign wth a short set at the Minneapolis home of Archie and Tina Smith. The setlist? "K.C. Moan," "When I Paint My Masterpiece," "Friend of the Devil," and "Brokedown Palace." Weir returned to Minneapolis in January 2009, this time with Hart, to help Franken in his legal struggle to have his disputed victory over Norm Coleman upheld. Tickets to the Willard Hotel fund raiser cost $1,000 each (including dinner), and the duo played a short acoustic set consisting of "Friend of the Devil," "Stealin'," "Not Fade Away" and "Ripple." (The Republican Party is committed to keeping Franken out of the Senate as long as possible because his seating would give Democrats a filibuster-proof sixty votes.) And HeadCount's still tingly about our friend's appearance for our benefit at a stately Washington D.C. home in April 2008, when Bobby and Jay Lane (on congas) performed "When I Paint My Masterpiece" (which Weir was forced to cut short, saying, ''I'm sorry but I really can't sing.... I tell ya what – I'll compromise. You sing and I'll play"), "Ripple," and "Not Fade Away."

'Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love'

Richard Gehr — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:34:32 +0000

Documentaries about non-Western musicians can sometimes frustrate English-speaking viewers by leaving them wondering what singers are actually saying in their lyrics. But producer/director Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi clarifies things nicely in her scrappy new doc about the politically passionate Senegalese superstar, Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love. All the singer-composer-bandleader's French and Wolof lyrics are translated into English for your edification during some powerful performances. Early on, for example, we learn that Youssou is rocking the crowd at his Dakar nightclub with heavy mbalax rhythms and lyrics recommending that slander victims take their oppressors to court. These lyrics echo later on in the film, which focuses on the recording, release, reception, and subsequent international tour around Youssou's 2004 album, Egypt. Local religious leaders immediately condemned Egypt when it was first released in Senegal. They felt that any pop album about Islam, even this heartfelt masterpiece about Youssou's Sufi-Muslim faith recorded with a Cairo orchestra, had to be taboo. Fifty thousand cassettes were returned to Youssou's warehouse amid rumors that the singer planned to film a video featuring naked women in a famous mosque. That was nonsense, of course, and Youssou went on to win a Grammy for Egypt, which was eventually re-released successfully in Senegal with the help of Moustapha Mbaye, a local religious singer. Vasarhelyi brings viewers up to speed with a quick introduction. Youssou has been the world's favorite African artist since his appearance on the 1988 Amnesty International Human Rights Now! Tour, after which he cemented his reputation with "7 Seconds," his trilingual 1994 hit single with Neneh Cherry about the first innocent moments of a child's life. He's long been an even bigger local star, of course, so it's fascinating to see his reputation put in jeopardy by the Egypt debacle. His brother notes that it might have been a mistake to expect Senegalese listeners to enjoy his sacred syncretism on the radio sandwiched between "G-Spot" and "One Night Stand." It all works out in the end, however, and Youssou enjoys his first Grammy in the somewhat uncomfortable company of Senegal's president and his wife, and then sacrifices a bull for good measure.

Paul McCartney Family Advocates Meatless Mondays

Richard Gehr — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 21:19:48 +0000

Tired: Fish on Fridays. Wired: Meatless Mondays. Today noted vegetarian Sir Paul McCartney, along with his daughters Stella and Mary, launched a new Meat Free Monday campaign to extol the environmental, health, political, socioeconomic, and spiritual virtues of reducing our collective intake of bird, fish, and animal flesh. The livestock industry is reportedly responsible for between 13.5 and 18 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, meat eaters consume a disproportionate amount of the world's available nutrients, and, as anyone who's seen the incredibly icky yet informative new film, Food, Inc., can attest, animal slaughter is karmically negative to the max. The McCartneys aren't asking that you give up animal flesh entirely; only that you reduce it by 18 percent or so. They've even posted some of the late Linda McCartney's recipes with poignant YouTube links showing her whipping stuff up in the kitchen. And her meatless Bolognese sauce does look mighty tasty. via The Daily Table

Congratulations Josh Gelfand, Winner of First HeadCount Reality Check at Bonnaroo

Andy — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:21:35 +0000

Nine straight wins. That's what it took to win Reality Check, HeadCount's music and politics trivia game show. After four days of competition, a disputed answer (was "Ernest" – rather than Ernesto – acceptable as Trey Anastasio's correct legal name?), and a final tournament that attracted a throng of contestants and observers, San Diego's Josh Gelfand emerged as the winner. Reality Check got off to a fast start. More than 750 Bonnaroo attendees played the three-question game, competing for a pair of VIP tickets to Bonnaroo 2010. Anyone who won three times advanced to the Tournament of Champions. As luck would have it, a bracket-friendly 64 players made it that far. Contestants were eliminated one by one until it came down to Minneapolis's James Fitzgerald and Gelfand. Josh, dressed in his lucky Lakers jersey, came away the winner. Congratulations as well to semifinalists Peter Brennan and Mike St. George. Reality Check will next visit Rothbury, followed by the All Good Music Festival, Camp Bisco, and Gathering of the Vibes. [caption id="attachment_573" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Reality Check winner Josh Gelfand"][/caption]

The Chartreuse of Civil Disobedience in Iran

eric — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:28:07 +0000

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="410" caption="Iranians hold up a picture of their candidate, Mir-Hossein Mousavi. The text reads "Every Iranian is a single campaign headquarters," alluding to the Mousavi camp's lack of access to media since the June 12th election and the protesters' ability to overcome the government's attempts at isolation."][/caption] This post commemorates the millions of Iranians who have taken to the streets in the spirit of Mohandas Gandhi's satyagraha and Martin Luther King Jr.'s peaceful rebellion. The protesters mostly wear the lime-green chartreuse color (it's a real "clash" of opinions) associated with presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousavi. On Monday, at a rally in Azadi (Freedom) Square, Mousavi, who was the last Iranian prime minister before constitutional changes did away with the position, made his first appearance since Friday's election. He urged his supporters to remain nonviolent and insisted he will "pay any cost" to fight the government's version of the election results. The protests' scope hearkens back to the 1979 Islamic Revolution, from which the current Islamic Republic of Iran emerged. Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad openly questions the legitimacy of the Holocaust, insists there are no homosexuals in Iran, and serves as the political face of Iran's theocratic Muslim elites. Mousavi was ahead according to most polling data leading up to the election, but the government's official version of the results had Ahmadinejad winning by a 2-1 margin. Whether or not the election results are fraudulent and the election was "stolen," as protesters claim, remains unproven, but there's substantial evidence that this is the case. First, all three opposition candidates have asserted the election returns to be inaccurate and unrepresentative. Second, all provinces reported the same percentage of votes for Ahmadinejad, a curious lack of variance which some have called "suspicious." Third, although Iranian election results have previously not been certified for three full days after the election, the ruling cleric, Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Khamenei, certified these results within a day, which some view as an acknowledgment of wrongdoing. Nevertheless, others believe the results may represent the actual will of the Iranian people and question the outpouring of support for the protesters. Iran's government has responded by stating that the results will be verified and insisting the election is an internal matter. Iran recently banned foreign journalists from covering protest rallies. Since the election, in a stunning display of the ability of technology and the inevitability of globalization in communication, many of the protesters have used Twitter to communicate with one another. Regardless of whether or not there was electoral fraud or what will be the ultimate result of the protests, it is important to note that what is taking place in Iran is a true testament to the enduring influence of Gandhi and MLK Jr.'s optimistic vision of change in the face of establishment pressure. UPDATE: 6/18/09 - More evidence, Critics of Obama's Response

Food Stamps and Green Carts

amyvaden — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:00:35 +0000

Why shouldn't low-income families have access to fresh, local, and sustainably grown foods? Regardless of your opinions about the federal Food Stamp Program in general, the fact remains: The government gives low-income families and individuals assistance in the form of taxpayer-funded programs like Food Stamps. Why, then, shouldn't the recipients of these programs have the option to keep the money in their communities rather than passing it on to large corporations? Why shouldn't recipients have access to healthier and more environmentally friendly food options? Is this an instance of government favoritism to big agribusiness? Fotunately, New York City appears to be leading the pack on this issue. The New York Times reports that the first 200 of a planned 1,000 fresh veggie carts are now roaming the five boroughs. And while the Green Carts, as they're known, don't yet accept food stamps (why not?), fifteen of them will soon carry Food Stamp debit-card machines so low-income folks can cash in on affordable and fresh veggies.

Andrew Bird and the 'Beast'

Richard Gehr — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 21:37:00 +0000

Andrew Bird, currently on tour, resembles the hip science teacher you might have been lucky enough to have in high school. He's the kind of guy who knows how the gears of economics and politics mesh with the the natural world, and he's nice enough to clue you into these mysteries without making you feel too stupid. On Noble Beast, his seventh album, Bird opens up a musical cabinet of curiosities, a soundtrack to the natural history museum of your dreams. Stringed instruments and oddball percussion accompany the gently grinding gears of history, as Bird intones his thoughts on the natural and unnatural worlds, occasionally breaking into a high-flying violin break or eerie whistling solo. Best of all, you don't have to worry about whether or not this Darwinian shindig will be on your final. Richard Gehr: How did the theme of natural history emerge as you were making Noble Beast? Andrew Bird: It started looking that way as I was starting to finish up the record. I made this record comparatively quickly. There wasn’t time to come up with a concept. I don’t really believe in concept records, but they sometimes reveal themselves later. I'll be like "Oh wow, I talked about sheep on four different songs, I didn’t realize that." Sometimes an album is almost one long song. Noble Beast is a concept record in that sense. My previous records dealt with mental illness a lot, or social hysteria, or the childhood-science sort of thing. And lately it’s been nature. RG: Noble Beast seems to have the residue of some of those subjects as well. AB: Yeah, I guess natural history and science kind of go together. I love the era when things were still being named, that nineteenth-century period of natural history when species were being discovered and cataloged. RG: Did you spend a lot of time in museums looking at animals in their natural or unnatural habitats as a kid? AB: I did. I remember going to the Field Museum in Chicago quite a bit. My mother was a neighborhood art teacher, so we would take trips to the art institute. I remember being fascinated by the taxidermy exhibits at the Field Museum. And the whole esthetic of that early glass-and-steel kind of greenhouse thing with arboretums and conservatories has always kind of appealed to me. RG: Do you think those interests led you to become more environmentally aware? AB: It’s hard to say which comes first. But I think nature is kind of the final frontier and one that’s more and more precious as time goes on. So yeah, probably so. The "Planet Earth" series was a big influence on this record. I always imagine David Attenborough intoning the words noble beast. So yeah, it’s still the final frontier in terms of imagination and mysteriousness. I'm thinking about all sorts of things on this record, like the ways in which groups of animals behave and think as one. There are many pretty ripe metaphors for whatever you want, really. Like the way we humans behave together in society, either in groups or as individuals. The record's theme for me is nature’s brain. Who’s the director? Where’s the team? What’s the directive? RG: Are you an outdoorsy kind of guy? AB: I try to spend as much time outside as possible. I can’t stand being cooped up on a tour bus. I’m always trying to get outside. I’m a big bicycling freak. I bring my bike on tour and ride every day. The last couple of years, I’ve seen a few cities kind of get on board with bike trails. I've been impressed by Europe, I have to say. I just got back from five weeks over there. I went bicycling in Copenhagen and Amsterdam. I also have a family farm out in Western Illinois, and that’s been a big inspiration. RG: What kind of bike do you ride? I have a Heron touring bike, but it’s too nice and too easy to get bent out of shape on a bus. So I got this very simple Bianchi Pista track bike with a two-speed hub on it. It’s awesome, really great. RG: Would you consider yourself an environmental activist? AB: I think so. I consider my music as an opportunity to raise awareness. Politics is a bit of a tricky thing to navigate. My songs sometimes address things that are political, even accidentally, but I’m not a populist songwriter. The era of the protest song...that’s just really hard to pull off. I have songs like "Sick of Elephants," which pretty directly talks about Bush getting re-elected. I could name probably a dozen songs that are fairly pointed. There are things I feel strongly about, universal issues that are not particularly partisan. Before you called, I was thinking about traveling through Europe, especially in the Scandinavian countries, and what they choose to do with their prosperity. A lot of them aren’t in a position to pull some stuff off, because they’re so small and homogeneous. I'm not saying it’s as simple as emulating European countries, but that’s the issue for me: How are we using our public money? Is it to take care of our citizens, or is it being squandered on useless enterprises? I'm alarmed by the lack of transparency in state and federal politics. So prosperity is an issue these days, if it even exists anymore. I think more should be done with public spaces, city planning, quality of life; all the things that make you want to work and be part of our society. These are things I care about and they're pretty universal. We could talk about healthcare, but yeah, that’s where I stand. RG: What are you listening to these days? AB: I just got these Staples Singers albums, the Vee-Jay stuff from the late fifties and early sixties. It’s just phenomenal. A lot of stuff I come back to is gospel. I wouldn’t call myself a believer, but I’m drawn to Old Testament imagery. The words are great. It’s kind of mysterious as well. I still listen to a lot of African stuff. I generally like groovy music, or gospel music. RG: Read any good books lately? AB: I’m almost done with The Book of Daniel by E. L. Doctorow. I’m learning a lot about the history of the radical left in New York. It’s a really good book. I’ve been on a Saul Bellow kick for the last year or two. I get into people for just a couple of years and I just kind of exhaust their catalog. Before Bellow I was into Graham Greene for a couple of years.

Settling: Ohio Agrees to Change Election Practices

Jared Rosen — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:14:16 +0000

In 2004, Ohio became the new Florida. Secretary of State Ken Blackwell became the most reviled figure in the election reform movement long before election day, when he attempted to nullify tens of thousands of voter registration forms based on technicalities. When the results of the election came down to Ohio late at night, reports of mistakes from electronic voting machines, long lines at inner-city polling places and other anomalies immediately popped up on the Internet. Two years later, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., in Rolling Stone, accused Republicans of keeping 350,000 voters from casting ballots or having their votes counted. The Ohio mystery has been in court since 2005, when the League of Women Voters of Ohio (LWVO) brought a lawsuit against Blackwell and then-governor Bob Taft calling for increased oversight of the planning and execution of the election system. A settlement was reached on Tuesday. More procedural than sexy, the results were still heralded as a “landmark victory” by the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights under Law, one of the groups that brought the suit. Mainly, the settlement requires the Board of Elections (BOE) to draft a planning memo to discuss matters such as resource allocation (voting machines and ballots) as well as requiring an Election Day communication strategy for poll workers to contact the BOE with problems like disputed ballots and shortage of ballots. The settlement also requires uniform training to ensure that poll workers understand the chain of command on Election Day, are better prepeared to resolve issues, and will undergo the same procedures throughout the state. Finally, the BOE and Secretary of State will make on-site inspections at local BOE offices to make sure the registration guidelines are being followed, as well as keep a tighter reign on how ballots are counted. So there you have it. Voter-disenfranchisement poster figure Ken Blackwell did not go to jail. The 2004 results were not overturned and no one has admitted to stealing or erasing votes. Those kind of Hollywood endings are found in movies, not legal proceedings. But the state of Ohio has taken a giant step in reforming their state’s election system. While this settlement by no means resolves all the complex issues associated with Ohio elections and voter registration, it may encourage other states to enact such reforms.

Who's In Favor of the Food Safety Act?

amyvaden — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:59:21 +0000

Google HR 2749 - The Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 and you'll be bombarded by naysayers and haters. Really, is anyone in favor of HR 2749? The latest version of the Food Safety bill was approved yesterday by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. A recent Washington Post article explains that the new bill reflects compromises between industry and Congress that seem to mitigate some of the problems with earlier versions. For instance, the registration fee some 378,000 would have to pay to fund the bill has been lowered to $500. It appears that many in the food manufacturing industry are happy to have more oversight, and consumer advocacy groups are in favor of government action to prevent outbreaks like the recent peanut salmonella fiasco. Why, then, are so many organizations claiming that this could end small-scale, local, organic farming; farmers' markets; Community Supported Agriculture, and the like? Food Freedom claims that this bill gives the FDA illegal power to regulate all Americans, whether you garden at home or on a large industrial scale. The Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund offers a breakdown of the bill and explains their concerns for small farmers. Claims that the bill is illegal, unconstitutional, totalitarian, and just plain bad are many, and calls to action abound. But where is the proregulation propaganda? We need balance, here. According to the Personal Democracy Forum, for example, "what's of particular interest to us data-minded eaters in these parts is what the bill has to say about applying a modern open-data governing approach to the nearly opaque process by which food today travels from farms to our forks." The House of Representatives has yet to vote on the bill, and the Senate is even farther behind. There is still plenty of time to find out what's really going on.

Senate Passes Smoking Regulation Bill

eric — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 17:35:00 +0000

These British cigarette warnings, highly intense and seemingly obvious though they may be, may soon become reality in the United States with the June 11 passage of the FDA Tobacco Regulation Bill by the Senate. Menthol cigarettes, the cigarette companies' ability to advertise particular brands as "lite" or "mild," and the release of future altered tobacco products may also be in danger. The Act confers unprecedented broad, sweeping power upon the Federal Drug Administration to regulate the manufacture, marketing, and distribution of tobacco products for the purpose of protecting American youth. Cigarette companies are expected to file suit to contest the Act's passage, after President Obama signs it, on grounds that its advertising restrictions and specifications constitute a barrier to free speech. From the standpoint of personal liberty, the issue is extremely divisive, with many decrying the bill for overreaching and others, including Senator Ted Kennedy, hailing its passage as proof that "miracles still happen" in Washington, D.C. For specifics on the Bill's contents, visit Project Vote Smart.

Wilco, Green Day Single Out 'Vinyl Day'

Andy — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:25:50 +0000

[caption id="attachment_657" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Wilco single \"You Never Know\""][/caption] A natural follow-up to the popular “Record Store Day,” tomorrow is “Vinyl Saturday.” Artists such as Wilco and Green Day have released limited edition 7-inch singles on vinyl, feeding an emerging niche of fans and collectors. Some recent 7-inch releases have hit the $30-$50 mark on ebay, according to the Houston Chronicle Wilco’s single features the recent track “You Never Know” as its A-side and a previously unreleased track, “Unlikely Japan,” on the B-side.

Georgia Theatre 1978-2009

Andy — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:52:56 +0000

A sad day for Athens, Georgia, is a say day for the world of live music. This morning, the historic Georgia Theatre burned down. Host to countless memorable shows by HeadCount affiliated artists, the Georgia Theatre has long been a staple for touring bands. The Athens-Clarke County Fire Chief called the venue, which opened in 1978 with a performance by Sea Level, an "iconic landmark." Details are still coming in, but the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that the fire broke out around 7 a.m. this morning and the roof of the building collapsed. There were heavy flames when firefighters arrived and it took 50 firefighters about one hour to contain them. One eyewitness said the theater was "fully engulfed" in flames when firefighters arrived. No one is believed to have been inside the building. A converted movie theater, the venue has played host to local acts Widespread Panic, R.E.M., and the B-52's. Phish played there five times between Feb. 1 1990 and November 11th 1991, according to Phantasy Tour. It was the "home venue" for Perpetual Groove, which was scheduled to play tonight and tomorrow. The Theatre's website was still up as of this morning, listing a full slate of upcoming shows including Jenny Lewis with Heartless Bastards (July 1) and You Mama's Big Fat Booty Band (July 16).

'David Matthews' Popped at DMB show; Cops Want Tasers

Andy — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 09:53:21 +0000

[caption id="attachment_711" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Not that David Matthews! A guy by the same name was one of 30 arrests at a recent DMB show"][/caption] A pair of Dave Matthews Band shows at New York's Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) led to 30 arrests, including a charge of sexual assault against a David Matthews of Cohoes, New York - no relation to the singer - for "inappropriately touching a woman during the concert," according to the local television station WTEN. The station also reported that police now want to be armed with Tasers at SPAC concerts.

"Our officers are sometimes injured at these concert events," said regional Vice President of the New York State Park Police officers' union, Donald Lavarge, "That's totally unacceptable and we can't tolerate that behavior." To Lavarge, it's time for some changes to be made at SPAC. He says large concerts like the Dave Matthews Band often turn into a massive public safety issues; something Tasers could prevent. "If officers are trained to use them effectively, it could be a very successful tool with helping us here," he said.

Upcoming opportunities to roll out the Tasers include: 311 on Tuesday June 23, Def Leppard on July 3, O.A.R. on August 9, and Creed on August 11, all leading up to Phish on August 16.

PETA Requests Phish Change Name to 'Sea Kitten'

Richard Gehr — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 18:55:21 +0000

. Betting that people would consume fewer fish if they were known by the cuddlier name of "sea kittens," People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has requested that Phish temporarily change its name to Sea Kitten for tonight's and tomorrow's shows at Wisconsin's Alpine Valley Music Theater. “We felt that fish needed an image overall” [sic], PETA campaigner Ashley Byrne told the Burlington Free Press. “They don’t receive the sympathy of the more cuddly animals. We thought that by rebranding fish as sea kittens, they might receive the compassion they deserve.” PETA has been advocating the change in perception since October. Numerous catfish, however, might question its potential efficacy. And as one commenter noted: "One wonders as well where PETA was when the band THREE DOG NIGHT decided upon that highly offensive name, with its bigoted implications that dogs, more than any other animals, are prone to be involved in some sort of sordid menage a trois!"

Single Mom Hit For $80,000/Track in RIAA Suit

Seth Fiegerman — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:03:11 +0000

[caption id="attachment_739" align="alignleft" width="77" caption="Jammie Thomas-Rasset"][/caption] Jammie Thomas-Rasset might not seem like the recording industry's arch-nemesis. She is a single mother of four children who works for an Indian tribe in Minnesota. Yet this week she was slammed in court with a staggering $1.92 million fine for illegally downloading 24 songs – or $80,000 per track – in a suit brought against her by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). "There's no way they're ever going to get that," Thomas-Rasset told the Associated Press. "I'm a mom, limited means, so I'm not going to worry about it now." Thomas-Rasset proves there is no simple stereotype for illegal downloaders. But she's a case study in the complexities of bringing users of file-sharing networks to trial. More than 35,000 lawsuits have been filed against alleged illegal downloaders. But as MTV News's Gil Kaufman notes, Jammie Thomas-Rasset’s case was the first case to actually go to trial in the United States. In fact, this is the second time her case was heard. A judge tossed out her case in 2007, claiming he had erred in giving jury instructions. While Thomas-Rasset was still deemed guilty in that first trial, she was only fined $220,000, a fraction of the newer judgment. The RIAA first accused Thomas-Rasset of sharing 1,700 songs on Kazaa back in 2005. But the companies decided to restrict their claim to 24 particular songs “for simplicity’s sake.” What makes the argument particularly difficult is that Thomas-Rasset claims tha either her kids or ex-husband were sharing those tracks on her computer, not her. And insofar as that's probably true of many file sharers today, who should be punished? Among the 24 tracks she was accused of downloading illegally were tunes by No Doubt, Linkin Park, Gloria Estefan, and Sheryl Crow. The RIAA is reportedly willing to settle, so the hefty fine will likely come down. But whatever they agree on, it will definitely makes iTunes' fee of 99 cents per song sound like a bargain.

Festy Food Review: The Search for Healthy Bonnafood

Lisa Shanken — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:00:58 +0000

By Lisa Shanken Finding healthy vegetarian food at Bonnaroo is like finding a clean Porta-Potty. It’s there, but you have to look for it.

This year marked my first Bonnaroo experience, and I had very high expectations given all the rave reviews I've heard from friends. Being a vegetarian and a nutritionist, I'm always a little leery about finding healthy food options at music festivals. Having been to many festivals over the past several years, however, I can say they've come a long way. And with Bonnaroo’s reputation as the mac daddy of all music festivals, I felt pretty confident that satisfying my healthy diet wouldn’t prove too challenging.

The music, the vibe, the organization, the people, and the energy all lived up to my high expectations. The food at the festival didn’t exactly shatter my original confidence, but dishes that were both healthy and satisfying to the palate took a lot of scoping out on the 750-acre site. The most abundant options were the festival circuit's typical food vendors whom I always avoid, such as Spicy Pizza and Zorba the Greek.

My biggest complaints about the above vendors and the majority of the food at Bonnaroo are the grease factor and the lack of actual vegetables. Too many of the fries, pizza, stir frys, and gyros offer grease as their core ingredient. Grease is definitely not ideal for a camping situation or to supply good energy for dancing into the wee hours of the night – not to mention emergency trips to the dreaded Porta-Potties.

[caption id="attachment_743" align="alignleft" width="150" caption=""Veggie Dogs" - A vegetarian's best friend?"][/caption]

And here’s a question for Bonnaroo: Why, oh why, are there so many corndog vendors? Is the demand really so high that these vendors can generate a profit selling them? Were the ones advertising "Veggie Corn Dogs" identifying some previously unknown meat-free market?

[caption id="attachment_744" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="!Que Bueno!"][/caption] But I digress. There were definitely a few good options worth mentioning if you knew where to find them. ¡Que Quesadilla! was notable. While they were a bit pricey at $9 a pop, their black bean, pesto, and roasted red pepper quesadillas were a staple of my weekend. The locally grown, all-natural flatbread pizza, made in an onsite brick oven, was both delicious and I really enjoyed the many vegetable toppings they offered.

The mini Whole Foods markets were a nice touch for healthy snack options, but didn’t really help if you were looking for a full, satisfying meal.

The best meal I ate at Bonnaroo was from Bearly Edible. It was by far the least greasy, most vegetable-filled dish I ate all weekend. They offered a quesadilla with feta, artichokes, spinach and olives, and it was truly more “restaurant quality” than anything else I found.

This weekend, I also tried an interesting snack called raw chocolate. I'd previously heard about raw chocolate in nutrition circles because dark chocolate (so long it contains more than 70% cacao) packs a powerful punch of healthy antioxidants. But raw chocolate is even healthier and claims to give you an energy boost. I don't like caffeine, but after a long discussion with the vendor, I decided to give it a try because he promised the energy boost would be much more even and natural than caffeine. Plus, it's well-packed nutritionally, which I really needed. I’m happy to report that it lived up to the vendor’s hype, and the addition of nuts and coconut added even more flavor.

[caption id="attachment_745" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="Raw, organic, and tasty with a kick "][/caption]

All in all, Bonnaroo is an amazing weekend I highly recommend experiencing at least once. From what I've heard, they improve it every year, so I hope next year they lower the corndog and grease ratio, and round out the food selection with some healthier, non-greasy options featuring more vegetables.

Lisa Shanken is a nutritionist, culinary teacher and mother. Her insights can be found at HealthyMealPlanning.com

STS9 Releases Remix Album to Help Rebuild in New Orleans

Diana Costello — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:08:11 +0000

Today Sound Tribe Sector 9 releases Peaceblaster: The New Orleans Make It Right Remixes. All proceeds will go toward building a house in New Orleans through the Make It Right Foundation. The album features tracks from 30 artists, including Pretty Lights, the Glitch Mob, Count Bass D, Richard Devine, Eskmo, and Alex B., Ronald Jenkees. HeadCount spoke recently with STS9 drummer Zach Velmer about the project: What motivated you guys to do this? We went to New Orleans about eight months after Katrina and it was truly crazy. Around Halloween, we were down there in the Ninth Ward working on a documentary and we met some people, which spawned this idea of gathering artists together to do something unique that meant something to us. We're from the South – Atlanta – and so it hit home. We're really excited about it, and so are the other artists. Thirty artists donated their time and their tracks for the record, which I think is just so cool. Hopefully we’re going to meet our goal. Who’s on the album and how did you pull everybody together? It's a “who’s who” of what’s going on right now. We couldn't believe it would be 30 artists. Once people found out about the project, they wanted to know how they could help out and be a part of this. It just kind of steamrolled into this “holy moly! We have 30 tracks!” kind of thing. What is the Make It Right Foundation? The Make It Right Foundation is an organization to kind of rebuild the Ninth Ward. We chose them because of what they've been doing down there. The houses they build are totally green, totally sustainable, and it was really cool to see them. We got to go into one of the houses and meet the family. They invited us in for dinner. It was just really cool. How will the money raised by this record be put to use? One hundred percent of the proceeds go toward building a house. The artists donated the tracks, the publicists have donated their time, Mike Wells donated his time to master the record, we donated our time to do the artwork for the record. Absolutely 100 percent of this is going toward this goal. What sort of power do you feel the music community has when it comes to fostering positive change such as this? Honestly, we just try to do our part by any means. I don’t know, man, we’re so blessed. Especially in our community, we have to thank our fans. Because our fans are the one who donate for this record, who buy tickets, and it’s their money. This is a bigger community than I could ever imagine. Honestly, we’re just blessed to do what we do and have these fans who've helped us to perpetuate change. It’s not something we feel we have to do, it’s just inherent in us. It’s kind of like a walking with one foot in front of the other type of thing.

Dave Matthews Band's Wild New York Week

MattFrancis — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:32:36 +0000

The Dave Matthews Band’s emotional June 1 album-release show at Manhattan’s Beacon Theatre was merely a pit stop – well, a three-hour pit stop – on a long journey. During the week of Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King's release, the band played two shows at Boston's Fenway Park before flying into New York. There they appeared on "CBS Sunday Morning News," played their Beacon gig, appeared on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" (complete with self-deprecating skit), and made their morning-TV debut on "The Today Show," following which they flew to Hartford, Connecticut, to continue their summer tour.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Currently playing a handful of festival dates in various European cities, DMB recently wrapped up the first U.S. leg of its tour, which runs into early October – a long way to go. Big Whiskey became the band’s fifth consecutive studio effort to hit the top of Billboard's albums chart. If you’re keeping score at home, that’s Before These Crowded Streets (1998), Everyday (2001), Busted Stuff (2002), Stand Up (2005), and Big Whiskey (2009). (The band's first two albums – Under the Table and Dreaming (1994) and Crash (1996) – are merely multiplatinum sellers.) A culturally aware act able to maintain its relevance over nearly twenty years is a rare thing these days. Not to mention that during those two decades, technology has affected the way people consume music so greatly, that those in charge (or the major labels that used to be) can’t keep up. So the fact that DMB sold nearly a half-million copies of Big Whiskey during its first week is more than impressive in a world of rampant album leakage and file sharing. Look for the Dave Matthews Band on tour when it returns to the U.S. in mid-July.

Phish 3.0: Even Carl Sagan Can't Shine My Shoes

Andy Gadiel — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:01:54 +0000

By Andy Gadiel As I rode the bus home from work last week, watching a live Phish show streamed via someone's iPhone on my laptop connected to mobile Wi-Fi, I couldn't help but think of how far we've come from the days of people running to lobby pay phones at set break to call me with the night's setlist. Moore's law states that the number of transistors that can be placed on a circuit doubles every two years. This means computer speed has essentially quadrupled in the four and half years since Coventry. We've reached a convergence point where the network can finally keep pace with our imaginations. We can now send our messages farther, faster, and cheaper than ever before. You just need to have something worth saying. Fortunately, Phish fans have always embraced the latest tech. The Phish.Net, rec.music.phish, and ZZYZX taught us that there's something genuinely geeky – in a good way – about the band and its music; something that motivates us to build connections via these evolving forms of communication. Phish themselves even embraced innovation by launching LIvephish.com before their (other) reunion show at MSG in 2002, thus becoming the first band to release high-quality, DRM-free soundboard recordings of every night's show immediately for download. Now that Phish is back and touring, there are many – maybe too many – ways to tap into their world. But as summer tour takes a month-long breather, let's catch our technical breaths and run down what went down online over the past month. (Warning: This list may be obsolete by the time the band hits Red Rocks on July 31.) * On the official side, Phish.com hosts From The Road with updated setlists and photos. Bonus: Phish.com also twittered song-by-song setlists during each show. Given the prevalence of new songs, this was even helpful for those in attendance. * While it clearly violates every video and taping policy ever created, ya gotta give props to the PhishTube guy who live-streamed a bunch of shows for fans stuck at home without tickets (or for those of us who've had kids since Coventry). * On the same tip, more than 2,000 Phish videos have been uploaded to YouTube in the past month. * JamBase (my organization) hosts an up-to-the-minute mashup of tweets and twitpics along with nightly setlists, photos, and reviews. * Mister Minor didn't miss a beat with his always thought provoking Phish Thoughts. I especially enjoy his late-second-set quiet moments of reflection. Minor also hosts the No Spoilers project, a concept initiated at the Hampton reunion shows in order to distribute audience recordings of Phish shows without accompanying setlists in order to maintain the element of surprise. Extra credit if you can actually avoid knowing what they played before downloading. * YemBlog provides fresh links to Phish news, blogs, audio, and videos along with highly entertaining twittering of each night's show. * Jambands.com and its counterpart Relix.com continue to offer some of the deepest regular coverage of Phish, especially as they enter their own 3.0 phase. Case in point: Mike Greenhaus' Twitter updates with a mix of setlists and real-time reax. * Phantasytour kept up with all the factual action while also providing consistently hilarious and often well-informed chat in its forum. * Phish.net kicked it old school with reviews of every show. * Glide magazine's Hidden Track blog was on the scene for the tour. * Live Music Blog has daily updates, news, and commentary. * The mainstream press jumped on the bandwagon. * Oh yeah, and I tried to keep up with everything, retro style, on my page. What'd I miss? Add your favorite Phish site to the comments below! Andy Gadiel is the Founder and President of JamBase, the creator of Andy Gadiel's Phish Page, and sits on the board of directors of the Rex Foundation and HeadCount. Andy has been using technology to bring fans closer to the music they love for more than fifteen years.

The Talibanned Sounds of Young Pakistan

Richard Gehr — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:19:12 +0000

[caption id="attachment_820" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Zeek Afridi"][/caption] In November 2001, the sounds of rubabs, dutars, and other musical instruments were heard in the streets of Kabul, Afghanistan, for the first time since the Taliban's draconian regulations were installed in 1996. The Taliban, through its Ministry of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, had been arresting musicians, destroying instruments, shredding tapes, smashing VCRs, and preventing both private and public musical performances. Their justification? Muhammed's threat that, "Those who listen to music and songs in this world, on the Day of Judgment, molten lead will be poured into their ears." When I wrote about the Taliban's battle against most music in the Village Voice, the Northern Alliance had recently marched into Kabul to roust the fundies. Unfortunately, the Taliban's currently back to its old wickedness in Pakistan, where a new generation of young performers, and their families, are being targeted. The popular young Pashtun singer Zeek Afridi, for example, is being harassed via text messages, according to Radio Liberty. Zeek's big hit is "Khyber Zalmi," whose 70-year-old lyrics celebrate patriotic "brave youth" opposing those with "bad intentions." The "Khyber Zalmi" video juxtaposes a sentimental melody sung by earnest young men bearing machine guns. Freemuse, an online journal devoted to "freedom of musical expression," regularly reports on other examples of music censorship in Pakistan and elsewhere. In April, Taliban members shaved the heads and mustaches of four men in Buner (near Islamabad) for listening to music. The same month, the Lahore High Court banned songs by Lahore singers Naseebo Lal and Nooro Lal, deeming them "indecent, immoral" and "against the values of a Muslim society." As Zeek Afridi told Radio Liberty, "We are all at risk."

Jimmy Buffet's Politics for Parrotheads

Richard Gehr — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:46:11 +0000

I've never been the world's biggest (or smallest) Jimmy Buffett fan. But I certainly respect his respect for his fans as well as his unabashedly hedonistic outlook. Surprisingly, Buffett comes out swinging against the powers that be on "A Lot to Drink About," an unrecorded new song he did not perform at Bonnaroo last week (although he did open with "Let's Get Drunk and Screw" and later covered "Scarlet Begonias"). I like "A Lot to Drink About," which Buffett debuted at the original Margaritaville in February. It's basically a topical country and Western tune with references to Ponzi schemers both in and out of the White House:

Now Madoff made off with all the money. Now his clients are down to skunk weed. Repeat after me, it’s so easy to see We’re only talking simple greed. And those Somalian pirates are counting all the gold. While Bush and Cheney ain’t around and all the good lookers seem to be Czech hookers from Key West to London town.

God bless America, indeed. Meanwhile, Buffett's new single, "Summerzcool," also has a bit of a bite:

You messed up you read the paper You accidentally watched the news You inadvertently find yourself in the vicinity of the blues Bust your ass to get a good life You make a habit out of overtime When the big report card comes Your priorities are way out of line Chorus: You need to go to summer school Into the beach or at least in a pool Time to go to summer school Remember what is and what is not cool

The Boston Globe recently spoke with Buffett about his newfound sense of indignation:

Q. You haven’t been afraid to let loose lately about the state of the country. What’s up with that? A. There’s a lot of stupidity going around on all sides. The country bought it all, and I thought people needed to be reminded about how stupid they were. And it’s an ongoing saga. I can certainly put more verses in “A Lot to Drink About’’ as we go along. For instance, I noticed that the schools are closing in Los Angeles, but the Lakers were just given a parade. There’s no end to the crazy things going on. Q. Did you get swept up in the Madoff scandal yourself? A. No, it all smelled like a rat in the beginning. I guess I’ve worked with so many crooked promoters that I can smell ’em. Money made on moving money around never interested me.

Michael Jackson 1958-2009

Richard Gehr — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:56:54 +0000

Other than the occasional rumor about Phish performing Thriller some Halloween or other, the late Michael Jackson never made much of an impact on the improv-rock scene. His tightly knit arrangements and intricately choreographed stage presence never quite fit improv-rock's looser and bluesier bent. But, man, could that cat – and his four brothers – deliver the fireworks onstage, as I learned during an utterly mind-blowing show at the Los Angeles Forum during the Jacksons' Triumph tour in 1981. As this weird clip taken from a video mixing board shows, among his other talents, Michael Jackson was also a master of the tease.

Dave Matthews Band Fosters Sustainability

MattFrancis — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:49:07 +0000

In the July issue of Relix magazine, Dave Matthews explained the lyrics to “Dive In,” an apocalyptic warning from the band’s month-old Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King: “It’s talking about the future of our planet, but in a very lilting, light hearted way," Matthews said. "The gravity of the topic sort of sneaks up a little bit. If you think this song sounds light, you need to listen a little harder. It’s the end of the fucking world, that song!” Matthews is no doubt speaking about global warming and climate change. So what are Matthews, his band, and their fans doing about it? A recent DMB email blast introduced the Bama Green Project, a group of green initiatives the band has taken on. The Bama Green Project is a partnership with Reverb (founded by Adam Gardner of Guster and his wife, Lauren Sullivan, to promote environmental sustainability among musicians and their fans) and IZSTYLE (an environmentally conscious music, sports, and design project founded by DMB bassist Stefan Lessard). DMB has also teamed up with Collective Good, a cell-phone recycling organization. Fans who recycle their phones become eligible for free merch from the DMB's store at Music Today. Likewise, with every purchase of Dave Matthews-designed vegan-friendly kicks, TOMS shoes will donate a pair to a needy child. The Bama Green Project’s other partners include: * HeadCount * Honest Tea: The nation’s top-selling organic bottled tea company is on the road with DMB this summer to help green the tour while hydrating fans. * Specialized bicycles: Riding a bike is greener than a car in more ways than one. * ClimateCounts: A nonprofit consumer-awareness organization that helps consumers buy the most eco-friendly products possible. * The Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance: promoting sustainable biodiesel practices. * PickupPal: This free online carpool service delivers economic value while contributing toward the reduction of carbon emissions caused by ground transportation. * NativeEnergy: With significant ownership by Native American tribes, this wind farm-building organization fights global warming while creating new sustainable communities.

Headbanger Politics in Malaysia

Richard Gehr — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:57:30 +0000

[caption id="attachment_852" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Second Combat"][/caption] I'm not an expert on Malaysian politics. But I was fascinated by this Malaysian Insider article about the voting inclinations of young underground metal, punk, and ska musicians who play their music – and express their views – in this country of 10 million Muslims (about 50 percent of the population).

Khairuddin Aziz, a guitarist with the straight-edge hardcore band Second Combat, believes that the younger generation of “tweeters” will not swallow whole the mainstream media’s vilification of PAS [Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, a popular opposition party to the ruling National Front coalition]. He believes they are more than capable of making their own judgement. "I think it would be better than it is now if PAS rules the country. At least there wouldn't be any corruption," he told The Malaysian Insider. His remark is something which would have been unheard of just a few years ago. Many in the underground music scene regard PAS as the enemy instead of BN [Barisian Nacional, AKA National Front, the nation's ruling party], as the Islamist conservatives is considered a threat to their way of lives. "Go for the lesser evil," said political science graduate and bass player for Komplot, Haekal Talib on the growing antipathy some young urban Malay voters may feel towards Umno [United Malays National Organisation, the nation's largest party], the party of their fathers.

Krugman: Climate-Change Deniers Committing 'Treason'

Josh Gelfand — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:51:32 +0000

[caption id="attachment_879" align="alignleft" width="92" caption="Paul Krugman"][/caption] By Josh Gelfand Leave it to Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman to speak truth to power, even if the power in question lost narrowly in the House last week. Krugman's Monday New York Times column called out the 212 dissenting voters of the Waxman-Markey climate-change bill:

"A handful of these no votes came from representatives who considered the bill too weak, but most rejected the bill because they rejected the whole notion that we have to do something about greenhouse gases. "And as I watched the deniers make their arguments, I couldn’t help thinking that I was watching a form of treason — treason against the planet."

Krugman is not alone in understanding that the issue of climate change is not simply about the environment but about the global economy as well. Economic recovery can only succeed by focusing on sustainable economic forces, and ignoring the effects of climate change will inevitably lead to worldwide economic disaster. Can you imagine a summer music festival in 115-degree heat? Disastrous summer heat waves will become the norm if we don't act fast and aggressively – and no one wants to dance in that kind of weather. Don't get me wrong. While this bill is an important step in launching a carbon-regulation market, it leaves a lot to be desired. Most analysts believe it will not be nearly aggressive enough to make the necessary impact. While virtually any bill that sets out to regulate carbon is better than no bill at all, this one attaches some very questionable components. For example, Waxman-Markey gives free permits to the biggest emitters rather than auctioning off the permits to raise revenue and offset any potential energy cost increases. Without putting a proper price on permits, this could devalue carbon as opposed to driving up the price, which would directly encourage cuts in emissions. Unfortunately, considering all the issues the Obama administration is currently dealing with, from health care to Iran to celebrity deaths, there wasn't the grassroots push necessary to strengthen the bill. This led to a watering down in order to get some of the more fossil fuel-loving Dems on board. Still, it's a start. With Waxman-Markey as a foundation, we can begin regulating carbon as the enemy pollutant it is, which opens the door for bolstering regulation down the road. Let your senators know how important it is that they pass this bill. It's never too late for a grassroots push. Remind them that not taking action now is a crime against country and planet. As Merl Saunders said, "Save the planet so we have somewhere to boogie!"

Oregon Passes Hemp Bill

Josh Gelfand — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:11:18 +0000

By Josh Gelfand Leave it to those crazy Oregonians to step up and pass a definitive industrial-hemp legalization bill. Yesterday the Oregon House passed SB 676 by a vote of 46-11. It will allow production and possession of industrial hemp along with trade in industrial hemp commodities and products. Oregon is now the ninth state to pass such a law. It joins Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana, North Dakota, Vermont, and West Virginia in regulating hemp farming under state law. The Hemp Industries Association pegged last year's retail sales of all hemp products in North America at $360 million. Allowing U.S. farmers to grow and process the diverse, profitable, and eco-friendly crop will help decrease imports and increase domestic production and exports, thereby narrowing the trade gap. The "Billion Dollar Crop" heralded by Popular Mechanics magazine in 1927 can finally live up to its potential. Hemp has been illegal to grow in the U.S. for more than 50 years because of misinformation and politicization by the Drug Enforcement Agency, along with competitive business pressures from the pharmaceutical, paper, and synthetic-fiber industries. For information on what's happening in your state, check out Vote Hemp

Persepolis 2.0: History, Comics Repeat Themselves in Iran

Richard Gehr — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:06:09 +0000

By Richard Gehr In 2004, Marjane Satrapi published Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood, a graphic autobiography about her family's experience during the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when the Shah of Iran was overthrown (with the help of the US government). The new regime turned out to be even more repressive than the previous one, so her parents sent Satrapi to Austria, where she experienced both an awakening and an emotional breakdown. (Satrapi faithfully translated her gorgeous book into an equally elegant 2007 movie.) Last week two Iranian expatriates known as Sina and Payman published a "remixed" version of Satrapi's work, with the author's permission, as a website. Persepolis 2.0 uses Satrapi's images, with new words, to recount Iran's June 12 election and its violent aftermath. It begins with the optimism of election day and ends with the June 20 shooting of Neda Agha-Soltan, the iconic martyr of the Iranian opposition. Widely translated and distributed – via email, Facebook, and Twitter – Persepolis 2.0 has become one of the more prominent expressions of disgust at the rigged election. In an interview in today's Guardian, Sina said: "I've read some comments online from people angry that we 'ruined' Satrapi's work or unhappy with the poor quality of the copy. Their opinions are valid, but our point was just to get people to discuss Iran so that it didn't slip back into collective obscurity. "Satrapi's novels are about her life, but to my generation of Iranians (at least in the west) they have become more than that: they have become iconic. The fact that images from 30 years ago can tell a story about what is happening now makes them all the more powerful."

Mr. Franken Goes To Washington - Seven Months Later

Josh Gelfand — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:45:57 +0000

By Josh Gelfand The Democrats now have the filibuster-proof majority they've been hoping for, at least on paper. Today the Minnesota Supreme Court decided unanimously to declare Al Franken the winner of the long-contested Senate seat. The Court determined that incumbent Norm Coleman did not have the grounds to dispute the election, and they recommended that Franken be seated. Coleman conceded, even though he had the opportunity to seek a federal injunction. Governor Tim Pawlenty said he would sign the certification to seat Franken today. With the two Senate independents – Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Joe Lieberman of Connecticut – that usually caucus with the Dems, it looks as though they will have the necessary 60 votes necessary to block Republican filibusters. The Dems have been challenged by the absences of senators Ted Kennedy and Robert Byrd, who've been ill. Franken cannot be seated until next week because the Senate is out of session for a long Fourth of July weekend.

Interview: The Greening Of Rothbury

Richard Gehr — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:47:10 +0000

By Richard Gehr As the Rothbury Festival cranks up for its second year at the JJ Ranch in Rothbury, Michigan, this weekend, festival founders Jeremy Stein and Don Strasburg discuss how Rothbury represents the cutting edge of large-event environmentalism, and what this can mean for society as a whole. How is Rothbury greener than any other festival this summer? Jeremy Stein: We're not in competition with anyone. But when this was coming together about three years ago, we were looking at a lot of pieces, like biodiesel on tour buses or whatever, and noticed that no one had put them all together in one place yet. We asked ourselves, how can we get it all in one place and maybe create a new paradigm for large-scale events? The technology's changing so fast that what we did last year is already outdated, so we have to stay in front of the wave. What's changed most since last year? Jeremy: Some of it's the non-glory stuff, like composting. It's nice to say you're composting, but a lot of waste-management companies and municipalities don't have the facilities to handle any compost. We almost had to create our own system. But now there are a lot of companies working around here that can come out and help us. Don Strasburg: One of the coolest things I saw last year was the giant shredder that reduced the amount of compost we generate. We had a vision that if our community can't get out front and center and say that our lives are interwoven with nature and the fabric of the environment, do you think Rush Limbaugh and those people are gonna do it? Absolutely not! Rothbury's goal is to set an example and have a great time while being better stewards for the planet. What's the hardest part of trying to get thousands of festivalgoers to think green? Jeremy: The good thing is, it's starting to happen in our culture and society. But you have to get down to the nuances. For example, we had 500 people on our green team last year. Many of them are at these recycling stations where there are three different cans: a landfill can, a compost can, and a recycling can. So when people walk over, rather than just not knowing where to throw something, they can ask a question. "Where should this plate go?" "Oh that goes in compost, it's made of sugarcane." "Wow, I didn't know that." It sparks a discussion, and education, and people start to figure out what's up and what's down with this stuff. There's a lot of great intention out there, and we're in a phase where education is most important with the whole greening issue. Don: Our goal has been to show how environmentalism weaves through the fabric of our lives. It's not some separate element. The concept behind Rothbury is that you can have a huge party and great time while still being a good member of your community. Five years from now, our perfect scenario would be that you wouldn't have to ask us about this because it's no longer important. Last night I was with this guy who sells carbon credits. He said, "Do we ever think about taking our trash out?" No, you put in a bag, put in a dumpster, and a company comes and takes it away. It's part of the fabric of how we live. We don't just dump the trash in the middle of the road. Twenty years ago we needed commercials of Indians crying on the side of the road to remind us not to litter. But it slowly weaved its way into the culture. Now we have to go that much further. I hope that in five years we won't be a front-runner and that everyone will be doing this, whether it's Wal-Mart, Rothbury, or Joe Blow the Plummer. Jeremy: We already have large-scale event operators and stadium operators coming to us, saying they really want do something and how do we do it? They're looking at the waste streams that come out of large events, like college football games or baseball games at Shea Stadium. And they're toxic waste streams, which means they're not divided into recycling or compost or what not. You can make some very easy changes and make huge differences. They're not even recycling beer cups at football stadiums. But I feel that in another year or two, it's really going to turn the corner pretty hard across the board. Tell me about the Think Tank. Jeremy: Well, there's a big-picture side to it all, too. On the operative side, there's bio-diesel and the waste stream and how we produce energy onsite. The other side of it is the Think Tank, where you can hear some of the most advanced minds in the world talk about where they're at with this subject. And you get their thoughts directly without the media or political filter. Our speakers include scientists and CEOs. They're not the talking heads you see all the time, they're the real doers. I think that resonates a lot, especially with the younger crowd. They don't want marketing spewed at them. They want to hear what the real guys are doing. And there's a reverse effect. All the scientists were coming up to me and saying, "This is unbelievable. I teach a class at Yale or Stanford, and there's no way I can get in front of thousands of kids. It turns us into rock stars. People are coming up and asking about internships. 'How do I get a job? How do I get involved?'" Kids can start to see a future and connect with the folks who really make a difference. How many attendees donate to the carbon-balancing effort? Jeremy: A large percentage, actually. A lot of them contribute $3 and $7 from their tickets because they're both offsetting their own footprint and contributing to our sustainable schools program. Thanks to their contributions, we installed a $70,000 solar system in the local high school last year. What are your biggest community-outreach efforts? Jeremy: Sustainable schools is a huge one. There's also music in schools, which has had a big effect locally. We gave about $25,000 worth of instruments to music classes. Michigan's the same as everywhere else: When education funding gets cut, the arts are usually first in line. So we're trying to lend some support there. We also support a farmer's market. There's both a farmers market available onsite to everyone, but also the backstage catering and everywhere else. What else makes Rothbury different from all the other summer festivals out there? Don: Besides the environmental stuff, the show, and the party, the site drives everything. It's like going away to summer camp for a long weekend. The site itself is simply a fun place to be. You can go swimming. You have a whole forest where you can hang in hammocks all afternoon. It's just a pretty area to be, a nice environment. And at night all the art and nuances of the experience are really amplified. When we decided to do Rothbury, we said, "If we don't do something completely different, there's no reason to do it." And I feel we've delivered really nicely on that front so far. Jeremy: It's all about the venue, the venue, the venue. Most festivals are just on one big flat piece of land. This one has a fourteen-acre forest in the middle that everyone has to go through, and lakes to swim in. It's just a grand old place. Last year it was 78 degrees every day and not very humid because of the lake breeze. Don: It's nice to wake up in your tent at eight in the morning and not be sweating in a hundred degrees. I really have to give kudos to Jeremy. He worked with local people to move some dirt around to create excellent sites to watch music. It's imperceptible at first, but there's about a 4% grade in front of the main stage. You can sit in the back and still get a beautiful view of the stage. That's always our experiment: What would be the coolest thing we could do?

Indonesian Reggae Inna Political Stylee

Richard Gehr — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:15:09 +0000

By Richard Gehr As in Malaysia, indie and underground headbangers and skankers in Indonesia are also taking to the stage and freely expressing political opinions as the country gears up for its July 8 presidential election. With a population of 228 million, 200 million of whom are Muslim, Indonesia boasts the world's largest Islamic population. People listen mostly to Western influenced pop Indonesia and also to dangdut, a fascinating hybrid of local, Arabic, and Hindustani sounds. But this article focuses on an emerging reggae singer named Ras Muhamad, 26, who's become a particularly outspoken critic of political business as usual: "'Not everyone likes what they hear. Lawmakers probably see me as an enemy. I don't single out specific individuals so I haven't got into serious trouble yet,' Muhamad told AFP....'I'm nationalistic and I want society to progress. I want the government to provide our youths with proper education, end child labour, protect migrant workers. I'm not a mere entertainer. I have opinions,' he said." Indonesia's political climate has changed substantially since the authoritarian president Suharto (1967-98) dominated the country through military control with the help of the U.S. government. As the unlikely named Happy Bone Zulkarnain (of Suharto's former political group, the Golkar Party) told France 24, "I don't see why any political leader should feel offended by the lyrics unless he or she has done something wrong and feels guilty."

Is Pirate Bay Selling Out Or Buying In?

Richard Gehr — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:25:10 +0000

By Richard Gehr During the past several months, the Pirate Bay BitTorrent tracking site has evolved into something more than a means for some 20 million users to trade files legally or otherwise. Beginning in Sweden, it has inspired Pirate political parties active in at least fourteen other European countries. The movement has its martyrs, too. On April 17, four Pirate Bay associates were found guilty of assisting copyright infringement, sentenced to a year in prison, and fine the equivalent of $3.6 million. In a surprisingly weird turn of events, Pirate Bay was purchased by the Swedish software firm Global Gaming Factory on Tuesday for $8 million. Beginning as early as next month, the Bay's bounty of unlicensed movies, music, videogames, and software will be removed and replaced with content that will actually be for sale. The company's chief executive, Hans Pandeya, told Wired.com that the songs will remain the same for Pirate Bay users. "Some file-sharers don’t like all this money talk, and they’re leaving," he said. But "the user experience is going to be the same. From the user’s point of view, they’re doing a search, they’re finding the song or the movie, and they’re downloading it." Members will also be able to upload their own content, as on YouTube. Pirate Bay users are already crying "mutiny!" Bootleggers will naturally just move elsewhere. But at least the Pirate Bay's four convicted principals will now be able to pay their fine, with a little something extra left over.

A Fourth Of July Message From Ted Nugent

Richard Gehr — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:58:59 +0000

Don't tread on Ted, Fedzilla. Ultraconservative semi-retired rock guitarist, bowhunter, gun nut, and hippie hater Ted Nugent flexes his disdain for big gubmint in this rant condemning bailouts, public health care, and anything else trampling the rights of rugged individualists everywhere.

As the stunned and defeated British army marched out of Yorktown, their band appropriately played the song "A World Turned Upside Down." Our forefathers pledged their lives and fortunes to fight and defeat the world's mightiest army and give birth to America. Our victory over King George was the greatest military upset in the annals of human history. George Washington believed our amazing victory was a result of divine providence. The dream of limited government, personal freedom and liberty, rugged individualism, and self-sufficiency that our forefathers fought and died for is rapidly disappearing in 2009. It is once again a world turned upside down. Our federal government is turning into the very type of heavy-handed, unaccountable, and disrespectful government our forefathers despised, fought against, and warned us to avoid. Too few Americans know and appreciate this critically important piece of American history. Shame on them. Instead of heeding the warnings of our forefathers, we have embraced big government and both political parties have been more than happy to give it to us over the past 45 years, thereby making us more dependent on Fedzilla--the federal beast with a voracious appetite for our tax dollars, and intentionally creating dependency and control. We are once again becoming subjects, not citizens. Fedzilla is the most unresponsive, unaccountable, bloated and ineffective bureaucratic nightmare the world has ever witnessed. It punishes the producers and risk-takers while rewarding the simpletons it has conned into believing it is helping. Fedzilla is the enemy of the free market and freedom. Instead of allowing the free market to correct itself, Fedzilla meddles in the free market and makes things worse. I give you Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Using our tax dollars, Fedzilla has purchased General Motors, and bailed out AIG and other financial institutions. Fedzilla pushed through an unauthorized trillion-dollar economic stimulus bill that not one elected representative read before voting on it. Regardless what legal nuance or loophole some Fedzillacrat lawyer could point to in our constitution or court decision that allows for such grotesque meddling and spending, I adamantly believe this level of federal meddling and control was not the dream of our forefathers. And guess what? It’s not working. Our economy would recover more and faster if Congress repealed the phony “stimulus” and get out of the way of free market capitalism. In the latest of initiatives that "we must solve immediately," President Obama wants to Fedzillarize the health-care industry. Placing your health and trust in the bureaucratic hands of Fedzilla is analogous to asking a drunk driver for a ride. Fedzilla will destroy your health. It creates cancer, does not cure it. We are witnessing what large government will do to its citizens and to itself if left virtually unchecked. Due to unsustainable and out-of-control "budgets", the state of California is on verge of a financial meltdown. Other states such as New York are not far behind. Fedzilla will ultimately collapse under its own weight because the socialism model it is built upon is ultimately unsustainable. However, the social, economic, and cultural carnage it will cause to America until it collapses will be catastrophic. Free men and women are horrified. Higher taxes and more government ultimately lead to economic genocide. Alternatively, lower taxes, less government, and more independence lead to prosperity for all who are willing to take advantage of it. Our forefathers who threw the tea over the side of the ship in Boston Harbor knew this. The people who attended the Tea Parties this past April know it. Do you? Sometime during your Dependence Day celebration, you should take a few moments and read the Declaration of Independence aloud to your children, relatives and guests. Read it slowly and let the words sink in. When finished, reflect for a moment on our forefathers who bravely signed their names to it, thereby signing their own death warrant. Think about that. They were willing to die for the chance at limited federal government, independence, freedom and liberty. They didn't fight and die for freedom so you could have Fedzilla housing, food, transportation and health care. To my fellow Americans who still cherish the dream of our founding fathers, I wish you a wonderful and Happy Independence Day. To those of you who are willing to compromise your liberty and freedom in the hopes that Fedzilla will provide you an artificial blanket of security, enjoy your Dependence Day. I'm a free man--a citizen, not a subject--who still hears the distant ringing of the Liberty Bell. Don't tread on me and I won't be forced to Ted on you. Be forewarned: push me too far at your own peril.

Proxmire, Perseverance, And Fiscal Responsibility

eric — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:47:44 +0000

By Eric Leventhal This is William Proxmire, a Democratic senator from Wisconsin who was elected after the death of Joseph McCarthy in 1957 and who remained in office until he retired in 1989. His 32-year commitment to American politics is particularly relevant to our world in 2009.

First, Proxmire epitomizes the virtue of perseverance. When he sought to accomplish something, he did so with a firm and steadfast commitment to completion rarely allowing for compromise, much to the chagrin of many of his colleagues. Every morning the Senate was in session, from 1967 to 1986 (3211 days), Proxmire would extend an impassioned plea for ratification of the International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Although Proxmire was criticized repeatedly for grandstanding and unnecessary ostentation, the treaty eventually passed the "advice and consent" legislative stage. In an era when "change" has been promised, particularly to the young, Proxmire's tenacity is a beacon of hope to all political activists.

Second, Proxmire introduced the "Golden Fleece" awards, which he regularly bestowed upon governmental expenditures he deemed gratuitous or unnecessary. In 1975, for example, he presented the award to the National Science Foundation for spending $84,000 to study how and why people fall in love. Another Golden Fleece was presented to the National Institute for Mental Health, which spent $97,000 "researching," (through repeated visitation) a Peruvian brothel. In an era in which the President is CEO of an iconic American automobile company, and nobody is entirely sure what happened to all the TARP money, Proxmire's vision of fiscal responsibility is increasingly prescient.

Senator Proxmire repeatedly fought for the protection, sanctity, and viability of the American taxpayer. His spirit of self-disinterest is inspiring at a time when Americans must come to grips with the ramifications of Madoff-ian greed.

Drug Decriminalization In Portugal, Eight Years Later

Richard Gehr — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:24:23 +0000

Portugal decriminalized all recreational drugs in 2001. The country's experiment turned out to be a great success. This July 1 BBC report on the results indicates that while drug abuse remains a problem for some Portuguese, the country's decision to emphasize treatment over prosecution has led to declining drug use in addition to emptier prisons. via Dose Nation

Strip Searching Students Is Not OK

Jonathan Perri — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:08:36 +0000

By Jonathan Perri We shouldn't have needed the Supreme Court to confirm that school administrators do not have the authority to strip search students they suspect of wrongdoing. But that's what happened June 25 when Savana Redding finally had her day in court nearly six years after being strip searched by a school administrator and nurse because they thought she was hiding Ibuprofen in her underwear. That's right, Ibuprofen. Although the humiliating and intrusive search was fruitless, the incident had a profound effect on Redding. The honor student was labled "the girl who brought pills to school" and eventually dropped out. Redding, then 13, sued the school district for violating her fourth-amendment rights. After years of ascending from court to court, Redding, now 19, finally has closure. The Supreme Court ruled 8-1 that her constitutional rights were violated by the school. Unfortunately, this type of "guilty until proven innocent" is all too common among youth and authority figures. Savana Redding, though, did what most young people are too intimidated to do - she stood up for what she knew was right and didn't give up.

Radiohead Manager Launches New Label

Richard Gehr — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:14:14 +0000

In a recent Time Out Chicago interview, German DJ-producer Paul van Dyk trashed Radiohead for being rich millionaires who could afford to give away 2007's In Rainbows while less successful musicians still eat cat food:

"Bands like Radiohead who basically made millions and millions and millions of dollars back in the days when there were no download sites....I believe that thing that Radiohead did was absolutely counterproductive for developing music and for any artist in the world. And was very selfish. But the thing is, you just have to see the bigger picture. It’s not like they just give their music away for free to somebody. I mean, they don’t need that money, fair enough, so why not. But in return, what would have been a fair gesture is saying, “Okay you pay for my record but I don’t take the money, I give it to the young bands, I give it to whoever supports interesting new music."

He may have spoken too soon. NME reports that one of the Radiohead's managers, Brian Message, has launched a new label called Polyphonic that will release albums by the likes of the aforementioned young bands digitally, in the same manner as In Rainbows, "which fans could choose how much to pay for when downloading it." Artists would receive half the profits. Adam Driscoll, one of the label's principals, added, "Giving an album away for free may get one million people listening to a new artist." Well, at least the overhead's low.

Bob Weir Twitters From DC

Richard Gehr — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:37:01 +0000

By Richard Gehr Mr. Weir went to Washington yesterday, as you can see from this handsome photo he twittered. Standing between Bob and Mickey Hart is of course Minnesota's brand new junior senator – and longtime Deadhead – Al Franken. He also stopped by the White House for a meeting and meal with presidential aide Peter Rouse (also a Deadhead), and then headed over to the office of Senator Barbara Boxer. Mickey Hart got some time with Boxer on his own. Bob and Mickey have played fundraisers this year for both Franken and Boxer, and have become DC regulars. This is their third trip to the Washington in 2009, with each visit market by meetings with important policy makers. Weir's tweets offer no commentary, just photos. But his pictures - including one of the White House and another of the presidential seal - speak loud and proud.

New Google Products Unearth Gaffs From The Past

eric — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:36:04 +0000

By Eric Leventhal Is there anything Google can't do? I'm convinced they're just a few thousand lines of code away from solving the Middle East conundrum. Introducing In Quotes and Audio Indexing, two new Google Labs applications that are somehow both addictive and truly beneficial to researchers of all levels of sophistication. It's fascinatingly easy to unearth retrospective hypocrisy (John Edwards discussing the value of his marriage) and grandstanding (John McCain speaking about the Iraq War to a Tyler, Texas, crowd in 2008). The better informed we are, the more likely we'll be outraged into doing something about it. So kudos to Google for facilitating change yet again.

Happy Birthday Apple App Store

Diana Costello — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:42:29 +0000

The Apple App Store celebrates its first birthday this week by gathering some of its favorite games and apps on iTunes. Among the top of the list are apps for Pandora Radio and the Midomi Music Identifier and Search, both clutch for music fans.

The store’s official launch date was July 11, 2008 following some earlier leaks. During that short amount of time, Apple claims more than 50,000 applications and 1 billion downloads. Also on the list of Apple’s favorites are apps for The Sims 3, MLB.com At Bat, and BeejiveIM 3.0, which helps you to stay in touch with your instant messaging buddies. The list goes on and on, of course, and there’s no doubt the company has revolutionized the industry. What are some of your favorites? Personally, my vote for one of the best new uses of an iPhone goes out to the crew over at @phishtube on Twitter. These guys have been broadcasting live Phish shows from their iPhone on USTREAM, creating quite a frenzy among the many who couldn’t make it to the shows. (I feel obliged to extend special thanks here to an otherwise unsung hero in the initial broadcasting enterprise: Headlamp Derek. Who knows what would have happened if you hadn’t so graciously given up your batteries for the greater good!) I have no idea how they do it. But hey, it’s still cool!

LSD-Inventor Albert Hoffman Writes Apple CEO Steve Jobs

Richard Gehr — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:03:51 +0000

[caption id="attachment_1051" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Albert Hoffman by Alex Grey"][/caption] By Richard Gehr Ryan Grimm neatly distills the fascinating historical confluence of psychedelic drugs (mostly LSD) and computer culture in this Huffington Post excerpt from his forthcoming book, This Is Your Country on Drugs: The Secret History of Getting High in the United States. The surprising bit, however, is this reproduction of a 2007 handwritten letter from 101-year old (!) LSD-inventor Dr. Albert Hoffman, asking Apple CEO Steve Jobs to financially assist the first "the first LSD-assisted psychotherapy study in over 35 years." Hoffman died in 2008 and Jobs apparently never contributed to the study. But don't let that stop you from contributing to the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies-sponsored study.

California Commercial Advocates Pot Legalization, Regulation, Taxation

Jonathan Perri — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:30:26 +0000

In California, the Marijuana Policy Project has begun airing a TV commercial calling for the legalization, regulation, and taxation of marijuana to help the state's crippling budget crisis. Marijuana has been the top cash crop in California for years, bringing in $14 billion a year even during prohibition. Under a legal and regulated system, marijuana tax revenue would generate a significant amount of money while also saving tax dollars that would otherwise be spent on enforcement. While some might argue that legalization will increase youthful consumption, au contraire. If you're under 21, you're still going to get carded if you try to purchase a six pack. But when was the last time you heard of a drug dealer asking for ID? Furthermore, cigarette use among the young is thankfully declining in California, despite the fact that nicotine is one of the most addictive drugs on the planet. Yet we've managed to decrease the drug's appeal and usage simply by enforcing age restrictions and increasing the tax on tobacco - exactly the type of marijuana legislation being proposed in California. On the other hand, the annual Monitoring the Future Survey shows that more tenth graders are actually smoking pot than cigarettes. To paraphrase Nancy Reagan: Just say later.

80 Million Strong DC Summit Meeting Addresses Youth Unemployment

Richard Gehr — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:43:54 +0000

While the official US unemployment rate hovers around 9.5%, the percentage of unemployed young people and recent college graduates is at least twice that figure. And the numbers for young Hispanics and African-Americans are another several points higher. Add the ridiculous $27,000 of debt with which the average grad is encumbered, and the absence of health insurance, and you have a recipe for immense financial pain before a large slice of young work lives has even begun. 80 Million Strong, a coalition of 28 national youth organizations (including HeadCount) striving to help young Americans "own and direct their economic reality," is convening a summit meeting at Washington, DC's Capitol Visitor Center on July 14 and 15 to develop legislative proposals to counteract how unfairly young Americans are effected by the recession. Speakers will include House Democratic Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, former Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle, House Majority Whip James Clyburn, Jared Bernstein (senior economic adviser to Vice President Joe Biden), and Van Jones (Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality). Summit Information: Tuesday, July 14, 2009 – Conference Capitol Visitor Center, Rm. 215 A&B 8:30am to 7:00pm Wednesday, July 15, 2009 – Advocacy Day Capitol Hill 9:00am to 12:00pm

Joan Baez Sings 'We Shall Overcome' In Farsi

Richard Gehr — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:08:52 +0000

During last month's fixed election, Joan Baez sat down in what appears to be her kitchen to dedicate a stately solo version of "We Shall Overcome" to the people of Iran – with lyrics in Farsi.

Hearing The Grateful Dead Again For The Very First Time

Richard Gehr — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:06:29 +0000

By Richard Gehr Like many geezers who've been listening to the Grateful Dead for decades, my passion for America's Beatles was fueled by analog cassette tape trading via the US postal system. During those long, slow days before Al Gore invented the Internet, there always seemed to be time aplenty to dupe, package, mail, and await similar boxes of sublime audience recordings that spread like samizdat by like-minded fans. Don't got time for that now, unfortunately. But thanks to the awesome audience recordings featured on The Grateful Dead Listening Guide, my big love of the Dead has been rekindled. Noah Weiner has been touting the joys of exemplary audience recordings since early last year. Entrusted with digitalizing the analog tapes of some veteran tapers, Weiner has taken to the Internet with detailed analyses of eras, runs, shows, and satori moments. (After telling you all about it, he points you right to the Internet Archive download.) He's an elegant writer with a sharp ear for exactly what puts a jam or a show over the top. Moreover, he's deeply attuned to the ambience captured by analog traders, right down mike positioning and the (one hopes) muted conversations of bystanders. I wouldn't miss hearing whatever show happens to be Weiner's current favorite. But I was blown away by some perfect eighties moments he put together for the most recent of his exquisite podcasts, the latest in a nearly indispensable series for both newcomers and longtime fellow travelers. Weiner's Archive offers almost the platonic model of what a fan site should be: passion, knowledge, and communication, all at one very affordable price, with no postage necessary.

Don't Save The Date For Phish In Indio

Richard Gehr — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:37:26 +0000

Despite numerous rumors to the contrary, Phish today made the entire state of California disappear from its map of potential Halloween-run locations.

New York Philharmonic To Perform Trey Anastasio's 'Time Turns Elastic'

Richard Gehr — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 20:01:55 +0000

And in yet more Phish-related news (non-rumors division):

NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC TO GIVE NEW YORK PREMIERE OF TIME TURNS ELASTIC WITH TREY ANASTASIO AT CARNEGIE HALL, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2009, AT 8:00 P.M. An Evening With Trey Anastasio and the New York Philharmonic, A Benefit for the Kristine Anastasio Manning Memorial Fund and the New York Philharmonic, Will Also Include Orchestrations of Classic Anastasio Songs Featuring Trey Anastasio, Co-Founder, Guitarist, and Lead Singer of Phish The New York Philharmonic will give the New York premiere of Time Turns Elastic - a work for vocals, electric guitar, and orchestra composed by Trey Anastasio, lead singer and guitarist of Phish, and his longtime collaborator, Don Hart - at Carnegie Hall, Saturday, September 12, 2009, at 8:00 p.m. An Evening with Trey Anastasio and the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Asher Fisch - a benefit for the Kristine Anastasio Manning Memorial Fund and the New York Philharmonic - will also include orchestrations of classic Anastasio songs, featuring Mr. Anastasio, who was named one of Rolling Stone's "Greatest Guitarists of All Time," in his Philharmonic debut. The concert will be presented by Princeton Entertainment and the New York Philharmonic. Time Turns Elastic blends classical music with rock-blues guitar. "Initially," says Mr. Anastasio, "I thought it would be a Phish song, but after I sent a demo of it to Don, it just grew organically into an orchestral piece. I grew up loving Ravel and Eric Clapton equally," Mr. Anastasio continues, "so I kept saying to Don, 'why can't we have a piece of music that's half Ravel and half Cream's Disraeli Gears?'" "The Haitian revolution was a generative explosion for the popular music of the hemisphere. It sent populations up and down the Atlantic coast and the Antilles—and ultimately to New Orleans, where many families from Saint-Domingue were reunited....I would add the vocal legacy of the military drill, which evolved into the gruff vocal style of dancehall reggae. The adoption of this vocal style throughout the Antilles echoes the universality of the quadrille in the same territories two centuries ago, when a commandeur barked out the dance steps." -- Ned Sublette "When I was a kid, it struck me that the rara was always demanding respect, both with its loudness and active recruitment as it went along. Sometimes the rara would stop in front of churches and try to drown out the sounds of the church service, leading many churches to organize retreats out of large cities during that time." -- Edwidge Danticat "What does revolution sound like? This begs for a long answer, but consider this shortcut: Bob Marley.... Boukman Eksperyans, whose very name advertises their aesthetic—Boukman was a Vodou priest and slave who helped incite the 1791 rebellion that started the Haitian revolution; eskperyans (“experience”) is a nod to Jimi Hendrix —is an excellent example of pop wed to protest." -- Garnette Cadogan

Where Will Your Money Go?

Richard Gehr — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:18:06 +0000

Here's what you have to look forward to: Visual Economics

'Reality Check' Game Show Rolls at Rothbury and All Good

Andy — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:27:47 +0000

By Andy Bernstein Nearly 1,500 people have now played Reality Check, the music and political trivia game show HeadCount has rolled out to festivals this summer. Only three people can claim to be champions: Paul Arseneau of Tolono, IL, walked away with a Les Paul guitar signed by Bob Weir at Rothbury as the winner of the second Reality Check installment. [caption id="attachment_1123" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Reality Check winner Paul Arseneau"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_1124" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Bob Weir signs Les Paul guitar from Epiphone"][/caption] Shaun Mauzy won a pair of tickets to the 2010 All Good Festival for his championship run there last weekend. (Bonnaroo was the site of the first Reality Check competition.) Members of Umphrey's McGee joined us on the Grassroots Stage at All Good to help decide the Reality Check finals as co-contestants. Andy Faraq ended up on the winning team while Ryan Stasik stood alongside runner-up Owen Murphy, who received a HeadCount hoodie from PlayBack for his second-place heroics. [caption id="attachment_1125" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="L to R: Owen Murphy, Ryan Stasik (Umphrey's McGee), Eric Leventhal (HeadCount host), Andy Farag (Umphrey's McGee), Shaum Mauzy"][/caption] The All Good Festival was quite good indeed for HeadCount. We had the pleasure of presenting Al Schnier, Stanton Moore and Reid Genauer on the Grassroots Stage. Nearly 900 people stopped by our booth and filled out our What's Your Issue? survey. The All Good is a true grassroots festival. With two side-by-side stages, it's truly about the music and attracts an audience that heartily embraces the festival lifestyle. This was the fifth time HeadCount set up shop at All Good, and we always feel at home. Our sincere appreciation to Tim, Junipa and everyone who makes things happen in West Virginia. Congrats as well to our All Good semi-finalists: Justin Hillman of Baltimore, MD, and Phillip Moodie of Sewanee, TN. And more congrats to Greg Keyser of Springfield, VA, who took second place at Rothbury, as well as semi-finalists Jeff Gecas of Grand Marais, MN, and Steve Rodseth of Grand Rapids, MI (who looks a lot like a Hansen Brother from Slap Shot). Reality Check's next stop is Camp Bisco, where we'll give away the best prize yet: a free and fully transferable ticket to Caribbean Holidaze. [caption id="attachment_1156" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="HeadCount board member Al Schnier (moe.) goes acoustic on the Grassroots Stage"][/caption]

If They Can Put A Man On The Moon...

eric — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:47:05 +0000

By Eric Leventhal The date was May 25, 1961. Just ten days earlier, German biochemist J. Heinrich Matthaei first identified the genetic code triplet. (Thanks to him, I can still remember the names of all the nucleobases I had to memorize in high school.) In February, the Beatles played their first show at Liverpool's Cavern Club. (They apparently didn't close with "Freebird.") Neither the New York Mets nor the Super Bowl were yet in existence when newly elected President John F. Kennedy stood in front of a joint session of Congress and declared, sternly and sincerely, "I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth." In 1969, the Beatles played their last concert (they closed with "The Cops Are on the Roof, We Should Probably Stop Playing Now"), Joe Namath became a Super Bowl hero, the Miracle Mets won the World Series, and in December, the United States instituted its first military draft since World War II. John F. Kennedy had been assassinated in Dallas five and a half years earlier (yet another reason to hate the Cowboys) when, on July 20, his 1961 declaration was fulfilled as millions of people around the world watched mankind's "giant leap." Some cynics say America is heading for a Depression. They say no amount of stimulus money, infrastructure investment or alternative-energy research can prevent this certainty of failure. More generally, there are always those who say "it," whatever it may be at that particular moment, cannot be done. Maybe they're right. But still: Forty years ago, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the surface of the moon. By comparison, with the possible exception of another Jets Super Bowl victory, is anything truly impossible anymore? For more on how they did it, and what it all means, check out The New York Times's excellent Tuesday science section devoted to the lunar landing.

House Cuts Anti-Drug Media Campaign

Jonathan Perri — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:17:12 +0000

By Jonathan Perri Surreal yet patronizing taxpayer-funded advertisements – often featuring talking dogs, deflated humans, and girlfriend-stealing aliens – aimed at stopping teen marijuana use may be a thing of the past. Last week, the House Appropriations Committee recommended reducing funding for the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign by 71%. The cut would slash funding from $70 million to $20 million annually, and shifts the target of the campaign from youth to parents. Who of course never use drugs themselves. The commercials have been found to be ineffective at reducing drug use at best, and to increase drug use at worst. With evidence that the ads don't work - it probably a smart to move to shift resources toward more effective programs.

MTV European Concerts To Raise Climate-Change Awareness

Richard Gehr — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:20:25 +0000

The New York Times reports that Moby will headling the first in a series of concerts sponsored by MTV to communicate the urgency of the climate-change crisis. The concert will take place August 20 in Stockholm to coincide with World Water Week. Part of an MTV Europe multimedia initiative called Play to Stop, the Moby gig will be followed by a September concert in Budapest (to coincide with European Mobility Week) and a December United Nations climate conference in Copenhagen. Poopy promotional video below:

Billy Bob Thornton Fights STDs – With Song!

Josh Gelfand — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:39:59 +0000

By Josh Gelfand Frank Zappa fans might smell a rip-off, but actor/rocker Billy Bob "I like French-fried 'taters" Thornton has written a new song about the dangers of venereal disease. Why? Because, as Thornton recently told Bill Maher, "it is something I think needs to be talked about," adding that there just aren't enough songs about the subject out there. Well, with the exception of Zappa's "Why Does it Hurt When I Pee?" off of Joe's Garage (see below), he's probably right. Thornton's similarly titled "It Only Hurts When I Pee" debuted recently on Sirius radio, and he plans to release it on his next CD with the Boxmasters. But seriously, according to the World Health Organization, more than 1 million people are infected with STDs every day and 60% of are 25 or younger. So be careful out there.

Interview: Ken Hays, Gathering The Vibes Since 1996

Richard Gehr — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:10:15 +0000

The Gathering of the Vibes has been an East Coast summer institution of Grateful Dead-centric music and hijinks since 1996, when it was founded by Ken Hays as a performance offshoot of Terrapin Tapes, his successful tapers supply source. The Vibes return to Bridgeport, Connecticut's Seaside Park on July 23-26, with another strong lineup featuring Bob Weir and Ratdog, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Levon Helm, moe., Buddy Guy, Grace Potter, David Gans, the McLovins, and dozens of other acts. We spoke to Ken recently about the Vibes -- where they've been and where they're going.

Richard Gehr: How did you get into the festival business, Ken? Ken Hays: It happened when Jerry passed away. Terrapin Tapes started in August ’91 and was going great. I was on tour with the boys, saw some 370 shows, and did some work with the Rainforest Action Network to help get Mitsubishi out of the rainforest. I really enjoyed being on the road with my friends and doing my thing. Then Jerry passed away and it turned a lot of us upside-down, wondering what do we do from here. Phish was raging then, so the business was still doing OK. We had a beautiful gathering in Golden Gate Park when Jerry passed. Then the Dead organization approached the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation about doing a gathering in Central Park, but Mayor Giuliani denied the proposal based on service costs. But me and my friends from Duprees's Diamond News had a database of Deadheads, so we sent out a flyer and spread the word. We went to SUNY Purchase Arts Center and said, "We wanna do a music, arts, and camping festival on the campus." We met with the director of performing arts, an incredibly cool guy, and at first we didn’t tell him that it would be Deadhead heaven and a gathering of the tribe. So on Memorial Day weekend 1996, we had 3,500 Deadheads camping out and enjoying each other's company. Moe. headlined along with Max Creek. It was a beautiful event that went off flawlessly. The following year the name mutated to Gathering of the Vibes. But it’s tough to call something "Deadhead"-related and be welcomed back. Just before the event at SUNY Purchase, the school's president saw an article about us in The New York Times. He called up the director of the performing arts center and said, "What’s this Deadhead Heaven on my campus? Your job’s on the line here, man. If anything goes wrong, you’re done." But it was beautiful. The following year we needed more space, so we went to Westchester County Park, where we doubled in size. That’s how it all began. RG: How has the Gathering changed over the years? KH: It was always a gathering celebrating Jerry and the music of the Dead. The lineups have changed and evolved. James Brown performed with us in 2003. The Allman Brothers were with us, and all the surviving Grateful Dead members have performed at the Vibes. Jerry was into all types of music, so we’ve got a cross-section. This year we've got everything from Guster to State Radio to Bobby Weir to Levon Helm and the Harlem Gospel Choir. We embrace a lot of musical styles. RG: How does the Gathering help the environment? K: It doesn’t. We’ve got thousands of people driving and flying across the country, and that’s not helping the environment. But once they get to the show, we have an educational forum called Green Vibes. We have experts and professors, many from Yale University, who bring models of nuclear power plants, coal plants, or solar, wind and hydro alternative-energy options. They come with no ulterior motive or agenda except to provide facts about our alternative energy options. Our goal with Green Vibes is to help attendees make educated decisions about what they can do in their day-to-day lives. RG: So how green are the Vibes? KH: This year the only diesel we'll use at the Gathering will be for the stage, sound, and light generators. We tried the solar option on our Green Vibes stage, but the technology isn’t there yet to be able to run it for 12 hours a day, so it will be partially solar-powered. We’re making progress. In five years or less, I’m optimistic we’ll be able to fully run some of the stages from alternative renewable energy. We’ve eliminated almost all generators from the site except for the stages. Everything else is from our temporary power facilities. We come off the city grid, which is generated predominantly by coal, but we offset our power consumption with wind and carbon credits. RG: What charities or nonprofits do the Vibes support? KH: We have more than 20 local and national 501(c)(3) organizations in our nonprofit village. Last year attendees donated about 2,500 pounds of nonperishable food items. This year's goal is to triple that number. We've been very supportive of the Connecticut Special Olympics. I wish we could accommodate more nonprofits. There are so many organizations out there that are really in considerable need. It's heart-warming and reaffirming that donations to food pantries are up across the country even in these difficult economic times. They’re not even close to covering the need we face but we have to at least acknowledge that there is hope out there.

Animal Collective Snags First Official Grateful Dead Sample

Sebastian — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 19:49:38 +0000

Pitchfork points to a Gorilla vs. Bear post reporting a Tweet by Animal Collective's management announcing that the Grateful Dead have cleared the group's use of a piece of "Unbroken Chain" in a new tune, "What Would I Want Sky." (Whew.) According to the Tweet, "Phil Lesh loved the track please pass this to the guys." This is cool because it displays a connection people have been hinting at for a long time and suggests a bridge closing the serious (or silly) gap separating sixties "jamband" music and 21st-century indie rock. (The only real surprise is that Akron/Family didn't beat Animal Collective to it.) In an interview with The Onion AV Club, Animal Collective member Brian Weitz (AKA Geologist) described the tune's creation thusly: "'What Would I Want Sky' is something that Dave [Portner, AKA Avey Tare] wrote for Merriweather and sent Noah {Lennox, AKA Panda Bear] and I, but we didn’t have time to work on parts before we got to the studio, and then one day a week, the engineer would like to have a day off. But we would usually go into the studio anyway and work on the songs that we had never played live, and some that didn’t make it on the record. 'What Would I Want Sky' is one we just never got to. We just didn’t have enough time, so we worked on it in Lisbon in January. We all went to Lisbon to hang out for a week, and that’s when we made a full-band version of that song." AC played "What Would I Want Sky" in February at The Troubadour in West Los Angeles.

How Republicans Perceive Democrats' Health Plan

Richard Gehr — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 20:24:18 +0000

This convoluted (yet colorful!) schematic of House Democrats' health plan by their Republican colleagues actually suggests a convincing argument for a single-payer solution. For a clearer breakdown of what House Dems are proposing, check out The Washington Post's summary here. via What I Learned Today

Interview: Noah Wilderman, Phish-Scene Documentarian

Richard Gehr — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:19:08 +0000

[caption id="attachment_1250" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Noah Wilderman"][/caption]

Filmmaker Noah Wilderman's Maybe So, Maybe Not could be your life. Inspired by Phish's reunion, Wilderman grabbed his camera and took his production skills into the joyfully reconvened fan community in order to document a scene on the run. Funded through donations and love, Wilderman's project is a free-ranging, inevitably improvised film capturing a most multifaceted milieu. He recently filled us in on the details of his ongoing project via email.

Richard Gehr: What's the back story to Maybe So, Maybe Not? Noah Wilderman: I wasn’t looking for a passion project, nor did I expect to suddenly launch into production on one; but that’s exactly what I did. In fall 2008, I was as clueless as you could be about what was going on in the Phish world. I was completely caught up in the daily grind of television production when a younger friend of mine, who turned me on to Bisco, asked me if I was going to Hampton. I was like, “for what?” I didn’t really react initially when he told me the news that Phish was back. It took me a little while to thaw out and process, but when I did it seemed like me being clueless about Phish represented a lot more changes in life than simply my interest in Phish. I started pondering my personal evolution, and all of the sacrifices made in the name of mainstream tradition started jumping out at me. The sacrifice of Phish was the one I could not bare, like sacrificing that which embodied hope and the pursuit of joy. I found myself listening to my favorite live shows again and as I slid beneath the ice, I woke up and something turned on inside of me. I was 23 again and there was a whole world outside my door. Strangely, many people echoed the awakening that I felt. People wanted Phish back in their lives. I started looking for deep connections between my generation and the music of Phish as well as the Phish scene. Almost overnight, I had my plan. I wanted to give a voice to the three-dimensional fans that make up this amazing music community and reveal some of these connections that tell a story about my generation and the world we’ve lived and grown in. I am one of these people and I know that I don’t fit in any hippie box that we’ve seen get played out over the years. It was time to break it down. With a career in television and documentary production, I realized that I had all the resources at my disposal to make a professional quality HD film that doesn’t rely on anyone but the fans. This is our story [caption id="attachment_1255" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Wigman in Asheville"][/caption]to tell, and who better to tell it? In my mind, the missing ingredient for a project like this had always been time and maturity. Luckily, the passage of time brought many of us the maturity and distance from Phish we needed to reflect on what Phish meant and still means to ourselves and other fans. I started putting out my feelers, networking, put up a basic website, and just plugged away. The message started to resonate, and through friends, family and the Phish network, the message got out and suddenly filming at Hampton was a reality. RG: I understand the Phish community has really embraced this project and is supporting it in many ways. Could you tell us about that? NW: The support the film has received from the Phish community has been unbelievable. Let’s be honest – there’s no film without the fans. While fundraising hasn’t been as successful as could be hoped – especially understandable in this economic climate – support has come in many forms. From the simplest “keep up the good work” email to extensive networking done between music and entertainment professionals, the Phish bond continues to amaze and astound. I regularly receive offers to carry gear, do interviews, for free tickets to use or miracle, places to stay, and, most importantly, invitations to film events where the community comes out to play. With so many creative and technical people involved in the Phish community with stories and experiences to share, my own efforts to capture our realities would be impossible without people willing to open themselves up on camera. That has been the most humbling contribution of all. As for grassroots support, Facebook initially seemed like a great place to use as a home base while the web page developed in tandem. I reached out on boards like Phantasy Tour and Reality Tour to network with fans and drive people toward the website and Facebook group for info. It was slow going, but the word steadily got out and I started getting more and more emails, offers to talk on camera, etc. At the same time I started making contact with other fans who share a preoccupation with the live music community – people like Andy Bernstein and Andy Gadiel, who took it a step beyond fandom. As the network grew, everyone was incredibly supportive and willing to both participate and promote Maybe So, Maybe Not, simply for the love of the music and scene, and to get behind something positive. Once filming in Hampton was wrapped I started planning for summer filming and working on the video teaser. I thought that support was strong before the teaser, but it almost doubled after I released it. It was as if the perceptual hurdle of “is this film real?” was finally overcome. Once people had something visual to connect with, the doors opened even wider. The FB group climbed to over 1,000 members and web traffic on the site increased. As a community, Phish fans have a strong oral tradition. What I mean is that many of us, myself included, discovered Phish through a noncommercial source like a close friend, roommate, relative, friend’s older brother or sister, etc. We didn’t listen to Phish because the TV said so. Our vetting process doesn’t rely on marketing statistics and promotion by a major sponsor, but more likely upon the strong recommendation of someone you trust. In this respect, I couldn’t ask for a more solid publicity campaign than the good word from fans. It’s this assumed bond that has brought many wonderful faces to the film and many more into my life personally. RG: Has the doc's "angle" evolved as the project has progressed, or is it still pretty much what you originally envisioned? NW: Every time I press the record button the story changes a little. I think that my earliest notion of the film was that it was almost like a road piece following fans as they reconnected with themselves and each other on the way to Hampton. I thought I’d get a couple crews, do a 4-5 day shoot there and back and see what I got. That lasted about five minutes until I decided to reach beyond that. My feelings for the subject matter ran much deeper. Both as a filmmaker and music fan, I felt at odds with a project that examined a music community without context, or only in one context. A film on the lot seems to me like just that. I think that many people’s perception of phans starts and ends on the lot as if they blink out of existence when they step off the lot - like leprechauns sliding down our tie-dyed rainbow back to some imaginary land where everyone has dreadlocks and the streets are paved in marijuana. These thoughts led to me to ask the question, why hasn’t this project been made by Phish. My simple answer was that Phish could not make a movie about their fan base with objectivity by filming at venues. My solution was to get away from the lot and tell the story of real people, families, and friends - not just fans on the lot. Luckily, this grew organically as the project gained support, and I was invited to film events and gatherings off the lot (not ocelot). This is where I’ve found this “community” manifesting itself in many tangible ways. Perhaps my approach differs from many fan documentaries in that I don’t believe that the community I’m seeking exists predominantly on the lot. The lot is an interesting scene for sure and there are communities on the lot, like vendors, but I don’t believe that this represents the core of the Phish fan base or the pinnacle of the Phish fan experience. Community support also increased my awareness of how this community actually manifests and documentable real-time events in the fan world began to come to my attention. Capturing the Trey Ross Compressor story was a great example of this and more recently I filmed with the wig-wearing live-streaming personality “Jason Wigman,” who pioneered the use of an iPhone to stream the live Phish shows this summer. One thing that hasn’t changed is my desire to place the Phish community in the context of other American musical communities. Many of these interviews and events to film outside of the Phish world are still shaping up, but I plan to film with people who can shed light on the role of music communities and what they reflect about their fans. This includes music community members (hopefully going back to the '20s), musicians, and academics. RG: What are some of the more interesting things you've learned or filmed so far? Any surprises? Highlights? NW: What has surprised me the most is how strong the pull is after all this time. Everywhere I go there are a midthirtysomethings or later pulling out all the stops and road tripping like the old days. It’s what I hoped to capture, but almost can’t believe. Actually, scratch that – that’s the second most surprising thing. The most surprising thing is that I seem to run into Fat Jesus within two minutes of arriving on any lot. What I’ve learned is that we are everywhere and doing it better than ever! From the ERs of your local hospitals, to poets in residence, and just folk – it’s unreal how far the network extends and what it’s capable of. Most of us grew up, got jobs, houses, the resources to really squeeze every drop of joy out of the experience, and the capability to do it all responsibly and safely. Every day of filming is packed with talking with amazing people so it’s hard to quantify it all. I really enjoyed spending the day with Kat & Dave as we wrangled up their kids, Lyric and Anastasia, and drove from Erie to Star Lake for the day. It was great to capture fans just being mom and dad while at the same time gearing up to vend sodas, introduce their kids to the lot, and dance all night as a family. It’s the little moments that might not even make it to the screen that are my highlights. Like how I was filming in the car, on the highway driving through Chicago (to Alpine), when a fan I’ve been trying to interview for months coincidentally drove by my car and gave me a sound bite through the open window. In Jones Beach a fan literally stumbled on camera and fired off a story about being kidnapped in Alpine a decade ago, tied to tree, and forced to subsist on burnt marshmallows for three days. There are tentative plans for a dramatic reenactment in the film. I’m still looking for my Canadians, who've been following the whole tour since Phish wouldn’t come to them. We met in Jones Beach, made plans to talk more on camera once it all sunk in, and recently got shut down moments before filming with them at Burgettstown (only happened once, courtesy of Live Nation). One of these days we’ll connect. I expect they’ll have much longer hair by then. RG: What's the timetable? When do you think Maybe So, Maybe Not will be completed? NW: I hope to have the film ready for air and distribution around the spring of 2010. I plan on wrapping all Phish-fan related filming by the end of 2009. I’ll continue to sporadically travel and capture key perspectives throughout the fall when things settle down a bit. As for filming around shows, SPAC gives a logical bookend to Phish’s first tour back, but perhaps Halloween or New Years might get in there. Post production will determine a lot, or rather post production support. If it’s a completely grassroots effort, postproduction may be fast but lacking as many high-end elements as it will have if distribution stays on track and we can spend some money finishing the film. However, I’ve always said that with no corporate interest and pressure driving the completion of the film, it’s done when it’s done. Just to be clear, I mean that it’s done when the story has been captured, not when I get off my ass and finish it.

Matt Taibbi On Goldman Sachs

Richard Gehr — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 19:39:32 +0000

If you haven't been reading Rolling Stone reporter Matt Taibbi on the ubiquitous government presence of the Goldman Sachs investment bank, what are you waiting for? Here's a teaser from his long, detailed history of the company's entanglements with a succession of administrations (if reading's not your thing, you can watch him talk about it here):

The bank's unprecedented reach and power have enabled it to turn all of America into a giant pumpanddump scam, manipulating whole economic sectors for years at a time, moving the dice game as this or that market collapses, and all the time gorging itself on the unseen costs that are breaking families everywhere — high gas prices, rising consumercredit rates, halfeaten pension funds, mass layoffs, future taxes to pay off bailouts. All that money that you're losing, it's going somewhere, and in both a literal and a figurative sense, Goldman Sachs is where it's going: The bank is a huge, highly sophisticated engine for converting the useful, deployed wealth of society into the least useful, most wasteful and insoluble substance on Earth — pure profit for rich individuals.

Taibbi recently augmented his well-reported screed with an extended blog post on Goldman's recent report of gargantuan profits since the beginning of the year:

So what’s wrong with Goldman posting $3.44 billion in second-quarter profits, what’s wrong with the company so far earmarking $11.4 billion in compensation for its employees? What’s wrong is that this is not free-market earnings but an almost pure state subsidy.

Wal-Mart To Implement Eco Labeling

Jonathan Perri — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:46:47 +0000

On July 16, Wal-Mart announced that it will require all of its product suppliers to calculate the environmental impact of their products. Wal-Mart will compile the information into a green rating system to be displayed alongside the product's price tag. Since Wal-Mart is the world's largest retailer, this move will certainly set an important example for other companies. Alex Salkever of Daily Finance characterized the move's impact here:

Wal-Mart has done something huge here, something amazing that the environmental movement has failed to do in forty years of struggles. Wal-Mart has forced transparency and accountability on the entire consumer products market, a move that will have profound and long-ranging effects not only on what we buy but also on what chemicals go into our homes, our bodies, and ultimately into our ecosystem. In other words, if this plan goes through, Wal-Mart could become the greenest company on Earth.

Some drawbacks: expect prices on these products to rise because it costs money to track and report this information. Also, you'll feel weird saying nice things about Wal-Mart.

Pink Floyd Flies You To The Moon

Richard Gehr — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 21:04:23 +0000

On July 20, 1969, Pink Floyd jammed out am atmospheric psychedelic blues as live soundtrack to the first lunar landing. The music was for an episode of the Beeb's "Omnibus" series titled "But What If It's Made of Green Cheese?" The program aired before, during, and after coverage of the moon landing itself, and it included readings, poetry, and sketches about the moon, space, and space programs. The Floyd's jam, titled "Moonhead," has subsequently appeared only on a couple of bootlegs. Here it is, in all its spaciness:

John 'Marmaduke' Dawson 1945-2009

Richard Gehr — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 13:11:43 +0000

[caption id="attachment_1304" align="alignleft" width="215" caption="Photo by Herb Greene"][/caption] The New Riders of the Purple Sage co-founder died in Mexico, where he'd been living for several years. Dawson wrote "I Don't Know You," "Portland Woman," "Glendale Train," and everything else on the group's eponymous 1971 debut album, a dusty gem of post-Summer of Love country-rock with a Bakersfield bent. He also co-wrote "Friend of the Devil" with Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter. There's surprisingly little live footage of the original band available on YT, but here's Dawson singing "Garden of Eden" a few years ago with the latest version of NRPS.

Interview: Assembly of Dust's Reid Genauer

Richard Gehr — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:53:48 +0000

[caption id="attachment_1313" align="alignleft" width="199" caption="Reid Genauer rockin\' the foreground. Photo by C. Taylor Crothers"][/caption] As Assembly of Dust founder-songwriter-frontperson Reid Genauer points out in our email exchange below, the band's new album, Some Assembly Required, is a collection of collaborations that sounds remarkably unforced. Neoclassic rock at its finest, Some Assembly Required finds guest such as Richie Havens, Mike Gordon, Keller Williams, Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas, etc., etc., adding distinctive voices to a timeless collection of fine-grained tunes. (Disclosure: I worked with Reid at eMusic, where he toils as the (mostly) indie downloading site's VP of consumer marketing. Where most people feel fortunate to have one career these days, Reid wrangles two.) AOD's a solidly kicking live band too, of course, thanks to Adam Terrell (guitar), John Lecesse (bass), and Andrew Herrick (drums). Catch 'em while you can this summer, perhaps Saturday afternoon at the Gathering of the Vibes. Richard Gehr: Did you set out to produce an album of collaborations? Reid Genauer: We set out to do something different. The natural next step is to ask, "How are we going to do something different?" The answer I came up with was to try and look at the project with a new perspective, to explore a new process, and to insert guest musicians of varying musical disciplines and instruments. We started by listening to a bunch of different albums and focusing on drum sounds. I forget exactly which albums we listened to, but they included artists like the Beatles (masters of production), Wilco, Ryan Adams, Gillian Welch, and Ray Lamontagne. This sort of sonic audit started to inform not only the drum sounds we were going for but also the arrangements, instrumentation, and the overall vision. Secondly, I started to scheme about which of my musical friends, acquaintances, and heros I might ask to perform on the record and started mapping out on paper what artists might fit which songs. Having guests on each song added two things: 1) a diversity of instrumentation (banjo, mandolin, female vocals, etc.), and 2) a range of musical "voices." People hear their internal music differently, and each interpretations of their part on our song colored the entire song. The outcome was a lot of musical spice. The fear and question going into it was - how do we maintain a continuity and not lose the band through this process. I think we were successful in doing so, but I will leave that to you and the fans to judge. Gehr: How did you get some of the awesome guests on this album? Any juicy stories? Genauer: The simple answer is: I just asked. I sent a lot of emails, mainly, and included the song I was hoping they would play on. My requests were genuine, and I gave a lot of thought to what song I sent for consideration. I guess the point is it wasn’t some abstract request like, "Hey man, will you play on some song of mine you've never heard and that may or may not suck." Rather, it was more like, "Dear X, My name is Reid. I'm the lead singer of Assembly of Dust and a longtime fan. Blah-blab-la." Some people said no, but my hit rate was pretty damn good and people were super-polite. One great story: I was hanging out on my couch one day, phone rings and it's Bruce Hornsby. In the end he called to decline, but he called. We gabbed for a bit, he explained why he was passing, and it made my day. Who would have thought rejection could have been so uplifting!? Gehr: How about an example of a collaboration that did work out? Genauer: I wrote "Revelry" with keyboardist Nate Wilson (my second ex-wife). We'd performed it live for a while with Assembly of Dust. In the live setting it’s a pretty rockin' tune, almost like an Allman Brothers song, but for the record we opted to try for a more subtle singer-songwriter approach. The interesting thing is it works both ways. Kind of cool to have a tune that has two totally different feels. I did set out to do an album of guests. Basically, I thought it would be a great way to infuse the album with fresh ideas, a range of instrumentation, and some celebrity cred. In thinking about who might be a good fit for "Revelry," Martin Sexton came to mind. He's a friend with an amazing voice and I thought he would crush it. He did in fact add a lot to the song but in a TOTALLY unexpected way. He wound up doing an "electric vocal" part, where he effected his voice and sang as if he were playing slide guitar. It is so cool. If you didn’t know it was him singing, you would swear it was electric guitar. We left one note at the very end of the song where he comes out of "character" and you can hear that it’s a person. This song also has Tony Rice playing acoustic guitar. I had sent him the song thinking Martin could sing and Tony could play guitar. When Martin came back with what amounted to a guitar part, I was a little concerned it might not work with both of them, but in the end the two parts play well off each other. Throw Adam Terrell into the mix and you have a trifecta of awesomeness. Gehr: Tell us a little about your day job. How does it enhance (or possibly hinder) your night job? Genauer: Being a butcher is not an easy job. You have to be comfortable with lots of blood and guts and be good with knives that amount to nothing short of small weapons of mass destruction. It helps me because it puts into perspective how fragile life is and how delicious cheeseburgers are. Gehr: Would consider yourself a politically engaged musician/human? How does that manifest itself (or not) in your music? Genauer: Hmm. I am not the most politically engaged person on the planet. There's too much noise out there in the world – from some drunk dude chatting my ear off in a bar to Anderson Cooper blabbering on and on as the CNN newsreel replays itself. I am a distiller of information. I tend to skim the paper, surf the TV and Web, talk to my dogmatic right-wing friends, and make an educated guess as to what the truth of the matter is. That said, I have a strong sense of what is wrong and what is right. I am pretty ragingly liberal. The things that get me most fired up are: 1. Who our president is – ability to form full sentences a plus. 2. Choice. While I would far rather see a child born rather than aborted, I believe strongly in a woman's right to choose and that the proper facilities should be available to those who have to make that difficult decision. 3. Gay Marriage. It strikes me as RIDONKULOUS and nonsensical for the Government to have any opinion and, more to the point, to legislate with regard to how two people consecrate their commitment and love - regardless of sex. Puritan BS. 4. Global Climate Change. I am deeply concerned that we are not doing enough fast enough - I mean we just had a tornado (including hail) in Yonkers, New York, in JULY - WTF?!?!?! There does not seem to be enough of a sense of urgency. It’s like, hey guys, we are SERIOUSLY SCREWED - let’s start making some long term decisions in the name of the entire human race IMMEDIATELY!!!! I think it should be THE number-one issue on the political agenda. Without a hospitable climate for human life, all the rest of these conversations are mute. It definitely comes out in my songs and in the organizations I choose to partner with. I don’t have songs about abortion or gay marriage (though I have been accused of having a few songs that are light in the loafers), but I definitely do have several tunes about environmentalism. Though subtle, the song "Pedal Down" on Some Assembly Required is about global climate change. The refrain goes, "I can’t help but thinkin' no one's steering this thing." Gehr: What would you like audiences to take away from the AOD experience that might not be apparent on the surface? Genauer: I guess I have few points to make: 1. I get a lot of glory in the form of press as the band's songwriter and most conspicuous performer, but I would be in the subway strumming for angry commuters without the support of a whole shit ton of people, most notably the other members of Assembly of Dust. While I'm busy steering the ship, they keep it afloat. I think that comes through, especially in the live performances, but it’s worth pointing out. 2. While hooky in many ways, our music unfolds over time. Not sure why, but I think it requires several listens to fully engage with Assembly of Dust's fiber. If nothing else, the lyrical content takes time to digest, but there are a bunch of subtleties that bloom over time 3. I don’t use hair extensions.

Tiny Tim's Ode To Climate Change

Richard Gehr — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 21:10:18 +0000

The inimitable Tiny Tim sings "The Other Side" to an audience of little kids in this mildly disturbing clip from a late-sixties Austalian TV special. "The ice caps are melting, the tide is rushing in," he sings. "All the world is drowning, to wash away the sin." The tune, prescient for its time, is from his truly wonderful debut album, God Bless Tiny Tim. via Dangerous Minds

Jackson Browne Schools John McCain, GOP

Richard Gehr — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:24:38 +0000

What is it with Republican candidates and Democrat musicians? Ever since Ronald Reagan tried to co-opt Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA" for his 1984 election, GOP candidates have been repeatedly bitten for using songs against the wishes of their composers. Yesterday, according to The Associated Press, Jackson Browne settled a lawsuit with the Republican Party over John McCain's use of Browne's "Running on Empty" to criticize Barack Obama's energy policy in TV ads. The settlement, which comes with an apology to Browne and an unspecified payment, stipulated that Republicans would no longer use music without permission. "This settlement is really a great affirmation of what I believed my rights to be, and all writers' rights to be," Browne told The Associated Press. "One would hope that a presidential candidate would not only know the law but respect it. It was a matter of bringing that issue to bear." For whatever reasons, you rarely hear about Democratic candidates screwing with musicians in this fashion. Tom Scholz of Boston, for example, accused Republican candidate Mike Huckabee of misappropriating "More Than a Feeling" during the 2008 presidential campaign. “By using my song, and my band's name Boston, you have taken something of mine and used it to promote ideas to which I am opposed," he wrote to Huckabee. "In other words, I think I've been ripped off, dude!” And A&M Record forced Louisiana Republican David Duke to stop playing (Canadian) Bryan Adams's "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You," during campaign rallies (although it was never clear why Duke would want to play it in the first place).

UNODC Issues Annual 'World Drug Report'

Richard Gehr — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 14:00:10 +0000

It's that special time of year again, when the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime issues its World Drug Report, a roundup of drug seizures, prices, consumption, crime, and legal status around the world. It's a remarkable document, and the BBC has an executive summary in chart form here. The report begins, predictably or not, by arguing against legalization exactly one century after intoxicants were prohibited for the first time (Shanghai, 1909). After reviewing the economic, health, and crime arguments for legalization (but not the personal-freedom factor), executive director Antonio Maria Costa writes, "There is no alternative to improving both security and health. The termination of drug control would be an epic mistake. Equally catastrophic is the current disregard of the security threat posed by organized crime." There are no real surprises in the report, I'm afraid. In short, use of cocaine and heroin is down, and use of cannabis may also be shrinking. Seizures are fairly constant, use is steady although perhaps declining among America's youth. Indeed, it's business as usual, with illegal drugs remaining one of the world's more lucrative industries among the criminal. And if that's not an argument for ending prohibition, I don't know what is.

'Death & Taxes': Where Does The Money Go?

Richard Gehr — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:01:23 +0000

President Obama has requested $1.421 trillion in discretionary spending in his proposed 2010 budget (13% more than 2009's). Where's all your money going? WallStats breaks it down in a handy 24" x 36" poster form representing more than 500 programs and departments receiving more than $200 million apiece next year. "Death & Taxes" includes upward and downward trends for each figure, with the many high upward numbers representing the presence of the economic stimulus funds that will likely put us in collective hock for generations to come. It's both fascinating and frightening to note, for example, that the Army's Humvee program will go up 43% to $1.532 billion, putting it on a par, more or less, with financial aid.

Timberlake Opens Eco-Friendly Golf Course

Josh Gelfand — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 13:52:03 +0000

The nation's first golf course to be certified by the Audobon Classic Sanctuary Program opened July 25 in Millington, TN, just north of Memphis. The course, called Mirimichi, is owned by singer-dancer-actor-golfer-lover Justin "Cry Me a Water Hazard" Timberlake, a Tennessee native. He purchased the property in 2007 to prevent commercial development and invested about $16 million to improve the course ecologically. New features include 80% native trees and plants, with only 20% exotics. The course also features six lakes, two creeks, and four waterfalls, as well as habitats for plants and animals. Surrounding each water feature is an invisible 25-foot barrier where Audubon rules ban the use of chemical fertilizers or herbicides. Wildflower meadows and wetlands areas also enhance the 300-acre property. Details on the horticultural aspects of Mirimichi are available here. The site has been a golf course since 1976, but Timberlake's goal is to provide "a place where golf and nature exist in harmony." And who understands harmony better than a boybander?

What's New With Auto-Tune The News?

Richard Gehr — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:19:32 +0000

Mother Jones has an enlightening interview with Michael and Evan Gregory of Auto-Tune the News. Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-Minn.) is only the second-best auto-tuned vocalist in the sixth and most recent edition (below), which runs Congressional and TV-news debates on climate change, Sarah Palin's gubernatorial resignation, Michael Jackson's pill problem, and more through the Auto-Tuners' pitch-shifting, cowbell-enhancing machinery. And it turns out Barack Obama and Palin have more in common than you might imagine:

MJ: Any comments on Obama's Auto-Tunability? MG: Obama has a great accidental singing voice if we're selective enough with what we tune. He doesn't, however, have the Midas touch like fellow unintentional tenors Joe Biden and Pat Buchanan. MJ: It seems that Sarah Palin defies the power Auto-Tune. True? MG: Believe it or not, Palin shares an Achilles' heel with Obama—dropping in pitch at the end of the phrase. Sometimes, to make matters worse, she nervously rambles, which makes her nearly impervious to the powers of Auto-Tune. She has great potential, and I'm confident she'll churn out some hits in the future.

Arlo Guthrie, Unexpected Republican

Richard Gehr — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:45:48 +0000

Deborah Solomon had this interesting exchange with folksinger Arlo Guthrie in this weekend's New York Times Magazine:

Where are you politically these days? I became a registered Republican about five or six years ago because to have a successful democracy you have to have at least two parties, and one of them was failing miserably. We had enough good Democrats. We needed a few more good Republicans. We needed a loyal opposition.

Man On The Lot: Sustainability And Conservation

eric — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 10:24:55 +0000

Eric, HeadCount's pesky yet courageous Man on the Lot, is back at it again. He recently spoke about sustainability and conservation with fans of The Fray at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey.

The Fall And Rise Of Music Magazines

Richard Gehr — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:40:39 +0000

At least in part because you're reading this instead of one of them, music magazines have been dropping and downsizing like mad over the past several months. Blender and Vibe are history, and both Rolling Stone and Spin have trimmed their staffs considerably in response to diminishing readership and ad pages. In today's Slate, former Blender staffer Jonah Weiner lays out what he believes are the three biggest reasons for the "music-mag death march":

1. There are fewer superstars, and the same musicians show up on every magazine cover.... 2. Music mags have less to offer music lovers, and music lovers need them less than ever anyway.... 3. Music magazines were an early version of social networking. But now there's this thing called "social networking"...

The upshot, for Weiner, is that the one thing music magazines often provided that you can't find online (yet) was in-depth feature writing such as this David Peisner feature in Spin about using music as torture. That music magazines can no longer afford that sort of reporting is clearly a shame. Meanwhile, and, I'm guessing, coincidentally, venerable rock-pop journalist Robert Christgau yesterday waxed cautiously optimistic about the fate of music mags in another of his lively posts for the blog of the National Arts Journalism Program (talk about teaching an old dog new tricks; Christgau's posts have contained some of his most loose-limbed and personal writing in decades). Declaring that "not one, not two, but three music magazines are rising in their respective ways from the dead. On paper," Christgau praises (with only faint damnation) the new business models of Paste, JazzTimes, and, Relix, of which he says:

The least moribund of these is Relix, initially a Deadhead magazine, then a jam-band magazine, and now clearly trying to define for itself a market share not altogether dissimilar from that of Mojo in the U.K. Purchased from Zenbu Media Group May 4 by the newly formed Relix Media Group, all of whose members are described as "veterans of the magazine," it's now put out three issues under new management. Among the cover topics: Iggy Pop, Sonic Youth, Wilco. Generationally, these choices are completely sane--Iggy is 62, and even Wilco is getting on. But the jam-band world is a tight little island, and to assume that people over 30 who are interested in attending live music share so much common ground is damn near visionary for the American music-mag business.

William Shatner Makes Sarah Palin Start Making Sense

Richard Gehr — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:00:00 +0000

Located after John Dean's intro. Dig those crazy bongos.

Interview: Brooklyn Bowl's Peter Shapiro

Richard Gehr — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:18:57 +0000

Peter Shapiro has been a linchpin of the East Coast live-music scene since 1996, when he purchased Manhattan's Wetlands Preserve from Larry Bloch. He began producing the Jammy Awards in 2000 and in May led a group of investors in relaunching Relix magazine. During the past few years he produced the films U2 3D, Wetlands Preserved: The Story of an Activist Nightclub, and the HBO live presentation, "We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial." He's also been on HeadCount's board of directors since its inception. One of our favorite enlightened entrepreneurs, Pete discusses his most recent project, Brooklyn Bowl, which opened this summer in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood. Richard Gehr: How did you get into the club business? Peter Shapiro: I was a film student at Northwestern University, where I made two films about Deadhead culture. I directed A Mile to Go and produced Tie-Dyed. Then during the summer of ’95 I made a film called American Road, where I went to every state country and made a 7 minute film of imagery from my road trip with Phish's "You Enjoy Myself" as the soundtrack. After I graduated, I became an intern at New Line Cinema. Then I heard that Wetlands was for sale and that the owner was going to close the club unless he could find someone who would continue the club's mission. I was 23 and knew nothing about clubs, nothing about the live-music business. But I was interested in being involved with Wetlands. I didn’t have the money, really, or the background, but I raised my hand. Larry structured the deal so I could pay him over time. That was in 1996. I was a little idealistic and naïve. He was looking for someone who was single because his family life was destroyed by the club. I had a background with the Dead, had spent time with [writer Ken] Kesey, I was from New York, I had been on tour, knew some things about music, had my shit on pretty straight, and I was dumb or smart enough to say to him, "What’s the rent? It’s a world-famous rock club, let’s see if we can make it work." I was single, living in a small one-bedroom apartment, and I didn’t need much of a profit because I was so young. And there wasn’t much. And that’s why it worked for me. Also, the lease was only for seven years. They weren’t going to renew the lease, they were going to sell the building for condos after that, so the big players didn’t want to get involved. I said, "Let’s go, where do I sign up?" RG: I imagine your decision to start Brooklyn Bowl was a little less spontaneous. PS: I was involved in another club called the Slipper Room, but it wasn’t the same as having your own place and doing live music, so I wanted to come back and do it again. I looked for places in the city, and I did it without an agent. I found this space in Brooklyn with my partner Charley Ryan. We were just walking around Williamsburg several years ago and just walked in. It was a huge barn, no electricity, barely any plumbing. We just said, "This is it." You don't often find barns like that, even in the outer boroughs. RG: How would you say Brooklyn Bowl is an extension and evolution of Wetlands? PS: The original Wetlands was not ideal. This building was designed by someone – me – who was excited about building stuff from scratch. One of the things I like best about Brooklyn Bowl is that it has the energy and feel of Wetlands. There’s a lot of wood and brick, a lot of warmth. But it’s very unlike wetlands in that it’s huge. The ceiling is 33 feet high, the sight lines are perfect, everything’s brand new, and it’s LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] certified green. RG: What have you done to green up Brooklyn Bowl? PS: LEED sets pretty specific guidelines. It’s one thing to adhere to them with a brand-new building, but it’s difficult when your updating all the electricity, plumbing, flooring, lighting, and air conditioning. All the electronics equipment has to be Energy Star rated. We’re 100% wind-powered. We’ve put in a lot of natural light, sensors turn the lights off when there’s daylight in the place. The sinks and toilets are al all low-flow. The stage is made of recycled tires. We’re not selling any bottled beers. We’ve installed bike slots. We use local labor. We use recycled materials in our furniture. It’s very significant stuff. It’s not easy, but we’ll save in the long term. RG: How did you become involved with HeadCount? PS: I've been involved with HeadCount from the beginning. As the guy who owned Wetlands and did Jammys, you meet a lot of people in the live-music scene. And I grew up in that scene with Andy Bernstein and Marc Brownstein. I like to think that I'm pretty politically activity, so I was onboard from the beginning.

The Making of Brooklyn Bowl from Relix on Vimeo.

Al Schnier On Gathering Of The Vibes Death

Sebastian — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:09:09 +0000

As you've probably heard by now, an apparently grisly death marred last weekend's Gathering of the Vibes. It was the first time anybody has died at a Vibes since the annual event's 1996 debut. I attended the festival and can attest that this unpleasantness was in no way representative of the festival as a whole. Vibes was truly a pleasure; great music, great people, and, aside from some drastic weather, it went off without a hitch. moe. guitarist and HeadCount board member Al Schnier commented on the tragedy, and its relevance to the band's own upcoming festival, at moe.'s blog:

hi. I know it's been awhile since I've posted anything. I'm sure many of you are aware of the recent incident @ the vibes. a 29 yr. old male was found dead @ the festival. the cause of death is not 'officially' determined as of this time; however, many witnesses have claimed that the body was dumped off by a car w. PA plates & that the death was related to the nitrous trade. there are plenty of accounts posted online, but I'm cautious about reprinting anything here that may not be accurate. there does seem to be a lot of evidence suggesting foul play on the part of the nitrous mafia. I know this must be extremely difficult for the friends & family for all involved, & I share my condolences & compassion for them. secondly, I need to make it known that nitrous is not welcome @ moe.down. the nitrous mafia is not welcome @ moe.down. small, independent dealers are not welcome. drug trade is not welcome @ moe.down. if you are targeting our event, simply as a market to prey upon, stay home. you are not welcome. DO NOT COME TO MOE.DOWN TO SELL DRUGS.* moe.down has always been envisioned as a family reunion for moe.rons far & wide. it is an annual event in which family & friends can come together & enjoy friendship & music, & celebrate casually & safely in a peaceful place. as the festival has grown, we've strived to keep moe.down a safe, friendly atmosphere that is still a good family environment. we will continue our efforts to make moe.down a good place. al. * I am not republican (not that this is nec. a bad thing). I am not a neo-con, christian right "war on drugs" spokesperson. by most people's standards, I'm probably fairly liberal. I am not actually registered w. any political party. I do not do drugs. You can make your own choice. I just do not want you to come to our event & sell them.

Barack Obama's Health-Care Dilemma

Andrew Devlin — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:08:00 +0000

Last month Bill Clinton urged President Obama not to give in to Republican demands for a weakening of the public option. At the time, it seemed like the only support Obama would have to struggle to gain would be from the right. But now, as budget talks intensify in the Senate and House, there's clearly less solidarity in the Democratic Party than was originally thought. As the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday, fiscally conservative (if only sometimes) Blue Dog Democrats are balking at the public option, which they'd only approve as a backup plan if competition doesn't lower costs and make insurance universal. The party's left leaners, however, view the public option as mandatory for any real public-health overhaul, and have become frustrated that Obama seems to have softened his stance. Obama has said he will not sign "a bill that won’t work." But he has also made it clear that bipartisan support will be crucial, especially now that members of his own party are seemingly backing out on one of what is arguably the bill’s most important features. As Obama seeks support for the new health-care bill (presumably including the public option) over the next month, it will be interesting to see on which side of the fence he ultimately lands. Does he stand by the public option and hope the Blue Dogs come around when it’s time to count the votes? Or does he ease toward the middle and sacrifice one of his plan's pillars? With a receding approval rating, rising unemployment, and a bill such as this to push through congress, I don’t envy the man’s job.

You Enjoy Myspace: Phish And Social Networking

Richard Gehr — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:35:11 +0000

"When we look at bands and artists that foster community (and sometimes endless jams), we can see parallels to the rise of social networks," writes Phish fan and strategic-communications specialist Josh Sternberg in "What Twitter and Facebook Can Learn From Phish," an intriguing post for Mashable: The Social Media Guide. Sternberg makes the often repeated – but just as often forgotten – point that these days fans drive brands through the latest social-networking tools at our disposal. "Are Twitter and other social networks destined to niche status or are they so embedded in our lives that they are now an indispensable part of our society?" he asks. After providing a concise history of fandom and recent technology, including the parallel paths of sports and music fandom (note for further research: Grateful Dead and Menudo: Bands Or Teams), he concludes thusly:

Social networks are still new, but they are much more than fads. They will continue to evolve as we become more dependent on them for information – from where we get our news to sending pictures from your honeymoon. User generated content, whether through blogs or microblogs or status updates or whatever, is what shapes a community, and which in turn, shape society. Social networks played a large part in our political game this past cycle in the US and elsewhere, and will also continue to play its role in shaping how companies participate in the conversation and how they can use social networking as a great customer service tool. In short, social networking, like rock and roll, is here to stay.

House Committee Favors Ending Wack Sentencing Disparity

Jonathan Perri — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:24:47 +0000

Yesterday, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee voted 16-9 in favor of a bill that would eliminate the 100-to-1 sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine offenses. The disparity in mandatory sentences has resulted in a disproportionate number of African-Americans being sentenced to lengthy prison stays for crack offenses, despite most cocaine users being white, without the drug's availability being significantly reduced.

Under current law, five grams of crack cocaine and 500 grams of powder cocaine trigger the same five-year sentence. Fifty grams of crack cocaine and five kilograms of powder cocaine trigger the same 10-year sentence. If H.R. 3245 becomes law, crack and powder cocaine mandatory minimums will be equal: 500 grams will require five years and 5 kilos (or 5,000 grams) will require 10 years, no matter what form of cocaine is involved.

On November 21, 2008, Students for Sensible Drug Policy sent more than 200 students to Capitol Hill to lobby their representatives to support equalizing the disparity - proof young people can make a difference! Hamedah Hasan is an example of someone who has spent the past 16 years in prison due to mandatory-minimum sentencing. She was scheduled to be released last month until her case judge "changed her mind."

Food Becoming The New Oil

Richard Gehr — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:41:28 +0000

Investors have been quietly buying up chunks of fertile African and Indonesian farmland in hopes of turning a tidy profit as the world's population increases by another 2 billion food consumers over the next forty years to 9.1 billion. German news magazine Der Spiegel, in this eye-opening article translated in Salon, reports that the governments of the Gulf States, Egypt, Korea, and South Africa have been helping conglomerates lease and purchase millions of acres of prime farmland in South Sudan, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Cambodia. The International Food Policy Research Institute estimates that as much as 74 million acres have been leased or purchased by foreign interests. The positive spin on this is that by modernizing agriculture in weaker and poorer states, corporate technology and capital will help them modernize and stabilize into full-fledged democracies. Investors sweeten the deal by promising to build school and pave roads. In the long run, they might even reduce hunger overall. The negative impact, however, lies in how this new land grab quite possibly signifies a new colonialism, with richer nations exploiting poorer ones for their own capitalist benefit. Giant corporate farms would inevitably drive small subsistence farmers out of business with the help of heft security forces, such as the 100,000 soldiers Pakistan has already deployed to foreign-owned fields. And what will happen when famine inevitably strikes these new colonies? Will corporations share the wealth with their starving neighbors?

Because more than 50 percent of Africans are small farmers, large-scale land acquisition could be disastrous for the population. Those who lose their fields lose everything. The fact that the large investors can substantially improve harvests with their modern agricultural technology is of little use to Africans who, once they have lost their land and livelihood, cannot afford to buy the new farms' products.

Speculation in human necessities such as food, water, and energy almost always devolves into scams, exploitation, and graft. Perhaps this latest grovel for resources will force us to rethink why our species continues its inevitable race to scarcity at the rate of 221,760 new people per day.

'New Yorker' On Live Music's Secondary Markets And Ticket Bastards

Richard Gehr — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:16:40 +0000

As the concert business follows the record industry into the toilet, with tickets for Coldplay and Springsteen shows currently going for as little as a buck, John Seabrook reports on how it got there in this week's New Yorker magazine. You won't find much you don't already know in his lengthy analysis, unfortunately; and it's hooked to a metro-section fairy-tale of how a couple of devout Springsteen fans lucked into front row screaming space. Nevertheless, it provides a decent rundown of how the concert biz reached its currently consolidated state of dysfunction as Live Nation and Ticketmaster lobby congress for permission to merge into the greatest concert monopoly of all time. (Big-time manager Danny Goldberg: "I'm not a big fan of consolidation, but it's better than anarchy.") Promoter John Scher, however, puts the situation in terms the common dude can easily relate to:

"SFX [the events group now owned by Live Nation] said to acts, 'How much are you making on this tour? Two hundred and fifty thosuand? O.K., we'll pay you three hundred and fifty thousand for every date on the tour.' Soon, eighty per cent of the headliners are doing national tours, for inflated guarantees. What's the result? Live Nation can't make money. So they go to Ticketmaster and say, 'We need a bigger piece of the service charges.' So Ticketmaster raises its service charges. And then what happens? The public gets fed up. Six- to eight-dollar beers, expensive hot dogs, outrageous parking fees, and expensive tickets--who needs it? So all that starts to erode the business, then gas prices go up, then the economy tanks. And then Michael Rapino stands up in front of Congress and says the business model is broken, and therefore Live Nation has to merge with Ticketmaster. Well, who broke it?"

Berlin's War On Luxury Cars

Richard Gehr — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:42:31 +0000

Radical leftists are blowing up luxury cars in Berlin at the rate of one a night, according to this report. The strategy, which resembles an urban version of eco-terrorism, is documented on the Burning Cars of Berlin website, which Google-maps the arson sites and details the car makes involved. Young German anarchists – anti-materialists, anti-imperialists, and anti-fascists – are said to be behind the violence, which is notably directed against property rather than people. Police cars are also being targeted. via Beyond the Beyond

Twelve Mexico Murders, Thirty-Four Drug Cartel Arrests

Jonathan Perri — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:35:40 +0000

After he was elected president of Mexico in 2006, Felipe Calderon declared his own war on drugs, with an emphasis on battling drug cartels. There have been more than 10,000 drug-related killings since then, and the cartels don't seem to be going anywhere. One of the more grisly recent events was the torture and murder of 12 Mexican police officers. Thirty-four suspected members of La Familia Michoacana drug cartel, allegedly responsible for the murders, have been arrested. Increased police and military efforts seem to have only resulted in more violence and human-rights violations at the hands of cartels and the Mexican army. Former Mexico President Vicente Fox and other Latin American leaders have called for a debate about legalizing drugs.

Fox's comparison of the current battle to Prohibition in the United States in the 1920s was recently touted by Robert Pastor, who was a Latin America national security adviser for President Carter in the late 1970s. He called the problem in Mexico "even worse than Chicago during the Prohibition era." Pastor said a solution similar to what ended that violence is needed now. "What worked in the U.S. was not Eliot Ness," he said, referring to the federal agent famous for fighting gangsters in the 1920s and 19'30s. "It was the repeal of Prohibition."

'The Union: The Business Of Getting High'

Richard Gehr — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:44:31 +0000

Enjoy this trailer for The Union: The Business of Getting High, an award-winning documentary about British Columbia's marijuana trade, the province's most profitable industry.

Town Hall Turmoil

Richard Gehr — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:31:37 +0000

Corporate-funded "tea-party" birther types (a Daily Kos/Research 2000 poll shows that 58% of all Republicans are either don't believe Obama was born in the USA or are undecided on the issue) have codified their intent to disrupt this month's nationwide town-hall events focusing on health-insurance reform – as when the woman locally known as "Crazy Eileen" disrupted Delaware Representative Mike Castle's town hall meeting last month by waving her bagged birth certificate. Talking Points Memo has published a best-practices memo detailing ways to disrupt town-hall meetings here. According to TPM's Josh Marshall:

It now seems clear that 'tea party' movement types, organized by highly-funded corporate backed outfits like "Freedom Works" are putting together a plan to disrupt and shut down as many town hall events as possible. That's entirely different from making sure you've got a lot of activists at events with t-shirts or protesting with pickets outside the venue or making sure one of your activists gets to ask a question. This amounts to a sort of civic vigilanteism.

Last night, Jon Stewart sketched out another method in which anti-reform talking points are disseminated among disinformed town-hall disruptoids:

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Art, Music, Fans Connect At Red Rocks Mock Show

Jamie_Huntsman — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 10:00:56 +0000

[caption id="attachment_1542" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="An art installation in the hallway at Mock Show - Photo by Miguel Perez"][/caption] Last Saturday at a hotel six miles from Red Rocks Amphitheatre, where Phish was playing for four nights, more than 20 artists and hundreds of art lovers and collectors gathered for Mock Show, a poster and art showcase-marketplace. Held in the Sheraton Denver West Hotel's ballroom, the Mock Show was an art lovers dream that included everyone from well-established artists, such as Jim Pollock and David Welker, to up-and-comers and fan artists (such as myself). I was honored to participate and did pretty well for my first show.

Fans showed up as early as 8 a.m. to get in line to shake hands with Pollock as he personalized posters, converse with Ryan Kerrigan, or see the new works from AJ Masthay. Mock Show was all about connections: connecting fans of the music to the art inspired by the music to the artists who were inspired by the music.

The connections made at Mock Show were not limited to poster artists, however. Several nonprofit organizations participated in the show, including the Mockingbird Foundation, Expresso Beans, Phish's Waterwheel Foundation, and of course HeadCount. Other connections were made through music (the Heavy Pets played in the hallway) and cinema (the poster documentary American Artifact was screened and Noah Wilderman was there shooting footage for his Phish documentary, Maybe So, Maybe Not.)

While running my booth, I had a unique perspective on Mock Show. I didn’t really get a chance to roam around and see everything I wanted to see (I'm a fan as well as an artist), and I was nervous as hell hoping I would get at least a little traffic to my booth. But in the end, I was overwhelmed by the support I received from the crowd and other artists at the show. A particularly warm and fuzzy moment came when, at the beginning of the show, a woman made a bee line for my booth to purchase my Red Rocks print. She said it was at the top of her list of items to purchase. This rewarding moment eased my nervousness immediately. All that hard work was worth it! And speaking of hard work, I'd like to publically thank Jason Kaczorowski for his hard work in putting this show on. It was an amazing experience for me and everyone else involved.

If you weren't at Mock Show, you can still visit all the artists online. But, as always, the art is much better in person! Go to http://www.amockshow.com to connect with the artists and see photos and video from the show. And we’ll see you next time.

HeadCount art director Jamie Huntsman is a freelance illustrator and graphic designer. Her work, which includes poster art for festivals and bands, can be viewed here

[caption id="attachment_1536" align="alignnone" width="575" caption="Fans pack the grand ballroom at Sheraton Denver West for Mock Show - Photo by Miguel Perez"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_1540" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Justin Helton and his work - Photo by Miguel Perez"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_1537" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="Jamie Huntsman talks to a fan at Mock Show - Photo by Miguel Perez"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_1543" align="alignnone" width="414" caption="Fans and Art Lovers at Mock Show - Photo by Miguel Perez"][/caption]

Woodstock Politics

Richard Gehr — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:34:53 +0000

[caption id="attachment_1575" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Country Joe McDonald by Jim Marshall"][/caption] David Fricke bemoans the lack of politics at the 1969 Woodstock Music & Art Fair in his Rolling Stone review of Woodstock - 40 Years On: Back to Yasgur's Farm, a six-CD attempt to document all 32 performances heard during that August weekend, in the order in which they were presented:

That exchange [when Who guitarist Pete Townshend demanded that activist Abbie Hoffman "Fuck off my fucking stage!"] underscores a dirty, overlooked truth of Woodstock. The biggest massed-youth moment of the decade was also the least political: straight-up capitalism (if you bought a ticket, like I did) and hip escapism. The most direct comment on the real state of the nation — Vietnam, urban riots, civil protest — only came on Monday morning, as most of the mob headed home: Jimi Hendrix's wrenching firefight guitar adaptation of "The Star-Spangled Banner." If it hadn't been in the movie, most of the Woodstock Nation would have missed it altogether.

The Woodstock set offers only a fraction of the music performed that weekend. And I'd argue that the weekend's robust hedonism made a strong political statement for the time in and of itself. But even a cursory glance at the set's contents reveals a relatively widespread artistic response to the Vietnam War, poverty, racism, and general bad political juju -- much more than anyone would ever hear at a similar contemporary gathering. (Let me know if you recall any incendiary political ditties from last weekend's All Points Wet festival, for example.) Want politics with your music? In addition to Hendrix's "Star Spangled Banner," here's what else you might have heard that weekend: Richie Havens: "Handsome Johnny" (first act, first song) – "Hey, look yonder, tell me what you see/ Marching to the fields of Vietnam?/ It looks like Handsome Johnny with an M15,/ Marching to the Vietnam war, hey marching to the Vietnam war." Bert Sommers: "America" Tim Hardin: "Simple Song of Freedom" – "Hey there, Mister Black Man can you hear me?/ I don't want your diamonds or your game/ I just want to be someone known to you as me/ And I will bet my life you want the same." Joan Baez: "Joe Hill," "We Shall Overcome" Creedence Clearwater Revival, "Bad Moon Rising" Sly & the Family Stone: "Stand" Jefferson Airplane: "Volunteers," "Uncle Sam's Blues" Country Joe McDonald (solo) and Country Joe and the Fish: "The 'Fish' Cheer/I-Feel-Like-I'm Fixin'-To-Die Rag" Crosby, Still, Nash & Young: "Long Time Gone," "Wooden Ships"

Alumna Blues

Richard Gehr — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:30:02 +0000

According to CNN, a recent IT graduate of New York's Monroe College is suing the institution for $72,000 – her entire tuition plus $2,000 – because, she claims, Monroe's "Office of Career Advancement did not help me with a full-time job placement. I am also suing them because of the stress I have been going through." The college denies her allegation, naturally. But according to the former student, 27-year-old Trina Thompson of the Bronx: "They're supposed to say, 'I got this student, her attendance is good, her GPA is all right -- can you interview this person?' They're not doing that." While headlines such as CNN's – "Alumna sues college because she hasn't found a job" – suggest that Thompson is demanding that the college place her, she's actually suing, as noted above, because the school didn't do enough to help her find employment in this horrible economic climate. Economist.com goes deeper, in that way it has, and examines whether students such as Thompson actually profit economically by attending college rather than by joining the work force earlier. The (anonymous?) blogger's take is well worth reading:

Certainly, suing colleges is not a very effective way to address lower-class unemployment. But there's a real question as to whether going to college—or going to the kinds of colleges most lower-class people can afford, and plunging into debt to do so—is an effective way to address lower-class unemployment, either. For decades, America's working class has been told that the way to cope with the labour market dislocation caused by globalisation—that is, with the fact that Chinese workers have taken all the factory jobs—is to get an education. For most poor people in New York, that doesn't mean Columbia, or for that matter the State University of New York. It means Monroe College, Apex Technical School, Kaplan University, and the other places one sees advertising on the subway for degrees as a medical secretary, HVAC technician, and so on. Many of these are good technical schools with high job-placement rates. But vocational and technical schools in America tend to set students back $60,000 or more for a bachelor's degree, and there are no guarantees. This isn't the only possible way to do things; in Germany's extensive vocational education system, employers are obliged by law to set aside a certain ratio of apprenticeships, so students will have someplace to go after they graduate. Obviously, the American economy is not set up that way. We have an entrepreneurial, no-guarantees, take-what-you-can-get economic culture, and it is hardly surprising that people want to get their money's worth.

New Radiohead Single Celebrates Pacifist WWI Vet Harry Patch

Richard Gehr — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:54:38 +0000

Radiohead's new single, "Harry Patch (In Memory Of)" was written in honor of the United Kingdom's final veteran of World War I, who died in July at the age of 111. As Thom Yorke explains on the band's website, where it can be downloaded, the stately and somber tune reflects Patch's pacifist beliefs. Proceeds from the single will benefit the Royal British Legion, a nonprofit organization supporting British veterans. Yorke writes:

Recently the last remaining UK veteran of the 1st world war Harry Patch died at the age of 111. I had heard a very emotional interview with him a few years ago on the Today program on Radio4. The way he talked about war had a profound effect on me. It became the inspiration for a song that we happened to record a few weeks before his death. It was done live in an abbey. The strings were arranged by Jonny. I very much hope the song does justice to his memory as the last survivor. It would be very easy for our generation to forget the true horror of war, without the likes of Harry to remind us. I hope we do not forget. As Harry himself said "Irrespective of the uniforms we wore, we were all victims".

And the lyrics:

Harry Patch (In Memory Of) "i am the only one that got through the others died where ever they fell it was an ambush they came up from all sides give your leaders each a gun and then let them fight it out themselves i've seen devils coming up from the ground i've seen hell upon this earth the next will be chemical but they will never learn"

Festival Drug Raid Teaches Children Important Lesson

Jonathan Perri — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 04:39:37 +0000

An August 1 drug raid during the Church of Universal Love and Music's Funk Fest resulted in the arrests of 23 people and the seizure of marijuana, hash brownies, hallucinogenic mushrooms, LSD, nitrous oxide, other prohibited substances, and drug paraphernalia. Dumpstaphunk was bringing the dirty funk on the day police swarmed the festival grounds in Bullskin Township, Pennsylvania. According to this report in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review:

Thirty officers divided into five teams upon entering the site's concert grounds to explore five main areas: the stage, two camping areas, a vendor area and an office area. Upon seeing the police, many concert-goers fled to surrounding woods, leaving behind large amounts of marijuana, unspecified pills and baked goods laced with drugs, Brooks said.

Church members made this video about the raid and its effect on their children: Maybe the kids' parents used marijuana or some other intoxicants. These kids still seem nice enough to me. Police officers should not point their weapons at unarmed and obviously nonthreatening children. NIne years ago, eight-year-old Alberto Sepulveda was killed by an accidental shotgun blast to his back during a drug raid that turned up no drugs. Could this raid set a precedent for music festivals to be raided by SWAT teams and drug task forces? Of course you don't have to use drugs to enjoy or perform music. But every genre of music has been associated with some type of drug use, legal or illegal. So it's no surprise that many musicians support reforming drug policies.

Disco Biscuits' Marc Brownstein On Live-Music Crisis

Richard Gehr — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 04:09:15 +0000

Disco Biscuits bassist (and HeadCount co-founder) Marc Brownstein weighs in on the status of the concert business – imploding or not? – in a letter forwarded to email subscribers to Bob Lefsetz's popular music-industry blog, The Lefsetz Letter. Brownstein says advance Bisco sales are down while day-of-show sales are way up, because ticket buyers don't cotton to paying 40% service fees. And he'll pay $50 to see Phish any day of the week.

Bob, The "superstars" may be having a tough summer, but the jambands are killing it. Low ticket prices, long shows, great bills, lots of value for the dollar, that's always been our business plan. Fans first, that's our deal. Of course you already know all of this, but I feel like it is getting lost in all the talk about live nation/ticketmaster etc. The biscuits have had our biggest summer ever, by far, with shows in the 6000-10000 range throughout the summer. Sure we had our "Clevelands on a Wednesday", our smaller club shows, but the kids love those shows, and they are a nice change of pace from our red rocks show that don strasburg rolled the dice on. How does an unknown band do 7000 people at red rocks? With great support and a low ticket price. 8 hours of non-stop music, all for $36. And priced to sell, that is exactly what we did. Kids came from all over to see it, just like they do for all jamband shows. So in our little world, the music business IS alive and well. We had two successful summer festivals that we own, Camp Bisco and Bisco Inferno (our red rocks fest), and a host of other successes. One bit of interesting info, advance sales have been down, while day of show sales have gone through the roof. Promoters are freaking out leading up to the show, but we have to tell them again and again, there is nothing to worry about, the shows have all been great, our fans are just sick of paying 40% more for their tickets by using ticketmaster. And time and time again we have walked away selling more tickets than ever before. And then, of course, there is phish. Not many people are mentioning it, but one band doesn't have any trouble selling out shed shows instantly. $49 for a four hour show. It comes as no surprise to me that it is a band within our genre, where the quality of music and value for the fan is the focus. Even knowing that I can most likely get walked in the back door, I have no problem shelling out the $50 to see my favorite band in top form. As for selling our new album, that's where we are going to have to get really creative. We have a plan to roll the album out in bits, two singles at a time, complete with remixes, videos, and all kinds of other interesting content. We'll let you know how it goes. Cheers, love the blog, Marc Brownstein

Obama taps music industry to encourage community service

Diana Costello — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 13:00:00 +0000

The White House earlier this summer announced the United We Serve campaign, an ambitious project aimed at inspiring people to become involved in community service while also promoting economic recovery. Recognizing that music has the power to move millions, President Barack Obama turned to the music industry to take a lead role in building momentum for the campaign. Acts such as the Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Jack Johnson, and more have already rallied behind the cause. Whether bysending out e-mails to fans, placing banners on MySpace pages, or mentioning United We Serve from the stage, musicians have helped the White House turn community service into a hip opportunity. Michael Martin, president of EFFECT, is the man building connections between the music industry and United We Serve. He spoke recently with HeadCount about the goals of the initiative and how the music industry has been a positive force. Excerpts: How did the United We Serve campaign come about and what is the underlying goal? The United We Serve campaign came about from an initiative that President Obama and the First Lady put together, and the purpose of it is to create an initiative that makes it really easy for everyone to get involved with volunteering in their communities. It's about community service, and it's focused on three primary areas: environment, education and health care... This is the first year of this and our vision is to have this be an annual summer initiative. It's very exciting, because I think it's a very visionary program. Why team up with the music industry? The music industry is, I believe, the best megaphone possible for this. Number one, people who are listening to music at concerts are active. Number two, their hearts are open. Three, they're touring around the country... We've had great success with getting artists to make requests of their fans and we've had a tremendous response rate. Up to a 30, 40, 50 percent response rate. What kind of energy has the music industry brought to the campaign? The music industry has been able to take this concept, which could be viewed as square and uncool, and by its endorsement and involvement has made it cool and hip and has made it the cool thing to do. It's really a testament to pop culture, to artists, and their fans. With a little bit of encouragement and support, people are able to get out and have an impact. I know from past experiences, people's lives have been changed by volunteering. I think that's what's exciting about this. We're never going to know the millions of connections that have formed. What have musicians specifically done to support the United We Serve campaign? Dave Matthews Band sent out a blast to its entire fan club, saying 'Hey, we're getting involved with volunteering this summer in our communities, we are encouraging you to do this, we are encouraging you to go to United We Serve and do this.' We have a lot of artists that have this up on their Web sites. You go to Jack Johnson's Web site, for example, and it's up there. You go to Pearl Jam, it's up there. We have a whole list of artists who have it up there. Death Cab For Cutie sent out a great e-mail blast to their base. Foo Fighters is doing it, Kenny Loggins, Ben Harper. How does economic recovery play into all of this? The premise of this is that there are large percentages of recent grads who are unemployed, yet there are plenty of services that are needed in our communities. The thought is that by providing this vehicle with which individuals can get involved in their community, that it kick starts everything else. Instead of people sitting around watching TV and getting depressed, they're actually coming on, doing meaningful things, making connections, and having an impact. For more information about United We Serve, visit http://www.serve.gov. There you can find volunteer opportunities right in your home town, or you can create your own service project.

Why Did I Actually Have to Work Last Thursday Morning? (or: how a politically-based tech attack shut down MY social networking)

drew — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:22:26 +0000

In an interview with the Guardian, a Georgian blogger known as Cyxymu says the Russian government is responsible for last Thursday’s denial-of-service disruptions on several popular social networking sites that left hundreds of millions of web users worldwide with a largely smaller connection to those around them. Countless others have reported being bored to tears in cubicles and offices, from about 9-11:30am ET, on Thursday (editor’s shameless plug: the HeadCount blog was wholly unaffected during the attack and ready to host your curiosity from music to politics…and everything in between). Cyxymu, a 34-year-old economics lecturer whose real name is Georgy, said an organized attack directed at him, on “order from the Russian government,” is to blame for disruptions to Twitter, Facebook, and LiveJournal the night before the one year anniversary of the five-day Georgia-Russia war in South Ossetia. His claim was later confirmed by Max Kelly, Facebook's chief security officer, as well as by independent internet security experts. Cyxymu believes his criticism for Russia’s conduct during the conflict was the motivation for the attack. The blogger’s handle is actually a reference to the capital of Georgia’s other breakaway region – Abkhazia. Silencing Cyxymu, and Cyxymu alone, would have required access to his password, so the attackers went after the sites on the whole – shutting down Twitter and severely slowing Facebook and LiveJournal. It seems tens of thousands of computers, previously compromised by viruses, were directed by the attacker to visit the specific websites simultaneously and repeatedly. There’s a fancy technical explanation buried in an early report on the incident. I’ll break it down for you: when Donny tried to coyly let Julie know he had an extra to Phish’s Friday night show at The Gorge and couldn’t pull up her Facebook profile, it’s because that bandwidth was already being given to the attacker’s request. Bummer. To attempt to explain the impact social networking websites have come to have on our world would be daunting, to say the least. I think the most effective way to do this is to ask everyone reading this to think about the ways they use these sites on a daily basis and what it would mean to lose access to your: breaking news, social life, business networking, problem solving, festival set times*, office boredom solutions, restaurant reviews, calendar of events, on-tour car pool solutions, announcement distribution channels, communication with friends and loved ones, interaction with your favorite music artist & news about their projects…you get the idea. The cliché is that: hindsight is 20/20. But, boy, did this really blow up in the face of Cyxymu’s detractors. On Wednesday, he had about 100 followers which, from my experience, seems on par for anyone putting in a small effort to maintain their account. As of writing this article, Cyxymu’s Twitter account boasted 2,423 followers, including the addition of yours truly. In what’s surely now become a major blunder from their perspective, the incident has given a much larger virtual voice to the very opinions the attackers had hoped to suppress. Naturally, Twitter and the rest have picked up some more buzz (if that’s possible) along the way. What’s getting me, however, is the ease at which this all went down. To say that this could happen to any of us is a bit of an exaggeration (though it could). But what is really at risk here is the stability of these sites in an age where so many have come to rely on them for so much. Not just in the face of some possible disaster, where the course of events may shut down your digital world for whatever reason, but in the course of our daily lives. If this were to happen again randomly, and even seemingly not “to you,” would you know how to get to your job interview later in the day? Or what time it was at? Would the people you care about be able to get a hold of you? Would your business effectively shut down? Would you know what song your favorite band opened up with half way across the world? This is to say nothing of the obvious First Amendment issues (as you may know, in the words of Walter Sobchak, the Supreme Court has roundly rejected prior restraint). This should serve as a wakeup call to the curators of these networking sites. They are the ones reaping the financial benefits of our reliance on, and trust in, their sites – are they able to protect us in the ways they’ve promised? Did they previously believe this to be unrealistic? Just as our bridges and highways are monitored and maintained, perhaps, our information superhighway needs a bit of protection as well. More importantly, however, this is a wakeup call to all the citizens of the social networking age (which, by the way, I don’t see fading any time soon) to realize just how intertwined our lives have become with these services. Gone are the days of: “Jane is out for a walk, I’ll leave her a message.” We’ll never get back: “John is at lunch, can he call you when he returns?” We now have instant access to the people and knowledge in our various social networks. Instant access to reach individuals and information directly and, often, we expect instant access to a reply or solution. I’m not saying this is necessarily a “bad thing.” But what if you didn’t have that tomorrow? Would YOU remember what to do? Or how to interact? Would you be able to solve (insert problem here)? * I was surprised to learn, while writing this, that Twitter already owes a debt of gratitude to the live music community, particularly the 2007 edition of SXSW).

Financial Aid for Drug Offenders

Jonathan Perri — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 22:56:14 +0000

Eleven years ago, congress enacted the HEA Aid Elimination Penalty, a law that denies federal financial aid to students with drug convictions. Since that time, over 200,000 students have lost their aid. California Congressman George Miller (D) has recently introduced a bill that would repeal the penalty. It is expected to pass the House. The Aid Elimination Penalty was created to deter students from using drugs but evidence shows that it hasn't worked.

A September 2005 study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) was unable to find any evidence that the provision “actually helped to deter drug use.” The report found that college graduates “earn nearly twice as much over a lifetime as those persons who have only a high school diploma.” The study cited a “strong consensus among economists that formal education has a positive impact not only on personal income but also on society.” The GAO further noted that college education leads to “decreases in crime” and “decreased dependence upon certain types of public assistance.”

Currently, more than 400 organizations and 115 student governments have joined the CHEAR coalition in support of the law's full repeal. The law has received criticism because of it's impact on minorities and those of lower income who make up a disproportionate number of drug offenders. Other groups have also pointed out that those who complete college are less likely to develop drug problems and more likely to have jobs.

Marijuana May Kill You... If You Need an Organ Transplant

Jonathan Perri — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 22:23:57 +0000

A Hawaii woman diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver, chronic hepatitis infection, and end-stage kidney disease died after being denied a liver transplant by her insurance company, Hawaii Medical Service Association, because trace amounts of THC were found in her body. Her attorney explains:

Kimberly Reyes was twice denied a transplant by HMSA for "technical reasons," such as missing required Alcoholics Anonymous meetings -- because she was too weak. However, on July 17, HMSA approved Reyes' request for a liver transplant. That approval signaled the Reyes family and HMSA had apparently resolved compliance issues. Three days later, however, HMSA withdrew the transplant approval after it received toxicology tests that showed cannabis in Reyes' system.

Insurance companies have the right to deny some people organ transplants and in some cases they have very good reason to do so. Organs don't grow on trees (yet) so I personally don't think it's fair for someone who has destroyed his or her body with substance abuse or someone who is unlikely to survive surgery or live much longer afterward, to receive an organ that could go to a young and otherwise healthy person. That being said, I find it cruel that HMSA would approve this life saving transplant and then reverse that decision because she used marijuana while sick. If she wasn't a good choice for the transplant they should have known that before finding marijuana in her system. The largest study done on marijuana's toxicity found that marijuana does not cause cancer or other life threatening illnesses.

What Would You Say? - Boyd Tinsley meets Obama

MattFrancis — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:41:38 +0000

With about six weeks left on its extensive 2009 summer tour in support of Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, (it officially began May 27 and wraps up at Austin City Limits music festival on October 3) the Dave Matthews Band's violinist Boyd Tinsley found time to meet President Obama at a rally in Virginia last week. Fan-friendly owner of the NHL's Washington Capitals, one of the early partners in America Online and self-proclaimed DMB fan, Ted Leonsis, was also present at the event and blogged about his interaction with Tinsley and the president. Leonsis discovered some common ground with Tinsley, as they are both interested in sports as well as filmmaking. Leonsis founded Snag Films which distributes documentaries around the Internet, including the HeadCount documentary which you can watch here. And Caps fans, keep an eye out for Boyd to play the national anthem at a game in the future.

Afghan Singer Urges Youth to Vote

Andy Sullivan — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:27:36 +0000

For the past week or so, National Public Radio has been covering the upcoming election in Afghanistan. The station sent Morning Edition co-host Renee Montagne to the country to do in depth coverage of the election, from interviewing candidates to discusssing the security situation with top U.S. Military officicals. Yesterday morning, the station aired a great story about an Afghani singer. Farhad Darya is using his current concert series as a tool to urge young Afghani citizens to vote. Darya isn't using the concerts to promote a particular candidate, rather he hopes to simply get out the vote in the war-torn country. I particularly enjoyed this quote from one of the young concert atendees, Owl Meer.

"The population of Afghanistan is 68 percent young generation," he says. "Why we should be afraid of insecurity and war? Why shouldn't we get together? We should all work for stability and peace in Afghanistan. That's why we are here."

The success of democracy in Afhanistan, or in any country for that matter, is completely contingent upon those who are governed by it. Sixty-eight percent is a powerful majority, one that could potentially carry the wave of democracy to future generations. It brings me hope that some of the methods Headcount have used to great success to empower and educate a younger generation are being replicated in a fledgling democracy like that of Afghanistan. It also makes me think how ahead of the curve they are. Afghanistan ratified the constitution which established their democratic government a mere six years ago. When first hearing the story, I couldn't help but imagine some sort of Headcount Musician Amabssador Tour. Perhaps Bob Weir & Ratdog could open some shows for Farhad Darya in Afghanistan, and Darya could exchange the favor here in the states. What would Afghanis think of jam bands? If all goes well, we could throw a festival. All Points Middle East, anyone?

Musicians Speak Out About Festival Raid

Jonathan Perri — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:30:45 +0000

Michael "Clip" Paine of Parliament Funkadelic and friends give their perspectives of the drug task force raid that took place at the Universal Church of Love and Music's Funk Fest in Acme, PA. What do you think about the raid? Let us know by leaving some comments!

Exxon Gets Flipped the Bird

Jonathan Perri — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:58:07 +0000

Oil giant Exxon Mobil has plead guilty to accusations of killing over 85 protected birds including waterfowl, hawks, and owls in violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act according to the Department of Justice.

Under the plea agreement reached yesterday with DOJ, the company will pay $600,000, as well as make changes to prevent related deaths in the future. Exxon told the court it has already spent $2.5 million on the effort.

A representative of the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division said "Exxon Mobil has worked with us and we commend them for that." Well sure. If my company set record quarterly net profits of $14.83 billion, I don't think I'd be making a fuss about coughing up $600,000 for a few dead birds.

Keeping The Public Option Open – Or Not

Richard Gehr — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:56:42 +0000

The "public option" linchpin of President Obama's healthcare-reform plan appears to be slipping away by the hour. Obama – who while running for office said, "I happen to be a supporter of single player universal health care" – seems on the verge of abandoning a Medicare-like alternative to private insurance companies. During his Saturday town-hall-like meeting in Colorado, Obama toned down expectations sad, “The public option, whether we have it or we don’t have it, is not the entirety of health care reform. This is just one sliver of it, one aspect of it.” By removing the public option, Obama appeases conservative Democrats and removes the fear of "socialized medicine" from Republican opponents of virtually any health-insurance reform whatsoever. Many would argue that no health-insurance reform worthy of its name is possible without a public option. Those arguers include the National Physicians Alliance, an organization of some 20,000 healthcare providers who collectively support a "robust public health-insurance option" and offer these facts for your consideration:

1. The choice of a public health insurance plan is essential to controlling costs. 2. This choice is incredibly popular - 73% overall; 77% Democrats; 79% independents; 63% Republicans, and is a political asset. 3. Voters do not believe that a public health insurance option will have unfair advantages over private insurance, despite industry rhetoric. 4. The public health insurance option provides: * A guarantee of coverage that's always there * A strong record of controlling cost * Gives the government an effective way to implement measures to improve value

Jim Dickinson 1941-2009

Richard Gehr — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:33:05 +0000

Legendary musician-producer James Luther "Jim" Dickinson died Saturday morning while recuperating from heart surgery. Among numerous other accomplishments, Dickinson was the father of Luther and Cody Dickinson, two-thirds of HeadCount partners the North Mississippi Allstars. Dickinson's band the Dixie Flyers supported Aretha Franklin and numerous other Atlantic Records artists four decades ago, and that's his piano playing you hear on the Rolling Stones' "Wild Horses." His production highlights include Big Star, Alex Chilton, Willy DeVille, Green on Red, Mojo Nixon, the Replacements, Tav Falco's Panther Burns, and Screamin' Jay Hawkins. Here's what Ry Cooder had to say about the man in his liner notes to Dickinson's Jungle Jim and the Voodoo Tiger: "It is 2006, light years away from the time of Gus Cannon, Deford Bailey, and Emmett Miller. The culture of the country has been hijacked by life-style hotshot pimps who join with consumer fascists in selling you back to yourself. Who can you trust? Nobody, in the immortal words of Bert Williams. Who will sing for you, the question posed by Carter Stanley, gone to his reward, unable to answer. But there is someone, a knowing man, even a man of American family values, who raised his two boys in the sacred code of right and wrong, American-style: Jim Dickinson, son of a delta match salesman, a code-talker, a personal friend of mine. Take a seat, listen in, find your place."

Southeastern Conference Cries 'Foul' On Social Networking

Richard Gehr — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 10:09:53 +0000

The Southeastern college-athletics conference (SEC) released its new media guidelines yesterday (read them here). And they're rather astonishing in their ignorance of exactly how reporters, or practically anyone else, interact with, well, just about everything. Here's the SEC's new policy on blogging, for example:

No Bearer may produce or disseminate in any form a “real-time” description or transmission of the Event in any manner that constitutes, or is intended to provide or is promoted or marketed as, a substitute for television or video coverage of such Event. Periodic updates of scores, statistics or other brief descriptions of the competition throughout the Event are acceptable provided that the Bearer conforms to the blogging policies separately published by the SEC, as such policies may be revised from time to time. Bearer agrees that the determination of whether a blog is a real-time description or transmission shall be made by the SEC in its sole discretion. If the SEC deems that a Bearer is producing a real-time description of the Event, the SEC reserves the right to pursue all available remedies against the Bearer including but not limited to the revocation of this Credential.

The St. Petersburg Times reports that fans are in approximately the same boat. The SEC now forbids emailed photography, texting, or anything else that might end up on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, YouTube, or your daddy's Nokia: "A conference spokesman said this policy was meant to try to keep as many eyeballs as possible on ESPN and CBS — which are paying the SEC $3 billion for the broadcast rights to the conference's games over the next 15 years — and also on the SEC Digital Network — the conference's own entity that's scheduled to debut on SECSports.com later this month." It wasn't all that long ago, you may recall, when music venues attempted to restrict ticketholders' ability to photograph and record the acts they were paying increasingly ridiculous sums to see. Now, of course, at least half the audience is engaged in shooting, texting, or yapping on their cell phones at any given time during the course of a show. As closely related as sports and pop music are, it's ridiculous to imagine college-sports fans voluntarily powering down their electronic apparatus for the good of the SEC's $3 billion deal. At least, that is, until the first RIAA-like lawsuits are launched against random alumni.

Phish Fan Marries, With A Twist

Richard Gehr — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 14:22:11 +0000

[caption id="attachment_1709" align="alignleft" width="190" caption="Photo by Tim Shaffer"][/caption] While the weddings section of The New York Times often resembles a scary eugenics experiment involving inbreeding among the ruling class, it occasionally delivers a sweet and pleasant surprise. This week's featured Vows, for example, opens thusly: "Before asking Anne Miller out on an official first date, Michael Davoli knew he had to make two major disclosures. 'I was terrified how she might react,' he said. 'I didn’t think she would break up with me, but it was one of those things. You don’t know. You can’t help but be afraid.'" One of these disclosures was that the 34-year-old United Federation of Teachers lobbyist has Tourette's syndrome. The other involved a dicier situation: "Two weeks later, in his apartment, after a couple of great dates, he revealed his other potentially deal-breaking issue: he is an avid follower of the rock group Phish. He has made pilgrimages to 183 of the band’s concerts since 1992, and attending the shows often means traveling, camping and following the group in much the same manner that fans pursued the Grateful Dead." “'Tourette’s is a pain, but it doesn’t make life unbearable,' Ms. Miller said. 'The Phish thing is far and away something more we have to negotiate than the Tourette’s.'" The groom, who attended a Red Rocks show three days earlier, sported a Phish-logo kippah at his wedding.

Saving The Planet, One Download At A Time

Richard Gehr — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 09:36:38 +0000

"The Energy and Climate Change Impacts of Different Music Delivery Methods," a study funded by Microsoft and Intel, has determined that downloading an album represents a 40%-80% savings in carbon emissions over purchasing the same music as a packaged CD. The savings are obvious: It takes a lot less energy to transmit bits than to manufacture, transport, and retail atoms – even when the consumer burns the music to a blank disk. "Based on our assumptions," states the study, "online delivery is clearly superior from an energy and CO2 perspective when compared to traditional CD distribution." Walk rather than drive to the store, however, and the CO2 savings are reduced significantly. The same goes for downloading and burning larger (i.e., show-sized) files.

Dave Matthews Fans Recycle, Receive Free Album

MattFrancis — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:07:20 +0000

Maybe you’ve been approached by them while enjoying a beverage in the parking lot before a show. They peruse the lots in off-white T-shirts and whisk away every empty can in sight, depriving concertgoers of numerous nickel deposits. For this these mysterious environmentalists receive the occasional “thank you,” but that's enough to keep the Dave Matthews Band’s Bama Green Project volunteers doing what they do. As part of the So Much To Save recycling effort, now in its second year, volunteers have been handing out cards to help fans make a conscious decision to go green and recycle at DMB shows. According to an email announcement sent last week, the unique codes found on these cards can now be redeemed for a free So Much To Save 2009 downloadable album featuring highlights from this summer’s performances by both DMB and some of the band’s opening acts. Here's the tracklist: The Avett Brothers, “I and I Love You” Dave Matthews Band, “Don’t Drink the Water” Dave Matthews Band, “Say Goodbye” Gomez, “Airstream Driver” Hill Country Revue, “Georgia Woman” Hill Country Revue, “You Can Make It” Switchfoot, “Dirty Second Hands” Umphrey’s McGee, “Cemetery Walk” Umphrey’s McGee, “Cemetery Walk II” Yonder Mountain String Band, “Fine Excuses” Yonder Mountain String Band, “Complicated” If you didn’t get one of these coded cards at a show, you can simply “pledge to recycle and save energy” on the site to download the collection. Interested in volunteering yourself? Just visit So Much To Save or email your name and show date(s) to volunteer@musicmatters.net.

Trey Anastasio Recounts Drug Court Experience

Richard Gehr — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 09:45:35 +0000

Trey Anastasio claims that Drug Court saved his life in a moving video from the Phish guitarist's appearance at the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) annual conference in June. Trey relates the circumstances that led to his 2006 arrest, describes the relief he felt after his arrest, and recounts the Drug Court program that has led to his two and half years' of sobriety. After missing a single of his numerous court-ordered appearances, Trey was sent to jail for two days, which gave him an opportunity to compare his fellow prisoners' violent negativity with Drug Court's emphasis on service and personal responsibility. "When my time in Drug Court was completed,:" he says, "I was not only clean, but had the clarity I needed to dedicate myself to serving others." If the band's summer tour is any indication, this is one program that – in addition to saving tax dollars, keeping people out of jail, and helping families stay together – definitely gets great results.

A Year After LeRoi Moore’s Death

MattFrancis — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:20:25 +0000

One year ago today, Dave Matthews Band co-founder and saxophonist LeRoi Moore passed away in Los Angeles following a June 30, 2008, ATV accident outside his Virginia home. Adding to the tragedy was that Moore's bandmates and friends thought he was on the road to recovery after the mishap, thereby making his death especially shocking. On July 1, 2008, the DMB road crew posted optimistically following the band's first show without Moore. "Dave and Carter spent a few hours at his [Moore’s] side this morning, laughing together and talking," they wrote. "He’s alert and cracking jokes already. They commented on how much they were heartened and excited after leaving the hospital, knowing that he’s going to be alright. Dave announced to the audience tonight, 'He was beat up real good, but he’s going to be fine'." And the shows went on, thanks to Mr. Jeff Coffin. Coffin – who also performs with Bela Fleck's Flecktones; leads his own project, the Mutet; and hosts jazz workshops throughout the year – dropped everything on extremely short notice to fill in for Moore. Coffin had some big shoes to fill, with many fans aware of the ins and outs of the band’s music better than the saxophonist himself. At first, having a new musician onstage with the DMB seemed like just the sort of fresh creative injection the band needed. Coffin offered a new take on some of the classic tunes Moore helped arrange, and most of us assumed Coffin's gig was only temporary. As the summer carried on, so did the band, along with optimistic reports about Moore’s recovery. Then suddenly, during a carefree August evening, I received a phone call from a close friend who broke the news to me. At first I didn’t believe it. Focused on packing up and moving back to school for my final semester, the last thing on my mind was that my favorite band was losing an original member for good. But it was true, and truly devastating. The band soldiered on and finished the tour, because that’s what Moore would have wanted. On the day of his passing, DMB performed an emotional set at Los Angeles’s Staples Center, opening the show with “Bartender,” a song which, if you know the lyrics, was more than fitting for the moment. The road crew posted the following on the band’s site after the show:

As we sat this afternoon contemplating the loss of our brother, we wondered how we could possibly do a show today. Dave put it into perspective stating, “There’s no place I’d rather be than here with you guys right now.” We cherish special memories of our lost friend. Tonight, Dave told a story about LeRoi at a bar in Virginia where the cash register was near the stage and LeRoi leaned on the register because “standing had become a chore.” Roi proceeded to play the most beautiful version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Dave said, “that was the day I fell in love with him. And I’m still in love with him.” It’s safe to say we all were in love with him. “It’s always easier to leave, than to be left.” –DM

In the year since Moore’s passing, the band has paid tribute to the late sax player in many ways—the most obvious being their latest studio release, Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, whose title comes from a band nickname for Moore. The album art, which depicts a cartoony New Orleans-style funeral, centers on a portrait of Moore drawn by Matthews himself. The band also released a Live Trax installment of Moore’s final show with the band from June 28. Indeed, nearly all of Moore’s fifteen years of smooth sax playing can be accessed on demand. The DMB recently completed a leg of its summer tour in West Palm Beach, Fl., and has about two weeks off before its next show at the Outside Lands Music Festival in San Francisco. The video below was screened at the September 2008 Gorge shows to honor Moore's life and work.

How Green Is Your College?

Richard Gehr — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:34:21 +0000

Both the Sierra Club and the Princeton Review (the test-preparation service and consumer-guide publisher) have each released their latest lists of America's greenest colleges. The Sierra Club's gridlike list of "the Most Eco-Enlightened U.S. Colleges" (left) awarded its highest marks to the University of Colorado at Boulder based on the institution's efficiency, energy, food, academics, purchasing, transportation, waste management, and administration. The Review provided its second annual "2010 Green Rating Honor Roll" of colleges in alphabetical order based on the criteria of "everything from energy use, recycling, food, buildings, and transportation to academic offerings (availability of environmental studies degrees and courses) and action plans and goals concerning greenhouse gas emission reductions." The full list, which includes Yale, SUNY Binghamton, and the Evergreen State College, can be found after the jump. Arizona State University at the Tempe campus Bates College (Lewiston ME) Binghamton University (State University of New York at Binghamton) College of the Atlantic (Bar Harbor ME) Colorado College (Colorado Springs CO) Dickinson College (Carlisle PA) Evergreen State College (Olympia WA) Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta) Harvard College (Cambridge MA) Middlebury College (Middlebury VT) Northeastern University (Boston MA) University of California - Berkeley University of New Hampshire (Durham) University of Washington (Seattle) Yale University (New Haven CT)

Don't Drink The (Fiji) Water

Richard Gehr — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 09:50:49 +0000

I almost never drink bottled water; it seems like a waste of good plastic. But Fiji Water has apparently become something of a status symbol among the celebrity-industrial complex, as featured in photo opportunities of everyone from Barack Obama to Paris Hilton to Arianna Huffington. But it's become even harder to justify guzzling the stuff after reading Anna Lenzer's ominous exposé of the company in the latest issue of Mother Jones. Fiji Water, it turns out, is co-owned by a major liberal donor, Lynda Resnick, yet bottled in a military dictatorship that goes so far as to question and detain anyone who dares to criticize the brand – including the reporter herself.

What followed, in a windowless room at the main police station, felt like a bad cop movie. "Who are you really?" the bespectacled inspector wearing a khaki uniform and a smug grin asked me over and over, as if my passport, press credentials, and stacks of notes about Fiji Water weren't sufficient clues to my identity. (My iPod, he surmised tensely, was "good for transmitting information.") I asked him to call my editors, even a UN official who could vouch for me. "Shut up!" he snapped. He rifled through my bags, read my notebooks and emails. "I'd hate to see a young lady like you go into a jail full of men," he averred, smiling grimly. "You know what happened to women during the 2000 coup, don't you?" Eventually, it dawned on me that his concern wasn't just with my potentially seditious emails; he was worried that my reporting would taint the Fiji Water brand. "Who do you work for, another water company? It would be good to come here and try to take away Fiji Water's business, wouldn't it?" Then he switched tacks and offered to protect me—from other Fijian officials, who he said would soon be after me—by letting me go so I could leave the country. I walked out into the muggy morning, hid in a stairwell, and called a Fijian friend. Within minutes, a US Embassy van was speeding toward me on the seawall.

Hold That Fish Taco

Richard Gehr — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 15:25:39 +0000

Turns out that if you're eating fish, you're eating mercury. A U.S. Geological Survey recently sampled fish taken from 291 streams across the country and, reports the Associated Press, "[t]he toxic substance was found in every fish sampled." And nearly a quarter of the samples had mercury levels exceeding what the Environmental Protection Agency has declared as safe. It's not a new problem. Alaska and Wyoming are the only two states that have not issued mercury-related fish-consumption advisories. Most of the mercury comes from coal-fired power plants's smokestacks. Consumed, it can damage your nervous system and cause learning disabilities in children. The biggest concentrations of mercury are found in the South, along the coasts of the Carolinas, Florida, and Lousiana, and in the largemouth bass near Fairview Crossroads, South Carolina. Is anybody doing anything about it? The Bush administration appeased the coal industry by drafting plans that would replace the installation of mercury-reduction equipment with "pollution credits," a scheme rejected recently by a federal appeals court. The Obama administration is said to be drawing up new regulations.

Treating Heroin Addicts With...Medical Heroin

Jonathan Perri — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 09:00:32 +0000

It's so crazy it might just work! Actually, it does work. A study published by the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that pharmaceutical diacetylmorphine (heroin) works better than methadone at weaning addicts from the drug. Drug addictions, especially opiate addictions, are a complicated problem. It can take long stays in treatment for an addict to stop using a drug like heroin and successfully treat the disorders accompanying it. The study, performed in Vancouver and Montreal, included 251 addicts over the age of 25 who had been using heroin for at least five years. All participants had tried using methadone at least once before. The results were impressive:

In the study, the rates of illegal drug use and other illegal activity fell by 67% in the heroin group and 48% in the methadone group. Of the heroin-treated group, 88% stayed in treatment compared with 54% of the other group.
The new findings are in line with those from similar recent studies conducted in Germany, Switzerland and other European countries. But they are unlikely to have any immediate impact on treatment in the U.S. since heroin is an illegal drug with no federally approved medical uses.

Yup, that's U.S. drug policy for you - politics over science.

Phish: No Sex Please, We're Transcendent

Richard Gehr — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 17:37:06 +0000

The relationship between Phish and its audience "isn’t about the short-term fling of sex," writes a columnist for Good Vibrations Magzine, an erotica and sex-toys site, "but rather about the long-term gain of a loving relationship." In an article titled "Phish: A Most Un-Sexy Experience," writer "John Thursday" goes on to say that Phish's "audience communes through the band, they love the band for being the band." OK, fair enough. But many (many) are the Phish shows I've attended that have left not a dry seat in the house, so to speak, in response to the slinky funk of a "Ghost," "YEM," or "2001," not to mention the launch and liftoff of an orgasmic "Bowie" or "Antelope." Seems like a sex columnist would be a little more attuned to that sort of thing, although it's not easy to trust someone who sees U2 as inhabiting the erotic continuum between supersexy Prince and r&b nutcase Cat Power.

Andy Warhol's Crazy Closet

Jonathan Perri — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:12:52 +0000

Who else beside Andy Warhol would have an autographed photo of a naked Jacqueline Onassis stuffed in a carboard box for decades? Warhol was apparently the ultimate pack rat, and the Andy Warhol Foundation is coughing up $600,000 for archivists to make sense of his collection.

Warhol was never one to throw things away. In fact, when he died in 1987 at 58, his four-story Manhattan townhouse was packed with stuff: shopping bags filled with antiques, clothes, books and other artifacts from his daily expeditions, boxes, piles of furniture and even a drawer of gems worth $1 million. [Other items found] included a mummified human foot belonging to an ancient Egyptian; a Ramones' 45 record signed by the punk rock band's lead singer Joey Ramone, [and] orange nutbread.

It must be really cool to be the guys/gals sifting through all that amazing crap.

Barney Frank Gets Frank

Jonathan Perri — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 01:57:03 +0000

The above video shows a woman comparing Obama to Adolf Hitler at a town hall meeting. She is one of many supporters of Lyndon LaRouche who commonly believe, among other things, that MySpace and Facebook and videogames should be banned, Obama's health care plan is a Nazi policy, we still need to fight the British Empire and also wage a campaign against "green fascism". Oh those wacky LaRouchians. I had my first encounter with LaRouche supporters after they had to be removed from a discussion on Latin American Drug Policy led by Ethan Nadelmann at the University of California-Berkeley just a few months ago. They just kept standing up and yelling during the discussion. It was interesting. Just to put it out there. I'm all for people criticizing policies being proposed by our leaders. But I'm just having some trouble believing the whole Obama = Hitler thing. Maybe I'm wrong. I hope I'm not.

If You Hate Capitalism, You'll Probably Love 'Capitalism'

Richard Gehr — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:47:41 +0000

Here's the trailer for director Michael Moore latest laughing-to-keep-from-crying-umentary. Capitalism: A Love Story opens October 2.

Mexico Decriminalizes Drugs For Personal Use

Jonathan Perri — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 04:40:39 +0000

In an effort to reduce police corruption and free up resources for police to take down drug kingpins and traffickers, Mexico has decriminalized the possession of small amounts of illegal recreational drugs. Is decriminalization enough to help put an end to the border violence and shut down the drug cartels? I highly doubt it, and experts seem to agree.

Juan Carlos Hidalgo, Latin-American project coordinator at the Cato Institute, said that the law does not mark a significant change in policy. "The Mexican authorities were not [chasing] small-scale drug users before, so this law just legalises the status quo. But certainly it is a signal that Mexico is sending to the world that [going after] small-scale drug users is counter-productive," he told Al Jazeera. "As long as drug production remains illegal, we are going to see the drugs traffickers running a black market. I don't see how the new measure will help calm down the drug violence in Mexico."

However, the move may help Mexico's addiction problem. Treatment will now be more accessible to addicts as it is in other countries that have decriminalized drug use, such as Portugal, where drug use declined. Decriminalizing possession will likely help reduce corruption within Mexico's police who often bribe and extort those found with small amounts of drugs, and plant drugs as well. Again, this will probably not have a big impact on drug cartels. The Mexican police and army cannot bring down the cartels. Unless drug use drops precipitously or drugs are legalized, the cartels will remain profitable. They already have helicopters and submarines. But that's a rant for another time.

Juanes's Cuban Peace Concert Draws Protests, Death Tweet

Richard Gehr — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:46:59 +0000

The "Peace Without Borders" concert organized by Colombia singing star Juanes has provoked death threats, demonstrations, and old-fashioned record burnings from militant Cuban exiles in Florida. On August 15, Juanes told police that someone had sent him a Twitter message stating, "I hate what you are saying but you will die for defending your right to say it." The singer, 37, has enlisted top-notch acts including Puerto Rico's Olga Tañon, Spain's Miguel Bosé and Cuba's Silvio Rodríguez and the band Los Van Van for the September 20 event. Miami's conservative Cuban community goes ballistic whenever anyone gives the slightest semblance of support to Fidel Castro's communist government. The exiled Cuban singer Willy Chirino told the Miami Herald, "I love the fact that [Juanes] decided to play a concert for peace for the Cuban people. But if he doesn't want any political connotations, why is he inviting Silvio Rodríguez and Amaury Pérez...two of the most pro-revolutionary artists in Cuba?" Juanes's manager, on the other hand, told the Herald, "There is absolutely nothing political about this show, and like Pope John Paul II who held a service of peace for millions of Cubans...years ago, Juanes' mission is to do the same, but through his music," Maecha said.

Laal, Pakistan's First Communist Rockers

Richard Gehr — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:09:51 +0000

NPR did a nice segment on Pakistan's Laal, whose name means "red" and whose music matches "revolutionary poetry" with traditional South Asian beats. Check out the group's video for the title track of their debut album, Umeed-E-Sehr, or "hope of a new dawn," below. Laal's red star rose last year, when then-president Pervez Musharraf removed Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry from power. Students and others joined Pakistan's lawyers in sometimes violent street protests. Laal played concerts in sympathy with the demonstrators. A track on their album sets a poem by one of the pro-Chaudhry leaders to music. Due to security concerns, the band has so far only played impromptu free concerts.

NRDC Criticizes EPA For Ignoring Contaminated Drinking Water

Jonathan Perri — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:18:21 +0000

A commonly used herbicide has been making the news lately because of spikes in the chemical's levels found in the drinking water of Midwestern and Southern towns. The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) released a report Monday documenting the levels of atrazine in the water and calling out the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for ignoring the problem. The EPA and the manufacturer of the herbicide, not surprisingly, seem to think this is no big deal:

Scientists with atrazine manufacturer Syngenta called the NRDC study alarmist and said the spikes fall within one- and 10-day limits that the EPA considers safe. "Atrazine is one of the best studied, most thoroughly regulated molecules on the planet," said Syngenta toxicologist Tim Pastoor. "Those momentary spikes are not going to be injurious to human health."

Others disagree:

"This is an issue of the EPA not being forthright about what they know," said Robert Denver, a neuroendocrinologist at the University of Michigan who has served on two of the EPA's scientific advisory panels on atrazine. "It is the responsibility of the EPA and Syngenta to inform the public of accurate levels of atrazine in their drinking water," said Jason Rohr, a specialist in ecotoxicology at the University of South Florida who studies the effects of atrazine in animals, and who served on the EPA's atrazine panel this past spring.

The Huffington Post has some great coverage of this story. I'll leave you with this:

In some studies, male frogs that were exposed to high levels of atrazine have been documented to grow eggs.

Argentina Decriminalizes Marijuana

Jonathan Perri — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:09:39 +0000

Argentina's supreme court ruled unanimously on Tuesday that punishing adults for personal marijuana use is unconstitutional. The decision is grounded in common sense. What you put into your body is your business as long as you don't infringe upon the safety and rights of others.

The Argentine court ruled that: "Each adult is free to make lifestyle decisions without the intervention of the state." Supreme Court President Ricardo Lorenzetti said private behaviour was legal, "as long as it doesn't constitute clear danger". "The state cannot establish morality," he said.

Now thats personal liberty. The decriminalization of pot in Argentina is a small move that means a lot in the big picture of reducing the harms associated with both drug abuse and drug policies. Its suggests that governments are waking up to the fact that a "drug-free" world is impossible to achieve.

Analysts see the shift in attitude as recognition that current methods in the war on drugs are not working. "It seems quite clear that drug policy based primarily on interdiction and enforcement has failed," said Robert Pastor, a Latin America national security adviser for President Jimmy Carter in the late 1970s. "Therefore, it's natural for people to stand back and ask, 'Is there a better way?'" Pastor noted that some recent research has shown that handling drug use as a health challenge and focusing on treatment may be more efficient. "What Argentina and Mexico are doing in many ways is blazing a new path," Pastor said. Peter Hakim, president of the Inter-American Dialogue policy institute in Washington, sees a trend at work. "It's all part of a harm-reduction approach," Hakim said, noting that policymakers are shifting away from getting rid of drugs and toward figuring out how to reduce harm to users and society.

Sen. Edward Kennedy 1932-2009

Richard Gehr — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:32:44 +0000

Ted Kennedy's political career paralleled the evolution of liberalism in the United States. Here's what writer, professor, and former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich had to say about Kennedy's legacy:

America has had a few precious individuals who are both passionate about social justice and also understand deep in their bones its practical meaning. And we have had a few who possess great political shrewdness and can make the clunky machinery of democratic governance actually work. But I have known but one person who combined all these traits and abilities. His passing is an inestimable loss. Most Americans will never know how many things Ted Kennedy did to make their lives better, how many things he prevented that would have hurt them, and how tenaciously he fought on their behalf. In 1969, for example, he introduced a bill in the Senate calling for universal health insurance, and then, for the next forty years, pushed and prodded colleagues and presidents to get on with it. If and when we ever achieve that goal it will be in no small measure due to the dedication and perseverance of this one remarkable man. We owe it to him and his memory to do it soon and do it well.

Many more links to his life and career can be found here.

Farm Aid Fighting Factory Farming

admin — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:26:12 +0000
Farm Aid teams up with Headcount each year to register concertgoers to vote at our annual Farm Aid concert. But Farm Aid is about much more than incredible music. Started in 1985 by Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Neil Young (Dave Matthews joined the Board of Directors in 2001), Farm Aid’s mission is to keep family farmers on the land. We work throughout the year on issues that affect family farmers and we also work to inform folks about why they should care about their food and who grows it. Only together--farmers and eaters--can we create a food system that brings us healthy food grown with care, protects our natural resources, and creates thriving local economies and strong communities. One of the coolest things about Farm Aid is the diversity of people we get to work with. We work directly with farmers, helping them access the resources they need to get on the land and grow. We have artists who are totally dedicated to good food at our annual concert. We collaborate with chefs and eaters who are super-enthusiastic about food. We get to conspire with HOMEGROWNers: those of you who are choosing to separate yourselves from the industrialized food system by seeding, growing, baking, preserving, brewing, building it yourself. This year we’ve tackled some tough farm policy issues like farm foreclosure protection, the dairy crisis, and making sure farmers have access to the credit they need to plant their seeds. Our most recent advocacy campaign is a petition to the Secretary of Agriculture to stop funding the creation and expansion of factory farms. Here's the basic problem: A current USDA program is funneling taxpayer money to fund new and bigger factory farm operations. This lending is leading to the gross overproduction of hogs and poultry. So much livestock is being churned out that it has caused a long-term depression of producer prices, forcing family farmers out of business. This gives us fewer options at the grocery store and gives factory farms more power. Not only that, but these factory farms pose a real danger to our communities, our natural resources, and the livelihood of hardworking family farmers who dedicate their lives to raising poultry and livestock in ways that safeguard our air, water and public health. It's time for Secretary Vilsack to end this destructive lending and focus USDA resources on helping those who need it most: the family farmers who have been supplying America with healthy, safe food for generations. Click here to sign our petition now— and thanks for standing up for family farmers. To learn more about Farm Aid, visit our website. And if you’re in the Midwest, come to the HOMEGROWN Urban Country Fair on October 3rd and this year’s Farm Aid concert on October 4th in St. Louis, Missouri!

Former Health-Insurance Flack Tells All

Richard Gehr — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 09:21:46 +0000
It took him twenty years, but the former head of corporate communications at Cigna, one the country's largest insurance companies,has had a radical change of heart regarding his industry. In various interviews and in front of a Senate panel, Wendell Potter has courageously revealed the lies and deceptions behind the insurance industry's massively funded campaign to prevent either a nationalized, single-payer health care – or even the watered-down so-called public option – from becoming reality in our lifetimes. The best of his recent interviews appeared in Guernica, where Wendell spoke frankly about how insurance companies generate huge profits by denying their customers care. He also spoke about how industry front groups such as the Health Benefits Coalition disseminate misinformation about the rest of the modern world's national health-care systems (by attacking Michael Moore's Sicko) and attempts to reform our own (death panels!). Here are some quotes from Potter's Guernica interview with Jack Whitney:
“When I saw [Sicko], I’ll be honest: I thought it was a real good documentary. I knew from my own studies of other healthcare systems that it was an accurate portrayal of those systems and how they are able to provide universal coverage.” "As recently as fifteen years ago, the medical-loss ratio in this country was 95 percent. Since then, there’s been great industry consolidation to the point that now there are seven companies that dominate. They’re all for-profit. During the time that this consolidation, this shift to for-profit occurred, the medical-loss ratio has continued to drop. Now it’s around 80 percent. That means twenty cents of every dollar goes to something other than paying medical claims." "What I’m telling people is that our current reality is far scarier than the fear-mongering. What people have now is a corporate bureaucrat who stands between a person and his or her doctor. That’s much scarier than the specter of more government....Because every person who works for a for-profit company knows that the company has to meet Wall Street’s expectations." "But the reality is that the free-market simply does not work in the healthcare sector as it might in other sectors. A public insurance plan wouldn’t need to have the sales, marketing, and underwriting expenses—and would certainly not need to pay executives exorbitant salaries, and would not need to set aside a significant chunk of every premium dollar to pay shareholders—that private plans do." "To those that question my motives, I’d just like to say that I’m doing this because I think it’s the right thing to do. And the timing was something that… I don’t know if it would have been better had I done this earlier. Maybe so; I don’t know. But the way it’s turned out may be just as effective. Right now, the debate is at its peak."

Dancing About Politics: Trey Anastasio, Dr. John, SMAP

Richard Gehr — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:59:25 +0000
Links we're in like with: The Boston Herald interviews Dr. John. "Did Katrina make you a political artist?" asks Jed Gottlieb. "I’ve been at that political stuff since the second record I made," replies the Night Tripper, adding, "People outside of New Orleans have no idea what it’s like in the city. Half the population is missing. And the other half has been beat so bad from every direction, from the government, from the insurance companies." The Phoenix New Times sees what happens "When Tragedy and Politics Turn into Popular Music," from Shona Laing's "Glad I'm Not a Kennedy" to R.E.M.'s "Exhuming McCarthy." A survey by a UK music-industry pressure group warns that 80% of British kids use file-sharing services on a weekly basis. Meanwhile, a European report discovers that one-third of all Europeans have never used the Net. Trey Anastasio records "You Want to Stay High," a catchy, Beatles-y plea for moderation, with the Fab Faux's Rich Pagano. Hear it here. SMAP (Sports Music Assembles People), a Japanese blend of Menudo and the Monkees, endorses the country's ruling Liberal Democratic Party on the eve of national elections expected to be dominated by the opposition Democratic Party of Japan.

Carbon Credits And The Bankers Who Love Them

Richard Gehr — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:01:01 +0000
So you think the health-care debate is complicated? Wait until you try to understand carbon credits. The only thing I took away from economics professor Nance Folbre's post on The New York Times's Green Inc. blog is that while I suppose I'll have to hunker down and come to grips with the Waxman-Markey bill's "cap-and-trade" scheme someday, I'm not particularly looking forward to it. Even Folbre's still baffled:
The remedies being proposed are devilishly complicated. The sale of permits is designed to increase the price of carbon and discourage its consumption. Under Waxman-Markey, it’s hard to figure out exactly who will benefit from the sale of the allocated permits. The specific impact of increases in the price of carbon is difficult to predict. It will depend heavily on investments in green energy technologies that could provide cheap and effective alternatives. But the size of these investments depends, among other factors, on anticipated increases in the price of carbon.
But I can't get Matt Taibbi's haunting overview of the Goldman-Sachs government stranglehold ("The Great American Bubble Machine") out of my mind. Here's what he had to say about "cap-and-trade" speculation:
The feature of this plan that has special appeal to speculators is that the "cap" on carbon will be continually lowered by the government, which means that carbon credits will become more and more scarce with each passing year. Which means that this is a brand new commodities market where the main commodity to be traded is guaranteed to rise in price over time. The volume of this new market will be upwards of a trillion dollars annually; for comparison's sake, the annual combined revenues of all electricity suppliers in the U.S. total $320 billion. Goldman wants this bill. The plan is (1) to get in on the ground floor of paradigmshifting legislation, (2) make sure that they're the profitmaking slice of that paradigm and (3) make sure the slice is a big slice. Goldman started pushing hard for capandtrade long ago, but things really ramped up last year when the firm spent $3.5 million to lobby climate issues.

Bill Moyers On Obama's Health-Care Problem

Richard Gehr — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 11:42:03 +0000
The esteemed journalist Bill Moyers was on "Real Time With Bill Maher" Friday night, where he elegantly laid out the frustrations progressive voters are experiencing with the Obama administration, especially with regard to health care and the war in Afghanistan. Watch his half-hour interview (split into three parts) here, here, and here. A sample of his thoughts on the Democrats and health care:
"I cannot understand why this country has not embraced then notion of health care as a common human need to which everyone should have access regardless of their economic resources. I just can't understand that." "The problem is the Democratic Party. This is a party that has told its progressives, who are the most outspoken champtions of health-care reform, to sit down and shut up. That's what Rahm Emanuel, in effect the Chief of Staff of the White House, told progressives when they stood up as a unit in Congress and said, 'No public insurance option, no health care reform.' And I think the reason for that is that in the time since I was there forty years ago, the Democratic party has become like the Republican party, deeply influenced by corporate money."

Interview: Ani DiFranco

Richard Gehr — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 18:36:34 +0000
Ani DiFranco's Red Letter Year begins with a psychedelic New Year's Eve party and ends with one of the loosest and liveliest New Orleans jam sessions you'll ever hear. In-between, the prolific musician-activist muses on current events, love, insecurity, and her new role as parent amid arguably the most beautiful and sophisticated arrangements of her career. When we spoke recently, DiFranco was in her New Orleans studio, getting ready to get ready to hit the road again, beginning with a Saturday solo slot at this weekend's moe.down festival. Until then, she's busily been working on new albums by self-described "cosmic tranny" Animal Prufrock and folksinger Anais Mitchell while juggling the dual responsibilities of work and motherhood, pretty much like every other contemporary parent. What's going on down there? I've been buried in these records. I should be getting ready for my tour. I'm coming off of my summer vacation. We spent a month at my mom's place in Quebec, on a lake without electricity or running water. I find that a month is plenty long enough to forget everything you know. Who's in your band these days? Todd Sickafoose, my left-hand man, and Andy Borger, a new drummer I've never met. Can you believe it? It's like an arranged marriage. In a week or so we'll rehearse for a couple of days and – bam! – we'll take a mystery journey onstage. Todd has an FK1, a little tiny keyboard that makes atmospheric sounds, and we've been traveling with a Wurlitzer, too, so he'll jump over to that. But our relationship with this drummer will be a tabula rasa, so I don't know what we'll be doing this tour. We’ll just be making it up. Have you played moe.down before? Yeah, I played at the very first one ten years ago. This year I'm playing solo, by the way. Do you do anything different at festivals as opposed to audiences of dedicated Ani DiFranco fans? Yeah, sure. When I'm playing to my own audience, I can assume certain things. And when I'm playing to a general audience, I try not to assume anything about who I'm talking to or what their political sensibility is. And generally, when you're outside in the elements, keeping people rocking is just the best thing to do. It's hard to do anything very subtle outside, with other stages bleeding into yours, and people drinking and getting sunstroke. It's not conducive to the sort of real finite focus you can get in a theater setting, so the setlist adjusts accordingly. You're there for the party. I definitely don't water down my politics, though, because I don't believe in that. Whatever you say with an open heart and inclusive motivation is cool. And it's amazing what people will listen to and take in if you come with the right vibe. There may be a slight shift in the way I introduce a song or in the flow of a set. Since you moved to New Orleans, have you become involved in local issues apart from writing songs like "Red Letter Year"? I'm a person who's really not home enough to build community in any one place. My community and the people I work with are international. The work I do isn't so much based in where I live because I don't really live anywhere. What nonmusical things are you most involved with these days, politically or otherwise? "Politically?" I was going to say my two-and-a-half-year-old. She's very expressive. She doesn't hide her fuck-off feelings and will deliver them to anybody, from her dearest comrades to a stranger on the street. Lately I've felt like I've been on full-time damage control. "She doesn't really mean anything by that screech in your face. We'll just be leaving now." I have a nanny, of course, so I can walk onstage and she doesn't walk into traffic while I'm there. As you can imagine, as soon as I get offstage I'm Mom again. There's very little time in my life for anything extracurricular – even songwriting. I feel as though I have just enough energy and leeway to play shows; to stay on the hamster wheel of my work, which is performing and interviewing and these album projects I'm involved with. But to write a song? That is so far down the list – past laundry and sleep – that I hardly ever get there. It's a little excruciating, but I'm also very grateful for this journey and mothering job. It's also a ton of fun, and I know I'll get back to having more time for my work and other interests soon enough. How is Barack Obama's presidency working for you – or not – so far? I lean toward empathy with the man. I relate to him. I have immense respect for him. I relate to him in the sense of where he comes from. He's an activist who's so smart that he got elected president. He's smarter than me, which I love in a president. So I look at him with unending gratitude and respect that he managed to do that. We have so many opportunities as citizens with him there. He's an enabler. I like to think of all of the work he will enable us to do. That being said, of course, he's only one man, and I couldn't begin to fathom the oppressive pressures of his position. I hope the current health-care bill does not pass because it's too compromised. It's bullshit at this point. This public-private combination sounds very threatening to me: one system for the poor, one system for the rich. This is not the spirit he set out with or the change we need. I'm afraid it will be a failure the conservatives and Republicans can use to get elected in the near future. I wish Obama was sitting more in his own immense power. He's a powerful teacher. I ache for him to really stand in his own power and say, "What's wrong with socialism? Can't we move beyond the Cold War, people? Has capitalism served us so much better? Can't we look to the examples of socialized medicine in Europe and Canada and recognize that this is not evil we're talking about." I'm saddened by this little spiral we've gotten into. I want him to get back up on that ever-inspirational horse we know he has out in the barn. But being a public person myself, I've become aware over the years of how much people look to their heroes to fix everything. Even just standing onstage and hearing, "Ani! Tell them to sit down." It's like, "What? You're right next to them. Why me?" All the calls that come in from whatever activist organization: "Ani, if you could just do a benefit, if you could wave your wand, you could fix this." Well, not really. So I stop short of feeling disillusioned with him because I really feel we need to look around at all the rest of us. What are we doing to help this debate stay on track? He's only one man. Ani DiFranco tour dates: 09.05.09 moe.down - Snow Ridge Ski Area, Turin, NY 09.11.09 Kalamazoo State Theatre, Kalamazoo, MI 09.12.09 Wall to Wall Guitar Festival, Champaign, IL 09.12.09 Krannert Center, Urbana, IL 09.13.09 The Paramount Theatre Aurora, Aurora, IL 09.15.09 Mayo Civic Center, Rochester, MN 09.16.09 Duluth Entertainment Convention Center - Auditorium, Duluth, MN 09.18.09 Fargo Theatre. Fargo, ND 09.19.09 Burton Cummings Theatre, Winnipeg, Manitoba 09.20.09 First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 09.22.09 Riverside Ballroom, Greenbay, WI 09.23.09 Vic Theatre / The Vic, Chicago, IL 09.25.09 Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor, MI 10.10.09 Lobero Theatre, Santa Barbara, CA 10.11.09 The Grove of Anaheim, Anaheim, CA 10.13.09 Rio Theatre, Santa Cruz, CA 10.14.09 Tower Theatre, Fresno, CA 10.16.09 Zellerbach Auditorium, Berkeley, CA 10.20.09 Arcata Community Center, Arcata, CA 10.21.09 McDonald Theatre, Eugene, OR 10.23.09 Crystal Ballroom - Lola's, Portland OR 10.24.09 Moore Theatre, Seattle, WA 10.25.09 Western Washington University Performing Arts Center - Concert Hall, Bellingham, WA 10.27.09 The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts - Chan Shun Concert Hall, Vancouver, British Columbia 11.15.09 Calvin Theatre, Northampton, MA 11.17.09 The Egg, Albany, NY 11.20.09 Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA 11.21.09 Town Hall Theatre, New York, NY

Health Care And The 'Young Invincibles'

Richard Gehr — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:00:29 +0000
Are young people – 30% percent of whom are uninsured, according to the Commonwealth Fund – being written off in the health-care debate due to assumptions that they consider themselves "invincible?" Craig Berger unravels this meme in a Future Majority post, "Youth Not Turned Off By Health Care, But By Tone of Debate."
Our generation wants to solve problems, not settle ideological scores, whether that's through technology, multi-tasking, collaborating with others, etc. Our change-making skills are generally different from the Boomers currently running our major institutions. While our conservative elders are best-served to confuse voters of all ages in this debate, many of our older Democratic brothers and sisters don't have the stomach to avoid the false clamors for bipartisanship. As a result, Democrats and Republicans who run the debate continue to yell at each other, while millions of Americans - including too many young people - gamble their already-precarious life savings on not getting hurt or sick.
A group of millennials has responded to the dismissive pigeonholing by starting Young Invincibles, a campaign to "tell the truth about how the current system fails young people, dispel the myth that we don’t care about health care."

Phish Doc 'We Enjoy Yourself' Screens

Richard Gehr — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:56:08 +0000
Phish fans, traffic slavery, and mud unlimited (not necessarily in that order) are the themes of We Enjoy Yourself, Chris Pepino's sweet new documentary about Phish's not-so-final 2004 fandango in Coventry, Vermont. Pepino keeps his camera on the crowd as the band wraps up its summer tour in Camden (where Trey announced that traffic was already backing up outside Coventry due to days of rain) and heads up to Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. Pepino joins the thousands of others who spent, thirty, forty, and fifty hours stuck on the road, unable to get to the festival site. His crew gamely captures the final overland exodus that led to the mud, with music from those final two emotionally charged shows providing the soundtrack. Pepino chooses not to dwell on the sadness around the band's breakup, and instead wisely focuses on the fans without whom none of this would have been possible. "This is not gonna happen again," warns a dude on his way to his 104th show a few days before Coventry. "These people, they think they're having a good time, and they are, but this is not gonna happen again." He was wrong. If you're in or around New Brunswick, New Jersey, this weekend, We Enjoy Yourself screens Friday and Saturday at New Jersey Film Festival taking place at Rutgers University. If not, enjoy yourself the trailer.

Interview: Paul Diaz Of Tree Sound Studios

Andy — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:47:42 +0000
The list of clients who've recorded at Paul Diaz's Tree Sound Studios starts with Aerosmith and ends with Usher. In-between are literally hundreds of rock, rap, folk, and r&b acts who've availed themselves of this Atlanta facility's blend of state-of-the-art recording technology and environmentally conscious outlook. In addition to his studio complex, Diaz also oversees Tree Power & Sound, a solar-powered offsite recording unit; the Tree Leaf Music record company; and even the organically inclined Rock Star Farms. We recently asked Paul about the the promise and challenges facing green recording and production companies today. Tell us about Tree Sound Studios and some of the recordings that have occurred there. We've had a lot of great clients over the years and our website lists them all (because my memory sucks). But it all began with the first OutKast album, and we've worked on many others for them since, We've also done albums for REM, Elton John, Lil Wayne, Whitney Huston, and too many others to list. Are there many green recording spaces in America? If an artist wants to be environmentally conscious when recording an album, what kind of choices does he or she have? There are a few out there, most notably Jack Johnson's place in California, and the folks from the band Cloud Cult have an off-grid studio as well. We're not as green as either of those places, as we still consume a lot more power than we make, but we are the only large commercial facility on the green tip. We have three companies beside Tree Sound that move in the environmental world. Tree Leaf Music, our label, focuses on combining the environmental movement with the music we produce and the tours of the artists we work with. Tree Power and Sound provides alternative energy, sound, and lights. And we hope to partner soon with Sustainable Waves and Rock Star Farms to combine a biodynamic organic farm in North Georgia with our small garden at Tree Sound. Artists' choices include whether or not to work at a place that's earth friendly or at least carbon neuteral; using organic materials for your merch; using as much bio fuel as you can on tour; using efficient tour vehicals; using paperless tickets; encouraging downloads when making a CD; using companies like Groove House for recycled packaging and earth-friendly inks (not to mention their high-quality pressings); using a single stainless water bottle rather than thousands of small plastic bottles; using alternative energy for sound and lights; supporting environmental nonprofits on tour and in your products; and being active in educating your fan base. Your fans think you're cool, so help them understand that saving the planet for future humans is cool too. The number-one thing is to be a good role model for other humans. Tell as about Sustainable Waves and Tree Power Sound's use of solar-paneled staging, light, and sound. It all started at Echo Project, where we first worked with Sustainable Waves. They were running the solar stage and I had a baby solar rig with four batteries and two solar panels. I was recording the performances on the solar stage, mostly as an experiment. Then we came to know and love Neal and Mark and what they are doing with live production. Over the next couple of years, folks here on the East Coast started calling for what Sustainable Waves had at Echo Project. I would call Neal or Mark, and they would say it's way too far to travel for a small gig, and not so green to haul all the batteries and staging. So after a while I headed to Austin and Kenny, who works for Sustainable Waves, sold me his baby solar trailer and we expanded its capacity with a 300-watt wind turbine, two more 130-watt panels, and doubled the battery capacity. We began to try and fill the niche here in the east for alternative-energy production. We hope to keep expanding that, and we're going to meet with SW to see how we can form a strategic alliance and cover the areas too far away for them to justify working. Many festivals now have a solar-powered stage, but it's usually the smallest stage. What kind of system can solar support? Can you handle sound systems that can rock 3000 people? What's the limit? I personally believe there's no limit to the size of an event that can be powered with alternative energy. Sustainable Waves has rigs that will rock 3000 and they're growing. When you combine wind-, solar- and biofuel-powered generators, its easy to run the biggest stages around. Most giant festivals run on generator power, so its just a matter of feeding it biodiesel. As for giant solar arrays, the biggest hurdle is batteries. They're super-heavy, so hauling them around becomes difficult due to their gross weight, vehicle limitations, and the fuel needed to move tons of metal. This will become easier as batteries improve, but for now the trusty lead acid battery is still the standerd. Are these are economically sound, viable businesses, or does the cost of being green make it extra challenging to turn a profit? It certainly takes a lot of upfront green to go green on production, and the savings in power is not really enough to consider unless you're looking ahead seven to ten years. But there's great marketing potential in being green. State and federal tax incentives ease the initial cost. Making a profit in any business is very challenging, and spending money to do something the green way is hard to justify just on tax incentives or power savings. But again, the marketing value is growing quickly for green versus not green, so I'm sticking to it. I also feel a lot better about educating the public at large about green options – and given the same quality, or even better production, for a competetive price, would you choose green or non-green? "Green" is the answer I hear the most, so being green is good for the bottom line. The other thing about saving resources for humans is that we need customers to do business. So if everyone is scrambling for clean air, water, and food, they'll be buying less of everything else.

My Burma Story: By moe.'s Al Schnier

Al Schnier — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:30:42 +0000
[caption id="attachment_1960" align="alignleft" width="227" caption="Left to righ: U Gawsita, Steve Proudman, U Agga, Al Schnier"][/caption] [Editor's note: There will be some special guests at this weekend's moe.down in Turin, NY. Priests and other members of the Burmese community, who fled oppression in their country and resettled in nearby Utica, will be on hand to enjoy the festivities, share their stories, and screen a documentary about their experience. In addition, representatives from the U.S. Campaign for Burma will be at the HeadCount booth. Stop by, learn more and write a letter to Congress about how important it is that the U.S. support the Burmese people. HeadCount board member and moe. guitarist Al Schnier has brought this issue to the attention of HeadCount and elsewhere. Al explains why he feels so passionately about this issue in the following post] The world is filled with stories. Stories about kings. Stories about love. Stories about life. Stories about the never-ending race in which we all chase our tails to acquire these things. There is a small country in southeast Asia known as Burma. I knew little or nothing about Burma two years ago. This is my story. In the summer of 2007, a good friend traveled to Burma with his brother Bill and Bill's wife, Pam. (Burma's military junta, the State Peace & Development Council, renamed Burma as Myanmar several years ago in an attempt to rid itself of bad karma. It likewise changed the name of country's largest city, Rangoon, to Yangon.) They went simply to discover an Asia untainted by golden arches, Coke, and other Western vestiges. When I say Steve was a good friend, I mean he was the kind of guy you'd see every few months and have a meaningful conversation as if you'd just seen each other yesterday, and then not speak again for several months. You hug Steve, you don't shake his hand. Steve, Bill, and Pam were great intrepid travelers who'd book the front end of their trip, as well as an exit strategy, but leave the middle relatively open to chance and possibility. Despite the fact that Burma had been under the heavy hand of an oppressive military regime since 1962, this was a trip ripe with possibilities. Following a brief Japanese occupation, Burma gained its independence after World War II. Burma was liberated by the British, who had previously colonized the country. Burma enjoyed a brief window of independence from 1947 to 1962, when the government was overthrown by the military, which has remained in power ever since. In 1990, Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi was elected Prime Minister by a landslide. Her victory was never recognized by the junta and she has been under house arrest or imprisoned for most of the time since her election. She is currently in Rangoon's Insein Prison and on August 11 was sentenced to an addition eighteen months because of "a violation of the terms of her house arrest" after an uninvited guest trespassed on her property in May. Steve, Bill, and Pam explored the cities and villages of Burma. They traveled upriver, as far as it was safe to go. Westerners are welcome, more or less, but both access and information are limited. Locals were mostly unwilling to speak freely. Internet cafes smelled of paranoia. Limited two years ago, Web access is almost nonexistent today. When it comes to freedom of either the press or the Internet, Burma is at the bottom of the list. On the final day of their trip, the trio visited the 2500-year-old Shwedagon Pagoda in Rangoon. The group spent the entire day there, as many do. It is an immense golden pagoda with some of the country's oldest and most cherished Buddhas and other relics. There are many quiet areas for peaceful meditation, and numerous monks and nuns walk the grounds. It was here Steve met U Agga Nya Na. Agga, a young Buddhist monk, spent more than two hours talking with our friends about life in Burma under the military junta. Agga shared his story at great risk, as the military comes down hard on anyone who speaks out against it. At this time, the government was raising the prices of food staples, and its Orwellian oppression was making it nearly impossible for an already impoverished nation to get by. Following their heartfelt exchange, Steve offered his card to Agga and told him to contact him if there was ever anything he could do. The following day, Steve left for Wisconsin. In September 2007 thousands of people marched in peaceful protest in Burma's streets, reacting to a 500% hike in fuel costs enacted by the military to cover salary raises. Remarkably, tens of thousands of monks also marched in what has become known as "The Saffron Revolution" because of strikingly colorful images of monks' robes flowing down Rangoon streets. The monks sent a powerful message to the world by "turning over the alms bowls." With this single gesture, the monks firmly conveyed that the situation was so dire, and the military's actions so unthinkable, that they were being cut off from the possibility of good karma. Burma's population is more than 90% Buddhist and monks are held in the highest regard. Giving alms to the monks, even by military personnel, is one of the most common and significant karmic deeds in which one engages. Overturning their alms bowlswas a devastating signal as well as the one and only activist activity in which monks are allowed to engage. The military responded by beating, killing, and imprisoning thousands of monks. Monasteries were raided. Monks and nuns who didn't flee were taken away and often not heard from again. Many remain missing and imprisoned today. Many others fled the country, sometimes resurfacing in Thailand refugee camps along the border. Agga ran to one of these camps. Several months after they met, Steve received a call from Agga, who was distraught and explained in broken English that he needed help. His monastery had been raided and everyone was gone. He was on the run and in danger of being killed. Mind you, he and Steve had only spoken that one day for two hours several months prior to the Saffron Revolution. Steve was in Mexico on a family vacation when he got the call asking for help from a soul with whom he connected from the other side of the world. What would you do? Over the following days Steve arranged to transfer money to a safe resource in Burma or Thailand to help Agga get to Mae Sot, one of the refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border. The refugee camps have been there for many years. Around the time of the first student-led protests in 1988 there was a large migration toward the border. Burmese citizens are not allowed to leave the country and are not welcome in Thailand. However, tens of thousands of refugees fill each of the camps. Some have lived in refugee camps their whole lives. Conditions are grim, as one might imagine. The monks had to travel at night, in disguise, and cover several hundred miles on foot. Steve made arrangements to return to Burma. He also kept a bunch of us up to date on this stuff via email. There was a bit of coverage on CNN and the BBC regarding the protests, but Burma had been off my radar for a while. To be honest, Steve's emails did not resonate with me much, just as this story may not with you. That would come later. Steve and Bill traveled to the Thai-Burma border and reunited with Agga at Mae Sot. They discussed plans to bring Agga to the U.S. and kept us updated. Months later, I heard that several monks were being relocated to somewhere in the upstate New York's Mohawk Valley, where I live. Now I started to pay attention. It turns out that 3500 Burmese refugees have moved to the Utica area during the last three or four years. There are also Burmese communities in Buffalo, Ft. Wayne, Atlanta, Austin, San Francisco, Portland (Oregon), and several other cities. Four monks have arrived in Utica over the past year, and one of those monks happened to be Agga. Three weeks after Agga's January arrival, Steve came to our house for a new kind of reunion. Since that fateful weekend, my family has become very close with the Burmese Buddhist monks. We see one another and share meals together often. I have been reading a lot about Burma and Aung San Suu Kyi, and have become quite engaged. When worlds collide gently and meaningfully like this, it's easy to go with the flow, so to speak.

Montana And The Right To Die

Jonathan Perri — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 20:32:22 +0000
This week the Montana Supreme Court hears oral arguments for and against allowing doctor-assisted suicide for terminally ill state residents. The hearing follows a December 5, 2008, ruling by Judge Dorothy McCarter, who said the Montana constitution guaranteed its citizens this right.
Since the issues arise solely under the state constitution, no further appeals are possible -- so a ruling to uphold the lower court's decision will enshrine Baxter v. Montana as the case that, for the first time, guarantees the citizens of a state the right to aid in dying. While Oregon's Death with Dignity Act (1994) and Washington's Initiative 1000 (2008) grant those state's inhabitants the right to end their own lives, such statutes could be revoked by legislatures at any time. In contrast, a Montana ruling favoring aid in dying would require a constitutional amendment to overturn -- an unlikely prospect.

AFL-CIO Study Finds Young Workers Facing 'Lost Decade'

Richard Gehr — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:20:23 +0000
The news ain't good. An AFL-CIO-commissioned study has found that young workers (18-35) face low wages, inadequate health insurance, and minimal chances of retirement benefits for at least the next decade. “Young Workers: A Lost Decade" derives from a July survey of 1,156 people conducted by the Peter D. Hart Research Associates. The study is available here and these are some of its more striking findings:
* 31 percent of young workers report being uninsured, up from 24 percent 10 years ago, and 79 percent of the uninsured say they don’t have coverage because they can’t afford it or their employer does not offer it. * Strikingly, one in three young workers are currently living at home with their parents. * Only 31 percent say they make enough money to cover their bills and put some money aside—22 percentage points fewer than in 1999—while 24 percent cannot even pay their monthly bills. * A third cannot pay their bills and seven in 10 do not have enough saved to cover two months of living expenses. * 37 percent have put off education or professional development because they can’t afford it. * When asked who is most responsible for the country’s economic woes, close to 50 percent of young workers place the blame on Wall Street and banks or corporate CEOs. And young workers say greed by corporations and CEOs is the factor most to blame for in the current financial downturn. * By a 22-point margin, young workers favor expanding public investment over reducing the budget deficit. Young workers rank conservative economic approaches such as reducing taxes, government spending and regulation on business among the five lowest of 16 long-term priorities for Congress and the president. * Thirty-five percent say they voted for the first time in 2008, and nearly three-quarters now keep tabs on government and public affairs, even when there’s not an election going on. * The majority of young workers and nearly 70 percent of first-time voters are confident that Obama will take the country in the right direction.

Auto-Tuning Jobs, Geese, National Debt

Richard Gehr — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:00:42 +0000
It's just so...pretty.

Ticketmaster Tried To Undermine Live Nation With Ticket Scalpers

Richard Gehr — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:03:11 +0000
Prior to its decision to marry Live Nation, Ticketmaster tried to crush the rival ticket agency by striking deals with several large regional ticket resellers. The Wall Street Journal reports that "Project Showtime" involved buying six of the largest ticket brokers, at up to $25 million each, and then funneling hundreds of prime seats to them. Ticketmaster would take more than two-thirds of the profits and split them with the bands. All of which sounds like a win-win-win-lose proposition for fans.
There was even a test run in the fall of 2007, according to numerous people with knowledge of the matter. Up to 500 of the best seats to each of about 20 concerts by Van Halen, the veteran hard-rock band managed by Mr. Azoff, were pulled from the Ticketmaster system and passed directly to the brokers being considered for acquisition. The brokers kept 30% of the marked-up sale price for themselves, and the remaining 70% was divided among Ticketmaster, the band and its handlers. The band netted an extra $1 million, at least, from the arrangement, according to people familiar with the matter. A spokesman said the band wasn't available for comment.

Dave Matthews Band Expands LeRoi Moore’s Philanthropic Legacy

MattFrancis — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 11:14:53 +0000
In honor of the late saxophonist’s September 7 birthday, and a year after his death, the Dave Matthews Band has announced new scholarship and charitable programs to continue LeRoi Moore’s own legacy of giving. The LeRoi Moore Fund, which was established prior to the founding DMB member’s death in 2008, will make contributions to the following organizations: Toys For Tots, Habitat for Humanity, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Blue Ridge Area Food Bank—all charities Moore supported during his lifetime. The fund will also support three four-year college scholarship programs that will launch with the 2010-2011 academic year at the following schools: North Carolina Central University - a four-year, $5,000-per-year scholarship available to Business and Education majors, the departments in which Moore's parents studied while at the university. Applicants will be evaluated based on financial need, with an emphasis on community service. Albemarle High School - a four-year, $2,500-per-year scholarship toward the recipient's college expenses. The scholarship will be open to music students based on their talent, financial need, and community service. Moore attended Albemarle High School, where his father also taught. University of Virginia School of Nursing - a four-year, $5,000-per-year scholarship will be awarded to a Nursing Department student exhibiting financial need and a history of community service. Moore, who was treated at the University of Virginia Medical Center, had expressed a desire to honor the efforts of those who'd helped him during his time there. As the DMB graced the scenic Gorge Amphitheatre stage in George, WA on September 4-6, thoughts of Moore were no doubt be in the hearts and minds of both fans and his former bandmates.

Motown Turns 50

Jonathan Perri — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:00:18 +0000
It's the 50th anniversary of the founding of Motown records, and some of the biggest household names in American music are talking about the impact the Detroit-based record label has had on their lives. Patti LaBelle, Wynonna Judd, Ted Nugent, Anita Baker, and President Bill Clinton all share their stories. Clinton has the coolest by far:
No, it wasn't the 1988 Democratic National Convention, where he delivered a big speech. This was a governors' conference in northern Michigan the year before. The command performance was to be delivered on his saxophone--during a show featuring Motown stars The Four Tops, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas and Junior Walker. "At the end of the concert, this guy came up to me and says, 'They want you to come play with them.' And I said, 'You have a horn?' They said, 'Yes.' I said, 'What are we going to play?' They said, "Dancing in the Street.' You know it?' I said, 'Oh yeah,'" Clinton said. "I said, 'What key is it in?' He says, 'I don't have a clue.' And I said, 'Can I warm up the horn for 30 seconds?' They said, 'No.' I said, 'OK, I'll do it.'
That's badass.

Pnuma Trio Giving Away Show For Conscious Alliance

Jonathan Perri — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:35:39 +0000
Pnuma Trio is drawing attention to Conscious Alliance's food-distribution efforts by offering a free download of their set from STS9's "Day Out of Time" celebration at Red Rocks Amphitheater in July. I was at the DOOT show and Pnuma threw it down, as always. The set includes new tunes "DAB," moresamples," and "avid" from their latest (and incredible) studio album, Character, plus older favorites such as "Bufkins Tank." Pnuma is giving the soundboard-quality show away for free, but any donations you choose to make will go to Conscious Alliance to help get food to people in need. The band always tries to use its music to draw attention to worthy causes, including Students for Sensible Drug Policy and, of course, HeadCount.

Van Jones Resigns

Jonathan Perri — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:17:24 +0000
Van Jones, the Obama Administrations Special Adviser for Green Jobs at the Council on Environmental Quality--AKA the "Green Jobs Czar"--resigned from his position late Saturday following increased criticism for authoring The Green Collar Economy and for his ties to groups like the Apollo Alliance, ACORN, STORM, Color of Change, and the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. For Jones, the nail in the coffin seems to be his 2004 signature on a 911Truth.org petition that, among many things, called for "immediate public attention to unanswered questions that suggest that people within the current administration may indeed have deliberately allowed 9/11 to happen, perhaps as a pretext for war." Despite being called one of "100 notable Americans" to sign the petition, Jones has said, "I do not agree with this statement and it certainly does not reflect my views now or ever." According to the right wing, Jones's position in the administration demonstrates that Obama is a radical socialist hellbent on destroying America. Their attacks stepped up after Jones publicly referred to Republicans as "assholes." Influential conservative commentator and comedian Glenn Beck has also attacked Jones on numerous occasions. From Jones's resignation letter:
"On the eve of historic fights for health care and clean energy, opponents of reform have mounted a vicious smear campaign against me. They are using lies and distortions to distract and divide. I have been inundated with calls - from across the political spectrum -- urging me to 'stay and fight.' But I came here to fight for others, not for myself. I cannot in good conscience ask my colleagues to expend precious time and energy defending or explaining my past. We need all hands on deck, fighting for the future."

Narcotourism And Decriminalization In The Americas

Richard Gehr — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:56:08 +0000
I haven't found anything in the American press as incisive on the issue as this Guardian analysis of Mexico's and Argentina's decriminalization of recreational drugs for personal use in relation to our very own war on (some) drugs. it suggests that decriminalization's consequences for both governments and nonusers may not be pretty in the short run. The move toward legalization in Mexico will free up prison space for many more violent cartel soldiers, whose numbers may continue to rise so long as demand remains high in El Norte. And crime statistics indicate that Mexico is not Holland, and Ciudad Juarez and Tijuana are not Amsterdam, as much we might wish they were. (Buenos Aires, on the other hand...) Brazil, Bolivia, and Venezuela are all likely future decriminalizers. And if the trend continues, and marijuana is eventually legalized in the U.S., a million fewer people will be incarcerated each year. Until then, the drug war may continue to heat up in Mexican and U.S. border towns as consumers take advantage of localized narcotourism.
But they remain wary in Tijuana. Before the drug war, this border city was a capital of vice tourism, which has now disappeared. Tijuana lies opposite San Diego, from where most of those seeking prostitutes and other distractions came, and where a letter recently appeared in the local Union Tribune newspaper from Omar Firestone, principal cellist in the Orquesta de Baja California. He warned that the last thing the city needs is "offering sanctuary to American druggies" who will "draw the worst of our society to the streets of Tijuana and increase the flight of those seeking a better life. I guess the cartels needed a government bailout."

Meet The Plastic People Of The Universe

Richard Gehr — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:22:31 +0000
Inspired by Frank Zappa and the Velvet Underground, Czechoslovakia's Plastic People of the Universe played a pivotal role in the 1989 "velvet revolution" that replaced the dictatorial general secretary of the Czech Communist party, Gustav Husak, with the country's first elected president, playwright Vaclav Havel. When the band was arrested in July 1976, Havel's petition demanding their freedom, known as Charter 77, turned out to be the ideological cornerstone of Prague's 1979 spring of rebellion. The band's story is as strange and as amazing as its music, and this recent Guardian feature by Ed Vulliamy provides an excellent introduction to their four decades' of crazy brilliance.
In Jana Chytilova's 2001 documentary film Plastic People of the Universe, Havel says: "I have to admit the story of Charter 77 still reminds me of an odd horror movie with a fairy tale end." The Chartists were brutally assailed – arrested, beaten, imprisoned. By the time the Plastic People were released after eight months in jail, Havel's country house, where he lived under house arrest, was among the few places the band could play. Havel was in turn jailed himself, Brabenec deported to Canada. The regime put extreme pressure on Hlavsa to turn informer, or at least recant, in return for permission to play officially. Hlavsa left and the band split up in 1988, some forming a new ensemble called Pulnoc ("Midnight"). But by then the regime was doomed, rotten from within and no longer able to turn to Mikhail Gorbachev's Moscow for aid. By the winter of 1989, it was spring again in Prague.

Interview: Political Strategist and Obama Campaign Media Adviser John Del Cecato

Andy — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 10:00:22 +0000
Ever wonder who actually wrote most of the Obama campaign ads that were filling the airwaves this time last year? It was a thirtysomething Deadhead named John Del Cecato, who managed to mesh gears with his favorite band while also helping get his candidate elected. He was then named one of Politics Magazine's "Rising Stars". Del Cecato had worked with David Axelrod at the consulting firm AKPD Message and Media since way back in 2001. When Axelrod left the firm to set up shop next to the Oval Office as White House Senior Advisor, it left Del Cecato and a few partners running one of the hottest political shops in the country. We recently chatted with John about music and politics (and everything in between). Tell us about your role in the Obama campaign. I served as media advisor on the Obama campaign. Primarily, it was my job to write and produce TV commercials, but I also helped with message development and press strategy. David Axelrod (my business partner until January, when he left to work at the White House) was the campaign’s chief strategist, and David Plouffe (who still works with us at AKPD) was the campaign manager—so I got a bird’s-eye view of the campaign from start to finish. In your view, how did the youth vote and the influence musicians have on the youth vote play into the election? Do you think work that various organizations and musicians put in – both partisan and nonpartisan - had an impact? For as long as I can remember, the conventional wisdom states that young people were among the least reliable political participants – from organizing, to fundraising, to voting. President Obama and his campaign team simply refused to accept that, and it paid off. The percent of Iowa caucusgoers under 30 grew from 17% in 2004 to 22% in 2008. That’s a 30% increase in their share of the electorate – a real game changer. Music can clearly be a motivating tool – and we spent many hours in the studio working to find the right tracks for our spots. We listened to a hundred songs before we finally got the right feel for our first youth-oriented ad. We wanted it to feel fresh, energetic, and motivating, without being so edgy as to risk turning off older voters. (The track was composed by a brilliant New York musician named Dan Zweben.) One rule of thumb for effective grassroots communication is “meeting voters where they are.” That’s why groups like HeadCount have been so successful in making politics relevant to many folks who hadn’t participated in the process before. Same goes for Will.I.Am and the powerful "Yes We Can" video, which was made without the campaign’s knowledge and proved to be incredibly viral. You must have some amazing stories from the campaign. What is your favorite one? Through HeadCount, I got to meet one of my musical heroes, Phil Lesh – and I had the opportunity to introduce him, his wife Jill, and their son Brian to President Obama in fall 2007. Phil could not have been more down-to-earth and genuinely interested in helping the cause. He asked me to film a message from Obama that the band could air at the DeadHeads for Obama concert at the Warfield, just prior to the California Democratic primary. I told Phil I seriously doubted I could make that happen, but to my surprise, the President agreed and recorded an off-the-cuff message while traveling on the campaign plane. We turned it around in a day or so and got the video to San Francisco just in time. It was very cool to see my worlds collide. People sometimes forget how close the primaries were. With that in mind, what do you think was the most critical strategy or tactic that helped Barack Obama win the Democractic nomination and ultimately the presidency? What one thing that do you look back at and say, "Wow, I'm so glad we did that"? The most important strategic decision was to let the campaign be a truly grassroots effort. We didn’t give orders from headquarters and demand that all of our volunteers and supporters stay on script. Instead, Plouffe decided we would embrace the creativity and ideas that ordinary people were inspired to offer – whether it be a viral video, email, or a local rally. Not all of them worked, but many of them did, and that peer-to-peer persuasion was more potent than any TV ad I ever made. What are you up to these days? Are you finding time to see music? Right now I’m in the middle of the fight to pass health-insurance reform, trying to recapture some of that grassroots energy that elected the President and apply it to a cause that affects almost everybody in this country. The fact that insurance companies can currently deny coverage due to preexisting conditions, or hike out-of-pocket costs to absurd levels, or refuse to pay the full cost of preventive care that keeps people healthy – it’s just un-American, in my view. Between work and my new puppy, I haven’t gotten to see nearly as much music as I’d like. I did catch The Dead at Roseland back in March, and Billy’s band BK3 in New Haven a few months ago. You can’t leave one of those shows without feeling like these guys understand the power of music like nobody else – and they channel every ounce of their passion into lifting up the audience instead of themselves. That’s the way music (and politics) should be.

R.E.M., MoveOn.org's 'We Can't Afford To Wait' Video

Richard Gehr — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:37:02 +0000
MoveOn.org asked members to "share photos showing how they and their loved ones are suffering under our broken health care system." R.E.M. provided the music.

What The Heckle?

Richard Gehr — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:56:52 +0000
It wasn't quite as dramatic as hurling a shoe. But Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) is already suffering from his ill-advised outburst during Barack Obama's speech on health-care reform last night. GOP leadership made him apologize to the President, who accepted it. And Rob Miller, Wilson's potential opponent in the 2010 election for his congressional seat, has raised more than $137,000 since the outburst. [Update: That figure is now up to $400,000.] An obviously flustered Wilson met the press earlier today.

Your Tax Dollars At Work 1: New Hubble Photos

Richard Gehr — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:03:39 +0000

This image of the Omega Centauri star cluster, just a few thousand short light years away, is one of a bunch of amazing new images captured by NASA's refurbished Hubble Space Telescope. When I stumbled across it, I couldn't help but be reminded of another equally recent and joyfully spacey image.

Canada Pot Nazis: 'No Wheelchair For You!'

Jonathan Perri — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:30:46 +0000
Whenever I think the human race just couldn't get any dumber when it comes to dealing with marijuana, I'm proven wrong. And this time it's in Canada. Who would have thought, eh? In an act of utter stupidity and ignorance, a Canadian care center punished resident Nyle Nagy for legally using medical marijuana. Why? The manager didn't approve. The punishment: She took away his electric wheelchair, gave him a seven-day bed sentence, and cut off his cannabis supply (which, in Canada, happened to be the government). Watch this video and get pissed off: You can leave your thoughts with the facility's manager here. Might be nice to also leave a not for Nagy, too. Oddly enough, the manager returned the wheelchair when Nagy threatened to call police.

New York City Mayor Floats Election Reforms

Melissa Brennan — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:21:35 +0000
Election Reform is nothing new. The State of New York ratified the U.S. Constitution in 1788 and fewer than 40 years later altered the Property Qualification statute to extend voting rights to all white males regardless of whether they owned or rented property. A few years later, the office of Mayor became an elected position in New York City. During the 1880’s, in response to decades of scandal, New York passed the foundation laws regarding the nomination process the state still uses today. As citizens, it behooves us to reassess and reform our election processes and regulations as our country changes. Despite our long history of election evolution, reform has become a particularly heated issue over the past decade. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg now has his own four-year plan to transform New York’s election system and possibly influence state and federal legislation. (The billionaire mayor is running for a third term in office after pressuring the city council to overturn a voter referendum establishing a two-term limit.) Bloomberg's plan would open up the nomination process, eliminate barriers, and change the day we go to the polls. Yesterday the Mayor’s office issued a press release outlining his key proposals: * Create a “Democracy Index” to reform NYC elections. A system of metrics would focus on performance outputs, rather than policy inputs, to measure the effectiveness of the election administration process. * Make 311 NYC’s voting hotline. Currently, New Yorkers dial a 1-800 number to access information regarding polling locations, absentee ballots, and lodge complaints or report fraud. * Support national voter-registration modernization. Bloomberg will support federal efforts to modernize the registration process by automatically registering all eligible voters. * Support a federal effort to institute weekend voting. Bloomberg supports changing the day we cast our ballot from Tuesday to Saturday and Sunday to make it easier for people to get to the polls and therefore increase voter turnout. * Halve the signature requirements for the petitioning process. To make it easier for candidates to qualify for ballot inclusion, the Mayor proposes changing state law to alter the number of signatures required to the lesser of (a) 2.5% of the party voters in the district, or (b) half of the current number required under state law. * Open the petitioning process to independent voters. Nearly 20% of the NYC electorate consists of independent voters, and their ranks continue to grow. Bloomberg's plan would allow indies greater participation in the political process.

Interview: Young People First's Zach Kolodin

Andy — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:49:19 +0000
Struck by how much lip service was being paid to young voters, yet how little real inclusion in the political process they were offered, Young People First (YPF) executive director Zach Kolodin and co-founder Lauren Smith launched YPF last summer as a way to mobilize the demographic to achieve long-term goals in the areas of educational, environmental sustainability, fiscal responsibility, health care, entrepreneurial opportunity, and infrastructure. Their means to that end is the "Future Preparedness Index," a quantitative gauge of what kind of country and planet young people are inheriting. Koladin, a 2007 Wesleyan grad trained who for a year as a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs and then worked as a strategy consultant to Echoing Green, explained what Young People First and the Future Preparedness Index are all about. What is the Future Preparedness Index? The Future Preparedness Index is meant to represent the Millennial Generation's shared interest in building a strong American future. We've tried to boil down a vision of a sustainable, prosperous future to specific goals to which young people can hold their leaders accountable. Future Preparedness represents a vision of what a responsible government ought to provide: sustainable national prosperity and security that benefits all Americans over the long term. The FPI is our main tool to systematically raise issues related to our long-term vision, and force action. We're currently engaging a wide array of stakeholders in the youth advocacy and policy communities to set the long-term goals that form the core of the FPI in preparation for a Fall 2009 launch. Where did the idea come from and how did you start Young People First? I started brainstorming new ideas for mobilizing young people with YPF co-founder Lauren Smith in summer 2008. We were really interested in crowdsourcing technologies. The Future Preparedness Index concept really took hold as the financial crisis was deepening in the fall and winter of 2008. We realized that future preparedness was exactly what this country lacked. Our leaders had allowed a partially hidden crisis to overtake the nation. We saw young people as the best watchdogs for that sort of thing. At that time, the YPF team had a bunch of programs we were pursuing, so we began to focus more directly on developing the FPI. So basically a bunch of recent college grads got together and just had the will to make it happen? What's that been like? A big party or a lot of sleepless nights? A little of both? It's been occasionally exhilarating but mostly pretty mundane. Initially we were probably overly audacious--this business requires a big dose of modesty. But since realizing how much great work is being done in youth organizing, and beginning to work with these organizations, it's gone much more smoothly. I can tell you one thing for sure: it's not a big party--it's a lot of working alone or in pairs in coffeeshops, cramped apartments, and windowless offices. But I'm not complaining. Where do things stand with FPI development right now? We've got several committees of young leaders working on the core FPI indicators. But what we're really focusing on is asking young people for input through our FPI Development questionnaire. Quick plug: it matters, it's short, and it's right here. What are you trying to achieve ultimately? What would success look like? We want to give young people a reliable framework for raising and addressing issues of long-term national and regional concern. To this end, we're training young people in legislation analysis and organizing in three locations beginning this fall. We aim for future preparedness to become part of the political discourse in the way that fiscal responsibility is currently used: as shorthand for responsible, forward-thinking governance. Ultimately were trying to shift policy priorities toward consistently accounting for and addressing America's long-term challenges. No more hidden crises.

Photojournalist Jeff Antebi

Richard Gehr — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:17:05 +0000

Earlier this year, Jeff Antebi announced a hiatus from his very successful music career (as founder and creative director of Waxploitation Records, Abtebi managed Gnarls Barkley, Danger Mouse, and other left-field successes) to pursue his passion for photojournalism abroad. He is particularly interested in electoral politics in developing nations, and his website documents his travels through Haiti, Brazil, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. His most recent email alert describes his experiences during Thailand's recent national elections:

I spent 72 hours in Southern Thailand where they were having sub-district elections in a time of an ongoing Islamic Jihad. This most recent incarnation of the insurgency began in 2004 and it doesn't get a lot of attention outside of Thailand, because it plods on quietly but steadily. Rather than having huge moments of catastrophe, it's been more of an average of one-murder-a-day for five years. Thailand is primarily a Buddhist country. It's in the deep south that things flip. In the three southern provinces there are 1 million people and most are Muslim. 100 years ago, this place was separate from Thailand. So the goal of the Jihad is all about getting a separate state again. The problem is, the separatists are extremists. They are, in my opinion, as inhuman as the Taliban or Al-Qaeda. I was there for less than 3 days and photographed the results of 2 bombing incidents in front of restaurants. Innocent people, some fellow Muslims, going about their lives were the ones impacted by the blasts. I photographed two women in the hospital. One was a woman who had been across the street selling bananas. One was working in the restaurant. One women I saw but didn't photograph was in excruciating pain, having had the front of her body ripped open. I had plans to meet a man who had been an insurgent in the 60's but later in life became a non-Jihadist community leader. Right before I was to meet him, he was murdered along with his daughter and son-in-law. The people who shot them were wearing Thai police uniforms, and as of yesterday, no one was sure if they were cops or insurgents dressed like cops. I was unable to meet him, but I went to his son's house and photographed an old photo. I photographed the wet blood still covering the tiles at his daughter's home where they were shot down with AKs. I'm by no means educated on what's happening there. If you are interested in learning more, Human Rights Watch provides great background here http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2007/08/27/no-one-safe I've photographed Senate Elections in Haiti, Presidential Elections in Afghanistan and Sub-District Elections in South Thailand. All three demonstrate the difficulties of voting in times of war and conflict. Photos of all this at www.jeffantebi.com.

How Do You Get To Carnegie Hall? Follow The Nitrous

Andy — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 07:53:22 +0000
[gallery] Talk about opposite extremes. Phish’s Trey Anastasio gave a sublime performance with the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall last night, wowing the crowd from the first notes of the “First Tube” opener to the last moments of a 14-minute orchestral “You Enjoy Myself” finale (the heavy brass in place of the vocal “Boy/Man/God/Shit” drew audible groans of glee from the audience). The fact that most fans were sporting blazers and button-down shirts gave it a touch of class befitting of the nation’s oldest symphony orchestra in the Western Hemisphere’s most revered concert hall. It was a memorable evening for a very special cause – the memorial fund for Trey’s sister Kristy who passed away of cancer earlier this year. So what was it like outside? A raging nitrous scene. It began well before the show and popped up again right after, continuing unabated for at least 45 minutes after the “If I Could” encore. This wasn’t the sort of back alley, slightly down-low nitrous scene we’re used to. It was completely out in the open, with hawkers walking around with 4 balloons in each, right on the corner of W 57th and 7th Ave. There was no shortage of Phish fans in sport jackets sucking it all up. Nitrous started to hit hard in New York City last summer, and there’s seemingly been no attempt by the NYPD to stop it. The hippie crack dealers must read JamBase – because they can be found at any show likely to attract a heady crowd. Even ones at Carnegie Hall.

Hipsters Versus Teabaggers

Richard Gehr — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:12:41 +0000
If you like this, perhaps you'll be amused by this collection of protestors photographed at Saturday's Tea Party-march in Washington, D.C. via Gawker

Maybe If We ATE Better...

amyvaden — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:30:15 +0000
We need health-care reform because of predatory insurance companies, right? Well, yes, that's a big part of it. But maybe it should involve our collective national diet. Perhaps if we ate better foods we wouldn't be plagued with Type 2 diabetes, heart conditions, and other preventable health disorders that cost billions of public and private dollars to treat. Why don't Americans eat better foods? Look at agriculture policies that encourage overproduction of super-processed foods and imported produce that makes junk cheaper than healthy alternatives. Michael Pollan's recent New York Times editorial addresses the connection between agribusiness and ealth care, connecting the dots between government policy favoring corporate farming and our nation's current state of (un)health. Surprisingly, his overall tone is positive. Pollan concludes that if we do pass a health-care bill of some sort, it will indirectly affect how we eat. If insurance companies are forced to accept people regardless of preexisting conditions, wouldn't it be in these companies' best interest to prevent such conditions? And as we have seen, that which is in the best interests of insurance companies is difficult to put asunder. Their lobbying power rivals that of the strongest in the nation: agribusiness! What a stand-off that would be... Slow Food USA is circulating a petition calling for changes in the Child Nutrition Act, which is up for reauthorization this month. These would (slightly) increase the amount of money the government earmarks for public school lunch programs, encourage public school systems to buy more locally grown and healthy foods, and teach children healthy eating habits. You can read Slow Food USA's proposals here. Let's hope whatever reform bill we end up with encourages the insurance industry to reevaluate its stance on government policy affecting food and agriculture. This change, combined with changes in the way we feed our public school students, should indeed lead to a healthier America.

Health-Care Reform And Social Media

Priya Bali — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:10:28 +0000
“No one should die because they cannot afford health care, and no one should go broke because they get sick. If you agree, join us in posting this as your status for the rest of the day.” So went the status updates of Facebook users a couple of weeks back. It’s unclear which individual or organization started this effort, or how many people it has reached. But this hardly matters because with a few a clicks a new chapter in America’s battle over health care was being written online. Numerous online publications and blogs were documenting what had just happened and adding to the hype. Facebook is only one of the social media platforms health-care-reform advocates are using to build a grassroots movement around their cause. And it is only one example of how, contrary to common belief, young people do in fact care about the future of their country. Activist organizations such as MoveOn.org, Young Invincibles and the 80 Million Strong coalition (to which HeadCount belongs) have turned to Web 2.0 platforms in hopes of building a true grassroots movement. Young Invincibles, which launched its campaign a few months ago, invites people to submit videos of their personal health-care stories. With more than 400 submissions received in just a few weeks, supporters can upload their videos via a YouTube channel. Could interaction among supporters be any easier? Video is immediate, direct, authentic, and uncensored. Yes, it may take more work than, say, writing a letter to congress. But it’s an fresh and exciting way for the millennial generation in particular to make its mark on history. And they’ve only just begun. “We are very interested in thinking about ways to work with Facebook and other social media applications to create ways in which people can express and have that spontaneous expression of support or desire for change, but also to become part of a community that allows us to continue to talk to them and engage them in what is going to be a longer-term drive toward reform,” said Ari Matusiak, a founder of Young Invincibles. 80 Million Strong has taken similar measures. Last week they collected dozens of stories told through video, photographs and written works, which they will present to elected officials. MoveOn.org, teamed up with the band R.E.M to make the “We Can’t Afford to Wait" music video. It features photographs of organization members across the country sharing their struggles with the current health-care system. This medium is undeniably remarkable in what it can achieve. But it's no substitute for outreach outside the web warns Maya Enista, CEO of the 80 Million Strong Coalition. “While social media definitely have elevated the level of discussion and made it more accessible to more people, it’s not enough to win a campaign,” she said. “I think they're one of the most important avenues of communication for our generation. It’s just another tool in the box we activists use.” Critics of reform are also in on this spreading trend. Conservatives for Patients’ Rights, known for its “No Guarantee” ad, uses its video page and blog to criticize reform. And although pro-reform Facebook groups seem to outweigh the naysayers, People against Nationalized Health Care has managed to attract more than 2,350 friends.

Primary Election Day: Get Out And Vote

Richard Gehr — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 19:46:42 +0000
Primary elections are taking place across the country. Right now! So if you haven't already, hie thee hence out the door, down the street, and into a voting booth. (If you live in Utah, don't forget your ID.) In areas where one party dominates, the primary election is tantamount to a general election, making it all the more important. Afterward, reward yourself with a cold beer, a hot cup of coffee, or a refreshing smoothie.

How Marijuana Became Legal (For White People)

Richard Gehr — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:49:36 +0000
Since thirteen states have legalized marijuana for medical use, with another fifteen possibly doing the same by next year, Roger Parloff argues in a humongous Fortune magazine feature ("How Marijuana Became Legal") that the plant has essentially been legitimized, at least on a "local-option" basis. Moreover, medical marijuana in California offers the benefit of an economic model for how pot might be merchandized in the event of legalization. But watch out for that backlash:
They've been afforded the chance to show a skeptical public that a safe, seemly, and responsible system for distributing marijuana is possible. If they succeed, they'll convince the fence sitters and lead the way to a nationwide metamorphosis. If they fail, the backlash will be savage. If communities cannot adequately regulate the dispensaries, they'll descend into unsightly, youth-seducing, crime-ridden playgrounds for gang-bangers, and this flirtation with legalization will conclude the way the last one did: with a swift and merciless swing of the pendulum.
Of course, if you happen to live in New York City, whose mayor has famously admitted to smoking pot and "loving" it, marijuana has been virtually decriminalized for years – for white people. Because the dirty little secret of this East Coast gomorrah is that New York practically leads the country, if not the world, in small-quantity pot busts. Some 40,000 possession arrests went on the books in both 2008 and 2007, and 80% of those busted were citizens of color. Check out New York magazine's "The Splitting Image of Pot," Mark Jacobson's excellent personal and social overview of the state of the stone in the Big Apple Bong.
Harry Levine, a Queens College sociology professor who has been compiling marijuana arrest figures for years, says, “The cops prefer pot busts. They’re easy, because the people are almost never violent and, as opposed to drunks, hardly ever throw up in the car. Some of this has to do with the reduction in crime over the years. Pot arrests are great for keeping the quota numbers up. These kind of arrests toss people into the system, get their fingerprints on file. The bias of these arrests is in the statistics.”
Jacobson might have buried his lead, however:
The kicker in this is the apparently almost unknown fact that possession of 25 grams, or seven-eighths of an ounce—much more than the few joints that are getting people arrested—is not a crime in New York State and has not been since the passage of the Marijuana Reform Act of 1977, or 32 years ago. (Right here add sound of potheads slapping their foreheads, like, how come they didn’t know that?) There are exceptions, however. If the pot is “burning or open to public view,” then the 25-gram deal is off. It is this provision that has been the basis for the arrest outbreak, many civil libertarians contend.

Joan Baez: Human Being, Pacifist, Folksinger

Richard Gehr — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:14:14 +0000
Before there was Ani DiFranco there was Joan Baez. Bob Dylan's former muse was pilloried as "phony Joanie" in the American press because of her public protests against America's involvement in Vietnam and then for visiting Hanoi. Numerous causes later, the folk-singing pacifist, 68, is enjoying a late-game surge of interest with last year's Steve Earle-produced Day After Tomorrow and an "American Masters" documentary hitting public-television airwaves on October 14. In a revealing interview with England's Telegraph, Baez discusses her "completely promiscuous" personality, mentioning affairs with Mickey Hart and Steve Jobs (!). She currently meditates daily. For better or worse, however, Baez interviews always touch on Bob Dylan, with whom she has been uninvolved for decades. Since she has to inevitably return to those halcyon days, it might as well be like this:
In her 1989 autobiography, And a Voice to Sing With, Baez remembers once asking Dylan what was the difference between them; simple, he replied, she thought she could change things, and he knew that no one could. So who, I ask her, does she think was right? 'I would say we both were. Certainly for him, he’s right. But he’s not in the business of changing things. He never was. And that’s where my mistake was with him. I kept pushing him, wanting him to want to do that. Exhausting for him, and futile for me. Ridiculous. Until I finally put it together in my head that he had given us this artillery in his songs, and he didn’t really need to do anything aside from that. I mean, he may resent it, but he changed the world with his music.’

Kurt Cobain is laughing in his grave

Jonathan Perri — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:20:23 +0000
Like a bull in a china shop, Kanye West ruined what seemed to be an important moment for country singer Taylor Swift. As she accepted her award for best female video, West jumped up on stage and took the microphone to say - "Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time." Really, dude? I don't watch MTV (well, I don't have a TV) and I've never heard Taylor Swift so I don't care about this; I just think think it's great that Kanye cares so much about someone else's music video that he made a total ass out of himself to prove it. Didn't Nirvana demonstrate that real rock stars don't care about MTV awards sixteen years ago? Ultimately, I thought this guy should have won:

No Doubt, Coldplay, Monsters Of Folk Playing Neil Young's Bridge School Benefit

Richard Gehr — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:43:05 +0000
Or if you don't want to watch the whole thing: The Bridge School announced that Neil Young, No Doubt, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Fleet Foxes, Wolfmother, Sheryl Crow, Gavin Rossdale, and the Monsters of Folk will perform at both nights of the school's annual benefit at Mountain View, California’s Shoreline Amphitheatre on October 24 and 25. Rolling Stone also reports that the Neil Young Trunk Show: Scenes From a Concert, the second in director Jonathan Demme's planned trilogy of films about the rocker, is on its way. “'I always tell people, absolutely and sincerely, if you’re not a Neil Young fan, don’t waste your time,' Demme adds. 'Second of all, if you don’t love electric guitar, don’t go. Because of ‘No Hidden Path,’ you’ve got to be there for electric guitar. It’s got to speak to you in order to get what that’s all about.'"

Harry Shearer On The Continuing Plight Of New Orleans

Richard Gehr — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:58:40 +0000
Harry Shearer, the voice of multiple Simpsons characters and a member of Spinal Tap, has been a relentless critic of the government's response to the 2005 disaster in New Orleans. The Economist asked him eight questions recently, but this response to this one seemed to nicely summarize his informed take on the government's failure to rebuilld the city and protect it from another such calamity.
DIA: As you say, you have a home in New Orleans and have criticised the government's efforts to rebuild the hurricane protection system there. Where do you place the most blame, and do you think things have improved under the Obama administration? Mr Shearer: Well, who cares where I place the blame? But I have read the executive summaries (and interviewed the authors) of the two major independent forensic engineering investigations of the disaster in New Orleans on August 29th, 2005, and they both place the blame squarely on the design and engineering flaws of the so-called "hurricane protection system". That system was under the exclusive supervision and control of the US Army Corps of Engineers (which itself, in its own, delayed report, said it was "a system in name only"). So the American taxpayers paid to drown New Orleans; it seems only right the taxpayers should pay to fix it. This is regarded, by critics, as the city wanting a handout. The Corps—the very same Corps—has assumed the task of "doing it right" this time around, even though they've already publicly announced that for one part of the project they're adopting the "technically... not superior" solution, because of lack of funding. That makes us feel safe. Not a dollar from the stimulus package was devoted either to that project or to the equally imperative job of restoring the coastal wetlands south of New Orleans. That land, which acts to sap the strength and severity of oncoming hurricanes, has been decimated by decades of canal and pipeline construction through it to bring Gulf oil and gas to the other 49 states. President Obama has yet to visit New Orleans. His one constructive act so far has been to appoint a far better head of FEMA, who has acted to unblock the flow of funds for rebuilding of flood-destroyed infrastructure.

Dude, Where's My Czar?

Jonathan Perri — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 15:12:54 +0000
New Left Media goes above and beyond the call of duty and gets some truly fantastic and hilarious interviews with these passionate teabaggers during the 9/12 protests in Washington, D.C . These people are pissed off. They're mad about "Obamacare." They're really mad about black women having abortions. And they're really, really mad about czars (they apparently don't know what Washington czars do). While the protest drew a large crowd, it's unclear (and controversial) how many people showed up. DC's Fire Department estimates that some 75,000 people attended but FreedomWorks is claiming up to 800,000. But FOX News viewers should be outraged at the bold-faced lie Glenn Beck told about the turnout:
"We had a university, I think it's University of -- I don't remember which university it is -- um, look at the pictures. And you know, they can do body space and calculate, 1.7 million, that crowd was estimated."
It is Fox News, after all. The teabaggers are clearly angry ; what's less clear is why. One thing's certain, however: They love Glenn Beck. And while it's great the teabaggers are excercising their first-amendment right, it's hard to escape the fact that many of them are also perpetuating racism and ignorance. I mean, if Obama is this Hitler-Antichrist hybrid trying to destroy the constitution, wouldn't he have stopped their protest?

Wilson's Son Defends Father's Outburst

Jonathan Perri — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:53:05 +0000

Rep. Joe Wilson's outburst during the President's healthcare speech has put him in hot water. He was obviously disrespectful but some, such as President Jimmy Carter, point to racism as a motivator. Wilson's son, Alan, disagrees:
"It's unfortunate people make that jump. People can disagree — and appropriately disagree — on issues of substance, but when they make the jump to race it's absolutely ludicrous. My brothers and I were raised by our parents to respect everyone regardless of background or race."
Yes, people can and should appropriately disagree. I guess it all depends on your definition of appropriate.

Mary Travers 1936-2009

Richard Gehr — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:01:52 +0000
Before there was Joan Baez, there was Mary Travers, who died yesterday from complications associated with the chemotherapy she was undergoing for leukemia. As the visual focus of Peter, Paul and Mary, Travers added beatnik sex appeal to the earnest commitment to good works that characterized early-sixties folk music in the wake of straighter lineups like the Kingston Trio. Travers and her guitar-strumming comrades both politicized folk music and made it accessible to a mass audience. They participated in the 1963 March on Washington (where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech) and marched for voting rights in Alabama. Along with the Byrds, PP&M found great success covering Bob Dylan songs. (They were also managed by Dylan's future manager, Albert Grossman.) The trio broke up in 1970 and Travers released five solo albums during the decade. And here she is in her prime:

Should Students Convicted of Pot Possession Lose Financial Aid?

Jonathan Perri — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:08:53 +0000
A vote is expected today on a controversial amendment to the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009 introduced by Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN). The amendment seeks to strike out reform in the SAFRA that would allow students with drug possession convictions to receive financial aid for college, while barring only those convicted of selling drugs. Organizations such as Students for Sensible Drug Policy (which, when not volunteering for HeadCount, is my fulltime employer) argue that this is sensible reform, considering that nearly 90% of marijuana arrests are for possession only. Souder, who created the Aid Elimination Penalty in 1998, seeks to keep the law unchanged with his amendment, which would deny aid to any college student convicted of a drug crime - even first-time marijuana possession. Students for Sensible Drug Policy generated thousands of calls to Capitol Hill yesterday and this morning after sending out an Action Alert. If you think this law should be reformed or left unchanged, take action today. You can email your Congressional reps about any issue you like through a page on the HeadCount website or call your representative directly. Check out this little video from SDSP (starring me!) explaining how easy it is to do. (Editor's Note: The HeadCount organization does not support or oppose this legislation, nor does it have a stance on drug policy. Our mantra is "Make Your Voice Heard" and we are proud to give Jon and the rest of our bloggers a platform through this forum).

Update: Financial-Aid Amendment Withdrawn

Jonathan Perri — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:49:29 +0000

Although an estimated 200,000 students since 1998 have already lost their financial aid due to the Higher Education Act's anti-drug provision, Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) withdrew his amendment to the House's new Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act. Souder's amendment would have continued denying financial aid to students with drug-possession convictions. The bill is likely to pass with a "distribution-only" penalty. This contentious issue has drawn the attention of hundreds of diverse organizations over the past eleven years, including the American Bar Association, the United Church of Christ, and the NAACP, who have all called for the law's full repeal. While some people believe even discussing the reform of drug policies is equal to promoting drug use, reforming this law is supported by educational, religious, human-rights, and social-justice groups around the country.

Cuban Musicians Awarded U.S. Visas For First Time Since 2003

Richard Gehr — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 16:27:47 +0000

The U.S.-Cuba Cultural Exchange has announced that Cuban musicians will be allowed to perform in the United States and Puerto Rico for the first time since 2003! The State Department has supplied visas to singer-songwriter Pablo Milanés and composer-conductor Zenaida Romeu. Milanés will perform in Puerto Rico next month and possibly later in the United States. Romeu, meanwhile, will bring her Camarata Romeu women's ensemble to Fargo, North Dakota, where she will guest-conduct the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra. More than 1300 U.S. citizens involved in the arts have signed the U.S.-Cuba Cultural Exchange's letter to President Obama seeking full cultural relations with Cuba, abolition of travel restrictions between the our countries, and normalized relationships with our Caribbean neighbor.

Road Safe America Petitions For Highway Safety

Cole Boyle — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 09:41:05 +0000
As a fan of a couple of bands that have inspired me to drive as far as possible, whenever possible, to see them, I'm no stranger to road trips of every variety. Countless hours in the car have provided me with great memories and cemented many a friendship. During my freshman year of college in Virginia, my good friend Pierce and his older brother, Cullum, were driving back to school after Thanksgiving break when they were struck on Highway 81 by a tractor trailer that plowed into standstill traffic with its cruise control at 70 miles per hour. Pierce survived the crash but Cullum, who was driving, did not. Cullum's family has become extremely proactive in making the highways of America safer by urging Congress to consider speed governors on trucks, regular health screenings for truckers, and more. After gaining support from many lawmakers and the trucking industry, they're trying to gain the attention of Congress and President Obama for their nonprofit organization, Road Safe America Dedicated to making our car rides safer by reducing the number of crashes experienced by cars and heavy trucks, Road Safe America is sponsoring a petition for safer highways. And since virtually no one in the HeadCount community is a stranger to long setlist-dissecting car rides, you may well want to sign it and send the information to anyone you have ever shared a car ride with. Cullum was an amazing friend to many and an exemplar of the principles our alma mater – Washington and Lee in Lexington, VA – aims to instill in its students: honor and civility.

Max And The Marginalized: 'What Is It We're Doing There Again?'

Richard Gehr — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:08:14 +0000
This blog's former editor, Max Bernstein, has written, performed, and videoed a great rock protest number called "What Is It We're Doing There Again?" And by "there" he means Afghanistan. We asked Max to tell us about how he came to be a political rocker:
I started Max and the Marginalized in October of 2007 with the idea in mind of being a political rock band that sang about issues as they unfolded. We set out to do a song every week about something happening that week for a year, and Arianna Huffington was happy to let us post the songs on the Huffington Post. 2008 was a hell of a political year, and some of the issues we sang about (anyone remember Hillary Clinton's attempt to make the primaries in MI and FL count, or the Strait of Hormuz incident?) are long forgotten. Others, like "The Business of Disregard" about how the profit motive of the health insurance industry will always be at odds with the goal of providing care, or "Museum of Mistakes" about Guantanamo, have had a surprisingly long topical shelf life. We recently rerecorded 15 of them that were still the most prescient and are releasing them as an album later this year. Doing weekly songs not designed for an album allowed us a good deal of sonic diversity; the result can mean dub reggae one week, '88 style hardcore the next and Thin Lizzy esque rollicking pop the next. After a writing hiatus, we're getting started up again with a weekly, or near weekly pace.

Bonerama, Umphrey's McGee Deliver Added Value

Richard Gehr — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 22:41:07 +0000
Quite possibly inspired by drummer Josh Freese's now-legendary tiered album price packages, which ranged from a thank-you phone call ($50) to the opportunity to "take shrooms and cruise Hollywood in Danny from TOOL's Lamborgini" ($75,000), other bands are figuring out new and exciting ways to give fans ye olde added value. As part of the group's Boner Donor program, if you pay $30 for Bonerama's new Hard Drive EP, the band will also send you a hard drive that can be refilled with fresh new music at any of their October shows. And for a mere $100,000 you can travel with the band anywhere they go in 2010. "Travel may include double occupancy 2 star hotels and motels, regular visits to Waffle House and Subway, and frequent stops at rest area bathrooms all across the country. Cause you’re with the band, dude! Some restrictions may apply." Taking a particularly adventurous tack, Umphrey's McGee will give fans the opportunity to literally play the band. During a special pre-show Stew Art Series (S2), anyone with delusions of jamband grandeur (and some spare change) can conduct the group through unique instrumental improvisations via "several communication mediums - which could range from text messaging to prewritten cue cards to chalk boards." Not only will you hear the show of your most psychedelically addled dreams, but you'll walk away with some excellent mementos to boot:
As part of your ticket (which will actually be a custom laminate that will be different for each (S2) event), every attendee will receive an autographed CD of the Stew Art Series they attend minutes after the event has concluded. The Q&A will also be included on the disc as we will be recording your questions for posterity (we are not sure if that's for your posterity or for ours). You will get to see some classic venues as you have never seen them, empty and in the day time. And on top of that you will get treated an entirely improvised light show by lighting designer Jefferson Waful. We will make sure you stay hydrated and even have some munchies to replace the calories you'll burn while pushing the band to explore new ground.

Counting Czars

Jonathan Perri — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:55:25 +0000
Ain't that just the pot calling the kettle black?

A City Serene Needs Your Help Following Accident

Jonathan Perri — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:11:26 +0000
Until a few days ago I'd never heard of the San Diego-based screamo band A City Serene. Sadly, it took a tragic car accident during the young (the oldest member is twenty) sextet's first tour to get them more attention. Traveling in a converted church bus, the band was struck head-on when a pickup truck lost control and jumped a median, landing in their lane. All members were badly injured and had to be airlifted to different hospitals. Two are still in a coma while others are improving. I find this heartbreaking and hope the best for these kids and their families. The band's manager says hospital bills are already rolling in. A fund has been established to help cover legal and medical costs and donations can be made here. I hope they all pull through and get back to doing what they love - bringing the rock:

Interview: Vodou Priestess Sallie Glassman

Debra DeSalvo — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:03:55 +0000
New Orleans vodou priestess Sallie Glassman has been working tirelessly since Hurricane Katrina to ensure that the city’s unique cultural and religious legacies weren't washed away. On October 30 her New Orleans Hope and Heritage Project presents the Anba Dlo festival, which will rock the burgeoning St. Claude Avenue Arts District. The fest's main event is the Waterline 2009 outdoor costume dance party featuring DJs, dance floor, a trance/spiritual room, fire dancers, acrobats, and an art exhibit. Local artists will create a massive onsite "water sculpture" out of Katrina debris, to be unveiled at midnight. Wanna go but light on cash? Volunteers who work three-hour shifts get free admission – and drinks! Email Lorien Bales (and include your phone number). Advance tickets (and fonky posters and T-shirts for those who just can't make it to NO in time) are already available. Vodou, the Kréyol (Creole) spelling of “voodoo," is the religion of some 15% of all New Orleanians According to Sallie, “Anba Dlo is Kréyol for ‘under the waters.' It refers to the realm of departed souls. On All Hallows Eve, the day of remembrance for the departed, we call these souls forth. In New Orleans, this name has special resonance; our city has been called up from under the waters to rise, rebuild and heal.” Here's the rest of our recent conversation: Debra: What is the most important thing outsiders can do to help New Orleans recover from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina? Sallie Glassman: Move here! Visit here! Celebrate New Orleans -- spread the word! Volunteer here! Why do you think it's important to the recovery to keep the city's Vodou culture and religious practices alive? Vodou's history and legacy are inseparable from the city of New Orleans. You can trace Vodou's presence throughout the city -- even today -- in the cuisine, the architecture, in the graveyard displays, in wrought iron ritual graphic designs, in the music and rhythms, in the Mardi Gras Indians' beaded costumes and second lines. People say that New Orleans is a European city, but I think it's an Afro-Caribbean city. The process of Creolization is embedded in the city: trends come to New Orleans and the people here put a unique spin on them, make them their own. In the aftermath of Katrina, everyone here went through a situation that was reminiscent of what the slaves must have experienced: plucked from their homes, families, communities, belongings, identities and cast out into the arms of Spirit. I think the presence of Vodou gave New Orleanians the resilience, creativity, and strength to survive, rebuild, and keep the faith. What results have you seen from your own work in rebuilding the city's unique culture and helping its citizens regain a sense of community and heart? The community is solidly behind our efforts to build The New Orleans Healing Center. We have unified formerly polarized communities: Lakeside/riverside of St Claude, black/white, rich/poor, business people/artists -- all are becoming one community. Our recent open house preview played to a packed house of overwhelmingly positive supporters. The healing has begun! We began right after Katrina with our New Orleans Hope and Heritage Project, which collects cultural videos that present positive, insider perspectives on New Orleans' unique and irreplaceable culture and supports and encourages the makers of that culture -- one of the city's greatest assets. We have strong support also for our public Vodou ceremonies, which are attended by hundreds of participants. The cover article in New Orleans Magazine for June was about NOLA's relationship with Vodou and presented Vodou's culture and philosophy in a respectful manner. ******* To learn more, check out Sallie’s book, Vodou Visions: An Encounter With Divine Mystery, Severine Singh’s Voodoo Crossroads, and Michael Ventura’s classic essay on vodou's influence on rock, “Hear That Long Snake Moan.” Debra is the lead singer/guitarist for Devi, “a ferocious guitar-driven power trio equally adept at sprawling psychedelic jams and terse, haunting three-minute rockers." (Lucid Culture)

Juanes Peace Concert Draws Hundreds Of Thousands To Havana

Richard Gehr — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:54:06 +0000
More than 700,000 people showed up for Colombian singer Juanes's somewhat controversial five-hour Concert for Peace in Havana's Revolution Square yesterday. So far I've only had a chance to catch up with X Alfonso's wonderful cover of Michael Jackson's "Black Or White" (complete with rocking children's chorus) and equally thrilling "Revolucíon." Puerto Rico's Olga Tañon had a hot moment or two herself.

What Would Norman Borlaug (1914-2009) Do?

eric — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:54:02 +0000

Norman Borlaug, the Nobel Prize-winning agronomist whose innovations in crop yield forever changed the field of agriculture, died in Dallas, Texas, on September 12. He was 95, humble till the end, and, above all else, a life-long exemplar of the moral rigor behind the so-called Green Revolution. Although his work saved up to a billion lives, Borlaug's high-yielding rice and wheat crops have drawn criticism in the last few decades from those who view them as ushering in an era of chemical agriculture. Regardless of how you feel about so-called "genetically modified" crops, the fact remains that Borlaug saw suffering in the form of poverty and hunger and took action to remedy it. Former President Clinton has introduced a new site devoted to encouraging any and all Americans to volunteer. Visit MyCommitment.Org to pledge time, money, or skills to a variety of causes. Only time will tell what will solve the planet's seemingly innumerable fails. Be your own Borlaug. Change the world.

Discrimination And Health Reform

Priya Bali — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:19:45 +0000
A new HealthReform.gov report indicates that in 33 states a 22-year-old woman can be charged 50% more for a 22-year-old man's equivalent premium. Which hits home for this particular 22-year-old woman residing in one of the states allowing such discrimination. This inequality is based on more than gender, of course. Age and health conditions also contribute to the increasing costs of coverage and lack thereof. “Such a premium hike can mean the difference between coverage that is affordable and coverage that is prohibitively expensive,” the report says. President Obama's plan for health reform would prohibit this discrimination as well as coverage denial for any other reason. People within my age cohort listed as dependents under their parents’ plan could stay as such until age 26. Many young people, like me, may be uncertain as to who or where they will be at that age. But under this plan we could feel secure no matter what our status — student or entrepreneur or lawyer or female or anything else. People of my generation, especially, may be on the verge of experiencing unprecedented flexibility within the health care system. Reform could grant us the capacity to move fluidly through different careers and life choices without having to be burdened by the fear – and oftentimes, the reality – that we won’t receive coverage. A recent Bloomberg poll suggests an overall move in the reform direction. A majority of people surveyed recognized statements like “health care would be rationed,” “health care would become socialized medicine,” and “government money would pay for abortions” as scare tactics. At the same time, however, a little more than half believe that the nation is on the "wrong track." Slightly more than half are also pessimistic that Congress will not pass a health-care overhaul bill by the end of 2009.

Bono, Gavin Friday, Laurie Anderson To Play Carnegie Hall For (Red)

Richard Gehr — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:08:26 +0000

(Red), as you may be aware, is the largest private-sector contributor to The Global Fund, dedicated to eradicating AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in Africa. (Red)Nights is the organization's star-studded series of fund-raising concerts, such as Brandi Carlile's show tomorrow night at Chicago's House of Blues. (Red)Nights' October 4 lineup at Carnegie Hall, though, is on a different scale entirely. Curated by the adventurous producer Hal Willner, who specializes in unexpected matchups of musicians and material, the concert features an assortment of familiar big names – including Bono, Gavin Friday, Laurie Anderson, and Rufus Wainwright – along with cult faves such as former Mothers of Invention Flo & Eddie, No Wave icon Lydia Lunch, country singer Maria McKee, former Nirvana wife Courtney Love, jazz guitar great Bill Frisell, and the lovely Scarlett Johansson. The full lineup and press release after the jump.

A COUP FOR (RED)NIGHTS SERIES WITH ADDITION OF SPECIAL CARNEGIE HALL SHOW ON OCTOBER 4 “HAL WILLNER PRESENTS: AN EVENING WITH GAVIN FRIDAY AND FRIENDS” FEATURING LAURIE ANDERSON, ANTONY, ELIZABETH ASHLEY, BONO, ADAM CLAYTON, ANDREA CORR, THE EDGE, FLO & EDDIE, JOEL GREY, BILL FRISELL, GUGGI, SCARLETT JOHANSSON, COURTNEY LOVE, LYDIA LUNCH, PATRICK MCCABE, MARIA MCKEE, SHANE MACGOWAN, ERIC MINGUS, LARRY MULLEN, JR., JG THIRLWELL, MARTHA WAINWRIGHT, RUFUS WAINWRIGHT, CHLOE WEBB, PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS On October 4 at New York City’s legendary Carnegie Hall, (RED) unites a world-class line up of artists for a special (RED)NIGHTS concert “Hal Willner Presents: An Evening with Gavin Friday and Friends.” The star-studded evening will feature Laurie Anderson, Antony, Elizabeth Ashley, Bono, Adam Clayton, Andrea Corr, The Edge, Flo & Eddie, Joel Grey, Bill Frisell, Guggi, Scarlett Johansson, Courtney Love, Lydia Lunch, Patrick McCabe, Maria McKee, Shane MacGowan, Eric Mingus, Larry Mullen, Jr., JG Thirlwell, Martha Wainwright, Rufus Wainwright, Chloe Webb, plus special guests. Tickets for the event are on sale now via CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800, carnegiehall.org and the box office. As is the case with every (RED)NIGHTS show, a portion of the proceeds from the concert will go directly to the Global Fund (theglobalfund.org). For more information, please visit www.joinred.com/rednights or www.gavinfriday.com. Longtime friends and professional collaborators, Willner and Friday came together to bring the concert to life and raise awareness of (RED)™’s mission. Friday, a childhood friend of Bono, is an Irish singer, composer and painter and founding member of the gothic rock group The Virgin Prunes. Willner has produced albums for Marianne Faithfull, Lou Reed, William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, yet is perhaps best known for assembling tribute albums and live events saluting Leonard Cohen, Thelonius Monk, Tim Buckley, Edgar Allen Poe and Marquis de Sade. Willner said, “This unique evening is a celebration of Gavin and a gathering of friends and amazing musicians. We’re all proud to partner with (RED) to help fight AIDS in Africa.” “It’s an honor to be a part of this (RED)NIGHT because I know the money generated will go directly to people who need it,” added Friday. “We’re so grateful to this incredible line up of artists who have joined forces with (RED) for one very special night at Carnegie Hall,” said Susan Smith Ellis, CEO of (RED). “This concert, and the (RED)NIGHTS series of concerts across the U.S. is an exciting way to engage fans and the music community in (RED)'s mission to help eliminate AIDS in Africa.” The evening at Carnegie Hall is yet another impressive addition to the (RED)NIGHTS series. Thus far, (RED)NIGHTS artists Fall Out Boy, Katy Perry, Gomez, Santigold, O.A.R., Lisa Hannigan, The Veronicas, Matisyahu and K’Naan have each turned one of their concerts (RED) to bring the (RED) experience to life in a new way. Additionally, (RED) recently announced a new set of fall dates for (RED)NIGHTS, which will feature concerts by Built to Spill, Thievery Corporation, Brandi Carlile, Ingrid Michaelson, Joshua Radin and Sondre Lerche at venues such as The Fillmore in San Francisco, The Paradise in Boston and the House of Blues in Chicago. At each (RED)NIGHTS concert, the participating artists aim to inspire fans to join (RED)’s mission to eliminate AIDS in Africa by pausing to highlight the many ways to get involved and encouraging those in the audience to share the message and experience with others. Ultimately, it is the goal of (RED)NIGHTS to build a community—of artists, concertgoers and music fans everywhere—that is passionate about helping to fight AIDS in Africa. (RED) presents the (RED)NIGHTS concert series at select Live Nation clubs and theaters across the country. (RED) and Live Nation are collaborating to link acclaimed artists with their fans to join the fight against AIDS in Africa. Information about the scheduled (RED)NIGHTS concerts can be found at http://www.livenation.com and http://www.joinred.com/rednights About (RED)TM and (PRODUCT) RED™ (RED)'s primary objective is to engage the private sector in raising awareness and funds for the Global Fund, to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. Companies whose products take on the (PRODUCT)RED mark contribute a significant percentage of the sales or portion of the profits from that product to the Global Fund to finance AIDS programs in Africa, with an emphasis on the health of women and children. Current partners are: American Express (U.K. only), Apple, Converse, Gap, Emporio Armani, Hallmark, Dell, Windows and Starbucks. Since its launch in the spring of 2006, more than $130 million has been generated by (RED) for the Global Fund. (RED) money is at work in Swaziland, Rwanda, Ghana and Lesotho. For more information, visit JOINRED.COM. About The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Since its creation in 2002, the Global Fund has become the dominant financer of programs to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, with approved funding of US $15 billion for programs in 140 countries. The Global Fund supports programs based on agreed performance targets and disburses money in response to proven results. At the end of 2008, programs supported by the Global Fund have averted more than 3.5 million deaths by providing AIDS treatment for 2 million people, TB treatment for 4.6 million people, and by the distribution of 70 million insecticide-treated bed nets for the prevention of malaria worldwide. For more information visit http://www.theglobalfund.org. (RED)TM is the Global Fund's largest private sector contributor. For more information, please visit http://www.theglobalfund.org.

Musician, Teacher, Activist Chris Ijima's Legacy Celebrated

Richard Gehr — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:55:07 +0000
If you live in Honolulu, you might want to check out tonight's panel discussion and screening of A Song for Ourselves, a new documentary about the late University of Hawaii law professor Chris Ijima, who died in 2005. Ijima was also a musician as well as an influential activist around Asian-American issues. A Honolulu Weekly cover story describes his funeral: From Los Angeles anti-gang activists to Puerto Rican nationalists, from music buffs to civil rights historians to Hawaiian sovereignty activists, from former New York schoolchildren to California filmmakers, Chris Iijima was a respected leader across a stunning spectrum of mainstream American and Asian American life, and in ways many of his friends–and even his children–were unaware of. But in his passing, he brought these worlds together. The Harlem-born Japanese-American was a member of Students for a Democratic Society who opposed the Vietnam War. As a member of Yellow Pearl he performed original political folk music with singer Nobuko Miyamoto, with whom he recorded the influential album A Grain of Sand: Music for the Struggle by Asians in America. He became involved in the Hawaii sovereignty movement after moving to the islands, but may be best known for his work with Ulu Lehua, the University of Hawaii's groundbreaking program to provide legal training to students from poor communities who may lack the educational or economic backgrounds traditionally necessary to attend law school. Nobuko Miyamoto sings Ijima's "A Song for Ourselves":

Nathan Moore Records 'A Picture Of Hard Times'

Richard Gehr — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:14:13 +0000
Andrew Bruss interviewed singer-songwriter Nathan Moore for Jambase. Here's a sample:
"I guess with the new album there's a picture of hard times, of the recession that we're involved in, and there's a little bit of the traveling vibe [incorporated] but from the perspective of a traveling troubadour, so there are Walmarts instead of boxcars," Moore says. "This really is an EP, in the sense that it's an introduction, a beginning of a new relationship with a label, so this is more of a half guitar/travel/calling card thing that we've made. If I was making an album, I'd be sure I was making a well-rounded expression, but with this, the thought process was a little different. It's a little more utilitarian, and a little less conceptual. When I make an album, everything complements each other and makes a story. This wasn't a storytelling album."
And here's Moore performing "Hard Times":

Katie Couric Salary Tops Entire NPR News Budget

Richard Gehr — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 09:22:34 +0000
Ever wonder why network news kind of, you know, sucks? Michael Manning reports for the Columbia Journalism Review that Katie Couric's salary alone is more than the combined budgets of National Public Radio's two main news shows:
While doing some recent research on the news business, I came upon this remarkable fact: Katie Couric’s annual salary is more than the entire annual budgets of NPR’s Morning Edition and All Things Considered combined. Couric’s salary comes to an estimated $15 million a year; NPR spends $6 million a year on its morning show and $5 million on its afternoon one. NPR has seventeen foreign bureaus (which costs it another $9.4 million a year); CBS has twelve. Few figures, I think, better capture the absurd financial structure of the network news.

Where The Jobs Went

Richard Gehr — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:52:12 +0000

Job Voyager is a nifty interactive visualization representing the shift in occupations in the U.S. from 1850 to 2000. Scrolling over the graphic reveals the percentage of male and female workers holding each particular job each year. The elephant on the screen is farming, which diminishes from an occupation engaged in by nearly half the population in 1850 to a mere four-tenths of one percent of the population in 2000. Trending upward, for better or worse, are clerical workers, secretaries, teachers, and manager/owners.

G-20 Summit Gala At The Warhol Museum

JamieHuntsman — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:45:48 +0000
With the G-20 Summit in progress as of yesterday, all eyes are on Pittsburgh. World leaders will gather to discuss environmental concerns, clean energy, and economic prosperity. Prior to the G-20 local media has been updating residents about security, traffic, and the army of protesters descending on the Steel City. My original plan, to stay the heck out of town, changed the moment I received an invitation to attend Wednesday's G-20 Gala event at the Andy Warhol Museum organized by the U.S. Climate Action Network and hosted by Teresa Heinz and Senator John Kerry. If you don’t live in Pittsburgh, you might not understand fully the ramifications of attending a gala during a national event like the G-20 summit. A triangle built on the confluence of three rivers with a big mountain in front of it, Pittsburgh is a difficult place to navigate on a good day. Throw in rolling road closures, the city's entire downtown closed to anything but foot traffic, and multiple cops on every street corner, and navigation goes from difficult to nearly impossible. Which is how we got lost in our own city on the way to the Warhol. Having finally arrived, we submitted to a brief security check and entered the main lobby of the Warhol Museum to the sweet sounds of New Orleans jazz. The birthplace of jazz was devastated in 2005 by flooding resulting from shoddily constructed levees. Climate change may also have been a factor, and organizers wanted to send the message that we as Americans have the chance to lead the world in a transition to a clean-energy economy. Like New Orleans, Pittsburgh has also gone through tough economic times. But thanks to embracing green building and clean energy, among other things, it's enjoying revitalization. We were surrounded by the leaders, movers, and shakers of not only Pittsburgh – Mayor Luke Ravenstahl welcomed the crowd and Steelers football hero Franco Harris pressed flesh – but also of Washington. Honorary hostess Teresa Heinz Kerry, formerly married to the late Pennsylvania Senator Henry John Heinz III, also has a strong Pittsburgh connection. The evening's theme was “Cool the Planet and Heat Up the Economy.” The hors d'oeuvres were hot, the local beer cold, and the cool was provided by the legendary Allen Toussaint, guitarist Tab Benoit, fiddler Michael Doucet, and saxophonist Donald Harrison. The evening was a wonderful tribute to the hopes and the spirit of the G-20 summit. As the program put it, “All of these leaders are here to reach agreement on actions that cool the planet, heat up the economy and lead to a new era of security and opportunity.” Let's hope the summit goes as well as this event.

Who Can Stop Extrajudicial Killings?

Becca Lewis — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 09:36:31 +0000
I recently attended a talk by New York University professor Philip Alston, the United Nations' Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Killings. While his stories were horrifyingly compelling, and his experiences important, I was left truly disheartened about the inability of the UN (or any other international body for that matter) to stop Let me break it down for you: 1. Extrajudicial Killings: When tens, hundreds, or even thousands of people are being killed in a country – often by armed forces and police – and the government turns a blind eye to these events, this is a violation of human rights. And it's happening around the world, in countries including Kenya, Colombia, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan. 2. The United Nations is supposed to stop any and all human-rights violations. However, the United Nations is not allowed to overstep a country’s sovereignty. Indeed, the UN has always walked this tightrope—it’s actually in the charter. 3. UN Special Rapporteur Alston, deemed the expert on extrajudicial killings, is supposed to contact a country when he is notified of these events. He often makes country visits to investigate and speak with officials to end the murders. 4. Alston has very few resources (in fact, he is unpaid!) and an extremely small staff. The UN Rapporteur can visit countries, speak with leaders, and direct them to end the violence—but all it amounts to is a slap on the wrist. Kenya’s President responded to Alston’s report by denouncing both him and the UN. And since his visit there, persons he interviewed for his investigations have been murdered. Alston described some successes. But was in Colombia did the killings end because of UN pressure or because the government had to clean up its act in order to stay on the good side of the United States? Bilateral action with the United States and other influential countries might have more of an impact. Could US threats to cut off aid force Afghani officials to start prosecuting men committing “honor killings”? Philip Alston does amazing work as he courageously faces some of the more hostile public officials around the world. Unfortunately, he can only draw attention to events and hope that public pressure will force governments to act. If the United Nations can’t do it, the question remains, how can we end these horrendous human-rights violations?

California Coastal Cleanup Day: San Francisco

Nicole Parisi-Smith — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:37:12 +0000
On Saturday nine HeadCount San Francisco Team volunteers participated in the 25th annual California Coastal Cleanup Day by picking up litter at one of the state's 800 cleanup locations. We joined the Candlestick Park Cleanup in South San Francisco. According to the California Coastal Commission:
When combined with the International Coastal Cleanup, organized by The Ocean Conservancy and taking place on the same day, California Coastal Cleanup Day becomes part of one of the largest volunteer events of the year. It has been hailed by the Guinness Book of World Records as "the largest garbage collection" (1993). Since the program started in 1985, over 800,000 Californians have removed more than 13 million pounds of debris from our state's shorelines and coast. In 2008, more than 70,000 volunteers worked together to collect more than 1,600,000 pounds of trash and recyclables from our beaches, lakes, and waterways.
Our cleanup site was coordinated by the San Francisco-based nonprofit organization Save The Bay, in partnership with Literacy for Environmental Justice. During the onsite volunteer orientation we learned that the site we were about to clean up, located adjacent to the 49ers' football stadium, was one of the San Francisco area's top ten hot spots. We would be collecting trash for few hours alongside a hundred enthusiastic elementary-school students and parents from the San Francisco Unified School District. We picked up a large assortment of trash including shoes, cigarette butts, rusty pipes, plastic bags, and tiny bits of styrofoam. Our youngest HeadCount volunteer, 20-month-old Luisito, did a great job helping us pick up bottle caps! Our site was also covered by the San Francisco Chronicle. See more photos after the jump.

WaterWheel Rewards Community Volunteers At Phish's Festival 8

Richard Gehr — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:57:09 +0000
Volunteerism has its perks, at least when Phish's WaterWheel Foundation is encouraging it. Everyone who puts in at least eight hours at a local nonprofit becomes eligible for prizes at Festival 8. So go for it:
Join The WaterWheel Foundation in attaining at total of 8,000 hours of volunteer service and be entered to win some great prizes at Festival 8. It's easy, just choose to volunteer for a total of 8 hours at a non-profit in your community before the start of the festival. That can mean joining a beach or park clean up for a day, spending a few hours on the weekend lending a hand at your local school, youth club or library, or spending a few afternoons at your local food bank. It's your choice. Then all you have to do is download the official form and fill it out. Present the form at The WaterWheel tent at Festival 8 and receive a scoop of Ben & Jerry's Phish Food, a download code for a LivePhish.com summer sampler and more. You will also be entered to win any of a number of daily drawings for the Joy Box, event merchandise, a years subscription to Relix, a year's supply of Ben & Jerry's Phish Food, a Magic Hat Cruiser Bike and other Grand Prizes including autographed event posters and tickets to future Phish concerts.

Beer Or Wine? Drinking To Save The Planet

Richard Gehr — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:07:58 +0000

"Q I'm hosting a dinner party next week, and I'll be serving both beer and wine alongside the meal. Which has the lower carbon footprint?" The Washington Post's "Green Lantern" column delivers a remarkably detailed overview of the the environmental consequences of drinking. Asked to decide whether beer or wine leaves a smaller carbon footprint, Nina Shen Rastogi decides that all things considered (i.e., manufacture, distribution, packaging, storage, etc.), it's more or less a toss-up – although locally brewed tap beer is probably your cleanest bet. But I liked this:
A recent carbon footprint analysis of Fat Tire amber ale highlights a few other areas that deserve attention. Producing and assembling the ingredients -- malt, hops and water -- created 678 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent, or about 21 percent of the total footprint for a bottled six-pack. A chunk of that, 244 grams, comes from the production of synthetic fertilizers for the barley and related soil emissions, so the authors suggest that switching to organic barley could make a considerable impact.

Auto-Tune The Cosmos

Richard Gehr — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:12:56 +0000
"If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe." I promise this will cheer you up.

The Road To Apathy

Richard Gehr — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:01:08 +0000
The road to apathy is paved with post-election disappointment. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said Sunday that closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay "has proven more complicated than anticipated." An Economist blogger mocks him thusly:
Really? Figuring out what to do with hundreds of people held for years without charge on often flimsy terrorism allegations—not to mention those who almost certainly are terrorists, but who have been implicated by evidence obtained by torture—is complicated? Who could have imagined that?
We expect our leaders to have their eyes on the big picture, but they all too often seem focused on the day-to-day. Take the run-up to Iraq, for example. Or the housing bubble. The anonymous Economist writer also cites General Stanley McChrystal, the American commander in Afghanistan, who, when asked about the resurgent Taliban, said just last week, "The geographic spread of violence is a little more than I would have gathered." Maybe I'm in the wrong business, because I've been reading about that for months.

Don't Mess With Health-Care Success!

Richard Gehr — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:08:48 +0000
"Everybody talks about the 50 percent of American bankruptcies that are from health-care costs. But what about the 50 percent that aren't?"

Interview: John Brown's Body's Tommy Benedetti

Jonathan Perri — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 09:39:47 +0000
I had a chance to check out The Black Seeds open for John Brown's Body last week at the Rickshaw Stop in San Francisco. (The groups just wrapped up a twelve-city US tour.) Before the show I sat down with John Brown's Body drummer Tommy Benedetti. He talked about touring with The Black Seeds, the band's new album, Amplify, and reuniting with a former bandmember. Hailing from New Zealand, The Black Seeds have a strong kiwi following but had no trouble packing venues here in the states with their amazing reggae/soul sound. If you saw the band a few years ago, you would have noticed former bandmember Brett McKenzie of Flight of the Conchords. The eight-piece band busted out a bunch of tracks from their new studio album, Solid Ground, which blends together roots reggae, dub, and Motown soul perfectly. Jonathan Perrin: This is the Black Seeds U.S. debut. What's touring with them been like? Tommy Benedetti: It's been phenomenal in every way to tour with the Black Seeds. They are one of our favorite bands on the planet right now and right when they came into the first show in Burlington, VT, it was like an an instant lovefest. Being able to see them play every night has just been an honor. This is one of the best double bills we've ever been able to put together. JP: Is this the first time JBB has toured with the Black Seeds? Tommy: Yes. In fact, it's their first proper coast-to-coast tour here in the states. JP: JBB is still touring in support of the albums Amplify and Re-Amplify, correct? Tommy: True. We're coming up on the one-year anniversary of Amplify, and Re-Amplify came out in March. JP: Tell me a little more about Re-Amplify. Tommy: Making a remix album is just one of those things we've wanted to do for a while. The band really digs artists that can take our music and make something new with it. It really opens up different aspects of your music to different people and to yourself, too. So our management reached out to really cool artists and producers from around the world, we added a live track from a show in Fort Collins, CO, and before we knew it, we had cool remix album. I think it's a unique thing for the fans and for us. We actually started performing the remix version of "The Gold" live. JP: There is clearly some great connectivity and creativity onstage when you guys play. The last time I saw JBB here in San Francisco at The Independent, you brought up JBB co-founder Kevin Kinsella for a few songs. What was it like to have him back onstage with the band? Tommy: It was cool. It kind of just came together. He was in the area doing some shows on his own and we thought it would be a cool treat for the fans to have Kevin come out and do his thing. So we did a few shows together in L.A., San Diego, and San Francisco. It was good to see him again, to perform with him again. He's a longtime brother. JP: With a band name like John Brown's Body, you guys are doing more than just bringing the dirty dub. You're bringing a message with your music, right? Tommy: Well, we're just trying to be ourselves. We're not coming out with any preachy vibes - just good vibes, a big sound, and sincerity. Elliot [Martin] writes lyrics about a lot of social issues going on, but it's not so obvious or in-your-face. The band is just about bringing good vibes and good energy to the stage and giving that back to our fans.

Flipping The Health Care Reform Narrative

Richard Gehr — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:59:46 +0000
The elderly, fearing reduction of their Medicare Advantage coverage, have been pitted against the young in the seemingly endless debate over health care reform. Politicians have historically treasured older voters, but the most recent election demonstrated a marked increase in the number of younger voters. The so-called "young invincibles," however, appear to be losing out in the overall story of who the health-care crisis affects the most. Ari A. Matusiak, Matthew Segal, and Hilary Doe offer a corrective in a recent Huffington Post article, "Taking Back the Microphone":
The narrative is plain wrong. Young Americans between the ages of 18 and 34 represent the largest group of uninsured in the country. We have the highest rate of injury-related emergency room visits - seven million in 2005-06 alone. Fifteen percent of us suffer from chronic health problems such as asthma, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, heart disease and other conditions requiring regular care. And the rising unemployment rate of our demographic, currently standing at 18.5%--the highest since 1948--puts us at an even greater risk for insufficient health care coverage. Only 50% of young Americans receive health care through an employer, compared to 75% of people over 30. Of the young Americans who have been affected by job loss, 46% have seen their health coverage disappear. Another 20% of young adults, who have been forced to take part-time jobs that typically do not offer employees health coverage, will likely also remain uninsured.

Sustainability In Words And Pictures

Priya Bali — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:47:30 +0000

Maira Kalman’s latest installment of “And the Pursuit of Happiness,” a New York Times blog, is a reminder that a “green” city is a beautiful city. In this installment she considers the importance of public engagement and the people who help keep New York clean -- from the Commissioner of Sanitation to the mayor, his staff, and the woman watering the garden outside the Brooklyn sewage plant. Offering a fresh perspective on sustainability, we see how a sewage plant can be a “revelation” when lit up to resemble a scene out of the Arabian Nights.

Support For Health Care Reform Increasing

Richard Gehr — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:27:52 +0000
"Public support for health reform ended its summer slide, reversed course and moved modestly upwards in September, according to the latest Kaiser Health Tracking Poll."

Mr. U2 Goes To Washington

Richard Gehr — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:06:58 +0000
With two Bono shout-outs to Nancy Pelosi during their Washington DC gig Tuesday night, and an elaborate multimedia stage design ("the Claw"!) that, as one commenter noted, could have fed all Africa, U2 walked a thin line between righteousness and ostentation. The comments to the Chris Richards's Washington Post review supply a wide range of opinions about mixing music and politics:
Everytime Bono participates in American politics I think how tragic it was Mark Chapman killed John lennon ...The crowd was predominantly Caucasian and over 35. Everyone in the section I was in repeatedly yelled "Shut up and sing" when Bono abused his celebrity. It was also absurd that the band tried to tag a "Green" save the environment label on its tour. The single largest polluter of the planet in the year 2009 is Bono and his band. I laughed hysterically at his mention of Pelosi. She is the second largest polluter of the planet in 2009, zig zagging across the country every week in her giant private jet.... ...Obviously you've never been to a U2 concert - that's part of the show. If you don't want to hear Bono talk about the causes he supports - buy the fricking CD and listen at home if you like the music but not the politics. You're probably the same jacka$$ I had to ask to quiet down during a song so I could listen to teh music and not your blabbering conversation with your boyfriend.... bono's pretentious political bluster rang hollow, delivered from a monstrosity of a stage that screamed excess. you could feed all of africa for what that thing had to cost, never mind how much energy that thing had to eat up. great show, but keep your self importance to yourself bono; just shut up and sing. if you need to spout your politics on stage, follow the lead of bruce springsteen. i may not always agree with the boss's opinions, but he expresses them quickly and moves on with the show. with bono on stage it almost feels like the show is secondary to his need to have everybody know what a great philanthropist he is. what a pretentious little d-bag.
Etcetera, etcetera.

Apple Rejects Single-Payer iPhone App

Richard Gehr — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:01:48 +0000
A free iPhone application – iSinglepayer – that compares the cost of health care around the world, documents insufficiencies in the U.S. health care system, uses the phone's GPS to determine users' local congresspersons, and displays how much each member of congress has received from the health sector was rejected by Apple on the grounds that it is "politically charged." Wired reports that Red Daly, a 22 year-old computer science graduate student at Stanford, was informed of his rejection more than a month after submitting his advertising-free app. “I went to the app store because I felt like I didn’t have much of a voice in other spheres,” Daly told Wired. “When the mainstream media talks about single payer, they emphasize the negatives and this was my foray into the debate. It seemed like this would be the most effective way to reach people, since it is a phone and people can call right from it.” Daly is looking for health-advocacy group or some other sponsor to help him get the app published.

Bob Dylan To Distribute Worst Album To Citibank Customers First

Richard Gehr — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 09:05:19 +0000
It's beginning to sound a little like Christmas thanks to Bob Dylan, whose forthcoming Christmas in the Heart is easily the most disturbing, ridiculous, and superfluous collection of seasonal song in recent memory. Yes, it's that great – and you can hear the 30-second samples removed from its Amazon page here. Even better – or worse! – Dylan has opted to make the album available to Citibank users, at least those who participate in the bank's awards program, a week prior to its official October 13 release date. The Huffington Post published the official Citigroup press release on this Dickensian dealio. And before we dump on Dylan for selling out, he is donating all profits to the World Food Programme.
"Aligning with industry pioneer, Sony Music Entertainment, reinforces our commitment to providing our members with unique and rewarding experiences," said Nancy Gordon, executive vice president, Citi's ThankYou Network. "This relationship gives our members virtually instant access to one of the most important music collections in history, in addition to promotional offers involving some of the most exciting artists in the recording industry. And it's a great opportunity for members to use very few points to get a reward that has such a broad and passionate appeal among consumers."

Jeff Waful Talks Lights With Phish's Chris Kuroda

Richard Gehr — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:41:27 +0000
You know them; they light up your life. Jeff Waful, who first interviewed Phish's Chris Kuroda for Jambands.com eleven years ago, now produces great lights for Umphrey's McGee (following a long stint with moe.). So who better to check in with Kuroda on the state of the strobe? There's a lot more where this came from:
JW: You talked about not thinking. Have you been able to pinpoint what causes a really amazing night as far as you and the band members and the synergy or is it just completely random? CK: It’s completely random. I honestly think it has a lot to do with personal headspace. I think when it’s fun, it clicks. When you’re forcing it, it doesn’t click. I honestly believe, very thoroughly in taking your mind out of the equation and just acting on instinct. It seems to work a lot better for me. When I think too much, my timing gets all weird because I’m like, ‘Should I hit it now? Should I wait? When should I hit the button?’ Instead of just boogying down and hitting the button naturally, you’re hand just does it. When I do that, it all jives, it’s all right on. When I stop and think too much, it sucks.

TckTckTck Campaign's 'Beds Are Burning'

Richard Gehr — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:06:22 +0000
Youssou N'Dour, Scorpion, Paul Shaffer, Duran Duran, Bob Geldof, Brazilian Girls, Fergie, and dozens of other musicians and actors you may or may not recognize contributed to Midnight Oil's "Beds Are Burning," the climate-change movement's very own "We Are the World." Anyone who downloads the overstuffed tune becomes a virtual signer of Global Humanitarian Forum president Kofi Anan's global music petition demanding climate justice at the UN’s Copenhagen Climate Change Summit in December. Anan's slightly ominous Tck Tck Tck: Time for Climate Justice campaign wants to "stop the clock" on climate change.

New York Philharmonic Cancels Trip To Cuba

Richard Gehr — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:25:59 +0000
The good news is that Cuban musicians are receiving visas to perform in the United States for the first time since 2003. The great singer Omara Portuondo is the latest to be issued a visa to visit. Unfortunately, the New York Philharmonic will not be making its own planned historic visit to Cuba at the end of October. While the musicians themselves were good to go, the trip's donors – who had paid $10,000 each to support and join the trip – were denied visas by the State Department.
The sanctions on Cuba permit performing artists to enter, said the spokesman, P. J. Crowley, but “there’s no permitted category of travel that would include the Philharmonic patrons. Basically they’re tourists, and we don’t license tourist travel to Cuba under the present circumstances.” He said there was also an economic component to the decision: the wealthy patrons could spend large amounts of money in Cuba, which would effectively violate economic sanctions. In response to the Philharmonic’s position that it could not go without the financial supporters, he said, “Perhaps the New York Philharmonic should have checked with the government before announcing the trip.”

Interview: Security Pro Marshall Rodriguez On Nitrous

Andy — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:09:25 +0000
Over the last few years the battle between concert promoters and people who sell nitrous oxide balloons has escalated to almost an all-out war. Standing on the front lines is Marshall Rodriguez, a fan who launched a security company in 2000 that specializes in festivals and jamband-oriented concert events. His company, Marker Security, has since handled security for dozens of festivals, including Gathering of the Vibes, Clearwater, and Camp Bisco. That usually means it’s Marshall and his team’s job to stop the sale of nitrous oxide. In some cases, that involves staring down a highly organized, armed, and sometimes violent nemesis. Looking for a new perspective on the nitrous controversy, HeadCount caught up with Marshall for an exclusive interview. HeadCount: Tell me about Marker Security, how it got started, and its approach to festival security. Marshall: I was a festival kid and have been going to Phish shows since the early '90’s. Then I had the chance to work Phish's millennium show as a runner, and I saw what [longtime Phish security chief] John Langenstein was doing. I was like, “I want to start a company and do that.” My approach to security is to not be a bunch of thugs. I came from the scene so I knew what it was like. Half the time roughness was unnecessary. Our clients can see that. I want to ensure a safe environment for everyone: concertgoers, entertainers, and production. We thoroughly enjoy doing what we do. HeadCount: Let’s talk about nitrous. What have you observed over the last few years? Is the problem getting any worse? Any better? Marshall: Worse. [Promoters] are trying to make it better, and I commend them for it, but they’re being overrun. A group of guys can make $300,000 a weekend selling nitrous. That’s money they’re willing to go to great lengths to protect, even if it means hurting somebody, even hurting security. It’s starting to get out of control. It's getting ridiculous. HeadCount: What are the worst things that have gone on? How far will some of these guys go? Marshall: We've dealt with one of my guards getting pistol whipped, and a couple of our guys have been threatened with knives and told, "If you come back here…" At that point we had to retreat and back off. Making a few dollars an hour isn’t really worth your life, you know. HeadCount: So if a promoter comes to you and says, "I want to stop nitrous at my concert no matter what the cost," what do you recommend? What can you do to stop it? Marshall: That’s a tough one. Sometimes these guys will show up weeks in advance and hide the tanks, so when they get to the check points they don’t have anything on them. They'll have tanks waiting in certain spots, and if one's taken, fine, they go back and get another one. We can’t really have security there three weeks in advance roaming the property. It would be too expensive for the promoter. As far as ideas, it all begins with searching everybody –- from employees to vendors on down. Sometimes things get in through the vendors. You’ve got trucks packed full of vending stuff, so it’s hard to get through that whole truck. If you have a strong security presence right from the beginning, a squad dedicated to taking on nitrous, then it can be done. It’s hard, but it can be done. HeadCount: Some people would say, “Nitrous, isn't the worst drug in the world. What’s the harm?” Why is this something promoters are concerned about? Marshall: Beside the obvious factor that you’re killing your brain cells, it’s taking away from the festival environment, the community. These people aren’t there for the show. Not only that, I’ve seen countless people stand up and, BAM! They fall forward, smash their face, and don’t feel it for a second later. Then they’re all bloody and have teeth knocked out, so it’s turned everything into a very ugly scene. And there’s a lot of fighting over it. These people are so organized that if another person comes in, a regular kid who just wants to make a few extra bucks and thinks nitrous is the way to go, they'll go after him. The Philly Mafia, Nitrous Mafia, or whatever they want to be called, they're very territorial. They’re like, “You’re making my money; you’re taking money away from me." Back in the day, they weren’t organized. They would get a tank from the store and make a few bucks just to get to the next venue. It’s not like that now. HeadCount: I’ve heard it called "felony money for a misdemeanor crime." What are the laws and legal remedies? Can people go to jail for nitrous? Or is that part of the whole issue: The lack of penalties and fear of incarceration attracts an even larger criminal element? Marshall: Absolutely. I saw a web page that listed the nitrous laws for every state. I was just taken aback by how little there is on the books. In some states nitrous only becomes illegal if you intend to use it for something other than as a prescribed drug. In other states there are no laws against it and it’s very easy to obtain. It needs to be addressed. There need to be stricter guidelines and rules for obtaining this stuff because it's too easy. I could walk into a store and walk out with a nitrous tank right now without pretty much any hassle. And other states don’t care. There’s really no penalty. I’ve attended and worked shows where law enforcement walked right by. They know what it is but don’t care because it’s not something they’re looking for, as opposed to powder drugs or pills. But nitrous is just as harmful. HeadCount: Let’s talk about Gathering of the Vibes. Rumors have suggested the death there was tied to nitrous. What can you say about that? And do you think that incident will affect the festival community and security in the future? Marshall: Since we were mainly providing protection for one area at the Vibes, I really don’t know the particulars. All I know was that the official cause of death was natural causes. There’s a lot of speculation about foul play, but it’s just people blowing things out of proportion. Poor kid, it’s a shame it happened. Maybe he went a little too far, but it really had nothing to do with anything other than what the paper reported. [Editor’s note: According to a report in Bridgeport's Connecticut Post, the FBI is investigating a security company that worked the Gathering of the Vibes. Marker Security is not involved in this investigation because its role was limited to securing one particular area of the festival grounds.] HeadCount: With all the publicity and speculation, do you think we’re reaching a tipping point? Marshall: A lot of us are getting to that point. From promoters on down, it’s getting to the point where enough’s enough and it’s time to take this thing back from those people, whether by law enforcement or more security. The majority of people are there to have some good clean fun. I love working these festivals; it’s great getting out there and seeing how happy people are, and I love doing what I do. But sometimes we see the ugly side of how people can be toward one another, and I think nitrous is at the root of that. It’s disheartening at times from a security standpoint when you can’t do anything about it because, a) you don’t have enough manpower, and b) you’re overrun by them and can’t put your security guards in danger. If there's 20 security guards and 100 dealers, who’s going to win? It’s disheartening when you have to just drive by because there’s nothing you can do about it. This Philly Mafia, that’s whole other-level stuff, from headsets to bodyguards to different kinds of uniforms they wear. It looks like plain clothes to people, but they dress a certain way. The lookout might wear a plain white T-shirt with black pants or something. They’re organized. In the beginning I thought it was a joke, but I have a feeling the people who are really behind this aren’t even at the festivals. They’re putting up the money, fronting the product, and expect to get their money back when it comes home. It's kind of unfair to single out Philadelphia, and I don’t know how it became that way. I don’t know the ringleaders or who’s behind it but there seem to be new faces every year.

Will.i.am To Host 'We The People Festival'

Richard Gehr — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:31:18 +0000
Suicidal Tendencies, Pepper, Anti-Pop Consortium, Glitch Mob, Flobots, 2Mex, Non Human Intelligence, and Whiskey Pete are among the first wave of acts slated to perform at the We the People Festival. Will.i.am hosts the event, which will take place on three stages at Los Angeles Center Studios on November 21. The conscious hardcore and hip-hop fest promises "Non Partisan, Non Violent, Environmental and Politically Conscious Views."

Mercedes Sosa 1935-2009

Richard Gehr — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:08:04 +0000
In 1979, Mercedes Sosa was arrested onstage and subsequently deported by Jorge Videla's military junta. She was that kind of folksinger, an avowed Communist and a star of the "nueva canción" (new song) movement of politicized folk music that developed in Latin America during the 1950s and '60s. Dubbed La Negra due to her dark skin and hair, Sosa became the voice of Argentina's poor and dispossessed, particularly during the 1976-83 political dictatorship, when 30,000 dissenters were murdered and tens of thousands more imprisoned for political crimes. Sosa returned to Argentina in 1982 and her career flourished. She sold out Carnegie Hall in 2002. Caetano Veloso and Shakira joined her on her final albums, Cantora 1 and 2. She died of kidney problems on October 4 and thousands lined the route to her funeral yesterday. In this video she sings perhaps her most famous song, Violetta Parra's "Gracias a la Vida" (Thanks to Life): Thanks to life, which has given me so much. It gave me laughter and it gave me longing. With them I distinguish happiness and pain— The two materials from which my songs are formed, And your song, as well, which is the same song. And everyone's song, which is my very song.

Interview: Concert Security Pro Marshall Rodriguez Talks About Nitrous Oxide

Andy — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:06:27 +0000
[caption id="attachment_2569" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="Marker Security's Marshall Rodriguez"][/caption] The battle between concert promoters and the people who sell nitrous oxide balloons has escalated in the last few years to almost an all out war. Standing on the front lines of that battle is Marshall Rodriguez, a fan who launched a security company in 2000 that specializes in festivals and jam band-oriented concert events. Since then his company, Marker Security, has gotten busy – handling security for dozens of festivals over the years including Gathering of the Vibes, Clearwater and Camp Bisco. That usually means it’s Marshall and his team’s job to stop the sale of nitrous oxide. In some cases, that involves staring down a highly organized, armed and sometimes violent nemesis. Looking for a new perspective on the frequently discussed topic of nitrous oxide, HeadCount caught up with Marshall for an exclusive interview. HeadCount: So tell me about Marker Security and sort of how it got started and its whole approach to festival security. Marshall: Well, I was a festival kid, I was always going to Phish shows, I’ve been going since the early 90’s. Then I had the chance to work the [Phish] millennium show as a runner and I saw what (longtime Phish security chief) John Langenstein was doing, and I was like, “I want to start a company and do that” and it just kind of went from there. When I started, the approach I wanted to take with security was to not go in there and be a bunch of thugs. I’d come from that scene, so I knew what that scene was like and that half the time being rough with the people wasn’t needed. The clients that we have can see that, and the heart that I’m putting in. I’m worried about making sure it’s a safe environment for everyone, the concertgoers, the entertainers, the production. We thoroughly enjoy doing what we do. HeadCount: Well let’s talk about nitrous a little bit. What have you observed over the last few years? Is the problem getting any worse? Any better? Marshall: The problem is getting, I feel, worse. There are [promoters] out there that are trying to make it better and I commend them for it, but they’re being overrun. It just seems like when you got a group of guys who are coming in, some can make $300,000 a weekend –that’s money that they’re willing to go to great lengths to protect, even if it means hurting somebody, even if it means hurting security. It’s just starting to get out of control. It is getting ridiculous. HeadCount: What are some of the worst things that have gone on? How far will some of these guys go? Marshall: We have dealt with one of my guards getting pistol-whipped and we’ve had a couple of our guys threatened with knives pulled on them. They’ve been told ‘if you come back here…’ you know when they pulled the knife out they alluded to what they were going to do. So at that point we had to retreat and back off. Making a few dollars an hour isn’t really worth your life, you know. HeadCount: So if a promoter comes to you and says ‘I want to stop nitrous at my concert no matter what the cost,’ what do you recommend? What are things that you can do to stop it? Marshall: That’s a tough one. Sometimes these guys will show up weeks in advance, hide the tanks already there, so when they get to the check points they don’t have anything on them. When they get there they have tanks waiting in certain spots, and if they get one taken, fine, they go back and get another one. We can’t really have security there three weeks in advance just roaming the property. It would get so expensive for a promoter. As far as ideas for that, it all begins with the searching, everybody- on down from the employees to vendors. Sometimes things get in through the vendors. You’ve got trucks packed full of vending stuff or people who are selling food and everything, so it’s hard to get through that whole truck. If you have a strong security presence right from the beginning, a nitrous squad that is dedicated to taking on this nitrous, then it can be done, it’s hard, but it can be done. HeadCount: Now some people would say, “Alright, nitrous, it’s not the worst drug in the world, what’s the harm?” Why is this something that promoters are so concerned about? Marshall: Besides the obvious factor that you’re killing your brain cells, it’s taking away from the festival environment, the festival community. These people aren’t there for the show. Not only that, but I’ve seen countless people stand up and, BAM! they fall forward and smash their face and they don’t feel it for a second later and then they’re all bloody and at that point they’ve got teeth knocked out and it’s turned everything into a very ugly scene. There’s a lot of fighting over it. I mean, these people are so organized, that if you have another person that comes in, just a regular kid who just wants to make a few extra bucks and thinks that nitrous oxide is the way to go – these people that are part of the Philly Mafia or the Nitrous Mafia or whatever they want to be called – it’s like territorial. They’re going after them. They’re like, “You’re making my money; you’re taking money away from me." You know back in the day they weren’t organized. They would go get a nitrous tank filled from the store and you know make a few bucks just to make it to the next venue, and it’s not like that now. HeadCount: I’ve heard it called ‘felony money for a misdemeanor crime.’ What are the laws on the books and the legal remedies? Can people go to jail for nitrous? Or is that part of the whole issue, that there isn’t a lot of penalty or fear of incarceration and therefore it attracts an even larger criminal element? Marshall: Absolutely. I was on a web page, I don’t know where, somebody gave me a link to it and it had every single state in the United States and it said what the laws were about nitrous oxide and I was just taken back about how there isn’t really anything on the books, other than in some states if you intend to use it for something other than nitrous oxide then it becomes illegal; it becomes a prescribed drug that you don’t have a prescription for. But in most states, it’s just a joke. In some states there are no laws against it, and it’s very easy to obtain. It’s something that needs to be addressed. Something needs to happen and there’s got to be stricter guidelines and stricter rules for somebody to obtain this stuff because it is very easy. I can go and get a nitrous tank right now, and walk into a store and walk out of it without pretty much any hassle, and that’s just here. And other states, they don’t care, as long as they get the money they’re filling them and there’s really no penalty. I’ve been to shows and been to concerts, worked shows, where law enforcement walked right by it. It’s not like they don’t know what it is, but they don’t care because it’s not really something that they’re looking for, as opposed to some powder drugs or some pill form drugs. But this is also just as harmful. HeadCount: Let’s talk about Gathering of the Vibes. A lot of rumors coming out of Vibe this year, there was a death that some believe was tied to nitrous. What can you say about that? And do you think that that incident will have any future impact on festival community and security? Marshall: Well since we were mainly providing protection for one area I really don’t know the particulars. All I know was that it was from natural causes, and the people involved with that, that’s what they came out with. There’s a lot of speculation of foul play but it’s just people blowing things out of proportion. Poor kid, it’s a shame that it happened, maybe he went a little too far, but it really had nothing to do with anything other than what was stated in the paper. [Editor’s Note: Published reports have said the FBI is investigating a security company at Gathering of the Vibes. Marker Security is not involved in this investigation as its role was limited to securing one particular area of the festival grounds.] HeadCount: Still, with all the publicity and speculation, do you think we’re reaching a tipping point? Marshall: You know what it is, a lot of us are just getting to the point, from promoters on down, it’s just getting to the point that enough’s enough and it’s time to take this thing back from those people. Whether it be by law enforcement or more security. The majority of people are there to have some good clean fun. I love working these festivals; it’s great getting out there and seeing the people and seeing how happy they are and I love doing what I do. But sometimes it can be very ugly and we see the ugly side of how people can be towards one another and I think nitrous is at the root of that. It’s somewhat disheartening at times from a security stand point when you can’t do anything about it because A) you don’t have enough man power and B) you’re overrun by them and you can’t put your security guards in danger like that. If you don’t have enough man power and you’re over run, you know, 20 security guards to 100 of them, who’s going to win? It’s disheartening when you have to just drive by it because there’s nothing you can do about it. This Philly Mafia, that’s whole other level stuff, from headsets to bodyguards to different kinds of uniforms that they wear. It looks like plain clothes to people, but if you notice, they dress a certain way. If you’re just the lookout you’re wearing a white plain t-shirt with black pants or something. They’re organized. In the beginning I thought it was a joke, but I have a feeling that the people who are really behind this aren’t even at the festivals. They’re just putting up the money and they’re fronting the product and they’re expecting to get their money back when they come home. I’ve heard it being called anything from the Philly Mafia, to the Philly Nitrous Mafia, to the Nitrous Mafia, and it’s kind of unfair to point out or to single out Philadelphia and I don’t know how it became that way. I don’t know the ringleaders, I don’t know who’s behind it. It’s just new faces every year it seems.

Tom Russell On Tex-Mex Carnage

Richard Gehr — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:40:43 +0000

Don't miss "Where God and the Devil Wheel Like Vultures: Report from El Paso," an amazing essay by artist-musician Tom Russell in The Rumpus. Russell has spent much of his life in Texas border towns, and his writing documents a deterioration from the nostalgic film-noir evoked in movies like Orson Welles's Touch of Evil to the new deal, a time when thousands are murdered each year in Ciudad Juarez, just across the Rio Grande. "So what should America do," asks the Economist, comparing Mexico to Afghanistan and Pakistan. "Should we deploy troops to northern Mexico, employing an extensive counterinsurgency strategy to hunt down drug gangs and protect local populations, and send thousands of aid workers to establish jobs programmes and reduce corruption in the Mexican government?" Obviously not, is the answer. Because Mexico is right next door, it is less of an abstraction and more of a reality than those two countries halfway around the globe. And writing like Russell's should make us all the more eager to help it out:

2900 bodies in 20 months. Welcome to the frontier, where “God and the Devil wheel like vultures, and a loose fences separates the good man from the bad.” (Nicholas Shakespeare on Graham Greene.) We are walking the streets between doubt and clarity; savage reality and indifference. Shooting re-enactments and World War Three. This is El Paso-Juarez, an extreme western edge of Texas that no Texan east of Sierra Blanca would lay claim to. The wild, non-fictional Mexican West. Hollywood and a million dime novels never quite got it right. Sam Peckinpah wasn’t even close. El Paso-Juarez is the American frontier in every sense: the land or territory which forms the furthest extent of a country’s settled or inhabited regions. The outer limit. (Webster’s Unabridged.) And now, September 4, 2009, as I was trying to put this essay to rest, the biggest shoot-out in the history of Juarez took place in a Juarez drug clinic. 17 people slaughtered. The carnage hit the front page of the New York Times and, even weirder, the front page of the El Paso Times: Juarez in Shock: Attack Considered City’s Worst Multiple Shooting. The New York Times coverage sounded as if it were lifted from a James Ellroy novel: a thick layer of blood covered the concrete floor…a chained dog had been shot…the smell of death hung in the air.” God and the Devil, wheeling like vultures. And finally, it’s September 11, 2009, and while the world is remembering 9/11 and the twin towers going down, there’s a little item on page 9A of the El Paso Times: “It is not uncommon for U.S. citizens to be part of Mexican drug cartels because cartels have placed cells in more than 200 cities across the United States. According to the Department of Justice, Mexican cartels…pose the greatest organized-crime threat to the United States and it’s people.” Incomprehensible? You have to understand the full contextual layout: cultural, geographic, historic. Then dim the lights and listen to the music: either Dylan’s “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues,” or Marty Robbin’s “El Paso,” or one of a thousand narco-corrido songs where the bad guy is the good guy, and behind every lyrical gravestone is buried a lost verse to “The Streets of Laredo.” This is gunfighter country.

John McCain Urges Troop Build-Up In Afghanistan

Richard Gehr — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:59:40 +0000
On one side is a population increasingly uncomfortable with the president's handling of Afghanistan. (Approval for his policies has dropped from 56 percent in April to 44 percent in September.) On the other side are John McCain and other Republican leaders, who want Obama to as much as double the 68,000 American troops already in country. What's a conciliator to do to avoid re-running the Vietnam War? According to The New York Times:
President Obama told Congressional leaders on Tuesday that he would not substantially reduce American forces in Afghanistan or shift the mission to just hunting terrorists there, but he indicated that he remained undecided about the major troop buildup proposed by his commanding general. Meeting with leaders from both parties at the White House, Mr. Obama seemed to be searching for some sort of middle ground, saying he wanted to “dispense with the straw man argument that this is about either doubling down or leaving Afghanistan,” as White House officials later described his remarks." ***** Mr. McCain told the president that “time is not on our side.” He added, “This should not be a leisurely process,” according to several people in the room. A few minutes later, Mr. Obama replied, “John, I can assure you this won’t be leisurely,” according to several attendees. “No one feels more urgency to get this right than I do.”

Hitler Learns Phish's Halloween Album

Richard Gehr — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:00:44 +0000

Interview: State Radio's Chad Stokes Urmston

Richard Gehr — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:52:16 +0000
When State Radio pulls into town for a gig, fans are likely to find bandmembers working in a food bank, protesting in the streets, or doing something equally decent long before the doors open. Dedicated to human rights and common decency, the trio has created a deep bond between political activism and hard-rocking onstage agitprop. The trio continues to castigate the power structure on its new album, Let It Go, while continuing to organize for concrete social change through its online activist network, Calling All Crows. The group is headlining a tour through November 7 before joining 311 for a series of dates from November 22 through December 8. Catch a show -- or even better, join them at one of their public-service events or teach-ins earlier in the day. We recently caught up with singer-songwriter-guitarist Chad Urmston in Athens, Georgia, where we asked him about State Radio's endorsement of Alan Khazei for the Massachusetts senate seat left recently left vacant by the late Senator Ted Kennedy. HeadCount: It's rare for a band to outright endorse a candidate for public office. What made State Radio decide to throw its support to Alan Khazei? Is there a personal connection? Chad Urmston: We really respected Senator Ted Kennedy for what he'd done for Massachusetts over the last forty-six years, and he left a huge and important vacancy. When we heard that Alan was running, we knew who he was through our connection with City Year and thought, here's a smart guy. He's not a career politician and he believes in public service and lines up with us on healthcare and education. He's a real person, something we're not used to in politics. Someone could almost say the opposite about Ted Kennedy. That's what was so impressive about Kennedy. Although he was born and raised to go into politics, and rose through the ranks as a politico with tons of money, he was always aware of people who were less fortunate, and the legislation he passed reflected that. What was the City Year connection? Alan was co-founder of City Year, a domestic Peace Corps for kids eighteen to twenty-five years old who are paid to dedicate themselves to service for a year. It's in nineteen cities across America, and in South Africa, and has a $46 million budget. It's served more than 75,000 children and it's part of Americorps. Three of our crew members are City Year alums. Every four or five shows we'll work with City Year when we do public service projects before shows in different cities. It's an amazing program that really transforms inner-city kids, who go through the program and become leaders of tomorrow. How did Calling All Crows come about? How do you choose your causes among so many terrible problems in the world? We were doing many benefit shows, and we'd started doing public-service projects during the day before our shows. Other bands started asking us about it, so we decided to make it a little more official. We could ascertain where the money goes after we raise it. Now people ask us to do Calling All Crows benefit shows. Our goal this year is to raise $100,000, which will provide 5000 stoves for women in Sudanese refugee camps. At the same time we also focus on public service, so Calling All Crows was a way for us to brand our public service, offer it to other bands, and start a network. Calling All Crows draws off all the traffic the band was attracting; it's kind of our little brother. We have a big online network online with lots of information. People are really ineractive with each other, too. And now many more fans show up before shows, because the information is right there. We also have a program called How's Your News?, which is a news team with disabilities. It was picked up by MTV last year. We've been doing it for fifteen years, making our own movies. This project is mostly for fun, but it focuses on disability rights and treating people with disabilies like anyone else. What are the Teach-Ins for Troy? Our overall focus is on human rights. We teamed up with Oxfam for the stoves for Sudanese women. The rest is kind of a public-service thing for whatever each particular town needs, such as food banks, poverty relief, or cleaning up urban spaces. But the Troy thing falls under our human-rights umbrella. We've been working on the Troy Davis case for a couple of years. He's a man from Georgia who was convicted of killing a white cop twenty years ago. He never received a fair trial and was convicted purely on witness testimony with no physical evidence. Seven of the nine witnesses have come out since then and said they were coerced into pointing their fingers at Troy, and that it actually wasn't Troy but this other guy. I heard about him through Amnesty International and got to know Troy's sister, who's the leader of the movement to free him. I've spoken to Troy a few times, and to his mom, and today we were out protesting on Athens's streets just to get people to know his name. He's an exmaple of why the death penalty is wrong. There's no DNA evidence. After twenty years and three execution dates (one of which was within 30 minutes of his scheduled execution), the Supreme Court has finally allowed an evidentiary hearing in Savannah, which happens in a few months. How do you reconcile your rock-star status with your public-service work? We’ve seen so many kids who come to shows and Calling All Crows events start their own projects. We're really face-to-face with a lot of really inspiring young people, whether it be through City Year or Teach For Ameirca or smaller groups. It's so rewarding, even if the majority of our audience is there to rock out and have fun. A handful of kids are really ready to make a difference. Like today, when we were protesting on the street almost everyone was on their way to lunch or class or whatever. But every now and then someone would stop and be curious. You learn to appreciate small connections.

Obama Wins Nobel Peace Prize: 'Oslo Trumps Copenhagen'

Richard Gehr — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:01:41 +0000

According to NPR, that's what a surprised Barack Obama said to his wife early this morning upon hearing he'd won this year's Nobel Peace Prize. This award is more about idealism than concrete accomplishments; more about "Yes we can" than "Yes we did." Or as Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa told the Associated Press: "In a way, it's an award coming near the beginning of the first term of office of a relatively young president that anticipates an even greater contribution towards making our world a safer place for all. It is an award that speaks to the promise of President Obama's message of hope."

Animal Rights To Dominate All-Vegan World Peace Yoga Conference

Debra DeSalvo — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:48:21 +0000

A sometimes-vitriolic debate is raging in the yoga community about whether yogis should a) be politically active, and b) follow a vegetarian diet. Although ahimsa (nonviolence) is the primary yoga ethic, some teachers argue that vegetarianism is too restrictive and violates ahimsa by potentially causing harm to the student. Other teachers, notably Jivamukti Yoga founders Sharon Gannon and David Life (see photo), state emphatically that not only is a vegetarian diet better for people and the planet, ahimsa requires yogis to refrain from harming animals. The World Peace Yoga Conference to be held in Cincinnati on October 23-25 ups the ante by inviting outspoken animal-rights activists such as Gannon, Life, envronmentalist Julia Butterfly Hill, and World Peace Diet author Will Tuttle to speak at the first all-vegan yoga/peace conference. I asked Gannon and Life why they feel this is, as Life puts it, "the best idea of the millennium." David Life: "This is an opportunity for all of us to show that we care enough about world peace to take the first step ourselves. Yoga means “you do it!” You don’t wait for someone else to be compassionate, you do it. You don’t wait for someone else to create peace, you create it." Sharon Gannon: "Because this conference will focus on practical yoga methods to bring peace to a world where violence, exploitation, and destruction have become a way of life. We can be the change we wish to see in the world -- not through anger and blame but by recognizing the connection between personal and global imbalances, all of which stem from the exploitation/degradation of animals and nature. We don't have time to wait for enlightenment in isolated caves or yoga bubbles. Now is the time to become spiritually activated so that we can see what we have known in our hearts all along -- that what we do to the world we ultimately do to ourselves." Registration for the World Peace Yoga Conference closes October 16. Sharon Gannon discusses "What Does Yoga Have to Do with Vegetarianism?" and "Yoga and Spiritual Activism" on her Reality Sandwich blog. Check out Debra's band Devi.

Pseudo Pot Legalization Hurts Drug Cartels. But Is It Enough?

Jonathan Perri — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:24:33 +0000
It's an argument marijuana legalization advocates have been using for years: If marijuana were legalized and regulated in America, drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and gangs would be put out of business. But how much truth does that argument hold? The expansion of medical marijuana dispensaries and growers in California, Michigan, and Colorado could provide all the proof as Mexican drug trafficking organizations now have something to fear, loss of profits from the relatively new "pseudolegalization" represented by medical marijuana. Basic economics and a little history suggest that cartels and DTOs will adapt to pseudolegalization because they still have a market in the U.S. Many already have, and it isn't pretty.
In the national forests and public timberlands of Northern California, Mexican growers shoot at U.S. law enforcement agents with growing frequency and use fertilizers and pesticides that pollute watersheds and start fires. A 90,000-acre blaze in Southern California's Los Padres National Forest in August began on a marijuana farm run by Mexican traffickers, according to authorities. The traffickers are also engaged in an escalating race to achieve higher levels of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the chemical ingredient that gives pot its potency. The THC content of Mexican marijuana seized at the southwest border jumped from 4.8 percent in 2003 to 7.3 percent in 2007, according to U.S. officials.
These problems seem to be the lingering effects of marijuana prohibition as legalization becomes increasingly appealing. Remember when President Obama opened up Change.org for questions? The number-one question was whether he would legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana to help the economy. He laughed it off at a town-hall meeting. California's medical marijuana industry thrives despite the recession and provides a service California residents desire. Take a look at Harborside Health Center in Oakland, CA, for example. You're greeted outside by a friendly security guard who checks your medical marijuana recommendation or ID card. Inside, the Center is clean and welcoming, with baristas waiting to tell you anything you need to know about their cannabis options. Harborside is one of the few dispensaries that monitor the THC levels of the medicine. They also test for levels of other cannabinoids, like CBD and all medicine is inspected for mold and other fungi. First-time visitors get a free gram of medicine. So if you had the option to buy marijuana at a clean store that also offers an activism center, free yoga classes, acupuncture and massage, would you ever go back to buying shwag from someone you don't know? Probably not. You also pay taxes when you purchase marijuana at Harborside. Oakland voters passed a 1.8% tax on all medical marijuana sold in the city's four dispensaries. This is estimated to bring in around $300,000 a year per dispensary for the city. Dispensaries brought in about $18 million in California state taxes last year. These numbers are one reason the marijuana industry isn't going away anytime soon. Just like with food, when if comes to pot, buy local; you could be helping bring down drug cartels more effectively than law enforcement is.

Eating Locally With The Greenway Table

Jennifer Norton — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 15:41:47 +0000
Sustainable agriculture is socially just, environmentally enhancing, and economically viable for the communities in which it exists. If we continually demand the cheapest food possible, we'll continue to get food produced with cheap labor on land bereft of its beautiful resources from a company that most likely does not care about how it's created, distributed, or consumed. It's going to be a long road to a paradigm shift of a place where food and music reignite a beautiful American culture, one in which we can be proud of our simple spot in the world, and every baby step helps. Food is a powerful force of community and development, and now I've had the opportunity to see the movement work at home. During my senior year at Lee University, I wanted to get my hands dirty, get service credit, and meet some consciously minded people. So, I sought out an internship at Crabtree Farms, a twenty-acre urban oasis and organic farm in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Little did I know that my internship at Crabtree would inspire a passion and involve me in a movement. I connected the nonprofit with my University to get upper-level biology credit and made friends who will last a lifetime. (The farm's manager and assistant greatly contributed to my Grateful Dead and reggae collections, respectively.) Inspired by music, The Greenway Table has came to be over the last year in Cleveland, Tennessee, just north of Chattanooga. After spending a few fun November days in Texas with Matisyahu and crew, I returned to Cleveland and noticed an acre of land on public property, surrounded by trees and near an elementary school, middle school, and university. Over several subsequent months we have grown a half-acre organic garden, sold our produce, donated food, and hosted a camp, classes, and clubs. We recently received a $10,000 grant for educational programming in 2010. The Greenway Table will empower our community through the power of food. With our demonstration urban farm and educational outreach, we will inspire conscious consumption and influence demand as well as decrease obesity and help our local economy. Yes, I have been working to pay my bills and, yes, community and friends are an integral part of this movement and my life. It's like we gotta head up the rat race to take the lead and slow down -- and nothing keeps us in the race like a nice fresh beat. Or beet. Other awesome Tennessee farms include Sequatchie Cove Farm, Williams Island Farm, Clover Wreath Farm, and River Ridge Farm.

Carlinhos Brown: 'Poverty Is Not An Excuse For Anything'

Richard Gehr — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:29:53 +0000
Along with Gilberto Gil, Carlinhos Brown is one of the great Afro-Brazilian activist musicians. A seemingly ubiquitous drummer, Brown lead the great 100-strong bloco Afro percussion group, Timbalada, and is also a prolific songwriter (for Caetano Veloso, Sergio Mendes, and Marisa Monte, among many others) and community firebrand. On the DVD World Music Portraits: Carlinhos Brown, you can see him pounding and painting instruments fashioned from scrap metal with his teen drumming ensemble, Lactomia. He also leads Os Zarabe, an Arab-tinged drum-and-bugle flashmob that arrives and departs mysteriously. The New York Times reports on how Brown's Pracatum music school is transforming his impoverished Candeal neighborhood in the northeastern Brazilian city of Salvador. Beyond simply turning out fine musicians (a Brazilian surplus commodity), Brown's project is also transforming the very look -- and more importantly, the outlook -- of his neighborhood. "Poverty is not an excuse for anything," Brown says optimistically. "Poverty is an opportunity."
While Pracatum School churned out a cast of talented musicians — people like Léo Bit Bit, who plays with the band Scorpions; the twins Du and Jó, who play with Caetano Veloso; and Marivaldo dos Santos, who plays in “Stomp” — the association went to work fixing up Candeal. It persuaded the city’s health department to open a clinic there, the neighborhood’s first. It raised money to build and renovate more than 200 homes and plaster and paint 60 others. It got the mayor’s office to install sewer lines and refurbish a public water fountain that many families use to this day to wash their clothes.

Sarah Silverman's World Hunger Solution

Richard Gehr — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:21:43 +0000
She makes it sound so easy (and a little dirty, too).

Brad Paisley Wears Pants And Plays A Bad Guitar

Richard Gehr — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:17:23 +0000
Brad Paisley's mostly instrumental Play was the guitar freak's album of 2008. The cat rips in just about any style you throw at him (dig "Turf's Up," below). But Play was something of an aberration. A country superduperstar with more than a dozen number-one singles, Paisley has a Zappa-like propensity for casually clever lyrics that serve as delivery system for scorching sounds. Country audiences like their songs topical, and Paisley is one of the few nonconservative twangers to come down the pike in a while. (Some fans didn't appreciate that his Hollywood-liberal wife, Kimberly Williams, donated a couple of thou to Obama's campaign last year.) And amid all the thoroughly excellent picking on Paisley's latest, American Saturday Night, you'll find some damn fine songs celebrating life in these United States during the Obama administration. The video for the album's centerpiece, "Welcome to the Future," superimposes little girls talking about growing up to be architects and stuff over Paisley's the-future-is-now lyrics. And in "The Pants," Paisley goes out on a buff-feminist limb by noting that it's not who wears the pants that counts, but rather who wears the skirt. Paisley's American Saturday Night Tour is working its way up the East Coast over the next week or so. It hits Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, and he should feel right at home.

Marijuana Growers The Latest Environmental Enemy

Richard Gehr — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:31:04 +0000
There's an environmentally correct new way to demonize cannabis consumers -- and foreigners. In a post headlined "Marijuana growers worsening California drought," the Christian Science Monitor's Bright Green Blog (a stoner name if ever there were one) interviews a Northern California police officer, who explains that large-scale cultivators of California's largest cash crop are illegally diverting river and creek water to their operations. According to Bright Green Blog, "Lt. Noe noted that police have seized more than 500,000 pot plants this season in Mendocino County alone. Each plant requires about one gallon of water per day. California is entering the fourth year of a severe drought, with residents in some areas facing the first mandatory water restrictions in two decades and farms laying off thousands of workers. “'It’s really affecting our water supply,' said Noe of the illicit growing sites." Conservationists are also concerned about the dumping of pesticides and other toxic chemicals into the water supply, and a local hydrologists points also out that two local trout streams have dried up due to water diversion. Police, environmentalists, and the post's writer all blame Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) for despoiling the environment. Local growers, a US Forest Service special agent is quoted as saying, do not have the wherewithal to drag their chemicals deep into the woods, where DTOs grow thousands of plants at a time. Or as the agent puts it, "White guys are lazy." Bruce Mirken of the Marijuana Policy Project responded put this crazy quilt of jingoism, fear, and name calling in perspective in his comment on the post:
Despite the comments from official sources quoted in this piece, the problem is not marijuana — which, as an agricultural commodity, is pretty unremarkable and not unusually water-intensive. The problem is prohibition, which keeps the state’s immense marijuana industry outside the normal regulations that apply to other farmers and puts it in an entirely unregulated criminal underground. If we treated marijuana like we treat beer, wine, and liquor, it would be grown by farmers who — like those who now grow wine grapes or barley and hops for beer — would have to abide by labor, environmental, and water-conservation laws. In California, that includes water allocations that are subject to reduction in drought years. It is a common rhetorical trick for officials to blame the problems caused by prohibition on marijuana, but the real problem is bad policies producing bad (and entirely predictable) results.

Study Says Live Earth Had No Impact On Public Opinion

Richard Gehr — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:25:28 +0000
Remember Live Earth? On July 7, 2007, 150 A-list acts performed around the clock on seven continents to a television audience of billions. The point was to draw attention to global climate issues. Each location brought its own vibe. Australia was earnest, China factory-fresh pop lite, and Keith Urban covered "Gimme Shelter" at Giants Stadium. A pretty good time was had by many. But did it do any good? Were consciousnesses raised? Did the rate of global warming decelerate in the slightest afterward? Apparently not. Yale University, Gallup, and the ClearVision Institute have now studied the influence of such mega-events on public opinion. In the first such investigation, a thousand adults were surveyed a week before Live Earth and then again two weeks after it. The study's conclusion:
Live Earth appears to have had no immediate impact on American public opinion as a whole. It does appear, however (within the limitations of this study), that Live Earth did reinforce and amplify attitudes about global warming among those watchers who were already concerned, while having a smaller impact on other watchers. Importantly, Live Earth was intended to be the start of a multi-year campaign to raise awareness, change individual behavior, and increase public pressure for governments to act. It remains to be seen how effective this campaign will be.
At the Yale Forum on Climate Change & the Media, Conservation Value Institute executive director Jonathan L. Gelbard shares his thoughts about why the musicians' message didn't get through, and what can be done to help it along. As producer of the Rothbury festival's Think Tank, Gelbard has an intimate perspective on the subtle relationship of live music and politics. At a time when, as he notes, "39 percent of Americans cannot accurately name a fossil fuel, nor 51 percent a source of renewable energy," Gelbard suggests that musicians' influence may lie more in actions than words -- or massive concerts.
Currently, however, many in the music community aren’t actively talking to their fans about climate change. Rather, they are focusing their efforts on greening tours and events to reduce their own environmental and carbon footprints. And in that respect, events from Rothbury to Bonnaroo are making important progress, some quite creatively so. Even for those who are working to educate fans, however, most lack the time and resources needed to measure whether their messaging is motivating action, a key for assuring their time and resources pay off and make a difference.

U2: A Window Into Conservativism

Richard Gehr — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:55:25 +0000

A mini-brouhaha over Bono's recent video appearance at the Conservative Party Conference led to this Telegraph column by Neil McCormick about how U2's lyrics could conceivably represent a conservative worldview. McCormick was inspired by a talk he heard at an academic conference devoted to the group, where Stephen Catanzarite, director of Pittsburgh's Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center, argued for U2's moral conservatism:
Here’s some of what Catanzarite had to say about why U2's lyrics appealed to his brand of moral conservatism: “U2 has made it possible for at least two generations of fans of contemporary popular music to expect more from the form than the dead end credo of ‘sex, drugs, and rock and roll.’ Here was a band born in the ashes of 70s punk nihilism, singing songs with a distinctly evangelical Christian flavor; songs with choruses proclaiming, in Latin no less, ‘glory in you, Lord’ (‘Gloria’); songs with lyrics based on the 40th Psalm (‘40’); songs which celebrated pride in the name of love, rather than solely in the connubial act of love. In an age when moral relativism, scientific materialism, and biological determinism seeks to consign the idea of objective reality to the ash heap of history, U2 has had the audacity and simplicity to proclaim its belief in ‘three chords and the truth.’ Armed with this belief, U2 frequently finds itself in the arena of debate and action on some of the most important humanitarian issues of our time.”

Empire State Building Lights Up For Grateful Dead

Richard Gehr — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:31:26 +0000
Tonight the Empire State Building dons "Psychedelic Tie-Dye Colors" in honor of an upcoming exhibit, "The Grateful Dead: Now Playing at the New-York Historical Society," which opens at the Historical Society on March 5, 2010. The exhibit will display material from the extensive Grateful Dead Archive housed at the University of California-Santa Cruz. The lights are a nostalgic reminder of the Dead's annual fall runs at Madison Square Garden. They're also a clever way to draw attention to the exhibit and, more specifically, an October 21 fund raiser for the exhibit: Tickets ($300) are still available for the cocktail reception at which Phil Lesh and Bob Weir will appear. A group of local Deadhead real estate tycoons are co-hosting the reception.
“We’re all good friends, we’re all in real estate and we all love the Grateful Dead,” said Robert Lapidus, President, Chief Investment Officer and Co-founder of L&L Holding Company, LLC, a privately owned real estate company dedicated to investing in office buildings, primarily in Manhattan. “We thought there are so many Deadheads (what devoted fans of the band are known as) in New York, and what better area to bring the archive to and what better place than the New York Historical Society.”

Obama Announces Federal Medical Marijuana Policy

Jonathan Perri — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:33:57 +0000
Today, the Department of Justice released guidelines to clarify the enforcement of federal policy on people in states with medical marijuana legislation. The new guidelines prioritize federal law enforcement resources for drug traffickers and money launders and explicitly state that prosecuting those in compliance with state law should not be a priority.
As a general matter, pursuit of these priorities should not focus federal resources in your States on individuals whose actions are in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state laws providing for the medical use of marijuana. For example, prosecution of individuals with cancer or other serious illnesses who use marijuana as part of a recommended treatment regimen consistent with applicable state law, or those caregivers in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state law who provide such individuals with marijuana, is unlikely to be an efficient use of limited federal resources.
If the feds stick to these new guidelines, states like Rhode Island and Michigan will be able to create regulations around a system of cannabis distribution. It will also make it more likely for those dispensaries in compliance with state law in California to set a clear example for what other medical marijuana dispensaries in the state should look like. While fourteen states have legalized the medical use of marijuana, the federal government has, especially under the Bush administration, prosecuted medical marijuana patients, caregivers, and dispensaries, even when in compliance with state law. President Obama stated on numerous occasions during the primaries that he did not think arresting medical marijuana patients was a good use of Department of Justice resources. Yet raids on collectives and dispensaries, mostly in California, continued even after Attorney General Eric Holder announced that Obama's stance on the issue was "now American Policy." Will the DoJ stick to its guns? It's hard to tell. But resources and money are scarce, and support for outright legalization is up around the country. A recent Gallop Poll has 44% of Americans saying they want to see pot legalized. That same poll showed that 78% of self-proclaimed "liberals" supported legalization.

Empire State Building Tie-Dyes One On

Richard Gehr — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:30:23 +0000

Last night, as promised, the Empire State Building donned a patchouli-scented tie-dye T-shirt it bought outside Madison Square Garden on 9/10/91.

State Radio's Chad Stokes Urmston On Phish, Fandom, And Volunteerism

Richard Gehr — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:27:42 +0000
"The music industry needs to devise a single strategy to leverage new federal funding to mobilize fans to volunteer," blogs State Radio's Chad Stokes Urmston (with co-writer Matt Wilhelm) in the Huffington Post. Urmston, whom we interviewed recently here, provides an excellent roundup of the many ways in which musicians are leveraging their fan base to benefit nonprofits and provide other social service.
Stefan Lessard of the Dave Matthews Band led a beach cleanup in San Diego with the Surfrider Foundation to commemorate the September 11th Day of Remembrance & Service. Phish and the Waterwheel Foundation recently challenged fans to serve 8,000 hours in their communities before their Festival 8 over Halloween Weekend. EFFECT and The Voluntour spent the summer leveraging the President & First Lady's United We Serve campaign; pulling more bands and, in turn, more fans into the world of volunteerism. Our friends Brett Dennen and John Butler have teamed up with CLIF Bar's GreenNotes program and demonstrated what's possible when the private sector puts the power of the corporate dollar behind service to "protect the places we play."

Phish Festival 8 Work Exchange Team Positions Still Open

Richard Gehr — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:38:47 +0000

It's not to late to agree to trade 18 hours' labor (over three six-hour shifts) for admission (and other goodies) to Phish's Festival 8 as a member of the Work Exchange Team (WET). You have to be 18 or older, pay a $15 application fee, put down a $240 refundable deposit, and expect to miss at least one Phish set. The application will close when all spots are filled. Fill out an application here.

Disco Biscuits Nughuffin' In 'High Times' Mag

Jonathan Perri — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:30:19 +0000
As the marijuana legalization debate heats up, the Disco Biscuits roll in for an interview and photo shoot in the December issue of High Times magazine. High Times is no stranger to musicians who favor legalizing the ganja. Last month's issue featured an interview with Kid Cudi (who played at Camp Bisco this summer), while Jason Mraz and Tenacious D have also graced the cover. The organization I work for, Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), launched its AMPLIFY project this semester. The project links college SSDP chapters with musicians who support drug policy reform. The chapters act as street teams to promote shows; the bands support the cause by allowing chapters to do outreach at their shows and by promoting action alerts on their social networking sites. Nearly every band that's part of the project has played at Camp Bisco!

O.A.R. Supports Troops With Open Arms And Minds

Becca Lewis — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:10:06 +0000

"War Song" by O.A.R. from IAVA on Vimeo.
O.A.R. has long supported our men and women in the military. It’s a bit of a twist for a band wildly popular with the carefree college party crowd both literally and figuratively distant from the armed forces. The contrast in lifestyles and socioeconomic backgrounds, speaking generally, could not be starker. So give the former Ohio State students some credit for stepping away from their comfort zone and making time for a USO tour, a visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, "An MTV Concert for the BRAVE," and a performance for troops at Fort Hood, Texas. Today O.A.R. released a video for “War Song,” which the band wrote upon its return from a 2007 USO visit to Iraq and Kuwait, all of which was inspired by the band's partnership with the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America to create Open Up Your Arms. The campaign aims to engage and mobilize Americans by asking them to pledge support to our nation’s men and women in uniform. The campaign's original goal of 11,111 supporters was met in only a couple of days. The new goal is 111,111 signatures by Veteran’s Day, November 11. “After meeting our injured troops at Walter Reed and later in Iraq we felt a very personal connection to the plight of the physically and emotionally injured warrior,” said O.A.R. lead singer Marc Roberge. “We believe it's time we opened up our doors, minds, and hearts to the men and women who need our support.” You can sign the pledge and send messages of support through the interactive Open Up Your Arms website. You can also view video clips about the band and campaign, learn about issues facing our troops, veterans, and their families, and find out how to become involved with IAVA. “This is just the beginning of an initiative that could literally transform our country,” said IAVA Founder and Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff. “We’re taking action, raising awareness, and using music as an instrument of change. We hope millions of Americans will stand with IAVA and O.A.R. and pledge to support our nation’s newest generation of heroes.”

Interview: Bruce Hornsby Rises Again

Richard Gehr — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:04:44 +0000
Pianist-bandleader Bruce Hornsby is the only Grammy-winning pop musician to also serve as the Grateful Dead's utility keyboardist. Hornsby's last few albums testify to his relentless musical exploration and comfort-zone avoidance. In 2007 he released Camp Meeting with jazz drummer Jack Dejohnette and bassist Christian McBride. Last year he released Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby with the country/bluegrass star. And last month he released Levitate, an ambitious and thoroughly enjoyable rock album with his latest band, the Noisemakers, with whom he's touring. We caught up with Hornsby by phone from Florida, where he was checking in on a pet project. What's going on in Miami? Bruce Hornsby: I was at my old school this week: the University of Miami, "Suntan U." I started the Bruce Hornsby Creative American Music Program there a couple of years ago. You can now go into the halls of academia and study Robert Johnson, Sonny Boy Williamson, Jimmy Rogers, Gilman Rowe, Stephen Foster, and the folk music that influenced and informed American songwriting. It’s basically a songwriters program. I just gave them a big endowment and said, "Here’s what I want to do." They were really excited about the idea, which broadens their range of offerings like crazy. I thought there was a big hole in college music curriculums, so I thought I’d try to fill it in at least my school. What other nonprofit organizations do you support? Are you on any boards? Hornsby: I’ve been on the National Fair Housing Alliance board for several years. I’ve been involved on a giving level with the Southern Poverty Law Center for more than twenty-five years. I’ve been involved with the Innocence Project. I actually tried to help the Project plead cases to governors who owed me favors because I played benefits and raised money for them. Yes, I have played the grim, tainted political-fundraising game. I understand that some of the songs on Levitate are part of a musical you’re working on? Hornsby: Eight out of the twelve songs are from the musical. That’s not quite accurate, though, because the musical people liked a couple of the songs so much they decided to try to shoehorn them into the musical. "The Black Rats of London" was written for the record, not the musical, but now it’s in the musical so it’s included in those eight songs. "Prairie Dog Town," "Cyclones," "Space Is the Place," and "Levitate" aren't part of it. What's the musical called? Hornsby: SCKBSTD, all capital letters. It sounds like a vaguely obscene license plate Hornsby: That's astute of you because the poster for the play is that title on a Virginia license plate. I don’t have great expectations. The streets are littered with fantastic songwriters who have stiffed on Broadway. But I like where this has led me on a songwriting level, both musically and lyrically. It's freed me to write more dissonant and chromatic twentieth- and twenty-first-century harmonies as I did in songs like "Paperboy" and "Michael Raphael." So I'm headed in a more dissonant and chromatic direction, much to the chagrin of the part of my audience that's unadventurous. What's SCKBSTD about? Hornsby: That’s top secret, under wraps. Some of the songs on Levitate have a political bent, others not so much. What sort of balance were you going for? Hornsby: "Black Rats of London is certainly political, in a semifrivolous sense. We're poking holes in the exaltation of American history, the isn't-our-country-so-great mindset, which isn't necessarily American in its origin. "Cyclone," on the other hand, is a very personal song. How did you end up writing it with Robert Hunter? Hornsby: I’ve always loved Hunter’s lyrics and it’s always sort of been in the air that he was open to the idea of writing with me. So I got in touch with him and said, "Hey, how about it?" And he said, "Please send me a track." Maybe that’s how he likes to work; he likes to work with a track. So I sent him this track that to me had a classic Hunter-Garcia feeling. I sort of scatted the melody I heard over the track and sent it to him, and two weeks later he sent me back these finished lyrics that speak very clearly to the melody I had sung over the track. So it was a very simple process. You don't take any solos on Levitate. Was it hard to restrain yourself? Hornsby: No, not at all. I had no real interest. Frankly, soloing would’ve felt stuck on. Like an afterthought. Like, "Oh, I'd better do this because that’s what people expect." Do you consider yourself a politically engaged musician? Hornsby: As I get older, to be honest, I get more disillusioned with how nasty and political politics has become. It seems that American culture – both popular culture and the whole American discourse – has become coarsened and just nasty. So it’s hard to not become disillusioned with the whole tone of the debate, whatever it is. I hate to say that. I am of course hopeful about the Obama administration. But I wish he'd take tougher stances in some cases and not be such a middle-of-the-roader. I'm a fan but hope he'll become tougher. Read any good books lately? Hornsby: Absolutely. I read the last John Updike, My Father’s Tears. I read William Styron’s collection of stories, Havanas in Camelot. I read the latest Pat Conroy novel, South of Broad. I read King Lear. I could go on; I'm always reading something. I read my cousin Hayden Saunier's first great poetry book, Tips For Domestic Travel, and it’s absolutely fantastic so I’ll give her a plug right here. She’s a great actor and a great poet. What are you listening to? Hornsby: I'm listening to Elliott Carter. The great piano virtuoso Ursula Oppens recorded Elliott Carter at 100: The Complete Piano Music. I'm actually working on the last piece from the CD, "Catenaires." It’s a perpetual-motion piece, incredibly virtuosic but way over my head. But I love it so I'm trying to play it. That’s something else I'm inflicting on my audiences these days. I'm a big fan of twelve-tone serial music – like Schoenberg, Webern, and the second Viennese school. Don't get me started; this is one of my favorite topics and I'll just keep going. I’ve also been listening to a lot of my own show tapes, both to learn the sound of me sucking and to learn the sound of me being good. I started doing it six or seven years ago, when we started putting together the Intersections box, which has a lot of live music in it. I should have been doing it even earlier. If we think a show is pretty good these days, we put it up for download at Bruce Hornsby Live.

Interview: Lotus Bassist Jesse Miller

Jonathan Perri — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:12:00 +0000
Last month, Lotus rolled through San Francisco as part of their Pay-What-You-Want Tour, which let fans pay anywhere from $1 to $20 per ticket. Those who paid $15 or more were hooked up with Lotus's two new EPs, Oil on Glass and Feather on Wood. I asked bass player Jesse Miller a few questions about the tour, the new EPs, JamCruise 8, and, of course, politics. Who did the artwork for Oil on Glass and Feather on Wood? Jesse Miller: Andy Gilmore created both pieces. His excellent work can be found at here. Carl Bender, our longtime designer, did the layout and font work. His work is at www.okaybeta.com What other artists contributed to the EPs? Miller: Skytree, an amazing solo producer from the Minneapolis area. He remixed "Turquoise." Kypski (AKA Thomas Elbers) of the Dutch group C-mon & Kypski remixed "Hammerstrike." Othello, of the Portland hip-hop group Lightheaded, contributed vocals to Luke Miller's remix of "Alkaline." Was the Pay-What-You-Want Tour successful? Miller: We did really big crowds in San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle. We definitely spent some money to make the week of shows happen. But the intent was to gain wider exposure for the band, and on that note I thought it was a success. Is it something Lotus might do again? Miller: Probably not for an entire week of shows again, but possibly for select one-off shows. I first saw Lotus live opening for Ozric Tentacles in 2005. How would you describe the band's evolution since then? Miller: The band continually evolves. During the last four years we've brought in a lot of new sounds and musical styles. We've experimented with everything from guitar-driven post-rock anthems and beats influenced by African styles, to using beats and sounds associated with hip-hop, dubstep, and other electronic styles. Our compositions have become much more lean and focused as our recording and compositional skills continue to mature. How stoked are you guys for Jam Cruise 8? Miller: We're all excited. We were on the boat in 2008, but we'll have four people in our crew who've never gone before along for the ride It's great to be in some warm weather in January, which is usually a month off touring for us. We'll have a lot of friends we've met over the years along for the ride as well, so I'm sure it will be a blast again. Is the group focusing on any particular political or social issues? Miller: We each have different views and concerns. Personally, the current economic climate and the government's handling of the situation is a big concern. I'm hoping all the spending to help ease the recession also works to build a more efficient and environmentally conscious America. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are a big concern. I'd like to see a shift to thinking in terms of diplomatic solutions instead of militaristic responses. I'm following the proposed changes in U.S. health care policy. I'd really like to see a public option included. I want to see action on holding Obama to his promise to end the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. I would also like to see a national initiative on medical marijuana. The public wants change, but there's been little action on the national level.
Lotus: Through the Mirror Episode 1 from LotusVibes on Vimeo.

RatDog, The President, And The Party

Andy — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:54:14 +0000
There's an old bumper sticker that says, "Who are the Grateful Dead and why do they keep following me?" Someone should stick one on the presidential motorcade, because it seems that Barack Obama and Bob Weir are constantly under the same roof. Bob has visited the White House twice this year, played the inauguration, and -- on Tuesday -- he played a RatDog show literally on top of the President. This time, it was pure coincidence. Bobby and RatDog were playing the second of two shows at New York's Grand Ballroom, a gorgeous 1,200 person venue that sits seven floors above the ground and right on top of the better know Hammerstein Ballroom. It so happened that the Democratic National Committee rented out the Hammerstein on the same night for a fundraiser at which the Prez gave another impassioned speech about health care reform. Imagine the look on the face of each head when they showed up and saw literally the most thorough concert security ever deployed at a RatDog show. Snipers on the roof, metal detectors at the doors and the actual secret service making everyone empty their pockets on the way in. I heard that a few fans were passing around a joint on the ticket holders' line and an NYPD officer--probably showing off for the higher authorities--slapped cuffs on one poor guy and sent him to central booking. This night also happened to be when HeadCount was hosting a private pre-show party for some of our friends and supporters. We do these from time to time and it has become one of the more enjoyable aspects of the otherwise not-so-fun task called "fundraising". We've met a great group of people over the years who enjoy the Dead, like to get styled out, believe in what we're going and have the means to help us keep doing it. So we hosted a group of 60 of these new friends in a back room before the show, serving up an open bar, autographed photos of Bob and a nice dose of socializing with like-minded people. A good time was had by all, but probably no one had a night quite like Barclay Shaw, a visual artist from Cape Cod, MA. He drove down with a vintage Guild Starfire III, the same make and model that Jerry Garcia played during the early years of the Grateful Dead. Barclay came with the intention of having Bob sign the guitar, which Bob did. But Bob did more than sign it--he took one look at it and decided to play it, on stage, that night. Sure enough, during "Walkin' Blues" in the first set, Weir strapped on the old axe and took it for a ride. Backstage after the show, he told Barclay that he also briefly played a Guild Starfire III, more than 40 years ago, at the Dead's first-ever New York City shows. The neck on his Gibson was broken in half by airline baggage handlers on the way to the East Coast, and he used one of Jerry's spares. October 20th, 2009 will go down as another memorable night for HeadCount (it was also the 25th anniversary of my Bar Mitzvah, which really has no relevance to this story). We wish to thank everyone--Bob, his management, the folks at the Grand Ballroom and Bowery Presents, and most of all our guests and benefactors. The Democratic Party raised tons of cash downstairs. But we had the best party in the house. To hear Bob Weir & RatDog play "Walkin' Blues" on the Guild Starfire III, visit Archives.org. Photo credit: Allison Murphy

The Stats Are In: You Voted

Andy — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:13:34 +0000
When you register someone to vote at a concert, you really have no idea if he or she will actually make it to the polls on Election Day. Let’s face it, over the years we’ve registered a fair number of people who never thought much about politics until a musician said something from stage. And more than a few people we registered were probably a little tipsy. So when we started getting data back regarding precisely how many people we registered actually voted, we were pretty thrilled to learn that about three quarters of you indeed pulled the lever on Nov. 3rd 2008. We were even more excited when an independent organization studied the voter registration work of 25 different organizations, and HeadCount had some of the best stats in all the key measurements. Yeah, our report card arrived. And it looks like we got A’s. The study, prepared by the Washington, D.C.-based New Organizing Institute, won’t be public until next month, but the preliminary data in a draft version showed the following: - 92% of the people we registered made it onto the voter rolls. We were number one in this category, (compared to about 25 other groups in this study, who averaged 80% in aggregate). - 85% of our registrations were considered “impactful,” meaning the registration was unique and that the person was not already registered at the same address. This was the second best percentage for any group in the study. - 72% of the people we successfully registered in the “field” (at concerts) voted, compared to a national average of 59%. In this category, we had the third best totals of any group. It’s a little-known fact (outside the world of political wonks) that individual voting records are a matter of public record. Who you voted for is a secret, but whether you voted or not is recorded by each state and that information ends up in a massive database kept by a company called Catalist. Campaigns often buy that data and use it to target specific voters. Government entities, labor unions and nonprofits also access that data for various purposes. In this case, it was used to draw scientific conclusions about the efficacy of nonpartisan voter registration work. The study actually pinpointed specific presidential primary contests and Congressional races that were likely decided by the voter registration efforts of nonprofits like HeadCount and our brethren. We are proud to be part of such a successful movement and we want to give a shout-out to other groups that did great work. The Bus Federation, a very cool coalition of groups based in Oregon, Colorado and Washington, consistently had some of the best numbers. The Student PIRG’s, a group we’ve worked with extensively over the years, had the highest voter turnout rate of any field program. Rock the Vote registered more people – primarily through their online voter registration tool – than any group in the study. Groups like Democracia U.S.A. the Progressive Future Education Fund, the NAACP, US Action and the often (and unfairly) maligned ACORN racked up huge numbers of registrations, primarily in poor inner city neighborhoods where driving voter turnout is historically difficult. All of these groups had amazing accomplishments, and most faced challenges that go far beyond anything we face at a Dave Matthews, Phil and Friends, or Nine Inch Nails show (well, the Nine Inch Nails crowd is tough). But bottom line – we have proven that the concert audience is politically engaged. We’ve also proven that we can economically and effectively get out the vote by working within the music community. We always believed it. Now we have proof.

R.E.M., Pearl Jam Among Acts Filing FOIA Requests Regarding Gitmo Music Abuse

Diana Costello — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:57:27 +0000
Pearl Jam, R.E.M., and the Roots are among a coalition of musical headliners pressing the government to find out if their music was used to coerce or punish prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay, according to published news reports. "The fact that music I helped create was used in crimes against humanity sickens me," said Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello in a statement, according to The Washington Post. "We need to end torture and close Guantanamo now." The artists have endorsed a series of Freedom of Information Act requests, filed Thursday morning, asking the U.S. government to disclose which songs were used on detainees at military detention centers. The National Security Archive filed the request on behalf of the multimillion-dollar national grassroots campaign, Close Gitmo Now. "We have spent the past 30 years supporting causes related to peace and justice. To now learn that some of our friends' music may have been used as part of the torture tactics without their consent or knowledge is horrific," the American rock band R.E.M. said in a statement posted on Close Gitmo Now's website. "It's anti-American, period." Click here for a list of bands and songs allegedly used on U.S. military suspects.

Farm Sanctuary Scores Two Victories For Farm Animals

Debra DeSalvo — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:55:49 +0000
HeadCount is all about kick-ass grassroots democracy, so we're delighted to report two legislative victories pushed through by Farm Sanctuary, the nonprofit founded in 1986 to combat the abuses of factory farming. This month California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill banning dairy-cow tail docking, thereby terminating this painful and unnecessary practice (Learn why tail docking messes up cows so badly here.) Meanwhile, Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm signed a bill phasing out the cruel close confinement of farm animals. It would ban veal crates for calves within three years and then battery cages for laying hens and gestation crates for breeding sows within ten. Michigan is the seventh state to ban gestation crates, the fifth to ban veal crates, and the second to ban hen battery cages. Farm Sanctuary founder Gene Baur notes, "Cutting off cows’ tails and confining animals so tightly that they cannot even turn around or stretch their limbs is cruel and outside the bounds of acceptable conduct. We are now seeing growing momentum in our collective efforts to end the most egregious abuses of farm animals in this country." Farm Sanctuary will celebrate these animal-rights victories at Frankapalooza: Rockin' Out for Farm Animals II, an NYC benefit concert this Thursday, October 29, at Kenny's Castaways. Stop by to meet Gene Baur...and say hello to me! I'm playing an acoustic set at 7, followed by HERE at 7:30 and Athena Reich at 8.

Brooklyn Bowl Takes The LEED In Sustainable Entertainment

Richard Gehr — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:33:22 +0000
Three thousand fifty-eight buildings of all shapes, sizes, designs, and purposes have have met the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards for environmentally sustainable construction since 1994. But the country's first live music venue – and bowling alley! – got the nod earlier this month when Brooklyn Bowl was LEED certified by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The 600-person club, sixteen-lane bowling alley, and restaurant (serving food by Blue Ribbon) joins the Concord Hospital in New Hampshire, the Unity Village Hotel & Conference Center In Kansas City, Starbucks Center in Seattle, and the Montessori School of Maui in meeting this nationally accepted standard for the design, construction, and operation of green buildings. To qualify, a project must earn a minimum number of points from among these categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, innovation in design, and regional priority (i.e., localism). Brooklyn Bowl partners Peter Shapiro and Charley Ryan snagged their certification after three years' of planning and construction with the help of Pete Atkin, a senior associate at GreenOrder, the sustainability-strategy and managing consulting firm co-founded by HeadCount board member Peter Shapiro and his brother, Andrew. The Brooklyn Bowl project was even an anomaly for GreenOrder, which in general works with corporate clients. Likewise, Marie Coleman of the USGBC hasn't quite seen its likes before. "I am aware of a nightclub in New York called Greenhouse that is going for certification," she says. "But it hasn't been certified, and it’s not really the same as Brooklyn Bowl." A finely tuned, way Uptown version of New Orleans' legendary Rock n' Bowl, Brooklyn Bowl is in a category unto itself when it comes to music venues. Galactic, the Disco Biscuits, Chromeo, the Roots, Bob Weir's Scare the Children, LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy, Toots and the Maytals, and Karl Denson's Tiny Universe have all played the club since its July opening. To everyone's surprise and delight, you cannot hear the proverbial pin drop from the bowling lanes – although bowlers often use the lanes as $50/hour luxury boxes for eight during shows. Shapiro and Ryan's business relationship goes back to 1990s Manhattan and Wetlands – the dank, pulsing epicenter of the East Coast's jamcentric "granola circuit" – which Shapiro owned and Ryan operated. The Brooklyn Bowl concept came about during a couple of Wetlands-staff Christmas parties. "We took them to some bowling alleys that will go nameless," Ryan says, "and honestly, we just had this feeling that we could do everything about it better." Wetlands closed in late 2001. After a long search, the pair discovered their fantasy building near Williamsburg, Brooklyn's waterfront in September 2006 and immediately started finessing the design, although they didn't sign a lease until June 2007. "I remember meeting with them at the space in the early days," recalls Atkin, who's worked at Green Order for four years. "It was literally an empty shell of this old abandoned foundry building. It was hard to imagine what it was going to look like at that point, but they had a pretty clear vision." Shapiro and Ryan wanted Brooklyn Bowl to be green from the get-go. LEED certification, however, is a far more rigorous process than merely supplying biodegradeable toilet paper and recycling beer bottles. "It was a major consideration," Ryan says, "because by its very nature there a lot of bureaucracy, it's time consuming, you need consultants to help you through the entire project, and it costs a lot in every way – in energy, in hassle, and in money." LEED certification is all about documentation. So while the Brooklyn Bowl used reclaimed wood throughout the structure, they didn't score points due to the difficulty of documenting its original provenance. "The biggest benefit of LEED certification," Atkin says, "is that it holds your project team accountable." Some LEED points were easier to score than others. Being in New York, the venue automatically makes a smaller footprint by serving a high-density community with access to a mass-transit system (and provides bike racks). They went 40% beyond the standard baseline by installing highly efficient sinks, toilets, urinals, and showers. Shapiro and Ryan ended up rejecting many of their architects suggestions and instead struck out on their own in search of the latest and environmentally friendliest equipment. "Our architect came up with a big HVAC [heating, ventilating, and air conditioning] design and we said, 'No, we don’t want to put up this huge thing on the roof.' So we, especially I, went back to 'school' to learn about CO2 sensors, variable-frequency drive motors, airside economizers, nonvillainous gases, and all that kind of stuff. We came up with a system less than half the size of his system that uses a lot less energy. It's augmented by four ten-foot Big Ass fans (the company's actual name) that circulate air throughout the place. I’m really happy we went through the trouble to figure that out." The team also put a lot of effort into areas so unique to the venue they fall outside of LEED's system, such as LED stage lights that use 90% less energy than traditional versions. Likewise, the bowling alley's pin machines draw 75% less energy than most others. "It’s fundamentally different equipment," says Ryan. "It's made by QubicaAMF, one of the big manufacturers, but they hardly sell any of them because they're not what everybody expects. They're nearly maintenance free and don't take up as much space as usual. It's bowling's wave of the future." You could say the same about the big-ass video screens at the end of each lane that display Monday-night football to the accompaniment of DJ Logic each week. A new business with a vintage vibe, Brooklyn Bowl is in large part a product of the past. Antique glass panels serve as dividers, bars are faced with centuries-old reclaimed wood, the stage floor was constructed entirely from recycled truck tires, and the bowlers lounge consists of reclaimed cork flooring. Most of the new wood, meanwhile, was sourced (and certifed) by the Forest Stewardship Council. Basically," Ryan says, "almost everything in this place was bought from or crafted by local people." The Bowl has already gotten a lot of press from the fact that it uses only Brooklyn beers, but Ryan concedes that may not always be the case. "It's simply not necessary to truck beer across the country or float it across the ocean." Ryan's a realist; no commercial facility can erase its footprint entirely. But Brooklyn Bowl probably comes closer than any other music venue of its size. It's also an educational experience. Musicians will receive information on how they can reduce their environmental impact as they travel around the country spreading the word, one hopes, about this environmentally friendly pleasure palace. The old-fashioned future of entertainment has certifiably arrived.

Get Free Phish Food, Win Pollock Art At Festival 8

Andy — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 04:38:30 +0000
If you fancy yourself an “a-Phish-ionado,” or an expert on current events, you’ll have a chance to prove it at Festival 8. Just stop by the HeadCount tent and play “Reality Check,” our music and political trivia game show. The Grand Prize winner gets a one-of-a-kind piece of artwork by Phish poster artist Jim Pollock. Everyone also gets a coupon for a free scoop of Ben & Jerry’s Phish Food Ice Cream just for playing “Reality Check” or for filling out HeadCount’s “What’s Your Issue?” survey. Be prepared to answer questions like this: - What body part of Floyd's body got “sliced”? - What town does Trey Anastasio, John Popper of Blues Traveler and Chris Barron of the Spin Doctors all hale from? - What Who album did Phish cover on Halloween 1995? The HeadCount booth will be adjacent to the WaterWheel area (look for a giant WaterWheel sculpture) and across from the “House of Live Phish.” “Reality Check” will pit you head-to-head with another competitor as a host quizzes you on Phish history, classic albums, the news and government. Plus, there will be a Family Feud-style “Survey Says!” question. Win three straight times and you can advance to the Tournament of Champions, held before Phish’s final set of the weekend on Sunday, Nov. 1. The Grand Prize winner will receive an uncut sheet of four Pollock Halloween masks. These masks will be available at the WaterWheel table throughout Festival 8, which will house a Pollock gallery. To make the “Reality Check” prize one-of-a-kind, Jim is doing a special illustration on one uncut sheet – meaning the winner goes home with a true Pollock original. Other prizes include a Festival 8 merchandise pack and an autographed copy of the PhanArt book. So stop by. See you at Indio!

Georgia Theatre Rehabilitation Fund Seeks Donations

Richard Gehr — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:29:55 +0000
The Athens Theatre, host to countless shows by HeadCount-affiliated artists, burned down on June 19. Now the theater's owners have partnered with the Georgia Trust to establish a fund dedicated to restoring the historic theater. Tax-deductible donations to the Georgia Theatre Rehabilitation Fund may be made to the Georgia Trust. Wilmot Green, the theater's owner, runs down what's at stake and what he needs to bring it back.
Unfortunately, insurance on the building covered replacement costs — which would mean replacing a building to 1930s code. To rebuild to current building codes will cost much more — about $3 million total. Despite the costs, we are working to rebuild the Theatre, because we can’t imagine Athens without it. Anyone who has passed through in the last century — like the more than 10,000 musical acts that have played its stage — has a fond memory of the Georgia Theatre. Clean up efforts are underway to remove the debris. Steel support beams are now bracing the exterior walls. Restoration is about to begin.

Surprise Phish Festival 8 Soundcheck

Richard Gehr — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:56:31 +0000
In addition to a couple of jams, "Undermind," the forthcoming Party Time track "Liquid Time," and a Trey Anastasio Band song ("Gone"), Phish performed songs by MGMT ("Kids") and Yes ("Star Trooper") during their surprise Thursday soundcheck prior to Festival 8, suggesting that neither the former Oracular Spectacular nor the latter's The Yes Album during Saturday's Halloween-costume set. But who the hell knows? According to Benjy Eisen at Spinner, eight campgrounds at the site are named after the final eight albums left on the festival website: Hunky Dory (David Bowie), Kid A (Radiohead), Electric Ladyland (Jimi Hendrix Experience), Purple Rain (Prince), The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (Genesis), Exile on Main Street (Rolling Stones), Larks' Tongues in Aspic (King Crimson), and Oracular Spectacular (MGMT). Stuck as I am in Brooklyn, my money's on Exile but my heart's in Lamb.

Phish Festival 8 Goes Green

Richard Gehr — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:55:32 +0000
"Phish aims to set the standard for ‘green' concert events"
In addition to cutting down on water bottles, most of the food booths are using recyclable napkins, plates, forks and bags. The festival organizers also set up an eco-shuttle with bio-diesel powered vans and hybrids ferrying fans to and from Los Angeles and Palm Springs airports and area hotels. About 300 sets of recycling bins have been placed around the grounds, three bins per set, Beerman said. Black is for trash going to landfills; green for organics, such as paper and food; and blue for plastics and other recyclables. And instead of one big sorting center for everything, the festival has three — one for the main performance area, two for the camping areas.
via YEMblog

Where's The Money? Kenyan Artists Pester Government In Video

Richard Gehr — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:08:27 +0000
Did you know that only 17% of Kenyans have access to clean drinking water? Me neither, until I watched "Mteja," a collaborative rap video by Kenya artists Wahu, Juliani, Roba (Kalamashaka), Lyn, Wenyeji, Kanjii Mbugua, and ICJ. Where, asks the Swahili-English track, are the millions of dollars budgeted for rural development as part of Kenya's Constituency Development Fund? The track complains about shoddy infrastructure and corrupt politicians, arguably most African nations' major problem, and demands answers. (Try to imagine a similar coalition of American musicians demanding accountability for a trillion dollars in TARP funds.) I learned about the track from this CNN article about young African artists "who are borrowing a page from groups like U2 and using their songs to address social issues, a clear indication that a fear of authority is waning." The article focuses on gospel-influenced singer-songwriter Kanjii Mbugua and Eric Wainaina, who blends Kenya's benga rhythm with Western harmonies, and links them to Nigeria's Femi Kuti. Here's "Mteja," followed by Eric Wainaina's lovely tribute to mothers, "Ni Kii Kiega."

Getting Out The Vote With Jack Johnson

Nicole Parisi-Smith — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:46:30 +0000
I literally had the time of my life last summer while representing HeadCount on Jack Johnson's Sleep Through the Static Tour. In June, fellow HeadCount volunteer Johanna Nuding and I followed the tour around the Upper Midwest and Southeast in a compact car. We ran HeadCount booths at five of Jack's shows and joined up with the HeadCount team at Bonnaroo. In August, Abby Brazina, Cassie Levine, Mike Rutz, and I traveled from Boston to San Francisco in a minivan, covering thirteen of Jack's shows as well as All Points West and Outside Lands. (That's our Mansfied, Massachusetts, Tweeter Center team to the left.) With the help of 134 local HeadCount volunteers, we registered 6,173 of Jack's fans to vote in time for the November 4 election. Additionally, 3,878 of Jack's fans promised to go to the polls on Election Day. (You can read more about our experiences registering voters on Jack's Tour, here.) We couldn't have done this without the support of the HeadCount team, our corporate partner Patagonia, or Jack's camp. Jack talked about voter registration from the stage at three shows, usually stopped by our booth to meet our volunteers and take a group photo before the doors opened, helped us raise funds on his website, posed in a VOTE T-shirt for a HeadCount campaign photo, prepared a get-out-the-vote public service announcement for radio, recorded a go-vote phone message for fans who'd opted to receive it, and reminded fans via email to register. Jack's friend and filmmaker Emmett Malloy documented the tour in photos and video. The En Concert DVD captured the tour's European leg and a live CD documents the rest of the tour. (Both are available at Jack's website.) Moreover, all Johnson's 2008 tour and En Concert profits will help fund Johnson's two charities, the Kokua Hawaii Foundation and the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation to support environmental, art, and music education around the world. I was thrilled to see that the En Concert DVD contains an extra scene called "All At Once," which explains the nonprofit and environmental elements of the Sleep Through the Static Tour and Jack's online community. (You can watch another video interview with Jack about All At Once here.) The liner notes also contain this message - "To Those Who Brought All At Once To Life: ... HeadCount." (That's Cassie, Mike, Jack, me, and Brande Jackson to the right.) Thanks so much to everyone who made this possible - HeadCount, local volunteers, Patagonia, Jack's team, the venues, and all of the fans who took the time to engage with us at Jack's shows and the festivals. As Jack says, "Home is wherever we are if there's love there too." ">

Phish Biographer Parke Puterbaugh Speaks

Richard Gehr — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:26:41 +0000
Parke Puterbaugh didn't dodge the tough one during his interview with Relix magazine for the Festival 8 Express. Puterbaugh's Phish: The Biography is due out November 24.
Your situation was somewhat akin to that of Dennis McNally, who was the Grateful Dead’s publicist and then went on to write their biography. Can you talk about any challenges that you may have faced in a similar content, particularly because you may have been privy to info that otherwise might have eluded you had you not been in that position. I tried to be fair and I tried to keep things in context and I was always guided by the notion that in general terms there are things that are appropriate to include and talk about. I was trying as hard as I could to avoid sensationalizing anything or focusing on too much negativity and the specifics of it because I just think there’s a point at which people are entitled to their privacy. Also, I think so much of their private lives were taken with music to begin with. I heard over and over from the people who worked around them just how relentlessly they rehearsed and what a preoccupying thing the music was. You can talk about private lives but think for instance, the day Trey flew back after the Shoreline show that began the hiatus, he started working on sheet music for “Guyute.” I know Trey said something at one point to the effect of, “I thought our scene was transparent. I thought our fans knew everything that was going on.” But I don’t think they necessarily did. For heaven’s sake as much as I was talking with them, I had no clue. When I interviewed Jon about Undermind, I remember he told me, “This is just beginning to reach its potential and we’re going to be around for many years to come…”

Interview: Monsters of Folk's Jim James On The Health Care Jam

Richard Gehr — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 21:08:48 +0000
Folk music, politically inclined or not, tends to bring people together even if the words are describing something that's tearing people apart. And even though the Monsters of Folk -- Jim James (taking a break from longtime cohorts My Morning Jacket), M. Ward, Conor Oberst, and Mike Mogis -- employ the F-word with just a smidgen of irony, there's no denying the deep personal connections that emerge through on their terrific debut album. Written collaboratively and performed with an deep and abiding regard for the power of male harmony, Folk's songs range from intimate observations of everyday life to gentle social satire and sincere religious rumination. You can revel in the quartet's luminous excellence during their current tour. We recently sent some questions about music, politics, and the place they come together to Jim James. Here's what he had to say: Does politics belong in music? Jim James: People should put whatever they want to put in their music. I don’t ever want to come off as preachy, ‘cause believe me, I’m faaaaaar from perfect. But I do feel like I enjoy bringing attention to causes that are important to me. I like thinking that someone who enjoys my music might get turned on to a new way to help their community through some organization we might work with, or perhaps come to our show and register to vote. I feel blessed to be able to play music for a living, so I want to try to give back as much as I can to organizations and causes that need assistance right now. What social issues are most important to you? What causes do you actively support? James: You know the big one right now: health care. It's a crime that we're letting people go without health care in this country. I went without health care for years, and many of my friends and family members still cannot afford health care and that has got to be changed. We also enjoy supporting community arts and education, since the arts are so underfunded these days. Do you have any thoughts on the state of health care as it affects working musicians? James: It is a shame. A real shame. Everyone should have access to good health care and not be afraid of losing their entire livelihood if they get sick. How is the Obama administration living up to its potential or promises thus far, in your opinion? James: Obama is a good man and a brilliant leader. It's so refreshing to see a real person in office who knows what it's really like for people. This country needs him so much and I’m glad we have him. His words about health care are very inspiring and I really hope he can bring people around and make things better for so many people out there that need help. I believe in him

Kenny Gamble And Patti LaBelle's New National Anthem

Richard Gehr — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:58:38 +0000
"We need a new a national anthem," says Patti LaBelle in the trailer for I Am An American: The Making of an Anthem, a CD/DVD to be released today, Veterans Day. "I Am an American" was part of the repertoire of spirituals sung during services by Reverend Major Jealous Divine, AKA Father Divine, who died in 1965. The tune has now been embraced by Kenneth Gamble, half of the legendary Philly-soul songwriting team of Gamble & (Leon) Huff, who has produced a soaring new version with Ms. LaBelle and the Temple University Symphony Orchestra and Choirs. Noted for his Philadelphia humanitarian work, Gamble is a Black Muslim who also goes by Luqman Abdul-Haqq. He will donate a portion of the album's proceeds to the Veterans Administration in tribute to his brother, a Vietnam paratrooper.

Don't Forget To Vote Today

Richard Gehr — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:39:34 +0000
There's probably an election going on in your state today. Take advantage of it. (photo by Just Us 3)

Musicians Mobilize To Close Guantanamo

Richard Gehr — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:43:02 +0000
Barack Obama promised to close Guantanamo within a year of taking office. He has four months to go. Until then, dozens of musicians – including Rage Against the Machine, R.E.M., Trent Reznor, Pearl Jam, the Roots, and Rise Against – are demanding to know whether their music was played at ear-splitting volume in order to torture prisoners in a creepy "no touch" sort of way. It sounds like a joke, but James Hetfield of Metallica wasn't joking when he said, in a clip played on the The Colbert Report (see below), that he was "proud" his band's music was powerful enough to be so perversely abused. (Colbert, meanwhile, suggests the Bruce Springsteen's The River probably brings grown men to tears faster than anything else.) New Security Action is mounting a strong effort to urge Congress to close Gitmo now. Only three Gitmo detainees have ever been prosecuted, and the place costs as much as $118 million per year to run. Many Republicans, including Congressman Peter King, who visited Gitmo earlier this year, want the facility kept open. According to King, "if there's any scandal at Guantánamo, it is that the detainees are treated too well." New Security Action has been airing a commercial and would appreciate your signing their letter to Congress asking members to stand beside Obama, General Colin Powell, and General David Petraeus in closing the detention facility. (Or, even better, return it to Cuba.)
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'New York Times' Ethicist Deems (Most) Voting Unethical

Becca Lewis — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:38:05 +0000
In an oddly timed Op-Ed piece yesterday, New York Times “Ethicist” Randy Cohen argued that only the civically well-informed should be encouraged to vote.
National efforts like MTV’s Rock the Vote are particularly idiotic….A nonpartisan push is apt to rally Republicans as well as Democrats, liberals as well as conservatives, who will vote in the same proportions as those already inclined to go to the polls. The net result: nothing, save for the warm glow of civic virtue that comes from bullying your neighbors into pulling a lever, any lever.
Sounds like Cohen wants to revert to a time when only a certain type of American was allowed to take part in the political process. Should there be a litmus test for voters, Mr. Cohen? Should every person who goes to the polls first take an exam on the material? Or perhaps only people with PhD's should be allowed to vote? (In some developed nations, of course, voting is not only encouraged but compulsory.) Politics can be complicated, but the average citizen isn't stupid. Organizations such as HeadCount encourage civic participation because we have issues and are informed. We study the issues, write to our representatives, speak out, and show up on Election Day because everyone deserves to have her voice heard! So thank you for voting.

Student VOTER Act Would Take Registration To School

Becca Lewis — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:37:46 +0000
According to a 2004 study by CIRCLE (The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement), 22% of 18-to-29-year-olds did not vote that year because they missed the registration deadline, and 10% of this group didn't even know where or how to register to vote. But what if registering to vote were as easy as registering for classes? In the near future, it just might be. The Student Voter Opportunity to Encourage Registration Act (AKA the VOTER Act) is a bipartisan bill that would designate federally funded colleges and universities as voter registration agencies. It would amend the National Voter Registration Act (AKA the Motor-Voter Act), which was passed by Congress in 1994 and requires state and local governments to offer voter registration when citizens obtain a driver’s license. The VOTER Act would let colleges register students to vote when they register for classes. According to Matt Segal of SAVE (Student Association of Voter Empowerment), “If passed, this would give an unprecedented voice to the youth in our country.” The VOTER Act is headed for markup in the Committee on House Administration in the next few weeks and should move to the House floor shortly thereafter. Let your congressperson know what you think about it.

Great 8

Andy — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:02:22 +0000
With all their cool little touches, high fan energy, and powerful music, there's really nothing quite like a Phish festival. But I'd say my favorite Phish event is Halloween. I'm very grateful to have been at every single musical costume dating back to Glens Fall in 1994. I always walked away with a new appreciation for an album that in most cases I already owned and loved. So a Phish Halloween festival was just about the most splendid experience I could imagine. A desert oasis was the perfect setting. Not a cloud in the sky. Mountains in the distance. A great festival site. And just enough people (guess: 30,000-35,000) to bring the energy without the chaos. Phish totally nailed the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main Street. Like all the albums that came before it, they brought it to life and added another dimension. I hope "Shine a Light" becomes a Phish standard. Festival 8 also turned out to be one of the best festivals of the year for HeadCount. More than 900 people stopped by our booth to fill out our What's Your Issue? survey or play our Reality Check game show. Congratulations to the winner: Pat McNulty of New York City. He walked away with an original piece of Jim Pollock artwork for knowing such factoids as the first Phish song Tom Marshall wrote a lyric for. Runner up Tess Hall made it to the finals and won the PhanArt book by knowing that Ban Ki-moon is Secretary General of the United Nations. She would have won the whole thing had she remembered the name of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. C'mon, Tess! [caption id="attachment_3145" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Reality Check runner-up Tess Hall (left) and winner Pat McNulty"][/caption] Special shoutouts to Beth Montuori Rowles and Matt Beck from Waterwheel, and Ben & Jerry's (all the nonprofits gave away coupons for free scoops of Ben & Jerry's Phish Food). But biggest kudos of all to a great team of HeadCount volunteers: Dan Conroe, Ethan Robbins, Laura Scalet, Sam Calvert, Eric Bauer and Garrett Santora. Like so many before it, Festival 8 will go down as a great moment in Phishtory. Here's hoping there's a 9 in the same spot.

Phish's 99 Festival 8 Rejects Distilled Into 4:20

Richard Gehr — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:09:42 +0000
Eclectic Method – consisting of London audiovideo remixers Jonny Wilson, Ian Edgar and Geoff Gamlen – have collaged the 99 slaughtered rejects of Phish's Halloween set into four minutes and twenty seconds of thrilling classic-rock goodness.
Eclectic Method Goes Phish from Eclectic Method on Vimeo.

When Johnny Cash Walked The Line For Native Americans

Richard Gehr — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:08:01 +0000
After releasing his chart-topping I Walk the Line in 1964, Johnny Cash recorded Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian. Cash used to say he was part Cherokee but eventually admitted he wasn't. Neverthless, Bitter Tears was an early and heartfelt attempt to translate the history and problems of Native Americans into musical form, drums and all. In A Heartbeat and a Guitar: Johnny Cash and the Making of Bitter Tears, writer Antonino D’Ambrosio discusses Cash's album in the context of the early-sixties social-justice movement, the folk-music and protest-song creators who spread their message, and the ongoing artistic and personal struggles of the Man in Black Himself. In an interview with Sarah Jaffe, D'Ambrosio (who also wrote Let Fury Have the Hour: The Punk Rock Politics of Joe Strummer ) disusses how Cash's personal demons may have contributed to Bitter Tears.
I think that he was a person in pain. The agony that he felt in his life never left him. The movie makes it seem like he kicked drugs, which never happened. He had moments that lasted a month or two, but Marshall Grant, the bass player from the Tennessee Two, who told me that he never kicked them. That’s also a disservice. The fact that he did this while he was dealing with his own personal agony, and that was being reflected back in the work about the tormented Native people–I think you can’t have one without the other. I think that’s an important thing, because the sincerity, the authenticity that Johnny Cash had, in all his music but particularly Bitter Tears, is very important. It separates a great artist from an average musician.
Here's Cash singing the album's best-known song, "The Ballad of Ira Hayes":

Yoko Ono Imagines There's No Hunger

Richard Gehr — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:05:36 +0000
"When John and I were sort of talking about world peace and love and all that kind of thing, bed-ins, etc, you know people were just laughing at us," Yoko Ono told Reuters recently. No one's laughing anymore, fortunately. Ono is teaming up with Hard Rock International for an Imagine There's No Hunger campaign, which kicked off November 4. The initiative will be funded with help from SERVE3, a compilation consisting of: Bruce Springsteen “Remember When The Music” Joss Stone “Love Has Made You Beautiful” My Morning Jacket “Look At You” Avril Lavigne “When You’re Gone” Robert Randolph & The Family Band “Diane” (Live from Bonnaroo 2006) The Charlatans “Complete Control” Ryan Shaw “People Get Ready” Marc Broussard “Keep Coming Back” Starsailor “Military Madness” Micki Free “Mother Earth” DMC “I Be Rockin’ It” The Chapin Sisters “I Know It’s Over” John Lennon “Give Peace A Chance” Hard Rock locations will also sell Imagine There’s No Hunger merchandise, including a limited-edition bracelet, pin, and holiday ornament. And here is the video.

How The Beatles Brought Down The Soviet Empire

Richard Gehr — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:24:13 +0000
Everyone loves a poll, which is like an election only much less consequential. New York City public television station Channel Thirteen wants to know which musical artist had the greatest impact on history. Over the past few weeks, entries have been narrowed down to the Beatles, Bono, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, and Michael Jackson. Something to consider on the twentieth anniversary of the collapse of the Berlin Wall. The poll, which ends at midnight tonight, is tied to this evening's airing of "How the Beatles Rocked the Kremlin." This cool documentary shows how the four moptops helped bring down the Soviet empire through the style, attitude, and music. Voters have a shot at winning the Beatles' 17-disk remastered box set as well as other valuable prizes and tote bags. If you don't happen to live in New York City, turns out you can also watch the doc on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_fUu6gyryc

Government Sachs

Richard Gehr — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:42:31 +0000

Today's required reading would be this very long London Times profile of Goldman Sachs and its CEO, Lloyd Blankfein. Ominously titled, "I'm doing 'God's work'. Meet Mr Goldman Sachs," the feature takes readers into the inner sanctum of the company Rolling Stone's Matt Taibbi described as, "a great vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity, relentlessly jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells like money." The scariest part, of course, is the manner in which Goldman Sachs has insinuated itself into the very vitals of our government. The whole piece is a must-read, but this jumps out:
The firm is the greatest talent network in the world. Unlike at other banks, top performers are encouraged to get on, make all the money they will ever need in their thirties, then get out to "do good". The average tenure of a partner is eight years. "You don’t join for the retirement programme," says one staffer. "You have your phase of the moon to make money and then f*** off." But doing good does not mean running an HIV clinic in Kinshasa, it means getting top jobs in treasuries, central banks and stock exchanges around the world. The list of former Goldman executives who have held key posts in the US administration and vital global institutions in New York and Washington alone is mind-boggling. It includes: the treasury secretary under Bill Clinton (Robert Rubin); the treasury secretary under George Bush (Hank Paulson); the current president and former chairman of the New York Federal Reserve (William Dudley and Stephen Friedman); the chief of staff to the treasury secretary Timothy Geithner (Mark Patterson); the chief of staff under President Bush (Joshua Bolten); the economic adviser to the secretary of state, Hillary Clinton (Robert Hormats); the chairman of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (Gary Gensler); the under-secretary of state for economic, business, and agricultural affairs under President Bush (Reuben Jeffery); the past and current heads of the New York Stock Exchange (John Thain and Duncan Niederauer); the chief operating officer of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s enforcement division (Adam Storch). Moreover, Goldman’s new top lobbyist in Washington, Michael Paese, used to work for Barney Frank, the congressman who chairs the House Financial Services Committee. To put this in perspective, imagine that Alistair Darling, the chancellor, and his key advisers, Mervyn King, governor of the Bank of England, Xavier Rolet, the boss of the London Stock Exchange, and Hector Sants, head of the Financial Services Authority, all used to work at the same City firm before moving into government. Small wonder that another of Goldman’s nicknames is "Government Sachs".

Jon Bon Jovi's Soul Foundation

Richard Gehr — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:27:32 +0000
New Jersey's second favorite arena rocker puts his money where his home is by investing millions of dollars in environmentally friendly LEED-certified affordable housing. The Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation's projects include the Genesis apartments in Newark, New Jersey, a quarter of which are reserved for persons who've tested HIV positive. Bon Jovi visits the 'hood in this recent "NBC Nightly News" segment, which also contains footage of Soul Foundation projects in Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey. Bon Jovi's foundation originated as the Philadelphia Soul Charitable Foundation, established in conjunction with the Philadelphia Soul Arena Football League, which JBJ partially owned. The league and foundation were a successful attempt to link sports and social service into a single unique package with a soulful heritage.
While other sports franchises might have adopted a moniker that conveyed the aggressive traits of an animal or warrior, this team opted for the name SOUL. While admittedly a nod to the "Philly Soul" musical style, the decision to name the franchise the Philadelphia Soul was rooted in a much deeper meaning. In the words of co-owner Jon Bon Jovi, "good players play with their head, great players play with their hearts but extraordinary players play with soul." Everyone believes they have soul.

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Next Danny Boyle Project Likely To Include Phish Music

Richard Gehr — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:43:56 +0000
Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle is slated to direct a movie based on Between a Rock and a Hard Place, Aron Ralston's harrowing 2004 account of being trapped under a boulder in a Utah canyon, where he was forced to amputate his own arm. In this Aspen Times interview, Ralston discusses consulting with Boyle about the film, to be titled 127 Hours. Although Ralston wanted to film his story as a docu-drama, it had to be turned into a theatrical film in order to get Boyle involved. Ralston says, “Instead of being ‘Touching the Void'” — an acclaimed 2003 docu-drama about a harrowing climb in the Peruvian Andes, that was produced by Smithson — “it'll be more like ‘Into the Wild'.” But like any serious Phishhead, Ralston has a higher priority:
Perhaps the element of the project that Ralston would most like to keep his hands on is the music. A music aficionado with an affinity for jam bands, he would love to see his favorite group, Phish, contribute to the soundtrack. Ralston said such an idea is entirely speculative, but there is some precedent. He mentioned that Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder wrote the award-winning soundtrack for “Into the Wild.” “It's just in the fantasy stage,” Ralston said. “We've had talks about Phish music. Danny's asked what Phish lyrics might be able to be worked in.”

Joni Mitchell, James Taylor Help Launch Greenpeace

Richard Gehr — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:42:22 +0000
Joni Mitchell, then 26, was the consummate folk star and James Taylor, 22, the cool new kid on the block when the two toured together in the fall of 1970. There's a great bootleg and some amazing YouTube videos of their late-October Royal Albert Hall show floating around. A couple of weeks earlier, however, the pair played a benefit concert in Vancouver, British Columbia, for what was then known as the Don't Make a Wave Committee. The group's plan was to hire a boat (dubbed Greenpeace), sail to Amchitka in the Aleutian Islands, and simply park there to prevent the United States from testing a nuclear bomb. Read writer-activist Bob Hunter's moving account of the Greenpeace's 1971 maiden voyage – which led to the end of these tests and, many believe, marked the beginning of the end of the Cold War – here. Mitchell, Taylor, and the late, great protest singer Phil Ochs raised $18,000 for the voyage at the benefit captured on Amchitka: The 1970 Concert That Launched Greenpeace. The concert itself, which I suppose you could say helped end the Cold War indirectly, is a gem. Between the relatively strident "Rhythms of Revolution" and "I Ain't Marching Anymore," Ochs slips in "Chords of Fame" ("God help the troubadour who tries to be a star"), a zinger possibly aimed at the two younger singers. Taylor, riding high on the success of the recently released Sweet Baby James and sounding gorgeous, eventually joins Mitchell for a rare version of "Mr. Tambourine Man." Mitchell moves from guitar to piano to dulcimer over the course of her disk-length set, which begins with playful mashup of "Big Yellow Taxi" and "Bony Maroni." The disk fades out during Mitchell, Taylor, and the audience all singing "The Circle Game." Mission accomplished.

AMA Calls For Marijuana Schedule Review

Jonathan Perri — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:42:37 +0000
To the surprise and delight of those who support medical marijuana, the American Medical Association announced Tuesday that it will call for the schedule I status of marijuana to be reviewed:
"Our American Medical Association (AMA) urges that marijuana's status as a federal Schedule I controlled substance be reviewed with the goal of facilitating the conduct of clinical research and development of cannabinoid-based medicines," the AMA's statement (PDF) reads. "This should not be viewed as an endorsement of state-based medical cannabis programs, the legalization of marijuana, or that scientific evidence on the therapeutic use of cannabis meets the current standards for a prescription drug product."
Support is clearly growing around the marijuana legalization movement and this statement comes on the heels of numerous victories for reformers. Maine voters approved an initiative to allow medical marijuana dispensaries and pot is now legal for the over-21 crowd in Breckenridge, Colordo, after voter passed a ballot initiative. (Meanwhile, the firing of British government drug adviser Prof. David Nutt (AKA "the Nutt sacking"), who had compared the threat of taking Ecstasy to that of horseback riding, has led to the resignation of five other government advisers.) Marijuana is a Schedule I drug. This means it is grouped in with drugs like heroin and PCP and is said to have a high potential for abuse and no medicinal value. Cocaine is a Schedule II drug because it has medical use as a topical anesthetic. If marijuana became a Schedule II drug, it's complete medical potential could finally be researched. At the present, all marijuana used for research must be obtained from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, who essentially have a monopoly on research cannabis; and they aren't giving much of it away. Cannabis-based medicines could be studied and manufactured by pharmaceutical companies such as G.W.. which created Sativex, an oral cannabis spray (researched and created across the pond) that provides an alternative to smoke inhalation.

Reverb Greens Phish, Dave Matthews, O.A.R., And More

Richard Gehr — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:38:57 +0000
Reverb, the nonprofit dedicated to greening up tours and informing fans about sustainability, has a snazzy new video to launch its refreshed website. Since 2004, when it was founded by Guster's Adam Gardner and his wife, Lauren Sullivan, Reverb has worked with the Dave Matthews Band, Jack Johnson, O.A.R., Maroon 5, and many other acs to alleviate touring's hefty carbon footprint. They've so far reduced some 67,000 tons of CO2 emissions from 81 tours and 1300 events (including Phish's recent Festival 8) while reaching out to thousands of fans. Here's how:
* On-Site Coordinator | Reverb staffer included in the tour’s crew to execute and oversee all greening elements * Green Rider & Venue Advance | Custom rider creation and advancement of greening requests at each venue * Biodiesel Fueling Coordination | Working with production team and drivers to arrange biodiesel fuelings from local and sustainable stock * Waste Reduction & Recycling | Assistance with with large-scale waste reduction and recycling initiatives * Hospitality & Catering | Coordination of eco-friendly choices backstage including locally sourced organic food, green cleaning supplies, etc. * Carbon Offsets | Calculation and neutralization of carbon emissions created on tour

Nashville's Ticket Troubles

Richard Gehr — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:43:27 +0000
NewsChannel 5 in Nashville has been airing a sobering investigative report this week on the high cost of tickets to see country music stars such as Keith Urban and Taylor Swift. Ticket scalping is endemic through the concert business, but since when did the "workingman's blues" cost a second mortgage on the family trailer? Reporter Phil Williams sank his fangs into the inflation that found $25 tickets for an Urban benefit concert going for hundreds of dollars on an aftermarket ticket site even before they officially went on sale. Out of 15,000 tickets, fewer than 5,000 were actually offered to the public -- and out of these were drawn even more tickets for Urban's fan club. Where the tickets went is documented here. Urban also wanted to sell "True $20 Ticket[s]" to shows during his national tour, but the station only found 389 of those available at a Nashville appearance. Likewise, Taylor Swift thought that $20 tickets sounded liked a good idea, too. But her promoter, Louis Messina, explains how he talked her out of it in the report's second installment: "In her world," Messina says, "she wanted to sell every ticket for $20. She wanted to go, 'I just want my fans to be able to come to my shows.' So I said, 'Taylor, you can't do that 'cause you can't afford that. It would cost you so much money.'" The more money Swift makes, of course, the more her promoter makes, too. Fortunately for her fans, she decided to draw the line somewhere:
Just like the deal that Keith Urban struck with Ticketmaster to pull out some seats to be auctioned off to the highest bidder, Messina said Swift also was offered a piece of the action. "Actually, she called and said, 'We can't do that That means I'm like scalping my own tickets.' So it cost her millions and millions of dollars, I means millions of dollars, to not to do that," Messina said.
Messina suggests fans simply refuse to pay scalper prices and that Congress come to their aid with legislation to regulate ticket sales. In other words, not his problem.

Dock Ellis's LSD No-Hitter Animated

Richard Gehr — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:26:18 +0000
While LSD has a healthy rep for inspiring great art (e.g., R. Crumb, Ken Kesey, the Beatles) and great science (Francis Crick deduced the double-helix structure of DNA while tripping), it's rarely considered much of a sports enhancer -- with one important exception. On June 12, 1970, formidable yet eccentric Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis notched one of the major leagues' 263 no-hitters, against the Padres, while high as the proverbial kite on acid and benzedrine. Ellis, who died in December, recounted the amazing story behind his achievement on NPR last year. His account inspired artist James Blagden to create this awesome animated video about that fateful day. More than a fine right arm (teammate Dave Parker called him, "without question the most intimidating pitcher of his era") and Hendrix-loving acid head, Ellis was virulently anti-racist and would head into the stands upon hearing the n-word. After initially refusing to play baseball in high school because a white player had called him "spearchucker," Ellis was forced onto the team after being caught drinking wine in the locker room. (You can read a terrific account of Ellis's remarkable career here.) And while he may have been a party animal, he never bottomed out. After leaving the majors, Ellis cleaned up and became a drug counselor. He even worked briefly for George Steinbrenner as a drug counselor in the minor leagues. Steinbrenner. Now there's a guy that could have used a good dose.

Interview: Nellie McKay's Animal Objective

Richard Gehr — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:08:08 +0000
Singer-pianist-actor-songwriter Nellie McKay is a kitten with a whip, which she cracks at any sign of cruelty against kittens, cows, donkeys, humans, or any other mammal. Still in her midtwenties, McKay recently released her fourth album, Normal As Blueberry Pie: A Tribute to Doris Day. On this warm and loving shout-out from one fabulous blonde animal-rights activist to another, McKay channels Day's bright-eyed optimism without a trace of corn. Covering a dozen standards Day made her own during the fifties and early sixties, McKay sounds older, wiser, and nearly even hipper than on her highly lauded and ridiculously clever 2004 debut, Get Away From Me (a response to Norah Jones's then hit album, Stay With Me). Pretty Little Head and Obligatory Villagers contined McKay's quest for a blithe jazz-pop sound that was both vintage and contemporary, timeless and topical. Like Day, McKay initially comes off as a something of a disarmingly charming ditz. She tends to arrive onstage grasping a handful of disorganized sheets of music, which she delves into as the whim strikes her. Currently on tour with her group, the Aristocrats, McKay used to be known for halting shows nearly midsong to hand out animal-rights flyers to the audience. As she indicates below, however, McKay's been gradually shifting her focus back to music while still remaining deeply engaged in interrelated causes. HeadCount: Who are your activist heroes? Who do you emulate as a social activist? McKay: New York City Council member Tony Avella. He won’t even take a free parking pass. I’ve worked with Avella; he’s at every rally for every cause I support, he always shows up, he’s always speaking the truth to power. And that’s why he’s considered a joke. But he shouldn’t be. They always have to marginalize people who are actually fighting for something. You always seem to be in the trenches for various causes, such as animal rights or protesting Columbia University expansion. How did you get into the activist groove? McKay: I don’t know, and I’m not sure it’s always the wisest thing. When my mother was in England, she ran into Vanessa Redgrave handing out flyers for the Workers Party and she thought, “Why aren’t you making a movie?” You can reach many more people by making a movie or, in my case, writing a song than by standing on some street corner. I mean, it’s good to have a hand in the trenches, but I’ve probably focused too much energy on going to protests rather than doing music work. Do you feel your music reaches the audience and has the effect you'd like it to have as social commentary? McKay: No, it doesn’t. I don’t really know what does. Laura Bush’s favorite musician is Bob Dylan you know, so what does that add up to? She obviously isn’t listening very closely. So it’s very easy to give up. Well, Dylan gave up protest music in 1963 or so. McKay: He talks big but it’s still there, from "Hurricane" [his 1975 song about accused murderer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter] to Infidels in 1983. He just went underground. Any other icons of activism you'd like to acknowledge? McKay: I like [deceased animal-rights activist and actress] Sandy Dennis. I like how both she and Doris Day not only fight for animals in a larger sense but also took them in at home. I was just looking at pictures of Billie Holiday and her dog. I like the thing, or at least the idea, of doing things for some other creature or person. It’s a very noble idea. I’m not sure it gets you anywhere, but I can kind of dig that domestic scene. I like how [comedian] Dick Gregory started out focusing on civil rights and became an animal-rights activist. I like how Alice Walker not only fights for civil rights and feminism – which is a difficult blend to pull off because it’s the whole divide-and-conquer thing; everyone's always trying to pit activists against each other or make it seem like they’re fighting separate or conflicting battles – but she not only fights for civil rights and feminism but animal rights, too. It’s great. Do you prioritize the causes you're involved with? McKay: The animals have the furthest to go in terms of sheer numbers and the level to which violence toward them is institutionalized. But no, it’s all the same fight. It's important for animal-rights groups not to use sexism to advance their cause. And it's just as important for feminists not to serve charred flesh for dinner. People need to see the interconnectedness of these things. What’s your assessment of the Obama administration so far? McKay: Oh boy, he’s up against so much opposition. They will do anything to break him down, so I don’t envy the man and I’m so happy for anything he’s getting through. But at the same time, you’ve got to stand up for the little guy. You’ve got to fight. He’s such a lover-not-a-fighter, and that worries me because it’s not about making people like him, or about maintaining a certain perception of himself. He shouldn’t only assume a fighting tone when talking about Afghanistan. That’s the wrong thing to fight for. It seems like such a no-brainer, spending all that money to blow people up. You don’t fight another war to keep the peace. But he's got to take a strong stand on protecting abortion services, the public option, and standing up to environmental criminals. He still hasn't cracked down on those issues and I think a lot of people were hoping he would. But I have hope for the future. I think his healing touch can do wonders and I hope it does. He has to tread a fine line, because the opposition is so powerful and relentless. There are three or four health-care lobbyists for every member of Congress and all that big money. It’s tough being a Democrat fighting the health-care industry, because they spend big money on every campaign in the House and Senate. Have you had any experience with the plight of musicians and health care – or the lack thereof? McKay: I don’t really know enough about the union plan. I’m not even sure what union I’m covered under. But certainly, musicians who aren’t in the union would be suffering right about now I would think, unless they’re married to someone [who has coverage]. And even if you have health care, it’s so precarious about what they’re going to cover. I know a lot of musicians who try to stay away from the unions because they don’t have enough gigs to cover the the dues. In the case of someone in New Orleans, musicians don’t even have a roof over their heads. When you see these kids going into music nowadays, you think, “Bless them.” It’s hard to make a living. It ain’t the Tommy Dorsey days. Young musicians who don’t have health care are part of the so-called "young invincibles." McKay: It always reminds me of the fable about the the grasshopper who plays the violin while the ants gather all the food, which they won’t share. The grasshopper was making beautiful music, but the ants regard that as just goofing off. That’s still how people who work at night are regarded, as though it’s not a real job, as though people in music are just fooling around for a living. There’s very little sympathy for our need to make an income, never mind having a little security. When people ask your advice about how to get involved politically or with a cause, where do you send them? Any favorite organizations or nonprofits that could use volunteers? McKay: Oh yeah. Farm Sanctuary is wonderful. The American Anti-Vivisection Society. Feminists for Animal Rights. The Jane Goodall Institute does great work. There’s a donkey rescue in Southern California I have a special sympathy for. The farm animals really bear the brunt of it. In terms of human groups, there are so many. But I think it's important just to figure out what’s happening and organize in your own community. It's always a David versus Goliath thing. Your community is always going to be facing some threat, so save yourself from industrial polluters or organize to get the big chains out of your town, which we need to do in New York, too. The best thing for the economy on a local and national level, is to have more small businesses. But the biggest thing you can do for the animals and for the environment is to go vegetarian. Read any good books lately? McKay: I read Steppenwolf. I read a good book called The Senator’s Wife by Sue Miller. I read a terrific oral history by Deborah Geller about Brian Epstein [In My Life: The Brian Epstein Story]. Have you seen Michael Moore's Capitalism: A Love Story yet? What did you think? There’s some really good things in there. But I loved Sicko. I went back to see Sicko ten times, and every time I pretended I hadn’t gone before, so I had to keep laughing even though I knew what the joke was. But I really wanted other people to see it.

Franti the Family Man

Andy — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:12:09 +0000
Fresh off a hit song and rapidly becoming a household name, Michael Franti is making a television appearance in support of a cause he believes in. No, it's not ending the war in Iraq, or peace between Israel in Palestine. The ultra-political rocker is lending his talents to “The 11th annual Home For The Holidays,” a CBS special that will celebrate "The Joys of Adoption." Airing on Wednesday, Dec. 23 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT), it will also feature performances by Faith Hill, who is hosting the show, Mary J. Blige, Reba McEntire, Shakira and Carrie Underwood. Franti, who is adopted, will tell his own personal story as well as perform - presumably his hit "Say Hey (I Love You)." The show is presented in association with the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and dedicated to increasing the adoptions of the more than 129,000 waiting children in the United States foster care system. While the show will clearly be targeted at middle-America, the issue actually strikes at the core of class and race issues facing the country and dear to Franti, as it's often children from economically challenged backgrounds who grow up in foster care without finding permanent homes. So Franti, whose politics are far more radical than virtually any well-known musical performer out there, has found an avenue to reach millions around a non-controversial issue while still tackling social justice in a roundabout way. Still, Franti's longtime fans are worried he's going mainstream. His website now features a statement - clearly in reaction to some outcry from the hard cores - insisting that opening for John Mayer this winter is not going to dilute the classic Michael Franti & Spearhead live experience. Now I've read a few emails and tweets from some of you die-hards expressing concern that perhaps because we are performing in these larger venues the good old intimate days are over. Well, rest assured good people, that no matter where I'm playing - be it a festival in front of 70,000 people or in a bar in front of a dozen, my goal is to always create intimacy through music and connect with y'all through the most rawkin' show possible! We are working on a new album right now and you will be hearing many new jams on this tour so don't sleep. Anyone who has seen Franti at a festival can attest he's one of the most instantly likable and memorable live performers on the circuit. There's no learning curve for a Franti show. He appeals from the first minute. There is no doubt he will wow the Mayer audience and probably take a further step toward widespread popularity. A more interesting question is whether he'll become less political now that he has more fans and bigger headlining artists to please. If safe and non-controversial issues are suddenly the only causes he tackles, then it won't be the Michael Franti we've come to know. Anyone who's followed his career for the last 15 years naturally expects him to "make some noise."
Dave Matthews Band Goes Deep In 'Larger Than Life...In 3D,' Phish To Follow Richard Gehr — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:03:06 +0000 I have seen the future of entertainment a few times already this millennium. 1. The Simpsons Ride. Just do it. 2. On August 15, 2004, I watched Phish's emotionally wrenching Coventry swan song in Manhattan's Regal Union Square Cinema, where it was simulacast. I've seen Metropolitan Opera simulcasts since then at the same theater, but they hold no candle to the sturm and drang of that weird and grim August day. Unlike the live audience, I was warm, dry, and clean. I was also a little boozy from beers consumed during setbreaks, when the audience shuffled out into the streets only to return for more dark musical drama played out in intense video closeups and pristine digital sound. This wasn't only the next best thing to being in Vermont, it was in many ways so much better. Simulcast performances seemed the wave of the future that weekend. I still don't know why they haven't caught on. 3. For music fans averse to large crowds, simulcast seems the way to go. The only thing that would make it better, I discovered last year while watching U2 3D would be an extra dimension. The world's first live-action digital 3D film, U2 3D was shot by 3ality (whose owners include HeadCount board member Peter Shapiro). I don't love U2's bombast rock but the movie blew me away anyway through sheer spectacle alone. Why can't all concert films look like this? Maybe it was a tad cold and removed, but it certainly beat standing among 100,000 people in a South America soccer stadium (even though they seemed to be the 100,000 most attractive people in the world). Subsequent 3D concert films include Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: The Best of Both Worlds and The Jonas Brother: The 3D Concert Experience, which were also released in 2D. While I continue to await simulcast 3D, the AEG Live management-booking organization and Action 3D are seizing the reigns of live digital 3D with and rolling out the first of a series of concert films. On December 11, Larger Than Life…in 3D will hit 300-400 U.S. screens for a week. (Watch the trailer here.) Shot at a trio of festivals this summer, the film is a mini concert experience starring the Dave Matthews Band along with Ben Harper and the amazing gypsy-punk band Gogol Bordello. All these groups, not coincidentally, are handled by Red Light Management, whose roster includes Phish. In fact, those were Action 3D's you may have noticed at the band's Festival 8 over Halloween weekend. And that's only the beginning. As Variety reports: AEG claims to have the largest library of 3D music concert content, which, in addition to Matthews, includes a number of leading artists currently in negotiation with the producer. It has already been reported that AEG filmed several 3D live sets of Phish from Festival 8 in Indio, Calif., in late October. According to Rubey, the company plans to roll out “best of” edition from Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits as followups to the Matthews feature in 2010. Since partnering in the spring, AEG and Action 3D have already compiled footage from 56 artists from five different festivals, with the goal of upping that figure to 150 artists in 2010. The strategy has been to pinpoint fests like Lollapalooza, All Points West and Austin City Limits, allowing the filmmakers to film multiple artists over the course of one event. Feds Raid Gibson Guitars For Madagascar Rosewood Debra DeSalvo — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:43:42 +0000 Federal agents raided Gibson Guitars' Nashville factory yesterday, seizing wood, guitars, computers and files. Sources told the Nashville Post that Gibson is suspected of violating the Lacey Act by helping to illegally import Madagascar rosewood into the U.S. via Germany. Clearcut logging has destroyed thousands of acres of lemur habitat unique to the island, threatening the animal with extinction. Scott Paul, director of Greenpeace's forest campaign, defended the company's record to The Tennessean, saying, "Historically, Gibson has shown an awful lot of leadership; they are one of the manufacturers far ahead of the field." The raid, he says, "proves that even if you're very serious about buying only certified, well-managed supplies, it's still possible to get caught up....There are a lot of middle men between the guitar manufacturer and the company that is logging the ground [and] a lot of people who are not that honest in the timber business worldwide." Madagascar, an island off the east coast of Africa, is home to 47 types of rosewood and a uniquely diverse blend of plants and animals found nowhere else in the world. This includes 88 species of lemur, an animal the Malagasy people have traditionally regarded as sacred. Rosewood sells for $5,000 per cubic meter. Despite strong opposition from environmental groups, the new president of the financially strapped nation, Andry Rajoelina, issued an executive order in September legalizing the export of rosewood and ebony. Activists and music journalists say the Gibson raid was surprising because the company's CEO, Henry Juszkiewicz, has taken a lead role in urging instrument manufacturers to use only sustainable wood products. Guitar International publisher Rick Landers told HeadCount, "Depletion of critical rainforests is of paramount concern to everyone I've spoken with in the guitar industry. This investigation is of interest to us all, and improving processes to ensure there are no weaknesses in Gibson's or any other builder's environmental compliance is necessary. Juszkiewicz is a board member of the Rainforest Alliance, so I'm sure he'll get to the bottom of this and work with investigators in a very transparent way to quickly fix any problems, if any are discovered." Gibson issued this statement: Gibson Guitars is fully cooperating with agents of the United States Fish & Wildlife Service as it pertains to an issue with harvested wood. Gibson is a chain of custody certified buyer who purchases wood from legal suppliers who are to follow all standards. Gibson Guitar Chairman and CEO sits on the board of the Rainforest Alliance and takes the issue of certification very seriously. The company will continue to cooperate fully and assist our federal government with all inquiries and information. Debra is the singer/guitarist for Devi. DEA Changes Website Under Pressure Jonathan Perri — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:12:22 +0000 Last week the American Medical Association (AMA) announced its support of moving marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule II status. The AMA has refused to budge on this for decades, and opponents of marijuana law reform often cite the organization's stance as an argument that marijuana should remain illegal. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), which has used the AMA's stance in just such a manner, has yet to comment on the AMA's suggestion. Yesterday, however, the agency removed that particular bulletpoint from its list of reasons why pot should remain illegal. The change can probably be attributed to Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), a group of police officers, judges, lawyers, and many other law-enforcement officials who oppose drug prohibition. LEAP organized a letter-writing campaign to Attorney General Eric Holder requesting the site be updated. One question, though: If the DEA were truly transparent, as it claims to be, wouldn't it not only remove the previous AMA position but replace it with the association's new stance? The Pseudoscience of Rock Richard Gehr — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:06:10 +0000 Last week the number crunchers at Overthinking It produced this chart correlating the production of oil with creativity in rock. According to "The Hubbert Peak Theory of Rock, or, Why We’re All Out of Good Songs,” rock creativity topped out relatively soon after U.S. oil production (at least in the lower 48 states) – at least according to Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Based on the assumption that Rolling Stone's collective critics know whereof they picked, it's a depressing chart that penalizes new music simply for being, well, new. On the other hand, they don't call it "classic rock" for nothing. And those early rock hits were all originally released on vinyl, which is made from oil, so... Underwhelmed by this coincidence, I poked around for other unorthodox musical indicators. According to the Wave Principle developed by Socionomic Institute Executive Director Robert R. Prechter, society's general mood causes trends in popular music that are also reflected in the stock market. As this clip from the institute's self-produced movie, History's Hidden Engine, indicates, a positive social environment leads to happier, more upbeat sounds. So the pop, bubble gum, and British invasion sounds that followed the market's rise in the late sixties gave way to the hard rock, heavy metal, and punk rock of the late seventies when it declined. Pop, disco, and dance music rose during the eighties and nineties and, presumably were replaced by hard rock, gangsta rap, and emo after the downturn of 2002. The Socionomic Institute argues that all aspects of society are in accord with the Wave Principle, which follows a fractal model. "This is not a coincidence," says Prechter. "This is the entertainment industry giving the public what it wants, when it wants it." People want to wear colorful clothes, shake their booty, and buy stocks in good social mood. When things are grimmer, like now, not so much. The slightly weird part is how the Wave Theory aligns with late psychdelic guru Terence McKenna's Timewave Zero. Inspired by a meeting with a remarkable mushroom, McKenna's theory is based on the I Ching and postulates that a steadily increasing rate of novelty, either on Earth or in the space-time continuum as a whole, will eventually reaching a singularity of infinite complexity in December 2012. And as many current 2012 hucksters realize, that's snake oil you can take to the bank. The Socionomic Institute also believes anti-drug laws in the US tend to coincide with high share prices, and legalisation with low -- good news for the legalize-it crowd. Alcohol was legalized just as the Depression bottomed out and, according to Socionomics researcher Euan Wilson, "The current mood is very similar to the 1930s." We look forward to the screwball comedies, big-band dance music, and legal bong hits that await us. HeadCount Parties Hollywood Style Andy — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:39:04 +0000 Television personalities Stephanie Pratt (left), Ben Gleib and Aisha Tyler were among the faces at HeadCount’s first ever fundraiser in Los Angeles, the “Rock. Laugh. Dance” party at the House of Blues on Sunset Strip. It was quite the L.A. welcome. Also on hand were Wayne Kramer of the MC5, “American Pie” star Jason Biggs, and representatives of Live Nation, Creative Artists Agency, and Red Light Management. Most importantly, it was an occasion for tHeadCount leadership to meet members of the Southern California philanthropic and political communities. We enjoyed hilarious stand-up comedy from Ben Gleib and Aisha Tyler. In an unexpected twist, comic Ben Morrison was on hand to warm up the crowd with a few minutes of his own standup. Ben, we realized pretty quickly, was the same comic who emceed The Disco Biscuits' 2003 New Year’s Eve show and was pelted with ice by an impatient audience. As he recounted the story, this time he was greeted only by laughs – the loudest being from HeadCount co-chair Marc Brownstein. The evening ended with a performance by local rocker Samantha Mollen and DJ Racebanner. We’d like to thank our sponsor Livity Outernational, the House of Blues, Courtney Ross-Tait, Keely Field, Alex De Ocampo, and all the wonderful people who helped us put together this outstanding event. [caption id="attachment_3382" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Co-host Keely Field and actor/comedian Ben Gleib"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_3381" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Maura Foster of Livity Outernational and actor Jason Biggs"][/caption] The Music Wood Campaign Jonathan Perri — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:36:15 +0000 After reading Debra's great post on the federal investigation of Gibson Guitars' Nashville factory for violating the Lacy Act, I remembered watching an episode of "Big Ideas for a Small Planet" on the Sundance Channel that focused on the art of sustainable guitar making. While guitars aren't the biggest threat to our forests, without sustainable practices guitar companies may find themselves running out of wood. The special focused on Martin Guitars and interviewed the company's CEO Chris Martin. I couldn't find a clip from "Big Ideas" but did find a short clip from "Eco Biz" (above). Martin Guitars, along with Taylor, Gibson, Yamaha, and Fender have all teamed up with Greenpeace to form the Music Wood Campaign. The Greenpeace Music Wood Campaign is partnering with the music industry to protect threatened forest habitats and safeguard the future of the trees critical to making musical instruments. We are working together to increase the availability of traditional woods used by musical instrument manufacturers that can be certified to the exacting management standards of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and demonstrating, one species at a time, that there is a strong and growing market for well-managed, FSC certified wood. Phish-Loving Flickr Co-Founder Designing Online Game Richard Gehr — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:46:46 +0000 Stewart Butterworth, who accidentally helped invent Flickr in 2003 when his company's socially interactive online pursuit Game Neverending didn't work out, started his career in computing like many a lad, according to this Globe and Mail piece: At the University of Victoria, where he did his undergrad in philosophy with a focus on neuropsychology, cognitive science and linguistics – the workings of the mind – he got an account on the school's Unix server, basically geek heaven. He was also a big Phish fan and connected with other lovers of the jam band to trade tapes. “That seemed to be the principal application” of the Web, Mr. Butterfield joked. Butterworth went on to sell Flickr to Yahoo for $30 million, and worked there for a few years until entrepreneurialism called him back. His well-funded Canadian company, Tiny Speck, is cooking up something that sounds even cooler: a massive, multiplayer, socially interactive online game they hope will appeal to everyone from kids to grandparents. Yeah, I know. But it's hard not to get excited about something described like this: Inspired in part by the artistry and sensibilities of writers Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss) and Jorge Luis Borges, Mr. Butterfield says Tiny Speck's goal is to create a “fun and really interesting world with its own rules, absurdist and strange but fully realized, if imaginary.” Sounds a bit Gamehenge-y to me. Italian Prime Minister's Rockin' Lifestyle Celebrated On 'Rolling Stone' Cover Richard Gehr — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:20:55 +0000 Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is a figure probably more suitable for a magazine such as The Economist, which featured him in a 2001 cover story titled "Why Silvio Berlusconi is unfit to lead Italy," than on the cover of Rolling Stone. But next month the magazine's Italian edition will celebrate him "in reward for his rock and roll lifestyle." Carlo Antonelli, the magazine's editor, justified his qualifications to the UK's Mail: ‘Every year we chose a rock star of the year and in the past we have had Rod Stewart, Brian Jones and Keith Richards and Oasis. 'This year there was no competition and there was a unanimous decision that it should be Berlusconi as this year he has not been out of the spotlight for one reason or another, especially with his parties. ‘It was all down to lifestyle and Berlusconi’s daily life which has a spectacular fury and is inimitable and as a result he has found himself throughout the year on the international stage.’ The cover was designed by Shepard Farey, the artist responsible for last year's ubiquitous Barack Obama poster image (borrowed from an Associated Press photo), but the leaders couldn't be more different. (Berlusconi famously complimented Obama on his "suntan" two days after he was elected President.) Like most other Italian politicians, Berlusconi, one of the country's richest men due to his extensive finance and media holdings, has long had to deny associations with the mafia. As Prime Minister, however, he has more recently had to wrestle with sexier allegations involving a teenage underwear model and upscale prostitutes. He was also criticized this spring for choosing cute young female candidates—nearly entirely lacking in political experience—to represent his political party in European Parliament elections. Berlusconi's popularity has remained high throughout all the drama, a divorce, and a long series of gaffes, blunders, and outright insults. Who said politics was just rock 'n' roll without the fun? Phish Does Not Forget The Motor City Andrew Glancy — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:06:23 +0000 Less than a month after the "Joy" that was Festival 8, Phish returned to the stage for their fall tour opener in Detroit, Michigan. Cobo Arena is located on the Detroit River adjacent to General Motors headquarters, Joe Louis's monumental fist, and the big bronze "Spirit of Detroit." The city was alive with energy as the vibrant, animated fans entered the show. The downtown area around Cobo was upbeat, friendly, and raucous, filled with thousands of elated concertgoers. Few people were thinking that Detroit, once the fourth largest city in the nation and with a legacy of innovation, ambition, and soul, was at a pivotal moment in its history. The band's momentous return to the stage was juxtaposed against the setting of a city in relative free fall. Over nearly five decades, Cobo Arena has provided the stage for performances by legendary artists including Jimi Hendrix, the Grateful Dead, Journey, Madonna, Kiss, and the Doors. In October 2008, Jay Z held a free concert at Cobo in support of then Senator Barack Obama. Phish’s performance at the venue was uplifting but bittersweet. The band's first visit to this famed house of rock was rumored to be the last show before the building is demolished. In place of Cobo Arena, Governor Jennifer Granholm and local officials have planned a $300 million dollar Cobo Hall expansion. The convention center is home to the North American International Auto Show. Judging by the plight of Detroit and the auto industry, who knows how much longer auto executives will want to fly to Detroit to conduct business? At this point, the automotive industrial lifeblood of Detroit has been largely dismantled and sent offshore. Skilled industrial workers have been left without adequate opportunities to maintain their quality of life and have been forced to look elsewhere for employment. Now the eleventh largest city in the nation, Detroit lacks such institutions as solid public schools, well-equipped and -staffed police and fire departments, and adequate and accessible health and human services. At the same time, the national recession and political turmoil in the city have contributed to an unemployment rate of nearly 30%. It doesn’t take more than five minutes of driving around to find neighborhoods of abandoned and burned homes. Scores of empty offices and closed showrooms line the wide, once bustling commercial thoroughfares. Many neighborhoods are so noticeably vacant that a lifelong resident would feel uncomfortable walking down the street in broad daylight. Maybe hope for Detroit lies in newly elected political officials. Former NBA star and successful entrepreneur Dave Bing, for example, replaced Kwame Kilpatrick, whose political career was embroiled in scandal. Bing's focus is reinvestment in Detroit. He speaks extensively about public safety, health and human services, and education. Judging by the depth of Detroit’s problems, however, the city could take decades to stabilize. One thing is for certain. In a city with such a wealth of registered historic landmarks, it is a tragedy to lose a venue that so deeply woven into the fabric of modern music history. As it turns out, Phish probably did not play Cobo Arena's swan song. Slayer, Megadeth, and Testament are now scheduled to play there February 6 as part of the bands' American Carnage Tour. And while the future of both Detroit and the arena remain uncertain, the music will continue. Let's hope whomever takes Detroit's helm possesses both an understanding of the past and a vision for the future. [Trey Anastasio in Detroit by Michael Stein.] HeadCount Podcast Sebastian — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:04:14 +0000 Our partners at Sonicbids helped put us in contact with up-and-coming bands that share our belief that music can be a powerful tool for encouraging people to be more active, involved citizens. We chose these tracks from among more than 50 submissions. Have a listen by clicking here 1. Tripsonix - "Great Pub in the Sky" 2. Blue Rabbit - "Like I'd Like You To" 3. Flavien - "I Can Too" 4. Haakon's Fault - "Pilgrimage" 5. Floyd Boy - "Chaos of Men" 6. Overnight - "This Is How" 7. Slave Unit -"In Time" 8. State of Undress - "Red Waters" 9. The Method - "Will Is Gone " 10. The Righteous Kind - "Let Freedom Ring" [pictured: State of Undress] Interview: Wayne Kramer Opens Jail Guitar Doors Richard Gehr — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:15:33 +0000 Lead guitarist Wayne Kramer and the MC5, the world's first political punk band, ruled the Midwest rock scene during the late sixties until they flamed out in 1972. In 1975, Kramer was arrested for selling illegal powders to a government agent, and spent more than two years in the Lexington Federal Prison in Lexington, Kentucky. During that time he studied music theory and performed with his cell mate, the great bebop trumpeter Red Rodney. After his release, Kramer went on to perform with New York Dolls guitarist Johnny Thunders, Was (Not Was), Mick Farren, GG Allin, and other acts. Still a fine psychedelic guitarist, he continues to record and perform both solo and alongside other musical activists, such as Rage Against the Machine's, Tom Morello. Rolling Stone deemed Kramer one of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time in 2003, and his swirly, wailing guitar enhances film and television soundtracks, including HBO's excellent "East Bound & Down." When not performing or making soundtracks, Kramer is committed to the cause of prison reform, and has launched the U.S. chapter of Jail Guitar Doors, a nonprofit started by Billy Bragg in the UK that provides musical instruments to prisons. Wayne Kramer is as inspiring a person as he is a musician. Hell, how many people have had the Clash write a song about them? It was a pleasure to speak with him recently about causes new and old. HeadCount: Could you talk me through your involvement with Jail Guitar Doors? It’s an amazing story. Wayne Kramer: I am an ex-convict, and when I was in prison, playing music was a way to escape. Not physically, but in the artistic sense that I could go someplace that didn’t have to do with incarceration and also do things that would help me in the future. And after I got out of prison and tried to get back into the working world, tried to put a life together, the experience hung with me: What happened to me? Why did it happen? How much did it change me? It did change me, but I don’t know if it changed me for the better, necessarily. Fast forward to last May, when I had the opportunity to put together a musical program at Sing Sing, the maximum security prison in Ossining, New York. I invited a bunch of my friends: Tom Morello, Jerry Cantrell, Perry and Eddie Farrell, Gilby Clarke, Handsome Dick Manitoba and Billy Bragg, amongst others. I did a talk with the inmates and then played a concert for them. Afterwards, Billy told me about an initiative he had started in England where he was providing instruments, guitars, for those that worked with prisoners for music as rehabilitation. It was called Jail Guitar Doors. The song “Jail Guitar Doors” was a song The Clash wrote about me when I went to prison. And at the time I thought that was a great expression of solidarity for a fellow musician and I was honored and humbled but didn’t think much more of it. But then Billy tied it to this work and I thought, you know, I've spent a lifetime of activism and commitment to not only anti-imperialism but to justice itself, and everything fell into place for me. I am also a sober alcoholic and part of the way I stay sober is to think about other people for a change. As a musician, I am completely self-obsessed and narcissistic. My shallowness knows no limits. But to get better, I have to start putting effort into doing things for others. And so everything combined to say, “Wayne, this is something you should do.” I find myself uniquely positioned with one foot in prison and one foot in music – because you never really get over something like that. Once I took it on, we started putting an organization together. Billy said, "I was just about to ask you if you’d take it over for America." So we’ve partnered on it. We've worked together in England, we've worked together in this country, and we've worked separately in both countries. We’re just gearing up now. We’re getting our board established and are on the learning curve about figuring out how we actually go about doing this, how we go about making connections with other people who are doing this, and how to find funding. What kind of equipment do you provide prisoners? Kramer: Just regular old standard guitars and amps. Whatever we can get our hands on to help people out. We get the "brother-in-law price" from companies like Fender. What did you do musically while you were in prison. How long were you in for? Did you play with other inmates? Kramer: I was there for a couple of years. It’s interesting. I thought I would do a lot of writing, but I'm also pretty goal-oriented, and once I got there I realized I may not be making records for a while. I was sentenced to four years and I didn’t know how much of that four years I was going to have to do. I wrote a couple of songs. But what it was really good for was studying music. I had the great fortune to be locked up with a wonderful jazz musician, Red Rodney, a formidable trumpet player who replaced Miles Davis in the Charlie Parker Quintet. Red was a classic dope fiend jazz musician and I was a typical dope fiend rock musician. He became like a musical father to me and we studied together. He taught a Berklee College of Music course in theory, so that became my first theory training. We also had a prison band and played bebop all the time. We played bebop. We played regular Sunday-afternoon concerts in the big yard and other regular events, like holiday shows. Anything we could do, we did. When we both got close to release, and our custody was lowered to “community custody,” which meant you were eligible for community programs and could go on work release or study release, we played jobs in the community. Playing music was huge for me, and I know it's huge for people in prison today. There's something deeply profound when you sit down with a guitar and try to figure out how to say something in a new and nonconfrontational way, something complex; maybe something that's hard to say to your family, to your wife, or maybe even to yourself about how you ended up there. After you donate equipment what’s the next step? Kramer: We try to find people in each local area who already want to do music as rehabilitation, oftentimes people already in the prisons, but they just don’t have the instruments. In California, especially, they don’t have money for anything. In fact, we’re in a corrections crisis here in California. The federal courts have taken over the Department of Corrections because they can’t manage it and the prisons are so overcrowded. We’re always looking for coalition partners to help us, because I can’t do everything. What I can do is lead, inspire, provide instruments, and bring in shows. But we want to inspire others to take up this kind of work, too. What was playing in Sing Sing like? Kramer: Prisoners really appreciate hearing live music because it tells them that not everybody has thrown them away. When somebody goes into a prison and – whether it’s theater, wiring workshops, whatever – it tells prisoners they matter, that they actually count in the world. Did you play any music that was specifically inspired by your prison experience? Kramer: We played Thin Lizzy's “Jailbreak.” We thought that had some irony. We played “Wish You Were Here.” Billy played “Redemption Song,” which was very powerful because the men sang along to the chorus. I understand you also work with Road Recovery. Kramer: That’s the New York group that organized the Sing Sing event. They’re a nonprofit I’ve been working with for the last few years. We do a big fund raiser for them every year. It was founded by two former tour managers. After burning out from traveling around the country for decades, they wanted to do something that would have more substance to it. They use their entertainment-industry contacts to help young people with substance-abuse problems. Are you involved with any other causes or organizations? Kramer: I work with Tom Morello and the Axis of Justice. We do tours where we combine music and activism. In every city, we do a day of actual activism where we get out in the street and participate in things, and then a day of a concert. Our motto is “Feed the homeless, fight the power, and rock the fuck out.” As an activist anti-imperialist, what's your take on the likely Afghanistan escalation? Kramer: The point is that we have no interests in the Middle East. We’d be better served by trying to nation-build Mexico, which is on our border. My hope is that Obama listens to his ambassador and that we not spill another drop of blood over there. Do you still have family in Detroit? Kramer: I have a little bit of family there. I have a complex relationship with Detroit. I was born there, raised there, and I achieved a great deal there as a young man. But I also went straight into the sewer and just fucked off my life there. And to watch what’s happened to Detroit over the last thirty years, especially during the last ten years… I was back there this summer and it’s heartbreaking. It’s Katrina-level, without the storm. It’s so bad; the heart’s been ripped out of the city. The big three automakers got away with murder for a couple of generations. They just sucked the lifeblood out of the city. And after they made their fortunes, they just left and the workers pay the price. Now it's a city full of leftover people and there’s nothing for them to do anymore. It’s unbelievable. I'm working with a group out there called the Power House Project to put together some programs. It’s a group of artists trying to approach it as pioneers. You can buy buildings for next to nothing, and artists can move in – because it’s always the artists that move in first. Artists took over Soho in Manhattan when the manufactures moved out to Jersey, Brooklyn and Queens, and took over the lofts. It's fascinating how so many cities are kind of relying on artists to move back in and make things humane again. Kramer: Either that or green technology. We could take all those workers and put them to work building solar panel, windmills, and technologies we haven’t even thought of yet. Maybe HeadCount and Jail Guitar Doors could work together sometime. Kramer: What you guys are doing is terrific and it inspires us to keep our activism alive and reject cynicism. The enemy is not the Republicans or the free marketers or the religious right. The enemy is apathy, the enemy is cynicism. Critical theory requires that we come up with a solution. Running The Youth Vote Up The Poll Richard Gehr — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:01:33 +0000 There's good news, bad news, and interesting news about young voters. According to Project Vote, 64% of the US population voted in the 2008 general election, an increase of 4% over 2000. While older white people continue to vote earliest and most often, nonwhites comprised 91% of the increase in voters. And while the number of young voters has increased 30% over each of the past two elections, about 21 million potential voters under the age of 30 didn't vote in 2008. If they'd voted at the same rate as those 30 and over, 7 million more votes would have been cast. Meanwhile, female and minority voters are on the rise. While the percentage of voters under 30 increased, that of their elders did not; and non-whites still comprise the largest bloc of nonvoters. Young black women registered at a higher ratio than any other group. Fifty-two percent of young white women voted, a higher rate than anyone except young black women. The electorate is increasingly diverse, hooray. But there's still long way to go in a nation where nearly a third of the citizenry doesn't vote at all. With all this action among young nonwhite female voters, "No wonder Republicans worry about a Democratic demographic storm," writes Mark Ambinder in his Atlantic Politics blog. Well, not so fast. The Daily Kos poll released on Friday asked: "In the 2010 Congressional elections will you definitely vote, probably vote, not likely vote, or definitely will not vote?" The results are a wake-up call for Democrats still riding high on Obama optimism: Voter Intensity: Definitely + Probably Voting/Not Likely + Not Voting Republican Voters: 81/14 Independent Voters: 65/23 DEMOCRATIC VOTERS: 56/40 Democratic voters said they "definitely" would not vote at a rate three times that of Republicans and Independents. Yet another poll suggests that Democrats need to pass health-insurance reform if they want to stay in power. According to a Public Policy Polling survey last week, a generic ballot had Democrats ahead of Republicans 46%-38%. Remove a health-care plan from that equation, however, and the numbers even up substantially, to 40-40. As analyst Nate Silver writes, Democrats "should probably not expect to gain ground if they pass health care -- but they're likely to lose more if they don't." Maybe you can see where this is going. Young voters, who so far have been the biggest advocates of Democratic health-care reform, are being targeted by the anti-reform League of American Voters (not to be confused with the League of Women Voters, whose name they've appropriated) with forcedly cute ads imitating John Hodgman's Apple commercials. According to GOP operative (and former Clinton adviser) Dick Morris, these ads have single-handedly caused a sharp swing against so-called "Obama care" in the three states (Arkansas, Maine, North Dakota) in which they've run. Expect to see more of them in the weeks ahead. HeadCount Gets A White House Invite Andy — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 21:53:11 +0000 Last week, while on the way to see Phish in Philadelphia, I got an unexpected email from...the White House. We would like to invite you to join us for a Clean Energy Economy Forum to discuss the important role young leaders have in creating and sharing this opportunity. The event will bring together emerging leaders from non-profits, businesses, and community groups along with experts from federal agencies, members of the Cabinet, and White House officials to engage in a dialogue. So, I guess some people at the White House heard that nearly 75% of the people we registered voted in the last election. They also probably realize that if they want to get popular support behind initiatives like climate change, the music community is a good place to start. A few more emails started coming in. The next was from a key environmental group, the Energy Action Coalition, inviting me to a brainstorming and strategy session of youth-oriented leaders attending the White House meeting, which is Wednesday afternoon. It's no coincidence that this is all happening now. The U.N. Climate Change Summit is in Copenhagen next week and President Obama has vowed to go there and work toward an international agreement. If he succeeds, and Congress backs him up, we will take the most important steps in history toward averting a climate crises. If he fails, or can't win popular support at home, many scientists say we're about to reach the point of no return. You may say, "HeadCount and climate change. Huh?" Well, actually we've been working behind the scenes with JamBase and artists like Dave Matthews Band and Pearl Jam to launch an initiative called "Music for Action" that will encourage fans to speak out on climate change. We also devote a page of our website to Sustainability and Climate Change - one of six issues we've tackled in 2009. It’s exciting to know that people of influence recognize the impact HeadCount and the music community can have on the issues facing our country. We are still strictly nonpartisan and our message remains the same: "Make Your Voice Heard." What's changed is that our message is now pertinent 365 days a year, not just on Election Day. We’re also fostering discussion about health care in the music community, through a poll and an upcoming series of articles on this blog. We have big plans for the midterm elections next year, directly tying our Get Out the Vote effort to the key issues we've been working on. I will report back from the White House meeting and let you know about our next key steps as an organization. Thank you for all your support, this year and in years past. If you have any thoughts or insights that might be helpful in preparing for the White House meeting, feel free to pass them along. I can be reached at andyb@headcount.org The meeting will be webcast here at 4 p.m. EST on Wednesday, December 2, if you want to check it out. Mock Show: Epic NYE Voting Begins Richard Gehr — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:02:59 +0000 This and other awesome posters are on display over at our Mock Show: Epic NYE page, where voting in a "mock election" to decide the year's best Phish-related art has begun. Categories include best official print, best fan print (including David Welker's lovely "Lady of the Rock," at left), best series, best non-poster art, and best Hampton, Red Rocks, and Festival 8 art of 2009. And of course it wouldn't be a HeadCount event without a special category for best political art of the year, such as Shepard Fairey's "Global Warming" image (below). Winners in each category will receive the secret and sacred “Golden Tube." Winners will be announced at Mock Show: Epic NYE, which takes place December 30, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., on the fourteenth floor of Miami's Epic Hotel, within walking distance of the American Airlines Arena, where Phish will perform December 28-31. The show is a sequel to this summer's Red Rocks Mock Show, which HeadCount art director Jamie Huntsman documented very nicely here, where she said, "Mock Show was all about connections: connecting fans of the music to the art inspired by the music to the artists who were inspired by the music." Jim Pollock, Jeff Wood, David Welker, Sei Ray Ho, Erin Cadigan, and Aunt and Uncle Ebeneezer are just a few of the artists who will be exhibiting and probably signing things, too. Tickets (which include a 2010 calendar) are available on the show's website, where you can also pick up David Welker's cool poster and T-shirt. Along with HeadCount, the Mockingbird Foundation and Waterwheel Foundation will benefit from ticket and merchandise sales. But it's really all about immersing yourself in Phish-inspired visuals, a venerable tradition since the Charlatans band members Mike Ferguson and George Hunter drew "The Seed," the first psychedelic rock-concert poster, in June 1965. Cannabis In America: A Timeline Jonathan Perri — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:43:08 +0000 Check out this timeline of marijuana's history in the United States. (Use your cursor to enlarge the images.) While most people are warned about the dangers of pot, few have any idea about how long the plant has been illegal, or even why it was prohibited in the first place. Did you know that cough syrup used to contain cannabis? This fun little timeline provides you with lots of cool people, events, and laws that you can type into your Google search bar to learn more about. Here are some highlights of the U.S. and marijuana's dysfunctional relationship: 1937: Marijuana is made illegal by the federal government through The Marijuana Tax Act. The American Medical Association opposed making it illegal at this time but would ultimately refuse to support rescheduling marijuana until 2009. 1943-48: Harry Anslinger plans to bust the biggest jazz musicians in the country for pot, including Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, and others. The plan is rejected by Anslinger's superior. 1972: President Richard Nixon rejects the Schaffer Commission's recommendation that personal marijuana use should be decriminalized. 2007: A Harvard University study finds that THC reduces tumor growth for lung cancer by half and also significantly reduces cancer's spread. Too Much Joy Singer Spills Beans On Digital Royalties Richard Gehr — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 17:21:49 +0000 I get a kick out of learning how the sausages are made in the business called music. As the old-fashioned recording industry sinks slowly into the sunrise, it's not surprising to discover that the competition for flotsam and jetsam to hang onto runs pretty high. Take for example the digital royalty statement recently received by Tim Quirk, former singer with the clever alternative band Too Much Joy, from the band's former label. I got something in the mail last week I’d been wanting for years: a Too Much Joy royalty statement from Warner Brothers that finally included our digital earnings. Though our catalog has been out of print physically since the late-1990s, the three albums we released on Giant/WB have been available digitally for about five years. Yet the royalty statements I received every six months kept insisting we had zero income, and our unrecouped balance ($395,277.18!)* stubbornly remained the same. ****** So I was naively excited when I opened the envelope. And my answer was right there on the first page. In five years, our three albums earned us a grand total of… $62.47 What the fuck? Being an "unrecouped" band, Too Much Joy still owes the label nearly $400,000. But as Quirk explains in detail in his long blog post, this doesn't mean that Warner Bros. lost money on the group's three albums. It only means they didn't make as much money as they expected to from what they invested in the group. But whatever. Quirk isn't just astounded by the double-digit amount in question, he's shocked by the "stupidity" of a company that would attempt to pass off a statement like this as legitimate. Because Quirk isn't an ordinary former indie rock star. He's a current employee of Rhapsody, with a pretty good idea of how much companies such as that pay other companies like Warner Bros. for the music they stream and download. It also seemed a little strange to him that there were no royalties listed from iTunes. And that the statement only referred to two of the three albums the group had cut for the label. Quirk comes to the dark conclusion that if Warner Bros. is screwing up royalty statements to an unimportant (= unrecouped) band like his, what must they be doing to wildly successful acts like REM and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Let's hope WB's accountant takes the time to comment. In The House Andy — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:50:40 +0000 What do you get when you mix four White House cabinet members, a slew of campaign-workers-turned-staffers, and 120 or so young climate activists? Something to tell your grandkids about. I had the privilege of attending the White House’s Clean Energy Economy Forum yesterday. The name doesn’t quite reveal the nature of the event. Most of the people in the invite-only audience were under 30 and a few hadn’t reached drinking age. It was a peace offering of sorts from President Obama’s top advisers to young leaders in the environmental movement, many of whom were rapidly turning on the administration for seemingly not making energy policy a priority. More specifically, the meeting was spurred by a “demand” (I hate that word, but it seemed to work here) from the Energy Action Coalition, an amalgam of 50 youth-oriented environmental groups. The EAC launched It’s Game Time, Obama to insist that the President meet with young people to discuss climate change and attend the U.N. Climate Change Summit this month in Copenhagen. There has been little movement on climate change since the House passed a controversial energy bill in June, and Obama was fairly silent on the issue until the last two weeks. That also spurred EAC executive director Jessy Tolkan took to the Huffington Post to assail Obama the president and Obama the candidate for wearing two different faces on energy policy. The White House was livid. So livid that they invited everyone over to talk it out. Wait a second. Are we talking about government being responsive to the people? Could the administration care what critics have to say? Does it actually want to have an open dialogue with activist groups? Is this really happening? I can tell you as an eye witness that it is, at least on the surface. And after spending three and a half hours at this potentially historic meeting, I’m fairly convinced it goes beyond rhetoric. The administration appears to be making an earnest attempt to reclaim young Americans – particularly socially and environmentally conscious young Americans – as a core base of support. The meeting kicked off with Jon Carson, the architect of candidate Obama’s field campaign and now the White House Council on Environmental Quality's chief of staff, who suggested that the gathering's purpose was to “help you be partners with us.” What sounded like a sales pitch was quickly followed with substance. Energy Secretary Dr. Steven Chu, a Nobel Laureate scientist profiled in Rolling Stone earlier this year, was the first cabinet member to speak. He called sustainable energy policy a “pathway toward great economic opportunity” and shared the encouraging news that China appears ready to shift the base of its energy production from dirty coal to methods that will reduce carbon emissions. He compared China's thinking to Wayne Gretzky’s explanation for his hockey prowess: “I skate where the puck is going to be, not where it’s been.” America, Chu then said, is still chasing the puck. “The U.S. is playing catch up. What I’m saying is that the world is going to pass us by if we don’t take this opportunity.” He then made an impassioned plea for energy efficiency alongside policies that will mandate a reduction in carbon emissions – forcing big companies to invest in research and development of energy alternatives and to re-think putting dollars into outdated fossil-fuel infrastructure. A pragmatist, he explained that solar energy currently costs $4-$5 per watt and that it will need to come down to $1-$2 for the market shift on its own. He then broke with audience sentiment and defended nuclear and “clean coal." Chu explained that major industrial countries are sitting on 75% of the world’s coal reserves and that it’s not realistic to believe these energy-starved nations will just let it sit in the ground. So technology that takes out 80-90% percent of carbon emissions from coal is a more viable strategy to tackle climate change than trying to completely eliminate coal as a power source. Makes sense to me. Then again, I would have believed him at that point had Chu said the best way to save the planet is to dismember puppies. He is clearly one of the more brilliant people on the planet; and the fact that he – as opposed to some industry lackey – is our energy secretary should help us sleep a little better at night. He went on to explain that if we don’t change our ways, there's a 40-50% chance the world will heat up by four to five degrees centigrade. The last ice age, he compared, came when the world was just six degrees colder than it is now. Chu’s talk was followed by addresses from Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson (a sharp, funny woman) and Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis. They took questions from the audience without deflection or defensiveness. When one young activist asked if the EPA would deny some 79 pending permits for mountaintop-removal mining, Jackson replied, “I’m proud to say we’re looking at them, which is a big change” (a dig at the Bush administration implying it rubber-stamped such applications). “I’m not going to blow smoke at you and say we’re going to deny them. We’re going to do our job.” One audience member called on the administration to launch a bold national green jobs and sustainability initiative, akin to the Apollo mission or World War II domestic mobilization. Chu’s response: “I couldn’t agree with you more.” He and the other cabinet members called on the audience to fight for these things. “Be persistent in your advocacy,” Jackson said. A cynic might view that as empty pep talk, but I didn’t see it that way. My read was that the administration is longing for allies and needs more political capital to fulfill its agenda. The meeting wasn’t a PR play – press turnout was light at best – but more like a behind-the-scenes tactical move. Obama never would have gotten beyond the Iowa primary without young voters. And climate change is an issue that youth, more than any other voting bloc, holds dear ("sustainability & climate change" has edged out "health-care reform" as the top issue of concern in HeadCount’s ongoing What’s Your Issue? survey). After a difficult first year in office, Obama operatives are looking for allies wherever they can be found. If they can’t hold on to environmentalists and young people, who do they have left? The final hour of the meeting was spent in breakout sessions with middle-level executive-branch staffers. That’s where I really started to drink the Kool-Aid and feel like I was getting an eyewitness view of democracy functioning as it should. Myself and about a dozen attendees sat down with Brandon Hurlbut, the deputy chief of staff to Energy Secretary Chu. He explained he quit his law job in spring 2007 to work on the Obama campaign in New Hampshire and joined the Department of Energy after the election. He shared some of what they're working toward, such as an energy-efficiency rating system for homes realtors can use to increase property values. “I didn’t quit my job and come here to not get things done,” he said off-handedly at one point. Hurlbut also probed each of us for ideas while furiously taking notes. One woman suggested that the executive branch meet regularly with a youth advisory board. He nodded approval. Another put forth the idea of promoting specific examples of young people getting jobs through the green sector. He asked her to send names. He listened attentively to an activist from West Virginia who explained some of the specific problems caused by coal extraction in the state. It made me realize that even at the highest levels of government, people are not superheroes. They don’t know everything, and they don’t have some magic system for gathering knowledge. They read. They listen to experts. They hear out advocates. What was different here was that most of the people in the room operated outside of the political power structure and weren’t old enough to remember James Watt or Three Mile Island. There was also a humility on both sides that was the mirror image of the tone of discourse we tend to associate with politics and government. A student activist from the University of Colorado noted a disparity in efficiency regulations between owned and rented homes in Boulder. Hurlbut asked her what the solution might be. “We put together a proposal,” said the college senior. “Will you send it to me?” replied the Deputy Chief of Staff. It took a while for that to sink in. The walls between government and citizens were breaking down right before my eyes. How To Create Millions of Clean-Energy Jobs Richard Gehr — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:31:16 +0000 As Andy Bernstein pointed out in his report from the White House Clean Energy Economy Forum yesterday, the Obama administration appears willing to look at any and all options to create jobs, particularly in the green sector. The question is, How fast can they do it? A simmering populist unease at the hundreds of billions of dollars in stimulus funds that went to big banks rather than small businesses or entrepreneurs or infrastructure is likely to reach a boiling point by the next election year or two. For young voters the question seems to be: What will run out first, their patience or their credit? Faced with massive postcollegiate debt and a still-shrinking jobs market (we only lost 100,000 last month, and that's considered progress), one of the more promising solutions lies in the clean-energy field. The resulting energy independence would allow us to spend less money on defense. The $700 billion or so we spent last year, this year, and on into the foreseeable future on basic defense, not to mention the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, would go a long way toward providing food, healthcare, and education to just about everyone who needed it. Brad Johnson at The Wonk Room wrote a concise manifesto for a green economy that's well worth reading. The challenges facing President Obama and the U.S. Congress have not gone away. Paul Krugman worries that “unemployment is likely to stay near its current level for a year or more,” because “much of the political establishment now sees stimulus as having been discredited by events, so that it’s very hard to come back and scale the policy up to where it should have been in the first place.” But there remains a pathway out of Krugman’s dire vision of “a process of defining prosperity down” — if enough politicians embrace the alternative vision of a green economy, promoted by political leaders as far apart on the ideological spectrum as Van Jones and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). The basic concept is simple, as the video from Repower America shows — heat up the economy by cooling down the planet. The Recovery Act made a down payment for clean energy jobs, primarily through public spending. But the creation of a carbon market would drive private investment away from pollution and into clean energy. A Political Economy Research Institute clean energy economy report found that public-private investments of $150 billion a year could be sustained over ten years and create 1.7 million net jobs in the U.S. economy. Fossil-based energy production sends money overseas and sinks money into capital-intensive projects like mining and drilling, whereas clean energy and energy efficiency requires greater local and labor investment. The stronger the carbon cap is in a carbon market, the greater the investment. A $150 billion carbon market would be about double the size of what is being considered by Congress. That investment would be sufficient to construct a nationwide smart grid, retrofit every building in America for energy efficiency, and produce 20 percent of electricity from renewable sources — all by 2020. HeadCount To Host SXSW Panel Andy — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:45:46 +0000 HeadCount will host a panel at the South by Southwest Music Conference titled "Effecting Social Change via Music and Technology." SXSW is the premier US music-industry event, attracting up-and-coming musicians, filmmakers, promoters, executives, and entrepreneurs to Austin, Texas, for a week of music, meetings, and revelry. Selected and elected from among hundreds of candidates,"Effecting Social Change via Music and Technology will take place Saturday, March 20. Speakers will include: Andy Bernstein, Executive Director, HeadCount (Moderator) Scott Goodstein, Consultant, Air Traffic Control Ann Jones Donohue, Director of Marketing, Musictoday Michael Martin, CEO, Effect Partners Inc. If you happen to be heading to SXSW, please stop by. Special thanks to SXSW organizers – and everyone who VOTED for this panel – for recognizing HeadCount and the topic's importance. Taqwacore: The Novel, The Movie Richard Gehr — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:16:28 +0000 In 2002 Michael Muhammad Knight published a remarkable novel called The Taqwacores, which portrayed a fictitious scene inhabited by Islamic punk rockers. The two groups aren't so different, he writes. "Both began in tremendous bursts of truth a vitality but seem to have lost something along the way – the energy, perhaps, that seems to come with knowing the world has never seen such positive force and fury and never would again. Both have suffered from sell-outs and hypocrites, bur also from true believers whose devotion had crippled their creative drive. Both are viewed by outsiders as unified, cohesive communities, when nothing could be further from the truth." Shortly after The Taqwacores was published, a 16-year-old Texas Muslim named Kourosh Poursalehi, part of a band called Vote Hezbollah, wrote Knight. He wondered how he could get in touch with those spiky-haired Shi'ites and veiled riot grrrls. Although they only existed in Knight's imagination, the writer and rocker began contacting Muslim bands and booked a national tour. Vote Hezbollah, the Kominas, and Secret Trial Five (whose songs include "Middle Eastern Zombies") began crossing the country in a spray-painted school bus. The tour emulated a scene from Knight's book, in which it is suggested that "We should go out west sometime. Get a van. Make like an interstate jam'aat. And along the way we'd round up all the queer alims, drunk imams, punk ayatolahs, masochistic muftis, junkie shaykhs, retarded mullahs, and guttermouthed maulanas as we could find." Islamic punks have been thrown out of an Islamic Society of North America convention's open-mike night, smashed guitars, and raised middle fingers in opposition to conservative Muslims and infidel punks alike. The tour and subsequent high jinks have been captured in Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam, a new documentary by Pakistani-Canadian director Omar Majeed. "This one's called 'Sharia Law in the USA!'" begins the doc's trailer, below. Chris Jordan's 'Running The Numbers' Richard Gehr — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:54:16 +0000 Hundreds of books have been written about visualizing information, how we transform abstract data into images and concepts that actually mean something to us. Seattle-based artist Chris Jordan takes photographs of common objects, even garbage, and digitally manipulates them into larger statements about mass consumption and waste. The work seen above, for example, is called "Plastic Bottles" (2007) and "depicts two million plastic beverage bottles, the number used in the US every five minutes." Other works depict 166,000 packing peanuts representing the number of overnight packages shipped by air in the United States every hour, the 28,000 42-gallon barrels of oil consumed in the US every two minutes, and the 426,000 cell phones disposed of in the US every day. Looking at Jordan's work helps adjust your sense of scale. We sure are a big country and we sure use a lot of stuff. "Plastic Bottles" is part of Running the Numbers: An American Self-Portrait: Running the Numbers looks at contemporary American culture through the austere lens of statistics. Each image portrays a specific quantity of something: fifteen million sheets of office paper (five minutes of paper use); 106,000 aluminum cans (thirty seconds of can consumption) and so on. My hope is that images representing these quantities might have a different effect than the raw numbers alone, such as we find daily in articles and books. Statistics can feel abstract and anesthetizing, making it difficult to connect with and make meaning of 3.6 million SUV sales in one year, for example, or 2.3 million Americans in prison, or 32,000 breast augmentation surgeries in the U.S. every month. This project visually examines these vast and bizarre measures of our society, in large intricately detailed prints assembled from thousands of smaller photographs. Employing themes such as the near versus the far, and the one versus the many, I hope to raise some questions about the roles and responsibilities we each play as individuals in a collective that is increasingly enormous, incomprehensible, and overwhelming. "Chris Jordan: Running The Numbers – It Changes The Way You View The World" is on display in Seattle's Art + Science at Pacific Science Center through January 3. How To Legalize It by Speaking New Jersey Jonathan Perri — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:07:12 +0000 The Garden State is shaping up to be the next state to legalize medical marijuana. Back in February, the New Jersey Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act passed 22-16 in the NJ Senate, and the NJ Assembly health committee passed an amended version of the bill in June. NJ Gov. Jon Corzine (D) said he supports the bill and would sign it into law. But that's only if it reaches his desk by January. Corzine lost his bid for re-election and will be succeeded by Republican Chris Christi, who has expressed concerns about the bill. The NJ medical-marijuana campaign has been so successful due to the efforts of Drug Policy Alliance of New Jersey, which has led the grassroots campaign and gained the support of the New Jersey State Nurses Association, the New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians, and other state health organization. Public support for medical marijuana in the state has reached 86%. More support for the legislation came from the story of Jersey resident John Ray Wilson, who suffers from multiple sclerosis and is currently facing 20 years in prison for growing marijuana to treat his condition. NJ Sen. Nicholas Scutari, primary sponsor of the medical-marijuana bill, has asked Gov. Corzine to pardon Wilson. New Jersey's homicide rate that has risen 31% since 1998, and the state is struggling with a $34 billion dollar deficit. It’s hard to believe that state prosecutors and Charlie Christi are so keen on spending tax dollars to prosecute and imprison a nonviolent medical marijuana user and oppose legislation that would free up police resources and bring in tax revenue with the implementation of medical-marijuana dispensaries. Then I thought, maybe no one has explained this to them in a way they can understand. So I’ll give it a go: “Hey, how ya doan? Listen brah. This guy that’s smokin’ the ganja to help with his MS or whatevah, he needs that stuff so he can eat an Italian sub with bomb cold cuts and and it ain’t like I can’t already get dank buds all the time just by goin’ down to da shore. Why don’t yous guys free up some mula so we can get betta parkways and da cops can go aftah all those friggin' douche bags that raised our murdah rates? Capeesh?” Influenced By US Fundamentalists, Uganda Seeks Death Penalty for Gays Jonathan Perri — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:13:44 +0000 Uganda President Yoweri Museveni is expected to sign into law the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which will expand punishments for gays, including lengthy prison sentences for homosexuals and sympathizers, and impose the death penalty for HIV-positive gays. Homosexuality is already a crime in Uganda, but the Anti-Homosexuality Act creates the new crime of "aggravated homosexuality" and promises more severe punishments. Even knowing that someone is gay and not reporting it to the authorities can land you a three-year prison term. Think the law is unfair and want to speak out publicly against it? You'll face seven years in prison just for saying that killing gay people is wrong. Homosexual sex alone will earn life imprisonment, while HIV-positives who do it will face the death penalty. President Museveni, no friend to the gay-rights community, believes that being gay is against God's will. He is expected to sign the bill into law. Uganda's State Minister for Ethics, James Nsaba Buturo, explained the need for such extremism: "We are talking about anal sex. Not even animals do that," Butoro told the Guardian, adding that he was personally caring for six "former homosexuals" who had been traumatized by the experience. "We believe there are limits to human rights." How likely is it that the law will pass? Sadly, it seems to be imminent. Ugandans like to reproduce; the average birth rate is 6.7 children per woman. Families are big and the country's attitude toward homosexuality is influenced their by attitudes toward fertility and reproduction. Nearly 1 million people are HIV positive in Uganda, and the government does not support harm-reduction measures such as condoms.Such HIV efforts as there were came via evangelical churches, which promote abstinence over condom use, while access to treatment and prevention for gay men was intentionally avoided, leaving that demographic at a high risk for HIV transmission. One can only imagine the witch hunt for gays, lesbians, and their friends that will ensue throughout Uganda if the law is passed, as seems likely. US Christian leaders who oppose the Anti-Homosexuality Act have released a statement describing the proposed law as being contrary to the values of Christianity. The Anti-Homosexuality Law was apparently inspired by a seminar organized by the Family Life Network in Uganda, an organization that claims homosexuals are recruiting school children. "They give money to children to recruit schoolmates – once you have two children, the whole school is gone," says Stephen Langa, the group's founder. Three US evangelists, Scott Lively, Don Schmierer and Caleb Lee Brundidge, spoke at the seminar warning about the dangers of tolerating homosexuality. Lively is a well known anti-gay activist and president of Defend the Family International, a conservative Christian association, while Schmierer is an author who works with "homosexual recovery groups". Brundidge is a "sexual reorientation coach" at the International Healing Foundation. While Lively has said that the thinks the Uganda law is too harsh, he has not joined other Christian leaders in condemning the law. Connections have been made between the Anti-Homosexuality Act's author, David Bahati, and The Fellowship, an infamous group of fundamentalist politicians based in Washington D.C. Senator James Ihofe (R-OK) is thought to be the Fellowship member with the most influence in Uganda. Other congressmen involved with the group include Sen. Chuck Grassley(R-IA), Sen. John Thune (R-SD), and Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI). You can learn more about this disturbing yet fascinating group in Jeff Sharlet's book "The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power." This American Phish Richard Gehr — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:52:46 +0000 Forget about Phish 3.0. For a long time I reckoned there were only two Phish eras: the Clinton years and the Bush years. Having seen the band all three nights at Madison Square Garden last week, however, I'm forced to update that notion. Phish has now fully entered their – and our – Obama phase. Of course the band actually gestated during the first Bush administration. Phish released their first album the same year Bush entered office, and they established the rudiments of their groove while the "pragmatic caretaker" president floundered in the wake of Reagan administration's huge deficit. The country entered a recession as Phish began making headway as a touring band. These simmering upstarts were then a creative alternative to another widely inspiring, yet ultimately bloated and frail, California institution: the Grateful Dead. Phish truly flourished, however, during the Clinton administration. Their most fully developed album to date, Rift, arrived shortly after Bill Clinton took office. His tenure wasn't an American utopia by a long shot, but it was a time of relative peace and prosperity and remarkable technological advances. By now Phish was a fully established concern, the apotheosis of smart and talented middle- and upper-middle-class suburban white guys ready to take the world by storm. They were the Steve Jobs and Bill Gates of rock acts. Acid, education, indulgent families, and a newly prosperous society had all conspired to launch them into an amazing and amazingly profitable adventure. The band simply got better and better over the course of the decade, peaking, perhaps, in 1998. I don't mean to draw any direct parallels with these arguably off-the-wall comparisons. And yet: Clinton left office with a 66% approval rating, higher than any president since World War II. Personable, articulate, and a hard-working policy wonk, he had a weakness for women and was probably a victim of his own charisma. The economy was growing fast, probably too fast, and dark forces nibbled about the outskirts of the White House. Was Phish likewise "undermined" from within and without during the late nineties, as were the Clintons? Draw your own conclusions. (That particular album, perhaps their most underrated, didn't come out until 2004.) Suffice to say that in relative retrospect, the nineties now feel like golden years to many Americans – not to mention Phish fans of a certain age. The group began its hiatus in October 2000, only three months before the shit really began hitting the fans. Fine shows were played in 2003 and 2004 as the country went to war and the bottom dropped out of the economy yet again, but it was becoming apparent to nearly everyone with half a brain that things were spinning out of control in more ways than one. As citizens, it sometimes felt as though we were only safely ourselves when we were online. Real life was becoming increasingly terrifying. And of course Phish reached its nadir as a band almost exactly midway through the increasingly dreary Bush-Cheney years, at Coventry in August 2004. More personal calamities, and redemptions, would follow. So once again Phish enters an important new phase in tandem with a fresh administration. Obama had barely gotten used to his new parking spot when the band returned to Hampton in March. Summer felt like a period of mutual discovery, a tentative second date when we were still getting used to this new fling we really, really wanted to like but simply didn't know well enough yet to commit to. The online profile and videos seemed almost too good to be true, but we'd been burned before and the wounds were still fresh. Hope, nevertheless, springs eternal. So we found ourselves committed to a three-night date with Phish during a brisk New York December. Unlike Obama, who announced his Afghanistan escalation the night before the MSG run, Phish did not give the rug of our expectations a big yank. From Wednesday's "AC/DC Bag" opener to Friday's "Shine a Light" encore, Phish played with the solid vitality, commitment, and, yes, spirit of compromise exhibited by our 44th president. In a certain sense, attending Phish shows in 2009 is like the aging comedian's chestnut about being happy anywhere. Here we were once again, among old friends, digging a favorite group on a brisk late-fall evening. Like the song says, Phish wants us to be happy. Ah, if it were only so simple. The shows' focus, as expected, was on relatively concise, high-energy playing (and lighting!) And yet, I think many of us Phish "progressives" sensed an improvisational reserve we hadn't anticipated. Musically, Phish has never progressed in anything resembling a smooth arc. They fake left and right, veer back into the past, and then return to the future as though they'd never left it. Wednesday began with five songs that almost, yet not quite, marched chronologically from Phish '86 to Phish '09, and each was played with just as much verve and skill as the last. The inclusion of "Sample," "Sparkle," "Slave," and "Suzy" lent the impression of a beginner's guide to Phish courtesy of the letter S. Climaxes came fast and furiously, and my newbie plus-one seemed on the verge of whiplash from the severe disparity of styles on display. If anything was missing, besides extended improvisations (who would ever have imagined that the evening's aesthetic highlight would be provided by Chris Kuroda's lights during "Divided Sky"?), it was a sense of intimacy. I'm not saying the band was anything close to mercenary. But was I the only person to note that the most personal acknowledgment of the group's presence in this city at this time was Jon Fishman's "Watch out, New York!" aside during "Suzy Greenberg"? Do you really have to be a naked jerk to get any recognition from these guys in 2009? The music, of course, takes care of all the usual pleasantries and then some. It spoke loud and proud during "Antelope," the following night's "Down With Disease">"Piper" epiphany, the last half of Friday's first set, "Scents and Subtle…Seven Below," and during many other beautiful YouTube-able moments as well. Mike Gordon, a virtual force of bass nature, is now the band's most musically inventive co-pilot. Fishman drifted in and out of the mix like the ghost of Tony Williams, carrying the music forward on an ever-so-smooth rhythmic wave while busily adding countless filigrees. Page McConnell bounded in and out of focus like a romping St. Bernard, but I wish he'd head outside a little more assertively and a little more often. I found myself missing other things as well: the pranks, the jokes, the electronica, the scary darkness of a sonic cavern without walls. Trey Anastasio, like Barack Obama, seems to have everything under control – although you can only imagine what's really going on under that confidently effusive exterior. Do you really want to know everything the President of the United States knows about life on Earth? Me neither. Both Trey and Barry seem like type-A personalities deeply committed to garnering the approval of virtually everyone. They relish consensus and are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to attain it. Being a politician in America today is a lot like being a rock star – or any other celebrity for that matter. Used to be you only had to worry about the working press. Now you're being judged constantly by an naked guy with a Twitter account. That's an extraordinary amount of pressure should you pay attention to it. Personally, I like both these friendly yet ultimately distant figures just fine. But I yearn to see them wail without compromise from their respective bully pulpits. Please deliver us a single-payer health system and keep us out of Afghanistan, Mr. Obama. Please let down your guard and head for the invisible landscapes of your most experimental collective improvisations, Mr. Anastasio. Consider me nearly as reluctant to march against the former (although I would) as to remove my clothing just to elicit a good musical moment from the latter (no, I wouldn't). What a disappointment if Obama-era Phish turns out to be a crypto-conservative good-time outfit satisfied merely to deliver quality entertainment without the fearlessness of yore. Or perhaps they, like many of us, are just happy to be here in one piece after everything that's transpired over the last few years. Consider me cautiously optimistic. Over three nights I experienced enough moments of that old-fashioned ecstatic urgency to keep me believing for many a show to come. But one thing I know for sure: Time isn't elastic. Time is tight. (MSG photos by OpenEye via Flickr Creative Commons.) Paul McCartney's Meatless Mondays Richard Gehr — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:17:34 +0000 When I was a kid I was always a little confused by Fishstick Fridays. (And no, I really don't like fishsticks, but thanks for asking.) Growing up in WASP-y Oregon, I didn't make the Catholic connection until my teens. I eventually married a vegetarian of Irish-Catholic descent, and together we produced a couple of baby vegetarians, and so my meatless Fridays usually extend well into the following week. That is, unless I'm in a restaurant or dining with friends, in which case anything goes. So I guess that makes me a flexitarian or something. But I am a guilty meat eater, just as I am a guilty driver, airplane passenger, and garbage generator. I know how those delicious sausages are made, but that knowledge does nothing to enhance my dinner. I believe that personable Omnivore's Dilemma author Michael Pollan is essentially wrong and that annoying Face on Your Plate author Jeffrey Masson is probably entirely correct when it comes down to the higher moral road on the issue. Information concerning the extent to which meat production is wreaking havoc on the environment – whether by clear-cutting rainforests to increase beef production or the creation of manure lagoons by factory farming – is widely available. And so are skeptics just as willing to argue that rice fields emit huge amounts of methane. Fortunately, longtime vegetarian Paul McCartney has figured out a way to make the carnivore's dilemma a little less painful. During the European Parliament's "Less Meat = Less Heat" hearing on December 3, Sir Paul and climate-change expert Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri teamed up to endorse the Meatless Monday concept. McCartney is pushing a 'Meat-Free Mondays' campaign, aimed at encouraging people to cut down on their consumption. "Our campaign says 'try one meat-free day in the week'," he said. "It's very do-able. If you say to people, 'go vegetarian,' that's very hard to do. "But if you suggest to people 'one day,' I think most people will have a bit of a blow-out over the weekend and Monday they go to the gym. "Once, for instance, we didn't recycle - we weren't interested, but now it's an accepted part of our lifestyles." That's what I've always liked about McCartney. He's a radical who usually comes off as eminently reasonable, even a little old-fashioned. As demonstrated by his new corny-as-Kansas ode to Meat Free Monday: The Boss Backs Gay Marriage In New Jersey Jonathan Perri — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:51:51 +0000 A Senate vote on gay marriage in New Jersey was delayed today. But that didn't stop Bruce Springsteen from announcing his support of the bill on his website. Like many of you who live in New Jersey, I’ve been following the progress of the marriage-equality legislation currently being considered in Trenton. I’ve long believed in and have always spoken out for the rights of same sex couples and fully agree with Gov. Corzine when he writes that, “The marriage-equality issue should be recognized for what it truly is – a civil rights issue that must be approved to assure that every citizen is treated equally under the law.” I couldn’t agree more with that statement and urge those who support equal treatment for our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters to let their voices be heard now. The bill's primary sponsors Sens. Ray Lesniak (D) and Loretta Weinberg (D) called off the vote and the measure will go the Assembly for a hearing. Some NJ Senators who oppose gay marriage aren't happy about the last-minute move and claim it proves the bill would have failed. Here's Looking At You, Kids Dan Warry-Smith — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:24:12 +0000 There's nothing quite like a Phish fall tour. Gone are the chances of showers, lack of a full-on light show, and the soulless sheds of summer. The colder weather has come and, with it, a chance for fans to escape the elements altogether for a more intimate foray into musical escapism. Everyone is here: from the dreadlocked to the collar-popped. Saucer-eyed tour freaks brush shoulders with curious Ed Hardy-clad collegians, as revelers of all ages converge on a selection of arenas for a taste of Vermont's finest. Some have even brought along their children... At Detroit's legendary Cobo Arena, the tour is about to get underway. An excited fan in his thirties clutches a tall frosty beer in the front row. Nestled in his other arm, defiant of all logic, is a baby girl. The woman one assumes is this über-youngster's mother cohorts with friends nearby as the proud father gears up for a night of dependable fun. In an environment where the bizarre is often typical, this portrait sticks out more than the shirtless gentleman in a jester hat one section over. Even the teenaged hippie girl, sporting fairy wings and blowing bubbles, does a double take. Why on Earth would this baby be at a Phish show? It's easy to imagine this scene's backstory: the six-month old tot harshing his parents' mellow by demanding to attend the concert. Mom & Dad obviously had the best intentions, with a suitable babysitter lined up or the responsible willingness to stay home. No matter, this kid was ready to rock and would not be denied. Forget what others may think, and don't even suggest the use of earplugs. Babies need to hear Trey's machinegun precision as clearly (and loudly) as the rest of the crowd. She put her tiny foot down and got her way. On with the spectacle of light and sound... Anyone who has hopped on tour for even a scant few gigs has seen children on a vast amphitheater lawn, or scurrying between cars in a crowded parking lot. Local little ones partake on rare occasions, while the truly lucky squirts get to travel the country along with their nomadic guardians, sometimes even blessed enough to participate in the purveying of various goods. Outdoor shows, with their lower decibels and ample ventilation, might appear to be a "safer" or "more appropriate" place to integrate minors into the concertgoing life-style. But the truly hardcore toddlers know that inside is the place to be. As the lights drop and the space fills with the applause and weed smoke of more than ten thousand fans, our little tyke feels perfectly at home. The band she so dearly adores emerges from the shadows, and all is right with the world. While her peers nestle blandly in their cribs, drifting off to dream on the wings of sweet lullabies, she cranks it up to 11 and thanks her lucky stars that she has the opportunity to forgo the mundane formative routine of infancy. Any suggestion that things may be grossly amiss here is simple lunacy. So the next time you encounter a member of the under-five crowd at a raucous rock concert and wonder why - don't be confused, be jealous. Senator Hatch's Hanukkah Gift Jonathan Perri — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:05:09 +0000 I nearly always cringe when I see an old politician wearing headphones in a recording studio – or doing anything involving music and a camera. But Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) doesn't look that uncomfortable in a recording studio singing "Eight Days of Hannukah, a song he wrote for the holidays; but I still cringed a little. Turns out Hatch is a longtime songwriter, with one platinum and one gold album to his credit. The 75-year-old Morman, who specializes in Christian hymns, wrote his latest song as a gift to the Jewish people. “Anything I can do for the Jewish people, I will do,” Mr. Hatch said in an interview before heading to the Senate floor to debate an abortion amendment. “Mormons believe the Jewish people are the chosen people, just like the Old Testament says.” Does the first night of Hanukkah get any better than that? What won't a politician do for a Jewish vote or two? 'The People Speak!' On The History Channel Abby Brazina — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:49:54 +0000 This Sunday at 8 p.m. (EST), the History Channel will air “The People Speak!," based on A People’s History of the United States and Voices of a People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn. Through dramatic readings by pop-culture icons, this two-hour special brings to life the words of ordinary people who used their voices and the power of democracy to advocate for social change. Performers include Matt Damon (see video below), Benjamin Bratt, Viggo Mortensen, Sandra Oh, Rosario Dawson, Don Cheadle, John Legend, Marisa Tomei, Bruce Springsteen, and others. The soundtrack includes music by Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, Springsteen, John Legend, Pink, Taj Mahal, and HeadCount artist Eddie Vedder. As 2009 comes to a close, this gives me the perfect opportunity to reflect on all of the work HeadCount has done this year to encourage and enable concertgoers to “Make Your Voice Heard Everyday”. “The People Speak!” should inspire us to continue to use our own voices to bring about the change we wish to see in the world. John Mellencamp's Facebook Smoking Ultimatum Richard Gehr — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:34:13 +0000 Fourteen-year-old Speck Mellencamp talked his father, roots rocker (and Farm Aid co-founder) John Mellencamp into quitting smoking if he got a million people to join this Facebook page. It's up to 231,091 and still has a long way to go, in spite of Speck's chat with Scott Simon on NPR this weekend. Speck's page also suggests a model for coercing (i.e., shaming) friends and family into doing things they might otherwise not be inclined to do. These could include losing weight, seeing a dentist, getting a colonoscopy (actually more fun than you'd imagine), or any of the other myriad self-maintenance activities most of us would prefer to avoid, due to lack of insurance (thanks for nothing again, Joe Lieberman) or simple inertia. Question is, though, what's really taken Mellencamp this long to quit smoking? As commenters have pointed out, is John really going to keep puffing away if only 700,000 FB members care enough to click over to the page? The spirit is willing, but the flesh is getting a little leathery around the eyes, John. I understand the impulse to smoke when you're young and invincible – as long as you don't do it around me! (I'm talking to you, greasy-haired chain smoker in row M at Phish's June 2 show at Jones Beach.) But 58-year-old geezers like John really should know better, and I suspect that no amount of online pressure is going to make much of an impact on how he feels while sipping his morning coffee or snapping the tab off the evening's first Pabst. Sean Daly indicates as much in this 2004 with the artist formerly known as "Cougar": The first time I was married, I was 18. And the father of the woman I was married to was in his early 50s. His name was Chet. Lovely guy. Lovely guy. Big fat guy. His hair was all gray. Chet would eat and he would sweat. Ever see anybody sweat when they eat? That's bad. I was living in their house. I had no job. I was in a band. I was married to this guy's daughter, had a kid with her. Mooching off these people. And Chet treated me so good. Anyway, I used to see Chet get up in the night and smoke. Hack around. And I told myself, "I'll never do that. If ever do that, I'll quit." Now I get up in the night. No shirt on. Just a pair of underwear on. And I'll sit on the couch and smoke and think, "I'm Chet, man. I'm (bleepin') Chet." And if Mellencamp really did "know better," he probably wouldn't have named his son "Speck" 14 years ago. The son of a Victoria's Secret model (Elaine Irwin) deserves something less belittling. Maybe polling for a name change could be the kid's next FB project. Phanatic Phish iPhone App Funds Music Education Richard Gehr — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:57:11 +0000 Mr. Trey Anastasio could have a lot more free time on his hands. From now on, all he'll need to do to generate a setlist is give the Phanatic iPhone app a quick shake, as I just did, and – voilà – an imaginary setlist like this will be generated: Set 1 Mike's Song Weekapaug Groove If I Could My Soul The Landlady Wading in the Velvet Sea The Old Home Place Slave to the Traffic Light Set 2 Reba Split Open and Melt The Squirming Coil Llama Skin It Back Sleeping Monkey Lifeboy Rocky Top Encore Hold Your Head Up It looks vaguely old school because version 1.0 of the app doesn't yet include songs introduced on the Fall tour. But get in on the ground floor anyway, because this app's a steal and updates are coming down the pike. (Got a better one? Include it in the comments section.) And anyway, the shuffle function's just the icing on the cake of this $0.99 app loaded with comprehensive Phish.net setlists, stats, and links provided by our pals at the Mockingbird Foundation. Ten percent of the app's net sales (not just profits) will go to the Foundation, which has so far provided $609,750.40 to music-education efforts. The Phanatic app delivers all this and more: * Search every show by song, tour, date, venue, city, or state; watch YouTube videos with 1-click access from any setlist page; and email any setlist (real or fantasy) to friends with 1-click. * Ever wondered how unique the setlist is that you're currently seeing? Or how many times certain songs have been played in the same show, the same set, back-to-back, etc.? Phanatic allows you to type in the setlist during the show and calculate these stats in real time, with immediate updates on openers, closers, encores, bustouts, debuts, last seen dates, and more. * A Set-Shake feature allows you shake the device to get a random real setlist, or to randomly generate a fantasy setlist. * A Links section provides a comprehensive list of fan sites, official band links, and Phanatic App links to stay in the loop and find what you need. The Phanatic app is the Mockingbird's second iPhone licensing initiative. Released last month, iDIDN'TKNOW: Phish Game consists of five trivia exercises – Phinal Exam, Phanagrams, Phuzzy Math, Tour Libs, and Wookipedia – perfect for those long hours on the road between shows. The Xmas Factor Richard Gehr — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:56:58 +0000 'Tis the season to hear awful, horrible, terrible Christmas music everywhere. However, one of the cooler things about Warren Haynes's annual Christmas Jams, which I've never attended, unfortunately, is that nearly everyone who plays appears to eschew seasonal music for hard rocking, old-fashioned picking, and novel collaborations, e.g., Coheed & Cambria singing Dylan with Mr. Haynes last year. Few bands in ye olde improv-rock scene pay much attention to the Xmas vibe, even given the opportunity. I once had a peak experience as the Disco Biscuits broke into "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy," from Tchaikovsky's ballet, The Nutcracker, at the Hammerstein Ballroom; but they played that year-round during the late '90s. Same goes for Phish's occasional stabs at Vince Guaraldi's "Linus and Lucy," from A Charlie Brown Christmas, the seasonal perennial that debuted in 1965, about the year they were born. They also goofed on "The Little Drummer Boy" four times, usually during the summer. If you want to hear a Christmas album that doesn't wear out its welcome, look no further than Seasons Greetings From moe., a 2002 quickie that surprisingly stands the test of time. I just listened to it for the first time in, oh, seven years or so, and it brightened my morning considerably. Rob Derhak is apparently the Christmas-ophile responsible for forcing his bandmates to learn and record the album during soundchecks while the band was touring in September. What's great is how musical the album is, which is where the fun lies for this grinch (and Scrooge, too). I'd completely forgotten Al Schnier's "Fire on the Mountain" teases in the middle of moe.'s version of Linus and Lucy." Jim Loughlin's mallets bring out the subtle minimalism in "Carol of the Bells" (which would also make a good Dario Argento horrorshow scene scored by Gremlin). Derhak ("Together at Christmas") and Schnier ("Home") each contribute touching rockers testifying to how great it feels to return from the road. And it took a certain amount of curatorial smarts to come up with "We're a Couple of Misfits," a lesser-known tune by "Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer" composer Johnny Marks, which moe. performs punk-rock style à la the Misfits. There's a snazzy surf-rock rendition of "Oh Hanukah," Chuck Garvey croons "Blue Christmas," and their psychedelic slide-guitar take on "Silent Night" segues nastily into a very proggy "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desire." They wrap this nifty gift up with a rockabilly "Jingle Bells." Fortunately for my sanity, Seasons Greetings isn't the only holiday music I can tolerate. When the inevitable playlist must be constructed for a late-December get-together, you'll usually find tracks from these excellent albums on mine: Unsilent Night by Phil Kline A Caribbean Mas Christmas Party Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics The New Possibility: John Fahey's Guitar Soli Christmas Album Holidays! by Brave Combo Another Christmas Gift for You from Sonic Trout Records Messiah Remix Eclectic Method - Haul The Decks 2009 from Eclectic Method on Vimeo. Thom Yorke Live On 'The Stupid Show' Today Nicole Parisi-Smith — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:54:52 +0000 We're big fans of Radiohead's Tom Yorke and his involvement in the climate-change movement. If you receive the HeadCount Sustainability & Conservation e-newsletter, you already know that Yorke kicked off The Age of Stupid's September 21 premiere with a New York City acoustic performance that was broadcast live to theaters screening the film. (Yorke performed "Reckoner," as seen below). This drama-documentary-animation hybrid depicts an old man living in the devastated world of 2055, watching "archive" footage from 2008 and asking, "Why didn't we stop climate change while we had the chance?" At 2 p.m. EST today, Yorke will appear on "The Stupid Show," airing live from the same building where the international climate change negotiations are taking place in Copenhagen. (President Obama will speak at the United Nations Climate Change Conference tomorrow.) Presented by Age of Stupid director Franny Armstrong and Mark Lynas, author of Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet, "The Stupid Show" has been webcasting live every night of the conference, which concludes tomorrow. If you miss today's live webcast, check "The Stupid Show" website for the show's archives, including Yorke's appearance. (Nicole Parisi-Smith has been blogging about the Conference on Climate Change at Pop Culture Activist. Get the latest HeadCount Sustainability & Conservation e-newsletter here.) The Age of Stupid: Trailers: Global Premiere from Age of Stupid on Vimeo. Last Day To Vote On Poster Art admin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:09:20 +0000 Today is the last day to vote for the best Phish-related and political poster art of 2009, as HeadCount hosts elections in conjunction with The Mock Show. The Mock Show is an exhibit and market for poster art to be held in Miami on December 30 featuring the work of Jim Pollock, Jeff Wood and many other top visual artists. Proceeds from the sale of David Welker event posters and t-shirts will benefit HeadCount. To order, visit the Mock Show order page. To vote on the best posters, visit the HeadCount poster election page. HeadCount Is Hiring admin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:12:46 +0000 HeadCount will add a full-time, salaried position early next year to work in our New York City office. Candidates must be passionate about both music and grassroots organizing, dedicated, self-motivated, creative and ready for a true adventure. Most importantly, he or she must bring a unique set of skills and demonstrate a clear ability to be an essential member of our team. This can include any combination of marketing, communications, artist relations, digital media, grassroots organizing, sponsorship sales, fundraising or nonprofit management experience. Recent college graduates with relevant extracurricular activities or professionals with 1 to 4 years of work experience are encouraged to apply. Salary, title and responsibilities will be determined based on the qualifications of the most outstanding candidate. To apply, please visit www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZDH2QDV. Chewing On Copenhagen Richard Gehr — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:22:54 +0000 What was achieved, or not, in Copenhagen? The Copenhagen Accord's goal is laid out in Article 2: 2. We agree that deep cuts in global emissions are required according to science, and as documented by the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report with a view to reduce global emissions so as to hold the increase in global temperature below 2 degrees Celsius, and take action to meet this objective consistent with science and on the basis of equity. We should cooperate in achieving the peaking of global and national emissions as soon as possible, recognizing that the time frame for peaking will be longer in developing countries and bearing in mind that social and economic development and poverty eradication are the first and overriding priorities of developing countries and that a low-emission development strategy is indispensable to sustainable development. Judging the accord almost solely on the basis of its domestic political implications, The New York Times declares a victory for Obama, who "may have improved his chances for passing global warming legislation in the Senate by forging an interim international agreement here that puts both rich and poor countries on a path to curtail greenhouse gas emissions." Details of the Accord remain to be worked out before it becomes binding. The target for the global temperature reduction mentioned in Article 2 will not have to be met until 2020 – several election cycles from now. The Senate climate legislation mentioned above is a long ways away from being passed. The United States still refuses to sign the 1997 United Nations-sanctioned Kyoto Protocol agreed to by 187 nations. The Copenhagen Accord, on the other hand, works outside the United Nations. Obama cut a deal that would put the United States, India, China, Brazil, and South Africa at the center of climate control -- leaving Europe out of the deal altogether. With no central authority, such as the UN, to monitor these countries' promises, the whole accord resembles something of a big handshake deal among these countries. What do the experts think? Jeffrey D. Sachs, Professor of Economics and Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, takes an extremely negative view on the proceedings: Two years of climate change negotiations have now ended in a farce in Copenhagen. Rather than grappling with complex issues, President Barack Obama decided instead to declare victory with a vague statement of principles agreed with four other countries. The remaining 187 were handed a fait accompli , which some accepted and others denounced. After the fact, the United Nations has argued that the document was generally accepted, though for most on a take-it-or-leave-it basis. ... Obama’s decision to declare a phony negotiating victory undermines the UN process by signaling that rich countries will do what they want and must no longer listen to the “pesky” concerns of many smaller and poorer countries. Some will view this as pragmatic, reflecting the difficulty of getting agreement with 192 UN member states. But it is worse than that. International law, as complicated as it is, has been replaced by the insincere, inconsistent, and unconvincing word of a few powers, notably the US. America has insisted that others sign on to its terms – leaving the UN process hanging by a thread – but it has never shown goodwill to the rest of the world on this issue, nor the ability or interest needed to take the lead on it. From the standpoint of actual reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions, this agreement is unlikely to accomplish anything real. It is non-binding and will probably strengthen the forces of opposition to emissions reductions. Who will take seriously the extra costs of emissions reduction if they see how lax others’ promises are? Ed Millbrand in the UK's Guardian sees the glass half full, however. He blames China for not agreeing to 50% reductions in global emissions by 2050, or on 80% reductions by developed countries – although China could merely have been taking the fall for other developed nations. He sees hope in the international consensus acknowledging the science behind fears of climate change, and likes the idea that billions of dollars may soon trickle down from rich countries to poorer countries to ameliorate the effects of such change. In the end, he writes, that anything was done at all must be regarded as an accomplishment, particularly in the current economic climate. The challenge for all of us is not to lose heart and momentum. The truth is that the global campaign, co-ordinated by green NGOs, backed by business and supported by a wider cross section of the public, has achieved a lot. We would never have had targets from so many countries, the engagement of leaders, and the agreement on finance without this sort of mobilisation. Chase Bank Rejects Marijuana And Pro-Life Charities Jonathan Perri — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:16:13 +0000 I was excited that Chase Bank was going to do something positive with some of their post-"crises" windfall profits. The financial giant organized Chase Community Giving, a Facebook contest to give away $5 million to charities. An application allowed nonprofit organizations to compete for votes in two rounds; the top 100 vote getters win $25,000 and become eligible for up to $1 million more. The winning organizations were announced late last week but a few organizations are crying foul. I happen to work for one of them, Students for Sensible Drug Policy. SSDP and the Marijuana Policy Project were both noticeably absent from the list of winning organizations yet are confident they placed in the top 100. However, neither received a disqualification notice nor saw the total number of votes they earned. Two days before voting ended, Chase removed the vote counters that appeared on each organization's page, thereby making it impossible to know exactly where any organization stood on the final day of voting. So how do these organizations know they were in the top 100? SSDP's good friends at the National Youth Rights Association (NYRA), who made it into the first round, kept track of the leaders. NYRA's Executive Director, Alex Koroknay-Palicz explained the situation to the New York Times: “For the most part, the organizations Chase picked were exactly the organizations we expected to win, because we had spent a lot of time and effort tracking it,” Mr. Koroknay-Palicz said. “So the biggest surprise was SSDP and a couple of pro-life groups, as well as the organization called the Prem Rawat Foundation, didn’t make it, because they had been doing pretty well.” According to the leader board he created, Students for Sensible Drug Policy collected 2,305 votes through Dec. 9, when organizations no longer could track their votes or see who had voted for them. The Marijuana Policy Project had 1,911 votes, and Justice for All had 1,512. SSDP was unofficially in fourteenth place two days before voting ended, so it's hard to imagine that we wouldn't make it in the top 100. Chase is unwilling to explain whether groups were disqualified or how the winners were finally determined. This suggests that Chase decided the appropriate organizations to award their money to. It also implies that non-winners didn't have the public's support. Since most Americans support legalization, it's really no surprise that organizations working on the issue would have make it in the top 100. Although Chase neither donated money to SSDP nor would explain what happened, they've had no problem providing our banking services for more than three years. Not any more. The organization is boycotting Chase. Interview: STS9's David Phipps On The Conspiratorial Nature Of Giving Richard Gehr — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 21:23:29 +0000 They may be one of the spacier, more experimental, and more mystically inclined bands on the improv-rock circuit, but Santa Cruz instrumental quintet STS9 also have their feet planted firmly in consensual reality. On their tenth album, Ad Explorata, released earlier this month on the group's own 1320 label, STS9 blends vintage analog electronics with a conspiratorial back story perfectly suited for a classic "X-Files" episode or a Thomas Pynchon novel. There's an Alice in Wonderland element to it, too, insofar as their adventure began the day keyboardist David Phipps's young daughter, Aya, began spinning the dial of a shortwave radio in the band's studio. An atmospheric tour de force, Ad Explorata offers delicate interstellar transmissions, impish premonitions, and the occasional skull-cracking beats. As the band prepped for a Denver New Year's Eve run (and subsequent tour) that kicks off with the first acoustic STS9 show to date, we spoke to David Phipps (bringing up the rear in this photo) about how the band, with the help of its audience, does what it can to make the world a better place in which to explore the eternal mysteries of music, magic, and Mayan prophecies. HeadCount: How did STS9 decide to make doing good works such a large part of its identity? David Phipps: We felt like we’re really lucky. We get to be artists and people support our music. We've been given a one-in-a-million kind of life, and we’ve always felt that since musicians have a platform for social activism, it's the artist's responsibility to use it for the greater good. When did your philanthropic activism begin? Phipps: The first official philanthropy we did was several years ago through Conscious Alliance. Fans would donate food at a show and get a free limited-edition poster. But there was never a collective decision to donate profits to charities; we just figured out ways to bring charity into what we were doing already. All of our charity relies on the direct participation of the fan base. We donate a dollar out of each ticket we sell; so in a way, it’s not even our money being donated. We're collecting and converting our fans' money to those goals. As we worked with Conscious Alliance and this dollar-a-ticket thing, we began focusing on a variety of different charities for two or three years. Last year, though, we decided to put it all toward one thing — the most significant thing we could make happen. We settled on trying to build a house in a year with the Make It Right Foundation. How does the band decide which causes to support? Phipps: It's collective. One of the things we supported was my brother, Allan Phipps. He teaches at South Plantation High School in South Florida, where he started a solar race-car team with his students called the Solar Knights. They compete nationally and actually won the championship last year on wheels we bought for their car, which featured STS9 logos. So that's been near and dear to me. And Santa Cruz, where we live, actually went bankrupt last year. So we worked with Mariposa's Art, which organizes after-school art and music programs for at-risk youth. It’s very close to home. We can see the results of our work while also seeing what happens when nobody does anything. My brother’s race team budget consists entirely of outside donations now. The school system doesn't support it. Have you decided where you'll concentrate your support in 2010? Phipps: Not yet. Our goal for Make It Right is to donate $150,000 to build an entire house. We just broke $100,000 in early December, and we’re really proud of that, so we’re going to stick with it until we reach our goal. We did a remix project for Peaceblaster, and we'll probably do another one for Ad Explorata. But the dollar-per-ticket we get from our fan base provides most of the money we donate. How has the band dealt with health care over the years. What are your thoughts on the issue as a working musician? Phipps: We’re pretty much on our own. Not all of our members are in the full health-care system, with doctor visits and everything else. I have a family, so I am, but it’s one of the biggest wastes of money in my life. What’s out there right now doesn’t really meet my needs or align with my views on preventive care. So I think I'm right in line with everybody else who believes it’s a crazy situation that needs to be addressed, and I'm looking forward to seeing what I can move into with my family over the next year. I lived in Japan for eight years and they have socialized medicine. So an ambulance, CAT scans, and three days in a hospital after a bike wreck cost about $320. You can’t even look at an ambulance for that money in this country. I heard you were doing something different with your street team to market Ad Explorata. Phipps: Our manager runs the street team and marketing, and we use a company called Cornerstone. From what I’ve heard, it's really cool. The grassroots street team sends out promotional materials and report back with pictures of them hanging posters or placing CDs and flyers, and it's all collected on the website. It’s a way of getting in the thick of promoting the album as a fan, and it seems to work well. We try to stay up to date with what we do — we’re on Twitter now. It’s easy to be nimble and adapt when we’re our own bosses and not following some corporate marketing plan. Have your thoughts about file sharing evolved since your open letter on the band's online forum, the Lowdown, a few years ago? Phipps: Most definitely. I was a young, naïve, freaking-out parent-to-be when I wrote that. My viewpoint changed even a short month after that. For the most part, I ran the website and the Lowdown from the early days of the band. And the Lowdown especially, back in the day, was a couple of hundred people including personal friends. When I wrote that letter I was addressing what I perceived as a close circle of fans of the band and obviously was naïve in thinking that would stay in the forum. Our band is incredibly successful in the live concert arena. And whether the music is shared legally or illegally, it ultimately does help our organization bring more people in to buy concert tickets. I gave up on the idea that an album should sell however many thousand copies as a measurement of success as long as more people come out to concerts. Every time we go to a city we sell out more venues than we did before, and we play in better slots on festival line-ups all the time, so our band is still moving forward. We’re not being cheated in our careers. A lot of artists need to take that perspective. It’s part of the music industry's changing landscape. I still take a lot of pride in spending a lot of time making music, and I don’t value that music as worth zero. I don’t value it as something that should be priced at free. "The Genesis of Ad Explorata," which came with my review copy, tells a long and nearly unbelievable story about how the band's interest in shortwave-radio numbers stations led to a friendly cryptographer sending you off to find a military bunker in the Big Sur backwoods. You found some mysterious documents, pictures, a knife, and a patch containing the mysterious symbol featured on the album cover. It turned out that the symbol was associated with a black ops unit that gathered intelligence via satellites during the Cold War and that their motto was "Ad Explorata, Forward Into the Unexplored." Is that all true? Phipps: It’s incredibly true. How did it influence the album? Medeski Martin and Wood were really big when we were coming up. They were in their funky acoustic paradigm, before it got too avant garde, and I almost went that direction. Then I got a Juno 106, went full overboard into synthesizers, and never turned back. Over the last year and a half or so I've really gotten into modular synthesizers, where each function has its own module – like the Keith Emerson wall of patch cables. I've been collecting vintage gear and reconstructed synthesizers made by young engineers who draw from that era's schematics and rebuild the equipment in this boutiquey niche. You have to hurry up to get in line to wait eight months for it to be finished. It's super fun and rewarding. A lot of the sound on Ad Ex came from that. The vintage gear seeded a lot of our creativity over the summer. At the same time we were researching some of the clues we had gotten from our Big Sur expedition. And [guitarist] Hunter [Brown] is on a lot of different conspiracy websites. He's probably tagged by the FBI for what he reads online. That was kind of the vibe throughout the creation of this album. It went really fast compared to anything we’ve done before. Since finishing the album, however, we’ve been getting ready for the Axe the Cables acoustic show, and we haven’t plugged anything in for power for the last month and a half and I've just been playing piano. We’ve never done an acoustic show, but after we decided to we started rehearsing and a lot of our old songs sounded really good just on piano and acoustic guitar, with Zach [Velmer] playing drums with brushes. It’s a very peaceful, mature sound, and super fun for us to play. We already had a small batch of slow, cinematic songs we wrote for the soundtrack to a totally bizarre little indie film called All God's Children Can Dance. So we’ll be debuting more new acoustic songs than live versions of Ad Explorata songs. It’s the first night of our three-night Denver run in a nice opera house. It’s probably not going to be the last acoustic show we do, and it's very inspiring. Who’s the fellow on the cover of Ad Explorata? Phipps: I'm not sure if I'm allowed to tell the whole story. Hunter took the picture in Tokyo. He was walking down the street and felt ice hitting him in the head. He turned around and saw this guy in a taxi cab. No, I really can’t tell this story. Has STS9 nailed down plans for December 2012 yet? Phipps: No comment as of yet, but we are planning toward 2012. We feel that even the story that came out of Ad Explorata is just the season premiere of something that will run through 2012. I can’t say anything more than that. We’re very mysterious these days. Phish Back 'Your Three Words' On 'Good Morning America' Andy — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 18:04:03 +0000 There's a strange phenomenon any true Phish fan is familiar with: When you hear a Phish song outside the usual context, on television or at a stadium or in a store, it stops you in your tracks and sometimes puts a lump in your throat. I've gotten up and danced to "Guyute" on The Weather Channel, even though I don't even like "Guyute." And when Madison Square Garden started playing "Tweezer Reprise" before the second period of each Rangers game this season, I felt like my life had truly reached its full circle zenith. With that in mind I share something that will choke up even the most hardened among you: "Backwards Down the Number Line" on "Good Morning America"'s Three Words segment. Happy Holidays. Click below to view: Phish on Good Morning America\'s Three Words Segment Drink Up, America, It's The Holidays Jonathan Perri — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 18:33:15 +0000 As Christmas, New Year's Eve, and a host of other wintery holidays invade our homes with annoying music, pine needles, Grandma's perfume, and loving yet judgmental relatives you see only a few times a year, one substance in particular helps most of us get through December relatively unscathed: alcohol. While seeing a typically shy co-worker tape mistletoe to his belt buckle and dance on a desk during the office party may lead you to believe the U.S. is among the world's top drinkers, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's latest data on liters per capita alcohol consumption around the world should remove the beer goggles from that assumption. Turns out the U.S. has some stiff competition. So drink up, America! Aside from being incredibly rich, there's no reason Luxembourgers (which are not Cristal-infused Whoppers) should be drinking us under the table. At least not during the holidays. Animal Collective's Deacon Raising Funds For Desert Adventure Jess C — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 21:48:19 +0000 Animal Collective's Joshua Dibb, AKA Deacon, hopes fans will kick in funds – and soon! – for his early-January trip to an amazing African festival. Dibb has been invited to Mali's annual Festival in the Desert, which takes place smack in the middle of the Sahara, in Essakane. It's a heavy trip combining local economics, politics, and simple injustice. To make the journey, Dibb needs to raise $25,000 for Temedt, a Bamako-based human-rights organization resisting the ongoing slavery of the Tuareg people based in Essakane. Problem is, Dibb has less than three days to fulfill his commitment through pledges that can be made on Kickstarter. A book and music, to be published by Animal Collective's Paw Tracks label, will document his trip through field recordings, his concert performance, writing, and photos. No pledge is too small, and every penny will go directly to Temedt. Patrons will receive everything from email updates to autographed deluxe editions of a CD, book, and memorabilia collected during his journey. Animal Collective recently topped British retailer HMV's "poll of polls" survey for their January album, Merriweather Post Pavilion Give Your Ears Some Love In The New Year Jonathan Perri — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 21:48:01 +0000 I love hearing but I hate earplugs. It's a predicament I'm sure is shared by most of the live-music community. I've tried to wear those fluorescent pieces of foam that constantly fall out, prevent you from talking to friends, and make it seem like you're listening underwater. I usually decide that Jake Cinninger's guitar solo is more important than my long term hearing and pull those bad boys out of my ears. But you've also probably experienced ringing in your ears hours after a concert. That's called tinnitus and it's the perception of sound when there really isn't any. According to the American Tinnitus Association, more then 50 million people in the U.S. have some form of tinnitus. "It's a phantom auditory sensation like phantom limb pain when an arm is cut off, and you feel pain in that missing limb," said Richard Salvi, a leading tinnitus expert and director of the Center For Hearing and Wellness at the University at Buffalo in New York. "Much the same seems to happen when you have tinnitus." Concerts typically have a sound level of about 110db, which is considered unsafe. Plenty of earplugs won't fully compromise the music, with some costing well over $100 a pair. Fortunately, a friend recently turned me on to Ear Love, very affordable earplugs (about $16 a pair) that are also comfortable, visually subtle, and lower sound levels by 20db without losing much quality. They also come in various colors in a nifty carrying case. Metallica's Lars Ulrich, who suffers from tinnitus (what a surprise), has been spreading the word about preventing ear damage. "If you get a scratch on your nose, in a week that'll be gone," Ulrich said. "When you scratch your hearing or damage your hearing, it doesn't come back. I try to point out to younger kids ... once your hearing is gone, it's gone, and there's no real remedy." So I've decided my New Year's resolution isn't about losing 20 pounds or only eating organically (not bad ideas, actually). I'm giving my ears some love instead. Dave Matthews, Other HeadCount Bands Meet Their (Big) Numbers Richard Gehr — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 22:44:01 +0000 HeadCount supporters the Dave Matthews Band topped the Associated Press's list of the decade's 50 biggest concert tours, selling 11.6 million tickets for $529.1 million ("based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers"). Other top moneymakers include Celine Dion, Kenny Chesney, Bruce Springsteen, and the Rolling Stones. Phish squeaked onto the list at #49 – between Barbra Streisand and James Taylor – with receipts of $116.7 million from 2.6 million tickets. Phish were off duty for more than half the decade, however, so doubling that figure would have kicked them up to #15, replacing Metallica. The Dave Matthews Band's Grammy-nominated Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King also came in at #5 on Apple's list of the best-selling iTunes albums of 2009 (AKA iTunes Rewind 2009). The Kings of Leon, though, topped the albums chart with Only By the Night (right above the Twilight soundtrack album and Lady Gaga) The Kings' "Use Somebody" also rated #10 on the download store's singles list, which was topped by the Black Eyed Peas' "Boom Boom Pow" and Flo Rida's "Right Round," a song I have never heard. And finally, the Fray's The Fray made #7 on the albums list. Industrial Hemp's Impending Growth Spurt Richard Gehr — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:58:48 +0000 Industrial hemp may see federal legalization soon. States including North Dakota and Montana have been testing its use since the mid-'90s and North Dakota is suing the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) for the right to grow hemp. Farmers in North Dakota and Vermont, along with David Bronner (of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps) and representatives of Vote Hemp were all arrested in October for planting hemp seeds on the DEA's front lawn. Maine and Oregon legalized industrial hemp in 2009, and North Dakota has been selling growing licenses since 2007. Representative Ron Paul (R-TX) introduced HR1866 – The Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2009 – in April. The following month it was referred to the House's Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. (Farmers can be dangerous.) Growing industrial hemp is illegal on the federal level. According to Vote Hemp, 28 states have introduced hemp legislation and 16 have passed legislation. Laws legalizing it in Hawaii, Kentucky, and New Hampshire were shot down last year, but many states continue to push for legalization. Wisconsin’s bill is “active” and Minnesota’s was "carried" to 2010. Montana, New Mexico, and Vermont’s bills were carried to congressional delegation in 2009. North and South Carolina committed to research in 2006 and 2008, respectively. In 2007, Idaho's requesting permission from the federal government to legalize hemp farming killed its legalization bill. And Governor Schwarzenegger terminated California's legalization bill with a veto. Several states have been studying hemp's agricultural worth since the mid-'90s. Which seems a little odd insofar as the U.S. government actually subsidized hemp cultivation during World War II. Fibers from particular strands of Cannabis sativa can be made into paper and clothing products, while its oils and seeds are useful for body care and food, respectively. The fiber strands of Cannabis sativa are not psychoactive, as they contain less than 3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). It is believed that publisher William Randolph Hearst led the charge to demonize marijuana and hemp during the 1930s because he owned large tracts of timber – hemp's competition in the paper marketplace. Industrial hemp grows rapidly and creates a canopy that hinders weeds. It's relatively resistant to insects and has a long growing period (85-150 days) and broad climatic requirements (it could be grown across many of the United States). It depletes the soil less than cotton, and it demands fewer, or no, pesticides and herbicides, making it better for our waterways. Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew hemp. Henry Ford made cars out of hemp: cannibus carbohydrates worked at least as well than plastic's petroleum hydrocarbons to the dismay of the petrochemical industry. The current economy and our renewed environmental responsibilities, on the other hand, suggests that industrial hemp's time may have returned. 'Mock Show' Draws Attention During Phish Run Jamie_Huntsman — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:08:33 +0000 Among the myriad of things to do during the sunny off hours of Phish's four-night Miami New Year's Eve run, the Mock Show topped the list for many. The poster and art exhibit featured the work of Jim Pollock, David Welker, Jeff Wood, AJ Masthay and many other artists and a set of music from the Heavy Pets (below). It was held at the Hyatt Regency Miami (a last-minute venue change caused by a Legionnaire’s Disease scare at the EPIC Hotel), on December 30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. I was amazed to find fans lined up as early as 7 a.m. (when we started setting up) eager to get their hands on limited releases of Phish-inspired art as well as some leftover official releases. HeadCount, which co-sponsored and benefited from the show, held an amazing silent auction, which included an EMEK-autographed Rothbury poster and a G20 poster and pass set by Shepard Fairey. Other artists donated cool raffle prizes. HeadCount also held an online Mock Vote allowing fans to elect their favorite 2009 poster art. More than 1500 votes were cast and the results are in (Golden Tube winners Isadora Bullock, Tripp, and Jon Lamb pictured to your right): Best Official Phish Print of 2009 – Tyler Stout, "Noblesville" Best Phish Fan Print of 2009 – Isadora Bullock, "Tower Jam" Best Hampton Phish Fan Print 2009 – Jon Lamb, "Hampton" Best Red Rocks Fan Print 2009 – David Welker, "Lady of the Rock" Best Festival 8 Fan Print 2009 – Isadora Bullock, "Indio Llama" Best Phish Series – Official or Fan 2009 – Tripp, "Red Rocks" Best Non-Poster Art of 2009 – Jim Pollock, "Masks" Best Political Art of 2009 – Banksy, "Monkey Parliament" HeadCount also asked fans to vote on their favorite art unveiled at the Mock Show: Best New Year’s Eve Fan Print – AJ Masthay, "Miami Heat" Best Mock Show Print – AJ Masthay, "Mock Show" Best Art of Mock Show – David Welker, "The Levitator" All winning artists in attendance received the coveted Golden Tube Award. As both HeadCount’s art director as well as an artist showing at Mock Show, I was working double duty. The show went by in a whirlwind of handshakes, sales, hugs, and, when I had a minute to view the art, a feast for the eyes. My highlight was presenting the awards. It felt wonderful to acknowledge these artists' hard work and talent. I wish I could have awarded every nominated artist. If you didn't make it to Miami, or couldn’t get up early enough to attend the Mock Show, you can always support the artists contributing to the scene by purchasing their work. A list of all participating artists can be found at the Mock Show website. (Photography copyright Presscott McDonald.) State Radio Rides Again With 'Pre-Show Action' Richard Gehr — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 22:57:41 +0000 Last month marked the thirtieth anniversary of the Clash's London Calling, one of the best rock albums ever. While there's sadly few bands left to build upon those punks' massive yawp of agitated roots-rock, State Radio happens to be one of them. And while I'm not sure the Clash were particularly eager to man the barricades or shovel the shit themselves, State Radio has made local activism part and parcel of their everyday activity, for which they could not be more highly commended. During the trio's Let It Go: Lefty Rides Again Tour, which begins January 13, the group will participate in ten "Pre-Show Actions," as they call them, daytime community-service projects tied to both local issues as well as the group's ongoing involvement in human rights, stoves for Sudanese women (for which they've raised $100,000 to date), and freedom for Troy Anthony Davis. Calling All Crows, State Radio's activist offshoot, is named after a song by guitarist Chad Urmston, which you can download here and see the band perform right here: "Let It Go: Lefty Rides Again" Tour: 1/13/10 - Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress 1/14/10 - San Diego, CA @ House of Blues* 1/15/10 - Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey 1/16/10 - San Francisco, CA @ the Fillmore* 1/17/10 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom 1/19/10 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox 1/20/10 - Bozeman, MT @ Emerson Center 1/21/10 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Murray Theater* 1/22/10 - Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater* 1/23/10 - Aspen, CO @ Belly Up 1/26/10 - Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop 1/27/10 - Rochester, NY @ Water Street Music Hall 1/28/10 - Providence, RI @ Lupo's* 1/29/10 - Montclair, NJ @ Wellmont Theater 1/30/10 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory* 2/10/10 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room 2/11/10 - Orlando, FL @ The Social* 2/12/10 - Charleston, SC @ Music Farm 2/13/10 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety* 2/14/10 - Birmingham, AL @ Workplay 2/16/10 - Nashville, TN @ Exit/In 2/17/10 - St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant 2/18/10 - Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre 2/19/10 - Chicago, IL @ Metro 2/20/10 - Champaign, IL @ High Dive* 2/23/10 - Cincinnati, OH @ 20th Century Theater 2/24/10 - Charlottesville, NC @ Jefferson Theatre 2/25/10 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle 2/26/10 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club 2/27/10 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club* 3/3/10 - Dallas, TX @ House Of Blues 3/6/10 - New Orleans, LA @ Tipitina's * - indicates pre-show Action (community service via Calling All Crows) (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images North America) Disco Biscuits Tour Planet With 'Anthem' Richard Gehr — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 21:28:59 +0000 Continuing our two-day tribute to MTV News, the Disco Biscuits have announced a 25-show tour beginning January 28 with four nights at Boulder's Fox Theater and concluding April 25 at the Webster Theatre in Hartford, CT. Then on May 29, the quartet will host their second annual Bisco Inferno at Red Rocks. Along the way, the band will undoubtedly introduce material from its upcoming album, Planet Anthem, which drops February 2. Check out the electrosexxxy "On Time" here and dig the lusting bruise-rocking video for "You and I" below. The Biscuits recently completed a five-night New Year's Eve run at Manhattan's Nokia Theatre. And just when you thought nothing could be more cliché than a New Year's countdown, the Biscuits brought this sketchy decade to an end with a dance party that seamlessly wove together the climaxes of their ten most "popular" tunes – 10) Orchestra Theme 9) Morph Dusseldorf 8) Run Like Hell 7) Aceetobee 6) Vassillios 5) Mr.Don 4) Above the Waves 3) Munchkin Invasion 2) Crickets 1) Basis for a Day – into something that looked a lot like this: Disco Biscuits 2010 Tour Schedule 1/28 @ Fox Theatre, Boulder, CO 1/29 @ Fox Theatre, Boulder, CO 1/30 @ Fox Theatre, Boulder, CO 1/31 @ Fox Theatre, Boulder, CO 2/18 @ Ram’s Head Live, Baltimore, MD 2/19 @ Lupos, Providence, RI 2/20 @ Calvin Theatre, Northampton, MA 2/21 @ Capitol Center for the Arts, Concord, NH 3/17 @ Town Ballroom, Buffalo, NY 3/18 @ The Egg Center For Performing Arts, Albany, NY 3/19 @ House of Blues, Boston, MA 3/20 @ Wellmont Theatre, Montclair, NJ 3/26 @ Ultra Music Festival, Miami, FL (w/ Deadmau5, Tiesto, Will.I.Am and others) 4/14 @ Charleston Music Hall, Charleston, SC 4/15 @ Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh, NC 4/16 @ The National, Richmond, VA 4/17 @ The National, Richmond, VA 4/18 @ The NorVa, Norfolk, VA 4/20 @ 9:30 Club, Washington, DC 4/21 @ The Jefferson Theatre, Charlottesville, VA 4/22 @ The Klein Memorial Auditorium, Bridgeport, CT 4/23 @ Kirby Center For Performing Arts, Wilkes-Barre, PA 4/24 @ House of Blues, Atlantic City, NJ 4/25 @ Webster Theatre, Hartford, CT 05/29 @ Red Rocks Amphitheater, Denver, CO (Bisco Inferno) The Fugs: America's First Radical Folk-Rockers Richard Gehr — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:36:10 +0000 Co-founded by Tuli Kupferberg and Ed Sanders in Manhattan's East Village, the Fugs invented hippie political activist folk-rock in 1965 with their grammatically incorrect Folkways debut, The Village Fugs Sing Ballads of Contemporary Protest, Point of Views, and General Dissatisfaction. The group's releases through the end of the decade combined protest music, English literature, and raucous cosmic odes to the various obscene delights newly available to young people nationwide. Their greatest hits include "Kill for Peace," "Slum Goddess," "Boobs a Lot," "Group Grope," "Coming Down," "Exorcising the Evil Spirits from the Pentagon Oct. 21, 1967," "Marijuana," and "When the Mode of the Music Changes." The band broke up as the sixties ended but has regrouped occasionally over the decades. In fact, next month they'll release Be Free: (The Fugs Final CD Part 2) with their latest backing musicians. And if you're lucky enough to be in New York on January 22, don't miss "Nothing, A Benefit for Tuli Kupferberg." This health-care fund raiser for the bedridden 76-year-old, who suffered two debilitating strokes last year, is curated by producer Hal Willner and promises performances by Lou Reed, Sonic Youth, Elliott Sharp, Peter Stampfel, Philip Glass, John Zorn, and the Fugs themselves. Meanwhile, Jesse Jarnow caught up with Ed Sanders for Relix, and you can read his enlightening interview here. “I still have a mimeograph machine,” Ed Sanders chuckles. “It’s out in my writing studio.” He sits in the cozy Woodstock home he shares with his wife of nearly 50 years, Miriam, amid ambiently humming fishtanks, chirping cockatoos, and many, many books. “If the power grid collapses and the fascists make their move, I can get leaflets out real quick.” At 70, his bushy hair remains combed raucously to the side. Sanders—who wears a blazer, black jeans, and black Converse All-Stars—knows of what he speaks. As the co-founder of the Fugs, with Tuli Kupferburg, the ‘60s premier William Blake-loving politico-surrealist folk-bards, Sanders was a key connector in the counterculture, assigned his own plainclothes Federal surveillance agents during the riotous Democratic Convention of 1968. The previous year, the Fugs had exorcised—and attempted to levitate—the Pentagon during a massive war protest, chanting “Out, Demons, Out!” Self-publishing his radical proto-hippie journal, Fuck You/ A Magazine of the Arts (“I thought it was a grabby title”), which featured contributions from Allen Ginsberg and Andy Warhol, Sanders ran the Peace Eye Bookstore on New York’s Lower East Side, weathering obscenity busts and break-ins from junkies. (Photograph by David Gahr) Interview: Dengue Fever's Zac Holtzman On 'Electric Cambodia' Richard Gehr — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 20:50:01 +0000 Los Angeles's Dengue Fever has been reviving, remixing, and retransmitting the otherworldly sounds of Cambodian pop music since 2001. During its 1960s and '70s golden age, "Khmer rock" split the difference between traditional Southeast Asian vocal styles and the blues-rock Cambodians were heard over the airwaves during the otherwise reprehensible Vietnam War. The rock was knocked hard in 1975, when Pol Pot, the communist leader of the Khmer Rouge movement, facilitated the execution of some two million Cambodian artists, intellectuals, and anyone else who didn't fit his rural collectivist agenda. Plucked from Southern California's expatriate Asian community, Dengue Fever singer Chhom Nimol lends an authentic Cambodian lilt to co-founding brothers Ethan and Zac Holtzman's scintillating stewpot of surf rock, spaghetti-Western kitsch, and Farfisa-driven psychedelic ornamentation. (Zac's the one with the beard in the photo above.) On Dengue Fever Presents Electric Cambodia, the group collects some of its favorite Cambodian tracks. These include "Flowers in the Pond" and "Shave Your Beard," which the band has previously covered. Electric Cambodia benefits Cambodian Living Arts, a Massachusetts nonprofit dedicated to reviving traditional Khmer performing arts. HeadCount: How did you get into Khmer rock? Zac Holtzman: A friend who worked at Aquarius Records in San Francisco turned me on to it. My brother Ethan and other members of the band had gone to Cambodia in the nineties, heard it there, and collected tapes, so they knew about it that way. My brother heard me playing some of the music I got in San Francisco. We started talking about it and decided to form a band based on that body of music. Why is this music important and what does it represent? Holtzman: It combines Cambodia's vocal style with American and British garage, psychedelic, and surf sounds. It’s their spin on it. It’s just really fun and has great energy. It inspired us and then we went off on our own direction. But this compilation contains some of the songs we were really into right from the start. Can you give us some historical context? When and where did it flourish and why did it go away? Holtzman: Sinn Sisamouth, Ros Sereysothea, and Pan Ron were the big songwriters and singers at the time, and they would perform traditional music during the day and at night they'd play rock 'n' roll in clubs. They learned about this music from radio stations that were broadcasting to American troops fighting in Vietnam and Cambodia. So that’s how it started and it ended around 1975 when Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia and killed anybody who had any Western influence or artistic merit – or who didn't have any callouses on their hands and wore glasses. A lot of people fled to Paris, and the vinyl records survived there. And I think some people in Long Beach still have some original vinyl. And that's pretty much how the music survived. Did any of the artists on Electric Cambodia survive the purge? Holtzman: Only Dara Chom Cha, who sings the first song on the album, "Give Me One Kiss." How did you compile Electric Cambodia? Are these simply your favorite Cambodian tracks? Holtzman: Yeah, they're some of our favorite tracks. Some of our other favorite tracks have already been released on different compilations, and we only wanted stuff that hasn't been previously released. So we dug a little deeper and picked some of the coolest numbers we could find. What's Dengue Fever's connection with Cambodian Living Arts? Holtzman: Cambodian Living Arts is a great organization that helps traditional Khmer musicians teach underprivileged kids how to play traditional instruments. Girls learn how to dance and sing. They have troupes that perform around the world, and every once in awhile we hook up with them and perform together. The great people who run it built a house in a recording studio for some of the musicians to live in so they could be closer to their students. We're happy to help them out any way we can. What else is new with Dengue Fever? Holtzman: We plan to record our next album after the little West Coast tour we're on, so that’s exciting. And then we have this crazy tour set up for May. We’re going to Norway, Germany, Cambodia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and possibly Tokyo and Beijing. This will be our second trip to Cambodia and we’ll definitely hook up with Cambodian Living Arts. What did you take away from your 2005 trip to Cambodia? Holtzman: We were all exposed to really cool traditional Cambodian music and got a deeper understanding of the culture. Everybody was incredibly nice and patient. People just take their time, which is something I personally came home with. We dug around to find some bands playing rock 'n' roll, or something close to it, but that didn’t really happen. A Filipino band played heavy metal but everyone else was mainly singing Karaoke. There was also a lot of hip-hop. We also visited a kind of "American Idol"-style nightclub called “Spark.” Is Dengue Fever involved in any other philanthropic or activist endeavors? Holtzman: We work with Wildlife Alliance, which is a great organization that tries to educate people in Cambodia about endangered species and how they shouldn’t use them as a food source or as something to hunt for profit. Another group is the World Wildlife Fund. We eventually want to play all the different provinces in Cambodia and spread the word about endangered species. Any great new Asian music we should know about? Holtzman: The Sublime Frequencies label has two pretty cool new compilations: Shadow Music of Thailand and Siamese Soul: Thai Pop Spectacular Vol. 2. Also OnRa, a French-Vietnamese who remixes Vietnamese music, Chinese opera, and a lot of other stuff. Wyclef Jean Urges Aid to Haiti Jonathan Perri — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 21:59:45 +0000 Wyclef Jean is raising for rescue efforts following the 7.0-magnitude earthquake and aftershocks that hit Haiti yesterday, leaving the country devastated and in chaos. Hundreds of thousands of mostly poor people may have died in the worst earthquake to hit the area in 200 years, and resources are desperately needed to provide the most basic services to the Western hemisphere's poorest country. Jean founded the Yéle Haiti movement in 2005 as "a grassroots movement that builds global awareness for Haiti while helping to transform the country through programs in education, sports, the arts and environment." Yéle’s community -ervice programs include food distribution and emergency relief. Today he urged fans to donate whatever they can spare: “Haiti today faced a natural disaster of unprecedented proportion, an earthquake unlike anything the country has ever experienced. The magnitude 7.0 earthquake – and several very strong aftershocks – struck only 10 miles from Port-au-Prince. I cannot stress enough what a human disaster this is, and idle hands will only make this tragedy worse. The over 2 million people in Port-au-Prince tonight face catastrophe alone. We must act now. President Obama has already said that the U.S. stands ‘ready to assist’ the Haitian people. The U.S. Military is the only group trained and prepared to offer that assistance immediately. They must do so as soon as possible. The international community must also rise to the occasion and help the Haitian people in every way possible.” The Pentagon has already sent an aircraft carrier, while the Coast Guard has deployed four cutters containing helicopters. The country is already host to many relief organizations, at least one of which was itself devastated by the quake: The chief of the United Nations mission in Haiti, Hedi Annabi, was reportedly killed when the mission's headquarters collapsed. You can donate any amount to Yéle Haiti here – or simply text "Yele" at 501501 to donate $5, which will be charged to your phone bill. Gov't Mule, Betty Lavette, Others To Salute Who For Music Education? Oh, That Who Richard Gehr — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 10:09:26 +0000 Michael Dorf has already raised $350,000 for music education via tribute concerts honoring Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, and R.E.M. On March 2 the New York concert promoter hopes to up the ante with an eclectic lineup saluting the Who. (Surviving members Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend are pictured at left with new rhythm section.) The event takes place March 2 at Carnegie Hall. So far Bettye LaVette, Jason Isbell, Bobby McFerrin, Bob Mould, Gaslight Anthem, Matt Nathanson, Sondre Lerche, The Postelles, Warren Haynes and Govt. Mule, Living Colour, Robyn Hitchcock, the Smithereens, Asaf Avidan, Vanessa Carlton, the Fab Faux, Willie Nile, Nicole Atkins Mose Allison (author of The Who hit "Young Man Blues"), and house band Steven Bernstein & the Music Unites Choir will participate in what should offer cleverly toned-down arrangements of The Who's loud proud legacy. The tribute will benefit these worthy endeavors: FIKS (Fixing Instruments for Kids in Schools), which provides funds to repair donated instruments and matches them up with schools in poor neighborhoods with under-funded music programs; Church Street School for Music & Art, which provides affordable arts education programs for the local community in Lower Manhattan; The PinWheel Project, which provides activities, diversions, and emotional support for children experiencing a hospital stay; Music Unites All-Youth Choir, which attracts inner-city high school students from all five boroughs to join an all-city choir, providing high-quality vocal training; The American Symphony Orchestra's Music Notes Program, which trains teachers throughout New York City to integrate the study of music and concerts into their classrooms; and Young Audiences of New York, which for 57 years has provided arts and cultural programming to over 300,000 children from pre-K through grade 12. Help Us Donate To Haiti Relief admin — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:44:49 +0000 While HeadCount is usually the recipient of donations from generous supporters - right now the victims of the Haiti earthquake are in much greater need. To contribute, HeadCount will be donating 100% of the funds we collect at concerts (via raffles and donations) to Haiti relief and other natural disaster-related efforts through March 1, 2010. When you see a HeadCount table at a concert, please stop by and show your support. And, at this point, you've likely heard about the astounding contributions that have been made via text donations. In an effort to support causes important to the music community, we encourage HeadCount supporters to donate $5 to Yéle Haiti, a grassroots nonprofit founded by Haitian-born Wyclef Jean, former member of the Fugees. Yéle Haiti (www.yele.org) is helping coordinate the delivery of emergency services and materials needed by victims of the earthquake in Haiti. To donate $5 to Yéle Haiti TEXT "Yele" to 501501. Alternatively, you can donate $10 to the American Red Cross. To donate $10 to the American Red Cross TEXT "Haiti" to 90999. In either case, you will get a reply text asking you to confirm your donation. The donation charge will be added to your next wireless bill. 100% of the proceeds will be donated. Thank you. HeadCount (Photo by IFRC) In Defense Of Wyclef Jean Jonathan Perri — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 22:31:45 +0000 Wyclef Jean spent part of last week in Haiti, aiding in the earthquake relief process. But after raising more than $2 million through an SMS texting campaign, Jean's Yéle Haiti foundation has come under scrutiny for poor financial management, and some question whether it's the best organization to donate your money to. "It seems clear that a significant amount of the monies that this charity raises go for costs other than providing benefits to Haitians in need," said Dean Zerbe, national managing director of Alliant Group, a tax services company, and the former tax counsel to the Senate Finance Committee, which oversees charities. Here's the rundown: Yéle Haiti filed its tax returns for the past three years all on the same day this summer. The organization's 2007 spending exceeded its revenues by $411,000. Tax returns and audits show that money has gone to some of Jean's businesses and those of foundation board members. $160,000 was spent on a Yéle benefit concert in Monte Carlo where Jean performed, with $25,000 going to Jean through Platinum Sound Recording Studios, a company Jean and a fellow board member own. Telemax, a TV station and production company in which Jean and another board member own controlling interest, received $250,000 from Yéle Haiti for a TV ad. This all looks pretty bad on paper - especially if you read the original Smoking Gun story headlined, "Haiti earthquake aid pours into group that has enriched singer," as though Wyclef's own talent had nothing to do with being a Grammy-winning, multiplatinum-selling artist who helped create one of the best albums ever: The Score. A Yéle Haiti PR rep has explained that the aforementioned funds were used for "everything from public-service announcements to educational programming," and that those companies were used "because it was a way to buy time at a significant discount." As the video above shows, Jean is eager to defend the organization and is not taking the accusations lightly. “Not only [do] I denounce all that, I’m disgusted by that,” he says about criticism of his foundation. “Coming back here, after digging kids up and finding cemeteries for them. This is what I come back to,” Wyclef says in the video. “An attack on my integrity and my foundation, Yéle Haiti. Well, let me tell y’all something – first of all, you can donate to whatever charity you want to, I’m not here to force you to donate to Yéle Haiti. But the proof, as we say in America, is in the pudding. So once you see my footage you judge if you’re gonna send it to me or not.” Like any business, you have to spend money to make (or raise) money for your nonprofit organization. Jean claims to have invested more than $1 million in Yéle Haiti. Nonprofits, especially in the current economic climate, are struggling to stay afloat. Doing business with companies that offer discounts, or cutting in-kind deals, help organizations' money go farther and are far from uncommon. Yéle Haiti was founded in 2005 and has exactly one employee, which may actually be a concern. It may not have either the experience or organizational structure to handle the large volume of donations Yéle is receiving. Some argue that Yéle Haiti is simply not a disaster-relief organization. Still, the group's president, Hough Locke, says the group is ready and able to make good use of the donations. "I'm confident that anybody who gives money to Yéle Haiti for emergency relief can be sure it will be used effectively. We may be a small organization, and there are handicaps. But there are also efficiencies." Yéle Haiti seems to be a well-intentioned organization that has hit some snags and will likely benefit structurally from this experience. I don't see accounting gaffs like this happening again, and I susupect we'll see Yéle Haiti expand its staff. It's not uncommon for nonprofits and foundations to hit rough spots, and I don't think any serious wrongdoing is going to be unearthed - or I certainly hope not. The American Red Cross, for example, has experienced its own share of scandals, including embezzlement. I'm postponing judgment for now, and I don't regret donating to the group. To quote Wyclef, "the proof is in the pudding." I just hope it's some damn good pudding. Interview: Thievery Corporation's Rob Garza On D.C. Do's And Don'ts Richard Gehr — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 22:29:45 +0000 What reflects Washington D.C.'s vibe better than ethereal electronica with a political subtext? The recipe has been working for Thievery Corporation – producer-DJs Rob Garza and Eric Hilton – since the 1996 release of their first twelve-inch single, "2001: A Spliff Odyssey." Pleasure and politics mingle in Thievery's music, especially on their most recent album, 2008's Radio Retaliation, which is nothing less than a multinational dance floor call to arms. The adversarial spirit of Fela Kuti, the Clash, and Fugazi percolate through Thievery's quiet riot. The sounds of Jamaica, Brazil, India, and elsewhere meet and mingle on the album, but its local hero and Go-Go godfather Chuck Brown who delivers our favorite grassroots credo when he proclaims, "takin' back the power, gonna share the wealth" in "The Numbers Game." As these HeadCount partners begin a string of hometown shows at the 9:30 Club, Rob Garza brings us up to speed on the duo's causes and concerns. HeadCount: Have you and Eric worked with any musicians from Haiti? Do you have friends there? Rob Garza: We haven’t worked with anyone from Haiti. It’s a total catastrophe, though. We work with the United Nations World Food Programme, and they’re making a major push to get people to contribute and to start delivering food. How did you get involved with the World Food Program, and what have the results been so far? Garza: We got involved with them after the [2004 Indian Ocean] tsunami. They asked us to do some public-service announcements and to take part in their school feeding programs. That's their air lifts, when they drop food in Sudan and carry humanitarian passengers, and we traveled around Nepal, where they have health-care centers. During our concerts this week, they'll have tables set up for people to donate. We’re really just about trying to raise awareness. We were surprised when they asked us because we didn’t know the World Food Program would know about us. But we were very honored to get involved with them. Radio Retaliation, which came out right before the 2008 presidential election, reflected a lot of people's frustration with American policies. What’s your opinion of the Obama administration so far? Garza: The problems are bigger than who actually becomes president. There are so many large corporations and lobbies, you can’t expect one person to come in and change everything. Being from D.C., I think we’re more aware of what happens politically, and the various subtexts of what’s going on underneath, and how it’s not really so simple as the president affecting all these different kinds of changes. So, unfortunately, things are pretty much the same and in some ways maybe even worse — I'm thinking about the escalation in Afghanistan and Pakistan. So I don’t think we ever really got our hopes up that everything was going to change when Obama was elected. What’s on your mind these days, politically? Garza: What’s been happening with the airlines and all these body scanners is crazy. It’s very convenient that the Underpants Bomber just happened to come along just as the Patriot Act was set to expire on December 31. But I think 2010 will be a very interesting year, especially economically, now that all that bailout money has been pumped into the economy. That bubble is about to burst, too. These are really interesting times. A lot of people forecast a lot of trends, but at the moment it seems that things will probably get worse before they get better. I'm not trying to be pessimistic, but when you look at mainstream media and culture, what's being addressed has nothing to do with reality a lot of the time. Are you and Eric working on something in the same vein as Radio Retaliation, or are you going in another direction? Garza: We’re getting ready to start a new album in a couple weeks. A lot of that will be sitting in the studio and seeing what happens musically. That’s the initial process: just getting in there, making noise, and seeing where that leads us. But we never really sit down at the beginning and say, 'Let’s make a record like Radio Retaliation.' We just start creating and eventually a theme starts to take hold and leads us. Do you have any general thoughts about political music? Do musicians have more freedom of expression now that music is so decentralized; or does the message get lost in the noise if there’s countless do-it-yourself musicians doing it themselves? Garza: Music is very chaotic these days, in general. No model really fits what’s happening. We’re inspired by political music, whether it’s Public Enemy or the Clash. People like Marvin Gaye singing about what’s happening, "what’s going on," can be very powerful. We draw a lot of inspiration from that kind of artist, people really talking about the world. Some people think music and politics should be separate. But so many artists I love combine the two. We just want to feel free to express whatever it is we’re feeling. With Radio Retaliation you have songs like “Sweet Tides” and “Beautiful Drugs,” so the record isn’t all about being socially conscious. There’s always that irony, beginning and especially in reggae, of very mellow music conveying very powerful messages. Garza: Reggae is a perfect example, and hip-hop as well. People sometimes criticize Thievery Corporation for being this kind of lounge or hotel-lobby music, but we’re talking about things a lot deeper than that, and we’ve been talking about those things for a while. It’s hard to make records where you just bury your head in the sand and hope it all goes away. Being around the food and beverage side of things in Washington, headquartered as you are in the Eighteenth Street Lounge, you must have had some very weird conversations with partying people from all aspects of the government. What’s the strangest conversation you’ve ever had with someone in the public sector? Garza: We had a friend who’s a well-known talking head on an international network, and we’ve seen him drunk at 5 a.m. and then totally coherent on TV at 9 in the morning. There are some people we really kind of wonder about. You run into a lot of interesting characters. You also meet people at the center of politics who really don’t have any idea about what’s happening around the world. I had a friend who was working at the World Bank, and about two months after the whole Abu Ghraib torture thing, they had no idea that had ever happened. I thought “You’re flying around the world but you have no idea this is going on?” It’s mind-boggling. What other causes does Thievery Corporation actively support? Garza: The World Food Program is our main thing. We do fundraisers and stuff for people here and there. We’ve done a project for Chernobyl::20, which Eric brought to the table. It’s hard to get involved with many things because of all the traveling we do. Dave Matthews, Peter Gabriel On Haiti Benefit Comp Richard Gehr — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:55:33 +0000 Music for Relief, a nonprofit founded by Linkin Park to provide disaster relief and reverse climate change, has assembled a timely compilation you can download in exchange for a donation to assist Haiti earthquake victims. It's a fairly poptastic assortment. Peter Gabriel's "Heroes" is from his cleverly titled upcoming album of cover versions, Scratch My Back. Alanis Morissette's "Still" is an appropriately buddhistic ditty from the Dogma soundtrack. And Dave Matthews's "Typical Situation" is a jammed-out thirteen minutes. All this and Enrique Iglesias, too. "Too many choices," indeed. Here's the tracklist: Linkin Park, "Not Alone" Slash, "Mother Maria" (featuring Beth Hart) Kenna, "Never Let Me Down" (Produced by M. Shinoda of Linkin Park and Chad Hugo of The Neptunes) Peter Gabriel, "Heroes" Alanis Morissette, "Still" (Acoustic, Vancouver Sessions) Lupe Fiasco and Kenna, "Resurrection" (Produced by M. Shinoda of Linkin Park) Hoobastank, "We Are One" The All-American Rejects, "The Wind Blows" (Skrillex Remix) Enrique Iglesias, "It Must Be Love" Dave Matthews Band, "Typical Situation" (Live) Goodbye Campaign Finance Reform Jonathan Perri — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:36:40 +0000 If you were already concerned that big business had its hands in politicians' pockets, you ain't seen nothin' yet. The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 Thursday to allow corporations and unions to spend as much money as they want to support or attack congressional and presidential candidates. Many, including President Obama, worry about the almighty dollar silencing the voice of the average American: "With its ruling today, the Supreme Court has given a green light to a new stampede of special interest money in our politics," said President Obama in a statement. "It is a major victory for big oil, Wall Street banks, health insurance companies and the other powerful interests that marshal their power every day in Washington to drown out the voices of everyday Americans....That's why I am instructing my Administration to get to work immediately with Congress on this issue. We are going to talk with bipartisan Congressional leaders to develop a forceful response to this decision." Despite vows from the President and other political leaders, the Supreme Court's decision is grounded in the protection of free speech. The US Constitution stands in the way of any reform Congress might push for, because Congress cannot overturn a decision based on the Constitution. How 'bout them apples? The decision, supported by the SCOTUS's five conservative members, abolishes the 2002 McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform law and the 1971 Federal Election Campaign Act. The majority argued that a corporation has the same free-speech rights as an individual. The case, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, actually concerned a conservative group's funding of an anti-Hillary Clinton movie to be released during last year's primaries - exactly the type of spending the McCain-Feingold law prohibits. Justice John Paul Stevens, who dissented from the majority, explained his stance: At bottom, the Court’s opinion is thus a rejection of the common sense of the American people, who have recognized a need to prevent corporations from undermining self government since the founding....While American democracy is imperfect, few outside the majority of this Court would have thought its flaws included a dearth of corporate money in politics. So taxpayers have given billions of dollars to banks and insurance companies to keep them afloat (and provide huge bonuses), and now we're going to tell these same corporations they can spend whatever they want to influence political elections. Heck of a job, SCOTUS. New York City Civic Corps, At Your Service John Coghlan — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:53:06 +0000 Everyone knows New York City is a special place. Residents also know that New York has real problems: homelessness, joblessness, working poor, and a struggling education system are but a few of them. Last year as the global economy sank into a brutal recession, Mayor Mike Bloomberg used stimulus funding from President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to stimulate volunteerism and address the challenges many New Yorkers struggle with every day. The Mayor's office decided to organize a group of individuals charged with making New York the world’s easiest city in which to volunteer. The plan was announced on April 20, 2009. A quick turn-around resulted in the first New York City Civic Corps class being sworn in at City Hall in July. Nearly 200 volunteers were dispersed among 60 nonprofit and public agencies across the city with one goal: Create a sustainable impact by increasing volunteerism. On January 22, six months into the program, the New York service community convened at City Hall for a “State of NYC Service” Address. As an NYC Corps member, I was not only invited to attend but also honored to be chosen to speak on behalf of my fellow members. After nervously sharing my experiences, both good and bad, I was followed by New York's Chief Service Officer, Diahann Billings-Burford. Ms. Billings-Burford provided statistics documenting the program’s early successes, discussed some of the unexpected positive outcomes, and identified areas for improvement. Since July the NYC Civic Corps has recruited more than 18,000 volunteers who have served nearly 70,000 New Yorkers in need. The monetary value of services provided is well over $1 million. Impressive results, to say the least. With another six months left, the NYC Civic Corps still has plenty of work to do. But the program’s early success has led NYC Service to continue the program into 201, pending funding. The program’s impact has been recognized nationally, and on Martin Luther King Day ten additional cities announced they would be initiating similar programs. With the recession continuing to adversely affect nonprofit fund raising, a state budget proposal cutting hundreds of millions of dollars from city funding, and more people than ever in need of help, the timing could not have been better. Interview: Michael Franti, On Beyond Tree-Hugging Richard Gehr — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:54:24 +0000 If every administration gets the pop star it deserves, the current White House resident could do a whole lot worse than Michael Franti, with whom he has more than biracial parents in common. Franti released an optimistic single, "Obama Song," shortly after the election, ended up playing three inauguration galas, and, per his comments below, continues to support Barack Obama even as political reality begins to overshadow hopeful idealism. Franti, the granola circuit's original party-for-peacenik, is one of rock's too-few uniters. Nobody feels alienated at a Michael Franti & Spearhead show, even when he's criticizing the Patriot Act. Likewise, his 2008 documentary I Know I'm Not Alone was a sincere attempt on this outspoken lefty's part to understand all sides of Middle Eastern issues, from Israeli settlers and Palestinian refugees to the American soldiers on the ground in Iraq. Franti's latest album, the Jamaica-flavored All Rebel Rockers, hit Billboard's Top-40 when it was released in 2008, while his love-is-all-around you single, "Say Hey (I Love You)," topped out at #18. That's the kind of popularity that gets you invited on tours with the likes of John Mayer, and the pair will hit the road on February 4. Having released "Obama Song" shortly after the 2008 election, what’s your assessment of its subject's first year in office? Any big surprises or disappointments? It's about what I expected. I knew he’d be under a lot of strain because he inherited the worst situation: a couple of wars and the economy. The biggest surprise was how Fox News became the Obama 24-7 attack center. I was a little surprised that he went after health care reform so quickly. I’ve been really impressed by his resilience. He’s been under incredible attack but has continued to press on to do what he said he was gonna do. Did you feel like there's any disconnect between the promises he made during the campaign and what he's done since inauguration? I'm thinking about Guantanamo and various lapses in transparency. I never had those illusions. He’s President of the United States, so that kind of goes with the job. You’re going to disappoint a lot of people. Everybody who votes for you is going to think you hold their agenda dearest to your heart. I'm not anti-military, but I am against using military solutions for social issues, and that’s something I see happening. We’re using hundreds of thousands of soldiers on the ground to do what civilians should be doing: helping people to go to school and create lives for themselves so they don’t feel like they have to strap a bomb onto their bodies and walk into a supermarket. Is that something you became more aware of during your travels in the Middle East for I Know I'm Not Alone? It’s something I’ve always felt that was reinforced for me. I travel a lot, and most places you see that it's poverty we should be fighting. You could solve a lot of problems by doing that, because that’s where problems start. After I Know I'm Not Alone came out, did you hear from people who felt offended or betrayed by it? Yeah, some people did. That’s part of what you do. There were times I’d be out showing the film and people would be speaking up about it. And I felt like I had defeated in those moments. But that was the idea – to get people talking about what’s happening. That's the reason I went to Iraq. I felt I wasn’t hearing or seeing the voices of anybody with the U.S. military, under the Bush administration, and I wanted to see more. Did you experience any fundamental change of belief while you were traveling or afterward? I did. I felt empathy for our soldiers who were there. They told me they signed up September 12 – the day after September 11. They said they thought they'd be seeking weapons of mass destruction because Saddam Hussein was involved in 9/11. And finding out that neither of these things were true, they wondered, "What are we doing here?" Since I came home, I've worked with several veterans groups. I've played music several times at Walter Reed Hospital for guys who've just come back. I don't want to see what happened to veterans from the first Gulf war, and the first world war, happen to the veterans of this war. How many soldiers do you think enlisted because they couldn't find jobs anywhere else? Yeah, some that did. And others were well off economically but went there for ideological reasons. Now that you've had a hit single and you’re going on tour with John Mayer, how will you tweak your show for a perhaps less politically inclined audience? When I first started, my songs were about very specific political issues. As I've grown, I've realized in order to take on the large issues the world faces today – the environment, for example, or slowing down global warming – it’s going to take more than just my tree-hugging friends in California [laughs]. It’s going to take the resources of the corporate world, the cooperation of government, the ideas of grassroots people, and the hard work and spending power of everyday people as well as best science can offer. We’ve got to get everybody working on this problem simultaneously. And in concert we bring about ideas that start to work. So really my music is about bringing people together; it's not about policy or making political speeches. I know in my audience we have all kinds of people; I hear from them all the time – politicians, democrats, gay, straight, black, white, rich, and poor. I make music to make people, not to make people switch to one party or another [laughs]. And if you could do that, you're in the wrong business. Have you ever been to Haiti or have any Haitian musician friends? I haven't. I toured with Wyclef when the Fugees just started. I've known him since the early nineties. And last May I was an ambassador for this organization CARE. As part of my job I had dinner with the Haitian ambassador in DC when I was on a trip out there. There’s been so many different times when I was invited to Haiti and haven’t gone. I worked with Boukman Eksperyans. I did some recording with them in the late nineties but I have yet to go there. Are you doing anything for the earthquake relief in Haiti? I'm doing several benefit shows, and we’re organizing with CARE to do something with them. We’ve been waiting for the recon on the ground to start to put together a picture of what’s needed there: Do they need clothing or canned food? What’s the best way to approach the crisis through an NGO’s standpoint? What would you say to a college kid today who might be confused about where to turn his or her political ideals and talents especially in this screwy economy? People ask me all the time, "What can I do to make a difference?" I say do what you can. Some people have the ability to do different things. Some people can be involved directly in politics, working in an office for a political body. Others might not have the time or ability to do that, but they might have other abilities. They could help out in their neighborhood schools or do some other thing to contribute to the community. That's what gives each of us value is what we can contribute to this country and planet. The other thing is voting — it’s the one thing each of us as Americans should have in common. I don’t care who you vote for or what political party you belong to. What reunites us as Americans is that we all vote. So everybody should make sure they're registered now, not scrambling the day before the election and saying, “Dang, I missed this one.” Do it in your downtime. Make sure that you’re registered so that when the time comes, you can vote. Well then, thank you for affirming the HeadCount credo, Michael. Thomas Friedman Nails It Richard Gehr — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 02:37:19 +0000 Although most of "More (Steve) Jobs, Jobs, Jobs, Jobs" is devoted to National Lab Day and the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman led off today with something I suspect we'll be hearing more of as the November elections loom larger. (Even considering the source.) The most striking feature of Barack Obama’s campaign for the presidency was the amazing, young, Internet-enabled, grass-roots movement he mobilized to get elected. The most striking feature of Obama’s presidency a year later is how thoroughly that movement has disappeared. In part, it disappeared because the Obama team let it disappear, as Obama moved to pass what was necessary — the economic stimulus — and what he aspired to — health care — by exclusively playing inside baseball with Congress. The president seems to have thought that his majorities in the Senate and the House were so big that he never really had to mobilize “the people” to drive his agenda. Obama turned all his supporters into spectators of The Harry and Nancy Show. And, at the same time, that grass-roots movement went dormant on its own, apparently thinking that just getting the first African-American elected as president was the moon shot of this generation, and nothing more was necessary. The State Of The State Of The Union Abby Brazina — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:38:57 +0000 Tonight at 9 p.m. EST, President Obama will deliver his first State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress. The president will cover terrorism, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the relief efforts in Haiti, but the bulk of his speech will focus on the economy, job creation, and the needs of struggling families. His plan is expected to include proposals to lower the cap on federal student loan payments to 10% and to increase the childcare tax credit. The tradition of addressing Congress the first month of each year began with George Washington in 1790. Until 1923, when Calvin Coolidge’s State of the Union address was broadcast over the radio, American citizens could only read reports of the address in newspapers. Harry Truman’s 1947 address was the first to be broadcast on television. Obama will deliver his speech on all major news networks as usual and, for the first time, the White House will stream the address live on its website. The White House will also host a live chat on its Facebook page. YouTube’s CitizenTube station will also stream the speech; viewers can post comments and questions for the President there, too, where he’ll answer them next week. The Republican National Committee and Democratic Party are encouraging supporters to organize Watch Parties. To find a party near you, or to host your own party, visit either the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, or both. The televised Republican response to the State of the Union will be given by Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell and the RNC will post minute-by-minute responses and fact checks here beginning at 9 p.m. Howard Zinn: 1922-2010 Richard Gehr — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:45:16 +0000 Howard Zinn, who died of a heart attack yesterday at age 87, was an Air Force bombardier before becoming a politically engaged historian, civil-rights activist, vital Vietnam War opponent, prolific writer, indefatigable instigator, and probably the country's best-known demystifier of American mythology, largely through his best-selling 1980 book, A People's History of the United States. As others have said, he was a historian who made history and we seemed to be in the middle of a Howard Zinn revival at the time of his death. In Democracy Now's excellent rapid-responsive tribute to Zinn, the poet Alice Walker recalls her former professor speaking to a crowd in Atlanta, where he taught at the all-female Spelman College from 1955 to 1963. "Well, I stand to the left of Mao Tse Tung," he declared to his staunch, pre-civil rights audience, admitting something close to a hanging offense at the time. Noam Chomsky, Zinn's less entertaining but equally brilliant and provocative close friend, says of Zinn, "He was fearless, he was simple, he was straightforward. He said the right things, said them eloquently, and inspired others to move forward in ways they wouldn't have done....He could look back on a life of real, unusual achievement." Last year The History Channel screened The People Speak, a documentary inspired by ordinary people who fought back against the powers that be. It was narrated by Matt Damon and featured readings and performances by Eddie Vedder, Bob Dylan, Lupe Fiasco, Josh Brolin, Viggo Mortensen, Danny Glover, Pink, Morgan Freeman, Benjamin Bratt, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, Marisa Tomei, Bruce Springsteen, and John Legend. The point of civil disobedience, Zinn says in the documentary inspired by his 1994 autobiography, You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train, is "to upset people, to trouble them, to disturb them." He was a rabble-rouser for sure. But even more, according to Naomi Klein, "He was everybody's favorite teacher, the teacher who changed your life. But he was that for millions and millions of people....We just lost our favorite teacher." Zinn, Klein adds, taught people "to believe in themselves and their power to change the world." For what may be his last published piece, The Nation recently asked Zinn what he thought the high point of President Obama's first year has been, as well as its biggest disappointment. His reply is especially resonant the morning after Obama's impressive State of the Union address last night: I' ve been searching hard for a highlight. The only thing that comes close is some of Obama's rhetoric; I don't see any kind of a highlight in his actions and policies. As far as disappointments, I wasn't terribly disappointed because I didn't expect that much. I expected him to be a traditional Democratic president. On foreign policy, that's hardly any different from a Republican--as nationalist, expansionist, imperial and warlike. So in that sense, there's no expectation and no disappointment. On domestic policy, traditionally Democratic presidents are more reformist, closer to the labor movement, more willing to pass legislation on behalf of ordinary people--and that's been true of Obama. But Democratic reforms have also been limited, cautious. Obama's no exception. On healthcare, for example, he starts out with a compromise, and when you start out with a compromise, you end with a compromise of a compromise, which is where we are now. Community Question: Solutions on Climate Change Sebastian — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:48:42 +0000 Last fall, we had a poll measuring how many of you had health insurance and where you got it. About 35% of you said you were without insurance, and it kicked off a great stream of comments posted online. We're now going to start asking a new question every few weeks. We invite you to participate in the poll and, if so-inclined, expound a bit on why you answered the way you did. This month's community question deals with sustainability and climate change. Here goes: [poll id="3"] Health Care Reform Issue Update: The Situation, The Solution and Fist Pumpin' in Health Care Sebastian — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:11:26 +0000 As part of HeadCount's "What's Your Issue?" campaign, we publish regular updates on each of six issues. The following is our latest Health Care Reform update. Since the last health care update, MTV's reality show "Jersey Shore" and the character "The Situation" have been fist pumpin' their way into the cultural spotlight. Perhaps it's just what America needs right now. But the health care debacle is still the situation in politics - one that has changed a bit since the last update. The Democrats' health care reform efforts got stopped in its tracks when Republican Scott Brown won an upset victory in the race for the Massachusetts Senate seat previously held by the late Ted Kennedy. With that, Democrats lost their sixty-vote super-majority in the Senate, which means they can no longer prevent a Republican filibuster. This could mean we're totally back to the drawing board on health care reform. No wonder the country is looking for a little escape and entertainment. So let's have some fun with health care and Jersey Shore. * The Situation went on The Tonight Show and nicknamed Conan O'Brien "The Solution." Well, what's the solution now for health care reform? An option supported by some Democrats is a quick vote on the same exact bill the Senate approved, meaning it would not go back to the Senate for another vote. But Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said the current Senate bill would not receive the necessary House votes. Led by President Obama, other Democrats support a pared-back health care bill containing only those provisions that are not controversial. These provisions would include pre-existing conditions coverage, a national insurance exchange, a Medicare amendment and the expansion of Medicaid. On the other hand, many Republicans reject the idea of a slimmed-down version of the current legislation and call for just starting over. * So the question is what does the PUBLIC want? What do YOU want? Where is YOUR voice on this matter? The latest Rasmussen reports indicate that 58% of voters now oppose the plan supported by President Obama. As for popular aspects of reform, more than 70% support creating a new national insurance exchange and requiring health insurance companies to accept applicants with pre-existing conditions. As for the least popular aspects, the majority of voters strongly reject Medicare cuts and excise taxes on "Cadillac" health plans provided by employers. Also not to be overlooked, 78% of voters expect it to cost more than projected. * The music community has been pumpin' its fists as well. Musicians in Vermont have assembled a CD with proceeds benefiting the Healthcare is a Human Right Campaign of the Vermont Worker's Center. HeadCount band Nine Inch Nails is hosting the story of Eric De La Cruz on the main page of their website. Eric died last year partly because he was unable to obtain health care due to a pre-existing condition. Want to know more? You can follow our daily headlines on Twitter or check out our Health Care Reform Issue page. If you want to try a little democracy in action, email your Senators and Congressional reps. 'Cause Health Care Reform is a situation that's worth pumpin' your fists for. Conversation: Phish Chroniclers Richard Gehr And Parke Puterbaugh Richard Gehr — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 03:57:08 +0000 Parke Puterbaugh and I have at least a couple of things in common. We've both covered music for some of the same magazines, and we've both written books either with or for or at least tolerated by Phish. The Phish Book, published in 1998 and, ahem, currently out of print, was a collaboration with the band, who kindly submitted to long hours of interviews in order to let the band tell their its story in their own words amid a lot of stunning photographs. Parke, on the other hand, went the biography route, having previously worked as Phish's unofficial in-house writer for album-release biographies, press releases, and festival playbills. His new book Phish: The Biography, covers the band's earliest days through its breakup and subsequent reunion last year. Where I caught the band at what many still consider to be the peak of its career, Parke carried through the trials, tribulations, and unexpected redemption. It's a terrific tale, almost a love story, about a band, its community, and the forces that draw them together and/or tear them asunder. We two helping, friendly chroniclers spoke recently about our respective tomes and the ever-evolving nature of all things Phish. Richard Gehr: You write in Phish: The Biography that Rolling Stone didn't run the Phish feature that they'd assigned you for nearly two years, which must have been frustrating. Why do you think the mainstream music press resisted reporting on the band for so long, despite their obvious popularity? Parke Puterbaugh: I got the assignment in 1995, at which point they were ready to do something big on the band. Between assignment and delivery, however, there was a shakeup in the music department and the new guys who came in - Keith Moerer and Jim DeRogatis - their orientation was much more indie-rock. I think Phish were somewhat of a victim of indie-rock snobbery. Even so, they realized they had to run something on them, and every half-year or so Moerer would call up and say, "Hey, I think we're going to run that Phish feature after all. Can you freshen it up for us?" And I'd be sent off to some big event of theirs, like a New Year's Eve concert, and totally redo the story and bring it up to date. It was a blessing in disguise, as it turned out, because I really got to know them and it laid the groundwork for doing the book by giving me the opportunity to write for them. Every so often their management would call me to write an album bio or “Phishbill” or something along those lines. I did that two or three times a year starting in '96, and basically continued through the breakup and even afterward with some of the solo projects. So I have no complaints about how that Rolling Stone episode turned out, because when the piece ran, it was an enormous story. It may have been one of the last huge rock 'n' roll features in the magazine. It all worked out, oddly enough. Gehr: I always felt that few bands were as indie as Phish were during the nineties. I wrote a piece about the Grateful Dead for the Village Voice in the eighties, and my take was that the Dead were unfashionable for all the wrong reasons, because no band is more indie or do-it-yourself than the Dead had been when they had their own label. And I always felt the same way about Phish even though they were on Elektra. You can tell that their relationship with Elektra was almost completely on their terms - and practically invisible except for Elektra distributing their albums. They did their own tour support, didn't make videos, and existed in their own cave within the Warner Records empire. You also write books about wetlands and beaches. How does that overlap with your music writing? Puterbaugh: I double-majored in English and sociology as an undergraduate, but I'd always been interested in the environment. So I got a Masters degree in environmental science, which was an outgrowth of some travel books I'd been writing about beaches. I was fascinated with the notion of development at the beach, about why it's a bad idea. I didn't really understand the science of it, so that propelled me to get my grad-school degree in environmental science with a concentration on coastal-zone management, coastal geology, barrier island formation, that kind of thing. It was wonderful; I really loved studying that stuff. I was starting from scratch and had to take two years of undergraduate science courses just so I could qualify to enter grad school. So I was writing books on the California and Florida coastlines concurrent with music writing. In fact, I was in grad school when the whole Phish assignment started. I'll never forget coming back from seeing them at Red Rocks, going to a class and the professor saying, "Parke, I understand you write about rock 'n' roll. Have you ever heard about this band called Phish, but it’s not spelled with an 'F'?" and I said, "Yes, coincidentally I'm writing a story on them at the moment and I just got back from seeing them play. Why do you ask?" And he said, "One of my students is the sister of somebody in the band." And it turned out to be Kristy Manning, Trey's sister. So he got us together for lunch and I got to know Kristy independently of this Phish assignment. These strange coincidences happen all the time with Phish. Gehr: That's so true. Just like the way fans travel thousands of miles with no money and still end up inside the shows they want to see. That never ceases to amaze me. What was the first show you went to? Puterbaugh: Red Rocks in June '95 was my first experience of live Phish. It was summer but cold as heck. It was drizzling and made the most amazing backdrop for Chris's lights. As much as I enjoyed getting to know Phish through their records, I was totally captured after these two shows. Gehr: Did you have any adventures writing the book that didn't make it into the final manuscript? I remember driving up once to talk to the band and coming back into Burlington late at night only to find that my hotel room had been given away - and there was a convention in town so nothing else was available. I ended up spending the night in Burlington's single no-tell motel, a really creepy place that reminded me of a haunted bunker. Puterbaugh: There was this one day in Vermont where I was driving all over to talk to people. I went to Paul Languedoc's house. Chris Kuroda came over and Paul fixed us this wonderful lunch. He's a good cook, who knew? And we had a heavy, lengthy conversation that went on for most of the afternoon. From there I drove way north of Burlington where this guy named Tom Baggott lives and hung with him. His wife fixed us dinner. We drank a lot of wine and had a great interview. Then I came back into town and talked with someone else in the Phish orbit. By the end of the day I almost had no voice left, because none of the interviews I did about the band was ever just, like, forty-five minutes. They were more like four or five hours, and we never stopped talking about them. The all-time winner in that category was meeting [Phish archivist] Kevin Shapiro for the first time. That was a six-hour interview. And there were lots of others after that. Which brings up a question I’d like to ask you, Richard. When you wrote The Phish Book, you didn't have to write about certain areas I had to write about, which is everything that happened from '97 onwards - the dark side, in a way. Do you think you were fortunate to not have to go there? Gehr: I don't know if The Phish Book would've been written after '97. I think the band members became more private or reclusive and more inward-turning in various ways after that. I posted something here about a month ago correlating Phish's rise and fall and rise to the last three presidential administrations: There was the peaceful and prosperous Clinton years, the dark and destructive Bush era, and then the indeterminate Obama era, and who knows what's going to happen next? I feel fortunate to have worked with Phish during their nineties golden age, before anything was particularly tarnished. How did you negotiate the latter days? Did anyone ever tell you they'd appreciate it if you backed away from certain topics, such as substance abuse? Puterbaugh: No, not at all. They never did. I didn't actually talk a lot about that subject with the band members per se; it would come up incidentally. I guess I talked about it with Trey without even realizing it. It took me a while to catch on to the fact that they were having these kinds of problems. Like you said, they were turning inward when that stuff was happening in their world. I remember a statement Trey made to the effect that, "I thought everybody knew what was going on in our world; I thought the scene was so transparent." But I don't think that was necessarily the case. Gehr: It wasn't so much the people as the music that seemed to be changing and becoming sloppier and less assured. Their recording process seemed to be getting convoluted and overly angsty. I particularly enjoyed your accounts of their later albums, especially Story of the Ghost, which I still find beguiling, although that could be the point. Puterbaugh: It's a real moody one, and it has a weird vibe to it. You can tell something isn't quite right, and it's an oddly constructed record. There were other issues at play that went beyond drugs - interpersonal things. For many years they had those marathon rehearsals, practice sessions that they approached like a job, lasting five hours a day, but that started going away. Gehr: I always assumed they'd stopped rehearsing at a certain point, perhaps around the time in '97 when they made the rule about no post-show critiquing. Puterbaugh: A lot of people really loved that year. Brad Sands made the point that that was when the dark side started to creep in. Gehr: One of the things that always came through the Grateful Dead's music was a profound acquaintance with mortality, going back at least to the death of Pigpen. And I think that depth of emotion was something hardcore Dead fans didn't hear as Phish started to replace the Dead on the road. Phish was obviously a smart and interesting band from '91 or '92 on, but in a way it seemed all fun and games. When I first heard them in '94 I though, "Here are four very privileged white boys who've experienced relatively few traumas in their lives, and it's going to be real interesting to see how they deal with it once life kicks them in the ass." Which it inevitably did, in one way or another. Puterbaugh: The music was good because their friendship was so strong. It was when they started to pull apart from each other that things began to get tricky. Gehr: I was a little shocked to read in your bio that Trey and Page didn't speak to one another for a year after Coventry. That sort of rift certainly couldn't have happened overnight, or even after a bad weekend. Puterbaugh: It did get very dramatic. When I originally started writing the book, there was no talk of a reunion. I signed the contract a week or two before Trey got busted. Fortunately, they got back together and I was able to end it on a positive note. As a writer, I think musicians are entitled to a certain amount of privacy. And so I chose to talk about the drug issues in general terms, or as explicitly as they wanted to talk about it, but I didn't see it as my job to track down dealers or depict grotesque scenes. I wanted to put all that in the context of an entire career and not just have it become an exercise in sensationalism. The larger story, to me, was much more fascinating. Gehr: Did you catch any shows last year? Puterbaugh: I went to two of the three Hampton shows in March, to a show in Asheville, and to Festival 8 in Indio, California. How about you? Gehr: I caught a show at Jones Beach and the Madison Square Garden run. My initial response was that they were really good fun and solid rock shows, but something was missing. And what was missing for me was a sense of recklessness, that anything-can-happen feeling that used to come with every gig. But now I'm revising that opinion because I just downloaded a big file of somebody's idea of the year's highlights. And there's hours of music there as good as anything they've ever played. But overall I think 2010 sounds more Apollonian than Dionysian, as it were. Puterbaugh: Yes, the era of Dionysian productions – pun intended – is over. Trey's shortly going on tour with the Classic Trey Anastasio Band. Well, I thought a good part of the 2009 tours was classic Phish. It was a statement of regained strength, and at the Hampton shows, it felt like they were throwing down the gauntlet. Maybe you didn't get the most adventurous jams in the world, but you got solidity, a recovered group dynamic, and you had them giving good, accurate, and detailed readings of their repertoire. I saw it as a demonstration of passion that they wanted to sound so good, that they were all clean and sober and on the same page. And the level of musicianship was just really high. They seemed to be starting to find a fresh approach to jamming as the tour rolled on, too. Gehr: I agree. The harder I listened to them the more I began to get out of what they were doing. Trey almost always sounds good, but Mike, Fish, and Page all seem to be playing with more gusto and subtlety than ever. But I still wish they'd stretch out more. And play "Harpua," of course. Puterbaugh: They were all on their game at Hampton, but Page seemed to be even a step further, putting 110 percent of what he had into it. They all raised the level of each other's game. It struck me that they're still able to pose these challenges and rise to them. It was good to see in a band that's been around for almost thirty years. Gehr: That was always the transcendent balance they displayed - on the one hand to be able to do really well-arranged material and in the next moment to do stuff that was completely left-field and spontaneous. Puterbaugh: One of the questions I asked Trey in the book is, "Can you differentiate between musical risk-taking and personal risk- taking?" He had a pretty good answer, I thought. They're bright guys. I think they can figure their way around corners and still come up with fresh approaches. Musically I think the sky is still the limit for them. Gehr: Looking back, I've been listening to Undermind recently, which I think is the most underappreciated Phish album. Both title and music seem to allude to their creative spontaneity while falling apart at the seams. Plus they had a real producer - Tchad Blake - for the first time in a while. Puterbaugh: I would put Round Room in that underrated category. It doesn't get a lot of credit, does it? Yet there was never a studio Phish album with so many long jams on it as that record. That part of it works for me, actually, and in that sense I think it's underrated. Gehr: My feelings about it have changed, but only slightly. I thought it was odd to release an album of what were essentially demos after being away for so long and sell it to your fans at full price. That seemed slightly insulting to me at the time. Puterbaugh: Their take on it was they wanted to document the sound of them in a room together making music for the first time in two years. I thought the short songs, as opposed to the jam songs, could've used some work. But I do like the wildness of the longer jams. Gehr: And now they're back again for the very second time. Thanks for chatting with us, Parke. Dave Matthews Band Offers 'Haiti Relief' EP Richard Gehr — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:54:36 +0000 In addition to their Music for Relief track, the Dave Matthews Band is offering five previously unreleased live track for sale on its website. The Haiti Relief Project EP (and a limited-edition T-shirt) will benefit Dave Matthews's Bama Works Haiti Relief Fund. The EP costs only $5. Moreover, proceeds from all other merchandise the band sells TODAY will also go to Haiti relief efforts. The staff of Ants Marching, the Dave Matthews Band fan forum, helped select the versions the five songs that appear on the EP. The art, which also appears on the Haiti Relief Project T-shirt, was donated by designer Adam Larson of Adam+Company.) The Haiti Relief Project features five previously unreleased live tracks from Dave Matthews Band. The collection kicks off with "Butterfly," a song Matthews wrote for the film Because of Winn Dixie and performed solo in this 2007 recording. It's followed by a 2004 version of "Cry Freedom" featuring a powerful performance from LeRoi Moore, the group's saxophonist, who passed away in 2008. Three tracks captured on the band's 2009 summer tour - "Out Of My Hands," "Lying In The Hands Of God" and "Dive In" - are also included. And here's the track list: 1. Butterfly - recorded08.28.2007 / Verizon Wireless Amphitheater Kansas City / Bonner Springs, KS (Dave Matthews, solo) 2. Cry Freedom - recorded 07.31.2004 / Sound Advice Amphitheatre / West Palm Beach, FL 3. Out Of My Hands - recorded 07.19.2009 Alpine Valley Music Theatre / East Troy, WI 4. Lying In The Hands Of God - recorded 06.12.2009 / Saratoga Performing Arts Center / Saratoga Springs, NY 5. Dive In - recorded 09.10.2009 / Greek Theatre / Los Angeles, CA Move Your Money (If You Have Any) Richard Gehr — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:27:10 +0000 Arianna Huffington thinks we should move our money out of the six banks that hold 60% of our gross domestic product – Bank of America, J. P. Morgan Chase, Citigroup, Wachovia, Wells Fargo, U.S. BC – and into small local banks or credit unions. Assuming you have any to move. Huffington's Move Your Money movement represents a grassroots response to the large banks' reluctance to loan money or refinance mortgages after having repaid most of the $700 billion TARP (Troubled Assets Relief Program) funds taxpayers floated them last year. At the same time, they've also been raising fees willy-nilly, picking customers' virtual pockets ten bucks or more at a time while handing out record bonuses to top executives. It certainly feels like an abusive relationship, as Huffington pal Bill Maher observes in this video. (I certainly felt abused after a year-long struggle to refinance our mortgage involving three banks and one small claims court filing). Money movers argue that banking locally is better for the community. Plus local banks and credit unions usually offer sweeter deals on credit cards and checking accounts than big banks, along with more personalized service. And you're keeping your money in your own neighborhood, which has been proven to have multiple economic benefits. Moreover, President Obama has promised to give smaller banks $30 billion in order to extend credit to small businesses. Some skeptical economists, though, note that even thousands of people moving their money is still only a drop in the bucket as far as these banks' holdings are concerned. If anything, you're only punishing yourself with inconvenience. And of course you're only transferring your funds from one bastion of capitalism to another. But the Move Your Money testimonials page is rife with anecdotes about people taking gleeful pleasure in letting their money speak for them. Move Your Money makes it easy for you. Just enter your zip code and choose a local casheteria from the list of banks and credit unions that pops up. It's not about punishing corporations – because corporations, as everyone except the Supreme Court realizes, are not people. It's about improving your personal financial scene. Obama Meets Republicans, Wins Back Jon Stewart Richard Gehr — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:03:36 +0000 If you haven't yet watched President Obama's lively and engaging Q&A during a GOP retreat last Friday, what are you waiting for? (Or you could just catch the high points, with an obviously delighted Jon Stewart, below.) Yes, political points aplenty were scored. But more importantly, Obama was modeling a type of civil discourse that, so far as I can recall, hasn't been much in evidence during the past quarter-century, if then. The Republicans came prepared with their written talking points, while Obama responded extemporaneously for the most part, like a jazz improviser, with respect for the ideological differences separating him from his opponents. Obama's most important observation, however, may well have been his thoughts on the guaranteed mutual destruction assured by the current political climate. His presence at the Republican confab demonstrated a real alternative, one that both sides of the aisle would do well to emulate. But I'm not holding my breath. So all I'm saying is, we've got to close the gap a little bit between the rhetoric and the reality. I'm not suggesting that we're going to agree on everything, whether it's on health care or energy or what have you, but if the way these issues are being presented by the Republicans is that this is some wild-eyed plot to impose huge government in every aspect of our lives, what happens is you guys then don't have a lot of room to negotiate with me. I mean, the fact of the matter is, is that many of you, if you voted with the administration on something, are politically vulnerable in your own base, in your own party. You've given yourselves very little room to work in a bipartisan fashion because what you've been telling your constituents is, this guy is doing all kinds of crazy stuff that's going to destroy America. Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c Q & O www.thedailyshow.com Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis Voto Latino Exchanges Ozomatli, Pitbull Tracks For Census Pledge Richard Gehr — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 22:55:01 +0000 This seems more than fair: If you're a Latino citizen (and even if you're not), HeadCount partner Voto Latino would like to share twenty-five free tracks with you in exchange for pledging to participate in the 2010 census. The Latino community has been traditionally undercounted in past censuses, which means political underrepresentation and underfunding of education, health, and employment opporunities in this community. Businesses use census information to identify markets, cities use it to determine infrastructure needs, and the government uses it to draw up electoral districts. Voto Latino emphasizes that the census form, which comes in the mail and takes about ten minutes to fill out, neither asks about immigration status nor shares information with other government agencies. While there's certainly plenty of things to be paranoid about as an immigrant these days, the census is not among them. Here's what you'll get for your pledge: Pitbull – “Across the Waters” Morrissey -“When Last I Spoke to Carol (Toy Selectah mix)” Aventura – “Su Veneno” Mos Def – “No Hay Nada Mas” Los Tigres del Norte – “El Emigrante” Jaguares – “Visible” Rodrigo y Gabriela -“Hanuman” Juan Luis Guerra – “La Travesia” Ozomatli -“Believe” Los Tucanes de Tijuana -“Los Illegales” Paulina Aguirre -“Esperando Tu Voz” Ruben Blades – “Las Calles” Kinto Sol – “Voy a Sacudirme” Os Mutantes – “Querida, Querida” Nortec Collective – “Tengo La Voz” Antibalas – “Che Che Cole (Makossa Mix)” Los Amigos Invisibles – “Mentiras” Ceú – “Grains de Beaute” Maleco Collective – “Yo Soy La Voz” Panda – “Solo a Terceros” Pacha Massive – “If You Want It” Brownout – “Ayer y Hoy” Hip Hop Hoodíos – “Agua Pa’ La Gente” Alvaro Torres – “Te Sueno Grande” Reyes del Bajo Mundo – “Cuanto Cuesta” Mishka – “3rd Eye Vision” Obama Budget Escalates War On (Some) Drugs, Slightly Richard Gehr — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:25:08 +0000 According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), President Obama's 2011 National Drug Control Budget is requesting $15.5 billion "to reduce drug use and its consequences." This represents an increase of $521.1 million, or 3.5%, over 2010. Law Enforcement Against Prohibition notes that the upcoming budget allocates in money in almost exactly the same proportions as in previous years, a "nearly two-to-one budget disparity that heavily favors spending on law enforcement and punishment over public health strategies like treatment and prevention." Although Obama's new drug czar, Gil Kerlikowske, declared the "drug war" a thing of the past, telling the Wall Street Journal that, "We're not at war with people in this country," the new budget suggests it's drug war business as usual at a time when discretionary funding for everything except the defense budget is being frozen. Meanwhile, states – and even countries, such as Mexico – are increasingly looking to legalize marijuana for both medical and economic reasons. (Fourteen states have already done so to date.) Spending on federal drug control is down about $3 billion from 2001, however. An ONDCP press release characterizes the new figures as "balanced and comprehensive." "The new budget proposal demonstrates the Obama Administration's commitment to a balanced and comprehensive drug strategy," Kerlikowske added, in the advisory. "In a time of tight budgets and fiscal restraint, these new investments are targeted at reducing Americans' drug use and the substantial costs associated with the health and social consequences of drug abuse." Poor You: Economist Samuel Bowles Has Some Bad News Richard Gehr — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:53:32 +0000 A Santa Fe economist has some sobering facts and figures for you. It turns out that New Mexico is losing jobs more than a hundred times faster than the state's Economic Development Department is creating them – and you could probably extrapolate those grim numbers to many other states. According to this must-read story in the Santa Fe Reporter, Samuel Bowles, who runs the Behavioral Sciences Program at the Santa Fe Institute, also has numbers suggesting that economic inequality in the United States runs twice as high as in Sweden. And that the chances of someone in the bottom 10 percent of society rising to the top 10 percent is a little more than one percent. Which is to say that social mobility is increasingly difficult. Jobs guarding the rich, however, are increasingly available. According to the increasing disparity in income, Bowles argues, nearly one in four New Mexico jobs is dedicated to keeping people in line, either as police, guards, or corporate IT spies. Does education help? Not according to Samuel Bowles. “Being willing to sit in a boring classroom for 12 years, and then sign up for four more years and then sign up for three or more years after that—well, that’s a pretty good measure of your willingness to essentially do what you’re told,” he says. Three more numbers, none of them lucky: 42 38.8 46.4 The first is how many years have passed since Bowles was inspired by [Dr. Martin Luther] King to “put his heart and his head together” and study economic inequality. The second is the Gini measure of inequality for the US back then, a level comparable to other wealthy nations like Japan or Israel today. The third is the most recent US Gini, as calculated by the Census Bureau. It’s at a level comparable to the Philippines, a former colony of islands where every other person lives on less than $2 a day, or Rwanda, an even poorer country in Central Africa that was home to a genocide 16 years ago—a country whose name is often synonymous with hopelessness. Interview: Oxfam's Liz Lucas In Haiti Priya Bali — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:36:22 +0000 Providing water and preventing diarrhea is Oxfam's main mission in Haiti right now, says Liz Lucas, the relief organization's American press officer. And HeadCount is donating all money collected at shows through March 1 to Oxfam America’s relief effort in Haiti. (Learn more about how you can donate here.) Emergency-response organizations from around the world have been stationed in Haiti since the earthquake shook the poverty-stricken country four weeks ago, causing an estimated 230,000 deaths to date. Musicians, including Radiohead and will.i.am, have also been coming together in various ways to support Haiti. (Check out will.i.am's Superbowl remix of The Who's "My Generation" here. Liz Lucas filled us in on the relief effort and her personal experiences on the island of Dominica. She told us about what's being delivered as well as what will be needed in the months and years ahead in order to rebuild Haiti's environment, infrastructure, and, most importantly, the lives of as many as a million displaced survivors. HeadCount: Tell us about Oxfam’s relief work in Haiti and what your role has been thus far. Right now, Oxfam is focused on water and sanitation. This means we provide and try to ensure access to water for drinking and washing, as well as latrines and hygiene kits. Sanitation will remain an important health issue in the coming weeks to avoid the spread of disease - increasing cases of diarrhea are already being reported. The situation will be exacerbated when rains flood the solid-waste areas and drainage ditches, some of which have become blocked by rubble. Most at risk are those living in temporary settlements and crowded conditions with little, if any, space to improve drainage, and those at the camps' lower end, which are liable to flood. Oxfam has installed 150 latrines to date, and a team has just arrived in Port au Prince to do a major solid waste disposal project. We’ve also been working on cash-for-work initiatives. We started the program in Haiti because it's an effective alternative to food distributions when sufficient food is available for people to buy. We pay people to do necessary jobs in their community, such as removing trash, waste, and light rubble. It gives them an income to buy food with. We've seen that markets are open and heard repeatedly that food is available – people simply lack the cash to purchase these goods. There seem to be mixed messages about how efficiently help is being delivered. Have you seen things progressing on a day-to-day basis? Things are getting better and every day we see more aid getting through. Our relief operations have seen a marked improvement over the last two weeks. We have a steady truck pipeline from Santo Domingo and now operate eight sites, with more to come. We have our full complement of experts on the ground. A steady stream of water trucks keeps our water points full. We've built latrines and water points serving more than 90,000 people at this point. The cash-for-work program is up and running. But humanitarian agencies are facing serious challenges in reaching millions of affected Haitians quickly. The enormous scale of the disaster means hundreds of thousands of people need a massive amount of assistance. This has required large volumes of aid, and more humanitarian workers need to be transported into and around Haiti. The main airport at Port au Prince is functioning with limited capacity, while the main sea port, though usable, was badly damaged. In addition, the United Nations and several humanitarian agencies suffered many fatalities and injuries to their staff, including the head of the UN mission. President Obama laid out a plan to send military forces to maintain peace and quell any post-disaster unrest. What are your thoughts on the US government’s reaction to the earthquake? There are principles to guide the international humanitarian community on the use of military assets in humanitarian response. Essentially, military assets should be requested only where there is no comparable civilian alternative and when such assets can meet a critical humanitarian need. The US military plays an important role in responding to huge disasters such as the Haiti earthquake, especially with logistics and security, which are greatly needed at the outset of a devastating disaster. This isn't the first time the US military has been asked to respond to a disaster, and it's to be commended for its efforts. However, the US military must operate under the leadership of civilian emergency-relief professionals whose mission, mandate, and expertise lie in mounting effective relief and recovery operations. The President’s designation of USAID as the lead agency for the US government’s response to the earthquake means the military is in a supporting role to civilian development and humanitarian response professionals. As such, relief efforts carried out by the military should end as soon as civilians are capable of taking over those efforts effectively. The image projected by the media is one of people coming together and holding onto their faiths, even in suffering. How are the Haitian people coping with this tragedy from your point of view? From what I've seen on the ground, Haitian people are coming together to cope with this tragedy. Many Oxfam staffers have lost homes and loved ones and yet still come to work each day to support the aid effort. People are offering shelter to one another and sharing what little they have. Has there been a widespread eruption of violence since you arrived? Not at all. What we've seen more than anything is Haitians working together and sharing what resources they have. There has been sporadic violence and we're monitoring the situation. So far, our aid stocks have not been looted and our aid workers have not been attacked. What's been the most difficult part of your work? And what has been most gratifying? By far the most gratifying party has been watching our Haitian staff come to work in the face of unbelievable personal tragedies. It's been incredible to see their dedication to assisting fellow Haitians. This has made us all strive to be and do better as well. What's the next step after basic needs have been delivered and direct aid begins to pull out of Haiti After basic needs have been delivered, the next step will be rebuilding and making sure the world continues to support Haiti. Some of the most pressing issues will certainly include finding space where people will want to live and having access to safe materials to build homes that can withstand potential threats – including hurricanes, future earthquakes, and aftershocks. Job creation and income earning will also become major issues. Haiti faces problems that may make the stabilization and recovery phases stretch out over a long period despite everyone's best efforts. First, there's the preexisting weakness of public institutions now utterly devastated by the quake. Basic public services, like water and sanitation, that used to be woefully inadequate are now simply absent. Earthquakes are natural disasters. But how can manmade disasters be prevented? Since many institutions that provided a voice for the poor have been destroyed, how can we sustain ongoing efforts to fight poverty and rebuild infrastructure? The humanitarian response should form the basis for a sustained international reconstruction effort. This would reconstruct what was destroyed while establishing equitable international and regional policies toward Haiti and focus on the country's most vulnerable communities, especially women. There are three key criteria: First, all efforts should be made to reduce people’s vulnerability and increase their resilience. Second, public institutions lie at the heart of good development. We must ensure that the new Haiti has strong institutions able to provide basic services and guide the reconstruction effort. Third, solutions cannot be imposed from outside. Haitians must have voice and vote to control their own destiny. As with many organizations, I imagine Oxfam’s efforts have had to adapt to the changing needs of developing countries. In your experience, how does Oxfam differ from other organizations in its approach to relief? Oxfam America is an international relief and development organization that creates lasting solutions to poverty, hunger, and injustice. We're particularly effective because, beyond immediate relief work, Oxfam works with local and national partner organizations to build alliances, networks, and create strong, effective organizations that eventually no longer need our support. Most importantly, what our partners teach us about the best solutions to poverty is just as valuable as the funding and collaboration we provide them. People have come from many parts of to offer their services in Haiti. Have you worked with other relief organizations since you’ve been there? We work with local NGO partners, camp committees, Haitian government ministries, and other actors. We're part of coordination teams with many other NGOs. It's important for all of us to work together. (Photo of Petitionville tent city by Liz Lucas.) Augmented Reality In Hell's Kitchen Richard Gehr — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:32:05 +0000 Augmented (hyper)Reality: Domestic Robocop from Keiichi Matsuda on Vimeo. Although it would drive us insane to be completely conscious of it, our daily lives are saturated with countless advertisements and brand interactions. It's a corporate world, as a majority of the Supreme Court reminded us recently when it decided that corporations have the same rights as individuals when it comes to making political contributions – only with more money! Which is why this short film made by Keiichi Matsuda for his postgraduate architecture degree should both thrill and horrify you. Matsuda makes explicit what is usually implicit. Namely, that as consumers we are merely part of an extremely complex matrix. And that when technology inevitably makes computerlike eyewear available to us at a price you can afford, the world will look a lot like this hyperreal meeting of "The Girl From Ipanema" and Robocop in the kitchen of the future. See you at the virtual show, dude. The latter half of the 20th century saw the built environment merged with media space, and architecture taking on new roles related to branding, image and consumerism. Augmented reality may recontextualise the functions of consumerism and architecture, and change in the way in which we operate within it. A film produced for my final year Masters in Architecture, part of a larger project about the social and architectural consequences of new media and augmented reality. US Health Costs Rise As Life Expectancy Drops Richard Gehr — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:32:50 +0000 "Hey," you may be asking yourself. "Where's the United States on this National Geographic graph comparing health care spending per person and average life expectancy at birth?" See way up there in the upper left corner? That's the US, spending $7,290 per person, each of whom lives about 78 years – less than just about any country in the Western world. And not even getting that many trips to doctor to show for it. But that's how it goes when your country's one of the world's few developed nations without universal health coverage. (And look out below, Mexico.) The United States spends more on medical care per person than any country, yet life expectancy is shorter than in most other developed nations and many developing ones. Lack of health insurance is a factor in life span and contributes to an estimated 45,000 deaths a year. Why the high cost? The U.S. has a fee-for-service system—paying medical providers piecemeal for appointments, surgery, and the like. That can lead to unneeded treatment that doesn’t reliably improve a patient’s health. Says Gerard Anderson, a professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health who studies health insurance worldwide, “More care does not necessarily mean better care.” —Michelle Andrews Interview: Mushroom Master Paul Stamets Launches Life Box Richard Gehr — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 23:02:30 +0000 The mushroom world couldn't have a better friend than Paul Stamets – and I assure you the feeling is mutual. Stamets has been growing and studying fungi for about three decades. His family-run company, Fungi Perfecti, is the country's leading Certified Organic source for gourmet and medicinal mushrooms. But Stamets believes that fungi is more than a great source of food and health. In his most recent book, Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World, Stamets argues that mycelium, the cellular web from which mushrooms emerge, forms nature's neurological network – its very own Internet. And with creditable scientists more than a little concerned about the ecological sustainability of our relationship to the planet, Stamets argues that mushrooms, fungi, and mycelia can be used to break down toxic wastes, deliver new medicines, and, most important, restore nature's equiblibrium by filtering water, reforesting landscapes, and enhancing our gardens. How? Stamets, who already holds many patents in the field, has come up with a remarkably elegant solution. The Life Box is nothing more – nor less – than a cardboard box containing some 100 various tree seeds. These have been dusted with mycorrhizal fungal spores that symbiotically "protect and nurture" the seedlings. Instead of simply recycling the box, which you could also do, Stamets wants you to soak it, sprout its seedlings, and then replant them someplace where they can flourish and grow into mycelium-friendly forests. The competitively priced Life Box can also, of course. be used to hold or ship anything we already use cardboard boxes for. The whole concept is so simple, you'd almost think the mushrooms wanted Paul Stamets to invent the Life Box. And perhaps they do. HeadCount: So tell me the Life Box story. How did bring this brilliant idea to fruition? Paul Stamets: It's been in development for more than twelve years, but I’ve been growing mycelium on cardboard for much longer. My books contain a lot of great photographs showing how fungal friendly cardboard is. Dusty, my wife, mulches the garden over cardboard, and we had a fabulous fruiting of mushrooms with it. So it dawned on me that we all have too many cardboard boxes in our lives and, because I know cardboard is fungally friendly, I started playing around and combining it with different vegetables and other plants. I used a mangler, which is this giant ironing board with a big cylinder rotator that can take off your fingers, to glue together cardboard sheets with seeds, spores, and fungi in the middle. The beginning was a comedy of errors. I needed to find a corrugating company. The ones that didn’t quite show me the door tolerated my little idea and tried to help me. A key problem was that the heat involved in manufacturing most corrugated cardboard killed the seeds. It was a huge technological hurdle I couldn't overcome for several years even though I could do it by hand with room-temperature glues. Also, most corrugation machines were made upside-down for my purposes, meaning the seeds would fall out. My friend David Censi contacted some people he knows in that business. He discovered a very large company that had retooled an automated piece of machinery that by luck ended up perfectly symmetrical – so it didn’t matter how you put in the cardboard. Then we came up with a cold glue process, and that was the real breakthrough. When we learned that this domestic company was already using recycled cardboard and soy-based inks, it was the big slam dunk. David approach the company but got the usual reaction: eyes glazing over. David said, "Hear me out, trust me on this one." He convinced them to go ahead. As it turned out, the company's employees got incredibly excited that upper management doing something innovative and green, so there was a lot of enthusiasm. The company has thankfully committed considerable resources to make this a reality. They're making a major investment in highly automated machinery that can produce millions of Life Boxes. What's the Life Box supposed to do? Our goal, and our hope, is that it will become as ubiquitous as any plain brown box. The question becomes: Why wouldn’t you ship your products in a life box? Are you opposed to re-greening the earth? This is a bridge idea. It doesn’t matter what side of the climate-change issue you're on. I think everyone believes that planting trees is a good thing. Kids get the idea instantly. I became a biologist the day in kindergarten when I saw my first Dixie cup sprout a sunflower from I seed I had put in there and watered. It was a magical event. My grandson had the exact same experience with these trees. I told him that one day his grandkid’s grandkids might walk through an old-growth forest we created from a Life Box. And without skipping a beat he said, “Cool.” He immediately got it, and it was an epiphany I think we all can share. The Life Box empowers individuals. It may be a very depressing period psychologically and economically, but the Life Box delivers both hope as well as a solution to a pressing problem we all share. With all those extra seeds and spores, how do you keep the cost comparable to those of regular corrugated cardboard? Right now we're competitive with or cheaper than similar sized boxes you can buy from a UPS store. Fungi Perfecti already buys about $100,000 worth of boxes per year for mail orders, but we're not large enough to buy directly from a corrugation company. Now we can skip the middlemen. We're able to do an end run by offering the large corrugation company (with whom we have a confidentiality agreement) manufacturing exclusivity in the United States. So we're passing the savings down. We’ll make money on volume, which is key here. Time is of the essence, too. There needs to be a threshold of mass in a very short period of time in order to have a positive effect. We're currently in the sixth major extinction event known to this planet. It’s the first extinction event caused by an organism, us. We live 78 years, but it's incredibly myopic to lack perspective on what really occurs in nature over hundreds of years, which in geological and ecological time is just a blip. But we're seeing a massive loss of species diversity and forests, with climate change occurring. I’ve been to several cities that I believe have committed ecological suicide. Shanghai is the clearest example. If you put a tent over Shanghai, people would die in days, if not hours, because of the amount of pollution being emitted. They're not generating enough oxygen to offset the pollutants they're generating. So we’re all ending up in this giant cesspool of a planet, and I'm afraid the tipping point has been passed. Unless we make a dramatically positive impact in a very short period of time, future generations are going to look back and think we lost the golden opportunity. I think the Life Box is an elegantly simple way to empower anybody and everybody to do something about climate change, and to really tie themselves back into nature. Speaking of Shanghai, I live in Brooklyn with about a ten-square-foot backyard. How can people in dense urban environments use the Life Box? Well you only need the space the size of two laptop computers. You rip up the box, soak it in water, and then chill it. That's called stratification, and it basically makes the seeds experience a winter, which activates them. After two weeks in your refrigerator or outside, bring the cardboard back inside, or put it on your porch, in a tray or pan with about an eighth of an inch of soil over it. The seeds will start germinating when the temperature reaches 50 degrees. You should end up with about one tree seed per square inch, and each Life Box has between 200 and 300 tree seeds. The trees can live happily in that little tray through the first season. The next season you transplant them into little pot. So basically you have two years to figure out where to plant them. And this is where I challenge anybody. I see this as a form of ecological currency as well as a form of social currency. You’re in Brooklyn at a party. You're talking to Michael Pollan (who’s all over this) or somebody else, and you say, “I have these little baby trees I need to plant somewhere. Do you have some land in the country?" And if you can’t find somebody who will allow you to plant these little baby trees within two years, I think you have other problems. After you plant the trees, you can register the GPS coordinates to our home page. As satellite imagery improves, you'll be able to see the trees – which I can already do with Google Earth. Then you can actually verify the carbon being sequestered as the trees grow. The beauty of this is in the math. With as little as a two percent share of cardboard in the United States only, you could cover 25,000 square acres per week. Let’s just say one tree out of the 400 seeds grows, which is very conservative. If you have four boxes, four trees, you have to spread those trees about 30 feet apart from each other, which is approximately 1000 square feet. So you’ve gone from one square foot to 1000 square feet. You’ve gone from 25,000 square acres per week to 25 million acres per week. Now we’re talking about a serious way of being able to reforest the planet. And even if we only get a tiny fraction of that, it’ll still be globally significant. How would you connect this to your case for the primacy of mycelia in the planet's day-to-day dynamics? I sort of launched the Life Box toward the end of my TED talk. I see the Life Box as a delivery system. The beauty of it is there’s no extra weight and we have dispersion to individuals. The delivery system is already in place. So I see the creation of guilds of organisms using Life Box and seeds of trees, garden vegetables, grasses, flowers, whatever, combined with beneficial fungi, which creates soils. I’ve been very focused on ecological restoration projects and breaking down toxic wastes. And fungi are the vanguard species that reduce toxicity levels and enable downstream populations to proliferate. So the fungal constituent of this is extremely important because it expands the roots of trees an estimated 200-1000 times. It gives hosts resistance against disease, and makes soil spongy so it holds and retains water. When root systems expand, there’s more moisture in the soil, other organisms start thriving, and you end up with these oasis environments I call "mycelial lenses." As they expand, more soil is created and biodiversity increases. After you launch the Life Box, what's next? We’re going to make this zip code specific, eventually. If there's a wildflower or tree that's essential for a keystone species, that zip code will get a Life Box customized to that ecosystem's needs. We wrote every department of agriculture in the United States to ensure we’re not spreading any invasive species. We’ve been approved in Canada and the United States, and we’re going for Europe. Coal, Climate Change, Copenhagen, Canada lizodonnell — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:22:18 +0000 Even as the snow-topped peaks of beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia melt before our eyes during the Winter Olympics, the coal industry wants to remind us how important "clean coal" is for creating affordable energy and future jobs. The American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) is running TV ads during the games to champion coal as an abundant and affordable solution to America's clean-energy needs. As one blogger notes: The ad campaign talks about all of the investments that the coal industry has made to produce ever cleaner electricity from coal, it talks about the 200 year supply of the material (at current consumption rates), and it talks about the fact that coal provides half of all electricity used in America. The intended effect is clear: while Americans are rooting for their favorites in winter sports where we are often underdogs or "also rans", we can root for an energy choice where America is a recognized world leader; we are the world's best endowed country when it comes to coal. The ACCCE has spent millions of dollars lobbying for the fossil fuel industry. It's fighting tooth and nail to prevent any climate change bill containing greenhouse gas emission mandates from passing through either chamber of Congress, as well as supporting any legislation funding carbon capture-and-storage programs. The group has also spent millions on clean-coal PR campaigns that have successfully changed public opinion regarding climate change and coal's effect on the environment. The ACCCE spends upward of $30 million a year on advertising. The American Petroleum Institute, a national trade association consisting of oil companies and refineries representing America's oil and natural gas industry, is also buying ads during the Olympics. Watching NBC's Olympics coverage, one has to wonder: With all the work these groups do to convince Americans that our existing energy dependency is both clean and sustainable, does Canada's inability to muster up a little cold weather in the middle of February convince us otherwise? (Source: http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/climate_change/) (Source: http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/climate_change/) Interview: ALO Man Of The World Dave Brogan Richard Gehr — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:27:24 +0000 According to drummer Dave Brogan, ALO's music is their politics. And that personal-is-political sensibility comes through loud and clear on the group's fourth album, Man of the World. Produced by ALO friend Jack Johnson, Man of the World is an tuneful reckoning with changing lives in a changing world. An uncertain nostalgia wends through "The Country Electro," which suggests balancing the old and the new. Likewise, "Let's put away the past and let the future set us free," sings drummer Dave Brogan in "Put Away the Past." Recorded mostly in loose-limbed first takes after a three-year-break between albums, Man of the World reflects a refreshed band ready to roll into the future. We spoke with Dave as he took a break from loading the truck for ALO's annual California tour, folowing which they'll head north with Galactic. HeadCount: Would you say Man of the World has a theme? Dave Brogan: I would. There’s a lot of questioning going on in the lyrics. The characters are looking at their lives in a different way for the first time. They're wondering what in the past has led up to this point, and how they might move forward. There are a lot of story lyrics. It’s an introspective, soul-searching kind of album, lyrically. We’re all getting a little older, so maybe it’s a midlife-crisis album. I wrote “Put Away the Past,” which is representative of what I was just talking about. The lyrics are usually written by one of us for music we compose collectively. Beginning with our prior album, we've been taking the best parts of our jams and fleshing them out into songs. What political or social causes does ALO support? I think most bands are political by definition. Every band has a platform. It might be an artistic or musical platform, but you're usually putting a belief system out there and trying to get like-minded people to join you and create a strength-in-numbers situation. So I think our music alone is kind of a political statement. There’s very much a let's-be-in-the-moment idea. Our old name was Animal Liberation Orchestra, which reflected the idea of freeing your inner animal, embodying a kind of animal consciousness, and becoming more physical than we normally are – whether through dancing or letting the music wash over you. That’s a pretty political agenda, even for a band. We want to create an environment where people feel liberated to express themselves and interact with us on a deeper level than usual. We’ve always been very accessible to people who like our music. I was very involved in politics during the last administration because I wanted change so much. And it did change, which was a big relief. I'm pretty cynical about the big picture, so I don’t know how much things really changed overall, as illustrated by the health-care debate. Obama's election was such a relief that I suddenly just tuned out. I haven’t watched more than a few hours of television in the last year and a half, and that cuts you off from a lot of the political discourse. Having Bush as president for eight years was a total bummer. I had to question America on a pretty deep level, and whether I belonged here. I like to consider myself an intellectual, or at least someone interested in exploring the truth as scientists and scholars research it. And to see a large portion of society reject all that, and even declare it dangerous, made me feel pretty lost for a good four years. During Bush's second term, I began to wonder if Canada if needed more musicians. I don’t know where the rest of the guys are on that. We’ve got our grassroots thing and our music, so we focus on that. We’re pretty local with our political intentions. Living in California, do you ever feel like the system is crumbling around you? Well, no. California has been in a shambles for 25 or 30 years. I grew up in the Central Valley near Fresno, and we’ve all been victims of California's political chaos for most of our lives. We had Proposition 13 in 1978, which froze property taxes at 1%, and it just killed the schools. I was directly affected when programs I was really into were cut. Things just kept getting cut as the deficit got perpetually worse. Propositions like 187, the one that basically said if you couldn’t prove your citizenship, you couldn’t go to school or get medical care. Crappy politics all the way up to Proposition 8 [the California Marriage Protection Act]. I moved to Washington state and lived there for about 10 years, and the politics up there were way more low key, way more informed. You've got fewer people, but everyone’s more or less on the same page. California's a state of contrasts, both politically and geographically. There’s a lot going on. Since I've been back there's been a succession of unqualified governors, so it continues to be totally dysfunctional. How does ALO feel it fits into the jam band scene these days, if there even is such a scene anymore? I always felt we were on the fringe. We’re rock musicians into jazz and classical music. We like to improvise and play solos. We came up in a time, during the indie '90s, when solos went out of style. I think all the musicians who liked solos went into the jam-band scene, and that’s why it’s such an umbrella with so many different types of music under it. You’ve got straight jazz, New Orleans jazz, acid jazz, psychedelic rock, improvised jam-band stuff like Phish, and the Allman Brothers. We still play some of those things, but we’ve always wanted to be more pop in the sense that we wanted to work on songwriting and studio craft as well as the craft of improvising on our instruments. We’re still as accepted in the jam-band scene as we’ve ever been. It would be cool to have a jam-band credibility index where you could rate each band and see where they’re at. I think our recent album’s got tons of jamming on it. It was recorded in a first-take kind of way. We’d just hit "record" and start playing. I don’t know if that’s something a lot of jam-band people are going to like. What did you bring to Man of the World from making Thunderbird Sun Transformation? Your solo album sounds riskier and a lot less mellow to me. The biggest thing I took was less of a need to push my own agenda in ALO. I got a lot of those artistic ideas out and onto my album, and that helped make Man of the World more relaxing for everybody. That's what was so good about the time off we took. Thunderbird involved way less politics in that I didn't have to convince anyone to take those risks. I could steer the ship. I went from a democracy to a dictatorship, and dictators can take bigger chances. History can back that up. LMFAO Vs. Mitt Romney Richard Gehr — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 18:39:16 +0000 We're all about music interacting with politics but this is ridiculous. Rapper Sky Blu of rap group LMFAO takes to YouTube to explain his side the Air Canada altercation with Mitt Romney that galvanized America. It's cool that Skyler Gordy – grandson of Motown founder Barry Gordy! – took six minutes out of his day to wake up and address the issue in his hotel room. Wearing red and white briefs. Good career move, too. Corporate Free Speech Reigns Supreme lizodonnell — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:48:05 +0000 As part of HeadCount’s “What’s Your Issue?” campaign, we publish regular updates on each of six issues. The following is our latest Personal Liberty update. What does the New Year have in store for personal liberty issues? So far, we've seen the approval of an airport security measure that not only wants to see you naked, but can keep the picture and send it electronically. Google won't be G-chatting with China at the moment and unfortunately for Willie Nelson, smoking pot is still against the law. * A landmark decision by the Supreme Court has some cheering free speech and others waving goodbye to campaign finance reform. The Supreme Court's decision to allow corporations to spend freely in political campaigns has overturned nearly a century of policies prohibiting such spending. Interestingly, the decision claims that corporations and special interests have the same right to free speech as any other American, putting the U.S. Constitution in the way of any reforms congress may want to make. Think of the saying, "put your money where your mouth is." The difference is corporations have much bigger mouths. * Google is one company that is certainly putting its money where its mouth is. After Chinese hackers tried to access the Gmail accounts of human rights activists working in China, Google decided to stop censoring search engine results on Google.cn and possibly pull out of China entirely. It's a move that makes a strong free speech statement at the expense of possibly losing the largest cell phone market in the world and harming ties between the U.S. and China. * Take a picture why don't you? It will last longer! Approved by President Obama after the Dec. 25 "underwear bomber" incident, that's exactly what some full body scanners at airport security checks will do. The new x-ray scanners not only see through clothing, but store and have the ability to send any images they take, something that the TSA had assured the public the machines wouldn't do. * In his State of the Union address, President Obama has called for a repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy blocking openly gay people from serving in the military. This week, the Pentagon began tackling the issue stating that the change must come gradually. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Adm. Mike Mullen said, "I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens." * And just in case you were wondering - no, marijuana isn't legal yet. Just ask longtime stoner and country musician Willie Nelson who had his tour bus busted again. But this November, California and Oregon are leaving the issue to the voters, poising these west coast states to become the first in the nation to legalize and tax pot for recreational use by adults 21 and over. So that's all folks. Get the latest headlines daily on Twitter or visit the Personal Liberty page to learn about staying free. If you want to try a little democracy in action, email your Senators and Congressional reps. Fake Steve Jobs Introduces iSierra Music Festival Richard Gehr — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:44:05 +0000 "Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes...the ones who see things differently – they're not fond of rules." So sayeth Steve Jobs, the innovator affectionately parodied in this terrific video preview for this summer's High Sierra Music Festival taking place July 1-4 in Quincy, California. High Sierra producer Dave Margulies dons Jobs's iconic black long-sleeved T-shirt tucked into his jeans to introduce the iSierra. "Do you want soul-shaking, politically informed afrobeat? There's an act for that," says Margulies, running down Femi Kuti & The Positive Force, the Avett Brothers, Railroad Earth, and Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, some of the more than 50 acts performing at iSierra. “And did I mention real bathrooms and hot showers?” he concludes. Bisco Power Mission Takes HeadCount To New Places Andy — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 02:35:10 +0000 Dating back to HeadCount’s 2004 launch, we viewed the organization’s ultimate purpose as stretching well beyond voter registration. Our very first action plan called for HeadCount to serve as a “grassroots organizing arm of the live music community.” Our purpose, in the broadest sense, was to foster civic participation among fans of live music and to create an “infrastructure for action.” These are words I remember writing with great anticipation six years ago. Now, with the launch of two initiatives - Bisco Power Mission and our Best of Bonnaroo climate change campaign (more info next week) – a key part of that vision is becoming reality. Bisco Power Mission, specifically, is a model for the sort of activity we’d like to share with other bands or organizations. It all starts with a simple question: “What do you believe in?” For members of The Disco Biscuits, one answer is clean and sustainable energy. So HeadCount conceived, organized, and executed a plan with the band to fund a solar panel installation at a Philadelphia public school. We’ll do this by staging a special benefit concert on March 21 at Brooklyn Bowl, the nation’s largest LEED Certified (environmentally friendly) concert venue. From the early planning stages right up to today’s official announcement, this has epitomized what we envisioned when we envisioned serving as the grassroots organizing arm of the live-music community. First we got a group of Biscuits fans together to work on the project. That group included several skilled artists, some experts on solar and sustainable energy, and a bunch of other really smart, creative people. Then we collectively created an application procedure for potential BPM grant recipients and figured out how to attract applicants. The band was heavily involved in this process. All four members participated in multiple conference calls and reached out to friends and family in search of a school to work with. We ended up hearing from 22 different schools interested in the Bisco Power Mission grant. We narrowed it down to two public schools in Philadelphia. Project assessments and site visits will follow, and by the time March 21 roles around, we’ll know which school will be on the receiving end of some Bisco energy. The project represents a true partnership between HeadCount and The Disco Biscuits. Half the cash proceeds of Bisco Power Mission will go directly toward the school’s solar installation. The other half will help fund HeadCount's civic engagement activity – including voter registration and Get Out the Vote efforts. So every Bisco Power Mission ticket not only helps install solar panels at a school but supports HeadCount too. We thank The Disco Biscuits for providing their time, talents, ideas, and passion for this project. We thank the incredible team of volunteers that has come together to guide this project along. And we thank you the fans for supporting both Bisco Power Mission and, at the same time, HeadCount's mission. Interview: Steve Martocci On Rewarding Fans, Activists Richard Gehr — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:20:09 +0000 If you put yourself out there for a band or a cause, you should get something for it. And Steve Martocci has the technology to make that happen. The Sympact CEO has developed personalized email platforms that will allow bands – and nonprofit organizations – the ability to identify and reward their most faithful and generous advocates, perhaps by moving them to the front of the ticket line. Martocci is also a longtime friend of The Disco Biscuits, for whom he has developed an elegantly simple program for writing setlists. Martocci, who grew up on Long Island, attended Carnegie Mellon University. While working for Cadence Video, he helped produce the Biscuits Progressions DVD and developed value-added merchandise. Martocci launched Sympact (as in "sympathetic impact") in 2006 with an online version of the Lance Armstrong-style charity bracelet. Using this widget, which could be embedded into an email signature or into any website, donors could track how much money had been donated to a charity and read up-to-the minute news. Sympact expanded this into a dynamic Flash technology that could target interested recipients through location and other characteristics. His company has developed dynamic email solutions for Starbucks, Thrillist, and 1-800-FLOWERS. Martocci's main passion, of course, remained music, and you can see his most recent work on the pre-order page for The Disco Biscuits' upcoming Planet Anthem album. (That's Steve and the Biscuits' Marc Brownstein sweating out a Caribbean Holidaze setlist.) HeadCount: How did you start adapting your email personalization tech to our HeadCount partners through your Bandwith ticket-allocation technology? Steve Martocci: Dan Berkowitz contacted me about about doing friends-and-family ticketing for the Grateful Dead. Ever since college I’ve had this vision of building a platform for rewarding fan contributions that would really let the band know who their biggest contributors were in terms of both money and time. This would allow the band to allot tickets and music to their biggest supporters, the people who helped grow their band from the bottom up. So in a sense you've been working on the metrics of fandom. Yes. Dan and I used to jokingly call this "the Joe Corbett Effect." John lives in Scranton and was largely responsible for the dense population of Biscuits fans in the area because he used to get them all to come to their shows. So identifying and rewarding fans like him could really help grow your band. So you figured out Bandwith by working with the Grateful Dead. You really can’t turn down working for the Dead. It was a wonderful experience. They'd been using fax forms, which made it easy to lose things in the shuffle. So we built a system where the band members send out invitations. There's a band allotment, and each member gets his own allotment, so the system allows you to split the total across different lists. Phish has done something similar. The platform is really nice. You can email and text message all your fans depending on where they live. It also tracks all the various passes and credentials the band issues. I see you also have a program for writing setlists. I was sitting backstage before a Disco Biscuits show watching Marc Brownstein write a setlist once, and I couldn’t believe what I saw. He had like fifteen pieces of paper he kept losing, and then he'd scream at his tour manager to find them. This was not an efficient process. So I went home and said to a friend, “I'm going to see how fast I can build a system to solve this problem.” I had a prototype within 24 hours, and by the end of the week I'd put together this simple drag-and-drop interface that could do what Marc needed. When he saw it, he was blown away. It was an instant success and he started using it right away. I want to open up the platform and tie it back into some of my other idea of how fans could be rewarded. We wanted a simple way for fans to add requests to the system, which evolved into a Disco Biscuits iPhone app. I'm building it on a cross-platform framework that lets me put it on iPhones, Blackberries, Android, everything. It’s awesome because you have every setlist ever played, you have the ability to stream any show on Archive.org right to your phone, and you have the band's news and tweets. That’s version one. Version two will begin rewarding the fans who’ve been investing their time and money. I'm betting yo have some good ideas about how this could be applied to social activism. I got involved in HeadCount relatively early on. The same platform I'm bringing to music could work with charity – the concept of showing how much money you give, how much stuff you do, and communicating with your network of friends and co-conspirators. I think HeadCount and technology are great for connecting us, letting us having conversations, and bridging gaps. But there’s a huge need for action. Particularly in HeadCount's case, people need to get past technology and take action. So recently I’ve been thinking about how we can reward people who do things as opposed to just talking about things. That’s where I see the gap. Donating time is worth so much. Using technology to recognize people’s contribution of time will become key. What kind of rewards do you foresee giving people who donate lots of time? I'm thinking of a ticketing system. Let’s say a band has 10 percent of tickets to a show or tour while Ticketmaster has the other 90 percent. The band has this web platform to track their fan's actions – such as how much money and time they've donated, how they've actually affected things. Look at a band like Arcade Fire, which who has a deep connection to Haiti. They could take 10 percent of their tickets and sell them exclusively to people who've donated ten hours to help Haiti. If you took your band's ticket budget and said, "OK let's dedicate 10 percent for social change," it shouldn’t be that hard of a process. HeadCount is in a really interesting position because they’re a well-recognized name. We could do this in different areas, such as sports and entertainment, but music is especially interesting because people treat it like a community. There’s a way to empower the band to push its flock in the direction they want to. With a million online networking distractions, the challenge is increasingly to get someone to focus on your issue. How do you do that? The way to get someone to focus is to put a carrot in front of their face. The one thing that’s kind of not great about all these online experiences is that nothing feels real. You do a little bit of this, a little bit of that, but I don’t think anyone ever really satisfied. The way to focus people is to organize real, solid events. Making Our Voice Heard On Climate Change Andy — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:08:28 +0000 The following was written for The Huffington Post: Nearly a year and a half ago, a record number of young voters turned out for the presidential election. Since then, civic-engagement organizations such as HeadCount have been fighting a sometimes difficult battle to keep young people excited about political participation. It isn’t easy. The paralysis in Washington has soured even the wonkiest of the wonks and the most active of the activists. But it's times like these when groups like ours are needed the most. When mass disenchantment with government sets in, we need champions of democracy's timeless principals. To be effective though, we need to increase our creativity, focus more on issues and less on politics, and bring new voices into debates. We need to somehow make this fun again. With that in mind, HeadCount has teamed up with the NRDC Action Fund and a large coalition of nonprofit and media organizations to try something new. We’re giving away music downloads in an effort to inspire people to speak out. Specifically, we’re offering a 17-track Best of Bonnaroo compilation featuring Pearl Jam, the Dave Matthews Band, Jack Johnson, and many others, to encourage Americans to tell elected officials how they feel about the climate change issue The campaign lives at Music for Action. Anyone who visits the site can download the music for free, but they're asked to first email the President, their senators, or their local newspaper editors about climate change. Pre-written letters urge elected officials to make climate policy and clean energy a legislative priority – a broad stance shared among the participating musicians and their fans – who are, of course, also encouraged to argue any viewpoint. They'll get the music whether or not they speak up, ensuring that any communication is sincere and honest. You may know HeadCount primarily as a nonpartisan organization that sets up voter-registration tables at concerts. Any you may be wondering why we’ve picked climate change as the issue to dive into, especially at a time when climate change skeptics appear to be gaining momentum. One reason is that ever since the 2008 presidential election, we’ve been conducting surveys asking concertgoers what issues they felt most passionate about. The most popular answer was “sustainability and climate change.” So even amid controversy, our milieu evidently believes the issue should be a government priority. We see it as both our responsibility and opportunity to give this audience a louder voice in government. Another reason is that we appear to be at a critical juncture on climate change, with the House of Representatives passing climate-related legislation for the first time last year and the Senate still fence sitting. If there’s ever been a time when the likes of Dave Matthews, Eddie Vedder, and their legions of fans can actually make a difference, it’s now. HeadCount is a nonpartisan organization. That hasn't changed and never will. We don’t support candidates or political parties. We don't get involved, or advocate positions, in the finer points of the climate-change debate or any other issue. We believe people should make their voices heard, regardless of their opinion. But within those parameters, we're not afraid to say that government should address the core issues our community finds most pressing. So our board of directors – which includes Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead and many of the music industry's top promoters and managers – voted unanimously last fall to launch this initiative and use the power of music to inspire action. In the end, only citizens can break the Washington gridlock and demand progress. Grassroots efforts are integral to articulating and amplifying this sort of demand . HeadCount knows of no greater tool to inspire citizens than music. We hope that you’ll join us in this movement. Andy Bernstein is the co-founder and executive director of HeadCount. (photo by C. Taylor Crothers) Tapers Never Die Richard Gehr — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 20:49:59 +0000 You kids have absolutely no idea how easy you've got it. When I was a lad hungry for live Grateful Dead tapes, gluttons like myself were often forced to interact with total strangers via snail mail, sending blank cassettes and return postage in order to score sketchy dupes of dupes of analog dupes. And we loved it. There was something wonderfully intimate and folk arty about contacting some random freak foolhardy enough to post an offer to hook a brother up in the classified section of Relix magazine, back when it was a vaguely creepy Grateful Dead fanzine rather than the far slicker and more eclectic periodical into which it has evolved. When we tapped into the tapers world, we worked for it – as I was reminded when I read a couple of nice articles recently about the art of documenting the ephemeral in the digital age, when millions of shows are just a couple of clicks away. (Has ease of access devalued music as a result? Discuss amongst yourselves.) "A taper might invest over $10,000 in equipment," writes Steven Hoffer in "Audiophile: The Live Concert-Taping Subculture" in McGill University's student paper. A set of high-end Schoeps or Neumann brand microphones cost about $5,000 alone. Factor in preamplifiers running as much as $6,000, digital recorders for up to $2,000, digital to analogue converters, power supplies, cases, cables, and clamps, and most tapers have gear valued around the price of a well-running used car. Some, like California-based taper Ian Stone, have gone as far as running their own private server." Ian Stone happens to be HeadCount's own personal tapehead. He runs the page of fabulous downloads anyone can access simply by registering here. (I'm digging the Benevento-Russo Duo and Mike Gordon play "Cars Trucks Buses" as I type.) "There is no profit in it - there is no fame in it," says Stone, who Taped a 2008 Phil Lesh/Bob Weir/Mickey Hart benefit concert more than 100,000 people downloaded. "So regardless of whether 100 people download it or 1,000 people download it, those tapers will still be there doing their thing." And last month my pal Jesse Jarnow wrote a fine piece for the Village Voice about a couple of prominent New York City "audio hoarders," Dan Lynch and Dave Nolan. I've known both of these guys for decades. In fact, I used to stay up all night in the mid-'80s, snoozing and flipping tapes intermittently during Nolan's Deadcentric "Morning Dew" radio show on WBAI. We'd spoken on the phone once or twice back then but I don't recall meeting him in person until a few weeks ago on the sidewalk following a Brooklyn benefit for ailing Fugs co-founder Tuli Kupferberg, which of course Nolan had taped. He seemed like a great guy, and I looked forward to running into him at future shows. Sadly, Dave Nolan suffered a massive heart attack and died last Thursday, leaving a wife, an eight-year-old daughter, and a priceless audio archive behind. "There's a term in the archival community: LOCKSS," Nolan told Jarnow. " 'Lots of Copies Keeps Stuff Safe.' The music is going to be fine. It's the stuff in between that's really important. In 50 or 100 years, that will almost be more valuable as historical documents." For tapers like Stone and Nolan, it's all about legacy – preserving the fleeting fragments of music played for real people in real time. As the ancient Romans used to say: Ars longa, vita brevis. We'll miss you, Dave. Climate Change Movement Digs Self Out Of Snow lizodonnell — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:31:10 +0000 When a pair of snowstorms pounded Washington DC, climate-change skeptics were quick to call for an end to any discussion of global warming or climate-related legislation. Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) tweeted, "It's going to keep snowing until Al Gore cries uncle," and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin called global warming "snake oil science." It's left the climate movement pulling out the shovel and trying to take back control of the debate. Indeed, a lot has happened since we last spoke during Copenhagen. * To kick start a conversation within the music community, HeadCount is conducting a nationwide poll, both online and at concerts, asking, "What's the best way to fight climate change?" o Personal responsibility o Taxing carbon and greenhouse-gas emissions o Strict limits and regulations o Climate change is a bunch of hooey! Take the poll now! * Around the world, 92 countries have submitted their targeted emissions reductions to the UN in compliance with the nonbinding Copenhagen Accord. The US has pledged a 17% cut in 2005 emissions levels by 2020. That still leaves us 100 countriesshort of the number required to pass a legally binding international climate change agreement. * President Obama has indicated we might see a bill come out of the Senate this year that combines energy legislation with climate-change measures, though it might not include emissions caps. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, working on a compromise bill with senators John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), has called this backward. "If the approach is to try to pass some half-assed energy bill, and say that moves the ball down the road, forget it with me." * It took fake anchorman Jon Stewart and fake commentator Stephen Colbert to lampoon and debunk climate-change skeptics who claim that snowstorms indicate global warming isn't happening, by explaining how global warming can actually lead to extreme weather such as blizzards. The Winter Olympics' organizers may now be even bigger believers in global warming; they've had to truck in snow for several events postponed due to warm weather. Despite their problems with Mother Nature, the Vancouver Olympics has done its best to be ethical and environmentally friendly this year. * The nonprofit group Reverb has formed the Green Music Group, uniting artists, promoters, and nonprofits "to bring about widespread environmental change within the music industry and around the globe." It kicked off with an all-star party and jam featuring members of Maroon 5, the Roots, the Dave Matthews Band, and Guster. Sound fun? Visit their website to get a free download of the performance. There's a lot happening on the grassroots-activism front. Operation Free, a group of young US military veterans, is touring the country by bus to urge climate-change action. Also watch for the Hip Hop Caucus's Clean Energy Now! Bus Tour. Starting February in New Orleans, it will roll through five states for events including community rallies, campus roundtables, clean-energy jobsite tours, and musical events. Follow us on Twitter or visit our Sustainability page for the latest headlines. See you when the snow melts! One Step Off Forward, Two Back Richard Gehr — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 21:11:56 +0000 Did a group of white girls break a color boundary by winning last month's Sprite Step Off competition? Or was it just another controversial case of African-American culture getting ripped off once again by the dancing equivalents of Vanilla Ice? Zeta Tau Alpha’s Epsilon Chapter of the University of Arkansas were the surprise victors of the February 20 finals. The ZTAs were awarded $100,000 for winning and happened to have been featured in MTV2's "Sprite Step Off" docu-series. And judging from the video below, the crowd seemed to loooove them. But in a truly weird turnaround, Sprite recalibrated the top two teams' scores and awarded another $100,000 to the second-place TAU Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority from Indiana University – one of the "Divine Nine" black sororities known for their stepping prowess. United States stepping originated in the "gumboot" dances performed by late-19th-century South African mine workers who, forbidden to talk while working, communicated through tapping out their tribal rhythms with their feet. On Sunday, their only day off, workers would also dance in their work boots. You've come a long way, babies – I guess. Obviously inspired by the Divine Nine, the Zetas allegedly lost their first place exclusivity by including sexy gyrations prohibited in stepping performances. The TAUs, on the other hand, appear to have adopted the Arkansans ironed hairstyle. Hey, we're all biracial now! Compare and contrast after the jump: Calling all Crows Sebastian — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:55:57 +0000 HeadCount partner artist State Radio and their service organization Calling All Crows have teamed up for their first ever "Alternative Break Tour." A second tour bus filled with excited volunteers is following the band on the road participating in volunteer projects with local nonprofits during the day and rocking out at the State Radio show each night. The tour started on March 1st in Little Rock, AR and finishes up in New Orleans, LA on March 7th. Volunteers are blogging and uploading photos from the trip so if you want to see what's going on check it out here. 99Problems Swaps Hip-Hop Mixtape For Census Pledge Richard Gehr — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:49:29 +0000 "We gotta lotta problems in my hood/ The Man ain't puttin' a lotta dollars in my hood," raps Miss Nana on Numbers Don't Lie, the excellent hip-hop mix 99Problems.org wants to lay on you in return for a pledge to participate in this year's census. Like Voto Latino's similar deal, 99Problems' offer attempts to raise awareness of a process that will eventually direct money, resources, attention, and maybe even a little respect, to neighborhoods that could use it the most. Initiated by the League of Young Voters Education Fund, 99Problems was created to present the best "action" videos made by young citizens identifying the most pressing problems facing their communities. Most of the folks affected by these issues – poverty, violence, homelessness, joblessness, etc. – never enjoyed the privilege (which should be a right but isn't in the USA) of higher education, and the League is especially adept at reaching out to the noncollege crowd. In fact, Executive Director Biko Baker just posted a great manifesto, if you will, concerning the hurdles faced by college-educated activists in their well-intentioned attempts to do community work in this milieu. His "Top 5 Ways To Know You’re Not Really Working With Noncollege Youth!!" is an eye-opener, and he gave us permission to repost it. Over the last year or so, there have been more and more groups claiming that they work with noncollege youth. This is sort of bitter sweet for me. While the need in this community is tremendous and there is more than enough work to go around, the truth is that not all groups are created equal. Many of the groups claiming to serve noncollege youth have absolutely no business mobilizing poor communities. But because of their positional power, or because of their relationship to beltway insiders, they often times get resources to do this very tough and often times unrewarding work, when they should be deferring to other organizations. So, in an effort to clear the air, and serve low income communities, I have a decided to drop this list of the “Top 5 Ways to Know You’re Not Really Working With Noncollege Youth.” Enjoy. 1 You don’t have a hood or barrio pass! Let’s keep it real, not every group has what it takes to canvass in low income communities. There is a real art and science to mobilizing voters in low income neighborhoods. Trust me, you can’t just pop up in a neighborhood and get respect. You have to earn it. And word to John Mayer, hood passes aren’t earned easily. 2 You are more about promoting your organization than the community! Lot’s of groups spend way more of their resources on branding and visibility than mobilizing their constituents. That works for some constituencies, but to really get folks from noncollege communities to turn out, you have to really be about organizing. Low income communities only respond when they see a real commitment to organizing and local leadership development. You can’t move folks with a bumper sticker or t-shirt. 3 You skip town when the election is over! It’s okay, most organizations do it. Heck, LYVEF has even had to close up a shop or two when money has gotten tight. But that can’t be your M.O. Noncollege communities need deep, long term investments. You can’t get the respect you need to really mobilize people if you are only in town every other year. Community folks know when organizations aren’t in it for the long haul. 4 Your whole strategy focuses on online work! Word to the New Organizing Institute, I love online organizers. But there is no way that you can mobilize noncollege folks if you only use an online strategy. (Well, unless you are Worldstarhiphop.com.) Low income folks need to be able to look you in your eyes to see if you are legitimate. Online organizing is a great tactic, but it CANNOT be the end all be all of your strategy. 5 You’re feeling a little intimidated by this article. It’s ok. I’m here to help. As I said above, there is more than enough work to be done in this community. If you really want to serve low income communities, come holla at me. I am more than willing to connect you to a group in your city or region that is doing amazing work. Trust me, they exist. Interview: Stew On The State Of The Union Richard Gehr — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 19:16:31 +0000 I'm sure stranger things have happened on Broadway than a brilliantly scrappy Los Angeles psych-punk band – provocatively named the Negro Problem – evolving into a Tony Award-winning musical. But I really can't think of any. Still, that's what happened to guitar-slinging, Godard-quoting, rockin'-soul singer Stew and his bass-bumping artistic henchwoman and former squeeze, Heidi Rodewald. So if you somehow managed to miss Passing Strange, run-don't-walk to your Netflix account and queue up Spike Lee's eargasmic film documenting the show's last couple of high-energy, emotionally gripping performances. Seriously, do it now. I'll wait. Last month at St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn, Stew and Heidi followed up Passing Strange with a run of shows called "Making It." Stew's a black man who doesn't conform to virtually any of the stereotypes typically affixed to African-American males; and a lot of his art, especially Passing Strange, reflects that misconception (yo! Obama). "Making It," though, was mostly about how a certain type of success destroyed his and Heidi's relationship. Stew and I hunkered down backstage prior to his second St. Ann's show. This is what he had to say about the many moods of making it – on Broadway, as in expatriate in Berlin (where he spends much of his time), in the White House, and at your local tea party. HeadCount: Times are tough for a lot of people these days. How have your perceptions of "making it" in America changed during your lifetime? Stew: We chose the term "making it” because of all that it implies. “Making it” in terms of getting to do what you love for a living, all the way to having enough money to do whatever you think you want to do, all the way to "making it" as fucking and getting away with something. To me, there’s a whole criminal subtext to being an artist in America when you're suddenly making money from it. Some people almost feel a little bit guilty. Artists are made to feel like low-level criminals. Maybe it's human nature to feel you’re not worthy once you become successful. Yeah, but I don’t know a lot of European artists who feel like they're scamming. A plumber goes to work, does his job, and feels like, “Yeah, I worked hard today.” Heidi and I without a doubt don’t believe in this idea of “making it.” People are like, “You’ve made it now; you’re on Broadway.” But we’re lifers. We know there’s life after Broadway. We’ll probably be carrying our amps around for as long as we’re able to carry them. My models are bluesmen and old country-and-western guys who go around in big trucks and play in tents and wait till they've signed the last guy's CD before they leave. If I'm there at 65, it'll be exactly where I wanna be. So the classic idea of making it is illusion bullshit for us. Our last version of "making it" is making music, that's the only "it" we want to make. Speaking of making it, what’s your assessment of Barack Obama’s first year in office? Bottom line for me is that I'm actually not that concerned with the day-to-day dillying and dallying of any politician or administration. I'm more interested in the long-term affect they have on the culture at large. Obama's defining our era no less than Nixon defined his. What I'm most interested in, frankly, is not what happened yesterday with healthcare but rather how black teenagers, and even Turkish teenagers in my Berlin neighborhood, are going to think about what they're capable of doing. I was in Berlin the day Obama was elected, and this Turkish kid was running down the street holding a newspaper. You could tell he was running home to tell his parents the news. And this kid, who I'd never spoken to before, stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, held up the paper, pointed to it, and smiled. It felt like the kid was saying, “See, I have something to do with this too.” And that marked the beginning of an era. So I am more interested in the cultural psychological impact Obama's making on our psyches in the long run. It's like America has taken a new drug and it's scaring some people, making them have tea parties and think, “Maybe I don’t really trust a black man being in charge.” But he’s not a surprise to me. As I’ve said a million times, I have uncles and cousins who look and act like him, who've been to Ivy League schools. So it’s no big deal for me. But it’s a big deal for a whole bunch of people, who range from the frightened tea partyers to everyone who thought he was going to be Jesus – so everybody gets to be disappointed. Sounds like a no-win situation. Is that what electing a half-black president really comes down to? Yeah, and I knew that going in. I knew the messiah thing was happening and liberals, conservatives, and everybody else were going to get pissed off. I even think it's kind of great if he pisses of some black people too, because then maybe black people will understand this isn’t as much about race as about politics. The most interesting thing about OJ Simpson was that the black guy got off, and our whole history is supposed to be about throwing the black guy into jail when he kills the white blonde. This one got off. Why? Because of money and power. And that’s what’s interesting about Barack. Black folks think everything he'll do will be fantastic for them. I think we’re going to learn an interesting collective lesson about what politics really is, and how it’s about more than just race. You mentioned living in Berlin. How would you compare and contrast the way each country works from your point of view. My Berlin life is much easier to live now that Obama’s president. People used to not consider me American. They considered me a black American, which meant I wasn’t responsible for all the bullshit. But when Bush came into office, even black Americans were treated as though we were Texas rednecks. I consider myself an expatriate artist who happens to have family and friends there. I pay attention to German politics when I can. We always have a party when there’s any kind of election. The scary thing about contemporary German politics is that they seems to be boring on purpose. Germans are very wary of charisma because that got them into big trouble during World War II. They play charisma down big-time. They’re clearheaded and don’t raise their voices much. What’s going on in Germany is that the idea of workers being protected, drawing wonderful pensions, and never going bankrupt is going away. Employers are getting much more hardcore, much more American. They thought all these people were going to invest in East Germany then suddenly realized that doesn’t work. Because a lot of East Germany is polluted and the people there don't want to work for nothing. They want pensions, protection, and vacations too. Are you still in touch with the anarchist Berlin art crowd you portrayed in Passing Strange? Where are those guys now? Living with their babies in legalized squats and voting for the Green Party. They're trying to incorporate their politics into their everyday family lives just like I am. They’re not in the streets throwing rocks anymore. When I was there years ago, people were wearing masks and throwing large things at the police, but lately it’s been more like a party. That doesn’t mean things aren’t still burning, but it’s mellowed out a lot. People my age certainly aren’t in the streets anymore, but that’s not a surprise. It sometimes seems as though the only radicals left in the United States are the tea baggers, "tenthers," and other Republican-Libertarian fringe groups. I am so fascinated by them. Honestly, if I had the free time I'd love to go to those kinds of things. I would love to meet these people up close because I'm tired of thinking about them as some sort of alien spore. I don’t want to do a "Kumbaya" thing with them; I just want to see what they’re like. The way their paranoia manifests itself in the notion of Obama being Muslim and not having a birth certificate is utterly fascinating. I want to see that up close. I was shocked when George W. Bush was elected because I thought, “Who’s going to vote for him?” And then all these people did. So if I'm supposed to be this hip, aware guy who knows what’s going on, why didn’t I know that? So I just want to know who these freaks are out of sheer curiosity. And while I don't think there’s any truth to the shit they’re saying, there is a truth in their paranoia, and that truth is one of the big stories of America. We still have not dealt with race, and I don’t think we really have a language to talk about it with each other. So their paranoia and psychology is bubbling over in a very interesting way. Maybe they’re freer than we think they are in some way, because why are they bubbling over and the so-called politically correct people aren’t? Who's actually repressed? At least the tea-party people are screaming, and anybody who's screaming is interesting to me. When people aren’t screaming, I begin to wonder why not. God Street Wine Redux Richard Gehr — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:10:38 +0000 As though it were decreed sheerly through the energetic advocacy of our friends at Hidden Track alone, God Street Wine has announced they will reunite on July 9 and 10 at Manhattan's Gramercy Theater for a pair of shows benefiting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. God Street Wine was an integral part of the Great Northern Freaks movement that made the East Coast a uniquely vibrant hub of improvised rock during the midnineties. One of the country's few true underground scenes, the "granola circuit" established by Phish laid the foundation for a touring network that nurtured bands such as moe., the Ominous Seapods, Percy Hill, Moonboot Lover, Conehead Buddha, and numerous lesser, but not necessarily unworthy, peers. GSW, one of the scene's more promising shoulda-beens, stopped touring in 1999 and the bandmembers went on to various other pursuits. The bittersweet motivation for GSW's upcoming reunion is the diagnosis of Michael Weiss, the band's stage manager and lighting director, with multiple sclerosis. GSW fans, a.k.a. Winos, will be able to buy presale tickets to the benefit (for 24 hours) through Live Nation/Ticketmaster with a link and password that will be posted here on Wednesday at 10 a.m. Moreover, the band is now giving away all its music and instead asking fans to donate money to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society: God Street Wine is no longer a profit-making entity; we are engaged in trying to make as much of our music and media available for free download and sharing as is legally possible. For those who wish to spend money on us, we ask that you download our music for free instead and save your money to make a donation to the charity of your choice. We choose to support the efforts of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society to support both research towards a cure for MS, and programs to address the needs of people living with MS today. Click Here to donate or learn more. Phil Lesh Turning 70, Benefiting Haiti heyheygig — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:44:45 +0000 Look out of any window, any morning, any day, and the likelihood of seeing a 70-year-old rock star still going strong are slim to none. Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh is about to change all that. Phil will celebrate his 70th birthday with Furthur & Friends at the Bill Graham Civic Center in San Francisco on March 12. The proceeds of this momentous occasion will support Haiti earthquake relief through Phil's Unbroken Chain Foundation. Rumors are swirling as to who the onstage "friends" will be when Phil becomes a septuagenarian. Many fans hope this birthday bash will surpass the spirit of the 1999 Warfield concerts after Phil bounced back from a liver transplant. Unbroken Chain is using Charity Folks to auction benefit VIP tickets, which include VIP seats, a meet-and-greet with Lesh, and a T-shirt. Winners will also be able to build and ride an amazing float during the celebration. Sounds like a fine opportunity to give both Phil and Haiti more than just a box of rain. Seventy years is such a long, long time to be gone and short time to be there. Show 'em how grateful you really are. Live Nation And Ticketmaster Merge, Visit Wal-Mart heyheygig — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:53:09 +0000 "Bad Moon Rising." That's the tune Chicago music journalists Greg Kot and Jim DeRogatis opened their Sound Opinions public radio show/podcast with in regard to the Department of Justice's recent approval of Live Nation and Ticketmaster's merger to form the far-reaching Live Nation Entertainment. Jim and Greg believe the merger will change the concert industry forever because Live Nation Entertainment would control artists, venues, merchandise, and ticket sales, thus making it incredibly difficult for independent promoters to compete and (theoretically) keep prices down. Live Nation recently reported a $64.9 million operating loss for the final quarter of 2009, down from $323 million a year earlier. They've also announced plans to begin selling tickets in some 500 Wal-Mart outlets, a chain known for chopping prices. They pointed out that this was the Obama administration's first antitrust case, one to which the administration happens to have direct connections. For example, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski has served on Ticketmaster's board of directors. And artists agent Ari Emanuel, brother of Obama's Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, sits on Live Nation's board. Greg Kot recently interviewed Jerry Mickleson, co-founder of Chicago-based Jam Productions, about the merger. Mickleson thinks the DOJ's decision contradicts the Supreme Court's 1948 antitrust decision against Paramount Pictures. Reports in Rolling Stone, MTV News, and the Los Angeles Times paint a consensus opinion concerning the extent to which the merger will transform the music industry and affect every fan, artist, agent, manager, and promoter in the bargain. The likes of this kind of merger has never been seen before. Live Nation Entertainment agreed to 10 years of federal monitoring to prevent anti-competitive hijinks. How do you feel about this concert conglomerate? Do you think the DOJ's decision was just? Let your voice be heard in the comments section. Students For Sensible Drug Policy Convening In SF Richard Gehr — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:25:27 +0000 Students For Sensible Drug Policy's annual conference kicks off Friday in San Francisco with a field trip to a model medical marijuana dispensary in Oakland – and gets even more sensible from there. There's still time to register and attend the three-day event striking a smart balance of politics and "DARE generation" culture. Keynote speakers include former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson, Drug Policy Alliance Excecutive Director Ethan Nadelmann, and California State Representative Tom Ammiano, who hopes to legalize marijuana in the state. Saturday's panels discussions about harm reduction, drug legalization, and psychedelic research, Mexico's increasingly terrifying drug war, and how America's own drug war foments racism. Sunday's focus is on action, with panels dedicated to organizing, media relations, lobbying, networking, and other nuts-and-bolts strategies for getting things done. Yes, there'll be socializing opportunities, too – especially Saturday night, when the SSDP throws Benefit Concert and Awards Banquet, featuring Roots of Creation. John Lennon Education Tour Bus heyheygig — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 20:43:19 +0000 The John Lennon Education Tour Bus is a nonprofit mobile audio and high-def video recording and production facility. The Bus has enlisted some great musicians and producers to inspire students old and young to partake in musical and video projects. The Bus recently rolled through Palm Springs to visit the TED Conference. Jill Sobule, John Doe, Don Was, and others hopped on to write and record a new song. Add some video know-how from artist Jansen Yee and you have their say on "What the World Needs Now." Prudence Mabhena and her band, Liyana, subjects of the Academy Award-winning documentary short Music By Prudence, were on the bus last year. Watch the video they made here. The uplifting story of Zimbabwean singer-songwriter Prudence Mabhena, 21, who was born severely disabled and has struggled to overcome poverty and discrimination. Read more » Glenn Beck, Music Critic Richard Gehr — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:42:06 +0000 Glenn Beck spelled out the secret meaning of Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" on his Fox News show yesterday: "This song is about a progressive utopia where there are no owners of anything. We all just share it. It's made for you -- it's your land, it's my land. We all have it together. Some people have property now, and some people don't. We can all think of this song as an American song. Yes, it is -- an American progressive song." Check out his incisive analysis of Guthrie's progressive folk masterpiece below. Beck has been sounding out on classic rock a lot this year, according to Media Matters. In January he played the Beatles' "Revolution" to illustrate how progressives prefer a slow evolution into socialism rather than a violent revolution. "Their [progressives'] idea was you don't need a bloody revolution. You just evolve things slowly, and you'll change the world....This is all – it's peaceful. But it's progressive." And it looks as though a Republican has finally figured out the less-nationalist significance of Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A." After Pat Gray, his radio co-host, declared the song "anti-American" today, Beck added, "See, here's the thing that I don't think people understand yet – I think you do – that it is time for us to wake up out of our dream state, wake up out of the propaganda." As one commenter noted, expect Beck to get around to Green Day's American Idiot in another 20 years or so. OK Go Done Gone From EMI, Going It Alone Richard Gehr — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:08:47 +0000 Creators of brilliant videos and slightly lesser pop music, OK Go has split from stodgy old EMI and formed its own label, Parachute Records. The issue of contention? EMI decided to block the embed feature of the band's YouTube videos, meaning viewers could not share the band's videos on third-party websites like this one. For a band famous for its viral YouTube videos – and known to be outspoken supporters of net neutrality – EMI's decision was simply silly. In March 2008, when I was working on Capitol Hil, I attended a briefing on net neutrality chiefly (I admit) because it featured OK Go members Damian Kulash and Andy Ross. Leanin on a heavy wood table, dressed in suits with guitars in arms, Damian and Andy recounted a story Damian had also told congressmen when testifying before the House Judiciary Committee's Anti-Trust Task Force hearing. Our first record, which came out in 2002, did decently well: on the Modern Rock radio charts we just barely broke into the top 20, and on Billboard’s sales charts we made it to about 100. We were in the middle of the pack: successful enough to keep going, but struggling for every fan we could find. In 2005 we released a second album and that’s when our story takes a turn pertinent to the subject at hand today. When the record came out, we did all the standard promotion that our label advised, but we also decided to launch our own online campaign with simple, absurd videos we made ourselves. With the help of my sister, we choreographed a parodic dance routine and shot a single-take home video of us performing it in my back yard. If you include the Starbucks run, the total budget for the video was about $20. We posted the clip online, and it caught on like wildfire. We watched, astonished, as the video racked up hundreds of thousands, then millions, then tens of millions of hits at online video sites. Before long, we were getting offers to play to thousands in countries where our record had never even been released. Case in point - you have to go to YouTube to watch the band's first viral video - due to EMI restrictions, it can't be embedded! And something even wilder started happening: fans started posting their own versions of the video. Thrilled by the direct connection with our fans, we launched a dance contest, and received homemade remakes of our video from all over the world. We got hundreds of entries, videos of the dance at weddings, in churches, at high school talent shows, in firehouses, and even a version performed by animated legos. This is a whole new phenomenon, a feedback loop of creativity that allows us to be more than just a commercial product to our fans – we are the center of an active, creative community. We followed that video up with another that we shot at my sister’s home in Orlando. It was a single take again, and we were dancing again, but this time on eight moving treadmills. To my knowledge, this routine has only been repeated four times (once in Japan, once in Mexico, and twice in the US), and for the record we assume no liability for those dumb enough to try it. In the first two days after we posted the clip on YouTube, it was viewed a million times. In the month after it went online, our album sales increased nearly 4000%. We won a Grammy for the video, beating out much bigger acts with exponentially bigger budgets and promotional campaigns. Now we get stopped in Times Square by people old enough to be our grandparents. To date, it’s been viewed over 30 million times on YouTube alone. Again, can't embed the video - see it here if you haven't already. Given the success OK Go has had as a result of their YouTube noteriety, it's not surprising that after EMI's YouTube restrictions went into effect the band saw a 90% drop in views. This translates into 100,000 views one day and 10,000 the next. Since the band left EMI, their new video has once again gone viral, OK Go has seen its digital album sales triple, and its digital tracks sales have jumped more than sevenfold. I get it. OK Go's fan base gets it. Why didn't EMI? Pink Floyd Wins 'Artistic Integrity' Battle With EMI Diana Costello — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:45:39 +0000 Sometimes the whole is greater than the sum of its parts – like listening to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon from start to finish. So hats off to British Chancellor Sir Andrew Morritt, who agreed with the band this week that individual songs should not be sold online without the band's permission. In court, Morritt said the band's contract with EMI contained a clause to "preserve the artistic integrity of the albums," according to the BCC. "Artistic integrity" sounds especially quaint with a British accent. EMI, which was recently dealt another blow when OK Go fled to start its own label because of a ban on embedding its videos, said it has not yet been ordered to stop selling single tracks. Songs could eventually be removed from iTunes and other digital music services. No doubt Pink Floyd viewed its albums as complete works of art, as did many other artists working in the dark predigital era. Preserving albums' integrity is believed to be one reason why the Beatles, whose catalog is also part of the EMI empire, haven't sold individual songs online. Garth Brooks and AC/DC are among other musicians critical of splitting up their albums. Thursday's ruling came as part of an ongoing legal dispute between Pink Floyd and EMI regarding payment of online royalties. The group, which signed with the label in 1967, is challenging the way their digital sales are calculated. Jam Cruise Organizers Aim To Leave Positive Legacy Diana Costello — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:19:08 +0000 We here at HeadCount clearly believe music has an inherent ability to motivate and inspire. But why is that? "Music just touches a place deep inside people that makes them feel really good," said Leaving a Positive Legacy's Ann Kenworthy. "And when they're feeling really good, they want to put that good energy back into the world." It seems natural, then, that organizers of some of the feel-goodiest events of the year – Jam Cruise and Caribbean Holidaze – would launch a nonprofit aimed at putting that good energy back into the communities they visit. Positive Legacy formally launched as the nonprofit arm of Cloud 9 Adventures earlier this year, though the group has conducted charity drives to benefit a Jamaican girls orphanage for the past two years. More recently, fans and artists on Jam Cruise 8 participated in an intercultural celebration in Jamaica and learned about reef protection in Grand Cayman – donating time, money, and resources to benefit both efforts. "Over the years, as Jam Cruise has traveled to different Caribbean countries which are much less fortunate than the United States, music fans carried around a little sense of guilt with them as they stepped off this luxurious cruise ship and into impoverished areas," Kenworthy said. "So we try to create events to make people feel better and bridge that gap." The Positive Legacy team visited Claremont's Rural Retreat Community Center in Jamaica during last year's Carribean Holidaze. They learned about its residents' dream of starting a marching band if they could only afford instruments. Music Matters and Cloud 9 Adventures came to the rescue and donated a full set of instruments. In addition to $15,000 of instruments, the crew also contributed funds for the center to purchase tables and chairs; soccer cleats and uniforms to outfit two local teams, and a weed whacker for the soccer field; seven refurbished laptop computers, donated by passengers and installed with fresh operating systems and wireless network cards; 80 backpacks filled with school supplies; and money for local cooks to prepare a traditional Jamaican meal to celebrate the relationship. In all, more than $25,000 worth of goods were donated to the Center. "We just want to connect with them as human beings," Kenworthy said. "That's our focus, connecting people together. We come from such different worlds but we share our humanity with one another." During the celebration, local children treated the participants to spoken-word and dance performances. Local musicians also joined Jam Cruise artists – including members of the Motet, Hot Buttered Rum, and Toubab Krewe – in a jam session. Leaving behind a lasting memory of that special day, South Florida artist Dave "LEBO" Lebatard painted a mural on the community center's wall. The following day, the Positive Legacy team hosted a benefit in Georgetown, Grand Cayman, for the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF). Roughly 140 Jam Cruise passengers and artists learned about REEF's efforts and what they could do to help. Jam Cruise artists Hot Buttered Rum, Tim and Nicki Bluhm, Tim Carbone, and Ryan Montbleau provided oceanside entertainment at the Sunset House Resort. Cloud 9 Adventures presented a check for $1,000 to the REEF educators on hand. "I pinch myself about having the opportunity to be involved in this sort of work," Kenworthy said. "Finding connections with people in these communities who are able to work with us is so meaningful. And the fans and artists who connect with them, I can see in their eyes and smiles how much they get out of this. It brings a much deeper level of meaning to traveling around the world for music." Interview: Marc Brownstein On Bisco Power Richard Gehr — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 18:17:21 +0000 HeadCount co-founder Marc Brownstein, the bubbling bass man with The Disco Biscuits, is on a roll. On March 16, the Biscuits release Planet Anthem, an ambitious left turn of an album full of ambitious pop experiments. The album is already causing a ruckus among fans, who've been hearing some of the new material on tour. The Biscuits will mark its release with a seven-show East Coast run and will then head south. On Sunday, March 21, the Biscuits will kick off their first Bisco Power Mission benefit with an intimate (and already sold-out) gig at Brooklyn Bowl . The show's proceeds will assist the purchase of a solar installation for Philadelphia's Albert M. Greenfield Elementary School and will also benefit HeadCount's new Music for Action initiative. We recently spoke with Marc about all these things and more, including how he became a politically engaged person, the secret origin of HeadCount, why he recently shut down his Facebook page, the influence of MGMT on Planet Anthem, and the difference between hippies and hipsters. HeadCount: Let's start by talking about Music for Action and the Bisco Power Mission. How did this HeadCount-Disco Biscuits collaboration come about? Marc Brownstein: As you know, I'm HeadCount's Co-Chair, so I'm heavily involved with the issue of voter registration. As the election wound down last year, we started to think about HeadCount's future and how we could keep people engaged during the off years. I've long argued that if we really want to make a difference, we should get people emotionally involved in certain important issues; because if we’re not talking about issues, we’re not really doing anything. Getting people out to vote is great. But what’s the point of doing that if our beliefs still aren't being represented even after a change in leadership? So Music for Action and “What’s Your Issue?” are about making sure the people in our scene are represented. We wanted to get HeadCount artists more involved in these issues, too. So we plan to match up artists with the six issues HeadCount is pushing for and figure out specific, custom-tailored initiatives for all of them to collaborate on with us. The Bisco Power Mission is a chance for the Disco Biscuits and HeadCount to work on the issue of renewable energy. On our best nights, there’s a flow of energy from the stage to the crowd, we drive each other; we empower each other. So Bisco Power Mission's goal is to harness our scene's energy and actually turn it into real long-lasting energy. Why did The Disco Biscuits decide to work on a renewable-energy project? Renewable energy and sustainability has been an important issue for Jon Gutwillig. He's been advocating a new energy policy ever since we played the Primary Colors for Peace Concert in Washington DC in 2002. We've had many conversations about how the politics of our country are deeply intertwined with our energy policies. During the '90s, Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, and Paul Wolfowitz all signed the Statement of Principles developed by the Project for the New American Century. They envisioned an imperial American government that needed to stabilize the Middle East in order to control its natural resources. So it stands to reason that we can either stabilize the region militarily, and live off its oil reserves for who knows how long, or we can develop alternative forms of energy ourselves. Jon argues that if we'd taken the money we've spent, and continue to spend, on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and redirected that money into developing alternative energy sources, we could have already put nearly a trillion dollars into renewable energy and saved hundreds of thousands of lives. I imagine the Disco Biscuits are starting on a somewhat smaller scale. Yes. Half the money we raise through the Bisco Power Mission will go to construct solar panels in Philadelphia's Albert M. Greenfield Elementary School, and the other half will go to HeadCount to support our voter-registration and civic-engagement activities. Why did the band choose Greenfield? We had 22 applications and many criteria, but it came down to two or three schools in the Philly area. We chose Greenfield because it already had a solar project going on. They'd also raised money through their own nonprofit organization, and we wanted to contribute to an ongoing project. We made an onsite visit and saw that we could make it happen this year. Greenfield students and Disco Biscuits fans will install the solar panels together this summer. When did you first become a real politically engaged guy? It started in 10th grade at Brooklyn Poly Prep with my biology teacher, Mrs. Stone. She scared the living crap out of us. She told us that if major changes didn’t happen immediately, the ice caps were going to melt within 15 years and 12 feet of water would cover Manhattan. I’ve thought of myself as an environmentalist ever since. My friends and I were recycling before recycling was happening, and taking our own bags to the supermarket. We’re not underwater yet, but if you look at the weather patterns over the past few years, you see some really weird shit going on. The hypothesis is that the ice caps are melting, cooling down the Pacific Ocean and lowering the jet stream's temperature. I started to think politically, though, when I discovered the Project for a New American Century website. These guys were writing about the need for a cataclysmic event the size of Pearl Harbor being necessary for the United States to go to war in the Middle East. To this day, I can't believe people don’t know that the neoconservatives who spent eight years in power had actually been waiting almost 10 years for something like 9/11 to happen. That’s when I started to get political. How did you and Andy Bernstein start HeadCount? Andy called me up one day in 2003 and said that George W. Bush was making him want to throw things at his TV. We both simply felt the need to do something. So we started calling people and making connections. It became increasingly clear that we wanted to reach everybody in the scene, not just people who felt the same as us. And we weren't sure why Rock the Vote wasn’t having a greater effect. For us, it was a no-brainer: So many people were going to concerts, all we had to do was be there. Andy used to work for NYPIRG and was a nonprofit guy from the start, and I'm a musician, so we pooled our resources and came up with HeadCount. And then it just snowballed. The telling moment for us was when the managers of the Dave Matthews Band, the Grateful Dead, and Phish got together to talk about what they were going to do about registering voters, and Bob Weir told them about HeadCount. We spent all of 2004 doing it right, working with our volunteers very closely, and talking to our team leaders and regional coordinators multiple times a week. Climate change drives huge amounts of traffic on Facebook, which is increasingly being used to inform large groups of people about both causes and music. You had a robust Facebook presence too, at least until you pulled the plug recently. What made stop interacting with your 5,000 friends? I felt like I was wasting a lot of time. Our new album drops this week and I'm working on three other albums right now. We’re working on the next Disco Biscuits album. We’re remixing an album called 24 Hour Karate School, a hip-hop mixtape collaboration with Mos Def, the Cool Kids, Ski Beatz, Damon Dash, and some other rappers. And we’re also making our own hip-hop album with the same artists; we’re on our fifth song. That said, it’s really fun to be on Facebook when you’re on tour. It can be an incredible tool for keeping in touch with people, but it can also be a time suck with just too much information. I have 5,000 Facebook friends, but I don’t know 4,700 of them, and the feed became overwhelming. I couldn’t handle it. Most of the kids in our scene are extremely respectful, but a couple of "friends" overstepped their bounds. I was giving people access they don’t usually get, and I really enjoyed the relationship. But there were a couple of instances when people would send me mail that made me want to take a step back and spend more time in the studio. In one instance, someone made a back-handed compliment I might have taken the wrong way, but I fired back and got in there and let them have it. I felt really bad afterward. I knew I shouldn’t be punching back at fans, so I decided to just let them have their opinions even if it meant shutting down the outlet. Now I'm finding Twitter to be a much better way to communicate with our fans. Planet Anthem was a long time coming. Since the Biscuits' previous album, the music industry has virtually collapsed, while innumerable trends have come and gone. Was it hard staying ahead of the curve? It’s really cool that this many years and five albums in, we've made a record that's getting a superpositive reaction from corporate America. We’re getting a lot of positive response, and the video's on MTV2. Planet Anthem’s more critically acclaimed than anything we’ve done previously, which were more like jamband albums. Many new types of music have come out since Señor Boombox, and when we hear new sounds, we want to figure out how to make them. If we don’t do that. we might as well just quit. Then MGMT (a group of jamband fans, by the way) came along and made an incredibly superfunky and retro-cool album that turned the music industry on its side and brought the hipster and jamband worlds together. For me there are no musical barriers; music is music, one love. Hipsters would definitely disagree about this. But for me, the only difference between hipsters and hippies is how tight their jeans are. There's really is no jamband scene anymore. Everything is coming together. Everyone is making music together. And finally, if you had to pick one, who would it be: Aston "Family Man" Barrett or Robbie Shakespeare? Wow. "Family Man" is an idol of mine. And since I’ve had the pleasure of meeting him and telling him what he is to me, I’d pick him. Alex Chilton 1950-2010 Richard Gehr — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:56:17 +0000 Cult rock icon Alex Chilton died yesterday in New Orleans. Ann Powers does him justice in the Los Angeles Times: "What I found on that journey was Alex Chilton. I'd already come to love Big Star's catalog, introduced to me via the mix tapes my friends and I made for each other as we built our own twisted history of Americana from what the band X once called "the unheard music." Alex Chilton was a wandering, heretical patriarch of our new religion. Bands like the Replacements and R.E.M. found him inspirational. (Members of one such group, the Posies, would later play with a reformed Big Star.) College radio DJs turned Big Star's catchy but unkempt songs into the hits they should have been the first time around. The band had been active in the 1970s, but they belonged to us, the kids fighting off the shadow of the Baby Boomers who'd been too dumb to realize how great it was." Read the rest here. Interview: Bob Weir Part 1 – On HeadCount, Voting, And Grateful Dead Politics Richard Gehr — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:37:35 +0000 Bob Weir – of the Grateful Dead, RatDog, and, most recently, Furthur – sits on HeadCount's board of directors and has long been a vigorous advocate of voter registration and participatory democracy. Last fall, during RatDog's four-night run at Manhattan's historic Beacon Theater, Bob sat down with Rolling Stone's David Fricke to discuss HeadCount, politics in America, the new administration, and the Grateful Dead, and several other topics of interest. You can watch the interview in four weekly installments. Here, in part one, Weir addresses the future of HeadCount, the importance of democracy, the sacred stage, and the personal politics of the Grateful Dead. Or view Part II, in which Bobby discusses how digital music leaves listeners sonically unsatisfied. Lilith Returns With Official Social Cause i4c stef arteaga — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:32:53 +0000 After 11 years, the all-female Lilith Fair tour – now simply known as Lilith – has announced its first eight dates and lineups of the summer. Lilith co-founder Sarah McLachlan is the only performer who will appear at each of the tour's 36 shows. The other 10 acts on each bill will draw from a rotating pool of 80 performers that includes The Bangles, Beth Orton, Brandi Carlile, Cat Power, Corinne Bailey Rae, Emmylou Harris, Erykah Badu, Mary J. Blige, Sia, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, and many women more. Lilith Fair first took place from 1997-99 and raised more than $10 million for various organizations. This summer Lilith focuses on The i4c Campaign, as in “I foresee a better tomorrow.” One dollar from each ticket will be devoted to raising awareness about Triple Bottom Line Companies. These companies are created by people with innovative ideas that can better our lives, such as a business that creates and sell solar lanterns or a company that collects and sells books online to fund global literacy initiatives. Lilith's first eight dates go on sale March 27: Date City Venue July 2 Portland, OR The Amphitheatre at Clark County July 3 Seattle, WA The Gorge Amphitheatre July 17 Chicago, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre July 20 Indianapolis, IN Verizon Wireless Music Center Jul 24 Toronto, ON Molson Canadian Amphitheatre July 27** Cleveland, OH Blossom Music Center August 8 Atlanta, GA Aaron’s Amphitheatre August 10 West Palm Beach, FL Cruzan Amphitheatre (**Tickets go on-sale April 3) Series Of Tubes For Peace heyheygig — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 15:12:24 +0000 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrwQGBsuIh4&feature=player_embedded Remember in 2006, when Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) used the "series of tubes" analogy to describe the Internet and YOU were named Time magazine's person of the year? How prescient they were. Four years later, the Internet's "series of tubes" has now been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. An organization called Internet for Peace supports the nomination because it claims a win for the Internet represents "a win for each and every one of us." As reported by the BBC, there are a record 237 nominees for this year's Nobel Peace Prize, which will be announced October 8. The Internet nomination is being heralded by the Italian version of Wired magazine for the "dialogue, debate, and consensus" connectivity has brought us. What would YOU give the Nobel to? Saturday HeadCount Panel At SXSW admin — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:51:01 +0000 HeadCount Executive Director Andy Bernstein hosts a panel titled "Effecting Social Change Via Music and Technology" at SXSW in Austin. It takes place Saturday, March 20, at 12:30 p.m. in room 15 at the Austin Convention Center. The panelists: Ann Jones Donohue, Musictoday Michael Martin, Effects Partners Daryl Friedman, The Recording Academy Scott Goodstein, Revolution Messaging LLC If you're attending SXSW, please stop by. Live Blogging the SXSW HeadCount Panel eric — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 17:29:15 +0000 [caption id="attachment_4563" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Andy Bernstein Starts Things Off"] [/caption] Scott Goodstein, a self-described "activist," Daryl Friedman, and Michael Martin [caption id="attachment_4562" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Ann Jones Donohue introduces herself"][/caption] 12:20 PM, CST: Here I am, HeadCount's fearless (false) former "Man on the Lot"/summer intern and current law student, waiting for HeadCount's panel to begin here at the city Convention Center in surprisingly frigid Austin, Texas. SXSW, or "South By" as the locals call it, is abuzz with talk of the tragic passing of incredibly influential "alternative-before-there-was-alternative" Alex Chilton. The sadness is particularly eerie given the fact that a Big Star panel is occurring at the same time as ours. 12:43 PM: Michael Martin is talking about Jack Johnson's community change entity, All at Once. "For every person that views a given non-profit's video, Jack donates a dollar to the non-profit. It encourages these non-profits to get involved and get others involved. At one point, the record being offered for download was the most downloaded song in history." 12:45 PM: Daryl Friedman is talking about the difficulties the Grammy telecast faced in encouraging Haiti relief efforts. Sample highlight: "I don't know if Andrea Bocelli tweets himself or if he has somebody else tweet for him." My general impression is that Andrea Bocelli tweets less (memorably) than Shaq. "The numbers are so great because we created this ongoing connection with the fans that started before the event and continued on thereafter." 12:49 PM: Scott Goodstein is discussing artist immersion. "From the artist to the fan in a direct way, a la Fat Mike talking to his crowd. Now we can have texts to and from artist and fanbase." Scott just told the entire panel, a room full of roughly 75 people to pull out their phones and text JGD to 738674. He then clarified, "Messaging and data rates may apply." Billy Bragg's Jail Guitar Doors just launched the initiative at SXSW. Is anyone else reminded of the Judd Nelson-defying performance from Airheads by this? 12:53 PM: Andy asks, somewhat rhetorically, "Will an artist get the same personal energy rush from using text messaging towards a cause that it seems to me they get from the onstage shout-out?" 12:58 PM: Michael Martin addresses the HeadCount MusicforAction campaign. "I really love what HeadCount's done with the Bonnaroo live tracks. You have to incentivize these things." In case you're wondering, fans to date have sent roughly 30,000 letters to the Senate via MfA. 1:05 PM: Scott Goodstein believes that increasingly cost-efficient application development, combined with the proliferation of smartphones is the most likely next most influential technological shift. Scott noted that Chris from Death Cab for Cutie's application was actually developed by a fan. Daryl Friedman added that the ease of GPS-based applications will change the social networking process forever. It's kind of scary how many people in this panel room are actually using their cell phones while the panel is taking place. 1:08 PM: The first question from the audience came from a man who immediately acknowledged how tough it was this morning "after last night." The guy looks pretty hungover. I wonder what he drank. Addressing the carbon footprint of many of the campaigns, Ann Jones Donohue suggested that offsetting emissions via donations is very common. Ann is talking about the Ditty Bops, who bike to and from their concerts. Michael Martin: "Offsets: it's a complicated issue. Some just suck. Others are phenomenal. It's a valid issue. Obviously the best thing is to have no emissions but short of that, in the world we live in, there will be some emissions, and we must just do what we can do." Daryl Friedman: "10 years ago, we had Cadillac Escalades dropping off artists on the red carpet. It's not like that anymore, obviously, but the process of change is sometimes easier said than done and occasionally out of our hands." 1:13 PM: Ann is talking about "Gaga for Haiti Day." 100% of our proceeds from all merch sales that day went to Haiti. The campaign raised $235,000 on MusicToday. "The fans took action and communicated via links on social networking sites to tell others." I could take this opportunity to make a joke about how Lady Gaga (and her wardrobe designer) are from 2115 (as is their drug stash?,) but I won't. Scott corrected a pro-SXSWInteractive questioner and asserted that Trent Reznor did more via Twitter in raising awareness than any of the "so-called Twitterati did." 1:18 PM: Scott said, "Cause-related marketing can be effective from the artist, but authenticity is rarely what it needs to be. Being funded by major corporations can work right when it's authentic." I'm reminded, of course, of this. Scott is talking about Chris Shiflett from the Foo Fighters and Tom Morello and their contributions to the health care campaign. Michael Martin revealed an upcoming Dave Matthews Band summer campaign against plastic bottles at shows. 1:25 PM: For what it's worth, there are alot of gorgeous women in this room. My opinion: SXSW = Milf Paradise. There are also alot of heavyset fellas. I think by and large that everybody who's of average weight in the room is in a band. Much more importantly, Scott Goodstein is talking about Rise Against's work against suicide. Mike: "Different artists are geared towards different issues. A performance doesn't always make sense." 1:30 PM: Andy in closing: "There is an art and a science with musicians. HeadCount works with 80 different artists. That's our whole thing. A great way to raise money with artists is things like Meet and Greets or signed item auctions and it's not costing the artists anything. When the artist has a foundation though, and is there to write checks, sometimes it's the total opposite. About half of HeadCount's funding comes from artist-related initiatives. It really is about trying to think like the artist and know what will feel good for them." 1:32 PM: Thanks for following along guys. Remember: what you do matters, whether you're playing MSG or a high school dance. Feel free to comment below. Will Live Streaming Become A Flood? Diana Costello — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 16:09:51 +0000 Trey Anastasio. The Disco Biscuits. Umphrey's McGee. Phil Lesh. Drive-By Truckers. STS9. The Allman Brothers Band. Heck, you could easily add yourself to this list. I'm talking about artists who've recently streamed shows live over the Internet, whether for a fee, free, or through a paid subscription. Is this a trend ready to take off on an even larger scale? This is a big question for bands and concert venues alike. As for fans, let's be honest: Why wouldn't we want more shows streamed live into our living rooms? (I don't know about you, but I was flipping out when a kid last year began streaming Phish shows straight from his iPhone – even if the quality wasn't so hot!) One person working to stream more music into people's homes is Nate Parienti, founder and CEO of iClips.net. He launched the site in January 2007 and says demand has grown exponentially. "Just in terms of the technology and available bandwidth in people's homes having dramatically increased, that makes a big difference," he says. "Now the technology is really starting to catch up, so the broadcasts are becoming high-definition, broadcast-quality live events." Unlike some other streaming sites – such as USTREAM, Livestream and Stickam – iClips doesn't allow users to create their own custom channels. Instead, iClips more closely resembles a production company, shooting and editing its own high-quality content at events such as Jam Cruise and the Rothbury Music Festival. One of its more popular streams was a recent Trey Anastasio concert in St. Louis, which attracted roughly 100,000 unique viewers for the free broadcast. Not all iClips shows are free, however. Some streams must be ordered through a pay-per-view system, whereas others may be broadcast for free as a live event and then command a fee once they've been archived. Production costs are covered by the company up-front, and profits are split with the artists. Encouragingly, iClips has partnered with MySpace, Hulu, and CBS Interactive Music Group, among others. "We try to cover costs and provide a new revenue stream for artists," Parienti says. "Fans sometimes gripe about having to pay for content, but you have to pay to see a concert anyway and there's a lot of costs involved." Few cases show the potential power of live streaming more than that of the newly formed band Kung Fu. The band's first show was only four months ago, but it has already secured coveted spots at summer festivals – which the band credits entirely to live streaming of their initial shows. "We rehearsed once and then started a Monday-night thing at a brand new club in New Haven," says Todd Stoops, keyboardist for Kung Fu and RAQ. "All expectations were that we would get together, play some music, have a few beers, and maybe play for 20 people. But the live stream blew it out of the water." Set up by a group of fansthrough USTREAM, Kung Fu's Monday nights at Stella Blues were transmitted to fans all across the country. At first viewers worried about whether the venue would want the broadcasts to continue, for fear they might keep people home instead of at the club. But the band's popularity grew as more people stumbled across the shows online, thereby bringing more people to the club each week. Their final show sold out. "It's all about the webcast," Stoops says. "If I had a crystal ball, I'd say Stella Blues will webcast a lot of shows because it's gained them a clientele. It's established them as the hip and cool place to view music." Obviously there's still a long way to go before live streaming is the norm. How do rabid fans like yourselves feel? Would you like to see more bands stream live shows? Would you be willing to pay for them? Would you be opposed to advertisements during the shows? Where do you see this trend heading? (Photo by J. C. Juanis) Ten Immediate Benefits Of Health Care Reform Richard Gehr — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 16:23:55 +0000 History was made yesterday. The House reform bill's not perfect, but it's a whole lot better than nothing. Here are the highlights. Via Crooks and Liars: 1. Adult children may remain as dependents on their parents’ policy until their 27th birthday 2. Children under age 19 may not be excluded for pre-existing conditions 3. No more lifetime or annual caps on coverage 4. Free preventative care for all 5. Adults with pre-existing conditions may buy into a national high-risk pool until the exchanges come online. While these will not be cheap, they’re still better than total exclusion and get some benefit from a wider pool of insureds. 6. Small businesses will be entitled to a tax credit for 2009 and 2010, which could be as much as 50% of what they pay for employees’ health insurance. 7. The “donut hole” closes for Medicare patients, making prescription medications more affordable for seniors. 8. Requirement that all insurers must post their balance sheets on the Internet and fully disclose administrative costs, executive compensation packages, and benefit payments. 9. Authorizes early funding of community health centers in all 50 states (Bernie Sanders’ amendment). Community health centers provide primary, dental and vision services to people in the community, based on a sliding scale for payment according to ability to pay. 10. AND no more rescissions. Effective immediately, you can't lose your insurance because you get sick. (Photo by EPA) Bisco Power Mission Lights Up Brooklyn Bowl Richard Gehr — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 23:50:03 +0000 It had already been quite a week for the Disco Biscuits by the time the band reached Brooklyn Bowl Sunday night for the first Bisco Power Mission benefit. On Tuesday the band released its fifth studio album, Planet Anthem, and played a show in Philadelphia. On Thursday, guitarist Jon Gutwillig injured his hand after a show in Albany. And Friday's show, in Boston and minus Gutwillig, was cut short by the local fire marshal. Nevertheless, as bassist Marc Brownstein explained as he took the stage for what turned out to be a long, jam-filled evening with four guest guitarists, including former Disco Biscuits drummer Sam Altman (!), "Tonight is very much Jon's night." Reprising what he'd said in a recent HeadCount interview, Brownstein explained that the guitarist's interest in renewable energy and sustainability had inspired the Bisco Power Mission initiative to assist in the funding and installation of solar paneling at Philadelphia’s Albert M. Greenfield Elementary School. "This is [Jon's] issue," Brownstein emphasized. "This is the money he wanted to raise. This is the cause he wanted to give the money to. This is what he really cares about." And so the show went on. Coincidentally, the Bisco Power Mission benefit marked almost exactly the tenth anniversary of a legendary March 11, 2000, Wetlands show the Biscuits played as a trio sans Brownstein. (The police broke up that show, too.) Chris Michetti from Raq and Mike Carter from Indobox filled in creditably for Gutwillig during the first half of the first set. Michetti played on "Commercial Amen" and "Liquid Handcuffs," songs from Brownstein and keyboardist Aron Magner's Conspirator side project. But Carter in particular evoked Gutwillig's looping, pattern-driven grooves during a searing "Confrontation>Cyclone>Confrontation" sandwich. The evening's first real surprise occurred when Sam Altman, now a physician, took the stage with guitar for "Trooper McCue" and "Barfly," two rarely played early Biscuits numbers. "Yeah, Sammy plays guitar," Brownstein said as Altman launched into a wah-wah driven solo. "I know you've heard the rumors. You get to see it now with your own eyes." Michetti returned after the set break for "M.E.M.P.H.I.S.," "Digital Buddha," and "Boom Shanker." Then Brothers Past guitarist Tom "The Ham Sandwich" Hamilton, who also performs with Brownstein and Magner in Electron, joined the foursome for "Kameola Sands" and then took over for some searing work on "Little Lai," "Plan B," "Quad D" (the night's only Planet Anthem song), and "Shelby Rose." Brownstein was ebullient throughout, jumping around, chatting with the crowd, and changing lyrics to fit the unexpected circumstances. "For a couple of weeks we'll just have to take it all in stride," he sang in "Little Lai," "Just for a couple of weeks." And then in "Plan B": "I never imagined that Barber [Gutwillig's nickname] was someone I'd miss." Plan B indeed. It's hard to imagine that somewhere an ailing guitarist awaiting surgery wasn't feeling just a tiny bit better. Stream or download the show here. (Top and bottom photos by Liz Odonnell; middle photo by Jamie Huntsman) Murs, QD3, Kurupt Say: 'Fill Out Your Census Form!' jennifers — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 21:01:44 +0000 For many young people, the once-a-decade occasion known as the U.S. Census is a wholly new experience. Maybe the newness of it is why young people are among the least likely to participate in the census. In a video shot at SXSW, hip-hop artists Murs, Quincy Jones III (QD3), and Kurupt worked with the League of Young Voters Education Fund’s “Numbers Don’t Lie” campaign on 99problems.org to spread the word about the importance of the census to young people. Biko Baker, Executive Director of LYVEF commented, “I have a ton of respect for [Murs, QD3, and Kurupt]. It’s awesome that they’re willing to use their celebrity to speak up about why it’s so important for young people to fill out their census forms.” As census forms arrive in mailboxes nationwide this month, we tend to agree with these musicians. Completing census forms is hugely important for young people. Census numbers determine how much federal funding communities will get for things young people may want to access in the near future, like schools and job-training facilities. When you get your census form, fill it out. And, creative as you are, video it and maybe you can win an iTunes gift card from LYVEF. Details at the end of this video. SXSW Is/Isn't Fucked Up Richard Gehr — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 19:25:14 +0000 Lately I've been thinking about the State of the Scene. Once upon a time, a bounty of amazing improvised rock groups – or jambands, if you will – that once trekked up and down the two coasts of this great nation, but no longer. They continue to tour, of course, but now many rely on giant festivals like Bonnaroo to introduce themselves to new audiences. You don't often find bands that specialize in live improvised music, rather than recordings, at music-industry clusterfuck conferences such as New York's CMJ or Austin's SXSW. For better or worse, however, that's where most indie groups these days garner recognition, buzz, and, if they're really really lucky, a recording contract. SXSW and its ilk are good for a small minority of ambitious young rockers. And even if they don't get signed, they usually have a pretty good time and snag some free liquor, food, or sunglasses for their trouble. Conversely, the people who put on these events do very well indeed. A SXSW pass costs hundreds of dollars, while the hundreds of bands who play the event are compensated either in wristbands or with $250 in gas money. Meanwhile, large soft drink, beer, chewing gum, sneakers, and other companies spend thousands upon thousands of dollars in marketing their wares to conference goers, who may or may not realize they are paying for the the privilege of consuming all this advertising. Guitarist Mike Haliechuck of the Canadian punk band Fucked Up (only in Canada, kids) analyzes all of this much better than I ever will in "SXSW Why?" Haliechuck weighs the pros and cons and comes to the conclusion that while music conferences are good for a minority, it's the conference owners and their corporate sponsors who are more likely to come out ahead. Having been to both CMJ and SXSW exactly one time each, I came away feeling like a very small cog in a big greasy machine. But I'm lucky. I live in New York, which is a 24/7/365 music conference in itself. Haliechuck writes about how SXSW creates a critical mass of people willing to pay for the privilege of gazing at billboards sponsored by large corporate concerns, such as Mountain Dew. With the corporate end of the music industry in its own death throes, more thought is now being put into how to extract money from consumers they might used to have spent on what they now get for free. Something that should be forefront in the minds of every band and every record label is how this is the most visual example of music money leaching away from the people most connected to music....This is the crux of the matter - there is a big pool of money out there that everyone is trying to get - the music industry is panicking because a lot of the money that used to go from music consumers right to them, is now going to companies that are posted just on the periphery of music, letting bands and labels spend money making music, and then swooping in with music related marketing strategies aimed at getting some of that relatively free money. After three years at SXSW, Fucked Up has obviously figured out how to make the event, and the sponsorship opportunities it provides, work for them. Other bands, Haliechuck warns, will probably not be quite as savvy. Fortunately, anyone who reads his thoughtful observations on manufacturing of indie-rock sausages in the hot Texas sun will come away just a little, or perhaps a lot, smarter about the process than they were previously. And there's nothing fucked up about that. What's important to remember is that even if you are a small band with no label, or even just a fan of music, every decision you make at the festival has a ripple effect on the music industry, which you are a part of. If you are a band, and are offered to play the Dewars Pampers Ultra Soft stage, it may be a legitimately good decision to take part in, if you can get a good slot and play for a few hundred people, and maybe even walk away from the show with a cheque. But is it worth playing in the middle of nowhere to no people if the only meaningful economic relationship created by the show is between a few companies that won't pay you, and a few hundred people that are still asleep while you are playing? If you are a label, is it worth taking a few thousand dollars from a beer company to help pay your bands that day if they are just going to turn around and use those bands in a print ad without paying you? It all comes around in the end. Interview: Bob Weir Part 2 – Analog Vs. Digital Music Richard Gehr — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 16:01:20 +0000 "I may sound like a serious crank here, but I don't think music means as much to people as when they were listening to analog music....Your body resists digital musical." Bob Weir – of the Grateful Dead, RatDog, and, most recently, Furthur – sits on HeadCount’s board of directors and has long been a vigorous advocate of voter registration and participatory democracy. Last fall, during RatDog’s four-night run at Manhattan’s historic Beacon Theater, Bob sat down with Rolling Stone’s David Fricke to discuss HeadCount, politics in America, analog versus digital music, the Obama administration, the Grateful Dead, and other topics of interest. In the second of four weekly installments (watch part one here), Weir discusses the difference between analog and digital music both in the brain and in society. New Dr. Dog Album 'Shame, Shame' Streaming At NPR Sebastian — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 17:00:07 +0000 Philadelphia rock band Dr. Dog are one of HeadCount's newer partner artists. We'll be sending our teams to their shows starting mid-April through May. Sign up here to volunteer for shows You can also check out the Dog's new album, Shame, Shame, which drops April 6 but is currently streaming at NPR. This is the first time the band decided to work with an outside producer. They went with Rob Schnapf, who's also worked with Beck and Elliot Smith. Enjoy! Furthur Festival Jumps Into Calaveras County Richard Gehr — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 16:38:10 +0000 Mark Twain's celebrated jumping frogs of Calaveras County better watch their lily pads May 28-30 during the newly announced Furthur Festival @ Mountain Aire. The fest will take place on four stages over three days in California's Sierra Foothills. Furthur will perform a Friday-night soundcheck, host a late-night jam later that evening, and headline the two following nights. Their guests include Electric Hot Tuna, Jackie Greene, Galactic, Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams, Mark Karan & Jemimah Puddleduck, the Mother Hips, the Waybacks, Common Rotation with Dan Bern, Carney, Maiden Lane, and Blue Light River. The festival will serve as prelude to Furthur's summer tour and marks their first shows without RatDog drummer Jay Lane, who announced that he'll be quitting Furthur to rejoin Primus. 'Treme' And Tragedy In New Orleans Richard Gehr — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 20:23:17 +0000 As a huge fan of both HBO's The Wire and New Orleans the city, I await this Sunday's premiere of Treme, Wire creator David Simon's latest TV epic, with breathless, if not drooling, anticipation. But what a shock to learn that David Mills, a key writer/producer for both series, died suddenly yesterday in New Orleans from a brain aneurysm. Mills also adapted Simon's book, The Corner, for HBO. (Check out Mills's quirky blog, Undercover Black Man.) From all reports, particularly Larry Blumenfeld's cover story in this week's Village Voice, Treme sounds close to having nailed New Orleans's rich Southern-gothic-with-a-Caribbean-tinge milieu. The show's theme is life in the wake of the Hurricane Katrina. One of its main focuses is the city's still-vibrant music scene, including real-life jazz musicians and Indian chiefs vetted by the likes of trumpeter Donald Harrison, who happens to be one himself. The show's title is a corruption of Tremé, a centuries-old black neighborhood that's been home to countless jazzbos. Writers such as Mills and Eric Overmyer, both of whom wrote for NBC's Homicide: Life on the Street, are brilliant artisans of hardboiled yet high-quality and socially conscious TV. With five seasons in the works, Treme, not unlike Katrina and its aftermath, should offer a saturating take on one of the world's great cities. Interview: 'Headz' Author J. J. Colagrande Jonathan Perri — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 17:51:11 +0000 Have you ever been to a music festival, looked around, and thought, "I could write a book about this"? Well, a few months ago I noticed a post on my friend's Facebook wall with a link to a novel called Headz and realized someone had beat us to the punch. Headz features characters you may feel like you've met who converse in a setting you've almost definitely experienced. It takes place as the characters make their way to Oracledang, a Chicago festival. This highly political book creatively tackles several different issues we're struggling with. After enjoying this highly readable take on Shakedown streets, Deer Creek references, the new-age thug/hippie hybrid, and a gang of nitrous wielding thugs called the Falafia, I had to sit down with author J. J. Colagrande, and ask him a few questions about it. HeadCount: What inspired you to write Headz and how long did you spend writing it? J. J. Colagrande: Imagine a music festival as a setting for fiction – yay! Right?? There are so many nuances, characters, and themes, especially for our generation. Headz took me five years; I worked every day for four hours. Then it took two years to find a publisher. We have a 200-page novel and an additional 100 pages online at headzthenovel.com. Headz is designed to remind you of people you know and leave you with the beautiful feeling that's it's almost showtime. You seem to be intimately acquainted with the politics and demographics of music fests. Tell me about your involvement in this scene. Have you been going to shows and festivals for a while? Who are your favorite artists? I was raised in the New York City early-'90s hip-hop indie punk scene. I used to see the Beastie Boys, Primus, Fishbone, Jane's Addiction, Nine Inch Nails, Dave Matthews Band, Fugazi, Sublime, Biggie Smalls, and De La Soul in small little clubs like The Ritz and Wetlands. Then I moved to Florida and discovered Phish and the Dead in '94. I really liked the wanderlust spirit of traveling around to see concerts with thousands of other like-minded heads. Lately, it's all about music festivals, which have brought all these genres and subcultures together. Last summer, as a music journalist for Bacardi, I went to All Points West, Bonnaroo, Rothbury, Mile High, and Lollapalooza, all while working full-time as a professor. I'm like Indiana Jones: teacher by day until I hear the theme music, then I'm off to a festie. The bands I'm most impressed with nowadays are Passion Pit, Girl Talk, Crystal Castles, and the Disco Biscuits. Now you'll see me slinging books outside a festie. Sold 1200 so far, which isn't easy. Are these characters real people that you've encountered over the years at festivals? They are composites of you, me, her, him, us, them, and that weird alien wookie we all know. But really, I have to stay true to the craft of fiction. These characters are unique and 100-percent organically and certifiably themselves. I laughed out loud at the festival name. How'd you come up with Oracledang? Music fests all have wacky names, no? Bonnaroo, Coachella, Lollapalooza, Oracledang. Why not? But here's a HeadCount exclusive no one knows: Oracledang is really an anagram of my last name. Mix up Colagrande and you'll get Oracledang! Kind of a Jim Morrison-MoJo Rising thing. Oracledang also connects to this girl I know... The book definitely takes a jab at festival drug peddlers, specifically those involved in the nitrous trade. Are you trying to send a message here? Not so much send a message as try to tell the truth. A writer is driven by the truth. It's all about painting an accurate portrait. Writing is about ripping off the masks, illusions, and veils to get to the secret truth of individuals and societies. It's the dirty stuff that makes for good fodder. There's been a lot of controversy surround N20 on the scene. What are your thoughts on the gas trade? Personally, I think nitrous is no doubt a bad vibe. The energy is dark. The vendors are crooks and gougers. The whole shhhhhhhh sound gives me a headache. The aftermath of the area is also sad, the ground littered with balloons. That's not to say I haven't huffed a balloon or two in my life. I have a saying: Sometimes I choose nectar and sometimes I choose poison. Although I know nectar will sustain and ultimately fulfill me, I still choose poison because of my desire. No one's perfect. We all have, or have had, our vices. Lightning Round: Phish or the Dead? Phish: 75 shows. Dollar grilled cheese or a five-buck strawberry banana smoothie made with a solar-powered blender? Double Yum! What's the next fest I might see you at? My body will be at Ultra, my spirit at Coachella. The Headz website is full of all sorts of extra goodies. You'll find blog posts, interviews, and Myspace pages for all of the characters. The book and website, although a work of fiction, depicts a wonderful world that over generations has been very real to hundreds of thousands of people. During the five years of composing and revising Headz, almost 60,000 words have been deleted. Many anecdotes did not fit into the narrative arc of the compact and crowded novel, but still feel relevant and entertaining. As a result, we created this website, dedicated to 58 deleted scenes, bonus features, and first person monologues. What we are trying to do with Headz is grassroots, just like the scene it portrays, and just like the characters that inhabit its world. Shore Morris, one of the novel’s characters, probably explains it best. Still, more than anything, this is a story about music festivals, coming-of-age, love, and rebellion. Enjoy it! Moby Versus Meat: Let The Market Decide! Richard Gehr — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 03:34:25 +0000 Monomonikered musician Moby has co-edited a new book called Gristle: From Factory Farms to Food Safety (Thinking Twice About the Meat We Eat) with Global Animal Partnership executive director Miyun Park. Turns out that Moby's a raving capitalist, who believes the free market should decide the price of meat; rather than giving agribusiness a big break with government subsidies. How quaint! As he told Umbra Fisk in this recent interview with Grist: Q. What do you think the solution is for getting people to cut back on animal consumption? Is it education? A. For me, there's one simple solution, which the likelihood of it happening is pretty slim, but still, my pie in the sky dream is to end subsidies for agribusiness and end subsidies for animal production and basically let the free market decide the cost of a pound of beef and a pound of chicken. If there were no subsidies for beef, a pound of beef would cost around $25, and if every aspect of animal production wasn't subsidized, a family of four going to McDonald's for a quick meal would spend $75. So really it's like the silver bullet that fixes the problem. And I would almost think it would make for interesting bedfellows, where you might even get some libertarian Tea Party people to talk about ending giving subsidies to animal production. But then again, not to be too inflammatory, but thus far every single person in the Tea Party is a raving lunatic, so I don't expect them to join our cause any time soon. We Live For Live: Phish And The Greek(s) Dr. B — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 22:59:35 +0000 Given that Phish and serendipitous synchronicity seem to go hand in hand, it’s not so strange that within a matter of days I will have pondered ancient Greek performance history and attempted to land coveted tickets to Phish’s three-night stand at Berkeley’s Greek Theatre. Earlier this week, as a new quarter got underway, I gave my opening-day “On Performance of Literature and Performance Studies: A Primer” lecture to students in my solo and group performance classes. And not four days later I will have battled Odyssey-like odds to wrest a few Greek tickets from the fiendish, infinitely cold-hearted, and treacherously powerful nemesis known as Ticketmaster. It's all about liveness. We fans know this, and so did the Greeks of yore. Let me elaborate by relating an interesting tidbit of knowledge – and scholarly controversy. Most of us have enjoyed/endured Homer’s epic Odyssey and Illiad. Well, the thinking these days is that it’s probably not accurate to think of Homer as the sole author of these texts (or even, according to some scholars, as an actual person). To understand this, we need to think backwards (down the number line) to the day and age we’re dealing with. Homer’s epic compositions spent a good deal of their life as oral texts, since the only available forms of written communication at the time were a chisel and stone, or some sort of crude papyrus. These monster jams did not appear in print at all until the fifteenth century. In fact, ancient Greek singer-poets, known as the Homeridai, spent their entire lives learning and reciting these texts. They would then travel around – basically go on tour – and give live performances of these venerable grand narratives, for the entertainment and edification of the locals. It's only reasonable to assume that these performers invested a good deal of energy into their craft. Indeed, those who were good at this stuff and made solid careers out of it, would have internalized not just the words themselves, but also the messages, characters, themes, and subtle nuances of feeling and understanding that made these stories worth keeping alive for hundreds of years in the bodies and minds of so many. The reason it makes more sense to regard Homer as a collection of authors rather than as a single creative agent is that it’s folly to think the Homeridai wouldn’t have left their own fingerprints all over The Illiad and The Odyssey. Any artist worth his or her salt is not merely a vessel for the text being communicated, supposedly intact from the mind of its creator to the senses of the audience. Those aren't the performers we want to pay good money (much less aftermarket ticketbroker prices) to see. Rather, in taking it in, a worthy singer-poet leaves, almost by necessity, his or her existential mark on the thing performed. The text encountered is of course rooted in an original creative impulse, an initial spark of artistic vision and personal expression. But the mark of all great performable art is that it continues to appeal to future interpreters, who work with and respect the original source material while also letting their own sensibilities work with/in the piece. So props to Homer for setting in motion what have become stalwart anchors of the Classics canon. But long overdue props as well to those singer-poets who played their small but no less important roles. The same is true for the singer-poets of today, especially those who join this long-standing tradition of live performances of others’ works. There’s a reason we‘re such suckers for the art of the cover, for example. After all, both the jamband and jazz worlds have long-standing, healthy relationships with covers. Whether it’s the Grateful Dead’s “Not Fade Away” or String Cheese Incident’s “Take Five”; Les Claypool’s “Shine on You Crazy Diamond” or Leftover Salmon’s “Late in the Evening," the live experience is somehow made richer by these sorts of repertoire choices. It situates us all in a performance trajectory wherein the interconnections between people and art are rendered manifest, plain, and undeniable. A cover, properly handled, is not just good fun but important sociohistorical work – a sort of musical archeology. In particular, I can scarcely imagine the Phish phenomenon without this sort of thing being central to the whole experience. So, I’m not sure I even care to hear the original version of “Ya Mar” anymore (and I’ve tried to track it down, believe me). And while I very much appreciate Robert Palmer’s original “Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley” (written for him by the venerable Allen Toussaint), it kind of pales in comparison to Phish's funkified and stretched-out version. Let’s not get started on what can happen to Ween’s “Roses Are Free” in the fingers of our phaves. And given this line of thinking, we could obviously spend days hashing out the significance of Phish’s Halloween sets! Live music, then, is no “mere” entertainment. At its best, it's a fantastically dynamic reflection and refraction of the yin-yang ball of past/present, of the productive intermingling of back-then/back-when with right-here/right-now – of the human condition itself, really, which is nothing if not an amalgam of all that ever was and ever shall be. Though we may not realize it as we do battle with Ticketmaster, I’m fairly certain this is one of the main reasons we so fanatically seek out our phixes. It’s powerful stuff! So let those of us lucky enough to get hold of some "Phish at The Greek" stubs relish the opportunity afforded. The Greek amphitheater, whether in ancient Greece or present-day California, is timeless. The sacred ritual of gathering ‘round to take in live art remains the same. It is one of the more enduring stories of human interrelations: that of the attentive, appreciative audience bonded raptly with talented and genuinely caring artists. We all live for the live moment and that live moment lives in us. So good luck this summer! Dr. B (Jnan Blau), who teaches in the Communication Studies Department at Cal Poly, devotes (some of) his energies, both as a scholar and as a fan, to understanding and writing about music's power. HeadCount Human Rights Update: Eyes of the World on Darfur SteveCorson — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 19:19:52 +0000 As Sudan, a country notorious for political instability and brutal genocide, prepares for a national election in April, the world will be watching. Since 2003, an estimated 300,000 lives have been lost in Sudan's ethnic conflict. A new study shows that nearly 80 percent of the casualties have been caused by disease due to "unsanitary [living] conditions with little or no healthcare infrastructure." The violence, which has spilled over into neighboring Chad, has also displaced some 2.7 million people from their homes. The conflict in Darfur is complicated and has demonstrated the limited ability of the international community to stop genocide and other mass atrocities. Susan Rice, the American Ambassador to the UN, has criticized the UN Security Council for failing to enforce sanctions against Sudan. It is widely viewed that the Security Council's slow progress on this issue is the result of the special relationship the government of China has with Sudan. China is deeply invested in Sudanese raw materials and energy. The Government of China has used its Security Council veto power to block more powerful UN action in Darfur, prolonging the conflict and blocking most meaningful international intervention. A peace agreement between the Sudanese Government and an influential rebel group called the Justice Equality Movement was signed on Feb. 23 but is already facing challenges, much like previous failed peace deals. As such, hope that the upcoming election in Sudan could help cement this agreement as an important first step to complete peace in Darfur may be unraveling. Last week several candidates announced an election boycott. The Obama administration immediately sent an envoy to the region to help mediate the situation, however it remains uncertain whether Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir will have credible election opponents. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has received praise for its March 4 indictment of Omar Al-Bashir for war crimes. The indictment is said to have weakened Bashir's power and further isolated the Sudanese President internationally. However, the ICC indictment also led to a dramatic decrease in humanitarian services in Darfur, exasperating famine and disease. A number of musicians have taken steps to raise awareness about Darfur in the live music community, including Jack Johnson, Matisyahu, Ben Harper and The Flaming Lips who each pitched a track in for an Amnesty International CD to raise money for Darfur awareness. Additionally, Bob Weir & RatDog participated in the "Rock for Darfur" concert series with their 10-10-07 show in Myrtle Beach, SC. If you want to try a little democracy in action, keep tabs on pending Darfur related legislation and email your Senators and Congressional reps. Henley, DeVore And The Little Boys Of Summer Richard Gehr — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 20:25:46 +0000 The California senatorial race is being played out to the strains of Don Henley songs. In 2008, Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, a righter-than-right GOP candidate for Barbara Boxer's seat, thought it would be cute to release "After the Hope of November Is Gone." DeVore's not particularly witty blast at Democrats was sung to the tune of Henley's "The Boys of Summer" over a karaoke track, and contained such clumsy knee slappers as, "Out on the road today, I saw a OBAMA sticker on a Cadillac." He followed it up with "All She Wants to Do Is Tax," an equally lame poke at Boxer's cap-and-trade policy borrowing the tune of Henley's "All She Wants To Do Is Dance." Don Henley was not amused. He went back and forth with DeVore over whether the assemblyman's video violated the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, and finally took him to federal court to resolve the issue. So while DeVore should be busy running his fairly robust campaign (he's a teabagger, natch), he's spending time and money fighting an aging rock star in court. As he writes in his blog for noted conservative shit stirrer Andrew Breitbart's Big Hollywood, My campaign for U.S. Senate has raised about $1.8 million. The last five independent polls since January have placed me within the margin of error of Barbara Boxer. And the Henley lawsuit drags on, consuming time and money and shutting down a vital avenue of free speech that I intended to use in the course of my campaign. We expect a summary judgment on the case in May, just before the June 8 primary. If we win, our parodies will be back and I will likely write others. If we lose and go to trial, then lose in court, the implications will be far-reaching. For example, Paul Shanklin’s parodies on the Rush Limbaugh Show will be shut down as infringing on the copyrights of the owners, rather than transformative works of free speech protected by the First Amendment as they are now considered. Truth is, they're both wrong, although Henley's wronger. The only thing worse than lame parodies like DeVore's is trying to suppress them. The best thing Henley could do, if he actually gives a hoot, would be to write a sharper and funnier song in retaliation. Wikileaks Releases Classified Iraq Slaughter Video Richard Gehr — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 00:38:33 +0000 Today Wikileaks released an intensely disturbing video of an American Apache helicopter crew killing several Iraqi civilians in 2007 – including a young Reuters journalist and his driver. The video is a remarkably vivid – and rare – document of precisely how the Iraq occupation has been handled for the past several years. What's even more shocking is the seeming insouciance and disregard for consequences that the American soldiers exhibit as they seek permission to gun down men carrying weapons, perhaps legally. (Heck, in some parts of the USA it's apparently hunky-dory to flash unconcealed weaponry in your local Starbucks.) Even more disturbing is the incompetence that leads them to mistake a photographer's camera for a weapon – and not spot the two (visible) little girls who were injured in the conflagration and taken to a local hospital rather than a better-equipped Army facility. Reuters has sought access to this video since the tragedy, and US military officials have subsequently covered up for the soldiers. (If their actions were justified under 2007 Rules of Engagement, why not simply release the video to clear the air?) Wikileaks received it from an anonymous source. Unfortunately, Americans don't have access to much real footage of the carnage our tax dollars pays for, justly or otherwise. If you can't bring yourself to watch it (the version I've linked to contains both subtitles and context), you can read about it here. HeadCount Sustainability and Climate Change Update: Signs of Life for Climate Legislation Nicole Parisi-Smith — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 19:21:57 +0000 Some of you have been getting HeadCount's Sustainability and Climate Change e-newsletter for a while. But for many of you who joined our mailing list when downloading the "Best of Bonnaroo" compilation, this will be the first time. So let me briefly introduce myself: I'm Nicole and every six weeks I'll hit you with a brief update about what's going on with climate change and the global environmental movement. I'll also try to keep you in-the-know on all the efforts to get a climate bill passed in the U.S. More than 40,000 people have downloaded "Best of Bonnaroo" and over three quarters chose to take action on climate change. That means over 30,000 emails were sent to the Senate and the President, ranking as one of the most effective grassroots action efforts around climate change in the last year. The album features free music from Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, Wilco, Phish, My Morning Jacket and Jack Johnson (who just recorded his new album, out June 1, with 100% solar energy.) If you haven't sent the email or grabbed the FREE download, just visit www.musicforaction.org. If you caught Bill Maher on "Real Time" recently, then you saw a heated and comical debate about the veracity of climate change, the wisdom of "cap and trade," and whether it's a human health issue. View the video here. China has surpassed the United States as the biggest investor in renewable energy for the first time in at least five years. This prompted U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu to say we need a comprehensive energy and climate bill, in order to best China. On March 24, President Obama's top aides met with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and top Senate Democrats to map out a plan for how to get the 60 votes needed to pass the climate and energy bill currently being drafted by Senators John Kerry (D-MA), Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC). In order to construct a bill that will be able to garner enough votes in The Senate to become law, Kerry, Lieberman and Graham have been holding back-to-back meetings with fellow Senators and environmental groups, as well as traditional Republican interest groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Petroleum Institute. They hope to pick up moderate Republicans' votes when the time comes for the Senate to vote on this bill. Environmental and industry reps who have attended these closed-door meetings confirm that the senators' proposal still maintains the core goals of the bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last June, which promised a 17% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2020, and a reduction of more than 80% by 2050. Once drafted, the bill will need to go through the Environmental Protection Agency and the Congressional Budget Office for a five to six week-long analysis of the bill's price tag and environmental benefits. SenateDemocratic sources say if the bill isn't ready for a floor vote by Memorial Day it likely won't be voted on at all this year. If you want to help make a difference on this, it's easy to get involved in your local community: This summer, hook up with the Youth Climate Leaders, organized by the Energy Action Coalition and theirDefine Our Decade Campaign; 350.org is also organizing a Community Day of Action on 10/10/10. As always, you can also get the latest Sustainability and Climate Change headlines daily by following us on Twitter or visit our Sustainability page. Sarah Palin Faux Interviews LL Cool J And Toby Keith jennifers — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 22:16:41 +0000 You may have heard that Sarah Palin launched a new special program on the FOX News Channel (FNC) called “Real American Stories”. The documentary-style show is not meant to be political in nature, but the first few video promos became a bit controversial. In advance of the April 1 series premier, FNC aired promos saying the show would "feature real-life tales of overcoming adversity throughout the American landscape." The ads featured interviews with LL Cool J and Toby Keith among others. LL Cool J responded first, via Twitter: “Fox lifted an old interview I gave in 2008 to someone else & are misrepresenting to the public in order to promote Sarah Palin's Show. WOW,” the celebrity tweeted. Shortly after, Keith also said the same was true in his situation. Neither celebrity sat down with Palin. FCN removed the LL Cool J segment from the show and issued a cheeky rebuke to the rapper. Keith allowed his interview to air in “Real American Stories,” but when The New York Times blog asked the country star how he felt about being associated with Palin, Keith’s publicist said, “I’m not going to comment on what Toby feels about it.” In the 2008 election, Keith was a vocal advocate for Palin’s opponent, Team Obama. Here's the deceptive promo: Sarah Palin: Real American Stories Uploaded by bujes. - News videos hot off the press. Loophole Lets Insurance Companies Stick It To Kids With Pre-Existing Conditions Richard Gehr — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 21:40:32 +0000 The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c Inethical Basterds www.thedailyshow.com Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Reform Thanks to the recently passed health care reform bill, insurers can no longer deny children health insurance because of pre-existing conditions. (A ban on the discrimination in adults will take effect in 2014.) But that doesn't mean they can't deny care to children with pre-existing conditions for other reasons. Also, a funky Florida urologist won't work on your penis if you voted for Obama. Interview: Bob Weir Part 3 – How Barack Obama Reunited The Dead Richard Gehr — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 22:03:36 +0000 "We weren't kicking around the notion of playing together until the opportunity to make a difference and get people registered and voting. When that opportunity came our way, we all said, 'Hell, we gotta do this, guys.'" Bob Weir – of the Grateful Dead, RatDog, and, most recently, Furthur – sits on HeadCount’s board of directors and has long been a vigorous advocate of voter registration and participatory democracy. Last fall, during RatDog’s four-night run at Manhattan’s historic Beacon Theater, Bob sat down with Rolling Stone’s David Fricke to discuss HeadCount, politics in America, analog versus digital music, the Obama administration, the Grateful Dead, and other topics of interest. In the third of four weekly installments (watch parts one and two), Weir discusses how Barack Obama brought the Dead back together and recalls inauguration gigs of yore. Umphrey's Bowl To Be Simulcast Jonathan Perri — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 15:36:36 +0000 Speaking of simulcasting concerts, Umphrey's McGee has just announced that the UM Bowl 2010 will be broadcast live on iClips.net. The show will be performed in four "quarters." The evening will be broken up into four quarters of music, each with a different interactive theme. The First Quarter will kick off with an acoustic set chosen entirely by attendees. The Second Quarter will showcase their successful Stew Art Series (S2). Q2 will be entirely improvised and driven by bi-directional text communication. The playlist for Q3 will be decided by the votes of fans. And for Q4, the fans in attendance are the quarterback. The band will begin a set of UM classics, and along the way, they will be able to "call an audible" by texting in their vote as to which direction the band should go in. So not only can you watch this from the comfort of your own home, but the band will perform at the whim of fans' text messages. Sounds like the coolest technocombination ever! Americans Trash Environment In Poll Jonathan Perri — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 15:49:11 +0000 An early-March Gallup poll asked Americans which was more important: developing energy supplies even at a further detriment to the environment or protecting the environment even at the cost of limiting energy supplies? Fifty percent of those polled favored securing energy supplies from gas, oil, and coal, the highest percentage Gallup has seen in 10 years of polling this issue. Only 43% felt that protecting the environment should take priority. The same poll found that 53% of Americans favored economic growth even at the risk of the environment. Just under half (49%) of Democrats favored environmental protection over economic growth. This represents a major shift from past polls. Two factors, increased concern over the state of the economy and the perception that the environment is improving, are thought to have influenced the change. Another poll – in my brain – found that more than half of Americans are content staying inside for the rest of their lives and eating genetically modified corn products if they have cable TV, internet, and cell-phone service to scare them about the economy and lie to them about environmental realities. Community Question: Issues of Personal Liberty Sebastian — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 16:26:01 +0000 HeadCount polls the live music community on a regular basis to find out how you feel about some important issues. This month, our Community Question focuses on "Personal Liberty." [poll id="4"] HeadCount Personal Liberty Issue Update: Lawyers, Guns and Money Jonathan Perri — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 19:02:36 +0000 What happens when you take a landmark Supreme Court case concerning Chicago's ban on handgun ownership, then throw the 2nd Amendment and its meaning into the mix? This Personal Liberties Issue blast will cover that as well as new gay marriage laws, drug war violence and marijuana taxation and legalization. But first, we'd like to know which Personal Liberty issue matters most to YOU. It's the subject of this month's HeadCount Community Question. Vote here: [poll id="4"] Now, on with the update! A Chicago man is taking his fight to lift the city's 28-year old ban on handguns to the Supreme Court. Supreme Court members have suggested they will vote in favor of removing the ban after having heard arguments in early March. The outcome of this case could change gun control laws throughout the country, which is something Stephen Colbert, among others, would like to see. The outcome will decide how the 2nd Amendment is applied to state law. Because of this, support for lifting the handgun ban isn't only coming from right-wing NRA members. Liberals also hope that this decision will set a precedent expanding individual rights under the Bill of Rights to the state level. Washington, D.C. is licensing same-sex marriages after the Supreme Court refused to block D.C.'s gay marriage law. Couples were lined up outside the D.C. courthouse as early as 6 am on March 3 waiting to get their marriage licenses. By the end of the first day 151 couples had filed to be married! Wal-Mart fired a Michigan employee who tested positive for marijuana. Joseph Casias suffers from sinus cancer and an inoperable brain tumor. He legally uses marijuana to treat pain under Michigan's medical marijuana law. Ironically, Wal-Mart previously honored Casias as Associate of the Year. The Marijuana Policy Project has organized a boycott of Wal-Mart until they stop "discriminating against the legal use of medical marijuana by employees." The recent murders of three people linked to the U.S. Consulate in Mexico are drawing more attention to drug war violence on the U.S. Border. The U.S. is expected to finalize a new anti-drug strategy to aid Mexico but it's unlikely to include any proposals for drug legalization. Top Mexican officials and three former Latin American presidents suggested that legalization would both weaken Mexico's powerful drug cartels and that America's long-standing marijuana prohibition may be the root of the problem. A marijuana legalization initiative has gathered enough signatures to appear on California's November ballot. Voters will have the opportunity to decide if pot should be legalized and taxed, as is the case with alcohol. The bill would allow California adults 21 and over to purchase taxed marijuana and grow their own for recreational use - not the medical marijuana that South Park's Cartman fears will replace his fried chicken. With California facing a $20 billion deficit, advocates of the initiative are touting the economic benefits from taxing marijuana and a 2009 poll found that 56% of voters support the move. Let me leave you with a little Warren Zevon to get you thinking even more about the intersection of government and our personal liberty. If you're feeling passionate about any of these issues, email your Senators and Congressional reps and let them know how you feel. Don't forget that you can easily stay posted by following HeadCount's daily headlines on Twitter or by checking out our Personal Liberty Issue page. Also, take a look at our blog (or write for it). Grateful Dead Archivist Chosen Richard Gehr — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 19:02:36 +0000 The University of California, Santa Cruz, has announced the winner of the world's most-reposted help-wanted ad (at least until that Denver pot-tasting gig opened up). Nicholas Meriwether, an oral historian for the South Caroliniana Library, will be the Grateful Dead Archive's first archivist. Meriwether has edited several books about the band – including All Graceful Instruments: The Contexts of the Grateful Dead Phenomenon and four volumes of Dead Letters: Essays on the Grateful Dead Phenomenon. The Dead donated their substantial archive to UCSC in 2008. Much of the collection was preserved thanks to the pack-rat tendencies of Eileen Law, who interfaced between the band and Deadheads from 1972 on. Materials that might have been tossed into the dustbin long ago will now be available to scholars and increasing numbers of greedy bastards eager to replicate the Dead's weirdly prescient business model. The Grateful Dead Archive is scheduled to open in 2011, when it will anchor UCSC’s newly renovated McHenry Library. Malcolm McLaren 1946-2010 Richard Gehr — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 19:41:13 +0000 While nobody appeared to hate classic rock as much as Malcolm McLaren, who died of cancer today, you have to credit him with practically reinventing the stuff in 1975 when he created the Sex Pistols. Perhaps the world's greatest comedy group, the Pistols were a satanic Monkees. They parodied rock as it was with a highly stylized new sound and look that created a serious situationist-inspired revolution in British culture. You know about culture jammers? People who get inside the entertainment machinery simply to fuck shit up? That's the only kind of jamming that really appealed to McLaren. Me, I preferred the post-Pistols McLaren, one of the first dabblers in so-called "world music." His 1983 album Duck Rock introduced both hip-hop and the music of Africa's Zulus to young white consumers. I didn't know anyone else who was mixing the music of the Bronx and South Africa with beats from Brazil, the Caribbean, and Appalachian square-dancing. He may not have been the first multiculti sampler around, but he did it with a lot more wit and panache than most. McLaren was a riot. He was also a dandy, thanks to his upbringing in the clothing trade and association with designer Vivienne Westwood. Lauded as one of the world's great impresarios, it didn't seem all that weird when he returned in 1984 with a slurpy dance-music take on "Madame Butterfly" that neatly surfed the voguing wave. Earlier this decade he championed low-tech 8-bit music, which never quite caught on. But he was right on top of reality TV as a celebrity hijacker on the UK series Big Brother. Marines Fight Taliban With Metallica, Thin Lizzy, Offspring Richard Gehr — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 20:10:53 +0000 Everyone knows how much the Taliban hates music – with some exceptions. As I wrote in the Village Voice way back in November 2001: Afghan pop and musiqui (secular instrumental music...have become so proscribed that wary drivers took to jamming tapes of Taliban chants recounting the jihadic victories of Islamist martyrs into tape decks as they approached checkpoints. Since Koranic declamations and religious agitprop don't count as music so far as the Taliban is concerned, a healthy market exists for these echoing paeans. "Taliban, O Taliban, you're creating facilities, you're defeating enemies," goes one of their a cappella jeremiads, which are sometimes augmented with the sounds of rocket launchers and Kalashnikov fire. Turns out the Marines are still fighting fire with, er, fire. In the latest story about US armed forces using pop music to torture and torment their enemies, the AFP news service reports that special forces in Marjah, Afghanistan, are cranking up Thin Lizzy, Metallica, Offspring, and other heavy metal wonders. "Taliban hate that music," said the sergeant involved in covert psychological operations, or "psy ops", in the area in Helmand province. "Some locals complain but it's a way to push them to choose. It's motivating Marines as well," he added after one deafening round of several hours including tracks from The Offspring, Metallica and Thin Lizzy. The officer said they also broadcast messages from the Afghan government, as well as threats to the Taliban -- there are no obscenities, "but we tell them they're gonna die", he smiled. There we go again, winning the hearts and minds of peoples everywhere with our superior culture. It's probably not quite so annoying if you're high on opium, however. Eatings With Remarkable Musicians Richard Gehr — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 20:51:50 +0000 Released in 1971, the Hampton Grease Band's Music to Eat is a minor masterpiece of Southern freak-blues. At the time, however, it acquired a probably untrue reputation as Columbia Records' worst selling album (next to a Maharishi Mahesh Yogi yoga instructional record). The Hampton Grease Band was fronted by Col. Bruce Hampton, who went on to lead The Late Bronze Age, the Aquarium Rescue Unit, the Fiji Mariners, the Codetalkers, and, most recently, Col. Bruce and the Quark Alliance. I once had the pleasure of playing blackjack beside Col. Bruce during a Jamcruise. He was betting according to a complicated system I can no longer recall while spinning yarn after yarn. I don't recall if the subject of food arose, but now you can read all about Col. Bruce's culinary preferences at Epicurean Musician, a blog concept so great it's hard to believe it took this long for someone to get it on the table. So where does the Colonel like to eat when he's on the road? “Cooking on the road never happens, so we tend to eat out frequently. The current crew tends to stick with Arby’s, Chik-Fil-A, and the beloved Ruby Tuesdays.” Col. Bruce appreciates the salad bar at Ruby’s and claims that it is always fresh and consistent. “It is also hard to beat a meal at Cracker Barrel” claims Bruce. When rolling through Alabama Col. Bruce is certain to make stops at Dell’s Den in Valley, and the Fish Market Restaurant in Gadsden. If you find yourself on I-5 in Oregon, get of at exit 22 and check out Heavenly Heights. When in New Orleans, Bruce highly recommends Jacquesimos Cafe. Yonder Mountain String Band's Jeff Austin, Guster's Ryan Miller, Lez Zeppelin's Steph Paynes, Betty Lavette, and Stephen Kellogg have also talked chop with Epicurean Musician recently. (Severely cropped photo by Brato Ganibe) Eric Massa Caught In Riptide of Auto-Tuning Richard Gehr — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 23:05:51 +0000 My favorite part of the latest/greatest episode of "Auto-Tune the News" is when Katie Couric sings about wanting to "surf the web without getting caught up in a rip-riptide of lies." Also: Tickle-happy former congressman Eric Massa describes his fiftieth birthday festivities to Glenn Beck and special Joel Madden appearance! Sting Calls For End To War On (Some) Drugs Jonathan Perri — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 21:34:09 +0000 Sting has released an open letter calling for an end to America's war on drugs. He claims the failed effort is both a violation of personal liberty and of human rights. How so? In 2009, after Mexican President Felipe Calderon announced he would escalate the country's drug war, drug-related murders exceeded 7,000. Today that number has reached 22,000 and continues to climb. (Musician Peter Gabriel said the same thing during a press conference drawing attention to the many women being killed in the bordertown of Ciudad Juarez.) Whether due to Californians' efforts to legalize marijuana, overflowing prisons, or gruesome drug-war violence in Mexico, the war on drugs has been getting a lot of attention lately. If you feel inclined to activate yourself on the issue, the Drug Policy Alliance Network, which Sting sites in his letter, is a good place to start. Let’s End the War on Drugs by Sting: Whether it's music, activism or daily life, the one ideal to which I have always aspired is constant challenge — taking risks, stepping out of my comfort zone, exploring new ideas. I am writing because I believe the United States must do precisely that — and so, therefore, must all of us — in the case of what has been the most unsuccessful, unjust yet untouchable issue in politics: the War on Drugs. The War on Drugs has failed — but it's worse than that. It is actively harming our society. Violent crime is thriving in the shadows to which the drug trade has been consigned. People who genuinely need help can't get it. Neither can people who need medical marijuana to treat terrible diseases. We are spending billions, filling up our prisons with non-violent offenders and sacrificing our liberties. For too long, the War on Drugs has been a sacrosanct undertaking that was virtually immune from criticism in the public realm. Politicians dared not disagree for fear of being stigmatized as "soft on crime." Any activist who spoke up was dismissed as a fringe element. But recently, I discovered just how much that's changing — and that's how I came to speak out on behalf of an extraordinary organization called the Drug Policy Alliance. I learned of DPA, as they're known, while reading what once might have been the unlikeliest of places for a thoughtful discussion of the Drug War — the op-ed page of the Wall Street Journal. It featured an op-ed that dared to say in print — in a thoughtful, meticulous argument — what everyone who has seriously looked at the issue has known for years: the War on Drugs is an absolute failure whose cost to society is increasingly unbearable and absolutely unjustifiable. The author of that piece is a former Princeton professor turned activist named Ethan Nadelmann, who runs DPA. I was so impressed by his argument that I began reading up on the group. Their work spoke directly to my heart as an activist for social justice — because ending the War on Drugs is about exactly that. For years, the Drug War has been used as a pretext to lock people in prison for exorbitant lengths of time — people whose "crimes" never hurt another human being, people who already lived at the margins of society, whose voices were the faintest and whose power was the least. Civil liberties have been trampled. Law enforcement has been militarized. Literally hundreds of billions of dollars — dollars denied to urgent problems ranging from poverty to pollution — have been spent. People who do need help with drugs have been treated as criminals instead. Meanwhile, resources to fight genuine crime — violent crime — have been significantly diminished. And in exchange for all this, the War on Drugs has not stopped people from using drugs or kept drugs from crossing the borders or being sold on the streets. To me, it all adds up to a clear message of exactly the sort I've always tried to heed in my life: It's time to step out of our comfort zone and try something new. That's where DPA comes in. Their focus is on reducing the harm drugs cause rather than obsessively and pointlessly attempting to ban them. I'm partnering with DPA because they champion treatment, advocate effective curricula for educating young people about drugs — and from local courtrooms to the Supreme Court, they are utterly relentless defenders of the liberties that have been sacrificed to the Drug War. Now, political conditions in Washington seem finally to be aligning in favor of profound change in drug policy. President Obama has openly said the Drug War is a failure. Legislation to decriminalize marijuana is pending on Capitol Hill. But success is far from guaranteed. Indeed, the echoes of the old politics of intimidation and demagoguery that have long surrounded the War on Drugs can still be heard. We must all work to ensure this issue becomes a priority and is acted upon in a meaningful and sensible way. That's why I hope you'll join me in becoming a member of the Drug Policy Alliance today. We need a movement that will put the team at DPA in a position to take maximum advantage of the political changes in Washington while continuing to fight for sanity in drug policy across the nation. Everyone knows the War on Drugs has failed. It's time to step out of our comfort zones and acknowledge the truth — and challenge our leaders, and ourselves, to change. Roger Waters Taking 'The Wall' On The Road Richard Gehr — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 20:49:45 +0000 The Wall, Pink Floyd's 1979 double-album mega-ode to teenage sturm und drang, was in large part a Roger Waters solo effort – with ambitious art design to match the Floyd founding member's arena-ready ego. In 1980-81 the band toured the world, embellishing their music with amazing Gerald Scarfe illustrations, projected onto a 40-foot cardboard wall that arose between the band and its audience, and giant inflatable animals. Songs such as "Comfortably Numb" and "Run Like Hell" subsequently entered the jamband canon. Although Waters has performed the rock opera a few dozen times post-Floyd, most notably in Berlin to celebrate the downfall of another wall, on September 15 in Toronto he embarks on a lengthy North American tour featuring a technologically beefed-up version of his work. Tickets go on sale May 10 for the dates (available here), with a global tour likely to follow. HeadCount pal Benjy Eisen discussed the tour with the typically grandiose Waters for AOL's Spinner: "30 Years ago when I wrote 'The Wall' I was a frightened young man," Waters tells Spinner. "Well, not that young -- I was 36 years old. It took me a long time to get over my fears. Anyway, in the intervening years it has occurred to me that maybe the story of my fear and loss with it's concomitant inevitable residue of ridicule, shame and punishment, provides an allegory for broader concerns: Nationalism, racism, sexism, religion, whatever! All these issues and 'isms are driven by the same fears that drove my young life." "This new production of 'The Wall' is an attempt to draw some comparisons, to illuminate our current predicament, and is dedicated to all the innocent lost in the intervening years." The Life And Times Of 'Plastic Bag' Richard Gehr — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 23:49:08 +0000 Drop whatever you're doing and take 18 minutes to watch Plastic Bag, an amazing film by Ramin Bahrani that chronicles the life cycle of a random plastic bag. German director Hans Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man, etc.) is the voice of the ubiquitous disposable, which comes to existence in the supermarket before enjoying a robust relationship with its "maker," the woman who brought it home. Once disposed of, the bag floats aimlessly through a world devoid of humans as it seeks its original owner. A chainlink fence full of decaying brethren informs the bag of the Pacific Trash Vortex (AKA the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a small-continent-sized mass of trash floating in the middle of the ocean, where the bag is promised refuge. The film's dirty little secret is that the bag's original owner is a very good liberal, the sort of person who uses the bag for several jobs, from icing her sore ankle to picking up her dog's shit, before finally disposing of it. Being plastic, though, dooms the bag to a certain kind of inanimate zombiehood, which is why it evades the landfill and travels the planet in search of warmth and humanity – or at least a huge mass of similarly fated material. Tragically beautiful, Plastic Bag is probably the most affecting movie I've seen all year. The score, by Sigur Rós's Kjartan Sveinsson, is pretty wonderful, too. Simon Posford: Electronic Music On The Live Circuit jennifers — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 22:18:11 +0000 Simon Posford, has become almost as well known in the U.S. as he is in his native England, after a series of collaborations with the Disco Biscuits and other festival circuit staples. His various incarnations include Hallucinogen, Schpongle and Younger Brother, the latter of which includes DJ Benji Vaughan and, when performing as a full band, singer Ru Campbell, Brothers Past guitarist Tom Hamilton, Duo drummer Joe Russo, and Disco Biscuits bassist Marc Brownstein. They are expected to release an album later this year. Postford sat down for an interview with Jambands.com to talk about his friendship with the Disco Biscuits, festival culture, and making music for charity. When the native Brit was asked about his first experience with the American jam band scene, at Camp Bisco in 2005 he says he was not familiar with the Disco Biscuits, but he instantly felt a connection with their fans: "I hadn’t come across [the Disco Biscuits’] music, though we had mutual friends so I sort of knew of them, but I didn’t really know much about them until I got there. It was only when I got there that I realized this is our crowd: a psychedelic crowd who really loves music. And I think at first event then, they didn’t quite get the electronics so much. They seem much more receptive to it now, the last time we played."... "When I heard people in the States term psychedelic music to me it was more stuff like the Grateful Dead. To me it didn’t sound psychedelic, I never really got it because I never went to a show. I hear it’s all about the show and when they play it live and how they stretch out the guitar solos, or whatever, and it becomes psychedelic. Really it’s such a similar crowd because they appreciate psychedelics and mind expansion, and they seem to be a very musical crowd as well. So it’s weird that the paths haven’t interwoven and crossed more, actually." Fans of psychedelic music will have the opportunity to experience Posford’s brand of mind expansion this summer when he’s on the road playing DJ sets as Shpongle, another of his current projects. Read the full interview here. Interview: Bob Weir Part 4 – At Home In The White House Richard Gehr — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 21:46:10 +0000 "These days when I go to D.C. I go to the White House and I do business....I feel like I belong there. I think we all belong there." Those are the words of HeadCount board member Bob Weir, who has been a semi-frequent guest at the White House along with other members of the Grateful Dead. Last fall, during RatDog’s four-night run at Manhattan’s historic Beacon Theater, Bob sat down with Rolling Stone’s David Fricke to discuss HeadCount, politics in America, analog versus digital music, the Obama administration, the Grateful Dead, and other topics of interest. In the fourth and final of our weekly installments (watch parts one, two, and three), Weir discusses taxes, trickle-down economics, and the importance of getting money out of politics. Hey Vegetarians, Can I Interest You In a Little Neurotoxin? jennifers — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 15:43:59 +0000 Think you're making the healthy choice by eschewing meat? If you're opting for a non-organic veggie burger made by Boca Burger, Garden Burger or Morningstar (among others) you may be in for a surprise. Earlier this week Mother Jones' Kiera Butler cited a Cornucopia Foundation study finding the majority of veggie burgers on the market are treated with hexane, a known neurotoxin and an EPA-registered air pollutant often associated with gasoline. The chemical hexane is used to separate soy proteins from fat found in soy beans. The result is veggie burgers with a low fat content, but at what cost? As yet, hexane residue in foods is not monitored or regulated by the FDA. Hopefully this news won't inconvenience Sir Paul McCartney, who has committed to an 100% meat-free 2010 summer tour. A Visit To Planet Paprika Richard Gehr — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 17:03:27 +0000 "Some say that I come from Russia, some think that I come from Africa. But I'm so exotic, I'm so erotic, 'cause I come from the Planet Paprika." I'm not quite sure why I love this track as much as I do. Turned on to Shantel thanks to Richard Goldstein's smart take on the French pop scene, which blends sounds from all over the world in a way American pop music still resists, I was immediately seduced by Romanian artist Shantel's blithe disregard for cultural boundaries. No matter what country he's in, Shantel's still an alien; but he's not going to let that stop him from having a great time. "Planet Paprika" is a terrific tune – and Shantel's world still appears to be comin' right atcha even when the video's over! Which may be the point. Happy Record Store Day Jonathan Perri — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 19:25:51 +0000 Tomorrow, April 17, is Record Store Day - a day to celebrate and support your favorite local independent record store. More than 700 independently owned record stores across the U.S., and hundreds of international stores, will take part in this event. The goal is to bring customers into shops who now have to compete with digital downloading sites such as iTunes (the world's biggest music dealer) and huge corporations like Wal-Mart. This is the one day that all of the independently owned record stores come together with artists to celebrate the art of music. Special vinyl and CD releases and various promotional products are made exclusively for the day and hundreds of artists in the United States and in various countries across the globe make special appearances and performances. Festivities include performances, cook-outs, body painting, meet & greets with artists, parades, djs spinning records and on and on. Metallica officially kicked off Record Store Day at Rasputin Music in San Francisco on April 19, 2008 and Record Store Day is now celebrated the third Saturday every April. Many record stores are benefiting from increasing interest in vinyl recordings as well as the buy/sell/trade of used CDs. RSD may or may not be a gimmick – but it's working. Matt Vaughn, who owns Seattle's Easy Street Records, was skeptical of the idea when it kicked off but was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. "To my surprise, it turned out to be the busiest day of the year," said Vaughan, who has stores in West Seattle and another Queen Anne. "I wasn't even staffed for it." Many musicians are supporting Record Store Day by offering free downloads, raffles, give-aways, and, best of all, in-store performances: - Not quite sure how this is supposed to get customers into shops, but HeadCount homeys Widespread Panic are giving away two digital downloads from their next album, Dirty Side Down, which arrives May 25. - Vanguard Records is also providing exclusive vinyl reissues of Buddy Guy, Doc Watson, and others. - Check out this ridiculously long list of quotes from artists ranging from Billy Corgan and Tech N9ne to Skerik, all of whom encourage you to visit your local record emporia tomorrow. I remember buying Green Day's Dookie from a massive Strawberries (do those even exist anymore?) store in Warwick, Rhode Island. At the time, I didn't think anything of making a purchase from some superstore, or about all the complications that come along with artists and record labels and what these big stores mean for the little guys. Luckily, my best friend's older sister was cool enough to turn us on to Sam's Records, a local record store that was actually a little cheaper and definitely way cooler. Unfortunately, Sam's closed a few years ago. I'll be heading over to Amoeba Records and other San Francisco spots to support some of my favorite artists and snag some free goodies. You can find your own local participating stores right here. How Little Do Musicians Earn Online? Richard Gehr — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 18:25:07 +0000 Well, this is depressing – especially for working musicians who think they can still make a living wage from selling those anachronistic items known as "albums," or even "downloads." Responding to self-serving organizations that claim to protect musicians' digital rights, David McCandless has come up with this nifty chart at his Information Is Beautiful blog to reckon how many albums and/or tracks a musician needs to sell in various media in order to earn America's minimum wage. So in order to earn a minimum wage of $1,160/month, a solo musician would have to sell: - 143 self-pressed $9.99 CDs - 1,161 retail album CDs (high-end royalty deal) - 3,871 retail album CDs (low-end royalty deal) - 12,339 Amazon track downloads @ $.99 - 849,817 streamed Rhapsody tracks - 4,549,020 streamed Spotify tracks McCandless also breaks down how much the artist makes in relation to his or her label in each of these media, and it isn't very pretty. Basically, those protesting the loudest about the erosion of digital rights online are those who stand to make the most money from the music itself – and these people are usually not the same people who create the content they're so seemingly interested in protecting. HeadCount Food & Farm Policy Issue Update: The Unsettling Truth About Food & Advertising amyvaden — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 19:42:49 +0000 It's about time! The media has turned some serious attention on the marketing practices behind so-called "organic" food products. The limited and often inaccurate information available to consumers regarding food makes it difficult to know whether our dollars are supporting the type of industry we can believe in. The biggest shocker came last week when Mother Jones reported that most commercial brands of veggie burgers are made with hexane, a neurotoxin used to separate soy protein from fat. The EPA-registered air pollutant is not currently monitored by the FDA. Brands using hexane include Amy's Kitchen, Boca Burger, Garden Burger, and Morningstar Farms. Coca-Cola took some heat for sponsoring a heart health campaign through its Diet Coke brand.Whole Foods has received yet more bad press with the findings that it mislabeled conventional produce as organic. Walmart is also in the hot seat, facing a lawsuit claiming misuse of organic labeling. You may expect this type of marketing to be regulated; and you would be right to do so. The National Organic Program, a program of the USDA, does in fact regulate organic labeling. But it seems that these would-be 'organic police' have been slacking off lately, allowing some retailers to mislead customers without facing any consequences. Americans are very susceptible to advertising - especially American children - and retailers know it. Arecent analysis of junk food marketing tactics explains that one out of three fast food trips occur due to a child's nagging. Marketers fully intended on using that "pester power" to boost sales. The health effects of these ads are serious. A study conducted by the Scripps Research Institute found that junk food is addictive in ways similar to narcotic drugs. It's not just retailers that are getting attention. School lunches continue to be scrutinized as the Child Nutrition Act moves through Congress. Check out Fed Up with Lunch, an entertaining blog by a mom who eats school lunch every day to expose the utter gross-ness of it all. The Obama administration is taking steps to improve the resources available to consumers concerning food. Buried in the 900-page new Health Care Legislation is a provision requiring calorie labeling on fast food menus. New York City has been pioneering this practice since 2008 and has seen a modest shift in consumer behavior. HeadCount artist Jack Johnson is focusing on sustainable agriculture and raising awareness about community and school garden projects through his upcoming summer tour. Local organizations committed to that mission will be on hand at each of his U.S. concert dates, and his All at Once community website will highlight the work of these groups and promote ways that each individual can make a difference. Keep yourself updated on these issues by following HeadCount on Twitter or checking out our Food and Farm Policy Issue page. Also, take a look at the rest of our blog (or write for it). Email your Senators and Congressional representative with your opinions via our legislative action page. Tell them that as a consumer and as an American, you deserve to know what's in your food! Robbie Conal, Political Animal Richard Gehr — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 17:13:50 +0000 Robbie Conal is to protest art what Bob Dylan used to be to protest music – an eviscerating force to be reckoned with. The son of a pair of Marxist-Leninist union organizers (he recalls "dinnertime quizzes about use value"), Conal was raised in New York City during the fifties as your typical "red diaper baby," i.e., the spawn of political radicals. He enjoyed San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury wonderland during the midsixties, taught at the University of Connecticut, and eventually moved to Los Angeles in 1984, where he began making – and, just as importantly, distributing – the provoking art for which he would become justly renowned. Conal is a guerrilla poster artist, the Banksy or Shepard Fairey of his day, just to name to current political artists he has obviously inspired. He specializes in detailed close-ups of the wrinkled, thin-lipped white men who so often lead us into wars and other foolish pursuits from within their cosseted bastions of power. After creating his witty yet powerful images, Conal enlists a "volunteer guerrilla postering army" to distribute them throughout the streets of Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, wherever. Simpsons creator Matt Groening has postered for Conal in Los Angeles alongside Tim Robbins and Daryl Hannah. "I've been a fan of Robbie's for years," he says, but I always avoided postering because I was a wimp. Finally, I thought I should give it a try. It was really fun. It was in conjunction with a theatrical version of 1984. Robbie has done this so many times that he gives a speech beforehand, like a flight attendant. He tells you how to act and asks you not to be impolite or wreck property." You can watch Conal's "Guerrilla Etiquette and Postering Guide" here. "What I like about him," continues Groening, "is that there's a real idealistic, old-fashioned sensibility at work, a link to the agitprop art of yesteryear. It's very easy to stay in the world of fine art, and that he's taken his art to the street for 30 years is remarkable. There are even people who've done their own anti-Robbie Conal posters." A true believer in collective action, Conal, who teaches painting and drawing in the University of Southern California's Roski School of Fine Arts, likes to gang up with fellow travelers such as Los Angeles Latino-rock rebels Ozomatli, for whom he has designed a noble rooster logo. His posters aren't always excoriating. You may have seen his optimistic depictions of Barack Obama sporting the motto "climate change" during the last presidential election. In fact, Conal's something of a pussycat, at least judging by his new book, Not Your Typical Political Animal. In it, Conal describes his life and politics through the animals he has shared them with, including his cat Boudou. Conal takes off from his animal affiliations to describe other non-poster works, including painting featuring frogs and fish, and a series of elaborate, collage-y works representing each of the past four decades. Are Conal's postering days coming to an end? He implied they might be when I spoke with him recently. He even told me about his idea for his final poster, which was inspired by a conversation with his aging mother, who used to organize New York City's furriers. "She'd say, 'How are you doing with that postering thing that isn't quite a living? That isn't quite specific enough, and with no lips. What does that mean?' "I'd say, 'I'm doing alright. Here's an article from People magazine about me.' "She'd say, 'You know, Robola, People magazine is not the people. Do you think the American people understand what people with no lips means?' "I'd say, 'I don't know, Ma. It's art. Gives them room to interpret.' "She'd give me that look, standing about five feet tall in her tweeds, ready to go to work though there's no job. I'd say, 'What text would you use? What would satisfy you?' And she goes, 'Uh, let's see. Oh, I know: SMASH THE POWER OF THE CAPITALIST STATE.' "So that's gonna be the text of my last poster." Widespread Panic Raising Funds and Awareness for Musician Health jennifers — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 22:24:24 +0000 Widespread Panic may be one of the ultimate American party bands, but they haven't forgotten the dark reality that many musicians struggle with health and personal issues. With that in mind, they're throwing their support behind Nuçi's Space a nonprofit from their hometown of Athens, Georgia that serves the musician community with suicide prevention programs and subsidized access to health services. They're raffling off a pair of VIP tickets to their 3-day show at Red Rocks June 25 - 27, plus three nights of hotel accommodations at the Hotel Teatro, airfare on AirTran and $300 spending cash. HeadCount band, Drive-By Truckers and the B-52's are also supporters of Nuçi's Space. Polatik's Tea Party Rap Richard Gehr — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 16:36:18 +0000 If this doesn't kill rap to death, nothing will. Polatik, a "26 year old Texan who has gone from convict to community leader in three short years," lays out the movement's tenets behind some ponderous beats. Meanwhile, the video concentrate's on the Party's dozen or so black members. And as Polatik reassures us, "it's not a race thing, though you hear that of-ten." You mean the KKK's not involved? Good! Polatik's video appears to have been shot by Rightnetwork, a media company funded by the actor Kelsey Grammar and Comcast that's launching this summer "to entertain, engage, and enlighten Americans who are looking for content that reflects and reinforces their perspective and worldview." Which sounds to me like merely another iteration of the right-wing echo chamber, although it will feature promising shows such as "Right to Laugh" and "Politics and Poker." Sting, Weir, Roots To Play Climate Rally In DC Richard Gehr — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 18:02:34 +0000 Sting, John Legend, the Roots, Jimmy Cliff, Passion Pit, Bob Weir, Willie Colón, Joss Stone, Robert Randolph, Patrick Stump, Mavis Staples, and Booker T will help celebrate Earth Day's 40th birthday this Sunday during a possibly massive Climate Rally on the National Mall. Scheduled speakers at the 11 a.m. event include the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Avatar director James Cameron, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, Olympic gold medalist Billy Demong, producer Trudie Styler, science-fiction author Margaret Atwood, NFL player Dhani Jones, and environmental photographer Sebastian Copeland. Climate change, sustainability, food and farm policy, the economy, and other areas of interest to HeadCount activists are sure to be addressed. The Earth Day Network is sponsoring free buses from New York City, Philadephia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Columbus, Charleston WV, Richmond, Charlottesville, and Baltimore. Find out more here. Email volunteer@earthday.org to volunteer. What Are You Doing For Earth Day? (VIDEO) jennifers — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 16:32:08 +0000 Earth Day celebrates its 40th Anniversary tomorrow, and plenty of folks have suggestions on how to celebrate. The New York Times ran a column called “For Earth Day, 7 New Rules to Live By” suggesting that the new green movement add a shade of "blue-sky open mindedness" to its repertoire ("New Nukes" is the new "No Nukes", it claims). Grist.org ran a column on how you can throw a killer Earth Day Party. (A "topical piñata" at the office? Yes please!). course, who wants to celebrate without music? The biggest party of all will be on the Mall in Washington D.C. on Sunday, with a free concert featuring Sting, Bob Weir, The Roots and many others. At Penn State University, HeadCount is co-presenting an outdoor concert by the Flobots. A day of free food, music and games will be followed by the free Flobots show. Check out this video of the Flobots talking about the environment and activism. MC Jonny 5 says that in the wake of the historic 2008 election, we have the opportunity to think beyond our country, "Now we have to look at what the world is and what are the limits of our resources on this planet?" So watch the video and then figure out how you’ll celebrate. Depth Perceptions: 'Phish 3D' Richard Gehr — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 17:56:26 +0000 Brooklyn's Pavilion Cinema stunk like a skunk farm during last night's premiere of Phish 3D. Even the friendly ushers were complaining. Didn't they realize it was 4/20, our national day of marijuana abuse? (Tell it to the nitrous dealers defiling my local park across the street.) And if you thought you could avoid the annoyance of glow sticks and balloons in a theater setting, think again. Dudes abounded and abided at this sneak preview in anticipation of the film's April 30 opening. I was psyched in large part due to my obsession with new performance technologies like simulcasts and such. Phish 3D contains some great performances from Festival 8, which it cherry picks and distills into two hours. The "Tweezer" and "Mike's" are keepers, as are every frame with Sharon Jones. (During a nifty rehearsal sequence, Trey A. modestly describes "Suzy Greenberg" to her as "a song about a girl.") The four Exile on Main Street are solid, and the "Suzy" encore is one of the song's best versions evuh. The 3D part was kind of meh, however. And talk about squandered opportunities: The trombonist didn't even poke our eyes out! Umphrey's McGee lighting director and Jambands.com writer Jeffrey Waful reviews it in more detail, and more or less speaks for me, here. Phish 3D opens officially on April 30. Find out where it's playing here. Iceland's Suffering Animals Richard Gehr — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 18:23:01 +0000 No, the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption isn't only about inconvenienced airline passengers or the canceled premiere of Iron Man 2. Iceland's animals are in danger of fluoride poisoning and other maladies as a result of inhaling the volcano's toxic ash. Hundreds of farms were evacuated after the eruption. Afterward, many farmers had trouble even locating their livestock in the resulting ash haze. Birds can't fly, cows can't drink from ponds mucky with ash, and closed roads means milk will have to be dumped instead of sold. The volcano itself may continue to erupt intermittently for years. "While it's unlikely the plume will be disruptive during that entire time," reports National Geographic, "some problems could persist or even increase if the eruption grows or is joined by another from the nearby volcano Katla." Indeed, some Iceland scientists are predicting that climate change will cause even more eruptions down the road. Interview: Galactic's Jeff Raines On New Orleans Recovery WhitneyD — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 18:45:16 +0000 We caught up with Galactic guitarist Jeff Raines last month, while the band was touring around the release of its latest album, Ya-Ka-May, which features guest appearances by just about every great Crescent City musician. In that spirit, we spoke with him about the current state of New Orleans. Headcount: I’ll start with a very general question. How's 2010 been for New Orleans so far? What's the sense of community like, both generally and in terms of music? Jeff Raines: The biggest thing to happen in New Orleans recently, the mayoral election, coincided with the Saints' Super Bowl victory. We finally got a new mayor in, and we definitely needed some fresh blood in City Hall. We're all overjoyed that Mitch Landrieu won the election. It’s nice to see some fresh air in city government. Speaking of Mayor Elect Landrieu, he's already visited the White House, where he pointed out the lack of jobs in the private sector and housing as the biggest issues facing the Gulf Coast. Do you agree with that? What do you think are the most important things going forward in terms of recovery and what people need the most? I absolutely agree. There are so many displaced people still. We refer to them as the “lost tribe.” So many people have not had the opportunity to get back just because of housing and various infrastructure problems. New Orleans has always been a town of small neighborhoods, but many of those don't exist anymore. Neighborhoods like Lakeview or Gentilly may have a block where people have rebuilt maybe five or six houses, but it will be surrounded by a neighborhood largely unchanged since the hurricane. So hopefully Mitch Landrieu will bring more of an organized and unified message from City Hall regarding where and how to rebuild. Plus, so much of the money has been caught up in bureaucratic red tape. Are you familiar with the Musicians' Village in the Ninth Ward? Absolutely. Quite a few of my friends live over there, actually. This New Orleans drummer, Smokey Johnson, had a stroke and can’t perform anymore, but he lives over there and sits out on his porch. It’s really quite a cool thing to go over there and just chill with Smokey. It’s a very interesting community, a remarkable place. Musicians' Village was never really a good neighborhood, even before the storm, so it is cool to see this artist’s colony just spring up amongst a neighborhood that was completely flooded. You guys are on the road with Cyril Neville, and I've heard him say that most New Orleans musicians hailed from the Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth wards, which have been the slowest to rebuild. What are your observations on these areas' recovery? It’s interesting. The Treme, the Sixth Ward, which is one of the city's oldest neighborhoods and sits directly across Rampart Street from the French Quarter, has perhaps shown the most growth of any of those wards. Real estate has gotten very expensive over there, and a lot of young people are moving in. Most of the houses have been re-done completely. So the Sixth ward, of any of those places, has shown the most progress. But there's still a lot to be done over there. The other thing that's actually gone well since the hurricane is the New Orleans public school system. The hurricane allowed a re-boot of the school system, and there's been progress. New Orleans public schools were never a bright star in the city pre-Katrina, that’s for sure, but there's been some progress in weeding out some of the people who did not have their heads on straight over there. Do you feel that has anything to do with the separation between the Department of Education and other levels of local and state government? Yeah. The feds actually came in, took it over, and appointed some new people. They sort of revamped the school system's bureaucracy. A lot of charter schools are popping up, and New Orleans essentially needed an entirely new and better education system. Some of these kids were hitting the streets too early. So tell me about Mardi Gras. With all of the positive attention and celebration, did you sense any different feelings down there this year, maybe more of a sense of community optimism about rebuilding? Absolutely. With the Super Bowl win the week before the big Mardi Gras weekend, it was like the party started a week earlier and more intensely than usual. And because it was an early Mardi Gras, it was more of a locals kind of Mardi Gras. It was a little different this year. It was funny. The head coach of the Saints kept appearing around town with the trophy and letting people hold it. I got a couple of pictures of my friends holding the trophy! Those guys were definitely the kings of Mardi Gras. They were riding on all of the floats and you'd see them all around town. Going forward, do you have any suggestions for HeadCount about how we can spread awareness of this issue? Cyril Neville's been talking about the Census a lot. There are so many displaced people who probably won’t be counted as living in the city but actually could be because they'll probably come back or live there part-time. Just get the word out that people need to register themselves as New Orleans citizens if they were displaced. That translates into federal dollars. Class of 2010 Gets Graduation Gift of Healthcare jennifers — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 20:46:20 +0000 Fulltime students are usually kept on their parents insurance through college, but when graduation time rolls around they’re expected to find a job that provides benefits, buy an expensive individual policy or more common, go without healthcare and pray that their good health continues. Part of Obama’s new Health Care Reform law would enable young people below the age of 26 to maintain health coverage on their parents’ plans. However, that mandate will not take place until September 23 of this year. On Monday, however, major health insurance providers made a surprise announcement that they would enact this aspect of the law ahead of schedule. United Healthcare, Humana, Kaiser Permanente and WellPoint have all agreed to allow those under 26 to stay on beyond graduation. Given the scarcity of jobs, especially those that offer benefits, this news couldn’t come at a better time for seniors. WalletPop.com reports that each healthcare provider is doing this differently, but lists a few helpful notes: Humana -- The change will go into effect immediately. As long as you still are insured on your parents' plan, you will be able to stay on that plan until age 26 or until you are able to get insurance yourself. Kaiser -- Plans to extend coverage before Sept. 23 for people on individual plans, but an actual date has not been set for the extension to take effect. If your parents get their coverage from Kaiser through an employer, it will depend upon what the employer decides. Kaiser is in discussions with employers now. Your parents may want to talk with the human resources at their company to find out what the company plans to do. UnitedHealthcare -- The change will go into effect immediately for individual and group plans. But, if your parents' employer is self-insured, their employer would have to agree to the change. About 11 million people are enrolled in self-insured plans. Check with your company human resources department to find out what they plan to do. WellPoint, which operates 14 Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans nationally -- The change will take effect on June 1. Most importantly, if you’re a graduating senior, discuss this with your parents now so you can avoid a gap in coverage. Unfortunately, they're only changing the eligibility date for people who are currently on their parents' plans. So, even if you're college aged, if you don't currently have insurance you’ll have to wait until the new laws take effect in September. Take The Clean Concert Pledge Jonathan Perri — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 20:44:42 +0000 Yesterday was Earth Day and you were too busy to plant a tree. It's understandable. But as a live music fan, you should take the Clean Concert Pledge: "I will leave no trash on the ground at outdoor concerts and will encourage my friends and neighbors to do the same." Ben Coe at the Artist Farm created this great online pledge to help raise awareness about the impact our favorite pastime has on the environment. Music festivals and concert venues have come a long way in last 40 years in terms of increasing awareness about their environmental footprint. But there's certainly room for improvement. Fortunately, there are many things you the concertgoer can do to keep things sustainable. These include: - Bring a refillable water bottle to festivals and don't purchase bottled water. - Ask your bartender to fill your original glass when you get your second – or fifth – beer. - Don't be a litterbug and compost leftover food. - Volunteer with Clean Vibes. Fewer than 250 people have taken the pledge thus far. Step up and take the pledge HeadCount community! Concert Series To Benefit 'Hippie Chimps' Debra DeSalvo — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 21:41:33 +0000 On May 14 the musical collective Groovananda will gather in DC for a concert to benefit the Bonobo Conservation Initiative (BCI). Groovananda leader Wynne Paris is working closely with BCI to develop a benefit series he hopes will attract major artists to the cause. Check out their Facebook invitation for details. (Disclosure: I’ll be performing alongside them.) BCI was honored at Copenhagen's Convention on Climate Change for leading the effort to create the 11,803-square-mile Sankuru Nature Reserve in 2007 and the 1,847-square-mile Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve in the Congo in 2009. The rainforest reserves protect gravely endangered bonobo apes and okapi, a rare forest giraffe. The Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve is the pilot for the Bonobo Peace Forest, BCI’s proposed constellation of community-based nature reserves. Every step of the reserve’s creation was run by the local Congolese NGO and Kokolopori villagers. The bonobo is the great ape most closely related to humans, sharing 98.4% of our DNA. In contrast to the aggressive, male-dominated culture of our other relative, the chimpanzee, bonobos enjoy a peaceful matriarchal society. Bonobos are pansexual, earning them the nickname "hippie chimps." Other than humans, bonobos are the only primates who often have sex face-to-face. Unlike chimpanzees, who sometimes fight to the death to resolve conflicts, bonobos ease bad vibes by sharing food, grooming, and having sex. Kind of like Burning Man. Our survival as a species may pivot on whether we behave more like chimpanzees or bonobos. What valuable information will we lose if the “hippie chimps” disappear? Wynne Paris (at right, with sarod) is the creative director of Groovananda, a loose collective of musicians who play rock-and-jazz influenced kirtan, yoga gospel music. (Listen to Groovananda here.) The former rocker took up the sarod, a 23- string Indian lute that looks like a guitar but sounds like a sitar, and become a yoga troubadour. The upcoming Groovananda album, Omspun, features an array of musical luminaries including Mark Karan from RatDog, Rick Allen of Def Leppard, J.T. Thomas and Doug Derryberry from Bruce Hornsby's band, former Miles Davis percussionist Badal Roy, free-jazz clarinetist Perry Robinson, and chanter Krishna Das. We spoke with Wynne about his devotion to saving the bonobos and his benefit-concert plans. HeadCount: What is kirtan? Wynne Paris: Kirtan means “to glorify” in Sanskrit. It’s the gospel music of India, with a lot of the same elements – ensemble singing, creating a spiritual experience through the participation of everyone, including the audience. Groovananda has one foot on the yoga mat and one hand on a Stratocaster. We strive to transform audience and bandmembers alike into a grateful chorus of celebrants singing, clapping, and grooving on the eternal One. It’s like "Iko Iko" all night! What did you discover about bonobos when you began volunteering with the Bonobo Conservation Initiative? I learned that the Congo Rainforest, where the bonobos live, is threatened and that bonobos are almost extinct. When the current DRC president, Joseph Kabila, became the country’s leader in 1997, multiple wars going were underway in the Congo. Food distribution was nonexistent and people resorted to eating "bush meat," which included bonobos. Millions of people died and nobody even mentioned it on US television. Now that the wars are mostly resolved, powerful interests are pushing for access to heavy logging in the Congo Rainforest, the planet's second lung. So not only is it critical to protect the Congo Rainforest to save the bonobos and other species, it's critical for ourselves, too. Of all the causes you could choose to be involved with, why is this one so important to you? Bonobos are matriarchal, bisexual, and nonviolent. It would be terrible to lose them without having the opportunity to learn what they have to teach humans about coexisting peacefully. And bonobos are musical! They like to make music. I’m a hippie at heart and bonobos embody the hippie values of peace and love. We need to let people know about these great apes that are such an important part of the primate story, our story. It would be tragic if they were to vanish. I focus on bonobos because they’re so underserved. Much as I love Tibet, plenty of great musicians are already performing to benefit Tibet. What makes BCI different from other conservation groups? [BCI leader] Sally Coxe was honored in Copenhagen because typically when a nature reserve is created, the natives are kicked out. In contrast, Sally has partnered with the local people, involving them in maintaining the reserve so it will be more economically beneficial to them than trading in “bush meat.” BCI commissioned Papa Wemba, the Congo's most famous singer, to record a song in the dialect of the local people [video below]. It tells them not to eat the bonobos and encourages them to revere them, instead. This is their national heritage, after all. We are fighting some long-held traditions, however. One is: “If I eat an ape’s hand in a soup, my child will grow strong.” Our goal is to raise enough funds to really protect this forest, so it's not just a line on a map. What are your plans for this concert and upcoming events? The May 14 public concert and private fund raiser on May 15 will mix kirtan with rock, jazz, and jamming. Sally Coxe will give a presentation on BCI. Some great artists are performing including the legendary Badal Roy on tabla, who has played with Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, and many other jazz artists. We'll also have clarinetist Perry Robinson. Perry is one of the original founders of the free-form improvisation that bands like Phish have carried so far. I’ve been meeting with artists and promoters constantly to raise awareness of this cause. Some exciting plans are in the works. We’re putting out the call to artists on all levels to help the bonobos. They can contact me directly through my website or Facebook. Debra is the lead singer/guitarist for rock band Devi, playing Sullivan Hall NYC Thurs April 29 @ 8:30 pm. (Some) Hipsters Celebrate Earth Day jennifers — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 21:03:51 +0000 Hipsters are pretty much known for being haters. Whether dissing on your taste in music or refusing to take the 2010 Census, hipsters are scorned for being self-centered and having bad attitudes. To the contrary, the hipsters over at FREEWilliamsburg and 10 lb Pictures made this Earth Day call-to-action: That’s a good start. And to award credit where it’s due, hipsters’ favored method of transportation is about as green as you can get. But Grist.org can think of plenty more things hipsters can do to lead more sustainable lives. Check out their funny slide show “Hipster habits that annoy the Earth.” HeadCount Gulf Coast Recovery Issue Update: Galactic Calling for a Full Gulf "Headcount" WhitneyD — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:48:59 +0000 Whether it's from Jeff Raines of Galactic, Spike Lee, HBO or a member of the New Orleans Saints, there's been a lot of talk about New Orleans and the Gulf of late, and much of it is good news. The 2010 Census is seen as a once-a-decade opportunity to increase federal funding to the area, and there's great optimism around new leadership in City Hall. With millions watching HBO's new drama about New Orleans musicians "Treme" each week, perhaps this will be a year of heightened attention to the Gulf and prove to be a critical turning point. New Orleans-bred funk extraordinaires Galactic, joined by Cyril Neville, are busy on the road promoting their new album Ya-Ka-May. This new album spans many genres of New Orleans music and brings together musicians from in-and-around the area. During a March run through Southern California, I was able to catch up with Galactic's guitarist Jeff Raines to discuss the current status of hurricane recovery for an interview that appears on the HeadCount blog. He spoke about how he and the other band members believe that Mayor Elect Mitch Landrieu will bring an organized and unified message from city hall on where and how to rebuild. Raines also stressed the importance of the 2010 Census. The members of Galactic and touring partner Neville want people to know how imperative it is for individuals and families displaced by the storm to return their census forms as residents of their former neighborhoods if they intend to return, even if they are still displaced. Ultimately, this will translate to desperately needed federal dollars to the Gulf Coast. The Census Bureau has announced additional measures to ensure the most accurate reports about the Gulf Coast population including increased time and staff to canvas the area, newly formed branches in the region and many changes to the method of delivery of census forms. In environmental news, both President Obama and former New Orleans Saint and Super Bowl champion Scott Fujita are calling for the protection of the Gulf's endangered coastal wetlands. The White House released a plan to address the catastrophic dangers of rising sea levels, hurricanes and erosion on the Gulf Coast. Fujita will be featured in a number of public service announcements and will be donating money to draw attention to the cause. In recent months, music has not been the only branch of the entertainment industry drawing attention to the Gulf Coast. Spike Lee is in Southern Mississippi shooting a follow-up documentary to his first Katrina-related film "When the Levees Broke." The new "Spike Lee Joint" will shine a spotlight on Gulfport, Biloxi and Long Beach in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Also, keep your eye out for "Treme," a new HBO drama series by the creators of "The Wire." The series explores the struggles of New Orleans musicians and other residents post-Katrina. The show premiered on April 11 and has had already garnered popular and critical acclaim. No matter where you live in this great nation, be sure to spread the word on the importance of the Census. You can read more of my interview with Jeff Raines on the HeadCount Blog and be sure to stay current on hurricane recovery and other important issues by following us on Twitter. The National's 'High Violet' streaming on NYTimes.com Sebastian — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 17:35:34 +0000 One of HeadCount's favorite bands The National is gearing up for a big year. They have a huge nationwide tour including a sold out date at Radio City Music Hall in New York City and the release of their 5th full length LP 'High Violet' on May 11th. Check out a 5 page article on these guys and listen to the full album on the New York Times website. Hurry, tomorrow's the last day it will be available. The National aren't the first band to release their album streaming to the public prior to its release date. Recently, MGMT, Gorillaz, Wilco and several others have done the same thing. With nearly every album being leaked online these days, and often the quality of these leaks being much worse then the final release, it makes sense for bands to be ahead of the game and get the album they feel is the finished product out to the public before our ears are tainted by a crappy unedited version. Rock The Earth Announces Planet Defender Awards Priya Bali — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 19:37:38 +0000 Rock the Earth kicked off Earth Day by announcing this year's Planet Defender Awards. The environmental organization chooses recipients in three categories: artist, community leader, and grassroots activist. The 2010 winners are Bonnie Raitt (at left), Laurie David and Louie Psihoyos, respectively. Elected by Rock the Earth's national volunteer staff, each winner demonstrates "the importance of protecting the planet" and contributes significantly to environmental awareness. Musician and long-time social activist Bonnie Raitt often plays benefit concerts for the sustainability movement, specifically forest policy. With Senator John McCain and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Laurie David is co-founder of Stop Global Warming, an organization committed to creating a movement through which Americans across political party lines can play an active role in sustaining our undeniably warming planet. David said, “It's not about everybody doing everything, but it is about everybody doing something and together, with small acts in our daily lives, and big acts from the international community, we all can help stop global warming.” In the same vein, photographer and Oceanic Preservation Society executive director Louis Psihoyos is tackling the global depletion of drinkable water. His Oscar-winning feature documentary The Cove reveals the shocking truth about a secluded cove in Taiji, Japan, and, in turn, the state of our planet. “Due to pollution, plundering and acidification everything in the oceans, from the great whales to plankton is in peril. These are huge issues but I have hope. We don't need (to) turn around all of humanity - sometimes great social change comes from a few noble acts of passionate individuals,” Psihoyos said. Past recipients include the Dave Matthews Band, Jack Johnson, Incubus, and grassroots activists Jessy Tolkan and Karen Cragnolin – all of whom have joined the collective call for action, one beat at a time. MIA Echoes South Park In Violent New Video Richard Gehr — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 22:03:48 +0000 You can't see M.I.A.'s new video, "Born Free," on YouTube. The Google-owned video-hosting service, which celebrated its fifth birthday this week, has deemed it too violent (a child is executed at close range) and dirty (old people's privates are on display). You can, however, watch it below. Directed by Romain Gavras, the nearly nine-minute short film depicts soldiers ransacking an apartment building in search of redheads, who are rounded up, bused out to the desert, and sent scrambling across landmine-planted terrain. (Gavras, the son of radical filmmaker Constantinos Costa-Gavras, directed Justice's violent "Stress" video in 2008.) M.I.A. wails about injustice over searing rock beats rather than her usual hip-hop, and the short's point is as blunt as the music. Discrimination can lead to genocide. Hot-head that she is, M.I.A. first blamed Universal Music Group for getting the video banned on YouTube. The video is way timely insofar as it casts an unseemly light on Arizona's new anti-immigrant legislation. And of course it also might refer to the Sri Lankan government's repression of the Tamil people, a topic of much concern to the singer, whose real name is Maya Arulpragasam and who prides herself on being the daughter of a Tamil freedom fighter. Coincidentally, "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone incurred the wrath of an Islamic group due to two recent episodes featuring an army of redheads – or "Ginger kids," as Eric Cartmen derisively refers to them. The Gingers joined Tom Cruise, David Letterman, Barbra Streisand, and every other celebrity the show has ridiculed in its 201-episode history. However, the town of South Park was defended by the Super Best Friends, a group of religious figureheads consisting of Jesus, Buddha, Moses, Joseph Smith, Krishna, and Lao Tzu. The celebrities demanded that the town produce the Prophet Muhammad, "the one person on this Earth who is completely free from slander," in order to shield themselves from parody in the future. After the first episode aired, a message threatening Parker and Stone appeared on the Revolutionmuslim.com website. With their pale skin and freckles, could there be a less threatening group of people than redheads? Yet they seem to have become the terrestrial Na'vi of symbolic discrimination. The movie District 9 constructed a much more elaborate and intriguing metaphor for discrimination. It by made the victims powerful aliens rendered impotent by their white masters in an elaborate allegory reflecting South Africa's history of apartheid. Admittedly, however, gingers are a whole lot cuter. M.I.A, Born Free from ROMAIN-GAVRAS on Vimeo. New Pornographers Come 'Together' This Summer Sebastian — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:38:20 +0000 The New Pornographers have always been a band greater than the sum of their parts – although those parts are pretty great. While the star forces behind the band – A.C. Newman, HeadCount partner artist Neko Case, and Dan Bejar – have successful solo careers, their strongest efforts have always come "together" with the New Pornos. The group's fifth album, appropriately titled Together is no exception. With a little help from Beirut's Zach Condon, Okkervil River's Will Sheff, and St. Vincent's Annie Clark, the New Pornographers have produced a catchy, easy-listening album just in time for the summer. And it's streaming now on NPR. Political Change Through Old-School Pen And Paper heyheygig — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 19:57:48 +0000 What do politicians and platypuses have in common? According to Omar Ahmad, neither creature can tell directions and both have very strange breeding habits. Omar Ahmad is an internet start-up specialist who sits on his hometown city council in San Carlos, CA. In the concise TED Conference presentation below, Ahmad argues that the best way to engage politicians like himself in the digital world is via old-fashioned pen and paper. He explains why a hand-written letter to your representative is more persuasive than either email or a phone call. And he gives four simple steps for writing effective letters that will reach your congressman's desk and have them calling you the next time they're voting on your issue. Visit HeadCount's main issue page to learn more about issues important to you and the musical community, enter your zip code to find out who your representatives are, and get writing! Because somebody has to tell politicians and platypuses which way to go. In Plain English Andy — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 21:16:48 +0000 If there was an award for not mincing words and appealing to a political base, Alabama Republican Tim James may win it. The gubernatorial candidate suggests offering drivers license applications in English only. "This is Alabama. We speak English. If you want to live here, learn it," he said in a recent TV ad. Whether it's good for his campaign remains to be seen, but if his goal was to get attention on YouTube he's succeeding. Check out this mash-up with a clip from Pulp Fiction. HeadCount Fund Raiser Takes You Furthur On Coney Island Richard Gehr — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 21:36:22 +0000 HeadCount is proud to be able to enhance your Furthur experience. Thanks to AEG Live, CID Entertainment, the Furthur family, and especially HeadCount board member Bob Weir, HeadCount is offering a pair of VIP packages for the group's June 26 show at Coney Island's MCU Park (home of the Brooklyn Cyclones baseball team). Your tax-deductible contributions will assist HeadCount in its ongoing efforts to facilitate participation in democracy. VIP packages come in two sizes, Benefactor and Guest, each of which include a ticket to this sold-out show, an open bar before and during the event, and viewing from a private patio with a panoramic view atop the stadium. For a few dollars more, Benefactors will enjoy a pre-show meet-and-greet, photo, and autograph encounter with Bob Weir, as well as a buffet dinner. Already have a ticket? Just subtract $50 from the package price of your choice and enjoy the perks. What are you waiting for? All the details are right here. (photo by David R. Jennings) 'Just As Long As The Guitar Plays': Phish, The Stones, And The Spirit(ual) Dr. B — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 17:33:23 +0000 Fortunate are those who find their spirits lifted, have their souls touched deep down to the core. When the source of the spiritual-religious experience is music, it’s a special kind of communion. And when that music is rock and roll – the greatest of all American contributions to the world – it's a particularly powerful cast of the mystical. I know I had one of those experiences this past fall, during Phish's Halloween Set at Festival 8, held last fall in the Palm Springs area desert. This recollection comes as a lot of us are ready to re-visit—or visit for the first time—the sounds and sights of Festival 8. Starting tomorrow, phans will enjoy Phish 3D, the band’s first foray into cinematic three-dimensionality. Come showtime on Halloween, the festive mood was palpable. A huge costume party of like-minded revelers had convened from their campsites. Smiles were not scarce. The air was thick with anticipation. A widely distributed Phishbill had announced that the band would be joined by a horn section and two backup singers, one of them being Sharon Jones, one of the most highly regarded exponents of the new soul movement currently afoot, for a performance of the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main St. The pre-show music was cut and the lights went dark. The unmistakable grooves of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” were heard, loud and clear. Thriller, after all, had been widely discussed by phans as an apt, and oh-so-fun, possible choice for Phish; as much for its inviting rhythms as for its timeliness in the year that the King of Pop had moved from Neverland to Foreverland. But, weren’t we hearing Exile On Main St.?! We quickly figured it out, thanks to two giant screens flanking the stage. “Thriller” faded, and there was Michael’s face, from the song’s famous video. Michael leans down off camera and returns into the frame as a ghoul. His girlfriend screams. Then, for the next five-plus minutes, we get a masterfully edited barrage of images and sounds – a quick sensory-overload history of rock and roll. Those 99 teaser albums on the Festival 8 website? They flew by right in front of us. The Ramones gettin’ down to a funk beat and accompanied by Miles Davis’s sublime trumpet. The Beastie Boys MC’ing while Aerosmith laid down the groove. Jerry Garcia playing guitar over Bootsy Collins’s shoulder. Bits of Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” intercut with bits of Metallica hammering. Rush backing up Leonard Cohen. The multifarious sounds of the last 40 years or so conjoining to form a multimedia remix, an edited-together mash-up made up of so much wonderful musical history. The gods of rock had been summoned. Then: black-and-white images of the Rolling Stones circa 1972. Mick Jagger: shirtless, sexy, spaced-out. Keith Richards: dropping a TV set off a hotel rooftop. The band and an overweight cop: navigating a backstage maze, making its way out to the stage. Fade to black. Then: Phish. The band arrives onstage in full flesh and color, circa late-2009. They rip into the first song on Exile, “Rocks Off.” It's been some 37 years since Exile was recorded in the south of France. A debauched set of chord strums, a snare snap. Repeat twice. Then fire up the whole band. The song doesn’t just get things going – it launches us. Amid a swirl of dizzy blues riffs and deep-soul horn blasts, we’re off and running. The song chronicles, with no lead-in pussyfooting, the pure raunch the Stones were living to the hilt at that time: "Headed for the overload/ Splattered on the dirty road/ Kick me like you’ve kicked before/ I can’t even feel the pain no more." Phish’s choice to cover Exile was fraught. The reason 2009 was a glorious reunion year was that they had broken up five years earlier. And one of the main reasons they'd decided to part ways in 2004 was that the addictions and dysfunctions of the preceding years had exacted a toll too high to ignore. So, to delve into this material was no mere exercise. No. They were here to exorcise. As Rolling Stone's David Fricke had noted in his Phishbill essay: “What Phish are doing tonight is more than covering a record. They are telling, through these songs, their own stories about ecstasy, madness, and survival.” The next truly significant moment came a few songs later. We’d already heard a kickin’ version of the Stones’ version of Slim Harpo’s slow-roil blues boogie, “Shake Your Hips.” And the album’s only well-known hit, “Tumbling Dice” was way better than I had previously realized. It was the eighth song, however, that had juice I just didn’t see coming. Even after many listens to Exile, I'd never paid much attention to “Torn and Frayed.” Silly me. Turns out the song is the absolute heart of the album. It starts off innocently enough as a pleasant country-blues ditty that takes the listener through a musician’s natural habitat of “ballrooms and smelly bordellos/ And dressing rooms filled with parasites.” Fricke notes that the song paints a “portrait of the artist as a mess but never more than one great lick away from redemption.” This was the first song, and one of only a few in the whole set, that the band took for an improvisational ride and jammed out. And they did so gorgeously. Trey Anastasio coaxed sweet, superlative soloing out of his instrument. And the redemption was practically palpable – for all of us. Building and peaking, the song’s deceptively simple chord structure was used a vehicle for the sort of emotional playing that lies at the heart of great soloing. As I danced my little heart out, I smiled big, chills and tingles abundant. The church vibe was undeniable.I felt connected. And not just connected to my fellow audience members and the band – though I definitely did feel that. But, laughable as it may sound, I was feeling connected all the way back, into some deep stuff. I’m not a big rah-rah America booster. In fact, I’ve got issues with facile patriotism. But, I swear we were tapped into the root stock of America, digging into its history and grist, the stuff that really does make this a great country indeed. The rock and the roll. The blues. The struggling. The overcoming. The wild West. The frontier. The brothers and sisters. The partying. The living it. The persevering and prevailing. The wacky sheer joy of it all. It was all there. And we were all there taking our holy rock-and-roll communion, righteous and reverent. After “Torn And Frayed,” we didn’t just catch our breath; we breathed deep. Way deep. “Sweet Black Angel” could not have been better placed in our collective trajectory. A loving rallying cry of a ballad for troubled black activist Angela Davis. The Stones sure had some nerve thinking they could speak on behalf of a cause that was a whole ocean and skin color removed from their own lives. But they did, and they did so beautifully. It is possible to engage the Other – and to do it, no less, by appropriating their idiomatic expressions, both linguistic and musical – and be, in the end, nothing but respectful. This is an odd mix of awarenesses to hold in your head and heart at a rock show in the middle of the desert. But there I was and there they were. The loving respect and the good fight? Somehow still very much alive and well, thank you very much. The next song, “Loving Cup,” was the only Exile tune Phish had laid fingers on before. This well-loved staple on their covers roster was being heard for the first time in its original habitat – accompanied by a glowstick war. Somehow, as a collective consciousness, the audience decides – knows– when to unleash a glowstick war. And unleash one they did. It still gives me chills to close my eyes and picture it. There must have been thousands upon thousands of them flying through the desert air in a literal explosion of light. It was a high-energy visual manifestation of a high-energy point in the show. Both band and audience knew what was going down. Phish played the hell out of every moment of “Loving Cup.” The song’s chorus tonight more than just a cutesy metaphor about drinking from the loving cup of one’s romantic partner. It was a perfectly accurate, hugely meaningful, deeply felt proclamation about the primacy of the moment we were all ensconced in: "What a beautiful buzz/ What a beautiful buzz." The brilliance of Exile is how the Stones manage to take what appears incongruous and link them up quite beautifully. They make the case that there’s no way to understand American music - maybe even America itself - without holding the sacred and the profane in our consciousness, simultaneously. Self-righteous moralizers may not like it, but it’s true: raunch and religion go hand-in-hand. The best way to dial up the Holy Spirit is to get to know some demons. The best party has to have both Apollo and Dionysus on the guest list. The best way to come together – with your self, with others – is to fall apart. You can’t ascend without first gettin’ down. Which is exactly what happened about two-thirds of the way through the album. The absolute high point for me was a pairing of two very different pieces of music. First, we got dirty. “Ventilator Blues” is a grunge-blues blast. The opening riff is almost unbelievable, somewhere between a moan and a whine; an unequivocal “don’t-you-dare-mess-with-me.” The song’s narrative persona, he doesn’t beat around the bush, either, while sharing – no, witnessing – his messed-up life: ""Spine is cracking and your hands, they shake/ Heart is bursting, and your butt’s gonna break/ Woman’s cussing, you can hear her scream/ Feel like murder in the first degree." Then, after listing further existential murks, he comes to the realization that "Everybody gonna need some kind of ventilator, some kind of ventilator." The song is sung with deep soul by Phish’s keys man, Page McConnell, who tuned into its fighting-frustrated spirit. He is committed to the growls and yowls of the song and its phrasing. Throughout the verses and chorus, the horns provided a series of sharp accents that only served to underscore the punchy situation. The last words McConnell intoned come in the form a repeated question: "What you gonna do?" The backup singers responded with either "Gonna fight it" or "Don’t fight it." A fitting indeterminacy. It’s a blues mantra if ever there were one. The band keeps the groove going. The gospel choir keeps up its fighting credo. McConnell tosses off piano figures. Anastasio drops into soloing mode. The horns keep vamping. The whole thing is a swirl to get way lost in, for dizzying minutes. Then the band starts landing on a heavy, heavy chord, transitioning us into a very intriguing state of suspension. They hit it several times, Anastasio pulling the chord down, way down, with each successive hit. It’s as if the ventilator is running out of steam, grinding to a halt. The band shifts gears into the next song ever so smoothly. It is a gorgeous segue, all the more striking for where we end up. “I Just Want To See His Face” is proof positive that Mick Jagger and Co. – and Phish—did their homework. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better example of white boys doing gospel. It’s the perfect counterpart – the answer – to the down-dirty place we’d just been. It’s a look to the skies above after being way, way down. A lilting, major-key piece of music, with soft mallet rolls on the drums, sweet chords from the piano and guitar, and a buoyant bass line. A time to redeem and atone. This was the gospel of sweet-and-true, and we needed it, lapped it up. "Let this music relax your mind/ Let this music relax your mind." This becomes the mantra as Anastasio and the backing singers repeat the phrase over and over. They gradually drop the line, but the singers keep humming it. A soulful meditation. They keep the vamp going softly, hypnotically. "Stand up and be counted/ Can I get a witness?/ Sometimes you need somebody/ Need somebody to love." The vamp continues softly, hypnotically. "You want somebody to love/ Want somebody to love." They swell it a bit, with some guttural shout-outs from the choir. Then, back down. Softly, hypnotically. "Let this music relax your mind/ Let this music relax your mind." The crowd gets a hand clap going. The vamp continues. Anastasio whispers: "Don’t want to walk and talk about Jesus/ Just want to see his face." Repeat. "Just want to see his face." Repeat, repeat. Sharon Jones wails now, as only she can, calling out and up to the heavens. "I just want to see his face.". Then back down. "So let this music relax your mind." Down, further. "Relax your mind." Softening, to a whisper. "Relax your mind." The chord held in suspension. Release(d). “Classic” is one of those words that, through careless overuse, has lost its meaning moorings. Rock and roll may be no Greek poetic odyssey, no Roman sculpture of perfection. But, as a reflection of the consciousness of an era, as an expression of a people’s minds and hearts, it’s hard to beat for power and influence. Phish’s Halloween set oozed classic. At a time when rock feels more than a bit disconnected from its African-American roots – more interested in ego than groove, more invested in cool front than in hot Soul – hearing Exile on Main St. so lovingly performed was a real treat. Few current bands, I dare say, would close an album with this sentiment from “Shine a Light”: "May the Good Lord shine a light on you/ Make every song you sing your favorite tune/ May the Good Lord shine a light on you/ Warm like the evening sun." It’s not at all a matter of being rooted in Christianity. The lyrics, after all, are more a nod to the spirit(ual) at the core of rock’s roots than an actual expression of religious affiliation. But make no mistake, it is about faith. It's about seeking, always and fervently. The Search reigns supreme – even if it leads you into situations and behaviors that, in the eyes of others happy to judge from their outside perspective, appear banal, reprehensible, or sinful. Plenty of people would condemn the behavior and choices of these two bands. Never mind them. If there is any moral to the story here, it’s in the music itself. Mind your own path, your own bliss, your own self. It’s your music, friend. For 40,000 or so souls last November, congregated in the California desert, that is exactly what – and how – it went down. We communed. We felt it. We relished IT. And we affirmed our faith in the awesome power of a great rock-and-roll show, as well as in the convoluted beauty of the human condition. As though the two could ever be separated. America's Economy A Giant Ponzi Scheme? Richard Gehr — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 20:03:02 +0000 You've probably read The Great American Bubble Machine," Matt Taibi's famous 2009 Rolling Stone takedown of Goldman Sachs. That's the article in which he described the world's most powerful investment bank as "a great vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity, relentlessly jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells like money." These days even Taibbi sounds surprised by what the Securities and Exchange Commission is dredging up in its investigation of securities fraud at Goldman Sachs. In the latest issue of Rolling Stone, he writes: Prior to the "Bubble Machine" piece, I had heard rumors that Goldman had gone out and intentionally scared up toxic mortgages and swaps in order to get short of them with sucker bookies like AIG. But – and this seems funny in retrospect – I foolishly dismissed those tales as being too conspiratorial. I thought it was bad enough that Goldman was shorting the subprime market even as it was selling toxic subprime-backed securities to chumps on the open market. The notion that the bank would actually go out and create big balls of crap that would be designed to fail seemed too nuts even for my tastes. Today the New York Post reports that Goldman may settle with the SEC rather than undergo more of the public humiliation it's been receiving this week during congressional hearings. But you don't have to be particularly paranoid to suspect that Goldman Sachs' alleged fraud is merely the tip of the iceberg. And if you want to go all the way in that direction, look nor further than a recent piece of gonzo journalism by Mark Ames. A former colleague of Taibbi's (the two worked together on an alternative Russian newspaper), Ames sees rot everywhere in America's financial foundation. In "Confessions of a Wall Street Nihilist, Ames (probably) fabricates a conversation with a Wall Street pal who argues that investigations like this are merely academic exercises. Because if the system's real corruption were ever exposed, the whole house of cards would collapse. “Let’s say the government decides one day, ‘You know, we oughta listen to Che here, let’s throw the book at every firm and every executive that our people can make a case against. Because you know, gosh, it’s all about rule of law and blind justice, just like Che says.’ OK, so now this means indicting just about every serious player in finance, so they take down Goldman Sachs, they take down Citigroup, JP Morgan, BofA… and they also serve all the big funds who are at least as guilty, if not more. So they shut down Pimco, Blackrock, Citadel… maybe they indict Geithner and Summers, haul in some of Bush’s crooks… right?”... “OK, now guess what you’ve just done? You’ve just caused the markets to completely tank. Remember what happened after the Lehman collapse? Remember how popular that made every politician in Washington? Still wondering why they coughed up a trillion bucks? They were scared for their lives; that’s why they voted for that bailout. You’d have done the same goddamn thing. But if we go after everyone guilty of fraud and theft, the market crash this country would see would make 2008 look like Sesame Street. Open that can of worms labeled ‘Fraud’ and the whole fucking economy collapses. You may as well prosecute people for masturbating. No one will know where the fraud investigation stops and who will be charged next—everyone will try to cash out, and the markets will tank to zero. And guess what happens when the markets tank to zero? Every fucking American with a retirement plan, or an investment portfolio, or a 401k—every state pension plan in the country, every teacher’s pension fund, every fireman’s pension—every last one of them will be wiped out. That’s what the Lehman collapse taught us.” Is he right? Read your Taibbi and recall just how many former Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, and Lehman executive are now in government, effecting policy and working for the SEC. The boat ain't gonna rock that hard. Ditching Bottled Water with Dave Matthews jennifers — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 16:59:39 +0000 Bottled water sure is convenient. But it's also coming under new scrutiny. The Story of Stuff created this fascinating video about bottled water that will likely make you think twice about how “smart” that Smartwater is: HeadCount artist Dave Matthews is at the forefront of musicians calling for action on this nation’s overuse of bottled water. DMB has teamed up with Brita and Nalgene for the FilterForGood campaign which encourages the more sustainable practice of drinking filtered tap water from reusable bottles. Check Dave out on Pandora.com where he talks about his motivation and commitment to sustainability practices. The front page of Pandora is currently featuring a FilterForGood streaming station primarily populated with music by DMB and other HeadCount artists like Jack Johnson and Ben Harper. Bob Weir, Roots 'Dancing In the Street' At Earth Day Richard Gehr — Tue, 04 May 2010 18:36:08 +0000 Last Sunday, Bob Weir joined Sting, John Legend, the Staple Singers, and Fall Out Boy singer Patrick Stump on Washington, DC's National Mall for the Earth Day Climate Rally. Backed by the Roots, as were all the day's acts, Weir laid down a slinky "Dancing in the Streets" in honor of Earth Day's 40th birthday. Weir also met the press backstage, where he reiterated his call for immediate action to save the environment through participatory democracy. In the video below, he also address voting, Earth Day, music and activism, dispelling ignorance, social networking, and promises to check out LED stage lighting. "It's your future," he said. "If you're young, you're looking at the rest of your life. And the curtain could come down in your lifetime. Let's do something about it. Let's vote in politicians who take this issue seriously and intend to do something about it." Since becoming a father in the mid '90s, Weir has been increasingly outspoken about his environmental concerns in recent years. But the Grateful Dead's environmental activism goes back to the '70s. What was radical then, he notes, is mainstream now. "Back when we were supporting Greenpeace and buying fuel for their boats," Weir says, "we were thought of basically as a lunatic fringe. And that's no longer the case." Can you change the world with a song? "No one wants to get preached at during their entertainment time," he says. "I'm loathe to sit down and write an environment song." See the whole interview below, in two parts: Shakira Speaks Out Against Arizona Immigration Law jennifers — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:21:15 +0000 Yesterday, Latin American pop star Shakira met with residents and press in Phoenix, Arizona to denounce Arizona’s new immigration law that will authorize law enforcement officers to stop suspected illegal immigrants and demand proof of citizenship. She says: “I don’t want to see this law tarnish what this country stands for. We cannot let fear and injustice take over. As human beings I think we have to stand up for equality and stand against laws that teach our children intolerance and discrimination.” The law, which aims to discover illegal immigrants and get them deported, has been criticized by many including President Obama and Jeb Bush. Other Latin musicians who have spoken out about the new law include Ricky Martin, Paulina Rubio and Larry Hernandez. Vinyl still quite alive for The Dead Weather Sebastian — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:33:28 +0000 With Record Store Day only a few weeks behind us I'm sure everyone still has their recently purchased vinyl on heavy rotation. But how long until you put those heavy black things away substituted by your trendy light-weight iPod? We know one man out there who loves his vinyl and that's Jack White. Known best for his bands The White Stripes, The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather, Mr. White also owns a record store in Nashville, TN called Third Man Records, which only sells vinyl. So it seems quite fitting that when his newest band The Dead Weather want to give us an early peak at their second album 'Sea of Corwards,' they don't go about it in your typical online streaming format. Starting at 1pm EST today you'll be able to watch and listen to the entire album being played on an old school record player. It will be available for 24 hours. In an age where quantity seems to triumph over quality on so many levels it's nice to see someone taking the time help us appreciate the value in playing an analogue record vs. a stripped down mP3. He's not the only musician who feels this way. In a recent HeadCount interview, Bob Weir talked about how analogue music moves people, and our bodies reject the digital format. If you're turned on by streaming record, check back Monday May 3rd at 6pm EST when the band plays 'Sea of Cowards' live in its entirety at Third Man. It will be available on myspace. Slick Move, BP! Barrels Of Oil Blanket Gulf Coast Maggie Nelson — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 21:36:36 +0000 BP Oil claims to be a friend of the environment, but its green image has been butchered due to a massive oil spill. On April 20th the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded, caught fire, and sank over the course of 36 hours. The rig is owned by Transocean and leased to BP. Nearly 100 workers made it ashore safely, while 21 others suffered minor and critical injuries. Families of 11 missing workers presume that their loved ones have perished in the explosion. The public was initially alerted there had been no oil spill, but the government soon updated that message. Two active leaks, spewing an estimated 5,000 barrels per day, have been detected, while complications have halted any efforts to seal off the well. At this rate, it will take just over a month for the spill to surpass the 1 million gallons the Exxon Valdez rig expelled two decades ago in Alaska, where wildlife is still ingesting oil. Though it's more than 50 miles from the Louisiana coast, oil from the rig is beginning to creep upon Venice and Port Fourchon. Inflatable foam barriers, or booms, have been strategically placed in efforts to minimize damages, which BP will be legally responsible for. But are these efforts too little too late? Updates on multiple news outlets are keeping Americans abreast of the magnitude of the disaster. Florida has declared a state of emergency in six of its coastal counties. Other far-reaching effects will continue unfolding in the weeks and months ahead. Environmental concerns include the devastating massacre of marine life and possible destruction of wildlife reserves. Media outlets, however, have been focusing on how this will impact the seafood industry. Fishermen are scampering to harvest oyster, shrimp, and other marine life. Many struggling Gulf industries are still in a recession following the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina, and this man-made disaster is likely to further depress food and tourism, currently a bright spot of New Orleans' economy. This will also affect jobs related to Louisiana's $3 billion fishing industry; but hundreds are already in line for oil-spill clean-up positions. A month ago President Obama announced a plan to allow new offshore oil drilling in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. This catastrophe could threaten those plans. "No additional drilling has been authorized, and none will until we find out what happened here and whether there was something unique and preventable here," he said on ABC. He called for investigations of working oil rigs, and new safety precautions to be implemented in hopes to avoid any further "accidents." Local organizations are seeking volunteers to assist in the cleanup and to rescue oiled wildlife. Matter of Trust has been accepting donations of hair since 2000 to create booms and mats to soak up oil in crises such as these. Find out how to donate here. Biscuits Talk BPM on NPR Andy — Tue, 04 May 2010 14:31:54 +0000 The Disco Biscuits appeared on NPR’s "World Café" to discuss their new album “Planet Anthem” and Bisco Power Mission, a recent collaboration with HeadCount to raise money for the purchase of solar panels at a Philadelphia public school. The 20-minute interview, syndicated to NPR affiliates nationally, can be heard here. In it, HeadCount co-chair and Disco Biscuits bass player Marc Brownstein talks about how Bisco Power Mission came to be and how the Albert M. Greenfield Elementary School in Philadelphia was selected as the recipient for the BPM grant. Brownstein explained, “After the election, [Headcount] started to approach all the different bands [they] worked with to get at what was the issue that would get that band excited. For the Disco Biscuits we chose sustainability.” Interviewer David Dye did a notably fine job of asking intelligent questions that indicated a solid understanding of the Biscuits' music and how it has evolved over the years. At one point the conversation delves into how the band has broken with past tradition and begun to use samplers on stage. This, the band explained, has been made possible by computer technology advancing to the point where they can improvise to recorded samples that can speed up or slow down to match the tempo being set on stage by the band. “We’ve gotten them to rock 'n' roll with us,” said guitarist Jon Gutwillig of their inanimate friends. Health Care Reform Issue Update: Making History Scott Kaplan — Wed, 05 May 2010 15:56:01 +0000 Millions opposed and millions had hope. The country was split but the Congress' vote was 219 - 212 in favor of Health Care Reform. There have been jokes and somber anecdotes, but the century-long quest for near universal coverage came to a climax a month ago, when the reform bill was signed into law. Whether or not all Americans are on board, with tens of millions more set to be insured, we are about to see some change. But for many, the question remains,"How will this affect me?" Let's talk immediate change, or “early deliverables”: First, the bill will prevent insurance companies from denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions, or anyone under the age of 19. By 2014, they won't be able to deny coverage to anyone because of a pre-existing condition. Check out Jon Stewart poking fun at insurance companies who are looking for loopholes in this requirement. Along those lines, it is now illegal for insurance companies to drop your coverage if you get sick. Adults with pre-existing conditions will be able to buy coverage through expanded high-risk pools, a federal program. For those of you who have yet to celebrate your 27th birthday and are currently enrolled on your parents' plan, you will now be able to stay on your parents' health care plan instead of needing a separate policy. Women scored a victory on equality. Effective upon the signing of the bill, it is now illegal for insurance companies to make health care more expensive for women than it is for men. Also, insurance companies will be required to cover higher percentages of both family planning and maternity care costs. Preventative care, including breast and cervical cancer screenings, will now be guaranteed as well. In terms of business, companies with fewer than 25 employees and average wages of less than $50,000 could qualify for a tax credit of up to 35 percent of the cost of their premiums. Finally, insurers must report how much they spend on medical care versus administrative costs, a step that later will be followed by tighter government review of premium increases. In addition, all existing insurance plans will be barred from setting a limit on the coverage they will provide for individuals in the course of a lifetime. You may be asking, "Where does the money come from?" The new health care reform law is full of new taxes, tax increases, and tax breaks that will affect many individuals and businesses, but it may be years before most of these increases take a bite out of your -- or your company's - wallet. Until then, a few elected officials suggest we start paying for health care on a barter system, using chickens or vegetables, as lampooned by MSNBC's Rachel Maddow. For now, it's worth noting that a big chunk of the money to pay for the bill comes from raising payroll taxes on households making more than $250,000. On average, the annual tax bill for households making more than $1 million a year will rise by $46,000 in 2013. Another major piece of financing would cut Medicare subsidies for private insurers, ultimately affecting their executives and shareholders. Plus, starting in 2014, Americans who can afford health insurance but refuse to buy it will face a fine of up to $695 or 2.5% of their income, whichever is higher. This is known as the individual mandate provision. However, there are exemptions and tax breaks for those who cannot afford insurance. And for those of you who like to get your tan on, there will be a 10% excise tax on indoor tanning services provided after June 30. Remember, health care makes up 1/6th of the U.S. economy. Even though a bill has been passed there will be plenty of battles and developments ahead. To stay up to date on this issue, follow our daily headlines on Twitter or check out out Health Care Reform Issue page. History is being made every day. The Cultural Politics of “Phan” versus “Scholar” Dr. B — Tue, 11 May 2010 14:40:31 +0000 I have a doctoral degree in performance studies. I teach at a fairly reputable West Coast university, only three years away from that holy grail of educators, tenure. I consider myself a scholar, in that I’ve worked long and hard — reading, writing, and thinking a lot — in order to be able to gain insights into, and make nuanced arguments about, that which I study. Broadly speaking, what I study is the power of music. Especially live music. Especially live music that has a strong element of improvisation. And, given this, I study the relationship between music, its performance by musicians, and its reception by and effect on an audience, on a collective of fans. Speaking more narrowly, what I've studied is Phish. I actually wrote my Ph.D. dissertation on the band. In addition to considering myself a scholar, I also consider myself a fan. Most precisely, I consider myself a “phan.” Yes, I am one of those people who has spent a lot of time and energy listening to and thinking about Phish. I often talk in terms of “the Phish phenomenon.” I have dealt with Phish, then, as both a phan and a scholar. As a phan, I've of course seen the band live a number of times. I first caught them at a festival, in 1993; having not even heard of them before then. As has happened to many, they became a source of increasing interest to me over the ensuing years. Though I've never liked the diagnosis, some have referred to my phandom as an "obsession." As a scholar, I was able to legitimize — and, more importantly, to understand — this keen interest. After deciding, around the end of my first year as a doctoral student, that Phish was to be my research topic, I dug in. Though it was a few years off yet, Phish would be the main subject (though, it turns out, not the only one) of my disseration; the book-length project that one needs to write in order to get a Ph.D. I thus endeavored to apply any and all readings I came across (either through my coursework or through my own research efforts) to wrapping my brain around what it was that was going on in/with this powerful thing I would come to refer to as "the Phish phenomenon." The full story of my work with Phish is not to be told here, now. But it's there. And it's still unfolding. One of the main reasons that I’ve so enjoyed not just having gotten a doctorate, but also having gotten it by writing a dissertation centered around Phish, is that I’ve learned a lot of good, interesting things. I’ve learned that there’s lots of important stuff to consider about Phish; about fans and fandom (and about phans and phandom); about subcultures and Culture; about society; about politics; about the human condition itself. Among these many things learned, I’ve come to see that the line that supposedly separates a “fan” from a “scholar” is an interesting one. Again, I could of course bore you with a whole bunch of details, arguments, and insights about this. But I won’t, don’t worry. All I am going to do, for now, is leave you with this one… I was recently advised (not unwisely, it must be noted) to make sure I don’t “only” publish academic articles on Phish. I need to publish some stuff that deals with other subject matters — i.e., that doesn’t have “Phish” in the title or, really, anywhere in the manuscript. Again, I could say a lot about this advice. I could go on and on about the many ways in which it is highly problematic; point out that this gentle admonition is actually symptomatic of a culture (in the academy as well as in the so-called mainstream world) that values certain expenditures of time and energy over others. But, really, summarizing this issue is quite simple: If I were, say, a William Shakespeare scholar, would I have been asked to stop publishing on his life and work? Or, to tie this to music, if I were an academic who specialized on the music and on the story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, would I have been asked to take it easy with the Mozart? One person's obsession is another's legitimate (and legitimized) career. It's worth pondering, folks. I know I have. Dr. B, aka Jnan Blau, is a university professor, a scholar, and a fan of music (he loves Phish, as well as a great many other acts, including Mr. Mozart). SWAT Team Raids Families Home and Kills Dog. Finds a Bong. Jonathan Perri — Fri, 07 May 2010 20:34:41 +0000 Last month, HeadCount's Community Question asked "what personal liberty issues are most important to you?" Those who participated in the poll overwhelmingly chose marijuana legalization among the 4 choices. So it's pretty certain that this video of a marijuana raid that took place at a family home in Columbia, Missouri in February will stir some emotions among HeadCount Blog readers and any dog lovers that might be reading. [poll id="4"] While the raid took place months ago, it's this shocking video that is bringing criticism to the Columbia Police Department for the raid's execution which involved kicking in the door of Jonathan Witworth's home late at night followed by the shooting of 2 family dogs, one of which was killed and the other injured. The raid turned up a "small amount of marijuana." So small that the suspect is not even facing marijuana possession charges and was able to plead down to paraphernalia charge for the bong and weed grinder they found. It's certainly worth noting (and pretty ironic) that as the father of the 7 year old boy (who witnessed the whole violent ordeal) the man was also charged with child endangerment. Surprisingly, these raids are quite common with upwards of 150 occurring every day throughout the U.S. Most go unnoticed unless, like this one, they're caught on camera or involve a public official like the Mayor of Berwyn Heights, Maryland who watched his two brown labs get shot to death in a botched marijuana bust 2 years ago. If you're poor and black you can probably forget about getting any sympathy from the media. A video like this really has the potential to shift public opinion about marijuana legalization. Read other activists' takes on this viral video like Jane Hamsher at Firedoglake and Scott Morgan from StoptheDrugWar.org who eloquently sums up how watching it will make you feel: “You have to see it with you own eyes to fully absorb the brutal callousness of the people who carry out these violent attacks on peaceful families. Even knowing as I do how often events like this take place, I still shuddered while witnessing the suspect’s grief at discovering his dogs had been shot.” A Spring Fling to Remember Maggie Nelson — Fri, 07 May 2010 19:51:51 +0000 With the end of school approaching, many students and graduates find themselves in a transitional stage while moving home, starting a new job or simply having a summer of freedom. If that’s you, then it's also the best possible time to give a little of your free time and volunteer for a cause. Maybe you’ll do it to build your resume or to meet other do-gooders. Whatever your motivation, use this opportunity to release your inner philanthropist. Recent natural disasters in our country like the Gulf Coast oil spill and flooding in Nashville shed light on the need for citizens to pitch in and help. Last year members of AmeriCorps in Illinois adopted a walking trail while volunteers in Washington, DC tackled a school district beautification project. More riveting tales of service can be found here to help get the creative juices flowing. If you need a little kick start, AmeriCorps Week is May 8th - 15th. Created by Bill Clinton in 1993, AmeriCorps strives to motivate citizens to volunteer service. In addition to placing young people on community-oriented work projects throughout the country, it takes one week a year to urge members, alumni, program partners, and friends to contribute any feasible amount of free time to a better cause. Organizations across the nation seek help on a multitude of projects, and expect turnouts from local VIPs, elected officials and thousands of ordinary citizens. AmeriCorps also encourages community members to start their own projects and will provide promotional materials to help them get out of the gate. In an era of fierce political partisanship, AmeriCorps has transcended the ideological warfare that dictates most federal government programs. George W. Bush approved funding that helped double AmeriCorps’ membership. Now, President Obama aims to expand it from 75,000 to 250,000 annually by 2017. Check out the past year of Obama's legislation regarding community service initiatives and where it intends to advance here. As an AmeriCorps alumnae who previously served a 300 hour term I cannot say enough about the impact that each and every hour of volunteer work or service has on the community. In fact, it affected my personal life so positively that I am returning in September to complete a 1,700 hour term of service. Whether it be working on clean ups, aiding the disabled, or combating hunger and homelessness, there is a project out there suited for you. So sign up, spread the word, and 'get things done' during the 4th annual AmeriCorps Week. Check out jobs that AmeriCorps is offering and similiar opportunities at this website. Put A Lid On It: Patching the Earth's Wound at 5000 Feet Maggie Nelson — Fri, 07 May 2010 21:56:39 +0000 The Gulf Coast oil spill presents a wide array of problems, none more urgent than figuring out how to immediately contain the leak. The project is an engineer's wet dream, (no pun intended.) They've created an "Oil containment dome” that is ready to be placed atop the sunken Deepwater Horizon rig that continues to spew oil. This is the first time workers will have to operate a situation like this under these conditions: It's a one-of-a-kind steel and cement box resembling a milk carton that is 5000 feet underwater. This type of containment dome has been used in the past, but at most to depths of 1200 feet. Tony Hayward, the CEO of BP, told CNN that this model has been tested but "the pressures and temperatures are very different here. So we cannot be confident that it will work." Check out the dome: And, if this plan is looking a little flimsy to you, you're not alone. Jon Stewart has his doubts too: Nashville Needs Our Help eric — Mon, 10 May 2010 21:53:10 +0000 Although I'm a native New Yorker, now residing in Texas with stints in St. Louis and Los Angeles in between, there is "no place I'd rather be" than Tennessee. Memphis and Nashville have been frequent vacation destinations and logical road trip stopping points for me over the last near-decade of my life. This is not to mention the influence that Manchester, everybody's favorite truck-stop-turned-paradise, has had on me. Before I get too far off tangent and start espousing the virtues of Corky's Barbecue, I'll stop myself. It should suffice to note that it is no understatement to assert that Memphis and Nashville are two of the most groundbreaking, integral, irreplaceable cities for the evolution of the popular art form of music known as rock and roll in the entire world. In case you haven't noticed, (you would be forgiven, given the complete lack of media attention) Nashville, Tennessee is currently experiencing unprecedented flooding. How high's the water mama? Estimates vary. Nobody knows for sure. But Johnny Cash would surely be dismayed to see the photos coming out of the city so often associated with the Man in Black. With the high degree of national news stories breaking in the time since storms ravaged the Nashville area, this tragic story of a domestic national disaster has somehow managed to fly under the radar. What's been lost in the immense swath of coverage of the Times Square bomber, Arizona immigration bill, and BP oil spill is the estimated $1 billion in flood damage, the 30+ lives lost, the 2600+ now homeless, and the potentially irreparable damage to our historic cultural landmarks. The original floorboards from the Grand Ole Opry, plucked from their space in the eternal radio show's initial home at Nashville's downtown Ryman Auditorium, are in grave danger. These floorboards are not just wood; simply put, they're history. They're history in the same way as the Civil War's Battle of Nashville, which is honored with commemorative plaques at Fort Negley and around Nashville. As somebody who's attended both the Grand Ole Opry at Opryland and most recently, a Patsy Cline revue at the Ryman, I have an incredible amount of respect for the city of Nashville and its proud musical tradition. I'll spare you my thoughts on why seeing the Del McCoury Band, among others, including Porter Wagoner dressed in what I know is the original technicolor dreamcoat, performing between repeat Cracker Barrel commercials, was perhaps the most significant concert experience of my lifetime. Country music may not be my "thing" in the same way as other kinds of music, but I can tell you with all due sincerity that there is nothing in American culture that comes anywhere close to the impossible longevity of the Grand Ole Opry. Not even Dick Clark. And that's saying something. According to Opryland officials, the Grand Ole Opry will hopefully be back to near-perfect condition soon. But what about the citizens of Nashville? Nobody has flood insurance in TN. Nobody expected this. I really don't believe this entirely natural disaster, caused by unprecedented rainwater, is getting the attention it deserves. Let's try to donate and help out those in need who aren't getting the publicity they desperately deserve. Donate here. You can also text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10 to flood relief. More information from the Daily Swarm here. Muddy Waters in Aftermath of Spill LaurenH — Mon, 10 May 2010 13:50:22 +0000 Was Barack Obama’s support of offshore drilling just an ill-timed compromise or a complete capitulation to corporate interests? That’s a question that might linger as long as the oil slick itself. The fact that the spill came just weeks after Obama announced his plan to allow additional offshore has already invited some conspiracy theories and a rant from former Fema director “You’re doing a great job Brownie” Michael Brown. Now, some elected officals who previously supported the plan have joined with environmentalists in rebuking the President’s decision. Additional scrutiny has also been placed on the Administration’s relationship with BP. The company made the largest political donations in its history to Obama’s Presidential Campaign. This may be misleading, as Obama shattered most donation records. BP and the natural resource sector in general, did not even come close to making it into his top 20 campaign donors. Multitudes of other companies also donated record amounts to the campaign. Still, when you add the fact that BP received exemption from the Department of the Interior’s environmental impact study on drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, it calls into question if this disastrous event could have somehow been prevented, and at what cost corporate lobbying for self-interest comes. From Casual "Hangout" to a "Concert for the Coast" Andy — Tue, 11 May 2010 19:47:07 +0000 The chance to make a difference sometimes comes in unexpected packages. Huka Entertainment, a popular concert promoter in Mobile, AL, set out to produce a large-scale concert festival on the beach in nearby Gulf Shores. With the white sands and emerald green water of the region as a primary selling point, they garnered a healthy bankroll from investors and signed on powerhouse acts like John Legend, The Zac Brown Band, The Roots and Phish's Trey Anastasio to play the three-day event. The festival was dubbed "The Hangout," a nod to the laidback lifestyle and mellow hospitality of the gulf coast, as well as a local beachside restaurant. Then, three weeks before the first act would hit the stage, the BP Deepwater Horizon exploded at sea, and oil started oozing toward the shores. Although still miles away from land, the oil spill blotted out the festival's prime ticket sales period, and instantly changed the very identity of the event. The Hangout would become "The Concert for the Coast." This week, Huka Entertainment announced that all of the proceeds from the festival would support environmental groups. Moreover, volunteers who receive training for beach cleanup will be admitted free (tickets are $160). There will be extra latenight concerts on-site with $5 admission fees, with all the money directed to charities. Multiple organizations will be on hand staging a joint letter writing campaign about off-shore drilling. Environmentalists and musicians will appear side-by-side in panel discussions to talk about the spill. And all the performers will be donating signed memorabilia to support coastal recovery efforts. The good will present at all music festivals is a great backdrop for marrying the best parts of a giant beach party and a political rally. Already, the Hangout is proving to be a microcosm of the teamwork and ingenuity a crisis can produce. About 10 days ago, the festival's lead promoter AJ Niland put out an urgent call to various nonprofits that were associated with the festival. He sounded shell-shocked, but resolute. To paraphrase, he said "This isn't about making or losing money anymore, this is about celebrating this beautiful region of the country, and protecting it." He asked our organization, the voter registration and civic engagement non-profit HeadCount, to come up with ideas on how make the festival live up to its re-stated mission. Similar conversations happened with organizations like Reverb, an environmental nonprofit founded by the guitarist from Guster, a band performing at the festival. Calls went out to multiple conservation groups as well. Within a few days, the skeleton of a plan emerged. Here's what we came up with: HeadCount will host the Sierra Club and the Gulf Coast Alliance at our booth. Together we'll stage a massive letter-writing drive on issues like offshore drilling and recently-introduced Big Oil Bailout Prevention Act, which would cap oil companies' liabilities from $75 million to $10 billion in the case of spills like this one. Letters written by fans will be sent to their respective congressional representatives. To give the letter-writing drive an extra push, artists performing at the festival will all sign a poster commemorating the event. Anyone who writes a letter at the HeadCount table will be entered into a drawing to win the poster. Festival goers will be asked in advance to bring items useful in beach cleanup, to be collected at the HeadCount booth. They include: Baby blankets Towels Heating pads Large rubbermaid containers Heating lamps Rubbermaid troughs Large backyard portable pools Free admission will be given to anyone who can present proof that they completed a volunteer training for beach cleanup or protection. To raise additional funds for relief efforts, two latenight benefit shows were added to the festival: one featuring Alex B, Gift of Gab (Blackalicious), Big Gigantic as well as Keller Williams' Electronic Experiment. Tickets are available in advance only, with information at hangoutmusicfest.com. A panel discussion featuring Gardner, other artists and representatives of other environmental groups will be staged on the festival grounds at 1 PM on Sunday. All of this will be documented on video by CauseCast, creating a lasting imprint of the activity and a showpiece to maintain any momentum it all creates. There may never again be a music event on this scale that plays out right on the front lines of an environmental and economic tragedy. It promises to be unique, poignant, and cathartic - the sort of combination that inspires great performances and unforgettable experiences. I hope there is not another need to turn a well-planned festival into an improvised three-day benefit. But it's also fortunate, in a way, that this event was timed and located where it is. Music is a much-heralded catalyst for change. It also has the power to help keep an endangered coastline just the way it is. This blog entry originally appeared on The Huffington Post. Interview: Chris Fanning on "Outdoor Nation" Andy — Wed, 12 May 2010 15:22:41 +0000 This June, thousands of young people will descend upon New York City's Central Park to participate in the first ever Outdoor Nation Festival and Summit. Along with some rock climbing, kayaking and fishing in the world's iconic urban park, more than 500 young leaders from across the country will engage in some heated policy discussion - setting a national agenda for a new youth-led outdoor movement. When organizers of the event reached out to HeadCount to alert our volunteers about this opportunity — offering travel scholarships and hotel accommodations to qualified young leaders — we wanted to learn a little more about the event and the people behind it. So we sat down with Chris Fanning, the executive director of The Outdoor Foundation to get the scoop HeadCount: Why don’t you tell us a little about Outdoor Nation? Chris Fanning: Outdoor Nation is a youth-led inspired movement that is meant to empower young people to champion the outdoors as athletes, artists, as advocates and even ambassadors. It started a few months ago when, despite the growing movement to reconnect children and nature and address this so called “nature-deficit disorder,” no young people were seen much less heard. So the Outdoor Foundation, at the urging of many young leaders, decided to provide support and infrastructure for something called Outdoor Nation which is growing both online — where young people are connecting and getting together for outdoor outings — and also on land to think about how they can come together as a community and redefine, rediscover and reclaim the outdoors. Tell us about the event you have coming up. It’s one of the most exciting things I’ve ever been a part of. It’s in New York City’s Central Park, the world’s iconic park. It’s not an accident, we definitely all believe that all communities should have a central park with the accessibility and amenities that New York City offers its citizens. It’s on June 19th-20th. We’ll be bringing 500 young people in from all fifty states to come together and essentially start a movement where they are going to set the agenda and lead the conversation and think about some of the top priorities that range from diversity, to media, to jobs, to recreation and education. They’ll be sharing their best ideas with one another. The foundation and some of its partners will be providing financial support to invest in these young people and their ideas. How do people attend? They should visit www.outdoornation.org/summit. We are encouraging people from all walks of life to attend. One of the goals and visions of ours is young people from all backgrounds and interests should feel comfortable joining the so called “outsider community.” It’s not just for those world class athletes that are super passionate about their extreme sports. It really is an opportunity for all people to participate. We’re offering partial scholarships which typically would include a one night hotel accommodation, as well as partial travel scholarship. And so we’re trying to make it as easy as possible for many people to attend. We hope that your audience will visit that website and fill out the simple form and join us. What is the outcome that you hope for from this event? There’s so many. We’ve got about 25 outdoor ambassadors and just had a call with them the other night to think about what are their hopes for this event coming up. It was really inspirational to hear directly from the young people what they believe the power of the summit will be. One of them is that these young people will begin to speak with one voice and truly influence policies and programs that thus far have not even bothered to ask them what they want. The power of one is something we’re hoping to come out of this summit. Also to give young people the opportunity to come up with ideas and to think about what are ways in which they in the millennial generation can actually champion change on campuses and communities. And again, young people haven’t really been asked. So we’re excited that we’re giving young people two days to really brainstorm around ways in which they can lead the charge locally, regionally as well as nationally. One of the things that struck me on the call was that young people wanted this community to know that the individuals are not alone and that there is a growing group of young people who feel it’s cooler to be an "outsider" than an "insider" using little more than your fingers and thumbs on a keypad. So I think it’s really creating community, creating networks, sparking ideas, and of course, investing in those ideas, and monitoring them, and evaluating them and hopefully providing ideas to Washington and other sectors of society. Tell me a little bit about what the experience will be like. What exactly would people do if they attend this event? It’s two days. The first day will mainly be a celebration of the outdoor style. The outdoors offers some of the most fun activities on the planet. The first four hours will be paddling in the pond, fishing, bird watching, music and art and photography, yoga, Cesar the Dog Whisperer is coming out. We really want it to be as many fun activities that young people get involved in as possible. We’re also having a career fair of sorts, after all, the talk of the nation is jobs and it’s not different for Outdoor Nation. So we’re having a career paths to the outdoors. It’s often very difficult, if not confusing, for people to understand how they can turn a passion for the outdoors into a career. We’re having about 25 different organizations from non-profits to public sector to private sector helping out on both Saturday and Sunday to let people know what a career path to the outdoors might look like. I think that will be very relevant to young people of all ages, really. Later on Saturday, we’ll roll up our sleeves and talk about the disconnect between this generation and the younger generation and the outdoors and begin to brainstorm around how young people can begin to champion change. On Sunday young people will be spending the majority of the day voting on one another’s ideas. We actually have interactive keypad technology where everyone — all 500 participants — will have a voice in a vote to determine what are the best ideas and what we should all be investing in going forward. Then we’ll have a select group of ambassadors and other young leaders come together Sunday night and draft out an outdoor nation declaration which will be the framing document for this community going forward, outlining statements of intent as well as ideas that will, I hope, create a cultural shift in this country. You mentioned two words that mean a lot to us, voting and music. How is music going to be integrated into this event? Being true to the mission and vision of Outdoor Foundation and the Outdoor Nation, we are inviting young musicians from the New York area, as well as from across the country, to come and play different kinds of music. Again, diversity and variety are so important to Outdoor Nation so we want that to be reflected in music. You’ll have to stay tuned; we’re still sort of in negotiations with these young talented people. You’ll be the first to know as soon as we have our line-up but it should be pretty fun and eclectic. If you get any listeners or audiences out there who think they want to play at Central Park they should definitely shoot an email to info@outdoornation.org and we’ll reach out to you and think about whether there’s an opportunity. Putting Democracy in Your Hands (Literally) heyheygig — Thu, 13 May 2010 18:28:43 +0000 One thing that's great about living in the 21st century is that if you want to connect with your elected representatives and tell them which way to vote on a particular issue, there actually is an app for that. Visible Vote is a free application, available for most smart phones, Facebook, PCs, and Macs, to act as a "nonpartisan and unbiased service that brings greater transparency and accountability to our representative form of government." Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, you can instantly access information about issues coming before Congress, and advise your Congressman which way to vote. You can also track how your Congressman voted on issues that are important to you, monitor how often your Representative votes, and how other Visible Vote users in your state are casting their ballot; all in real time. According to the Visible Vote website, it has surpassed 100,000 users and sent over 1 million votes to members of Congress. Senator Alren Specter (D-PA) has signed on to use the platform in his campaign this year, as have six other candidates. This all started with an inspired (and frustrated) moment by one American, the website explains: Visible Vote was founded by Paul Everton, an average citizen, as he tried to "get involved" in the political process in light of the impending $700 Billion bailout. Paul discovered that making your voice heard as an average citizen is nearly impossible, because the system has become so big that it has become impractical for constituents to attempt to have a dialogue with their representatives. After experiencing firsthand the difficulty with knowing how his legislators had voted and with having his voice heard, Paul sat down with his younger brother and explained the problems and had an “Aha!” moment, and Visible Vote was born. In today's world, there's an app for just about everything, even democracy. HeadCount Human Rights Issue Update: Immigration Law SteveCorson — Thu, 13 May 2010 18:01:34 +0000 By now, you've probably heard about the controversial new immigration law that will take effect in Arizona on July 28. The legislation, known officially as the Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act or Senate Bill 1070, gives local police the ability to demand a person's identification and detain that person if they believe there is reasonable suspicion that the person is an undocumented immigrant. While there is an argument that the law addresses the need to control human trafficking, some politicians and advocacy organizations claim that this law violates human rights. Left leaning politicians have been some of the most vocal critics of the human rights consequences of the new law. New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson called Senate Bill 1070 an "unconstitutional human rights-violating law." Days earlier, Mexican President Felipe Calderon rebuked the move: "my government cannot and will not remain indifferent when these kinds of policies go against human rights." President Obama has addressed the new law and has "directed [his] administration to examine the civil rights and other implications." Most on the right support the new bill, including former Presidential candidate and current Arizona Senator, John McCain. Some, like Florida gubernatorial candidate Marco Rubio are also invoking human rights, citing Arizona's human trafficking problems as justification for the state's new powers. However, some are challenging this viewpoint, noting that the new law may drive victims of human trafficking further underground, and away from potential resources. Arizona sheriff Clarence Dupnik wrote a riveting Wall Street Journal op-ed, questioning whether the broad definition of "reasonable suspicion" in Senate Bill 1070 is in line with the Equal Protections Clause of the U.S. Constitution. And Dupnik isn't the only one engaging in serious debate about how a police officer will be able to distinguish a documented person from an undocumented one. The members of the Phoenix Suns NBA team protested their state's new legislation on Cinco de Mayo by donning "Los Suns" jerseys. Other notable professional athletes and sports fans alike have led the pack, speaking out against the Arizona immigration law, as have Latin American pop stars Shakira and Ricky Martin. That said, recent polls indicate that just over half of Americans support the law. One thing that's for certain is that the current controversy is bound to reshape the national immigration debate. Pissed off? Comment below or contact your elected officialsand let them know what you think. Immigration will shape the future of our country. Make your voice heard! Interview: Jim Lauderdale On 'Patchwork River' And Robert Hunter Richard Gehr — Thu, 13 May 2010 17:22:08 +0000 Robert Hunter’s best lyrics since his Grateful Dead heyday embellish Patchwork River, singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale’s 19th album. Lauderdale has written hits George Strait, Patty Loveless, and the Dixie Chicks, but his second album-length collaboration with Hunter (following 2004’s Headed for the Hills) are on another level altogether. The loping and lovely title track alone, like “Uncle John’s Band” or “New Speedway Boogie,” seems to distill the Zeitgeist's every enigma and the state of the union into four minutes ("Forgiveness is nifty but enough's enough/ When they keep on pullin' that same old stuff"). And that’s just the beginning. Lauderdale digs deeply into America’s country, gospel, Cajun, and r&b history and Hunter’s right there with him, moralizing, romanticizing, and providing all the aphorisms you need to make it through these crazy days. Lauderdale’s something of a triple threat. In addition to his mainstream country career, he’s also written, recorded, and performed with bluegrass icon Ralph Stanley; collaborated with the terrific New York group Donna the Buffalo; and, most recently, has toured and recorded as part of Elvis Costello’s Americana supergroup, the Sugarcanes. I spoke with Lauderdale from somewhere on the road with the Sugarcanes. Don’t miss him when he swings through your town to croon these wonderful tunes. Bonus: He looks about as good in a Nudie suit as any country kicker around. HeadCount: How did you end up writing a second album of songs with Robert Hunter? Jim Lauderdale: I've always been a big fan of Robert's. And I thought he’d be a perfect co-writer for some songs I was writing for the Stanley Brothers because I knew how much Jerry Garcia had liked the Stanley brothers and also how deeply rooted Robert was in all sorts of bluegrass and country music. I got somebody to email him and he sent back the lyrics to “Joy Joy Joy." I wrote a melody for them and he sent me back another one called “I Will Wait For You." I put a melody to that and he liked it. He sent me another one called "Trust" that ended up on a country album I made. We started off like that, and then he came to Nashville for about three months and we ended up writing about 34 songs. We would chat for a while, and then a melody would come to me and I would put it down on a cassette and leave it with him. Then I’d come back from out of town and he’d have written something amazing, always something I never would’ve imagined on my own, or no one else would have, either. I ended up doing an acoustic record called Headed for the Hills, which was a collection of stuff we'd written in Nashville. David Rawlings, Buddy Miller, Darrell Scott, and Tim O’Brien are all on it. That was kind of the last we'd written for about six years, and I was really itching to write with him again. So I went out to his town and we got together. And then I went back on New Year's Eve in 2007 and we wrote till about one-thirty that night. Four of the songs on Patchwork River ended up being form that batch of recordings. Time went on and I had a backlog of other projects I had to finish, and finally I went out last May and we wrote several more songs and I took three of those to the Andy Griffith studio in Nashville. So this album took about three years altogether. “Patchwork River” seems like an especially classic Hunter song in the vein of "Uncle John's Band" or "New Speedway Boogie." It's one of his state-of-the-union songs in which he seems to distill the country's – not to mention the listener's – mood into about four minutes. It was an amazingly effortless song to record. I ran it down with the guys, and I might’ve fixed a thing or two vocally, but it might’ve just been one take. It’s one of my favorites. He’s in a league of his own. Would you consider "Patchwork River" a political song on some level? And do you consider yourself a politically engaged person? I do. It resonates with me on a lot of different levels – some of them subconscious. I've also been writing some gospel music with Hunter. That sure sounds promising. Here's an example of what an enlightened pro Robert is. Last week I got a call from Ralph Stanley’s son. They were gonna be in the studio and needed a gospel song for this gospel record they were doing. Robert sent me this great lyric. I put a melody to it and went in the next morning and recorded a guitar-vocal. Well, it wasn’t quite what they were looking for. But I’ve experienced this before in Nashville: Sometimes I think a certain song's perfect for a particular artist, something that to me sounds right down their alley, but then the artist doesn’t want it. I certainly thought this song was absolutely perfect for Ralph, like one of those career-defining songs that perfectly exemplified his personality and what he does and everything. But they decided not to record it anyway, and I let Robert know. And within an hour he sent another song. And I worked it up again and sent it the studio. And then, just out of the blue, he sent yet another song that same day. I was really impressed by how all three of those songs sounded like they could’ve been from forty, fifty years ago. They were like anything the greats back then might’ve written. So if Ralph Stanley doesn’t use this material, I will. You’re obviously in the upper tier of working country artists. Do you worry about the older generation of performers and how they might fare in terms of healthcare or just survival? Sure, yes I do. I'm saddened because of all the opposition and attacks against just trying to improve the situation and pull things back together. I guess it’s just the nature of politics; and human nature, too. I guess that’s the way things have been through history. Living in Nashville, do you feel the whole red state/blue state fairly strongly? Yes I do. With certain friends and family you might start discussing issues and find out that their views aren't quite the same as yours. There can be arguments and animosity sometimes. And after 9/11, of course, there was so much fear. And I felt a lot of sadness after the next election. There was so much upheaval and anger. So sometimes you have to walk a fine line with people you’re close to or work with. And you kind of don’t engage in discussions of that nature because it’s a no-win situation. How did you get to a place where you could so easily switch gears between the bluegrass world, the mainstream-country world, and the jamband world? My childhood enthusiasm for various styles of music was ingrained in me. It was a kind of ear-training in what was on the radio during the early '60s, which was a melting pot of rock 'n’ roll, country, soul music. A little bit of everything. Cit might have slowed me down career-wise, too. Maybe if I'd gone further into a certain genre at the time I would’ve been more successful. But I just really enjoyed doing many different kinds of music rather than just one thing. What’s it like being a Sugarcane? It’s great. I'd been an Elvis Costello fan for years. I had his first records when I was around 20. He had such a striking image, and I didn’t really know anything about him. I was more into roots stuff at the time and not really up on current rock n’ roll. But I read an interview with him saying how he was a Gram Parsons and George Jones fan. So was I, so I got his records and started listening to him and there’s definitely a George Jones influence. It’s a real treat to sing harmony with him and follow what he’s doing. And the band is just amazing. It doesn’t get much better. Read any good books lately? I read a new book about the rock group Cream. I love those guys, especially Fresh Cream. I’m also about halfway through WSM: Air Castle of the South. It’s about a big radio station in Nashville. And I'm about to start doing a weekly show on that station. During the first show I played “Cumberland Blues,” which might be the first time anybody has played a Dead song on that station. I play some classic country too. They should eventually be archived at www.wsmonline.com. (Jim Lauderdale photo by kfjmiller.) College Humor makes fun of every festival you have ever been to Jonathan Perri — Sat, 15 May 2010 04:14:51 +0000 And they do it well to boot! Check out the flyer for this summer's Trademarkable Nonsense Word 2010 Festival! This part is my personal favorite... Breaking News: Clarence Thomas May Be a Lesbian rachelb — Thu, 13 May 2010 21:45:03 +0000 Let’s look at the facts. Clarence Thomas is not married. He’s pretty stout. Look at that haircut. He went to college in Massachusetts, which we all know is a hotbed of lesbianism. And no one has ever issued an official statement that he isn’t a lesbian. All of this is to say, I don’t give a rat’s ass whether Elena Kagan is a lesbian or not, and I think it’s pretty weird that it’s not just conservatives who are obsessing over the question. People are relying on a pile of rumors and stereotypes that don’t apply any better to Elena Kagan than they do to Clarence Thomas. And even if she is a lesbian, Obama’s clearly not making any bold statement about gay rights by appointing her, as the administration is denying it. So let’s all get over it and talk about her actual qualifications. Not only is the lesbian question a stupid distraction from the real questions at hand, but it’s forcing all of us to think about Supreme Court Justices naked, and that’s some pretty dangerous territory. This blog was originally published on 99problems.org. Rachel Bishop is a national staff member of the League of Young Voters Education Fund, based out of Brooklyn, New York. Telluride Won't Bust Scalpers Andy — Thu, 13 May 2010 23:30:50 +0000 In a battle of free-market Colorado spirit versus a quaint town's desire to keep out extra hippies, the Telluride town council rejected a proposed ordinance that would slap a heavy fine on ticket scalpers. It came down to a 4-3 vote after two council members did a late about face on the measure and sided with the opposition. The measure was meant to dissuade ticketless fans from descending on Telluride when Phish plays there on August 10-11. Phish and Richards Both Smokin' Maggie Nelson — Fri, 14 May 2010 22:01:37 +0000 After Phish performed "Loving Cup" on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon's last night, there was a loud sound and a little commotion. No, it wasn't applause. It was a fire alarm, set off by none other than the Rolling Stones' Keith Richards smoking in his dressing room. Undeterred, the legendary guitarist then came out to film on a promotional segment with Fallon - lit cigarette in hand. Richards was a guest on the show as part of a Rolling Stones week, honoring the Exile on Main Street album, which is being re-released in a digitally remastered version. A different band appeared each night playing a cover of a song from the album, kicking off with Green Day ("Rip This Joint" ) and followed by Keith Urban ("Tumbling Dice") and Sheryl Crow ("All Down the Line"). All were good, but Phish had a little advantage because they'd been playing "Loving Cup" for more than 17 years. They also played Exile in it's entirety over Halloween weekend in California at Festival 8. For phans who have seen Phish play "Loving Cup" more times than they can count, the highlight on the Fallon show might have been Keith Richards himself introducing the band. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1csDV64GL7c Laura Bush "Comes Out" as Gay Marriage and Abortion Supporter Jonathan Perri — Sat, 15 May 2010 04:15:28 +0000 In an interview with Larry King, Laura Bush admits that there are at least two areas where she and G.W. don't see eye to eye. On gay marriage: I think there are a lot of people who have trouble coming to terms with that because they see marriage as traditionally between a man and a woman, but I also know that when couples are committed to each other and love each other that they ought to have the same sort of rights that everyone has. On choice: I was asked [by Katie Couric] if I thought Roe v. Wade should be overturned. Sort of everything went through my mind. This was the very morning my husband was about to be inaugurated and I thought, do I really want to start my husband's term suggesting that a Supreme Court ruling be overturned and I said no. I think it's important that it remain legal. I think it's important for people for medical reasons and for other reasons. She also makes a good point by saying that gay marriage will come and pointed to a generational shift being the key factor. Jason Linkins at the Huffington Post points out that Bush is probably right because, frankly, the most significant group of people opposed to it's legalization will all be dead pretty soon. In case this news is causing you to worry your pretty little heads about the Bush's marriage stability, Laura has some more calming words: "I really understand his view point and he understands mine." Pheeeew! I need a freakin job. Maggie Nelson — Fri, 21 May 2010 19:12:29 +0000 President Obama took the stage on his Main Street Economic Tour in Buffalo, New York and noticed that all eyes weren't affixed on him. A sign reading "Dear Mr. President, I need a freakin job. Period." was displayed in front of him, slightly upstaging the leader of the free world. The sign - and similar billboards that have been springing up around the region - was more than just one man's message. It stemmed from a movement of suffering families and youth who... want freakin' jobs. The college enrollment rate has reached a record high yet young people are disproportionately left unemployed. Though I personally don't need a freakin job, dozens of my fellow graduates do. The grassroots organization INAFJ (I Need A Freakin Job) is selling tshirts, circulating petitions, and just getting people generally riled up about wanting work. They landed over 8,000 Facebook friends in just three days, and now caught the eye of the president. The statement video (below) won't win any awards, but attempts to channel frustration into a movement. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbEyxrjSUtk Hangout Festival Review Sebastian — Thu, 20 May 2010 21:04:13 +0000 “Excuse our appearance while we throw the biggest beach party ever!” This was the text from a lone sign that hung on one of the fences at the Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores, AL this past weekend. They weren’t kidding. Hangout pulled off a festival on the beach just about as well as anybody could. Built around a local restaurant called “The Hangout” and 2 main stages on either end, the festival spanned about a mile of beautiful Gulf Shores white sandy beach. Except for some serious rain on Sunday the festival was a success. HeadCount’s mission at a festival is always to engage fans and encourage them to be more active in democracy. At Hangout, we had a more specific mission: to raise awareness around the oil spill disaster, encourage fans to write a letter to their Senators about the issue, and raise money for local nonprofit groups working on oil spill recovery. Several artists including Zac Brown Band, The Black Crowes, John Legend and Trey Anastasio signed donated Peavey guitars and Hangout posters which will be auctioned with the profits donated to local relief groups. HeadCount also teamed up with CauseCast to interview artists and get their perspective on the oil spill. “We never should have been drilling that deep,” said Ben Harper when we asked for his thoughts on the situation, right before he plugged his new website fuckBP.net which urges people to boycott BP gas stations. Shortly after, during his set he told the crowd about the site and successfully started a “Fuck BP” chant from about 5,000 fans. Warren Haynes and Grace Potter both stated while BP is at fault for this spill, it’s up to the people to take responsibility and end our dependence on oil. Over 250 fans wrote a letter to their Senator at the HeadCount booth. Michael Franti mentioned the oil spill several times during his set on Sunday and at one point encouraged the crowd to visit the HeadCount booth and write a letter about it. Trey Anastasio and his band closed the festival with a 2.5 hour set including a song he specifically wrote for Hangout Festival titled "Sailboat Man." Like most festivals Hangout closed each night with a massive fireworks display during the headliner's closing song and it looked a little like this Look out for interview videos to come... Congressman Promoted Abstinence-Only Sex Ed. With Staffer He Had Sex With Jonathan Perri — Wed, 19 May 2010 18:58:06 +0000 Congressman Mark Souder (R-IN) announced today that he will be resigning after it was revealed that he was having an affair with a female staffer. Souder ran on and was elected on a platform of "moral and family values," which seems to be a prerequisite for congressman engaging in sex scandals. He has been an outspoken proponent of abstinence-only sex education and one of the fiercest drug warriors in Congress. In 1998 Souder authored the HEA Aid Elimination Penalty, the law that denies any student with a drug conviction financial aid for college. He's also done all he can to oppose medical marijuana and gay marriage efforts including voting in support of the Defense of Marriage Act. The vacancy of his seat opens up a new and unexpected opportunity for democrats. The kicker to this whole story is that Souder and the part-time staffer with whom he philandered (reportedly also married) created a video to highlight how righteous Souder is for supporting abstinence only sex education in Congress. BP Says Oil Spill is "Modest" but Won't Let Journalists Film Jonathan Perri — Wed, 19 May 2010 19:03:25 +0000 The disaster wreaking havoc on the Gulf seems to get worse and more bizarre each day. Despite being able to see the oil spill from space, BP chief executive Tony Hayward has these reassuring words: "It is impossible to say and we will mount, as part of the aftermath, a very detailed environmental assessment. But everything we can see at the moment suggests that the overall environmental impact will be very, very modest." It's clear we can trust his evaluation of the impact. It's not like BP-hired contractors and Coast Guard officials are threatening journalists with arrest if they attempt to film the damage on shore. Oh. Wait. They are. At least Corexit, BP's top choice of dispersant chemical for oil spill cleanup is the most effective and least toxic option. Right? Of 18 dispersants whose use EPA has approved, 12 were found to be more effective on southern Louisiana crude than Corexit, EPA data show. Two of the 12 were found to be 100 percent effective on Gulf of Mexico crude, while the two Corexit products rated 56 percent and 63 percent effective, respectively. The toxicity of the 12 was shown to be either comparable to the Corexit line or, in some cases, 10 or 20 times less, according to EPA. So why would BP choose dump 600,000 gallons (so far) of Corexit into the Gulf? Surely, it can't be that BP and Exxon executives serve on the board of directors for the chemical's manufacturer, Nalco. Wait a second. They do? But if anyone has learned something from this disaster is must be the government. Only days after the spill, the U.S. Department of Interior’s Minerals Management Service approved 27 offshore drilling projects. Oh, come on! Tea Party Rock Richard Gehr — Wed, 19 May 2010 18:20:45 +0000 Every political movement gets the sound track it deserves. Beginning August 6 in Jackson, New Jersey, for example, strident anti-Obama talk-radio star and Tea Party supporter Sean Hannity hosts the first of eight Freedom Concerts featuring Lyrnyrd Skynryd, the Charlie Daniels Band, and Michael W. Smith. Hannity's concerts benefit the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund, which, among other activities, helps pay for the education of children of dead or disabled U.S. service members. Freedom Alliance is a nonprofit organization founded by Oliver North, the Iran-Contra patsy and convicted felon. Its goal is to "advance the American heritage of freedom by honoring and encouraging military service, defending the sovereignty of the United States and promoting a strong national defense." Two months ago Sean Hannity denied the accusations of blogger Debbie Schlussel that he used Freedom Alliance funds to pay for private jets, SUVs, and luxury suites for himself and his family. Charity Navigator, which is sort of the Standard & Poor's of charity rating services, subsequently downgraded Freedom Alliance from a four-star charity to a two-star cause. But I digress. What I really wanted to address was a few recent examples of music inspired by the Tea Party, the fringe group Paul Krugman suggests probably represents the current Republican Party ideology more accurately than party leaders themselves would willingly admit. As the Nobel Prize-winning economist wrote in his New York Times column last year, "[I]t turns out that the tea parties don’t represent a spontaneous outpouring of public sentiment. They’re AstroTurf (fake grass roots) events, manufactured by the usual suspects. In particular, a key role is being played by FreedomWorks, an organization run by Richard Armey, the former House majority leader, and supported by the usual group of right-wing billionaires. And the parties are, of course, being promoted heavily by Fox News." And Fox News is, of course, the TV home of Sean Hannity. So what sort of music are you likely to hear at a tea party? Last month I posted about former convice and current "community leader" Polatik's "Tea Party Rap." Since then, thanks to Tumblr site Christian Nightmares, I've discovered Tea Party rocker Joe Ardis Horn. The self-proclaimed "wild man of the Ozarks" lives in Oregon and leads the band Triple Threat, which recently released "Freedom." The song is a don't-tread-on-me paranoia orgy boasting not one but two Eddie Van Halen-inspired solos. But it's all about the video, which compares the government to a pig-masked child molestor threatening the singer's daughter, who only wants to play with her balloons – inscribed with the words "tax," "debt," and "Socialism." Triple Threat is rocking the exurbs, where the cute curly-haired female guitarist weaps over the American flag and a woman sends her husband off to war while children recite the Pledge of Allegiance over the song's chorus. Horn looks a little too sincere to be working the parody angle, but it's unclear precisely what particular freedoms he's so worked up about losing. Maybe Victoria Jackson can help him out. The former "Saturday Night Live" second-stringer has rejuvenated her media profile by becoming an avid Tea Party advocate. Again, you'd like to believe it's all nothing more – or less – than an extended performance-art project. But Jackson's new video, "There's a Communist Living in the White House!!" (note the two "excitement marks," as my kids learned to call them), is one scary piece of propaganda. Frightened by our rapid descent into Socialism (though I'm still waiting for my guaranteed pension, annual paid vacation, and universal health care), the frequent Hannity guest strums her ukulele and, in her scared-little-girl voice, seeks solace on – where else? – Fox News: Only Glenn Beck understands me And of course Sean Hannity and Huckabee But you know besides those three, and the sweet people who drink the tea, There is no one else who can see the communist living in the White House Jackson's beef with Barack Obama lies in his background more than his policies. According to Jackson, his grandparents were Socialists, he taught a course on Saul Alinsky, he told Joe the Plumber that we should "spread the wealth," and he subscribes to the Rev. Jeremiah Wright's black liberation theology, "which is actually Marxism." Well, at least she did her homework while drinking the tea. Yim Yames and Friends Raise Awareness for Mountaintop Removal on New Tour GraceBeehler — Fri, 21 May 2010 15:09:26 +0000 Of all the ways to harvest energy from the earth, mountaintop removal coal mining might be the most universally distasteful (well, at least until the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster made offshort drilling the temporary dunce of dirty energy). Earlier this week Dave Matthews, Emmylou Harris and Alison Krauss played a "Music Saves Mountains" benefit show to help fund efforts to end the practice. Not content with playing just one show, My My Morning Jacket’s Jim James (aka Yim Yames), singer-songwriter Daniel Martin Moore and cellist Ben Sollee are doing an entire nine-date "Appalachian Voices" tour in the Appalachian states. A portion of the proceeds from the tour will go to the organization by the same name, Appalachian Voices which strives to protect this region against the environmental dangers of coal mining and pollution. The three musicians previously worked together on the LP "Dear Companion," a collaboration between Moore and Sollee which James produced. According to a statement on the Yim Yames website, “The people and the land of Appalachia are too important to us as a nation to be sacrificed for something as short-sighted as Mountaintop Removal (MTR) coal mining. Our cultural stake in the region, from its music to its log cabins, is an indispensable part of our history and identity as Americans. People all over the world know our country music, our dances and our stories and they call them American. They are the fruit of Appalachia.” Mountaintop removal coal mining blasts off the top of a mountain and dumps the excess into valleys and streams in an attempt to reach the thin seams of coal underneath the mountain. This relatively new technique alters the original contours of the mountain and has a significant, irreversible impact on both the environment and human health. The EPA estimates that 2,200 square miles of the Appalachian forests will be cleared by mountaintop removal mining by 2012. This practice is most commonly seen in the top two coal-producing states in Appalachia: West Virginia and eastern Kentucky. The tour kicks off on July 22 in Lexington, Kentucky. Preservation Hall Jazz Band will join James, Moore and Sollee at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn on July 30 and at the Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island July 31 and August 1. Audience members will hopefully witness some sit-ins by James with Moore, Sollee and PHJB. Tickets go on sale Friday, May 21. Personal Liberty Issue Update: What Do Laura Bush, Howard Dean & Orrin Hatch Have In Common? Jonathan Perri — Fri, 21 May 2010 15:44:42 +0000 They're all in this HeadCount Issue Update! Hello liberty lovers, we've got a lot of ground to cover: President Obama's Drug Czar, Gil Kerlikowske says he wants to end the war on drugs; but does the new drug control strategy released this month match up with the rhetoric? You might be surprised to learn that Laura Bush and her husband disagree on some important personal choice issues. And if UT Sen. Orrin Hatch's ode to the Jews made you uncomfortable, see what happens when you put him, a gun and Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan in the same room. Plus, we've got the poll results from the last month's Community Question on personal liberty. The Obama administration released its annual drug control strategy this month and it signals a shift toward treating illegal drug use as more of a public health issue than a criminal justice issue. The plan proposes a 13% increase in funding for alcohol and drug prevention programs and a 3.7% increase for addiction treatment. However, the budget still calls for allocating almost two times more funds for law enforcement than treatment, leading some drug policy experts to call it an "imperfect improvement." For those of you that feel it's your right to control what you put into your own body (absent harm to others) the plan offers little sympathy. Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske stated that the administration is "firmly opposed to the legalization of marijuana." He hasn't made it clear how they will respond if the ballot initiative to tax and regulate marijuana in California passes this November. The AP recently published a searing piece that boldly reports the war on drugs is a total failure that has cost over $1 trillion and met none of its goals. In last month's update, we asked readers "What personal liberty issue is most important to you?" Marijuana legalization was selected by over 50% of participants and gay marriage, 2nd Amendment rights, economic freedom and free speech received a relatively equal number of votes. Laura Bush surprised America by announcing to Larry King that her support for gay marriage and keeping abortion legal were two areas where her and G.W. disagree. Be sure to check out the video on our blog. Howard Dean has released an open letter to President Obama demanding that the President repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" by the end of this year. At this time, almost 100,000 Americans have signed on in support of ending the policy that bans gays and lesbians from openly serving in the military. Finally, the possible appointment of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court has 2nd Amendment lovers putting her position on gun rights in the crosshairs. Just watch this super awkward moment she has with Sen. Orrin Hatch as he points out the handmade flintlock gat he hangs on his wall. Still with me? Good. Because that's just the tip of the liberty bell. Be sure to follow us on Twitter where you'll find daily news updates on everything personal liberty. Motivational Ads for Killing Stuff? Jonathan Perri — Tue, 25 May 2010 00:00:20 +0000 Not feeling up for shooting anything lately? Try some motivational posters for your 2nd Amendment blues! This one is quite relevant because not only did a hiker recently kill a grizzly bear with a handgun after it practically ripped his face off, but the incident promoted a new federal law allowing firearms to be brought into National Parks. Police Chief to Marijuana Law Reformers: "I'm with you" (Columbia, MO) Jonathan Perri — Mon, 24 May 2010 17:08:04 +0000 Earlier this month on the HeadCount blog, we posted a disturbing video of a SWAT Team raid on a family's home in Colombia, MO that left the family dog dead and only turned up a small amount of marijuana. At a press conference last week, the city's police chief made it clear that he wishes his officers didn't have to enforce marijuana laws. “I applaud your efforts,” he told a reporter who asked about campaigns to change marijuana laws. “If we could get out of the business [of going after marijuana offenders], I think there would be a lot of police officers that would be happy to do that.” “Crimes do occur because of marijuana and you may make the argument that it’s because it’s not legal, and you may be right," he said. "I don't have anything against it except that it's against the law." He stated that the officers who conducted the raid acted appropriately but also explained that policy changes in how raids are carried out will happen, including the purchase of more helmet cameras to make sure all raids can be reviewed. "We are trying to go above and beyond to make sure this doesn't happen again." Columbia passed an ordinance making marijuana offenses the lowest law enforcement priority back in 2004 but the Chief is says it's a change in state law that needs to happen to create significant changes in law enforcement. Florida Governor on a Road to Nowhere Sebastian — Tue, 25 May 2010 21:40:09 +0000 Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida is being sued by Talking Heads front man David Byrne for using his 1985 song "Road to Nowhere" in his campaign earlier this year. Byrne is filing suit for the amount of $1 million because that's the amount he has been offered for his songs in the past. The Crist campaign took down the ad after they were contacted by Byrne's lawyers but Byrne says "the damage had already been done." Byrne told Billboard this "is not about politics...It's about copyright and about the fact that it does imply that I would have licensed it and endorsed him and whatever he stands for." This isn't the first time musicians have been offended and taken action against politicians using their music in campaigns. Last year MGMT successfully sued the President of France Nicolas Sarkozy for using their song "Kids" in his online campaign. During the 2008 Presidential campaign Jackson Browne sued John McCain for using his song "Running on Empty." At least Crist has better taste. Browne vs. McCain ended with a pledge composed by groups including the Republican National Party stating they would respect artists rights and license copyrighted works. So there's no wall of ignorance to hide behind anymore. Politicians take note: don't use songs without approval from the artists! Why? Because they didn't write it for you. They wrote it for themselves, for their loved ones, friends and fans. It stands for something they believe in and not 'whatever you stand for.' If a musician believes in you, they'll play your party. The Battle of Arizona Sebastian — Wed, 26 May 2010 19:52:13 +0000 Rage Against the Machine front man Zach De La Rocha has organized a protest called Sound Strike that calls for artists to boycott playing in the state of Arizona. This of course is in retaliation to the recent immigration bill in Arizona that makes it a misdemeanor crime for an alien to be in Arizona without carrying registration documents. Zach has put together a serious group of artists including Kanye West, Sonic Youth, Conor Oberst, Massive Attack, Spank Rock and Rage side groups One Day as a Lion and Street Sweeper Social Club. Other than maybe Kanye, Rage Against the Machine would be the biggest deal of all these artists protesting the state but unfortunately they aren't touring! On the Sound Strike website Zach writes: "Fans of our music, our stories, our films and our words can be pulled over and harassed every day because they are brown or black, or for the way they speak, or for the music they listen to. People who are poor like some of us used to be could be forced to live in a constant state of fear while just doing what they can to find work and survive. This law opens the door for them to be shaked down, or even worse, detained and deported while just trying to travel home from school, from home to work, or when they just roll out with their friends." Followed by "When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, they arrested her. As a result, people got together and said we are not going to ride the bus until they change the law. It was this courageous action that sparked the Montgomery bus boycott. What if we got together, signed a collective letter saying, 'we're not going to ride the bus,' saying we are not going to comply. We are not going to play in Arizona. We are going to boycott Arizona?!" You can also sign a petition against the immigration law on the site as well. This is a serious "f*ck you" from the music community to the state of Arizona. Sadly, it probably won't have much financial impact on the state since none of these bands had any intention of playing Arizona in the near future. However, when you have such a wide array of musicians teaming against your state, your state is probably doing something wrong. Using Social Media to Stage a Movement J.J. Colagrande — Thu, 27 May 2010 16:09:56 +0000 I wanted to organize a lil protest against BP and offshore drilling. It had been exactly one month since the oil spill began. One month of non-stop poison continuously flowing into the Gulf, making its way toward the Loop Current and Florida’s Keys and beaches. In the history of history, this is undoubtedly the single worst thing we’ve done to our planet. It’s like someone ventured to your parent’s house and pissed all over your mom, nonstop, for thirty straight days. The problem with the spill is unless you’re Aquaman, could you really do anything about it other than watch idly? Of course you could. You don’t have to be Che Guevera to express yourself. Here’s what we did. It’s pretty formulaic. First, gather artist friends and get supplies. Brainstorm. Make signs. This in itself is healthy. Next, come up with an idea. Ours was easy: let’s wear black hefty bags, carry our freaking signs, march on down to the busiest BP, and post up. But first, we had to spread the word, gather the tribe. There’s music in the masses. After a Facebook update, a tweet, a few reposts and retweets, phone calls, e-mails, you’ll have a crew, like we did, just make sure someone has a good camera for still shots and video. We stood outside the BP on 10^th Street and Biscayne in Downtown Miami for two hours. No yelling, megaphones, or chants. Just a silent protest, a gesture of discontent and unity. Thousands of cars drove by, many of them beeping in fleeting solidarity, each beep of their horn sounding more like BP BP as time went on. Did the cops come?? Yeah. They asked how long we’d be there, wanted to know our plan, and “suggested” the next time we do it we go by the special event station to get a “suggested” permit. Were some people upset?? A couple. Did it rain? It rained like it does in Miami during the summer, and it felt great. The whole experience felt great. We took tons of pictures. The goal was not to disrupt the ebb and flow of traffic, or waste anyone's valuable time. The goal was to heighten public awareness of the disaster in the Gulf and how it could affect our quality of life in Miami. Also, how this pertains to the larger social issue of offshore drilling, and the larger issue of corporate power. Sure, the opposing viewpoint may be that our demonstration in the end might’ve only hurt small local business and not the corporate entity behind the logo. In our case, we did indeed stand outside a BP owned by a small business proprietor, and not the corporation. BP the corporation is bigger than you think. We could hardly hurt BP, no matter how hard we tried. But so what? We made our point. We had our images and memories and we left. But that was just the beginning. You see, in 2010, you can be the media you want to see. So that night we went back to our social networking sites and after a few FB posts and re-posts, we brewed the pot, stirred the gravy, and had created our own story. The next day our local NBC station contacted us for an interview. When asked how they found out about what we did, the reporter said Facebook. The next night we we’re on the eleven o’clock news, in a market with 7 million people. We did it our way, and so can you. And that's the bigger point. Make memories. Gather. Increase awareness. And as time continues, as we evolve, as our generation gets older and more conscious, maybe we actually have a chance against the corporate machine we operate under. Maybe we can subvert the dominant paradigm!! J.J. Colagrande is the author of Headz, a novel. He is currently an Adjunct Professor at Miami Dade College and Barry University. Students Dress as KKK Members Jonathan Perri — Thu, 27 May 2010 17:36:39 +0000 For a project on racism, a Georgia high school teacher Catherine Ariemma had students in her AP history class dress up as Ku Klux Klan members and walk around the school. The intention was to make a film about racism but she failed to alert other students or teachers that a bunch of klansmen would be strolling the halls. Can anyone see where this is going? Apparently Mrs. Ariemma couldn't. When the students walked into the cafeteria, for some crazy reason, people became confused and uncomfortable. In the video below, an African American student describes how the klaned-out students approached him and asked if they could help him reenact a lynching. It doesn't look like this is a case of racism on the teacher's behalf. More likely it's a case of good ol' fashioned stupidity. Though it is hard to defend these students who asked their classmate if he would like to help them reenact a lynching. The lesson the teacher learned from this ordeal: "If you want to film the Klan, do it on your own time." More stellar advice for America's youth. She has decided to cancel production of a documentary about the Holocaust that planned to send students dressed as Nazi's to Hebrew schools. Sustainability & Climate Change Issue Update: Thom Yorke, Ben Harper and Seafood Lovers are Cursing the Oil Spill Nicole Parisi-Smith — Fri, 28 May 2010 14:28:35 +0000 The images are heartbreaking. Over a month after the BP Deepwater Horizon rig went up in flames, the underwater oil spill is still spewing an estimated million gallons a day into the waters of the Gulf Coast. Scientists are warning that oil is already on its way to Florida, and could reach up the eastern seaboard. Hit the beach while you still can! Read on to get the latest on the spill and what you can do to help. Thom Yorke of Radiohead and Ben Harper have spoken out against BP. During his performance at the Hangout Festival, Ben led the crowd in a chant of "F&*k BP" and teamed up with the guys from Guster to create an anti-BP website with that racy URL. HeadCount was also at the Hangout Festival and played an integral part in changing it from just a beach party into a "Concert for the Coast." Check out this column in the Huffington Post about how all that came together. For a quick indication of the negligence, poor oversight, and greed that led to this tragedy, check out this gripping 60 Minutes' interview with a technician from the Deepwater Horizon. He claims the BP executives ignored safety concerns and forced drilling to continue even in the face of clear warning signs. His interview, which recounts how he literally jumped off the platform into a sea of burning oil, has become a widely spread social media story since the spill began. Love oysters and shrimp? Well you might not see any of the domestic variety in the near future as restaurants prepare for a nationwide shortage. Mother Jones has reported that for now, it's still safe to consume the Gulf's oysters and shrimp. But, the spill could have lasting impacts on some fish species like the already endangered Bluefin Tuna which spawn in the Gulf's waters. The oil spill has shaken things up in our nation's capital. The long awaited Kerry-Lieberman climate bill was released on May 12, but includes provisions to expand offshore drilling - a key compromise that was made prior to the BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster. That said, in the past week President Obama has created an independent panel that will produce a report on the root causes of the spill, and what can be done to prevent future spills. Then, the President announced that although the federal government has already granted new permits since the spill began, for the next six months the federal government will not grant additional permits to drill new deepwater wells off of the U.S. coast. Planned exploration of Alaska's coastal waters has been put on hold until 2011 and commitments to drill in the Gulf and Virginia's coastal waters have been cancelled. Yet President Obama has affirmed that he remains committed to offshore drilling as a part of the US energy mix. Want to make a difference yourself? Donate funds (or hair,) then see the Surfrider Foundation's Anti-Offshore Drilling blog for a list of ways you can directly help the spill victims. To keep up with these developments on a daily basis, follow us on Twitter. Our thoughts go out to all who are coping with the devastating effects of the spill, to the families of the 11 oil workers who lost their lives on April 20, and to all of the volunteers and organizations who are hard at work in the Gulf. Don't Ask, Don't Tell... Just Yet Maggie Nelson — Fri, 28 May 2010 18:30:52 +0000 Emotions ran rampant through the House of Representatives as a vote to repeal the ban on gay and bisexual people from serving openly in the military concluded 234 to 194. More commonly known as "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" this policy has restricted those who are openly homosexual from serving in the military for over a decade. Opponents of the policy argue that it has lead many gay servicemen and women into lives of hiding and lies. Joe Solmonese, president of Human Rights Campaign, a civil rights organization that advocates for gay and lesbian rights, said in a statement: "The importance of this vote cannot be overstated -- this is the beginning of the end of a shameful ban on open service by lesbian and gay troops that has weakened our national security. The stars are aligning to finally restore honor and integrity to those who serve our country so selflessly." Just some food for thought as we remember those who have served this Memorial Day. Senator John McCain of Arizona begs to differ. He said, "I think it's really going to be very harmful to the morale and effectiveness of our military." The former Presidential Candidate is currently a member of the Armed Forces Committee and is a seasoned soldier having served as a Naval Aviator. Did I mention that he was also a Prisoner Of War? This influential veteran is strongly opposed to the idea of repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell. Senator Joe Lieberman made a strong argument during this hot topic debate: “Bottom line - thousands of service members have been pushed out of the U.S. military not because they were inadequate or bad soldiers, sailors, Marines or airmen but because of their sexual orientation. And that’s not what America is all about. We judge people not on who you are or where you came from or what's your religion, nationality, race or gender or sexual orientation, I would hope, but on how you do the job.” Monsanto Matters Jennifer Norton — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 18:35:59 +0000 From cereal in your milk to chips with your sandwich, we Americans consume a lot of corn and soy. Eighty percent of soy and seventy percent of corn we grow are genetically modified (for pesticide and herbicide resistance) and these seeds are commonly called GMO (genetically modified organisms) or GE crops (genetically engineered). Companies such as Monsanto buy rights to these seeds and then permanently own the genetics, forcing farmers to re-buy seeds every year. Monsanto currently sells and ‘owns’ a large majority of modified seed sold to US farmers. The seeds can also be treated with pesticides and herbicides. If these seeds blow onto and take root in a neighboring field, Monsanto can sue the farmer for stealing the seed. This past month we have seen Global resistance to Monsanto’s seed domination. Haitian farmers do not want Monsanto seed and are vowing to burn a donation that is scheduled for tomorrow's World Environment Day. Chavannes Jean-Baptiste of Haiti’s National Peasant Movement referenced Monsanto seed entrance as “a very strong attack on small agriculture, on farmers, on biodiversity, on Creole seeds… and on what is left our environment in Haiti." Why would Haitians resist receiving tons of seeds? Because Monsanto has a reputation for pushing genetically modified seeds and pesticide-treated seeds on developing countries. These Haitians want to know what they are planting on their land. On May 17, a group of activists in the Netherlands stopped a Monsanto plant from opening for the day. The group “Roundup Monsanto” wants Monsanto to back away from taking over the seed market. Companies in the European Union have been slower in adopting into Monsanto’s buyouts. Monsanto’s recent buyouts of De Ruiter Seeds, Western Seeds, and Seminis have activated the activists to speak out against policy changes that would make it easier for Monsanto to merge with even more companies. One such activist group is Millions against Monsanto. Buying locally grown food from farmers who support non-modified seeds, buying organic and buying less products containing corn and soy are easy ways to support the food movement's resistance to Genetically Modified Seeds. Google "Monsanto", "GE foods" or "GMOs" for more information and if you find it's an issue you care about, support your local farmers who grow heirloom and organic varieties. Hot fun at the Summer Camp Dan Conroe — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 22:37:38 +0000 Are you registered to vote at your current address? The summer festival season is upon us and it’s an election year, so be prepared to hear that question a lot when you venture out to shows and music festivals. A strong team of HeadCount volunteers were out in full-force at Summer Camp in Chillicothe, IL last weekend to make it easy for every festival attendee be engaged. In addition to a huge voter registration drive, HeadCount staged our Reality Check Trivia Game Show to test fans’ knowledge of politics and music. One lucky winner walked away with an autographed Summer Camp poster. Headcount also sponsored a workshop, which included performances by Al Schnier from moe. along with Hot Buttered Rum. While volunteering at Summer Camp, we encountered activists and the apathetic. It can be a frustrating experience for our volunteers to talk to fans who just don’t seem to care, and we encountered plenty of people who were less than enthusiastic about participating in November’s Midterm Elections. It's easy to understand the source of this apathy based on the mountain of challenges facing our country at this moment in time, and the political gridlock that has slowed progress. But for every disenchanted or apathetic fan we encountered, there were at least two more who were excited about the opportunity to cast their vote in November. We registered a large number of people who had recently turned 18 and it’s very rewarding to help these new voters take a step towards being active participants in our democracy. We were lucky to be in the company of many other amazing non-profit organizations who provided outlets for Summer Campers who were interested in getting involved in a variety of worthy causes. Thanks to our friends at WhyHunger, Rock The Earth, buildOn, and USTORM. Check out these fine organizations and check out the HeadCount booth at your next festival. Seattle Team Does Sasquatch Erin Straub — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 13:34:14 +0000 When was the last time you saw a Sasquatch? If you were at The Gorge this past weekend, you probably saw quite a few! HeadCount was lucky to be able to attend the Sasquatch festival at The Gorge in Washington State this past weekend. Arguably one of the most beautiful venues in the U.S., The Gorge proved to be a fantastic venue for another great festival and a perfect stage for representing HeadCount. Situated amongst some other fantastic nonprofits such as Girls Rock Seattle and To Write Love On Her Arms, we began our mission to register voters and encourage fans to go to the polls in November for the mid-term elections. We had a great turnout - lots of first time registrations and many folks pledging to vote. A surprising number of Canadians attended the festival and though they could not write letters to Congress (though many said they had an issue or two to write to Congress about), they were very enthusiastic about our mission and wanted to encourage all Americans to get out and vote! We raffled off a Sasquatch poster, signed by many of the performers, including HeadCount Partner The National (who gave HC a great shout out!), Patrick Watson, The Posies, Deadmau5, Broken Social Scene, Why?, Long Winters, Jets Overhead, Local Natives, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Tallest Man on Earth, The Heavy, Dr. Dog, Mayer Hawthorne, Passion Pit, and Drive By Truckers. Congrats to Carmen who won the poster! A highlight was definitely a letter written by ten year-old Ike on pollution. Ike asked his representative Jim McDermott to make pollution a priority because "I want to be able to breathe the air". As for the music, the HeadCount booth was located directly across from the Bigfoot Solar Stage so we were treated to great music throughout the weekend. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros brought great energy and played an amazing show. Vampire Weekend, LCD Soundsystem, and MGMT had the entire crowd on their feet and the Rumpus Room brought the dance party each night. All in all a fantastic weekend. Can't wait until next year! Sir Paul is a "Big Fan" of Obama GraceBeehler — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 21:46:36 +0000 The musicians who supported candidate Barack Obama with benefit concerts and inauguration performances have been fairly quiet ever since President Obama's popularity ratings started tanking. But the commander in chief is still getting praise from one beloved member of rock royalty from across the pond. Sir Paul McCartney was in Washington on Tuesday to receive the Library of Congress’ Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. During the press conference, McCartney defended Obama from his bullying critics, stating, “I’m a big fan, he’s a great guy. So lay off him, he’s doing great." McCartney also commented on the oil spill disaster, stating that, “I’m not a politician, I wouldn’t know,” he said of the spill. “I think it’s terrible but it’s too big a question for me to answer.” “I think most of us think it’s a disgrace, and the fact that something like that can happen and the people who are to blame don’t have the ability to instantly cap it and clean it up is something that is going to be addressed,” he added. McCartney will perform this evening at a White House tribute concert alongside Stevie Wonder, Jack White, Emmylou Harris and several others. And although most people are star struck by McCartney’s presence, the Beatle said that he was nervous about performing “like, three feet away” from the President. The award commemorates brothers George and Ira Gershwin, renowned songwriters whose work includes operas, musicals and orchestral compositions. In a Library of Congress statement, the award was created to “honor artists whose creative output transcends distinctions between musical styles and idioms, bringing diverse listeners together, and fostering mutual understanding and appreciation.” High School Teachers Suspended After Showing "Know Your Rights" Film Jonathan Perri — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:04:02 +0000 Two high school teachers in Norfolk, Virginia were placed on paid administrative leave after they screened a film to a senior government class that teaches people how to assert their rights when stopped by police. The film, BUSTED: The Citizen's Guide to Surviving Police Encounters shows what and what not to do during common situations like traffic stops and mostly focuses on asserting your 4th amendment right to be free from unreasonable searches. It is narrated by Ira Glasser, the former executive director of the ACLU. The film is funded by a grant through the Marijuana Policy Project and the first scene opens with a group of young people on their way to a concert when they're pulled over for speeding. They quickly give up their right to not consent to a search and a small amount of marijuana is found and they are arrested. They don't make it to the show. The same scene is then repeated only this time, the concertgoers follow a few simple rules and only end up with a speeding ticket. The trouble for the teachers came after a student in the class returned home and reportedly told her mom, “You won’t believe what we are learning in Government. They are teaching us how to hide our drugs.” In fact, the film does not show how to hide drugs, only how to avoid giving up your 4th Amendment rights and explains some of the "gotcha games" that police play. BUSTED and it's updated version, 10 Rules for Dealing With Police, are both endorsed my many people working in law enforcement including police officers who say it's just as good a tool for police as it is for citizens. Neill Franklin, a retired Maryland state police officer, calls the film an important primer for educating police academies. "I'm a cop. I'm straight from the streets," Franklin says. "One of the things I always talked with police academy instructors about is to ensure we follow our oath, to serve and uphold the Constitution of the United States. Most people think what a great piece for kids and grown-ups, but I see it as a great tool for police academies." Is this appropriate for a high school government class? Some would argue that explaining to young people that they have the right to not comply with every demand of a police officer is setting a bad example. "If you don't have something to hide, then why would you mind having your car searched?" they'll ask. Others, like Steven Silverman of Flex Your Rights, say that it's a slippery slope to disregard the Bill of Rights just because some people may take advantage of it: It’s certainly disturbing that civics teachers are being punished for teaching students about how constitutional protections apply during police encounters. The Bill of Rights is not some abstract concept that ought to be forgotten after finals, nor is it a trick designed to protect evil-doers. The Bill of Rights was deliberately designed by the Founders to protect the innocent against abuses by government power. The fact that some lawbreakers might use constitutional protections to avoid punishment is a poor excuse for abetting constitutional illiteracy. The real question here is, if the classroom isn't the appropriate place for teaching young people to not only understand what their constitutional rights are but how they can assert them when confronted by police officers, then what is? You can watch BUSTED below and decide for yourself: One thing is for sure, police encounters can be nerve-racking whether or not you have something to hide. The BUSTED website has a long list of success stories from people who confidently asserted their rights after watching the film, including a Grateful Dead fan: Greatful Dead Sticker = Cop Magnet As young drivers my friends and I had consented to many, many searches of our cars. Mostly due to the fact that we did not learn about our rights in school and we were afraid of the police. About 10 years later my friend Phil learned about his rights and related this story to me. He liked to drive around on the highways here in Jersey for fun and one day on route 78 he was pulled over. While on the way to the window to get Phil's documents, the officer was able to observe a Grateful Dead sticker in the back window. He took Phil's paperwork and said that he pulled him over for speeding. Then he asked Phil to step out of the car. Phil proceeded to get out and quickly shut the door behind him and hit the lock button on his remote. The officer asked him why he shut the door and locked it and Phil replied that it was just habit. The officer then asked to search the car to which Phil replied, "No I do not consent to any searches". The officer then asked him "what if I search your car anyway". At this point Phil armed his car alarm and said, "If you do then I will phone the police and have you arrested for breaking and entering". The officer turned beet red and shoved Phil's papers back at him turned and left in a hurry. To be honest, after all the times that he and I had given consent, when he stood up for his rights, it really empowered us through his recount of the events that had just happened. Environmentalists are to blame for the Gulf Shore Oil Spill? Sebastian — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 21:38:07 +0000 Sarah Palin loves Facebook, and Oil. So in her latest Facebook post she argues that Environmentalists are to blame for the recent oil spill in the Gulf. She states that because environmentalists are creating so many barriers as to where people can drill, they are forcing oil companies further off shore to more dangerous territory. Her logic is fair, if oil companies could drill in places like ANWR (the Arctic National Wildlife Refugee) that are closer to shore, it could be safer and tragedies like the recent Gulf spill might be avoided. However, I'm pretty sure the concept of "Drill, Baby Drill" extends beyond ANWR and even if ANWR were open for business, drilling would still be happening off shore in the Gulf. Plus, who would want to ruin these guys' party? --> Palin's post begins like this This is a message to extreme “environmentalists” who hypocritically protest domestic energy production offshore and onshore. There is nothing “clean and green” about your efforts. Look, here’s the deal: when you lock up our land, you outsource jobs and opportunity away from America and into foreign countries that are making us beholden to them. Some of these countries don’t like America. Some of these countries don’t care for planet earth like we do – as evidenced by our stricter environmental standards. With your nonsensical efforts to lock up safer drilling areas, all you’re doing is outsourcing energy development, which makes us more controlled by foreign countries, less safe, and less prosperous on a dirtier planet. Your hypocrisy is showing. You’re not preventing environmental hazards; you’re outsourcing them and making drilling more dangerous. For all you "nonsensical environmentalists" take this: Radical environmentalists: you are damaging the planet with your efforts to lock up safer drilling areas. There’s nothing clean and green about your misguided, nonsensical radicalism, and Americans are on to you as we question your true motives. She's not alone. On Facebook 7,642 people "like this" and over 1,000 people have commented (mostly supportive). Palin also recently tweeted that she doesn't trust BP because they are a foreign oil company, which is interesting because as the second comment on her FB note points out "[her] husband worked there for most of his life" (18 years). Check out the full Facebook fury here. Interview: Widespread Panic's John Bell Keeps His Shiny Side Up Richard Gehr — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 19:01:36 +0000 According to John Bell, the title track of Widespread Panic's eleventh studio album, Dirty Side Down, arrived almost as an afterthought. On the group's final day of recording, guitarist Jimmy Herring and his guitar tech, Eric Pretto, arrived at the session on motorbikes. "I was feeling pretty rock and roll now that we had a motorcycle in the band," says Bell, who proceeded to write a song that offers a low, rumbling invitation to join or continue a trip long in progress, the trick being "to keep your shiny side up and your dirty side down." While writing the song, Bell says he came to the realization that "riding a motorcycle is like skiing. It's not about getting from point A to point B but more about the road itself. While I was writing it, though, I felt like Brian Wilson sitting in his bedroom writing songs about surfing. I mean, I ride a bike and that's about it." Turns out that the idea of keeping your shiny side up, by doing good works and generally maintaining a positive presence in an uncertain world, is an essential part of John Bell's core philosophy. This might have something to do with the Bio-Regenerative Scalar Wave Energy Field he basks in at the holistic wellness center he built with his wife, Laura Bell. But I suspect it goes deeper than that. John Bell and Widespread Panic have long mixed their exotically finessed Southern-rock sound with social service, as the band's lead singer and primary songwriter recounted during a recent phone chat from his mountain home in Georgia. HeadCount: I couple of years ago I read that you and your wife were building a wellness center together. Is it finished? What’s happening with it? John Bell: My wife is a therapist-counselor, so she works out of the Cedar Heights Center in Clarkesville, Georgia. She does family counseling, stuff like that. We have yoga and meditation classes, too. It’s one of those old houses where you couldn't use the second floor back in the day because it was too hot, being in Georgia. But we created a huge room upstairs to facilitate 40 people sitting down or 12 to 15 people doing yoga and stuff like that. This quarter we’ve programmed classes about infant massage, cooking, creative writing, and photography. We've got an energy room where you just sit down on these lounge chairs and experience a bioactive field that recharges your body on a cellular level. It originated back with Tesla and his discovering scalar waves. We have 16 computers lined focusing on a center spot in the room and creates this field. It’s pretty intense. It knocks down all the electromagnetic fields, which is kind of counterintuitive considering all the electricity bouncing around in there. I’d say 95 percent of the people who use it start feeling it within their bodies within five minutes. We’ve had folks in there for two hours. It’s way beyond my comprehension as to how it actually works. But if you wanted to check it out, so it doesn’t sound so strange or mystical, there’s a picture of it on our website. It's called the Energy Enhancement System, and you can find a more thorough explanation of how it works on their website. Folks come in there with old injuries, even a broken ankle as a kid, and they start feeling the pulse on it. It detoxes you, so we put people in there with a lot of water and recommend they take a salt bath afterward. Are you a yoga devotee, too? I am engaged but not currently practicing. I have a little routine I use on the road. It helps me wake up in the morning and feel like I’ve done something. Does the Cedar Heights Center dovetail with your work with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) through Hannah’s Buddies? Hannah’s going to make her first visit up here in June, and we’re pretty excited about that. We have a handicapped ramp and it’s open for business. We’ve had folks come in and use the Energy Enhancement room with their autistic children, as well as a lot of folks with cancer and other pretty serious illnesses. Tell us about your work with Hannah’s Buddies and SMA. On our goddaughter Hannah Elliot's first birthday, we had a party. All the other kids were walking, but Hannah was still kind of crawling and even dragging her knees. Her dad said, "You know, that looks weird." So her parents got it checked out and found she had spinal muscular atrophy, which was a gene common to both parents that had popped up in their little girl. Since we were Hannah's godparents, and good friends of her parents, we wondered what we could do. It turned out to be pretty easy to put together an annual event that combines a golf tournament, a silent auction, and, at the end of the evening, a concert. We just had the 11th annual Hannah's Buddies Charity Classic in Orlando in February [the event's performers included Bell, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi, Col. Bruce Hampton, and Jimmy Herring], and we've probably raised nearly two and a half million dollars for SMA research so far. Does Widespread Panic have a philanthropic foundation or anything of that nature as a band? We do a Tunes For Tots concert every year in Atlanta. It's usually before our New Year's Eve run, only at a smaller venue with a bigger ticket. That brings in about 150 grand and all the money goes to various Georgia school systems for their music and arts programs – because that's the stuff that's getting cut. It’s really a shame. Recess and art were just about the only things I had fun doing in school. It seems counterintuitive to me not to want to expose kids to their own creative abilities, to help them discover where their creative talents lie and nurture that. I'd think that might prepare you for a happier, healthier, more successful life than a lot of other stuff they’re pumping into you. We’re also involved with rebuilding the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans as part of Brad Pitt's Make It Right project. We donated a house down there, and our fans got together and started their own foundation to raise money to help build other houses down there. There’s only so much you can do as a business. But when the fans get in on it, every little bit starts to count and adds up to make a huge impact. Any other worthy projects involving Widespread fans? I like what they’re doing with the Make It Right Foundation, but there’s also a group called Panic Fans for Food that started collecting food and cash donations in the parking lots at concerts, then delivers them to local food banks. But that’s blown up into something else. The guy in charge got a real job at a local food bank in Ashville, North Carolina. Now we network with other food banks around the country through our website, which shows where we'll be participating in food drives, and we print it on the ticket and stuff. As soon as you get the ball rolling, and people show up aware of what’s going on, the effort is minimal. You come into town, the kids know about it, they bring stuff, and the local food bank is ready to receive it. When you have so many people involved, any individual effort is minimal. That’s probably the best, when fans start something on their own and it takes off. We’re beginning to ask around and see if other bands would be interested in joining in. It’s having a good effect. With the economy the way it is, way more people are visiting food banks than ever before. I'd imagine the BP oil spill is probably a big concern for you as a Georgian if or when it gets picked up by the Gulf Stream. I’ve got friends in the shipping business down in Mobile, Alabama, and they’re sea creatures who love the beach and have always been attracted to the ocean. It’s really heart breaking to see it spread every morning, It's been more than a month now and they still haven’t capped the thing? It’ll be wack when the Bahamas has a problem because the oil's floated all the way over there. It concerns me, but mostly it just breaks your heart. It’s going to take years and years to alleviate the damage, and I assume there’s going to be some permanent damage, too. You must feel the red-state blue-state divide pretty sharply down there sometimes. There are some pretty colorful characters where I live. But I usually find that political disagreements tend to drop into the background when you meet people one-on-one. Widespread recorded two albums with the late Vic Chesnutt as the band Brute, and you included Chesnutt's "This Cruel Thing" on Dirty Side Down. What made you choose this particular track and what's your favorite memory of Vic? [Co-producer and engineer] John Keane played us a couple of tracks from some demos Vic had recorded with him but never finished. "This Cruel Thing" spoke to us on a personal level, and it also seemed to have something to say about war and the world at large. At one point during a Brute concert, Mikey [Houser, Widespread's late guitarist and co-founder] nodded at him to take a solo. Vic began dancing around the stage in his wheelchair, just looping and circling. We're a pretty static bunch, even though we have the use of our arms and legs, so it was pretty ironic that Vic was doing all these Spirograph moves all around us while we just stood there. And he knew it. Read any good books lately? I discovered the Ringing Cedars series in a health-food store a while back. I'm on the seventh book. Food & Farm Issue Update: Michelle Obama Losing Her Lunch amyvaden — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:22:07 +0000 America's first lady is now America's lunch lady. Michelle Obama laid the basic foundation for her Let's Move campaign by outlining 70 recommendations made by an expert panel. Her vision is that these suggestions will help reduce the rate of obesity in American children to 5-percent by 2030 (it's currently around 30-percent). Although the program is advisory in nature, it contains some very concrete recommendations for parents, children and schools that she hopes will promote better eating and more activity in schools and at home. Let's Move establishes the Healthier U.S. Schools Challenge Program, which encourages schools, and the private vendors who supply their foods, to increase the availability of fruits and vegetables to children while reducing the prominence of sugary snacks. The First Lady is also using her program to support Reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act and an increase in government funding to support healthier school lunches. Not included in the campaign is an often proposed tax on sugary sodas. Multiple recent scientific studies have showcased the dangers of the ever-present soda and have called for them to be removed from government-funded programs like public school lunches and the food stamp program. While this proposal is vehemently opposed by the beverage industry and Let's Move does not tackle this controversial issue, Pepsi and Coke have agreed to stop selling their full-calorie soft drinks in schools. Beyond that, Pepsi has vowed to remove all full-calorie sodas from schools in more than 200 countries by 2012. The Let's Move campaign also fails to address the widespread problems of conventional agriculture and its effects on children's health. A recent study, for instance, links pesticide use to the spread of ADHD in school-aged children. If not from the White House, those concerns are being addressed by the Center for Food and Justice Farm to School lunch program which accesses local and organic foods for schools. Soft recommendations from the White House might not have as much clout as seeing the cold, hard reality of what happens behind the scenes on America's farms. This video of cows being brutalized at a family dairy farm in Ohio, is so explicit that YouTube won't let you view it unless you affirm you're over 18! In other news, the BP oil spill has threatened one of the only sources of sustainable shrimp in the world. Check out the story and video from the NRDC about how one Native American family's livelihood and legacy has been destroyed. About 30 percent of the U.S. supply of seafood comes from the Gulf, and prices of shrimp are expected to increase by over 50-percent. So what will be accomplished by Let's Move? The initiative itself will not solve these problems. People who care about access to healthy food for children and themselves must work individually and on a collective basis. Keep yourself updated on these issues by following HeadCount on Twitter or checking out our Food and Farm Policy Issue page. Email your Senators and Congressional representative with your opinions via our legislative action page. Tell them whether or not you support Let's Move. "Raghead" in the White House, According to SC Lawmaker jennifers — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:12:05 +0000 Tolerance seems like a given this day in age. There are lots of behaviors that go into being a respectful person, but one easy way to start is to abstain from dropping racial slurs. Sounds easy enough, but not for SC State Senator Jake Knotts who described a gubernatorial candidate of Indian descent and President Obama as "raghead[s]." On an internet political talk show, Knotts said, "We already got one raghead in the White House. We don't need another in the Governor's Mansion." The slurred is Nikki Haley, a Republican gubernatorial candidate who currently has the backing of Sarah Palin. Haley is the daughter of immigrant parents and was raised Sikh, but is now a Methodist. The backlash from the state's GOP has been intense, prompting Knotts to issue an apology: "My 'raghead' comments about Obama and Haley were intended in jest... Bear in mind that this is a freewheeling, anything-goes Internet radio show that is broadcast from a pub. It's like local political version of 'Saturday Night Live.' Since my intended humorous context was lost in translation, I apologize. I still believe Ms. Haley is pretending to be someone she is not, much as Obama did, but I apologize to both for an unintended slur." One Haley spokesman said Knotts represents "all that is wrong with South Carolina politics." Republicans from SC have a bad reputation when it comes to race. When legendary SC Senator Strom Thurmond died in 2003, The New York Times ran with the headline "Strom Thurmond, Foe of Integration, Dies at 100." And the Music Never Stops Andy — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 23:34:40 +0000 What do David Byrne, Rush and Don Henley all have in common? They've told Republican candidates to stop playing their songs without permission in the last few months. As this story in the Talking Points Memo details, GOPers keep getting their hands slapped by classic rockers who won't allow their tunes to become campaign anthems. The most recent is Rush, which told Tea Party icon Rand Paul to stop using "Tom Sawyer" and "The Spirit of Radio." Byrne went as far as suing Florida governor Charlie Crist for using "Road to Nowhere" in an Internet ad. He is asking for $1 million from Crist, who switched his affiliation to Independent to avoid a tough primary battle for the Republican nomination for Florida's U.S. Senate seat. Henley's gripe is with Senate candidate Chuck DeVore (R-CA), who swiped "The Boys of Summer" and "All She Wants To Do Is Dance" for his web advertising. This is really nothing new. Getting a cease and desist order from a musical icon seems to be a rite of passage for top Republican politicos. John McCain got Heismanned by Jackson Browne, Heart, Van Halen and John Mellencamp in 2008. Before him George W. Bush got a similar treatment by Tom Petty and Sting. However, no musician reacted quite as strongly as John Hall, of the marginal 70's band The Orleans. When he heard Bush use their hit "Still the One" without permission, he got so pissed off that he ran for Congress. You can now call him Representative John Hall (D-NY). HeadCount spends a little time on the Mountain Josh Greenberg — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 18:38:59 +0000 Last weekend on Hunter Mountain a determined group of HeadCount volunteers enthusiastically worked to inform all attendees about the upcoming elections. Accompanying efforts to register new voters, HeadCount held a raffle that helped raise funds and attain written letters to various congressmen regarding issues such as the Gulf Coast oil spill and local concerns. The prize for the raffle was an autographed Mountain Jam poster. Volunteers also entertained festival guests with a music and rock trivia game-show which allowed a large amount of voters to “Pledge” to vote in the upcoming elections. All game-show players will receive a phone call from the musical artists of their choice while the fortunate winner snagged two three-day passes for next year's festivities in Hunter, NY. [caption id="attachment_6047" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="New voters gather around the HeadCount tent to register"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_6050" align="alignnone" width="199" caption="The lucky game-show winner poses for the camera after winning two three-day passes to next year's Mountain Jam."][/caption] While obtaining many voter registrations through hard work, volunteers found that many people had previously encountered HeadCount booths or had heard about our efforts and were coming to our tent on their own. These people came to update their political parties or change the address where they currently live. Mountain Jam attendees seemed genuinely impressed by the efforts to inform and register voters even though not at all took the time to “Pledge” or play a quick game. As a whole people were gracious and welcoming to us and other non-profit organizations who filled the Awareness Village tents. Being around the Awareness Village stage proved to be a great spot for finding potential new voters as crowds were drawn to artists like Michael Franti and Zach Deputy. Overall, a weekend full of music and registrations proved successful thanks to Radio Woodstock, Warren Haynes and all the volunteers. Bonnaroo Madness & Goodness Upcoming Josh Greenberg — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 18:43:23 +0000 Bonnaroo may boast one of the more impressive lineups of any live music event, but according to A.C. Entertainment’s Jeff Cuellar, philanthropy is the “fabric of the festival”. The overall goal of the festival, according to Cuellar, is to “have potentially zero impact on the environment”. In order to help insure this is the case, Bonnaroo does Carbon Footprints which enables guests to pay extra in order to “offset your impact”, assuming they drove. Also making Roo greener are efforts to eliminate plastic bottles, use 100% solar powered energy and create onsite compositing. Cuellar, who serves as director of marketing and business development for co-promoter A.C. Entertainment, was interviewed by Amy Jacques on the Public Relations Society of America’s blog, He explained that since purchasing the 700 acres of land in Coffee County where Bonnaroo is held, the philanthropy efforts have expanded. They created the Bonnaroo Works Fund to manage and distribute monies generated from silent auctions and ticket surcharges. Many local Coffee County merchants have also started vending at the festival grounds, leading to growth in the area ecomomy. Now entering its ninth year with a lineup that includes Stevie Wonder, Kings of Leon and Jay-Z, Bonnaroo has changed the face of music and changed its musical makeup along the way. Originally considered a jam band festival, Cuellar states that he never intended to sitck with one musical gerne. In fact, the reason the festival grew its roots through the jam band crowds is that they were/are considered “heavy consumers of music”. Cuellar saw the tremendous potential market and knew that these fans would come camp, making it a strong business decision. What sets Bonnaroo apart from other summer music festivals is its astonishing ability to create an atmosphere where diverse crowds and musicians can thrive. Want to experience the "Best of Bonnaroo"? You can watch this video below. Or download HeadCount's FREE 17-track Best of Bonnaroo compilation featuring Dave Matthews Band, Phish, Pearl Jam and many others. Visit www.musicforaction.org Could Afghanistan become "the Saudi Arabia of Lithium"? Chris Mocharla — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 21:23:14 +0000 Well, that's what the Pentagon is saying. A United States mineral surveyor has released a study that says close to 1 trillion dollars worth of minerals have been discovered in Afghanistan. While the minerals vary in value the most important discovery was a large reserve of Lithium which is used in cell phones and computers. These reserves are also key to batteries in the developing industry of electric cars. What does a trillion dollars in resources mean to a country just smaller than Texas whose GDP is currently 15 billion dollars? It's hard to say but Pentagon officials hope this will lead to an independent Afghanistan, free from foreign aid. These changes are not expected to happen overnight. In fact, it will be a long process due to the lack of a strong infrastructure required to extract these minerals. It does however provide hope for the Afghan people: Mining will create jobs and hopefully stabilize both the economy and the political climate. Afghanistan's struggle with the Taliban could be positively affected by the minerals "since economic development is a key to success in counter insurgency warfare." This discovery could eventually make Afghanistan a major player in the modern world of electronics. Foreign investments made to extract these minerals could eventually stabilize Afghanistan enough to allow the United States to withdraw troops from Afghanistan without leaving the country in a state of chaos as some analysts fear. While the new resources represent new opportunities there are also some complex challenges. Afghan provinces now have more to lose in treaty processes, so peace negotiations just got much more potentially complicated. These added resources could lead to further disputes among tribal leaders in Afghanistan and further conflict. This report of new resources seems to be good news at a time when things in Afghanistan are worsening. A columnist at the Huffington Post says, "[Right now, Afghanistan] isn't a pretty picture. But it's not one that Obama or the Pentagon or even trillions and trillions in rare minerals will be able to prettify. If the latest reports are anything to go by, America is chasing fool's gold in Afghanistan." For our sake as well as Afghanistan's, let's hope that this discovery leads to peace and prosperity. Home Highlight 1 admin — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 08:08:02 +0000 Gulf Coast Recovery Issue Update: Highlights & Lowlights of the Oil Spill Jay — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 05:35:14 +0000 When I started writing for HeadCount earlier this year I was excited to bring you positive news from the Gulf as hurricane recovery advanced. Unfortunately, there is new cause for concern about the Gulf and the residents who live on its shores. As oil continues to flow, the fragile coastlines of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida face all new challenges. Here are some of the more interesting reactions, articles, photos and video clips to surface over the last six weeks: Lenny Kravitz, Ivan Neville and a stellar Louisiana collaboration, "The Voice of the Wetlands All-Stars" (Dr. John, Tab Benoit, George Porter Jr., Cyril Neville, Marcia Ball), have been playing to raise money for victims of the oil spill. A recent benefit concert in New Orleans raised over $300,000, which will be distributed to those affected in the fishing communities of St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes. Drew Brees and the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints are raffling off a super bowl ring in hopes of raising a million dollars toward relief efforts. The Huffington Post put together a rundown of some of the most shocking and outrageous moments to happen since the disaster on April 20. The list includes sweetheart relationships between oil companies and federal employees, suspect comments from BP CEO Tony Hayward, and clean-up workers falling ill due to lack of proper protective gear and over-exposure to toxic dispersants. This brings to light an important point: the dispersants being used by BP are themselves toxins and could pose threats to human and marine life. BP has been employing local boat operators and fishermen for the difficult and tedious task of cleaning up the aftermath. Some of these workers are reporting symptoms of nausea, headaches, and shortness of breath as a result of exposure to crude oil and the dispersants. Tony Hayward has been busy on PR duty trying to contain not just the oil but the damage to BP's reputation. The BP channel on YouTube is airing "touching" video clips about how BP is doing the best they can. Between the advertising campaigns and the decision to pay dividends to shareholders, some question if there will be enough money left over to pay "every dime owed" for the spill, as the company has promised. The concern for the health, safety and economic stability of Gulf Coast residents and fishermen is mounting. The 11th Hour, an organization that aims to raise public awareness and promote sustainable solutions to climate change, launched a campaign to bring the intimate and heartbreaking stories of the individuals who have been directly impacted by the spill. Their series, titled Letters from the Field, will allow individuals to record their stories on a blog, about their experiences and how they are dealing with the emotional rollercoaster. To make matters worse, the official start of hurricane season was June 1st. This season is expected to be very active, with storms rivaling those in 2005 (Katrina). Scientists are contemplating the effect of a hurricane hitting oil slicked waters and the outlook is grim. There is fear that a hurricane or even a tropical storm could create a black wave that would devastate the Gulf coast. The fragile marshlands in Louisiana and Mississippi are already struggling to re-grow after Katrina and now are seeing large sheens of crude oil. Want to help? Residents and travelers can support the local economy by catching some of the seafood festivals that have vowed to go on despite the spill. If you haven't made your travel plans for the summer, think about a trip down south and see what a difference you can make. This info from Greenpeace U.S.A will guide volunteers to find out where help is needed. Volunteer Now for Summer Shows Jay — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 03:33:42 +0000 Volunteer for HeadCount! With midterm elections less than a year away, HeadCount is gearing up for another campaign to get out the vote and keep music fans informed on issues that matter. Volunteer Now! VIP Experience Auctions Jay — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 03:35:05 +0000 Check out these auctions for VIP tix, backstage tours and one-of-a-kind items. SCI at Red Rocks, High Sierra, Newport Folk Festival and more. Click here to view or bid. Reality Check Jay — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 03:37:45 +0000 Play "Reality Check", a festival-wide trivia tournament held at Nateva, All Good, Camp Bisco and Gathering of the Vibes. Prizes include tix to next year's festivals and a guitar signed by Bob Weir.See Us @ these Festivals Pledge to Vote and Get Free Music Jay — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 04:28:24 +0000 America Buys In to Bonnaroo Jay — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 05:01:56 +0000 At first glance, Bonnaroo 2010 looked like any other Bonnaroo. Girls in bikinis and sun dresses. Guys in tie-dies and streetwear. But Bonnaroo has actually gone through a complete changeover in its audience, as the more diverse lineup has predictably brought out a whole new crop of campers with decidedly mainstream tastes. The incredible thing, though, is that Bonnaroo has changed without changing. True fans of live improvisational music have moved toward regional festivals like Wakarusa (sold out this year at 17,000) and newcomer Nateva (camping tix sold out). Meanwhile, Bonnaroo is now the place where the masses go to act like hippies for a weekend. The shift was already evident last year when, ironically, Phish was the headliner. I realized this only because of the HeadCount “Reality Check” gameshow, a festival-wide music and political trivia tournament. Our music questions were provided by Relix magazine and, appropriately, had a healthy mix of Phish, Dead and jam band questions. What we realized pretty quickly is that most people weren’t getting those questions right. “Gamehenge?" “Pigpen?" Wasn’t happening. A question about naming one of two guitarists from Umphrey’s McGee proved to be the least correctly answered question in our pile. I was really surprised, but it was unmistakable. Even as a headliner , Phish wasn’t the most popular band in the crowd. And with neither Phish or any arena-level improv rock band on the bill this year, the jam scene left with them. There were almost no hardcore Phish, Grateful Dead or Widespread Panic fans flying their colors. But here’s the most amazing thing. Nothing else changed. The look is the same. The feel is the same. The fashion is mostly the same. It took really paying attention to the crowd to notice even the subtle differences. But I’m kind of a student of faces at festivals (it’s creepy, I know). And here’s exactly what I saw: A few dudes with dreads. A few. Like, maybe a dozen total. A large number of 30+ guys in cheesy tie-dies, especially bootleg concert t-shirts. Gay women. Lots of them. More than I can count. Large groups of very young girls. People of color. By far more than I’d ever seen at any Bonnaroo before. Generally in groups where everyone else was white. But for the first time, there were probably more non-whites in the crowd than backstage. Semi-tough looking dudes with headbands or bandanas. No celebrities. I heard Matthew Fox was there, and an NHL player. Didn’t see them though. Huge crowds and great enthusiasm for all three headliners – Kings of Leon, Jay-Z and Dave Matthews Band Equally packed crowds for second stage acts Phoenix, Weezer, and Michael Franti Consistently large crowds at the new Lunar (electronic music) stage throughout the weekend At least 4,000 people watching the live simulcast of World Cup soccer Relatively light crowds, as in not completely packed, at almost all the tents including the prime latenight acts like LCD Soundsystem. Not a single “wasted” person. A very mellow shakedown street in the general camping area, with little activity following Jay-Z’s headline set on Saturday night. Not a single person openly selling drugs. A dude selling baby turtles. Yeah, at the end of the night, a guy who was clearly there not for the music but for the money, was selling baby turtles. I asked the guy why he was at Bonnaroo. “I’m selling baby turtles,” he said. “Are people buying them?” “Hell yeah.” Random as it may seem, I think this actually was the most telling imprint of the shifting sands of Bonnaroo. It’s illegal to sell baby turtles because they spread salmonella. It pops up in places like New York’s Chinatown where there’s a ton of people and little enforcement. It basically caters to the mainstream, anyone with a little cash and a soft spot for cute, hard-shelled animals. It's also about the lowest level of petty crime there is (animal rights activists may differ). So this is the dark underbelly of mainstream Bonnaroo. I have witnessed what happens to a great festival once discovered by the masses. No violence. No vandalism... Just dudes selling baby turtles. It's because the Bonnaroo experience sets the tone and defines the aesthetic. Everyone buys in. The new audience might even be a little better behaved than the old one. Cops are still non-existent and unnecessary. The sketchy parking lot element is gone. And no single band or genre owns the crowd. This is the complete realization of the vision Bonnaroo’s founders -- Superfly Presents -- had back in 2002. They always said they didn’t want to throw a jam band festival. They just wanted to throw a great festival. So concepts like requiring sponsors to enhance the fan experience, or having the word “SAFETY” stamped on security guards’ shirts – those sort of things created a truly enduring environment. As they added more and more entertainment, bigger and bigger acts and crazier concepts, they never got away from the core idea of what a great festival should be. This proved to have popularity well beyond the cozy confines of the festival circuit. Changes in the lineup or the makeup of the crowd can’t change that. Nothing can overpower the vibe that is Bonnaroo. Rep. to BP Exec: Just Kill Yourself Bro Jay — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 05:03:40 +0000 OK. So that's not exactly what Rep. Joesph Cao (R-LA) said, but it's pretty close. While addressing BP America President Lamar McKay during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing Tuesday, Rep. Cao suggested that instead of resigning, McKay should consider doing himself in by committing hara-kiri, a ritual suicide by disembowelment! "Well, in the Asian culture, we do things differently. During the Samurai days, we'd just give you the knife and ask you to commit hara-kiri," said Cao, who is Vietnamese-American. "My constituents are still debating on what they want me to ask you to do." That's pretty hardcore. Got Ice? Jay — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 05:05:56 +0000 Somebody handed you a Smirnoff Ice lately? Did you get down on one knee and drink it? Refuse? Pull out your own Smirnoff Ice and reverse Ice them? If it was the latter, I'm pretty impressed. What started as a small joke in South Carolina, or California or by undercover Smirnoff reps has turned into a national phenomenon. First there was the now defunct blog Bros Icing Bros and now there's You Got Iced! Basically, if somebody hands you a Smirnoff Ice you have to get down on one knee and chug it. If you refuse, you can't Ice anybody else and you're a loser. If you have your own Smirnoff Ice on your body, you can deny the Icer and send them down to one knee - with both bottles. This has become particularly popular in the music industry. Bartenders were icing Musicians and Industry folk at the backstage bar at Bonnaroo and offices all over NYC and LA have been getting Ice'd in mass form. So look out, and you should probably carry your own Smirnoff Ice on you for protection, because that shit tastes terrible. Health Care Reform Issue Update: What's Your Health Issue? Jay — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 05:07:30 +0000 So, the health care bill passed. Republicans still vow to overturn it. But for now, we seem to be on our way to a new era for the American health care system. So let's then take a little look at our health. We've all got issues. What's yours? Using the pill - how much does it set you back monthly? Trying to raise a kid with pre-existing conditions? Cancer, arthritis, Tourette's, insomnia, or anxiety? Or having trouble getting benefits as a same-sex couple? No matter what your issue, check out what's developing! Let's start by talking about music and health. First off, there are many health benefits of listening to music. Here are some cool links that explain how music is good for regulating your breathing and heart rate, controlling your blood pressure, and easing pain and distress after cardiac surgery. It also helps you concentrate or meditate, relieve everyday stress, and sleep better (although this kid seems to be doing alright). And as many can attest, music helps reduce anxiety. Speaking of music's healing power, this spring HeadCount partner artist Brothers Past, performed at Rock the Ribbon, a charity event organized by CKC United to raise money for breast cancer patients. All proceeds raised were donated to the Kimmel Cancer Center. In an effort to offer continued support, the band made selections from the show available for download through their Digital Downlow. I highly suggest the music and the cause. Here's a video of the band performing their song "Charity Starts At Home." Now let's talk about drugs and health. 14 states have already legalized marijuana for medical purposes and a dozen more are considering legislation this year. As the debate continues psychologists are devoting more attention to the psychological effects of medicinal marijuana. The New York Times Blog wrote on ways that marijuana helps with Tourette's Syndrome. And here's a really cool presentation on the pros and cons of using marijuana to treat arthritis. More interested in the ones that are legal from coast to coast? Check out the top 25 prescriptions for 2009. But no pressure: if you're a purist, check out this guy who stayed alive without food or water for at least 108 days! In insurance and health care reform news, starting in July, same-sex domestic partners of federal employees will be able to apply for long-term health insurance provided to government workers. With the passage of the new health care bill young people under 26 will be allowed to stay enrolled on their parents' plan, but the AP reports that the new coverage for young adults will raise premiums by 1%. Also concerned about new costs, fast food icon White Castle is complaining that that it's profits will be "miniaturized" because of the new law. Insurance companies are taking a hit too, as a Virginia insurance company is closing shop, citing the new law as the culprit that makes continued operations unsustainable. At some point, serious health issues will enter our lives whether we like it or not. Stay up to date on health care news and follow our daily headlines on Twitter so you won't be caught off guard when the shit hits the fan. “Something must be done, about vengeance, a badge, and a gun”- Rage Against the Machine Jay — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 05:09:37 +0000 When Zach De La Rocha wrote that line in 1992 it was pertinent; and as of June 15th of this year, it remains relevant. In Seattle, Washington a teenager who is younger than these lyrics, (“Know Your Enemy”,) was punched in the face by a police officer while intervening as her friend was being stopped for jaywalking. Seventeen year old Angel L. Rosenthal was charged with assault of an officer but the video of the footage seems to show a massive overreaction by the Seattle police officer. Thanks to modern technology and a concerned bystander the officer is now facing a Seattle Police Department investigation. Unfortunately this attack is another item on a long list of policemen around the country using excessive force when it is not warranted. As camera phones and pocket-sized cameras grow in number, so do examples of unethical behavior by police officers. While it is sad to see those who are meant to protect and serve overstep their bounds it is a bit comforting to know these violators are getting caught. It's important to mention that only bad cops seem to be getting attention in the news. In the bigger picture, most cops are not going to punch you in the face or tase you for not wearing a seat belt. Examples of this do pop up more often than anyone would like to see but young people are reacting the way they have many times before: on the Internet, with viral videos. Websites like copblock.org encourage people on the street to document police corruption whenever possible and post it on YouTube. Young libertarians have begun to organize and provide directions for dealing with cops and using laws as tools for protection. And, a wide variety of educated citizens including former cops and current attorneys have also begun posting videos outlining the legal guidelines police must follow so the uninformed are not taken advantage of. After all, the best defense against tyranny is a “well-educated populace.” These videos can help the civilian population as well as help police remember their boundaries. One step back in the fight against overzealous police has come in the form of video taping consent laws, which require consent to be given before footage can be taken, excluding situations where it is obvious that recording is taking place, i.e. news crews. Such laws exist in 12 states, including Illinois, Massachusetts, and Maryland. Hopefully as Americans realize the power a camera phone has to curb injustice, police officers will realize they are never far away from a concerned citizen’s lens. Your Tax Dollars Buying Guns for Somali Kids? Jay — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 05:10:59 +0000 Reports have surfaced in the last few days indicating that U.S. foreign aid to Somalia may be used to arm child soldiers, some as young as 12 years old. Pre-teens with Kalashnikov’s have been a pervasive element of African conflicts for years, as rebel forces are known to pluck kids off soccer fields and throw them into combat. Now, the U.S.-backed Somali government is reportedly going tot-for-tot with Islamitist forces, arming children with guns bought by American tax dollars. U.S. involvement in Somalia has been well-documented for decades. Most people are familiar with the Clinton-era Black Hawk Down incident and some may be aware of the Bush administrations support for an Ethiopian-backed overthrow of the Somali government dating back to Christmas Day in 2006. What most people don’t know is that Mogadishu could be the most dangerous City in the world with open air markets for mortars, rockets, machine guns and other light weapons. Think of the anything-goes attitude of a vibrant Shakedown Street, but on steroids and with a violent, wartime atmosphere. Now imagine the American government supporting these markets by bankrolling soldiers too young to shave. It’s unclear how the situation will play out. The UN Security Council denounced the use of child soldiers in Somalia, and and Illinois Senator Dick Durbin has demanded that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton investigate. The State Department says it is pressing the Somali government not to use child soldiers, and that the American government took “appropriate steps” to verify that the Somali soldiers it was helping pay were 18 or older. Community Question: How we do prevent another oil spill? Jay — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 05:12:50 +0000 The BP oil spill in the gulf is now the biggest environmental disaster in our nation's history. While stopping it and cleaning up its mess is the biggest topic of discussion, we want to gauge what the music community thinks is the best way to prevent another one. [poll id="6"] Dead Heads: Not So Dead in the Head Jay — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 05:14:54 +0000 Although the mental image of a Dead Head is a long-haired, marijuana-smoking, tree-hugging, ambition-less burnout, a recent survey revealed that many of the Grateful Dead’s “most ardent fans” are currently bringing in around $100,000 annually. The survey, which polled 1,000 random people regarding the Grateful Dead, was commissioned by Gordon Hensley. Hensley is a seasoned Republican operative: He worked on Ronald Reagan’s campaign as well as the National Republican Senatorial Committee, but the most surprising bullet-point on his resume is his attendance at 187 Grateful Dead shows between 1977 and 1995. The idea for this poll manifested at a Bob Weir & RatDog concert after Hensley met with then-Senator Norm Coleman, where they discussed his upcoming bid for re-election in Minnesota, Woodstock and Coleman’s past life as a roadie. Coleman eventually lost his re-election bid, but not all was lost because the winner, Al Franken, is also an admitted Dead Head. As different as Coleman and Franken are, so too are Dead Heads. Hensley’s survey found that both sides of the aisle have their fair share of Grateful Dead enthusiasts. The poll also found that the Grateful Dead are more popular than most politicians. Which is not that surprising, since most things are. Nearly 40-percent of those surveyed expressed a favorable opinion of the Dead, while only 16-percent feel that way about politicians. While Dead Heads may not all fit the hippie stereotype or vote in unison, it is good to know that the general welcoming atmosphere of the community has not faded like those tie-dyes of yesteryear. Human Rights Issue Update: Doctors Committing War Crimes? Jay — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 05:16:40 +0000 Greetings from the tour. This update comes to you from the McDonald's across the street from where Phish will be performing tonight! As Walter Sobchak from The Big Lebowski reminded us, my ability to write to you from this family restaurant would not be possible without the selfless work of the U.S. military. However,serious questions are now being raised about whether doctors working for the United States have violated their sacred oath and gone over the line in prosecuting the war on terror. Consider the following passage from a recent report issued last week by the advocacy group, Physicians for Human Rights: "The Bush Administration, in the period after September 11, conducted human research and experimentation on prisoners in U.S. custody…such acts may be seen as the conduct of research and experimentation by health professionals on prisoners, which could violate accepted standards of medical ethics, as well as domestic and international law. These practices could, in some cases, constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity." If nothing else, the disclosure of research on human subjects conjures images of past human experimentation by our government. Many of you may be familiar with videos like this that detail the CIA's experimentation with LSD as an interrogation and mind control tool, and perhaps most famously, the government's egregious Tuskegee Experiments, in which poor African American males were denied treatment for syphilis in order to learn more about the natural progression when the disease goes untreated. However, instead of visuals and euphoria or burning STDs, the Bush Administration's human subject experiments took on a much darker dimension. The report itself details some pretty rough stuff: tests on how to waterboard in the most pain-intensive but non-lethal manner and sleep deprivation experiments that lasted for as long as 180 hours (that's seven and a half days, y'all). In recent days, George W. Bush has backtracked on his "the United States does not torture" message, admitting in a speech in Grand Rapids, MI that he would waterboard enemy combatants again. No one expects apologies from members of the Bush administration for what many view as human rights violations. But will our current elected officials take measures to make amends? Calls for investigations and an official response from the Obama administration have largely gone unheeded. On the local level there has been some small but meaningful action. New York State Assemblyman Dick Gottfried and State Senator Tom Duane - the same team of Westside Manhattan politicians that are sponsoring New York's pending medical marijuana bills - have made headlines by introducing first-of-its-kind legislation that will prohibit New York doctors from participating in torture. You can get involved by writing to President Obama about your concerns about torture, writing to New York State legislators to encourage the passage of the Gottfried/Duane bill. Or, keep abreast of these and other human rights issues on the HeadCount blog and by following HeadCount on Twitter. Team Leader of the Week: Laurie Lenninger Jay — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 05:18:27 +0000 Name: Laurie Lenninger Location: Austin, Texas Alma Mater: University of Iowa Favorite HeadCount Band: Wilco Top Issue: Sustainability & Climate Change Hobbies: Reading, live music, traveling, hiking, swimming, Hawkeye Football, the Minnesota Twins and a secret love for bad reality TV. Best HeadCount Experience: "I convinced a guy that swore he didn't vote to register, and later in the evening he brought a friend to the table to pledge. It was pretty awesome to see his mindset change." Last week Laurie led teams at two Passion Pit shows where she collected a total of 210 voter registration forms, Pledges to Vote and letters to Congress. Ride Home from High Sierra With A "Fat Tire" Bike Jay — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 05:19:58 +0000 You know the bicycle on each label of New Belgium's "Fat Tire Ale"? Did you know that every employee-owner at New Belgium gets his or her own custom bike when they've been with the company a year? Well here's something I bet you don't know... HeadCount will be giving away one of those bikes at High Sierra Music Festival this year. Someone will win a limited-edition New Belgium custom cruiser. They can even ride it home (be careful on the hills). All you have to do is stop by the HeadCount booth or the New Belgium display and fill out a Pledge to Vote. Then you have the option of making a donation or writing a letter to Congress. Then cross your fingers and hope to be the lucky winner. See you at High Sierra! We'll be riding high. Interview: Nateva Promoter Frank Chandler Jay — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 05:22:45 +0000 On July 4th weekend, millions of Americans will be headed to the backyard for cold beers, hot brats and bright fireworks. The best party of all though, might be the premier of the Nateva Music Festival, held in Oxford, Maine. Bands like Furthur, The Flaming Lips, moe., Grizzly Bear, STS9, Lotus and Passion Pit will descend on an intimate setting limited to 15,000 attendees. Adding some of the touches seen at larger festivals, Nateva will also offer up a Silent Disco, carnival rides, late night movies and a chance for one musically and politically-educated fan to return home with a guitar signed by Bob Weir (by playing the HeadCount gameshow “Reality Check". We've got to get that plug in). Recently HeadCount had a chance to chat with Nateva promoter Frank Chandler about the long and surprising road he took toward creating this new festival. A music fan with no background in concert production, Frank left his job with a financial firm and bet his nest egg on the idea that upper New England was under-served with great live music. It seems he was half right - it's not just New England. Attracting tickets sales from 12 countries and all 50 states and a writeup in Rolling Stone, Nateva has become a national player before the first note. It is clearly the unofficial "Rookie of the Year" on the festival circuit. HeadCount: Tell us about why you decided Nateva needed to happen and how it will be different from some of the other festivals? Frank Chandler: In terms of getting started, it was simple business fact. There was a need in the marketplace. -- It felt like a need to me. -- The need we felt was there were a lot of musically-educated, musically-sophisticated people in northern New England including Boston and north of Boston. And to those folks north of Boston, their musical needs were not being met. Bands would come up the east coast, and then stop in Boston and head south again. When you talk with people, every time they want to go to a festival they drive five to six hours to get to Gathering of the Vibes or Mountain Jam and 15-20 hours to Bonnaroo. So we thought to ourselves: there is a market need. And we felt we could put together an event that could meet that need. We never viewed ourselves as a national player in the music or festival business; we never viewed ourselves as any body's competition or competitor. We saw ourselves as a northern New England regional event. We don't have Sherwood Forrest, we don’t have 600 acres of land, we are not on an ocean, and we’re not on top of a mountain. What we do have is, really really big name bands, world class bands, in Maine! And we’re going to do it during the nicest season of the year in Maine, and we’re going to confine it to a limited capacity venue. We’re not going to pack in 20 or 30 thousand people, that is not the business plan. It’s not, “Can we just sell 30 thousand tickets?” It’s, “How would you like to see really cool bands? In a relatively intimate atmosphere?” I think that's where we were headed. That's where we began. When we set up Nateva, Rothbury existed on the same weekend. We understood that Rothbury was going on. We understood they were going to take customers.The biggest place where I felt we benefited from Rothbury not going on this year -- and people are usually surprised -- was not the easy availability of bands and it was not the customers we would get. It was our ability to get the best, the brightest and the most experienced in the festival business, who were otherwise committed to Rothbury. Describe the approach you've taken in booking bands. What was your thinking in what bands to go after and what kind of music to have on the bill? I am at heart, a jam band guy. That's what I like. But I like all music. There's a feeling listening to music outside in the summer. That is where all this comes from. There is nothing like being outside on a nice day seeing a band with the sun shining. If you’re going to put on an event in an outlying state like Maine, you need to be able to draw people from outside the area. I knew to begin with a jam base. I knew those fans were cool with packing up the car, and off they go. With jam bands you’re not just drawing from 50 or 100 miles, it’s a different geographical draw. From there it became: “Who do you want to be and what do you want to be?” We wanted to be more than just jam bands. In my opinion on music festivals, you go see the bands you want to see but hopefully you get exposed to bands you’re not familiar with, you’re not aware of, or are a little different. I wanted a good mix and match. I wanted the feeling we were all getting along in the space. Heavy metal banging probably wouldn't have matched. The first band we signed was Furthur but we didn't announce it till after their summer tour announcement. We knew going into it we were ultimately going to announce Furthur somewhere down the road. The first band we announced was The Flaming Lips. When we announced The Flaming Lips the reason was because they were an indy alt band that was a good crossover band. Jam kids like The Lips. It was a good fit. It was very telling in terms of where we were going to go. You can’t bring on a big alt indy band like that and not give them the support they need. They are an indy alt band and not a jam band. We didn't have the size to have every kind of band like Bonnaroo. We decided to focus on jam bands and indy alt bands, with a little bit of bluegrass, a little electronic, a little bit of reggae, and some new local up and coming acts. In the next announcement we came out with a lot of jam bands and then on the final announcement released what I saw as some strong indy alt bands to support The Flaming Lips. How will this festival be different from other festivals? What kind of experience are you trying to foster? There is a lot of stuff I would like to be just like. And, a lot of things I would like to be different from. The biggest thing about the festival is we are a small regional event. It is capped at 15,000 people so you’re going to go out and you’re going to see these bands that you may have seen with 30 or 40 thousand people and you’re going to be in an area that's not that huge, no one’s more than a 5 minute or 10 minute walk to the main stage. We are trying to create a family environment. It’s not for kids; it’s not a kid’s camp. It’s definitely an adult party, but it’s a party where children feel welcome and parents don't have worry about bringing them. While we respect people’s personal choices and people’s right to partake in what they like, they need to be cognizant of what’s going on around them too. Everybody should be feeling welcome. We've got a big kids’ area, big Kid’s Tent with a lot of activities. Late night movies, Silent Disco, and all this is going on in a relatively small area, it’s pretty intimate. Nateva offers the ability to see a lot of different bands in a very convenient location and not have to deal with a big city. You’re in Maine in the right time of the year to be in Maine. Are you doing anything to bring a socially conscious element to the Festival? We have a few groups like yourself. We are working with Clean Vibes in terms of dealing with our recycling. We are trying to be as conscious as we can. We are encouraging carpooling with economic benefits to carpooling. We are going out of our way to deal with our impact. You mentioned you have an all star team assembled to put together the festival can you tell me something about yourself and your background and how you came to be in this position and who are some of the other people involved? None of the all stars have a name like Frank Chandler because I am not an all star. I have tried to surround myself with people that are smarter and more experienced than me, with the hope they will raise me up to their level. My background is in financial services. I had been there for the past 21 years. Sales and distribution was my expertise. I found myself in a situation where my division was shutdown and I was let go. So I took a moment to reevaluate where I was in the world and this is where I came up. I saw an opportunity to combine my passion for music with potentially a livelihood! And I think everybody should enjoy what they do, get some validation in what they do, and a sense that they get joy from it. That was what shook me out of the box. I was stung by this idea that there was this market demand and I came to the point where I thought I can do this, I can come up with the solution to this problem. Then went out and raised money from three friends, one of whom was my former boss. None of them were interested in festivals; none of them were music people. All of them just looked at the stats and believed we could do this. From there, I put together a team of three or four people who began to work very diligently on the business side of things. Then it became time to pick and choose who was going to do what for us and we began to assemble a very experienced team. So when we look at the Kid’s Tent we hired the guy that does the kid’s tent at Vibes. We hired Clean Vibes for our clean up. We've gone out and hired the folks that are head of security at Bonnaroo and run security for Phish are our security. A person feeling safe is the beginning of establishing a community. People have to feel safe and secure. The people that are vending are the guys that ran vending at Phish Festival 8. Everybody we surrounded ourselves with do this as their business. This is their livelihood. Even our parking team is what we thought to be the best in the country. When you arrive at Nateva, a professional group of people are going to get you processed and get you in. We have gone out of our way to hire the best people we could find. These people were not available until Rothbury closed most of which would have otherwise been attached to Rothbury We got more interest from volunteers about Nateva than any other festival. More than Bonnaroo. You’re striking a cord with our kind of kids, we really wish you luck. Maine has a great love of music, its part of the culture there. It’s a big hangout state, people hangout and listen to music. Every year I see some guy like me rent a field in Maine and he hires, I don't know, Steppenwolf and Big Brother and says, “I am going to put 30,000 people on this field.” Even with a lot of activities, people will not just throw their money at you. You have to give them a good reason to head up there. You have to put up a legitimate lineup to make a legitimate festival. We have a lot of genres. You can find new music, local music and big name bands. One of the issues we faced was we were charging $249 for a weekend pass, with camping. That's a lot of money. There is no question that's a lot of money. We respect the economy, we respect our customers' wallets, but we were always gonna be a small regional event that was capping its attendance and if you want to have world class bands and less than 15,000 people, someone has to pay for those bands. That was an issue. We realized that there were people that were willing to pay that money who were tired of walking 45 minutes from their campsite to their stage. We are selling $89 day tickets too. For those who just want to come in for Friday or Saturday. It’s $89 we have parking three miles down the road. So if you can stay Friday night and Saturday night pick the day you want to go to the show. Go swimming in the lake the other day! Spend the day for $89, take the bus from parking for 5 minutes and you’re at the festival. That's shorter than the walk at Bonnaroo from your tent to the stage. Come to Maine and enjoy what it has to offer: Two days of camping, partying, hanging out in Maine and a great concert. Different strokes for different folks. We are excited about what we are bringing. Someone asked me today, “Do you expect to make money?” No! I expect to throw a great event. What am I hoping for? that everyone arrives safely, has a great time and gets home safely. And they tell their friends what a great time they had and they think about coming next year. We are building a business, not throwing an event. An event we expect to throw every year and improve every year and grow with our customers. That is the way you have to approach these things. It’s difficult to make money in the first year. It’s about creating a good experience. The northeast is an interesting market. It is an underserved market. Do you know how many people are coming from Maine? About 30 percent, but what is surprising is the rest are coming from everywhere. All 50 states are represented as well as 12 countries. South Korea, Denmark, England, Japan... it’s astonishing. One really cool thing we are doing is we will broadcast live on iclipse.net. Furthur has agreed to be part of that service. People can watch the festival online and see great bands, great video and audio set ups, cool art installations and just a cool scene. Keep in mind it is only going to be 15,000 people; I haven't heard any other promoters putting a cap on festivals. This Ish is McCrazy. Jay — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 05:23:57 +0000 What ever happened to our food just containing FOOD??? According to a recent article on CNN.com, McDonald’s chicken McNuggets (why do I feel the need to put caps on that word?) contain some stunning ingredients in addition to the “all white meat chicken”. Ever heard of dimethylpolysiloxane? No? What about Silly Putty? Well, if you chow down on some Putty, not only would be gross, you’d also be ingesting one of the nugg’s ingredients. But let’s not stop there. Does tertiary butylhydroquinone (tBHQ) ring a bell? Does nothing for you, right? Me neither. Don’t worry, if you get a big enough dose, you’ll never forget it. “TBHQ is a preservative for vegetable oils and animal fats, limited to .02 percent of the oil in the nugget. One gram (one-thirtieth of an ounce) can cause ‘nausea, vomiting, ringing in the ears, delirium, a sense of suffocation, and collapse,’ according to ‘A Consumer’s Dictionary of Food Additives.’” I don't know about you, but I love having a sense of suffocation when I scarf down a meal. This blog post was originally published on 99problems.org. Sean Gardner is the National Operations Director of the League of Young Voters Education Fund, based out of Brooklyn, New York. Words and Music with Bob Weir Jay — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 05:25:45 +0000 One of the great pleasures and honors of working with HeadCount is getting to know Bob Weir. Generous with his time and spirit, Bobby has been active as both a board member and a spokesperson. Even as we add more Indy rock bands and young artists to our roster, Bobby remains the soul of the HeadCount organization. He is also kind enough to help us pay the bills by being a featured guest at fundraisers a couple times a year. Last Saturday, Bob met with a few dozen of our donors before the Furthur show in Coney Island. Of all the events we’ve done with Bob, this ranked as one of the best in terms of pure fun. A great crew of people were on hand, including many of our longtime donors, our blog editor-at-large Richard Gehr, board member and Sirius satellite radio DJ Jon Schwartz, and our co-chair Marc Brownstein. We had a great view of the show, and there was good food too. Very special thanks to AEG Live!, Matt Busch, CID Entertainment, Magic Hat and everyone who helped make it happen. Check out the photos here. Bob also had some inspirational words, captured on video by a guest’s iPhone and transcribed below: There are crazy people out there who are fixated on really strange stuff. And they all vote. And they put crazy people in office. What we need to do is get people voting, particularly younger people because it’s their future. These older folks - old, crazy burdened people - they will all be at the polls and they have very limited interest in the next generation’s future. So those kids in the next generation have got to get the poll. So, you folks just tell them that, okay? You got to get to the polls, you got to vote, it’s your future or it will be voted away from you. Our next event with Bob will be held at Gathering of the Vibes on July 30^th. There are only five tickets left, so if you are interested in attending please visit the Vibes web page. On a personal note, I want to say what a pleasure it was to experience Furthur outdoors. I hadn’t planned on it, but on Sunday I hopped on the Subway and headed back to Coney Island for the second show: Pure musical bliss. Ever since Jerry Garcia’s passing, Bob and Phil have been joined on stage by some of the greatest guitar players on earth. Each, to their credit, set out to “honor Jerry but not try to be Jerry.” They all served that role well. But musically, nothing quite pleases the ear as much as the sweet sounds of Jerry’s voice and signature guitar style. As I once said to a friend after a Dead show in 2003 “Seeing the Grateful Dead without Jerry Garcia is like… seeing the Grateful Dead without Jerry Garcia.” This time, Bob and Phil Lesh clearly aimed to replicate the true sound and spirit of the Grateful Dead as closely as possible. With Dark Star Orchestra’s John Kadlecik on lead guitar and vocals, Sir Joe Russo on drums and Jeff Chimenti on keys, no post-Jerry combination has ever done so with the accuracy and acumen of Furthur. It reminded me how I fell into this gig in the first place. Politics, voting and HeadCount aside, there’s nothing I’d rather do on a summer evening than sing “Fire on the Mountain” with 10,000 people. Thanks Bob. May the music never stop. Interview: George Wein and Jay Sweet On Newport Festivals Then And Now Jay — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 05:29:26 +0000 As producer of the first Newport Jazz Festival (1954), the first Newport Folk Festival (1959), and the first New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival (1970), along with countless other multiperformer events, George Wein virtually invented the modern music festival as we know it. So give it up, Coachella, and let's hear an amen, Bonnaroo. Equally impressive is that the 84-year-old impresario is still going strong. George Wein's Newport Folk Festival takes place July 30 through August 1 in Newport, Rhode Island, and the CareFusion Jazz Festival Newport takes over from August 6 to 8. (Wein, a respected jazz pianist himself, also continues to gig a couple of dozen times a year.) He doesn't do it all alone, of course. For the past three years, for example, writer-producer-manager Jay Sweet has been co-producing the Newport Folk Festival. And this year's lineup – featuring the Avett Brothers, Yim Yames, Steve Martin (whose complex tour rider leaked recently), Calexico, Levon Helm, Andrew Bird, the Punch Brothers, Sharon Jones, y mucho mas – looks fairly spectacular. But it all began with Wein, who has chronicled his long and storied life in Myself Among Others. It's a terrific book and you should check it out. Until then, enjoy our recent chat with Wein and Sweet, which took place in Wein's spacious Manhattan office. HeadCount: Has there ever been a political component to your festivals? Have you ever done political fund raisers? George Wein: I don’t think we ever did any fund raising for politicians. But we were very political with Pete Seeger and the Newport Folk Festival. During the early '60s we had SNCC [Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee] and CORE [Congress of Racial Equality] and all of the people in the civil rights movement come to the festival. And Pete Seeger introduced "We Shall Overcome" in 1963 [while clasping hands with Bob Dylan, Odetta, Joan Baez, and Mavis Staples], which became the festival's theme song. We raised funds. It was a nonprofit festival, but the money we spent was directed toward the folk world. Did you get any blowback for your civil rights work? Wein: Yes and no. There were always people in the city both for and against the festivals. When Richard Nixon ran for reelection in 1968, the city council decided to put a nonbinding referendum about the festival on the ballot. Everybody thought the jazz festival was set but that the folk festival would have a problem because of the political situation. They were right. The jazz festival got about 75% acceptance on the referendum while the folk festival got about 68%. That reflected the community, which was very pro-festival. It kept the festival's enemies festival quiet for a while until we had the incident in ‘71 when the kids tore the fences down. Why do you think the rock scene was so wild back then compared to now, relatively speaking? Wein: The rock scene is different from the music scenes I'm interested in. Back then, the closest thing you had to a rock audience was a folk festival. When I see the movie Festival! [filmed during the 1963-65 Newport folk festivals], the audience members all look like they came out of Harvard Square, as opposed to pictures of Woodstock. I always like to produce events that appeal to everybody. The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is the closest thing to that sort of event. We draw older people, younger people, black, white. Last year’s folk festival drew that kind of a crowd, too. You go to a rock festival, though, and those kids want to roll around in the mud, they want to have a good time, they want an experience. It’s an experience more than a musical thing. It’s an event in their lives. I think it’s great so long as it doesn’t disrupt society in any way. Back in the '60s the kids were disruptive. The producers, towns, and police didn’t know how to handle them. Now when you go into a community you work with the town, the police, and you have a festival that’s controlled and everybody has a good time. When you have people, you have to have control. If you’ve got anarchy you’ve got nothing. But it wasn't just the fans. You had some famous run-ins with Sly Stone and Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant during the 1969 Newport Jazz Festival, too. Wein: That was not their fault as individuals. That was the first time we ever encountered such large crowds, and lack of control of the crowds. Peter Grant was a very difficult man, but there was no problem until I told him I wasn’t going to let the group play. It was a like a tinderbox out there, but it wasn’t the band's fault. I just told Jimmy Page, “I learned something from Duke Ellington: When you finish your big number and you’ve got people cheering, go into a slow blues and you'll bring the crowd right down.” He thought I was crazy but he did it, and the crowd didn’t rush the fence. They all went home very peacefully and it was fine. With Sly and the Family Stone, he was supposed to play for me later in Detroit and I told his agent I didn’t want him [after Sly whipped the Newport crowd into a dangerous frenzy at the same festival]. I said, "I’ll pay him but I don’t want him. I'm not interested in that kind of thing." His manager said, "You've got to do it." I said, "I'll speak to Sly." His manager said, "Nobody speaks to Sly." I said, "I'll speak to Sly." So I get Sly on the phone and I say, "I'll let you play if you give me your word man to man that you’ll do one thing: When I tell you to cut, you cut. If you do that, I’ll let you close the show in Detroit." And he did. He closed the show and we had no problems. His father said to me, "I wish more people talked to Sly like you talk to Sly." Did you ever envision music festivals becoming such an important aspect of the music industry? Festivals are the only musical events that seem to be making money these days, at least if you do them right. Wein: I never imagined a lot of things. I never imagined I'd be producing a jazz festival in the first place. I never had the motivation. I just did them, and when anything went wrong, I was always thinking of something else to do. I did call it the "first annual" Newport Jazz Festival, and I did take my inspiration from the classical music festivals that lasted for so many years. So maybe I did have longevity in the back of my mind. But I never thought there'd be festivals everywhere like today. Sweet: We used to own New England. Now there are 14 other folk festivals. Why do you think they've caught on so strongly? Sweet: George and I call it the “shuffle world.” It’s so much easier to be a musical omnivore today than ever before. The music you listened to used to define you as a person – you were either a jazz guy, or a classical person, etcetera. But the Newport Folk Festival wasn't just people with acoustic guitars singing protest songs. It was gospel music, Cajun music, and people singing the blues. It was all kinds of great music. So I think festivals blew up because people walk around the street with iPods containing 10,000 songs on shuffle. And if they can go someplace for a weekend and see ten of their favorite bands from ten different genres (although I hate that word), that's easier than seeing ten bands at ten different venues. We live in a shuffle world. Wein: To answer your question on a broader level, there are basically three reasons why festivals have grown. First is the incredible visibility of the Newport, Monterey Jazz, and Monterey Pop festivals even before Woodstock, which was when magazine started writing them up. The next thing is that towns allow festivals because it's good for business and tourism. But the third, and really most important, reason for their proliferation is probably because of the rock-festival era. It’s the demand for them. A lot of city officials are from the rock generation. It was their life. So their kids say, "Why can’t we have a festival?" When it started, people didn’t know what festivals were; they were afraid of them. As people grew up and generations changed, everybody you talked to went to a festival sometime. Jay, how are you trying to build on George’s legacy at the Newport Folk Festival? Sweet: Honestly, I thought I knew a lot when I started working for George. But after all of 20 minutes with him you realize you really don’t know that much. I'm not doing anything different than Pete Seeger, Bob Jones, and George Wein did. I'm just going back to the original blueprint from when these guys started out. And I'm trying to replicate it because I think there’s a longing for some sort of lineage. It's like a bucket list thing for artists now, and we’ve always drawn from many diverse kinds of music. I would never claim to be reinventing the festival. It’s amazing to me how many people between the ages of 30 and 40 think there's something revolutionary and new happening when they see our lineups now. But it's the same as back then, when Dylan, Led Zeppelin, Johnny Cash, and Janice Joplin played the festival, too. I don’t think they were perfect folkies themselves. Wein: Jay knows what he’s doing. I’ve learned a lot from him. Listening to young people like him is what keeps me alive. They’ve got ears I don’t have. Sweet: As festivalgoers, we take for granted things like the photo pit, which was George's idea originally. It allows photographers to take good shots, which leads to free marketing for the festival. It also helped us become iconic, because there’s this legacy that goes all the way back to the '50s. I think people are longing for something that connects them to something bigger than them. George, do you feel like jazz and folk giants – of the same stature as the people who first turned you on – still walk the earth today? Wein: No, I don’t think so. The problem is economics. Today we measure stature by how many people they’re bringing out. John Coltrane had huge stature but he wasn’t a household name, while Duke Ellington was a household name in his community. In folk you had Peter, Paul and Mary, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Dylan. Now, unfortunately, greatness relates to drawing hundreds and thousands of people like Bono and Bruce Springsteen do. Would they be considered as great as they are if they didn’t draw that many people? We had people like Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope, who everyone knew. I saw someone imitating Jimmy Stewart on Jimmy Fallon's show the other night. But you'll never see anyone imitating Brad Pitt [laughs]. How about in your personal pantheon of great artists? Wein: No. You see, what’s happened is that today there's a wealth of talent, and the talent is extraordinary. But there’s no leader. There's no Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, or Miles Davis. The closest thing to a leader is Wynton Marsalis. He's got his own school but a lot of musicians don't follow him. But what’s happening now in the folk world is fantastic, because although there’s no definition of what folk music is, all these groups want to be involved in folk music. So all these folk festivals are emerging. Now it’s folk-inspired music, which is a little different and very important. It’s a musical direction that's an alternative to rock and jazz. It’s a unique thing, with all these talented people out there, searching. Which of the Newport Folk Festival acts do you think HeadCount readers might enjoy the most, Jay? Sweet: There’s one in particular. This will be the third folk festival I've programmed, and the Avett Brothers have played all three. The first time we booked them to open the Harbor Stage. However, after seeing them three times during the summer, I realized anyone who played after them was going to get crushed. So they ended up closing the festival against another big famous artist who sings about a fictional town that serves drinks. People were blown away by them. What we really like is when people call and say, "Can we come back" or "We’d really like to play this year." Another is Jim James – or Yim Yames. We had him two years ago and he’s really branched out since them. He's played with Andrew Bird, John Prine, Calexico, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Ben Sollee, and Daniel Martin Moore – all of whom have played our festival. Wein: That's important. Jim James is like Pete Seeger. Sweet: Exactly. He gets involved in lots of different bands and turns people onto them. Say there's a band that wants people to stop blowing the tops off of mountains in Kentucky for coal. How does he get the word out about that without sounding preachy? He helps out a band that's singing about it and lends his name to their cause. Which is how he got together with Ben Sollee and Daniel Martin Moore. So while we might not have the political message of a civil rights movement, I think Newport in the last couple of years has become a place where artists are comfortable taking chances they wouldn't necessarily take at other festivals. We don’t have a huge headlining artist. What we have at the end of the night instead is the opportunity for all the artists to come together and sing as one. And I think that’s bigger than any headliner you could book. Cash or Trade for Healthcare Jay — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 05:30:23 +0000 OK, so Health Care Reform passed. And recent college grads under the age of 26 are off the hook for now. And – who knows? – after 2014, maybe all of our problems will be solved. But in the meantime those of us in need of healthcare are just as screwed as ever. Here’s my story: I’m 28 with great healthcare through a state job. Problem is, I’m leaving soon for a private job that doesn’t offer insurance because it’s not affordable for their small business. So now I’m shopping for health insurance in a market I know little about. Headline reads: “Must get healthcare!” Let me just say, “adult chores” make me wanna hop on the Phish tour and ignore that I have these problems, but those days are behind me. All I know is that if I don’t get a plan set up before August 1st, it’s not going to be pretty. Now, if I were 26 or younger, I could jump on my mom’s plan, but I’m not. Even if I were, that would only last for so long before I’d have to go to the market and find a plan that works for me. So first, I looked into COBRA. My group insurance representative let me know that it would be $740/month to keep my coverage as it is. (Yeah. Not happening.) Back to the drawing board, I started asking around to hear about what others are doing. Turns out people have all sorts of best practices, advice, words of caution, etc for young people. I learned you can establish a group plan or join a larger group of fellow professionals to lower the costs, but there are complications and it can take a lot of coordination. I also learned that you can submit a solo application online to a larger pool, much like people submit resumes to Monster. Some solutions I heard about were a bit more unconventional, like "marriages of convenience" to get on a spouse's plan. I may hop on the Phish tour yet, but I fear there’s no way I’m getting out of this adult chore. So if you’re also feeling like you’ll never get out of this Maze of health insurance shopping, I’d love to hear from you. What are you doing to deal with high insurance costs? Personal Liberty Issue Update: Flexing Your Rights Jay — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 07:42:29 +0000 All liberty loving individuals should have a basic understanding of the Bill of Rights. It's easy to forget that rights like freedom of speech and the right to bear arms were created not to protect us from enemies, but from our own government. In this month's Personal Liberty update, you'll find some great reminders. If you've been following the personal liberties emails, you're probably familiar with the Supreme Court case, Chicago v. McDonald, challenging Chicago's ban on handguns. In a victory for 2nd amendment proponents everywhere, the court ruledthat the individual right to bear arms applies to local and state gun control laws. What does this mean for other laws around the country? Check out what some constitutional brainiacs have to say. Law enforcement lobbyists have been pushing for laws making it illegal to videotape police on duty. So if these folks have their way, the guy who caught the Rodney King beating or the Oscar Grant shooting would be breaking the law. In Maryland and Massachussets you can already get arrested for police paparazzi. How well do you know your constitutional rights? Are you prepared to assert them during a police encounter? Two high school teachers were placed on administrative leave after showing a film called BUSTED: The Citizen's Guide To Surviving Police Encounters, to a 12th grade civics class in Norfolk, VA. The film shows scenarios like police traffic stops and what citizens can do to avoid unconstitutional searches and getting busted for marijuana possession. Legal arguments for and against Proposition 8, the ballot initiative that banned gay marriage in California in 2008,were heard this month and a decision is likely to be made soon on whether or not Prop 8 will be overturned. The anticipation of this ruling didn't stop San Francisco's Pride Parade from going on full steam ahead. In an interview with A.V. Club, Flaming Lips frontmanWayne Coyne explained his plan to inform Bonnaroo attendees about getting involved in the marijuana legalization movement and he is hopeful for California's legalization measure: "It's time that we all band together with as much intelligence and sincerity as we can, and let's see if we can legalize marijuana before the year's out. It just seems ridiculous. I mean, when I was 16, we would talk about how any day now marijuana would be legal. Here it is 30 years later, and it's still in this stupid, ambiguous, and criminal state." Whether or not you agree with Coyne or Prop 8, there's no question that Personal Liberty issues affect us all. Don't forget that you can stay up to date on all these stories by following us on Twitter and by reading the HeadCount blog.