Showing posts with label Jail Guitar Doors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jail Guitar Doors. Show all posts

Monday, September 30, 2019

Jail Guitar Doors - Rock Out 5!



My welcome back to L.A. was extra great after having been gone since last May, as I got to go racing from LAX straight across town just in time to make it for the 5th annual Jail Guitar Doors ("The loudest charity on Planet Earth!") fundraiser show starring Moby and Wayne Kramer at the Ford Amphitheater!


My friends Brother Wayne and Margaret Kramer have been putting on this event every year to raise money for Jail Guitar Doors, and their exceptional programs that bring music to inmates in prison. After checking out the merch (there's even JGD coffee now!), and greeting several other annual JGD show fans, my brother Paul and I took our seats in the front row, ready to take in another great night of music put on by great people for an absolutely great cause.

A recording played to announce that we were sitting on what was once Tongva native lands, and then Brother Wayne came bounding down the steps to the stage, punching the air and riling up the crowd right off the bat. I was SO happy to see him looking so healthy and hale after he endured cancer treatment this last year, like he was way more energetic than just about everyone else the whole night. Phew. Kramer  thanked Dr. Bronner's (the soap people) for underwriting Jail Guitar Doors being able to provide programs for young people to get them into activities that will PREVENT them from ever entering the criminal justice system ... because once in, it's pretty damn hard to get out and resume a regular life. And then the world is better for everyone.


The evening was hosted by the Poet Laureate of Los Angeles, Luis Rodriguez, who sits on the board of Jail Guitar Doors. Rodriguez has done time, as did his father and son, and he wants that cycle ended. "I'm an O.G. when it comes to this work," he said, before sharing a beautiful poem that had the excellent line, "Use your given gifts. They are not stone." YES.


Rodriguez introduced the Soledad Jazz Workshop, a jazzy quintet founded at the Soledad State Prison in California. Mr. Jack Bowers was their teacher, and everyone playing so beautifully had also done time. Ron Melvin (alto sax) spoke after their first number, saying that, "Jail Guitar Doors believed in me until I could believe in myself." He added the important truth that, "Beauty can come from anywhere."


Trombone legend, Phil Ranelin, was featured on the song "All The Things We Are", and said it was written the same year he was born, 1939. He can still blow with the best of them, and we also got  the Miles Davis classic "All Blues". It was all really, really good, and the only reason I can think of that some people don't like jazz is that the songs are so long, and you start to feel left out of the jam conversation that the musicians have going together. So, you just close your eyes, listen, and it's all good. Real good.


Rodriguez came back out to recite a poem called "The Calling". He told of how he had turned his life around through poetry in jail, and said that, "You can't throw people away ... everyone is worth helping." That's really the point of the whole JGD organization. The poem gave me chills, and also the gratitude and relief that there really still are really good people out there. Thank God.


Rodriguez introduced Wayne Kramer and Friends, and Kramer ran back on stage, this time with his legendary Star Spangled guitar, yelling, "Alright, now we're gonna rock!" and he and his band went on to do just exactly that. "Shining Mr. Lincoln's Shoes" had Kramer running around extra-animated while Carl Restivo held things down on bass, Brock Avery kept the drum beat, and Benmont Tench (yes, from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Benmont Tench!) on the keys.


"Back When Dogs Could Talk" featured Kramer doing the funky chicken and also shouting out to all the workers of the world ... "My steel workers, my food service workers, my auto workers, my teachers ... you have earned the right to be known as the salt of the Earth! You are somebody!" It was awesome, and a fine example of why Kramer rules as a human being AND as a rock star both.



Kramer brought out my friend Jason Heath (lead JGD teacher and leader of The Greedy Souls) as well as the rapper Matre to join he and the band for a fired up version of "Jail Guitar Doors", the namesake song by The Clash. Everyone was feeling it, and frankly, their set was over way too soon, but it sure got the party going!


Mr. Rodriguez came back and we did a call and response poem together, saying "Make this poem cry!" It did its job, because I definitely got choked up. No time for tears, however, as Rodriguez said, "And now, Moby!" and Moby came out with his band and back-up singers, who launched right into his great song, "Extreme Ways". Dressed casually in jeans and a hoodie, Moby rather resembled a much smaller Billy Corgan with a "Vegan For Life" neck tattoo.


The crowd loved the song, and let the band know. Moby said that he'd driven by the Ford Theater a thousand times, but had never been and didn't know it was so beautiful. "This is the most beautiful outdoor theater in Los Angeles, and that's saying something." We were all already feeling lucky for being there, but that jacked that sentiment up even more. A truly stunningly gorgeous evening, as the stage looked like an enchanted forest and beautiful letters from prisoners and photos were projected on the interior walls.


Moby said that the only thing he had in common with Jimi Hendrix was that they had both only had one #1 song in the U.S. ... then proceeded to play his. "South Side" sounded as good and as fresh as it ever did, and I have to admit, I didn't ever really know how good a guitar player Moby is. I always associate him with synthy sounding orchestral super produced tunes, and it was cool to see him pretty stripped down and really going for it live on guitar. He said he was a punk rock kid, "So I fetishize cover songs," and they did mostly covers from thereon out. Mindy James took lead vocals for a re-working of The Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" that she absolutely belted out, and Moby shredded out the guitar solo.


Moby loves John Lee Hooker, so next we got "A Dark Cloud Is Coming" which was inspired by Hooker, and was very dark, bluesy, ominous, and pretty heavy. It felt right for a night about prison ... but then the next one was "20th Century Boy" from T. Rex ... and the whole band was smiling and clearly enjoying themselves while they played, so it felt like hope again. Benmont Tench was back to be Moby's keys player too, and you could tell he was having fun. There was a dude/douche next to me who kept making lame GIFs during the show, then nudging me to look at them. Don't do that. Thanks.


Neil Young's "Helpless" was dedicated to Moby's Mom, who he lost 15 years ago after a life of food stamps and welfare as a single mother. Laura Dawn took lead vocals, and I got choked up again thinking about my own Mom back home.  Moby's "L.A. song about astrophysics and weird celebrities" was next up, and "We Are All Made Of Stars" happened. I love that dang song, and his great "Natural Blues" was next, again featuring Mindy Jones in rad voice. A cover of Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" found us witnessing a "primal, libidinous battle" between Jones and guitarist/backup singer, Daron Murphy on harmonica. Jones and Murphy traded licks, while Moby laid down on the stage to enjoy it, and an older woman danced like no one was watching in the aisle next to me. Good for her.


Next up was "The Mount Olympus of cover songs, the mother of all cover songs, we need you to come to Valhalla with us on this one" ... and it was "Stairway To Heaven". Murphy took lead vocals while the band whipped the audience into a frenzy - and an older man had now joined the dancing woman, and they were both going off, spins and all, until "We drank vegan grogg from the skulls of our enemies!" proclaimed Moby. And you better believe we DID.

The All Star finale brought everyone back out together, and we all sang "The Perfect Life" together - and loudly. It was super celebratory, meaningful, and again, hopeful. At one point in the song, they brought it all down to a whisper with every single performer flat on their backs on the stage, which brought the whole house rushing down to the front to try to see them.


Then they brought it all back up to a joyous conclusion, and the hope that a more perfect life might be within the grasp of both everyone there, and everyone that they were helping by being there. There was no Kicking Out The Jams this year, which I missed, but this finale was so good that you could let it slide. Another fantastic night of music for Jail Guitar Doors was complete ... but the work continues all year.


Please get involved however and whenever you can ... donate, volunteer, teach, spread the word! Jail Guitar Doors is changing lives for the much better, and we're all better for it. Thanks and LOVE to all involved with this exceptional organization!

All photos by Paul Gronner Photography
































Monday, October 8, 2018

Celebrating 50 Years Of MC5 At The Ford Amphitheater - Kicking Out The Jams!

I've seen my friend Brother Wayne Kramer perform a lot of times, but never with his band, Motor City 5, better known as MC5. Until this past Friday night, when Kramer and his cronies performed the Kick Out The Jams album in its entirety for a Jail Guitar Doors benefit at the Ford Amphitheater - and it was something else!


Friday night L.A. traffic found us getting there just as Jason Heath and The Greedy Souls were opening the evening's night of rock and roll with a message. Heath and his band are also great friends of mine, so it was a treat to get to see them rock the Ford stage, with its beautiful outdoor setting and stars shining above.


JHTGS opened with "In Love With My Gun" and "Fair Fight" - both pretty topical at the moment. There was a full band along for this ride, complete with horns and female backup singers sounding great. They tore through "Dead Stars" and "Postcards From The Hanging" from their most recent album, But There's Nowhere To Go. I wrote the bio for that album, but haven't had the chance to see its songs performed live in quite a while, so this was awesome to see our pals up there giving it their all.



"Thunderstruck" is one of my favorites (and I recently learned it's about Matthew Shepard, the young guy man who was beaten to death almost exactly 20 years ago), and it sounded better than ever, as did "Turn On (The Radio)" featuring Jason Federici on keys, and everyone else ruling hard for the song that Heath said "Is about rock and roll changing the world. I don't know if it can, but we're gonna try". After that throwdown, I think they're on to something. Heath also reminded everyone that the evening was a benefit for the wonderful Jail Guitar Doors organization (founded by Billy Bragg in the UK, headed up by Wayne and Margaret Kramer here in the U.S.), and I thought of Franc Foster who died earlier this year.


I met Foster through one of these JGD shows, and became friends after writing about his travels from inmate to musical mentor to other prisoners. Foster's presence here on this night was sorely missed. When Heath and Co. played "Nowhere To Go" it got me thinking about how I really don't know where else to go in this crazy world. Where is cool to live? And if you find it, how long will we be able to survive with climate change about to make life on this planet extinct? Deep thoughts, but I snapped back in time to hear "Devil Ain't Talkin'", complete with horns, which I think always elevate everything. I love Jason Heath and The Greedy Souls and you should take any chance you get to see them jam together. Right on.


We went to mingle with some friends and missed half of Starcrawler, but heard it muffled from a distance. A photographer we know told us that she'll never shoot this band again because the singer kicked her camera into her face and she had to go to the hospital, so we weren't in any hurry to see some jerks.


We got back to our seats in time to see the female lead vocalist (Arrow de Wilde) spit up (fake) blood and smash another photographer's camera (she's darn lucky it wasn't Paul's). The punkish rock was o.k., but it seemed to me if it were really good, they wouldn't need such antics. Why be so destructive to people that are helping to promote you? It was a turn off. The crowd - leaning on the older side, as Kramer himself is now 70, and it IS the 50th anniversary of MC5 - was taken aback when de Wilde shouted, "Oh, C'mon, turn up your fucking hearing aids!" You heard an audible gasp, and I don't think this band won any new fans after that. And, it must be said, the crowd never sat down ONCE when MC5 took the stage - so there.


I gather that de Wilde is going for a female Iggy Pop type thing, but it came off as truly disturbed. When she staggered off to the side of the stage, looking all frantic and lost, I genuinely almost left my seat to go help her. She looked so fucked up it was almost scary, but I'm glad I didn't go to her aid, as I most likely would have been left covered with fake blood, which she spread over everyone as she ran out into the crowd and back off stage. The remaining musicians kept playing without her, with the guitarist playing off into the wings. Then they were done and we all kind of shrugged, and looked forward to the mighty MC5 (in this incarnation) taking the stage!


Kramer is the lone original Detroit guy left in the band, that now features Seattle guys (like Soundgarden's Kim Thayil and Pearl Jam's Matt Cameron), and Zen Guerilla frontman Marcus Durant singing lead. Fugazi drummer Brendan Canty, and Faith No More's bassist Billy Gould round the band out, making it a supergroup of expert rockers. Margaret Kramer made a speech on behalf of Jail Guitar Doors, and then it was time to ... KICK OUT THE JAMS!!



Wayne Kramer led the band on stage RUNNING to the mic stand, and they all tore into "Rambling Rose", and the entire crowd leaped to its collective feet - and stayed there until the last note was smashed. They went straight into "Kick Out The Jams" and everyone's phones were out trying to capture the energy, which was impossible unless you were there. People were going NUTS for this jam that was celebrating its 50th year of being kicked out. It was EXCITING in there, believe me. Especially when Kramer ripped out a guitar solo on his iconic star spangled axe. Phew!


"Come Together" was just as rocking, and "Motor City's Burning" showed that Durant is a very pale black man, tearing up his harmonica while giving the song its very Motown vibey soul. Bluesy and awesome, it was a real standout. Brother Wayne next did band intros, and shouted out everyone on stage, and said, "I'm so happy to be here tonight with you in L.A.!", and we were all so happy about it too. "Rama Lama" showed off everyone at their best, and even featured some ass shaking from Kramer, as well as a guitar battle between him and Thayil. SO good.


That this guy is now 70 is proof that rock and roll keeps one young at heart, and Kramer was pulling Townshend-like arm windmills on "Borderline" and cranking out more electric solos on "I Want You Right Now", which was awesome. "Starship" got very acid rocky, and it was clear that this one was written in the groovy late 60's.  They ended the song all pointing up, as if to ask the aliens to please take us now. To have mercy on us.


Not a person had yet sat down - in Los Angeles - and wouldn't for the remainder of the show. I've been at a LOT of shows in L.A. lately, and this never happens if there are seats. The once in a lifetime experience that this was (and that I kept hearing people say that) amped up the electricity in the venue, and people were going to be rocking for its entirety. RAD.


Kramer acknowledged his band mates that made this music together 50 years ago, then strapped on an acoustic guitar for "Shakin' Street", which ruled. The guy behind me said, "If they play 'Future/Now' I'll shit my pants!" - which they next DID play, and I was nervous to look behind me to see if he had actually shat himself, but I could hear that he was very happy by his shouts. Good for him!


"Please welcome our good friend, Duff McKagan!" shouted Kramer, and welcome the GNR legend we did. He joined the and for "Call Me Animal" and they just beat that song to a pulp. While they were all simply shredding, a trio of horn players walked on to the stage, and once again brought the energy even higher. Kramer introduced them at song's end as "The Parolee Horns!", and then introduced another special guest, Greg Dulli from The Afghan Whigs! Awesome.  Dulli TORE through a fast paced "Let Me Try" and "Skunk", and the place went wild. The guys on stage were getting a full cardio workout, and the audience was doing their best to keep up. Phew!


After that frenzy, Kramer took a moment to speak his mind. "I know our country's going through tough times. There's a rapist on the Supreme Court, there's a rapist in the White House ... but it is our right to exercise our power  - and we do that when we VOTE!" A "VOTE!" chant started up, as everyone was SO fed up at the SCOTUS news of the day, and Kramer continued, "We can save this world, but we gotta get to WORK. We're gonna let those bums in Washington know, WE'RE LOOKING AT YOU!" and they blazed through "Looking At You" just to show 'em.


Everyone came back up for a raucous run-through of "Sister Anne" for the final hard rocking All Star jam. Thayil's fingers were flying, and everyone was giving it their absolute all. The crowd ate it up and shouted for more, but there's a curfew. Kramer shouted, "Thank you all! You are terrific! See you next year, same time, same station ... GO VOTE!!!"


The musicians had a group bow together, and left the stage. They left everyone else standing there shaking their heads in amazement at what they had just seen. LOVING it. There was a little backstage soirée, and I got to catch up with my Justice Tour Alumni (a tour we did with Tom Morello a decade ago!) friends, all of whom I love so much. In dark times like these, it is reassuring that there are people who still believe in good, and still try to do something that matters in this world. Like bring music to inmates in order to create a better life for themselves. Like doing benefit shows just for the good in it. Like urging people to vote with their voices that people might listen to. Like simply caring. And if you can do all of that while rocking faces off - even better.


Thanks and LOVE to all the Jail Guitar Doors friends and family who made this momentous night possible. As for those jams? They done kicked 'em OUT!


 MC50th is touring now!

*Photos by Paul Gronner Photography




















































Sunday, September 7, 2014

The Jail Guitar Doors Rock Out 2!

The second annual Jail Guitar Doors Rock Out was held September 5th at the Ford Amphitheater in Hollywood, and it certainly held true to its name. With another all star line-up coming together to benefit the organization founded by Billy Bragg (in the UK) and Brother Wayne Kramer and his wife Margaret Saadi Kramer (US) to bring guitars to inmates in prison as something positive in their lives.


It's touching to hear the stories that happen each Tuesday night in the guitar classes led by JGD volunteers in the Twin Towers men's central correctional facility in downtown L.A. MC of the evening, Dana Gould, brought out Wayne Kramer to much applause, and Kramer explained, "We see  inmates learn to process problems in new, non-confrontational ways. The walls go down, racism goes down, classism, sexism goes down ... and we end up with all that we really are - human beings."


Powerful stuff, and the applause was resounding for the volunteers (Jason Heath, Cody Marks, Michael de la Rocha, Adele Bertei, etal.) and JGD graduates that came out to play the first number, a jazzy one, led by graduate Franc Foster, who has gone on to run his own music program on Skid Row. The chorus went "I love you" ... and that's just about the most important thing to say ever, so we were off to a good start. They clanged out the namesake Clash tune, "Jail Guitar Doors", and then it was time for Kramer to really shine.


Earlier this year, Kramer released his jazz album, Lexington, and the Ford audience was in for a treat as Kramer and his Lexington Arts Ensemble (Phil Ranelin on trombone, Tigran Hamasyan on piano,  Buzzy Moore on tenor sax, Bob Hurst on upright bass, Doug Lunn on bass, Eric "The Claw" Gardner and Brock Avery on drums and percussion) spoke to us about life in prison through jazz in three instrumental numbers.


Kramer introduced the first number by saying that this album was "a way to talk about my jail experiences in my first language - music." As Kramer's signature star spangled guitar wailed in conversation with his fellow musicians in the Ensemble, and he tore off a particularly fresh solo, I thought to myself how he really is speaking, and we really are being taken on a tour of the thoughts and feelings involved with incarceration. It was heavy and cool at the same time, like jazz itself, I suppose. A true highlight.


Gould next introduced the ever-charming Jill Sobule, as a "Musical novelist", which is true, because every Sobule song tells a whole story, always with a little zinger of wit included. Like in her opening number, "Jetpack" where she sings, "If I had a jetpack, I'd take you so high, If I dropped you, you'd die." She's the best. She brought out a band to join her on the next one, saying, "I'm not used to having a guitar person!" and said that her favorite gigs are always the ones played with Wayne.


"When My Ship Comes In" was a rocker, with Sobule trading licks with Kramer metal-style. Raucous applause met them at song's end, and Sobule said, "I've always wanted to do that with Wayne!" Gould came out and said, "A guitar duel with Wayne Kramer? For a young lady, that takes balls." Yeah.


Next up was Tim Presley's White Fence, who, appropriately for the evening, have a new album called, For The Recently Found Innocent. While Presley looks a bit like a young Serge Gainsbourg, his band is straight out of hipster band central casting ... skinny jeans, pointy shoes, big beard, baseball hat ... check, check, check, check. They live in the "Psych Rock" bin at Amoeba, but had a lengthy jam band thing going too. They played two rockers for us before it was time for intermission.


After a few minutes of catching up with old friends, checking out the JGD merch table, and grabbing a beer, it was time for Mr. Gould to introduce the next performer as playing with his Mother, "So she's obviously more supportive of his career than mine was..." and out came Ben Harper with his band, The Relentless 7 (Jesse Ingalls, Jason Mozersky and Jimmy Paxson on drums and garbage can). "My Mom told me to man up and play one on my own first," Harper joked as he and the band played an acoustic "Don't Give Up On Me Now". With all of his vast catalog to choose from, this was an interesting choice when each performer only got a few songs in their set. Maybe to tie in with the prison message or something, but it's not really a fan favorite. But still real good.



"I'm Ben Harper, and this is my Mom, Ellen." Harper welcomed his Mother, Ellen Harper, to the stage with a hug and a kiss, and they harmonized beautifully together on the family-feeling "A House Is A Home" from their recent collaboration together, Childhood Home.

Ellen Harper took the lead on "Farmer's Daughter" on vocals and banjo, while Ben slid away on his Weissenborn ... taking us to the Appalachians and back, lamenting the loss of family farms to conglomerates like Monsanto. It was very easy to see where Ben gets his talents, and his social consciousness, as he played next to the woman who gave him those gifts. And that was it! Shouts of "MORE!" met the Harpers and the band, but as Gould said, "Ellen has to get Ben's lunch going for their gig tomorrow." Ha.



Rock Hall of Famer Jackson Browne took the stage next with a big band, including Ben Harper, who Browne brought back on to join him for a song "we both know, but we've never played it together before." So together they gave us, "Jamaica, Say You Will" (which Harper covered on the recent Browne tribute album, Looking Into You: A Tribute To Jackson Browne). It was as sublime as you can imagine, as Harper's Weissenborn, Browne's piano, and their classic voices blended together like a good dream.



"I'm fortunate to be here ... compared to jail, we're fortunate to be anywhere," said Browne truthfully. He brought back Jill Sobule (Jack and Jill!) to join him on Warren Zevon's heartbreakingly tender "Don't Let Us Get Sick". So pretty, I almost cried (but if you know me, that's not that hard). After that loveliness, it was back to the rock, with Browne unleashing his timeless "Running On Empty", stoking the entire place, as everyone sang and danced along under the starry skies on a warm, Hollywood night. It doesn't get a whole lot better ... but it does.



Browne brought out actor Tim Robbins (in a tank top) to join him, saying, "You're like the poster child for going to jail, Mr. Shawshank!" Fittingly, they lit into The Clash version of "I Fought The Law (And The Law Won)", trading licks and verses, and looking like they were having an absolute blast - as were all of us in the audience.

The octane got jacked up a whole lot higher for the last performers, Tom Morello and his Freedom Fighter Orchestra (Carl Restivo, Dave Gibbs, Eric Gardner). Bringing the incendiary rock for the final jams is now standard protocol for Morello at these events, and he did not disappoint.
 


Unveiling the brand new and super timely "Marching On Ferguson", they had fists raised and a whole bunch of grey heads practically moshing. A heavy tune musically, lyrically and subject-matter wise, Morello reinforced the argument for him being the modern-age Woody Guthrie or Pete Seeger ... that can do a solo with his teeth on his Arm The Homeless guitar.



"Well, this is my last song because of curfew issues, so let's make it a good one!", said Morello to a disbelieving, riled up crowd. It WAS a good one, however, as Morello's version of Springsteen's "The Ghost Of Tom Joad" would have blown the roof off of the Ford, if it had one. It's so much his own now, with the famous guitar solo that still gives me chills. When you hear THIS Tom sing ...

Now Tom said, "Ma, wherever there's a cop beatin' a guy,
Wherever a hungry newborn baby cries,
Where there's a fight 'gainst the blood and hatred in the air,
Look for me, Ma,  I'll be there.
Wherever there's somebody fightin' for a place to stand,
Or decent job or a helpin' hand,
Wherever somebody's strugglin' to be free,
Look in their eyes, Ma, you'll see me.

... you know that he absolutely means it. If there's a strike at the Port of L.A., or a Teacher's Union picket line, or a night of rock to help give incarcerated inmates something positive in their lives, Morello can be counted on to be there, if at all able. I am proud to be his friend, straight up.


People jumped to their feet, whistling and stomping, having just had their minds blown. "Does that mean you want one more song?!", Morello shouted. He then invited EVERYONE down front to jump and scream around for "The Road I Must Travel".


"OK, I need that 17 times louder, all together in solidarity!" ... and together the Ford crowd shouted the "Na, na, na, na..." chorus one more time. After more yelling for more, Morello ignored the curfew (and the fines), saying, "I don't think I'm done with you yet," and launching into the power riff from Rage's "Sleep Now In The Fire". All-time.


"TAKE IT EASY! TAKE IT EASY! TAKE IT EASY! ... BUT TAKE IT!!!" shouted Morello in his customary sign-off, but then swerved and said, "Fuck the curfew, let's play one more!" No one minded in the least (besides maybe Ford Theater neighbors, but they should be thrilled), and Morello brought back the whole line-up for the All Star finale. "Where's Ben Harper?! I've been waiting my whole life to play this song with Ben Harper! C'mon, we're being charged $15, 000 a minute!", Morello kept asking, but alas, the Harpers had already curiously peaced out ... Mom must not have wanted him out past curfew (Sorry. The comedian stuff rubbed off a little).
A shame, because who wouldn't want to play Kiss's "Rock And Roll All Nite" with Morello, Kramer, Browne, Sobule and a slew of other fantastic band members that BROUGHT. IT. Carl Restivo took on lead vocals, and we really could have kept it up all nite.


You can't have a Wayne Kramer gig without seriously kicking out the jams, and that's what the grand finale was, with everyone on stage as one unified Guitarmy. Kramer, Morello, Robbins and Browne all shared a mic at one point, and it was a delight to watch Franc Foster watching all these music heroes playing for, and on the behalf of, people just like him.



Jail Guitar Doors gives hope to the inmates it serves. It also gives hope to the world, that you can always make change for the better. When Kramer shouted at song's end, "We done kicked 'em OUT!", it was about the jams, of course, but it could just as well have been yelled about all the 'isms that he spoke about at the beginning of the show ... there's no room for racism, sexism, or any negativity at all when you share moments like this with good people like these ...it's ALL kicked out.



Support Jail Guitar Doors, and the musicians that support them, because they're all doing something that truly matters, all while rocking you silly. Everybody wins!

*Photos by PaulGronner.com