Joan Baez Inspired By Occupy Wall Street, Plans Visit This Week

[Hissyspit]

http://www.newstimes.com/news/article/Joan-Baez-inspired-by-Occupy-Wall-Street-2258913.php

Joan Baez inspired by Occupy Wall Street

Christina Hennessy, Staff Writer
Published 06:55 p.m., Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Like many people across the country, and the world, folk singer Joan Baez has watched over the past two months as New York City's Zuccotti Park has steadily transformed into a gathering place for Occupy Wall Street protesters.

Baez, who is no stranger to protest, is hoping to make a visit to the downtown plaza when her tour swings through the tri-state area this week.

"I don't want to go in toting my guitar. This has a very different tone," she said of the protest, as compared to some of the movements she has been involved with and performed in support of in the past. "I am going to want to talk to the people."

The gathering has attracted a diverse group of activists -- for which there is no one leader -- who are united in their protest against economic inequality, political corruption and corporate influence in government.

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[Zorra]

1. Awesome. The voice of the protest experience. nt

[Beartracks]

2. Economic inequality? Corruption? Corporate influence?

Yeah, but.... what's their message? What do they want?!

:yoiks: :sarcasm:


Pretty cool about Joan Baez.

===========================

[rugger1869]

3. Only took 50+ days.... nt

[Horse with no Name]

6. Yeah...just looked at her very heavy tour schedule

unfortunately they do book those months in advance...:eyes:

When did you go?

[EFerrari]

11. You do realize she's 70 years old.

[Downwinder]

14. Seeger went down and marched, he is 92.

[starroute]

4. I've been wondering how long it would be before Baez showed up

Somehow all the old 60's radicals have to make that pilgramage. But Baez goes back further than most -- she was at Sproul Hall in 1964 during the Berkeley Free Speech Movement.

http://bancroft.berkeley.edu/CalHistory/60s.html

After Chancellor Edward Strong gives Savio and some other student leaders new discipline letters, Savio gives him back an "ultimatum" on December 1st. Savio leads a rally the following day, where he says, "you've got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels," then leads one thousand students in Sproul Hall while Joan Baez sings "We shall overcome." The police arrest 814 of the students.


http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/FSM/fsmchronology1.html

Rally Before Sproul Hall Sit-in, December 2, 1964

Savio presents his famous "you've got to put your bodies upon the gears" speech."

http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/videodir/pacificaFSM/sitin1264.mp3

Following Savio's speech, above, Joan Baez sings: "All Your Trials Soon be Over," "Blowing in the Wind." Mario Savio leads crowd into Sproul, Baez leads the singing of "We Shall Overcome."

http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/VideoTest/baez.ram

[tinymontgomery]

5. Crosby/Nash the first

Joan following, will the rest of the protest movement performers follow? Inquiring minds want to know? Bring them on, love the music. How about Dylan with the "times they are a changin".

[Downwinder]

13. Seeger and Arlo first.

[tinymontgomery]

21. Thanks

Missed that in all the various articles.

[Downwinder]

7. Now -- where is Judy Collins?

[tinymontgomery]

10. Would love to hear her

beautiful voice there.

[Dover]

17. I want to see/hear from Joni Mitchell...n/t

[Horse with no Name]

8. Love it!

Also love the fact that she is smart enough to know that THIS is another generation's fight.

Love the support she is offering....and love the fact that she is doing it "their" way...this fight isn't being fought with music.

[Dover]

9. Oh wow. beautiful. But can't help but wonder -

where are the contemporary musicians/song writers?
I have a great deal of reverance for this sacred return of the 60's elders who played such an important role in my generation's efforts to
enlighten and manifest real change. In many ways it feels like a full circle experience and so meaningful. I trust that OWS will
be what it will be, so not holding expectations for any particular look or sound to emerge.
But I'm just very aware of the absense of contemporary story tellers. This movement feels much more grounded and
pragmatic than the 60's. Less naive and dreamy. So who knows...

[tinymontgomery]

12. Their not writing songs like this

as far as I can tell (they might be but I don't know)

"The Times They Are A-Changin'"

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin'
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'.

Bob Dylan

[Desertrose]

15. Still gives me goose bumps...and takes me back....

sigh.

:grouphug: OWS

[anamandujano]

16. "The contemporary musicians/song writers" are too busy

doing endless fittings for their stupid costumes. Add to that, they don't have much of a message.

[azul]

18. a very different tone?

"Well before the technology created by pioneers such as Jobs was connecting the world and contributing to global movements calling for democracy and freedom, Baez said music had been serving as that conduit to bring people together."

Why not both songs and internets calling?

[musette_sf]

19. Oakland's a little closer, Joan.

(I am reminded of a certain song from NatLamp's "Lemmings"... "We're with you all the way - just across the Bay")

[Le Taz Hot]

20. One of my heroes.

She STILL has the voice of an angel, has been an activist for nearly 50 years and here she is supporting the OWS movement. The woman is a class act. I have to share one of my favorite videos. Notice not auto-tune, no lip-syncing, just a voice and a guitar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGMHSbcd_qI