Adidas No Longer Defining Venice

Special Late Thursday Afternoon Edition:

Well, it took a week, but apparently Adidas is no longer "Defining Venice". They heard the People.

The incredibly insulting sign is now gone, with merely their logo in its place. This is encouraging. This means that we still have the Community here in Venice, and we will still stand up together when something is outrageously wrong. The real deal Venice neighbors came out of the woodwork with their displeasure on this one, spoke up, did something about it, and now it's gone. This has to keep happening, not only here, but in this crazy country right now. Unity creates change. WE create the Venice - and the World - we want to live in.

While we're at it, let's do things about the BIG things, not just signs. Help the homeless, stop the big chains and developers, resist Snapchat and their ilk ... you know. Stuff like that. We can do it. We've proved that Venice isn't "over", and many, many awesome people who have made Venice their beloved home are still here. Solid. 

Good job, Everybody! THANK YOU to everyone who made their voices heard. Don't let up.
Power to the People!

Bernie Sanders In Santa Monica - Power To The People!

We here on the West side finally got our chance to hear Senator Bernie Sanders speak at a rally last night held at Santa Monica High School (Home of the Vikings!). Now, I've been to my share of political rallies, and none have been like this one. Not even Obama's. We decided to get there early to make sure we'd get in, and there was already a long line stretching from the 10 Freeway all the way past the Samo football field, around the corner and on up Pico - I heard it reached to Lincoln Boulevard! The line itself was a microcosm of America itself ... every ethnicity, every age, every single possible permutation of Bernie Sanders' face and name on clothes, buttons, hats, signs ... this crowd was absolutely "Feeling the Bern!"

It was fun. It was like being on line to a rock concert, except no one was messed up from partying, and everyone was there, sure, to have a good time, but really, we were all there to save the World. It'd coming to that. We instantly made friends with our neighbors in line, and not one person thought we aren't going to see a President Sanders. Not one. Because, at this point, as one t-shirt read "Bernie Sanders, You're our only hope!" in a Star Wars font. That's no hyperbole. Hillary Clinton cannot beat Trump. Trump will ruin the World. It's actually a pretty simple choice. And every single person in attendance is making it ... and will be on the right side of history.

We waited in line until 4pm, when the doors opened. Then there was a Disneyland-style queue once inside, but even that was fun. Ben Cohen from Ben & Jerry's was there scooping up ice cream for the People. Kettle Chips was handing out "Democratic" chips - as everyone got some (so really more Socialist chips, which I prefer anyway), and friends shouted out from their spot in line. I was so happy to see a bunch of friends there without having talked about it, but the MOST happy to see my friends' daughter and her young teenager friends, as enthusiastic as I've ever seen them. Even more than for Bieber (though maybe not as much as the Hunger Games guy...). Encouraging for the future - there will still be some good people!

Good People. That's all there was at this event, as everyone to a person was kind, polite, helpful, considerate, and overall just lovely. It was packed and uncomfortable, with people on their feet for hours, some with babies, some with crutches, some hunched over from age, but everyone was smiling. Everyone was excited. I actually got a lump in my throat much more than once from all the quality examples of humanity I was seeing. I was so, so impressed with the behavior of every person I saw. Like THIS is how it's SUPPOSED to be. This is how I want our Country to BE. As Sanders himself later said, "This is the face of Democracy." How it was meant to be.

We finally got let in to the football field (after going through Security scanners and having to throw out our fruit? Like we'd throw it at Bernie? Never.) and it was a free for all to get as close to the stage as possible. People staked out their spots, and then sat listening to the great playlist (Pearl Jam/Muse/Bob Marley/Tracy Chapman/"Burn Baby Burn/Disco Inferno" - every song with "Revolution" in its title)and chatting with new friends. "Power To The People" blared out over the speakers, and that sentiment was perhaps never more truly felt. You could FEEL the power of everyone coming together in an effort to do what's right. All those cameras, all those cheers, all those shouts of approval for great things, and boisterous boos for the nightmares that have been going on in our country ... we absolutely have the POWER to change it all. You just had to look around to know that.

Sharpshooters were stationed on surrounding buildings, which was a bit creepy, but was balanced out by nearby residents hanging out of their windows and sitting on their apartment rooftops to see the action from up above. It must have looked awesome, because being down in the mix you couldn't really see the hugeness of the crowd - but you could sure feel it.

A pretty bad singer (It's LA! You could get anyone!) sang a pretty bad song, and then Lili Haydn played an also pretty bad (Sad, because I really like her, but this was cringe-worthy) version of The Star Spangled Banner on her violin. It was mostly screechy feedback, but the crowd singing along helped some. Cenk Uygur of The Young Turks show (really the only place giving you the real news these days - looking at you and disappointed in you both NPR and Mother Jones - ugh) came out to rile up the crowd and speak truth to power. About how Sanders is the ONLY candidate left that makes any sense at all (I'm paraphrasing, but that was the gist. And the truth.)

Great signs were held up throughout the crowd ... and I especially liked "TELEVISE THIS!" and "Bernie Or Bust!" held up right in front of the phalanx of camera crews from various news outlets (who finally caught on). Like, DO YOUR JOB, MEDIA! The Media actually received the most boos of the night, followed closely by Trump and Clinton - all well deserved. "Bern 1 For Bernie" was also well received by this California crowd (which later cheered loudly for Sanders' pro-marijuana stance).

Rosario Dawson came out to speak on how our candidate is the real deal, and how this election is truly about the "Soul of our Country", which is the solid truth. Who do we want to be? I want to be GOOD. As the enthusiasm and excitement swelled, Dawson, having looked out at all the vastly diverse (in every way) faces all having come together for this cause, and truthfully said, "This is a MOVEMENT, not a moment." Amen. Awomen!

Dawson blushingly introduced the wonderful Dick Van Dyke (remind me to tell you a DVD joke sometime), who at 90 years old, is as spry and upbeat as you remember. He said, "Hi, I'm what's left of Dick Van Dyke" and the crowd roared with affection. He spoke about feeling his democracy disintegrating, and how he had to do something about it. He said he was sold on Sanders right away, because he had "taken off the Emperor's clothes". Van Dyke was very active in the civil rights struggle. and deservedly proud of that battle. It's up to us to now continue to fight for what's right - and we will.

Van Dyke then introduced the crowd to Senator Sanders, saying, "I can feel the spirit here!", and the place went nuts. Everyone surged forward to get as close as possible, and the cheers were deafening. It was awesome. Every line Sanders spoke was met with either cheers of approval or roars of disgust, punctuated by "Bernie! Bernie Bernie!" chants whenever something was particularly right on.

Sanders often begins a new thought with, "Brothers and Sisters ..." and I love that. Because we all are. We're all in this together. "This campaign is about bringing us together, not tearing us apart" - and it really is. The future of our Country is about justice, and making things right. That we will be remembered not for how many weapons we had or whatever, but how we treated the weakest members of our society.

Well, it that's up to the people in this place (and it is), they will be well taken care of. Any time someone wanted to leave, the crowd parted respectfully. Anytime there was a statement made about how a certain group was being treated, say immigrants or Muslims or prisoners or the elderly or the mentally ill ... the loudest cheers came from the ones not a part of that group. A big beefy white guy in front of me was cheering loudest when Sanders was talking about uniting deported families. A young Asian girl yelled hardest when he was talking about taking care of the elderly. An elderly man in front of us had both fists raised when we were hearing about marijuana reform (which got massive cheers - "I want to smoke out with you, Bernie!"). People seemed to not be in it for themselves and their special interests, but for everyone's. And that is what I was by far the most impressed by. The concern for our fellow humans. It was incredibly touching, and I think every citizen of this country, and the World, would benefit from attending a Bernie rally and seeing what we really can be. It was nothing short of the REAL American Dream. With everyone on the same page ... Ahhhh.

Sanders spoke to how he has had 8 million (!) individual donors to his campaign, the most in history. That alone defines this campaign - this LEADER - as different, as honorable, and as WHAT WE NEED. Someone who has the backs of the People who believe in him. And Sanders clearly does, in his every word and action for the last 40 years of consistent public service, fighting for justice. Fighting for PEOPLE. He's the Man.

Sanders spoke quite a while, as the golden sun set on the crowd. Though you may have heard his talking points before, it never felt canned, it never felt pandering, it only felt REAL. The dude is smart and all the way up on every single issue, and makes you feel better about them all. As my friend Tom Morello is fond of saying, "Real change has always started from the bottom up" ... and it's happening. "Our diversity is our strength" - looking around this rally, truer words were never spoken. Together we are STRONG. Sanders closed by saying, "Love trumps hatred". THE bottom line.  People went crazy in agreement, yelling, whistling, jumping ... all knowing in our bones how right this all is. All while Bowie's "Starman" played.

Sanders went through the crowd, shaking hands and grinning at how great it was. We didn't even get close because it was a madhouse, but no matter. A spontaneous dance party had started up in the middle of the football field, with strangers joining in and dancing with abandon. I got another lump in my throat, because, really. This is how we want to be, as a Country, and as a People. THIS is what our Founding Fathers intended for this grand American experiment (this is actually probably even better than what those guys came up wtih)  ... and we can still get it right.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE!!!



Please vote for Bernie Sanders in California on June 7th.

Please vote for Bernie Sanders for President in November.

Firebrand Fridays - People Have The Power!

Sometimes it goes down that too many good things are happening at the same time, and in Los Angeles, sometimes that means you have to make tough choices. We were on our way downtown to the Prince Memorial at Los Angeles City Hall last Friday, when the traffic was taking so long we had to turn around and abort the mission if we wanted to be at Firebrand Fridays at Genghis Cohen - which we did. After a winter hiatus, the rousing evenings of people empowerment were just rebooted by Tom Morello and friends at the Chinese restaurant on Fairfax.

It was sad to not be downtown with my Prince people, but it also felt a little fake to me, like if it's not happening in Minneapolis, why bother? I also didn't feel like being sad, and knew being there would mean more crying, and I wanted to feel strong - which you always do after one of the Firebrand shows.

The night was a showcase of artists from Morello and Ryan Harvey's Firebrand Records, and after a brief introduction by Morello about the night all being for a good cause (all proceeds go to assist PATH in their work with the homeless), their Kareem Samara and Sun Of Nun (Kevin James) opened the show playing the oud and rapping over recorded crowd noise tracks. It was cool, and set the tone for the night. There would be gorgeous playing, whipsmart lyrics, and a crowd all the way into it for the duration. It was on.

Jill Sobule charmed everyone, as usual. She played her truthful and funny "When They Say We Want Our America Back" about the whole immigration debate, the whole room shouted back the answer, "What the fuck do they mean?!" It's pretty much a perfect song, and as Sobule always delivers the potent medicine with a spoonful of sugar, her point is most likely always heard. Smart. Sobule next covered Bowie with "All The Young Dudes", and the crowd sang noisily along from the palm of her hand.

Ryan Harvey is one of the sources I look to the most for the most honest, there on the ground perspective of protest and refugee situations all over the world. From his native Baltimore to his recent stint rescuing refugee boats in Lesvos, Greece, Harvey walks the walk that he talks. I always find his posts on social media to be the most truthful and accurate on any given situation, and they provide a deeper understanding as to what's really going on in the world. The same goes for his songs, and when he took the stage with Kareem Samara and Diego Souza, we were all transported along to the distant shores, watching for overcrowded boats in their song, "Thin Blue Border".

"See It Through" was written about the lack of response to the refugee crisis from the U.S., and its fast, frenetic tempo mimicked the urgency of the situation, imploring people to "Hold the line, even if your voice shakes!" Samara is a complete virtuoso on the oud, and a real joy to behold as he wove a spell around the important words.

Harvey explained that Egypt, Greece, Palestine, Turkey, Ferguson, MO, etc ... all have something in common, which is that the same tear gas substance (made by the Combined Systems company out of Pennsylvania) has been used on people fighting for freedom in all of those places, and more. "Smell It In The Air" calls them out, saying, "There's something that connects us, you can smell it in the air!" It's pretty sinister stuff, and something no one should put up with. It was powerful, and as often happens after these guys play, you felt smarter.

Harvey introduced his co-conspirator in Firebrand Records, and Morello took the stage to huge applause. "One Man Revolution" kicked off his set, and he blew on his harmonica and stomped his feet so ferociously that there was no way it was only a one man thing anymore. Everyone was on board, and it's something to behold every time. Mary Morello was in her usual spot right down front, and her son next played her favorite, "The Garden Of Gethsemane". The acoustic playing on this one is so lush and beautiful, it seems to put people in a trance. It silences the people so effectively that Morello is able to deliver the last verse entirely away from the mic. He says the song is about moments of doubt, but we were all very sure it was awesome.

Morello then launched into "Flesh Shapes The Day" but forgot the words, and the crowd knew them for him. He explained that he's coaching his son's baseball team, so he didn't have enough time to practice for the show, but his son did go 3 for 3 with two home runs! Worth it. He asked for requests, and as several deep catalog Nightwatchman tracks were shouted out, he did not hear my desire to hear "Purple Rain" yet again. Bummer.

"Maximum Firepower" ended Morello's set, with the sad truth sung that "The skin you're in makes choices for you." Every Morello song is timely and truthful, but this one felt very of the moment. And excellent. His conviction is tangible, from the hoarsely shouted lyrics to the fierce strumming, there really aren't a whole lot more people you'd rather follow into battle. Because he MEANS it. Clearly.

"Holy shit, I have to follow that?!" exclaimed Son Of Nun upon taking the stage, but he needn't have worried, because the crowd was along for the night's whole ride. We all joined in the rapper's call and response, yelling, "Word is bond - That's my song! Make that jam rock - All night long!" Son Of Nun is also from Baltimore, but gave it up for Los Angeles crowds after that one, 'cause we gave it some gusto. "You're gonna leave with your shirt wet," promised Son Of Nun, and he was not wrong. It was STEAMY in there, as the tiny, windowless room could not have been more packed.

Like Harvey and Samara's songs, every Son Of Nun lyric has bite and intelligence. Plus they're fun to yell along with as we joined in on the raps for rebels. "It's Like That" has us all chanting the names of Freddy Gray, Oscar Grant, Maya Hall, Tyrone West, Sandra Bland ... and the sad list goes on. This song is saying ENOUGH, and throwing down a gauntlet ... "If we don't get it, SHUT IT DOWN!" Yes. We need more and more songs and artists out there, saying exactly this. It's crucial.

Morello introduced The Last Internationale by saying, "Next is Firebrand's most exotically beautiful couple ... you'll see!" Sure enough, the gorgeous Delilah Paz and Edgey took the stage, but their great looks were almost immediately forgotten with the strength and beauty of their powerful playing and singing. I mean, they opened with Aretha Franklin's "Freedom"! Powerhouse. TLI has me forever now after their next one, which was an original melody put to the lyrics of Kris Kristofferson's "Don't Let The Bastards Get You Down." What?! Favorites playing a favorite, and making it their own. Those are the great musical moments you often get at shows like these. LOVED it.

"Hard Times" was a bluesy number that you'll hear on the next TLI record, and "1968" was their "Revolutionary anthem" that really showcased Paz's voice - and hotness - when she sang about how making revolution makes you feel like making love, which of course it does. We joined in on this one, chanting "People, People have the power!" under her lyrics, and in that moment, it absolutely felt like we did. Because we DO. The Last Internationale have a solo show at the Viper Room on May 25, and you really don't want to miss that gig.

Rhiannon McGavin is a local teenage poet, and she next got up there and delivered a poem about sexual assault and "Denim Day", which draws attention to that particular nightmare. It packed a punch, and as Morello correctly assessed, "I think we're in good hands with the Millenials." At least this one.

The All Star Jam is always my favorite at these shows, and everyone crammed back up on stage to belt out Leadbelly's "Bourgeois Blues", which was great, and then we convinced their asses that we'd enjoy hearing some more. We got more, as Samara took over singing lead in his British accent for The Clash's "Should I Stay Or Should I Go?" This one got pretty rowdy, and shirts were indeed wet.

The ironic champagne bucket was passed around the room for the grateful audience to kick in more for PATH, and as that was happening, Morello told about how it had been his turn to speak to to the little kids at his son's school for May Day. He shared his "revolutionary rhetoric for toddlers" to the kids, telling them how the miners in Marseilles, Illinois formed a Union and fought for the eight hour work day, because they never saw their children and they just wanted to PLAY! This was the real story of May Day, and this IS the real story of "This Land Is Your Land", which was, as ever, the night's finale.

As Morello explained how the song would go down (I'm anarchist, but I'm rule based, like Darth Vader" ... I leave 'motherfucker' out when I talk to the five year olds, but I think it in my head."), and how we were all in it together, it really felt true. You felt that everyone in there had been revolutionized, and that they really would take it out into the world with them, and STAND UP against any social injustice that rears its ugly heads before them. This alternative National Anthem is the real deal, and really the main thing to remember going forward. This land is OUR land. It was made for you AND me. Everyone jumped together in agreement and solidarity, and were reminded once again by Morello that we must "Take it easy, but take it!" Yeah.

The crowed exploded out into the night, gasping for cool air and a breeze to dry the shirts. I headed for home, feeling inspired, and totally sure that I'd made the right choice in the night's entertainment. Because everyone was happy, everyone was ALIVE, and everyone could feel the promise of better days ahead, because we're in it together. And People have the power. Never forget that.

See you next time!