Music News
Le Tigre, Coup, Ted Leo to Play D.C. Anti-War Protest
Jason Toon reports:
It's either the next step in the long march of political pop or a
bittersweet coda to the summer festival season. Or maybe both. On
September 24, the anti-war coalition Operation: Ceasefire will bring a
corking lineup of acts to the grounds of the Washington Monument in
D.C. as part of four days of protests organized by United for Peace
and Justice. The aim, of course, is to pressure the Bush
administration to end the occupation of Iraq. "The soul of America
weeps for the dead youth of this illegal and immoral war," says
ever-eloquent participant Wayne Kramer, guitarist for the MC5. "It is
time to step up and be heard."
Unlike many such events (like those thrown by the valiant Bands
Against Bush and Concerts for Kerry movements), the Operaction:
Ceasefire lineup is both diverse and high-quality. Hip-hop rebels the
Coup and Head-Roc, Latino punks MacheTres, bouncy hardcore stalwarts
Bouncing Souls, alt-country revolutionary Steve Earle, synth-pop
feminists Le Tigre, good ol' boy Ted Leo and his Pharmacists, soul
punks the Bellrays, and crusty scene vets Kramer and Jello Biafra will
join event organizers Thievery Corporation (yes, downtempo electronica
artists hate war, too) for some serious Bush-bashing.
The event costs no money to attend and is free of corporate sponsors,
so any scratch you can throw their way will help (tax-deductible
donations are accepted at the Operation: Ceasefire site). Organizers
are still finalizing the schedule, but they expect around 10 hours of
music. While the show may not bring the war to an immediate end, that
top-to-bottom awesome lineup should at least prove that the good guys
still have all the best tunes.
* Operation: Ceasefire:
http://www.opceasefire.com/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com