We need a WOODSTOCK style concert to bring attention to this immoral war!

[mod mom]

We have not been successful in getting people out on the streets in protest, and every day we wait more death and destruction. Do we really want to wait to September? Couldn't a concert promoter get the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Eminem, Steve Earle, Robert Cray, REM, Green Day and others who have been outspoken opponents of the administration and war get together and educate the American public since the media is failing in there responsibility?

They could have John Conyers and other leaders speak between acts.

Throughout history artists have always been on the forefront to speaking the truth against repressive governments. Why not this repressive government?

Comments please.

[loveable liberal]

1. yes!! where are our friends in Hollywood during all this??

They cant all be Tom Sellecks can they?

[Pryderi]

2. I'm surprised Green Day hasn't done it yet, given their last album

[GetTheRightVote]

3. This is a great ideal and should bring out the various groups

But what artist will do it, perhaps we could put together a fund to donate to a group or single artist ??? We have enough members to do it so how about it???

:kick:

[mod mom]

7. maybe someone like Perry Farrell, he organized those great early

Lollapalooza concerts in the early 90's? It certainly could be profitable!

[kentuck]

4. If I were a promoter ?

I would think that would be a great idea! :)

[GetTheRightVote]

5. We probably have people on DU who are into this business ??

Where are you ?? How do we on DU promote such an event ??

:kick:

[Mythsaje]

6. A great idea

as long as it doesn't suffer the same fate as the "Woodstock II" concert that was hijacked by corporate interests and ended up the scene of horrible riots. In my opinion this nonsense just besmirched the name of Woodstock.

My Recommended artists?

Eminem
Dixie Chicks
John Mellencamp
Green Day
Bruce Springsteen
Rush

Any more come to mind?

[pocket]

8. Rush? I thought they were

Ayn Rand-worshipping capitalist greed-heads.

They just did the music for the Canadian Army's recruitment campaign.

[Mythsaje]

22. Rush

is made up of free-thinkers. And, hell, if you're going to help with recruitment for an Army, I guess the Canadian Army is a good choice. It's not like they've invaded anyone lately.

If you've never listened to Rush, or read their lyrics, you should do a lyric search...Their 2112 album is a warning against theocracy. Free Will is a testimony to personal philosophical and religious freedom. They are one of the most articulate bands ever.

Of course, I've always been a fan.

[mod mom]

9. Have you heard Steve Earle's "Revolution Starts Now"? Great CD!

[Kipling]

11. I'd like to nominate everyone I like...

Keane
The Futureheads
REM
Radiohead
The Manic Street Preachers
The Zutons
Nick Cave

...that's it. I think all the people I listed would gladly do a Woodstock II.

Oh, and BTW: Rush? Are you insane? Rush are capitalist extremists. They might do a "Screw the Poor, they're Mostly Black" concert, but "Woodstock"? Doubt it.

[libnnc]

15. Add Rickie Lee Jones to your list.

I'll bet she'd do it if it were well organized.

www.rickieleejones.com

[Pepperbelly]

10. NO SPEECHES!

None whatsoever.

It ruins the music or the music ruins speeches. Either way, they are no compatable. Different parts of the brain stimulated.

[mod mom]

12. Any DUer with contacts? nt

[kerrygoddess]

23. Passed the link along to a friend

Involved with PDA, who is a concert promoter. It's a great idea but there has to be someone to put up the money front-end wise for production costs, etc.

[Journeyman]

13. This strategy was tried in the early '80s. . .

by the Nuclear Freeze Movement. We got plenty of people to attend (we had well over 100,000 at the Rose Bowl alone), loads of information was passed out, and an incredibly diverse number of people spoke passionately about the issue. . . and the Reaganauts and the media dismissed it all as nothing more than people who wanted to see a free concert. All the issues and debate were subsumed to avid interest in CS&N.

I have no argument with your belief in artists being at the forefront of great historical movements. We must be careful, however, that they not become the focus of the movement. . . and unfortunately, in these times, that's a difficult trap to avoid.

Look at the protest marches before IraqAttack began: the media focused on Danny Glover and the other "stars" and never gave equal attention to the 100s of 1,000s of ordinary citizens who also could have voiced the opposition (and in many cases, would have done much better and with greater clarity than actors who had no written lines to read and seemed somewhat like a fish out of water). By drawing the focus to themselves, I believe the entertainers did more harm than good, as too many viewers were able to discount their protest (no matter how well-intentioned they were) as simply grandstanding for publicity.

How much better would it have been had the MSM stuck a microphone in a "stars" face only to be told by the star that they were not the focus of the day, that the protest was the issue, and then have the star pull a well-informed, true activist before the mics and set them loose to educate?

[mod mom]

17. I understand your argument, and have heard it last December when

election fraud was being investigated. But seeing that movement did not have the powere to get people out on the streets in outrage, I think it's time to perhaps try something new. I am astounded by how many people I know, who are not only dems but well educated, and yet are ignorant on what is going on. The corporate sponsored media is not doing their job! We need to stop this madness. Why not try this approach to bringing public awareness?

[Journeyman]

19. By all means, try it . . .

I'm just saying, it was tried by the Freeze movement and was instantly discredited. If you can figure a way around that, you may be on to something.

People at the Freeze events fell almost neatly into two categories: those who were aware of the issue and wanted to learn more or educate others, and people who wanted to enjoy great music. Those who came for the music left no more informed than when they arrived.

Just look at the responses to your thread: Most are mainly listings of bands they'd like to see, while one person specifically rejects any speeches. No one addresses the singular issue of how to educate without being boring. And from personal experience, a speaker wedged between two hot bands is perceived by those outside the choir as more a distraction to be endured than a fount of knowledge.

And from the outside, all the media see is a concert. Its intent and purpose? Lost amid the smiling "bubble-headed bleach blonde's" happy, "Let's listen to what's happening out at the stadium," while the soundtrack picks up mid-song then fades to commercial mid-bridge. . .

[mod mom]

20. You really think people left uninformed? Was this due to apathy or how

concert was planned? I would think more young people would be concerned about the war. I would think they would like a rally call ( but then I thought we should have had 100,000 out on the streets after the election. )

[DerekG]

14. Just leave the acid at home this time

I've seen the documentary several times, and I've gotta say, those drug-addled flower children aren't the kind of folks I'd want as allies; most of them looked like they couldn't lead a two-car funeral procession, let alone wage non-violent resistance against empire.

[CalebHayes]

16. Moby, RATM, Blink 182, Morrissey (the smiths), Death cab for cutie....

pretty much any rap artist, nofx, anti-flag, pretty much any punk group, Aiden, Alkline trio, Beastie Boys, Ziggy Marley, cypress hill, Sum 41, Hot Hot Heat, Jimmy Eat World, Ludacris, The Offspring, Pearl Jam, the cure, Weezer... I don't see why we couldn't get like 4 or 5 of these acts together or better yet, a punk show a rap/hip-hop show and a show with the older artists like U2, Springsten etc. Something like that.

[Dave Sund]

18. Well, shit

If we could get RATM to reform, that'd be worth it right there. ;)

Bright Eyes would definitely have to be there.

[omega minimo]

21. THAT'S WHY THEY BEGAN BUYING THE MEDIA IN THE LATE 70'S

"Throughout history artists have always been on the forefront to speaking the truth against repressive governments. Why not this repressive government?"

Sheesh.

Good luck with that idea. Could work. Could be GREAT.

What if that energy applied to organizing a concerted onslaught on the consolidated corporatist media that has perpetrated this national nightmare on us?

Stuff the tailpipes.
Identify which artists/companies are on the side of the people and the nation-- and which aren't.
Do a boycott/outing like they did to The Dixie Chicks.
How bout refusing to support the worst arms of the infotainment/war profiteering regime octopus?
Let's out the vested interests and how many tentacles they have sucking on every aspect of our lives-- and in Iraq, deaths.
Slogans: "Pringles Kill!" :evilgrin:
For your concert:
Bring back the punk rockers to inject some energy and life and humor into this. Green Day and Grohl are a good start. Michael Franti and Krist Noveselic already have groups/actions that they do. Bring them in.......

:bounce:

[brentspeak]

24. Only if all proceeds would go to military families and the wounded

One smart thing that the war cheerleaders have done is to hold benefit concerts for military families of those killed in Iraq. I haven't seen anything of the sort from our end.

Also, I doubt that Springsteen and REM would partake: quotes I read from them indicate they were chastened by Kerry's loss (after working so hard for him), and are thinking twice about taking overt political stances for the time being.