Bands Rock Against Bush - Concerts and tours to raise awareness about 2004 election

Rolling Stone ^ | (September 23, 2003) | ANDREW DANSBY

[weegee]

Bands Rock Against Bush

Concerts and tours to raise awareness about 2004 election

Sonic Youth, the Donnas, the Liars, the Locust and Erase Errata are among the groups who have pledged their support for Bands Against Bush, a self-explanatory new artistic collective dedicated to lending its support to the "struggle against a world of perpetual fear and violence bolstered by the Bush administration." BAB has set up more than twenty regional chapters in the U.S. and abroad, with a directory of groups willing to participate in various events to raise voter awareness. Among the events planned is an October 11th international day of action, with concerts planned for New York City; Olympia, Washington; Seattle; Los Angeles; Boston; Washington, D.C.; Portland, Oregon; Paris, France; and Dublin, Ireland. The day of action will be preceded by a Rock Against Reagan Memorial show on October 9th.

On the recording front, Green Day, NOFX, Good Charlotte and others will contribute songs to Rock Against Bush, a compilation to raise political awareness prior to next year's presidential election. The set is due next year and will be augmented by a tour organized by NOFX frontman Fat Mike.

And Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello is planning to hit the road with fellow politically minded musicians Billy Bragg and Steve Earle on the Tell Us the Truth Tour this fall. The jaunt is being timed to coincide with campaigning for the 2004 election.

[Senator Pardek]

There's no way Melissa Etheridge will join this tour.

[kidd]

Sonic Youth, the Donnas, the Liars, the Locust and Erase Errata are among the groups who have pledged their support for Media Exposure For Unknown Bands (MEFUB), a self-promoting collective of untalented second rate club bands dedicated to getting the attention of a record label in their "struggle against a world of music where 60 year old rockers are the only major concert draw."

[Grando Calrissian]

We want a more peaceful, just, and equitable word and see the Bush administration in opposition to these goals.

Bands Rock Against Bush, Literacy.

[Steve_Seattle]

I saw Sonic Youth at Seattle's Bumbershoot festival a couple of years ago, and they stunk. Completely boring. Too much pot, not enough talent.

[weegee]

These bands support anarchy and volunteer payments? Fight the system and use a file sharing system.

[democrats_nightmare]

Kind of the 21st Century's equivalent of Woodstock...That was insignificant as well in their form of counter culture...only difference is these types due Crack instead of Powdered Cocaine or LSD, probably more body piercings, and might eat a bit more Tofu....But they are just another blip on the radar screen to the trash can of irrelevence.

[Billthedrill]

Band:SHIT
Location: St Louis, MO

Sometimes these things just write themselves...

[Steve_Seattle]

News of this tour will bring a smile to the face of every Islamo-fascist around the world, reinforcing their belief that the West is soft, decadent, stupid, and ripe for destruction.

[weegee]

I saw Sonic Youth on PBS last week. They looked rather old...or maybe thats just the drugs n'stuff. LOL!

You think they look old?!! I saw the Donnas play when they were still in high school (18 but in high school).

They've picked up a lot of road miles in a few years (and the guy who wrote their rocking songs doesn't anymore).

[facedown]

[Diverdogz]

Ok, I've heard of Green Day and Rage Against The Machine. I might even recognize a Green Day song if you played it and told me it was Green Day playing - maybe the same for RATM.

But, there are no others on that list I recognize. Then again, I don't listen to pop radio, college radio or MTV.

[Ex-Dem]

They're all punk bands that mainly draw teenage, pot-smoking, anarchist, black-clad, overly-pierced, heavily-tattooed, social-outcast types.

(i.e. Dems-in-the-making)

[StriperSniper]

Ah yes, Tom Morello of "Rage Against My Daddy's Trust Fund' fame.

Don't forget Harvard indoctrinated.

[BobS]

You can check out the popularity of those bands at http://www.allmusic.com/ before you RIP THEM OFF, LOL! I don't think most of them are even worth a 25 cent blank CD, though!

[hope]

These little groups exist to the 12 to 17 year old age group...Some may have a few anarchist and elf followers. So many of these little punk bands don't even get a chance at their 15 minutes.

[Paul Atreides]

I'm proud to say that I have never heard of most of those groups. As far as I am concerned, rock music died in the early 90s.

[IslandTrash]

The International Day of action is on Oct 11? News flash for the geniuses who are organizing this: ONLY AMERICANS CAN VOTE IN THE U.S.

[TankerKC]

I've heard of Sonic Youth and Green Day...if it's any consolation, most of their fans are probably Dems already.

Most fans probably are Dems, but I love Green Day. I went and saw them last year, and they seriously rock! I just don't get politicla advice form them.

[weegee]

How convenient that October 11th is the Clintons' wedding anniversary.

[weegee]

The anarchists don't believe in borders or campaign finance laws. The rest of the world gets a say in our 2004 election, don't you know?

There was also a link on the main website (there are regional websites) already trying to persuade Greens to vote DemocRat in 2004.

I thought that there already was a rock "non-profit, non-partisan" charity founded to elect RATs: SeeBS-Viacom's Rock the Vote.