Rage Against the Machine

thesoundstrike.net

Even though Rage Against the Machine really only makes news in my world because Phish just covered “Killing in the Name Of” on the Fourth of July, it is pretty rad that Zach and crew are still out to make ~~new~~ old music together to help support a cause they believe strongly in. Zach De La Rocha came out recently in major opposition to Arizona’s controversial SB 1070 and called on other musicians to join the call to boycott Arizona as a performer until the law gets thrown out. He’s staging what is likely the first of many boycott / protest concerts with the first set for Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl on July 23rd with fellow supporter Conor Oberst. Tickets will be going on sale this Monday at 10am.

I thought I’d give a little props for one of the lesser-known bands that got booked for the Democratic National Convention going on right now in Denver, CO. Yonder Mountain String Band is scheduled to appear today right before the Obama acceptance speech — what a time slot — which isn’t all that surprising given the geography that this newgrass band calls Colorado their home. They’re expecting up to 75,000 people today. Amazing.

I haven’t followed the happenings there too much, but I loved the Monitor Mix post on the subject previewing the events. And I know Rage Against the Machine played last night, which we were hoping on getting a photographer for but that fell through at the last minute. Oh well.

Yonder Mountain String Band, hailing from Nederland, Colorado (forty miles northwest of Denver), is honored to perform at this year’s Democratic National Convention held on Denver August 24-28. Yonder will take the stage on the final day of the convention – August 28th at INVESCO Field at Mile High Stadium – just prior to Barack Obama’s highly anticipated acceptance speech for the Democratic nomination. Also scheduled to perform at the event are will.i.am, Jennifer Hudson, Sheryl Crow, and Stevie Wonder.