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

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

Firebreand Fridays With Tom Morello And Friends!

The inaugural Firebrand Friday hosted by Tom Morello took place last Friday at Genghis Cohen in Hollywood, and it was just the best. Hearkening back to the Hotel Cafe days when Morello had these nights in residency where he would bring in all his rock star friends and for the price of $10 - with every penny going to help PATH (People Assisting The Homeless) here in L.A. - you got hours of the best music ever, in a space smaller than most living rooms. Genghis Cohen is even smaller, so it was like chilling with all your friends ... some of whom were eating Chinese food.

The night began at 7:30, so with L.A. traffic, there were like six of us in the room when it began. That did not last long, however, as the next time I turned around the little room was packed in so tight, air itself was becoming scarce. And no one cared. Morello opened the evening explaining that the night was a benefit for PATH, and that Genghis Cohen was the first place he had Chinese food, and that the first (acoustic) rocker of the night would be Mr. Wayne Kramer of the mighty MC5. Yeah.

Kramer opened the evening with his excellent and appropriate "Wild America". Kramer is the founder of the U.S. branch of the excellent Jail Guitar Doors organization, teaching inmates how to play guitar. He next shared with us a cover of Merle Haggard's "Sing Me Back Home", a song Haggard was inspired to write after hearing Johnny Cash play in prison. Excellence. Kramer was just back from performing in Dublin, where he learned about the "Old Triangle" that was rung in the prison there. He had Carl Restivo and Jill Sobule join him for the haunting, Irish lament, their harmonies soaring as they took us back there with them. Friends singing together for a good cause, there really is nothing much better.

Morello came back up to remind the room that 100% of the night's proceeds were going to PATH, and that we were about to hear one of his favorite new bands, "Standard bearers in the social justice struggle, The Last Internationale." Up came Delila Paz and Edgey Pires - The Last Internationale. I'd heard Morello talk about them and heard they crushed it at the South American Lollapaloozas, but I had no idea how mind-blowingly AWESOME the voice on Paz is. WHOA. They began with a Malvina Reynolds tune, "It Isn't Nice" that nicely complimented the night's theme of fighting the power and solidarity ... "It isn't nice to block the doorway, it isn't nice to go to jail, There are nicer ways to do it, but the nice ways always fail, it isn't nice, it isn't nice, you told us once, you told us twice, but if that is Freedom's price, We don't mind." That's right.

They followed that one with their own, "We Will Reign", and after hearing that, I have every reason to believe that they will indeed reign - over almost all the bands out there right now. Ass kicking music with a message everyone needs to hear ... you can't lose. The real show stopper was their cover of Mahalia Jackson's "I'm Going To Live The Life I Sing About In My Song". Paz said, "I'm gonna change the lyrics a bit for the times ... that never change." I'm not exaggerating one bit when I say I was covered with chills the entire song. The song was so soaring, so clearing grounded in Paz's convictions, delivering this gospel standard with anger and a fierce strength that quite truly blew minds. The room erupted in cheers, and Morello came up with his hand over his heart and said exactly what I'd just written in my notes ... "Holy. Shit." Honestly.

Next up was the fantastic Jill Sobule, who is always a complete delight to behold. She's not only SO talented, but downright hilarious, with some of the very best lyrics around. She told us how her first song didn't go over so big when she last played it in Tennessee ... "When They Say They Want Our America Back", and had everyone singing along with her when she asked, "Well, what the fuck do they mean?" Super timely, super relevant, and super true, whether Tennesseans liked it or not. We LOVED it (and Thank GOD for our little L.A. bubble). Then, with all the talk about earthquakes (and actual earthquakes happening lately - and that big dumb San Andreas movie opening), Sobule sang about how it it was "A Good Life", no matter what happens. We all sang along, and agreed with her. Especially on nights like this, it is a REALLY good life.

Sobule came out with "I Kissed A Girl" well before Katy Perry did, and on this night, she took her song back. We were all glad she did, as it was once again hilarious (and made a bunch of 13 year old girls buy her song by accident, which I love). A song about meeting your heroes, "Heroes". Again, it was pure comedy as Sobule listed off dictators and other dicks that should not fall into the heroic category. "Where is Bobbie Gentry?" is a song about how Sobule has been stalking the singer of "Ode To Billie Joe" - and she's getting close to finding her. You could hear Morello laughing in the wings as his friend wittily spun her musical tales and probably made people want to stalk HER.

Morello came back to let us know that Firebrand Fridays are not just musical events, but a movement. "A plan for global domination." These shows will happen on Fridays throughout the summer (follow Morello on Twitter to be kept in the know), but even if you're nowhere near, you can create a "Mosh pit in your mind" as you share your own firebrand thoughts through your music around the world and hashtag it with #FirebrandFriday so we can all stand together in solidarity, wherever we are. Do it. With that, Morello lit into his "Flesh Shapes The Day" and we all "Woo HOO HOO'd" with him during his musical mic check to show that we were all the way on board. "Si Se Puede, fuck YEAH!"

Carl Restivo "My Steven Van Zandt" came up to join Morello for the Ben Harper part on "Save The Hammer For The Man", which was as excellent as ever, their voices and guitars harmonizing together perfectly. "I need Daddy's apple juice", said Morello after that one and once that sauce got served, we got the sublimely gorgeous song about moments of doubt, "The Garden Of Gethsemane". Mary Morello was sitting down front, and at 91, she was as into it as anyone there as she watched her son play her favorite. It was so quiet in the tiny room, the only other sound you could hear was the (much needed) fan whirring and people breathing. Respect.

"This is a song about kicking everyone's ass that gets in your way," said Morello by way of introducing "House Gone Up In Flames". It truly was fiery, in its message and delivery, his "Whatever It Takes" acoustic guitar truly a weapon. Morello was singing so forcefully and meaning it so hard you could actually see his face shaking with the sheer determination that wrongs WILL be righted. People yelled themselves hoarse when it was done, and Morello told about how he's seen U2 at the Roxy the night before when some guy yelled out, "Helps to be Tom Morello!" to which Morello responded, "You can just put that hipster hate away, or I'll have Mary Morello come back there and choke you out." The hate was immediately stowed. Ha!

"The Fabled City" was dedicated to The Last Internationale, as it's their favorite, and then a champagne bucket was passed around for people to pony up for PATH, since the $10 cover worked out to "Only about $1.15 per superstar," and we could do - and did - better than that. While the bucket was being passed, Morello told us about how he could not believe it, but that very morning the words "Turn that music down, it's too loud!" had come out of his mouth to his sons. Everyone laughed, as they appreciated the irony there, especially when Morello said that the look his five year old son gave him was basically, "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!" Ahh ... the chickens coming home to roost. Hilarious. With that, Morello ended his set with a song about moments of certainty, and dedicated "Until The End" to our friend, the late anti-war hero, Tomas Young, saying from now on it would always be played for him. It was beautiful, and the room erupted in cheers after Morello's harmonica solo riled them all up.

Rancid's Tim Armstrong was actually kind of responsible for the Firebrand Friday, as he and Morello had talked about doing acoustic shows together, and now, here we were. I never realized the political slant in Rancid's music before, and was pleasantly surprised to hear, "It's Quite Alright", with its lyrics about freedom, ignorance, and reality. It was so good. "Thank you. How great is this?", asked Armstrong, and we all let him know it was pretty great. As was his "Harry Bridges" about the great Union leader, and also the man who lost his job. Powerful stuff. I also never knew that Rancid's "Into Action" was really about taking public transportation, as Armstrong doesn't drive. "Respect to New York, Respect to London, but we're from California and our state is golden!" That got big cheers, rightly so.

"This song's about hanging out with friends, because sometimes friends are all you've got." Armstrong played his last number, "Olympia, WA", and we were all just kind of tripping that Tim Armstrong was sitting right there on a stool, playing acoustic, and so was thoroughly entertaining that it was almost a drag that it was time for the All Star finale jam.

Almost, but not quite, because now EVERYONE came back up, and sang and played together like they were reaching for the rafters of Staples Center, but in a space smaller than one of the luxury suites over there. The legendary Pete Seeger Union song, "Which Side Are You On?" was belted out by all on stage and all in the audience alike, and all the fists in the house were raised, perhaps no higher than when Paz gave us chills again with her command to "Fight like a woman!" It was awesome in there.

Always the show stopper, "This Land Is Your Land" was listened to, sung to and jumped to in unison by all, front to back, as is required when Tom Morello is leading this classic.

He appointed one lady to film the proceedings, so we could all live in the moment live vs. through a phone screen - a greatly appreciated standard practice. The place went nuts the whole time, and then it amped up even further when Morello told the crowd that "Tomorrow is my birthday, and I'm having a fantastic time!"

So were all of us, and then it got even more fantastic when they couldn't stop and had to lay one more song on us and that song was The MC5's "Kick Out The Jams"!

Morello was beaming from ear to ear during he and Kramer's guitar lick battle, as those jams done got kicked OUT. The guy right behind me said simply, "Wow." That's just about all you could say, truly.

The sweaty and thrilled audience serenaded Morello with the "Happy Birthday" song, and it was over, with Morello thanking the Firebrand Freedom Fighters and reminding us all to "Take it easy, but take it!" Done, and done.

This night also served as the launch of the new label from Tom Morello and Ryan Harvey. Firebrand Records ... rebel music, by and for the People. It's ON.

THANK YOU to Tom, and to everyone involved. Freedom fighting is not only fun, but in these crazy times, ultra-necessary. Please join this master plan for global domination, either by attending a Firebrand Friday yourself (and supporting PATH!), or by uploading your own brand of fire and sharing it with the hashtag #FirebrandFriday. It's on, People.


* Photos by Paul Gronner Photography