Venice Art Crawl - The Spring Edition

Part Two of Venice Art Week went down last night with the Spring installment of the wonderful Venice Art Crawl, and it was as awesome as ever. I think I need to throw out a little disclaimer here, because I had some people disappointed that I didn't make it to see (and write about) their ArtBlock location. People. I'm one lady, usually on foot for these things, and when there's over 100 artists to check out, you most likely won't make it to all of them. I write these stories on my own time and dime, with no compensation from anyone, as a gift and service to the community I love. If you'd like to be mentioned, it might be helpful to introduce yourself ahead of time and let me know about what you're doing, because otherwise it's basically the luck of the draw, and time, and if I already know you and want to see you. Every story I write is meant to celebrate the people and greatness of Venice, and I guess I'd just be happy that someone is doing that at all - and I'll do my best to see it all, but if I don't ... you're still cool and maybe I'll see you next time. Or invite me over and we can do your own story sometime. OK. Thanks for bearing with that, and on to the Crawl!

My first stop was again a visit to Amy Kaps, who this time had decorated the utility box at Venice Boulevard and Oakwood in her signature black and white striped fabric.

She and photographer Eric Schwabel (another Minnesota native!) were there in matching stripes, taking photos and generally causing a stir at that intersection. This was a fun way of letting people know both "The Power Of Stripes" as their installation was named, and that the VAC was indeed ON.

We had a lot of ground to cover, as usual, so from there we hightailed it over to Deus Ex Machina to see Beastie Bak - the awesome work of Sunny Bak from her time documenting The Beastie Boys all over the place. As Art Crawl happens at night, it's always a party at every stop, and Deus was no different, with kegs and a grill going out back, and a bunch of biker-ish guys at laptops inside. Funny.

The Boys and Girls Club of Venice was showcasing the artwork of the kids in their programs, and had a stage set up outside with a whole bunch of families enjoying the sounds of what I think was also a kid band. The Rasta Bus was dropping off and picking people up all along the way, though we declined a lift because we had not yet seen it all over on Lincoln.

The Venice Love Shack was the headquarters for the VAC this time out, and it's always fun to see what they have going on over there.

A bunch of friendly folks were hanging out, and I learned about the brand new Westside Collective trailer located there, with the cutest summery clothes I've seen in a while. There will be a return visit there soon, trust me.

I hadn't been to the Venice Arts space on Lincoln in quite a while and it was great to see all of the good that they're still doing as an organization. I taught Creative Arts there as a volunteer for five years, and it was some of the very most rewarding work I've ever done. I don't think they have that class anymore, but the photography work of the kids at Venice Arts was as impressive as ever.

We had my friend's dog with, so were a bit limited by where we could go inside (sorry again if I missed you!), but we did as much as we could. We headed over to Abbot Kinney, where there was no one at the Wylie House, so we carried on over to In Heroes We Trust. Daniel Chimowitz was there showing his super original stencil art on canvas and clothes, and both Chimowitz and IHWT owner, Neely Shearer, were done up in his cool creations.

A welcome new addition to the party on Westminster was a old-timey truck called El Sombrero. They served up "fine frozen ice" - meaning slushie cocktails like Margaritas and Moscow Mules. After the brain freeze subsided, this stop found us kicking up things a big notch.

My first posse handed the baton to the next posse, and everything got rowdier. We set our compasses for the Windward Circle and found a fun band playing outside of Hama Sushi, and a bunch of art set up there on the sidewalk. It was extra fun and festive in the Circle, with the streets full of happy people having fun. Love it.

NextSpace (in the old video store space on the Circle) had a thing going on called "The Impermanence of Perception", where various artists (including homegirl Jules Muck) were painting with virtual reality brushes, and viewers could see what they were doing on a screen. I've done this at my friend's office, and it's way cooler to do it yourself than watch someone else, but we didn't stick around long enough to see if others got a turn, because friends were awaiting at the Townhouse. And by now we needed a thirst quencher. And my friend Big Cookie was lagging. I told him to speed it up because there was so much art to see, and he said, "No, you said this was the Art CRAWL, not the Art RUN." I stood corrected. Ha!

I like it when people set up bootleg artist sites on the VAC, and this time there were some guys displaying their work on the sidewalk between the Bank Of Venice and The Townhouse, and getting a lot of attention. The work featuring 3D shoes hanging off the telephone wires was my favorite. Right on, @Irvingjc!

Andy Clockwise was spinning Prince at The Townhouse, so that took up more time than I'd intended (another intangible that can happen at these events, and if I didn't get to see your art because of dancing to Prince - well ... apologies again, but that can't be helped.), but by then the official hours of the VAC were over anyway.

We saw that people were still hanging on the sidewalk in front of Gotta Have It though, so we had to go see what was going down there, as it's always one of my favorite stops of the Crawl. The art there was by Chris Markland and Adam Christopher Bright, and it was all good. Markland's video work was projected on the wall, tunes were spun, and tequila shots were enjoyed. Another successful blast of an Art Crawl was on the books!

Then it was back to The Townhouse - and none of your business. Thank you (!!!) to all of the VAC organizers and volunteers! It's such a special thing you've created, and we all really love it. We're already looking forward to the next one - July 21st!

OK ... one more to go. Hope to see you all on Sunday at the Art WALK! Phew.

*Also, Kudos for having more than enough maps this time, VAC!

Venice Art Week Kicks Off With Venice Art Block - The Best

There are a lot of great days in Venice, but yesterday was particularly so. Venice ArtBlock kicked off what is being called "Venice Art Week", with the trifecta of Block, Crawl, and Walk all going down in the same week this year. I'm partial to the Block, because it's all local artists, all opening up their (still) local studios, it's all free to attend, and you see everyone in town. All of the Art events are wonderful, but the  Block is grassroots, and all about keeping Venice not only about the ART but about the COMMUNITY. Which is awesome.

The May grey cleared out by about noon, and it was the most perfect day imaginable to be out and about looking at art and partying with your neighbors. Our first stop was to see dear friend Amy Kaps, who had just won the award for Best Experimental Film at the Fine Arts Film Festival at Beyond Baroque the night before. Kaps is a local legend, and her performance art pieces are some of the bravest and most thought-provoking things you can see. We clinked a glass with Kaps and her darling mother, Joy, and talked about how creative lives can sure be hard, but the Universe really lets you know when you're on the right path, and it sustains you. Somehow. Thank Goodness.

From that lovely visit, we crossed the street to check out the studio - and margaritas - of Rohitash Rao, Alexandra Dillon, Marlene Elise, and Jack Herzog. This might have been my favorite stop of the day, for the great art and for the great conversation. Rao's art is some of the wittiest work around, always with some biting commentary about our society, and painted on found objects, anything from an old fence to a champagne bottle. We talked about art and life and Venice and I felt so lucky to be surrounded by so many like-minded creatives all day. It's extra inspiring to know that so many people really are doing their best to make their lives be about what they love.

I also think Rao is great for having recently done this piece. Of course.

Dillon's dreamy work was great to see, as I'd only really seen her jewelry before, so to know that she also has gorgeous paintings up her sleeves was a delight to discover.

We were all happy to see Rao's young intern not only show his art for the first time. but to make his first sale! That's another angle to this kind of day and people ... people actually WANT to help and support each other. I didn't hear a word of competition or really anything but mutual admiration all day long. That is SPECIAL.

Also special is just how great the people of our community are. Hugs and waves were exchanged everywhere we went, and many times I was threatened to be left behind because my conversations were all going so long at every stop. That's because they were so great! I don't think I engaged in hardly any small talk at all, each chat was in depth, and I'd go so far as to say soulful. I got chills, I got tears in my eyes, I laughed my head off ... everyone was just being REAL. How great, but also how rare these days. I floated off to the next yellow flag, aware that the clock was ticking and there was still much to see.

The Electric Lodge had Gary Palmer and his crew out making a chalk mandala that was beautiful, as well as a dance performance by Heather Rabun and Domonic Dean Breaux. I ran into Block organizers Francisco Letelier and Marybeth Fama there, which was funny because I was on my way to their space right then. I thanked them for all of their hard work, and we all just kind of smiled and beamed, because it really couldn't have been any better. Pedicabs and buses were shuttling people along to all the event locations, but we had the freedom of being on foot (or so I chose to look at it). You see more up close that way.

Cruising down 6th, we stopped in to say hi to Jules Muck. She was busy making t-shirts and giving them all away for free to anyone who wanted one. A little old lady from Moscow came by pushing her little dogs in a baby stroller, and left with new friends and a new outfit. You could tell her day was made. As was mine (I left with a shirt spelling "Disaster"!).

Off to Letelier's beautiful studio/yard, which was another location featuring a whole slew of artists (Letelier, Fama, Ruth Chase Boudreaux, Maude Tanswai, Martha Ramirez Oropeza, Ivo Vergara, Marianne Magne, Hagop Belian, Venice Arts Council, Andrea Bijou, Philip Folsom!!!). It was packed with a ton of friends to talk to, and also new ones to learn from. Like Leonardo Ibanez, who is from Peru and makes incredible masks from all recycled materials.

 He pointed out the everyday items that made up his creations, like wine corks and paper beads he makes himself, and also explained how he makes his pigments for his paintings from beets and egg yolk. It was pretty fascinating stuff, and I could have listened to him a lot longer ... but I could tell the sun was already altering its course.

We clinked a beer in the garden with friends in the sunshine and it was so nice. That's another great thing about ArtBlock, is everyone is in entertainment mode, and set up for a party at each stop. Like, we kind of had to pace ourselves if we were going to still be upright by the end of the day. There's also a lot of walking though, so it somewhat balances out. Cheers!

I chatted with Jason Hill about his Venice-centric work, and was happy to see people not only appreciating it, but hitting him up about buying it. As fun as the whole thing is, that really is the point - giving artists the awareness and the support to keep them here, creating and enhancing the entire town through their work. It seemed to be doing the trick. Everywhere we went.

There was also live music all day, with musicians setting up in the alleys, yards, parking lots and sidewalks along the way. The alley outside of Letelier's studio was particularly raucous, with passersby joining in on the sing-alongs with gusto. No one seemed self-conscious, no one seemed shy, it was just all fun. FUN.

Over on Vernon, we went through all the studios there, with excellent work behind each door. I was sad and disappointed there, however, because a big sign had been put up in the hallway saying it would be this location's last Art Block because the landlord wants to double the rent, in another example of greed failing to recognize the big picture. There were Sharpies attached for visitors to sign their displeasure and it will be rolled out on that person's desk soon. Hopefully they won't want to be remembered as the Bad Guy. Which they will be, should they really kick everyone out. ENOUGH!

This feeling carried over to Sunset, where I saw my friend, Bill Attaway, had set up his wares on the sidewalk outside of his old - now empty and unused - studio. Where he was kicked out of last year. It's just ridiculous. And maddening. But, MAN, was I happy to see him again, and know that he's still here creating, and that our Artists cannot and will not be stopped by someone else's greed. Ever. That alone is a triumph.

The Artiststore was packed with art enthusiasts, and it was cool to see not only Pamela Weir-Quiton's wonderful woodwork again, but also her fashion work, now being brought out and displayed.

This is couture style super creative stuff, and it was fun to see people trying things on and experimenting. You could physically see inspiration happening, as one would wear that orange jacket with their fabulous white skirt, etc ... and you heard the voices raise a notch with excitement. It was cool.

The Temple Of Mediclaytion was a crucial stop, not only because it was so great to see ceramic artist Patrick Johnston and his lady, Sam Savoia, again, but also because they were grilling up awesome burgers and dogs, and at this point in the day, that was extra appreciated. Thank you, TOC!!! It was also great to see the spark in someone's eye as they learned that they too could take pottery classes and it might be a whole new thing to love. Self discovery is one of the very best parts of art, right?

I made a quick hop inside Dustin Otterbach's rocket ship to say hi, and quick catch up with the dude that makes these real great metal bracelets, and also, you just have to jump in a rocket ship when you get the chance.

Bisco Smith and I slammed down some bones in his black and white studio, while Anderson Paak's exceptional Venice album played in the background. With frosty Tecates in hand, this stop was excellent - as is all of Smith's graffiti-influenced work.

Texts were coming in from all over town about where to head next, from rooftop jams to beautiful paintings I'd missed way over on the walk streets. The loudest music was coming from over on Hampton at John Mooney's Moonlight Glass Studio, so that's where we rolled to next. The Venice Street Legends were playing their bluesy tunes, the grill was fired up, and people were dancing in the streets (ok, the parking lots)! Tons of friends were here, so this really became a true party.

I hung with my bff, Erinn, there a moment, and thought that her perfect hat ribbon sort of summed up the day ... Love What You Do ... Do What You Love. Exactly. And everyone was doing it!!

By now the sun was setting and real parties were getting going. Maps in hand, we tried to squeeze in any more art that we could, but at the beach we were met by maybe the best display of the day ... Flags from around the world from every nation were stuck in the sand surrounding the Drum Circle. People were going off, drumming and dancing and yelling in celebration of what had truly been an exquisite day in Venice.

Along with the flags, just about every language could be heard talking and laughing along the way, and it was beautiful. Art and music and sunsets and color and dancing and smiles are all Universal. There were no barriers, just joy and community, and everyone having an equally great time ... right here in Venice, California on a sunny Sunday. And all was well, at least for the moment. Which is all we really have.

A heartfelt thank you to the wonderful Venice ArtBlock for an entire day of perfect moments!

Mercede's Late Night Supper Club - Stay Classy, Venice!

Mercede's Grille has been a fixture at the end of Washington Boulevard in Venice since 1998. Just steps from the Venice Pier, every time you hang out at Mercede's Grille feels like you're on vacation, even if you just walked there from home, which we usually do. 

    *Photo courtesy of Edizen Stowell/Venice Paparazzi 

Mersedeh Ahrablou immigrated to the U.S. from Iran with her Mother in 1978, who wanted to raise her children in the United States for a better education. Ahrablou got hers at Santa Monica High School and College, all the while working at restaurants, with an eye on opening her own. She even worked at the very space that now houses her Grille, back when it was called "Rotisserie Del Rey"! She had a feeling about the space even then, but it would take a few more years of working at Baja Cantina before she could raise the funds for her own place. 

Once Ahrablou found the means and the space, it was a LOT of hard work put in by her own family to make her dream a reality. She would listen to the Gipsy Kings, and she could see the colors of the place, and taste the food that she would serve. It would be a Caribbean concept, as she loved the brightness and flavors of that culture, and the idea that it did always feel like a getaway. There were plenty of naysayers, but that only gave Ahrablou the fuel to keep going and get it done, and Mercede's Grille has been serving up the good times ever since the doors opened.

Though in business for almost 20 years now (May 28 is their 18th Anniversary!), Ahrablou always keeps things fresh. She learned how to make sushi and opened Naked Sushi in 2005 right next door to her Grille. That was great and delicious until 2009, when Ahrablou decided there were enough sushi places around, and transformed Naked Sushi into her wine bar, Bin 73, which it remains today. Tomorrow marks the beginning of a new phase at Mercede's Grille, as Mercede's Late Night Supper Club kicks up its heels off and gets down!

I say heels because this is going to be a classy affair ... think Ricky Ricardo's Club Babalu. A few years ago, Ahrablou and I went to Costa Rica together to work on a cook book for her restaurant (that we still need to finish!). We had a layover in Miami and we seriously thought about trying to get into Havana from there, as both of us are absolutely fiending to go. Things had not yet opened up with Cuban/American relations though, so we had to settle for the Versailles stand in the airport. But a seed was planted, and tomorrow night is the launch of the Cuban style Supper Club Ahrablou has been picturing ever since.

It's fun to dress up, and it's fun to have somewhere to go to do it. Lots of restaurants in the area tend to close the kitchen early, but the Supper Club will be serving GOOD food until late. We've all grown up (a little), and this is the kind of scene that will be for the grown ups. I imagine it will be dress up and elegant, and then as the night goes, the heels will be kicked off and the dancing will happen until close. I can't wait.

As Mercede's Grille has been such a big part of the community over the years, I asked Ahrablou what she thought of all the changes going on around town these days. "People are getting pushed out," she said. "If we don't support the people and places we love, they'll go away. I've seen more people than ever at The Roosterfish (closing for good next week) ... but what if all of them had been there all along?" A right question to ask. She went on to throw down some more truth, saying, "Venice will always be Venice - you can't touch that, because our roots will always be here. Like any religion (which she believes Venice to be, and I love that), we'll always stand our ground. It's the truth." Yeah.

A few years ago, one of Ahrablou's employees, Guillermo Carmona-Perez, was murdered after work. It was awful, but the way the entire community came together to support his family in an outpouring of support that still brings tears to Ahrablou's eyes. "We all need each other when things fall apart. Grasp yourselves and your neighbors close, because you're going to need each other at some point." So true, and I think a big reason why "Community" is always the main reason people state that they love the most about our Venice. Those are the people that really get it.

Ahrablou walks the beach and does the surf check every morning with her little daughter, Tallah Tiger, and that time is sacred to her. "Anyone who has lived in Venice knows that it is an earned blessing." An earned blessing. I think that's a great way to think of it ... and all the more reason to protect and cherish it.

Mercede's Late Night Supper Club is going to be yet another thing to love about Venice, and yet another thing to make it special. Start thinking about your outfit, maybe tuck a flower behind your ear. and let's kick up our heels together at our own little slice of Havana right here in Venice!

Mercede's Late Night Supper Club
14 Washington Boulevard
Venice
Mercedesgrille.com
10pm - 1 am, Thursday through Sunday

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!