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11-SONG SET FEATURES APPEARANCES BY SYSTEM OF A DOWN'S SERJ TANKIAN AND SHOOTER JENNINGS
 
June 30th, 2008 -- New York, New York -- Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine is set to release the solo album, The Fabled City, September 30th, 2008 via Epic Records.  The 11-song set is the anticipated follow up to the 2007 The Nightwatchman debut One Man Revolution.  Now being billed as Tom Morello : The Nightwatchman, the album is the first release to bear the political and social activist's birth name. The Fabled City was produced by Brendan O'Brien (Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam) and features appearances by System Of A Down's Serj Tankian and Shooter Jennings.
 
In addition to his career as a critically acclaimed solo artist, Tom Morello is a founding member and guitarist of the rock bands Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave.  The two bands are responsible for multiple Grammy Awards and a combined 30 million albums sold worldwide.  Widely known for his unique voice as a master electric guitarist, his compositions as Tom Morello : The Nightwatchman have been primarily based around the acoustic guitar.  However, as his Myspace page firmly states, “You don’t have to be loud, son, to be heavy as shit,” and the stories and sounds presented throughout the album showcases a depth and intelligence rarely heard in the modern musical climate surrounding it.  With more complex electric arrangements than displayed on One Man Revolution, The Fabled City is the synthesis of his groundbreaking work as an innovative rock guitarist and revolutionary acoustic troubadour.  
 
When describing The Fabled City, Morello stated "My goal was to capture the energy and emotion of The Nightwatchman live shows. There is a much more rocking quality to this record, solos and riffs, mixed with darker acoustic songs. I think my singing has come a long way as well. I had a lot of devastating losses of family and friends during the past two years and The Fabled City is a search for hope through music and confronting injustice."
 
In the spring of 2008, Morello launched The Justice Tour, a nationwide concert tour formed in celebration of the 60th Anniversary of The Human Rights Declaration.  The tour, which featured performances from Perry Farrell, Slash, Dave Navarro, Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains, Wayne Kramer of the MC5, Sen-Dog of Cypress Hill and more, visited cities with a day dedicated to a local charity and a rock show to benefit that charity at each stop.  The tour performances were an extension of the periodic residency he has presided over for the past two years at the intimate Los Angeles, CA venue, Hotel Cafe, and included live performances of many songs from The Fabled City.
 
Recognized by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the "100 Greatest Guitar Players of All-Time (#26)," Morello is one of only two guitarists featured as a playable animated character in the overwhelmingly popular Activision video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. 
 
Tom Morello graduated from Harvard University with honors as a Political Science major and has been a widely recognized political activist throughout his career.  In 2006, he was the recipient of the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award.  Morello's family has been a constant source of political and social inspiration as his great-uncle, Jomo Kenyatta was the first president of Kenya, and his mother, Mary Morello, founded Parents for Rock and Rap, an anti-censorship counterweight to Tipper Gore's PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center).  With System of A Down’s Serj Tankian, Morello formed Axis of Justice, an organization whose purpose is to bring together musicians, music fans, and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice and hosts it’s inspired radio show, The Axis of Justice Radio Network.
 
As a producer, Morello has worked with The Crystal Method, Anti-Flag, Puff Daddy, and many more.  He has also scored compositions for major motion pictures such as the 2008 hit Iron Man (where he can also be seen as an actor), The Matrix, Collateral, Charlie's Angels, Talladega Nights, XXX: State of the Union and more.
 
In the summer of 2008, Morello and Rage Against The Machine will headline many European Music Festivals with a headlining performance on August 2nd at the Lollapalooza Festival in Chicago, IL.
 
Tom Morello : The Nightwatchman will be touring heavily throughout 2008 and 2009 in support of The Fabled City.
 
Tom Morello : The Nightwatchman The Fabled City Track Listing:
1. The Fabled City
2. Whatever It Takes
3. The King of Hell
4. Night Falls
5. The Lights Are On In Spidertown
6. Midnight In The City of Destruction
7. Saint Isabelle
8. Lazarus On Down featuring Serj Tankian
9. Gone Like Rain
10. The Iron Wheel featuring Shooter Jennings
11. Rise to Power]]> Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:01:54 GMT http://www.thenightwatchman.com
First stop, Los Angeles! The charity for the home stop was PATH - People Assisting the Homeless (www.epath.org). On a sunny Monday, a motley crew (not Crue - I clarify because you just never know) led by The Nightwatchman met up in a hotel lobby to meet and board a van to take us down to PATH. The group of rockers on this day was the Boston band, State Radio, Wayne Kramer of the MC5, and Breckin Meyer, star of screen and drums. Their goal: to learn a bit about the homeless problem in Los Angeles, and ways in which they are being helped. L.A. has an estimated 80,000 people sleeping on the streets at any given time.

We've all seen them, felt for them, given them some change, and gone about our business. But you never really see what goes on behind the scenes or what can be done unless you really seek it out. So that's what we did.

The PATH facility is in downtown-ish Los Angeles, on a dead-end street next to a freeway overpass. It's not the greatest location, but once you get inside, you are immediately impressed. The place is immaculate, and very structured. You enter to what they call the PATH Mall - a "one stop shop" collaborative for social services, that allows the clients to have all their needs under one roof, rather than shuttling them all over town with their already limited resources.

PATH was founded in 1984 as a non-profit to break the cycle of homelessness by empowering people with the tools for self-sufficiency. Initially, it was an emergency food and clothing distribution program, but it has grown into a 40,000 square foot multi-facility organization that is doing great things in our city.

We all blew into their lobby to receive a warm welcome by the staff, who graciously answered all our questions - and there were many, so it was good that it seemed to be off hours. We learned the main areas of their work:

-Transitional (98 Beds on offer each night for men, women and families - never enough) and Affordable Housing

- Outreach and referrals

- Educational and employment assistance (Job Centers all over SoCal)

- Health services (physical and mental)

- Supportive social services

John Joel Roberts, CEO of PATH Partners, said, "The Justice Tour is an exciting partnership which will help us raise awareness about the crisis of homelessness in L.A." So that's where you come in - be aware of your fellow man/woman/child and do what YOU can to make a difference.

We went on a tour of the PATH Mall and learned what each individual area is up to. And there are many. As one of the clients told me, "This place is Primo for what you need". It is definitely the first place I'd suggest someone look for help after checking it out for ourselves.

PATH Finders is the job/employment center. They'll work with the clients to place them in a job, give them computer/phone/fax access (and teach them to use them). They offer training classes for things such as forklifts and the culinary industry. They'll give them orientations and mock interviews. Many of the clients need help with basics like learning to take the bus, paying fares, dressing appropriately, etc ... and PATHFinders hooks them up on all fronts.

We were all curious as to how people find out about PATH, because it's for sure something more people need to know about. They said they have outreach programs, they canvass the city with flyers, and they also partner with Midnight Mission and the City of L.A. to get the word out. Oh, and the occasional, o.k. first, Rock and Roll Tour to benefit them!

Tom brought up that homelessness seemed to explode in the 80's under the Reagan administration, with the cutting of so many social programs. They seemed reluctant to speak ill of the dead, but didn't disagree either. Honestly, do you ever remember seeing so many homeless people when you were a kid? Things did seem to take a curious turn for the worse in that era ... but places like PATH make you feel like they don't at all have to stay that way, and can improve markedly.

PATH Health does health outreach, check-ups, meds, HIV and TB testing, right there in-house.

Clare Foundation - the branch here opens their doors to counsel homeless clients.

There is even a Community Court in the facility, complete with bench and flag. They help people that may have had tickets pile up and become misdemeanors and try to clean up that mess for them (dismiss) so they can have a chance at getting a job and out from under the Man.

The Mall also had a full-service salon, run by a kindly and enthusiastic woman named Vicki, who had also once been homeless herself. Her salon was covered with photos of people she has served and their kids. She told us it's all about self-esteem, and making them feel better about themselves. It might not seem an obvious high priority when dealing with the massive homeless problem - but preparing them for job interviews or just making someone feel like they look good - I think we can all relate to that boost.

There is so much good to say about PATH and all they offer ... I really could go on all day. Instead, I will let you do some research and perhaps visit yourself one day, and tell you more about our time there.

Our purpose was to learn more about it, which we did, but it was also to serve. A meal, in our case. After touring the men's, women's and family areas (neat cubicles that people can call their own and have somewhere to put their personal belongings that is safe), we went to the kitchen and met our boss, the head cook, Christine. The menu this evening was beef fajitas and rice (no veggies came in this day). Christine said, "I have a passion for what I do, so I'm in the right place". That seemed to be the prevalent feeling among all the workers we met there - they were called to be of service, and to HELP people. Hey, us too!

Tom, Wayne, Breckin and the guys from State Radio (Charlie, Chuck and Mike) got to work setting out salt and pepper shakers and napkins. Tom explained to one client that they were musicians going on tour to "Do a bit of good in each city, AND rock out". That sums it up perfectly. He added, "Benefit shows are usually one-sided, and on this one, the artists will get more involved, and volunteer. This tour has been going on for about an hour and a half, and so far it's great!" I couldn't agree more.

We were on the men's floor, and as the gentlemen arrived for their evening meal, it was apparent that the people filming and the crowd of funky dressers were new to them. One guy asked Tom, "Hey, were you on Good Morning, America?" Tom said he was in a band .. well, actually two bands. "Do you have cd's out?" Yes, he did. "Well, good, you got your foot on the ground then." "You got a label? They promote your stuff?" ... "Some better than others". "Do you have a posting on You Tube? I just learned how to use that". It was great to see them sitting together and just hanging out, just some men talking about the world and its various difficulties.

A lovely man named Perry explained to me that his life had totally changed since coming to PATH. You see, you have to save 80% of your income to stay there (which is free), the goal being that in the 6 month time frame you are allowed to stay there, you should be able to save for your own permanent housing - taking one more person off the streets. He told me, "Seven months ago, I couldn't have sat here and had this conversation with you, and you wouldn't have wanted to", that he had been diagnosed and treated for some mental illness and now he was straight and had goals, and was meeting them ... and "my reward is you coming here". I get a lump in my throat as I write that, as I could picture him mere months ago, lying on the street, and it was so life-affirming to see him sitting here laughing like the 7-Up Uncola Guy today. He said, "We get celebrities come here on holidays and get their picture taken, but this guy is cool", meaning our friend, The Nightwatchman. I think a few people might agree. Especially when next, a guy from Ghana said he'd never been to a concert, and Tom immediately leapt up to get a piece of paper to write their names on to put on his personal guest list for the launch of the Justice Tour the next night. "Will you have transportation to get there?", asked Tom. "Well, you can send a limo.", replied the fellow who had the sharpest wit.

PATH's motto is "A hand up, not a hand out", so the limo might not work, but we left feeling a little better about hope for our city, and for our fellow citizens. Perry said the hardest part about being homeless is feeling like you don't matter, how people won't look you in the eye. I know that we who visited PATH that day will remember that always.

Please take a moment to investigate PATH further, and know that good things ARE being done in the fight to eradicate homelessness in our city. Hands up!]]> Fri, 30 May 2008 02:22:00 GMT http://www.thenightwatchman.com
But NOTHING could have prepared them for what went down in this MARATHON of rock on this night. Now, The Troubadour has seen some storied evenings, and I've been there for some of them, but THIS? Get comfy and OH, how I hope you were there! (If not, it has been duly captured on film from many angles, trust.)

I was there for the sound check, so I knew some of the surprises, and could barely contain myself knowing how much people were going to trip out. So, let's get started, shall we?

The Nightwatchman Morello, as usual, started the night out by saying, "I just saw the line-up for Live Aid, and I can tell you, tonight's line-up is better". That set the tone right from the start. "Flesh Shapes The Day" kicked off the night, and the tour, in a grand fashion. "Hoo-HOOO-Hoo!, Mic Check!" The stuffed to capacity (and I'm pretty sure beyond) room was going off from the very start. Then Tom's touching tribute to his Aunt Isabelle, "Saint Isabelle", with Tom alone on vocals and Irish War Drum (and harmonica). He introduced it by saying he'd had showcases in the early days at The Troubadour where no one showed up, so his Aunt Isabelle would be pleased that her nephew and his friends sold the place out this time. You could feel her smile, and see it reflected on the beaming faces staring up at the stage.

Touching, in the extreme. And so was "The Ghost Of Tom Joad", that you may have heard about Tom playing a couple times the week before with its author. Tom dedicated it to the guys from PATH that we'd met the day before. I looked all over for them in the house and never saw their faces, so I HOPE SO MUCH they were there and saw all that was being done for them on this night! In the spirit of them, Tom unveiled the motto for this tour, which is, "Feed the poor, Fight the power, and ROCK THE FUCK OUT!" So far, so great!

Tom invited up The Freedom Fighter Orchestra for the next one ... Dave Gibbs, Carl Restivo, Breckin Meyer BACK on drums!, Jonny Polonsky and Chris Joyner. The first one (of MANY) they rocked was CCR's "Fortunate Son", which the audience sang along with from the first note. When Tom had previously stated in print that this tour was to create change from the ground up, but also to have a Freedom PARTY, he clearly had this night in mind. And the crowd was along for the ride, in unison, all the loooong night long.

Tom introduced Pete Yorn next, but quickly aborted that plan (these nights are flexible, and that is part of the fun) when he was told it was Stewart Copeland's turn! I don't know if you read that right, but it DOES say STEWART COPELAND! Tom said, "The star power is so bright in here, The Nightwatchman needs some Visine!" Yep, it was that kind of night. So we're standing there and Carl Restivo, aka Sting's Understudy apparently, busts into "So Lonely" with the Police MAN himself behind him on the drum kit! It had to be one of those WOW moments for dear Carl, magnified when Tom threw on the electric guitar for a searing solo. Trust me, Stewart was playing FANCY too! They followed that with "Message In A Bottle" which was equally sick (though interestingly, at times, it seemed Carl might have known the songs a tiny bit more intimately than Mr. Copeland). Who cares, we had a third of The Police three feet in front of us! And we were loudly appreciative.

So then it was REALLY Pete Yorn's turn. He said, "I was going to play some new stuff you don't know, but fuck that now" (ha) and let loose with "For Nancy (Cos It Already Is)". People remembered it well, and dug it. For his next one, Pete said, "LA is the capital of homelessness in America ... and this song has nothing to do with homelessness" and played his pretty, "Strange Condition". He was a welcome new addition to the Justice nights, to be sure.

Ready for another superstar? How about Jerry Cantrell?! Yes, he too was there to "rock for a good cause". He intro'd his song by saying, "I wrote this song about my Mama. It's called ‘Brother'" .. and that is indeed what he played, backed up by Mr. Dave Gibbs. It was fantastic. Hold on, rewind. I want to hear that again. Ahh.

How about another one? OK, we'll give you Wayne Kramer! MC5! He was decked out like a White Stripe in red and white, and was clearly feeling it. He played his sublimely witty, "Something's Broken In The Promised Land", and got the usual ROAR when the line "Where's Lee Harvey Oswald now that we really need him?" came up. It's funny, but pretty *$@^$ed that we can all be in agreement on that and no one (outside these shows, that is) has even talked seriously about impeachment or war crime tribunals yet, right? Well, we gotta start somewhere. Then Eric Gardner jazzed it up with his drum intro to Wayne's poetic, "So Long, Hank" about Charles Bukowski. It was great as ever, and serves to remind that "Kindness is just about the best we can do". Try it, you'll like it.

I know it seems like I say this every time I go to one of these shows, but ... I have a new favorite. It's called State Radio. This three-piece band from Boston is, in a word, IRIE! A little Rage, a little Marley, plus something totally their own (including a fresh guitar made out of, I believe, an oil can) equals a recipe for CROWD PLEASER! Charlie, the singer/oil-can guitar player, said, "It's great to be here, playing in front of all of our heroes" and they BUSTED into a song called, "CIA" that had rasta beats and enough pure rock to get the crowd behind them instantly. I spied Tom Morello/One of their Heroes rocking OUT on the side of the stage, dancing and grinning at his cable video channel discovery. That had to stoke them. It must've, cause their next song, "Gang Of Thieves" was just as crazygood. Their last song, "Camila" was about a friend of theirs that had fought in this dumbass war and was going to be sent back, and understandably did not want to go. So he got thrown in the Brig for a year. That's how we "support our troops", I guess. These fine fellows fit in perfectly on the Justice Tour, and I'm happy to report will be joining it on more lucky stops. They threw in a bit of a Rage homage at the end of their last song that blew the crowd up (!!!) prompting Tom as M.C. to laugh and shout, "Well rocked, Lads!" at its conclusion. As I said, new favorite: State Radio!

Imagine being them now, and having STEVE VAI take the stage next by saying, "I don't know how to follow that"!! They may have fainted, I couldn't tell because it was dark in there. But the rest of the crowd did for SURE. This guy is world-famous for his guitar shreds, and I must admit, it was a first for me, but I now totally get it. Wow. There was a Pink Floyd-y sounding song that grew to feature a Vai solo so intense I was worried for a moment he was having a grand mal seizure. Again, the crowd was, for sure. Carl, Dave Gibbs and Eric Gardner backed him up, and Mr. Vai stopped them a few times for not having the tempo right. He means business. The guys in the room ate this stuff up. I sipped, but liked what I tasted.

Without long enough for a breath to catch, up came Perry Farrell! He, his stunning wife, Etty, and Carl the Chameleon came up with a whole new twist on their songs, backed by an electronica style drum track that changed their whole map. They opened with "Here Come Trouble" that they debuted the week before at The Hotel. Perry and Etty both are so fun to watch dance that you can only imagine what it must be like to be a fly on the wall at their house. Light spirits full of joy is the exact phrase that leaps to mind. "Been Caught Stealing" and "Stop" both got kind of a samba rock re-mix that had everyone dancing and cheering along. LOVED it! They brought the entire party up a notch ...

But STOP NOW GO! Perry then brings his renewed friend, Dave Navarro up! With FLEA on bass! AND Travis Barker on drums! Dave and Perry hugged and that crazy super-group combo entirely remade "Mountain Song"! People were going absolutely bonkers and every camera phone in the room was out and shining blue through the whole song. It was so exciting I almost felt sick. Happy sick!

So Tom pushes his way through the combined Solar System assembled to say, "This next one is for all the people who tell me they beat me at Guitar Hero 3. We'll see about that" ... and invites up his good friend, SLASH! AND Steve Vai! With Travis B. and Flea still thumping up the rhythm! It was a throwing down of a rock gauntlet, and they did it with "Rocking In The Free World". Pete Yorn handled the Neil Young vocals and I believe the entire planet sang the chorus. It was an absolute Guitar Summit, and if rock has anything to do with it, it will obviously be a free world after all. WHOA! Everyone took turns having solos, everyone watching sang along with gusto, and it was honestly joy personified in that hot, awe-struck vortex of rock power. "And it don't stop!" - as Tom said, grinning after the last monster chord.

Jerry Cantrell took over lead vocals for Thin Lizzy's "Jailbreak", which also brought back Stewart Copeland, tagging out with Travis for drum duties. Carl and Perry shared the vocals and indeed, it don't stop.

"This is kind of super exciting, right?", asked Tom. That was putting it mild sauce-ly.

{I realize this is now longer than your average graduate thesis, but don't you still kind of want to know who STILL hadn't played?! I want to tell you, so let's keep going ... like this night did!}

Stevie Wonder's "Superstitious" has never been played like this before: Tom Morello, Slash, Flea, Steve Vai, and Stewart Copeland taking turns on solos! I'm not lying, look it up on YouTube or wait for the tour DVD - which is sure to be an instant classic. It was ridonkulous, and nope, we're nowhere near done.

Davey Havoc from AFI (in a hot pink blazer) joined the entire gang for The Cult's" "Firewoman" and he did a very credible Ian Astbury. Travis Barker did a very credible BEATING on the drums, shirt long gone, arms flying, tattoos everywhere. It was METAL.

Then Adam and The Ants' far too seldom played, "Ant Music", which Perry introduced by saying, "I used to dance to this in the underage disco". He and Davey Havoc traded vocals, and at it's end, Perry said, "That was almost perfect". I would agree. I miss Adam Ant! Where is that guy? Perhaps he'll be at the next show ... Tom?

Tom? Oh, he's busy introducing the next song, sorry. He said, "This is the song I've been looking forward to the most". That is saying quite a lot. State Radio came back up for this one, and it pleased me that crowd members were yelling out, "STATE RADIO!!!", so I knew I was not alone in having a new fave. Pretty much everyone crammed on the stage to share with us the #1 Song in America - yes, Madonna's "Four Minutes"! With these guys! (I say guys because the only female on stage the whole night was Etty ... we might need to work on that a bit. Bring it, ladies!) Davey and Tom shared lead vocals and it was hilarious ... "Tick Tock, Tick Tock, Four Minutes to save the world!" Well, it was more like four hours, but it DID feel like we were saving the world in there. A hot globally-warmed world.

Wayne Kramer took over to "Kick Out The Jams", much to the fan's delight. Wayne and Jerry Cantrell were chasing each other around on guitar and it was total mayhem in the joint. But SUPER mayhem when we were next given the "Travis Barker re-mix" of Rhianna's, "Umbrella" with Carl as RiRi. Chris Joyner held it all together on the synthesizer, and I bet you it would've been an even bigger hit if it had been recorded with the Tom Morello guitar solo that this version had! There's your re-mix!

Everyone in there was exhausted and then Sen Dog and B Real of Cypress Hill hit us all even harder with their now-standard-and-demanded medley of "Insane In The Membrane/Kill A Man/Rock Superstar (NEVER more appropriately sung then at this stage moment of ONLY Rock Superstars!)" ... only this time they were joined by Slash, Perry, Steve Vai, Tom, and Travis Barker! "Are you feeling insane right now?" ... "HEEEEEELL YEAH!" was the call, response, and truth of it all.

"How's THIS for a $10 show, Motherfuckers?" asked our M.C. B Real said, "These are LEGENDS on the stage right here" ... and I sure hope that PATH felt the love via donations as a result of the GIFT of this night given to us. I mean, REALLY!

"We got more if you want it!" Crowd ROAR! B Real puffed on a joint and the people down front yelled, "Pass it!" Due to local laws, he could not grant that request, and explained that he was merely "medicating". Many in the house by then had also given themselves proper dosage. Which helped them to "JUMP AROUND!" House of Pain should've been there ... I believe they would have had a tear in the eye to see all the fun and strenuous jumping they'd inspired. I was in the balcony and had a good view from above and there was not ONE person not jumping around. Not one. At an L.A. show! This place was STOKED out of its collective mind.

"One more jam, can you take it, People?!" Barely, but we screamed our "YES"s like the champs we were just for being there. It truly will go down as one of those "I was there" shows that people talk about the rest of their lives. How could it not?

To happy shouts of "NIGHTWATCHMAN!" "YEEEEAH" and shrill whistles (Ok, that was me), Tom announced the last song of the night as our nation's alternative National Anthem ... Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land", with censored lyrics re-instated. Tom spoke through the opening chords (played by EVERYONE from the entire night!), saying, "Change does not begin with politicians, it starts tonight in this room right here" ... and I believe it really did. As one, to hear us all singing - movingly and fun-ly - together, "THIS LAND WAS MADE FOR YOU AND ME!!" after a night of such powerful, incredible music, and knowing the reason behind it, you just KNOW Change is a-coming!

THIS was the debut of The Justice Tour! As Tom put it, "One night, one place, creating a little bit of the world we'd like to see." There is nothing better I can possibly add to that ... so THANK YOU, AND GOOD NIGHT!!!

Phew.

- Carol Gronner]]> Fri, 30 May 2008 02:24:57 GMT http://www.thenightwatchman.com
We arrived in New York (NO! SLEEP! TIL BROOKLYN!), dropped off our bags, and headed off to the rehearsal space to meet up with the Road Recovery people and the kids that form the band Crazy James. You took a tiny elevator up to the space, and I squeezed into one with some young members of the band/Road Recovery success stories. They asked me who I was, and I explained that I was on my way up with some people that were excited to hear them play ... and that just happened to play themselves. They were bursting with energy, and when they heard Tom Morello was on the next elevator up, the excitement levels almost took them through the ceiling. I got it. I see these guys pretty often and I still feel that way, after all. Stoked!

Margaret (Mrs. Wayne) Kramer has worked with this organization for a while, and we were talking to the kids and each other, and she explained that a lot of these kids had come from gnarly backgrounds and turned to drugs as a way of medicating themselves to forget the rest. Music gave them a way to learn to be comfortable with themselves, and to have something to be excited about. Even more so, perhaps, when confronted with a small rehearsal room stuffed with The Nightwatchman (Tom Morello), Jerry Cantrell, Slash, Wayne Kramer, Perry and Etty Farrell, Sen Dog, Breckin Meyer, Dave Gibbs and Carl Restivo! Imagine! To back THEM up!

They ran through a few songs together, and you could tell the kids were crazed with not only the star power, but with their own potential - realized. They ran through their group song - appropriate or not - "I Wanna Be Sedated" by those rascals, The Ramones. To watch these kids absolutely go for it, and see their eyes widen when your Slash and Tom Morello ripped solos to their own group vocals, was to see tangible, not only recovery, but pure bliss. What a long road ... and what a reward. On this Justice Tour, the goal is to get people involved locally, grass-roots, to create positive change. New York, you're a big, big city ... but the connection we felt, and the good inroads to change, are in full effect. Please visit www.roadrecovery.org to see how you can help ... or to see some fine rock music coming out of your own local success stories, the wonderful kids of Road Recovery!]]> Thu, 22 May 2008 18:26:07 GMT http://www.thenightwatchman.com
After a completely frenzied meet and greet and photo crush, the entire gang retired to the backstage rooms, where Tom sorted out the song orders, and all over the place you could see assorted giants of the music industry practicing songs (and lamenting that it was a dry building - no drinks - in honor of the recovering kids) and getting energized by still more Red Bull.

Then suddenly it was show time, and like a whip crack, everyone was back in top form. None other than Denis Leary (comedian, and surprisingly good rocker) opened the show, with his band, The Crown Royals. They started with the apt, "At The Rehab", with a backdrop screen of bad mug shots of famous celebrity rehab entrants (Lindsey, Whitney, Betty Ford, Hasselhoff puking). He commented that, "We've got a big fucking show tonight, with a lot of ex-fucked up people" and then hit us with his tune, "I'm An Asshole". I talked to him a bit, and I'm not entirely convinced that what he sings is true - I would not call him an asshole.

They were followed by a whole bunch of different groups of kids from Road Recovery ... little ones, teenaged ones, a group called The Miggs, one called The Hawthorne Center Teens that rocked buckets and danced like Krumpers, winding up with a little George Michael, "Freedom". Tom was the M.C. throughout it all, and cracked everyone up when he said the first time he heard about Road Recovery, he wasn't sure if it was an organization trying to get New York's pot-holes fixed or what, so we watched a little video to get everyone on the same page.

Every time Tom came up to introduce something new, he was met with screams of "NIGHTWATCHMAN!!" "You Rock!" or "I love you, Tom!" - so you knew it was going to go OFF when he actually played. But that would be getting ahead of ourselves.

Noted folk musician, Joseph Arthur played a couple songs next, with a lovely lady he did not introduce. There was harmonica, there was guitar, there was mention of love in the sun. All of it excellent.

Tom came back up and said, "As the half-Kenyan, Harvard educated man from Illinois who is NOT running for President (yet), it is my pleasure to introduce Crazy James", the kids we had hung out with the night before. Tonight, they were all decked out in rock gear (tiger spandex pants, heavy make-up, heavy silver jewelry, crucial headbands) and the outlet of music, head-banging, and sheer positivity meant that they had arrived. They had made it .. and will continue to make it, every day. It was extremely moving to behold, and they held nothing back. They were the reason we were all there, and they knew it, but better yet, celebrated it! CRAZY JAMES!!!

They were the bridge between the Road Recovery groups and what was to happen next ... meaning, it was now The Nightwatchman's turn to execute. He treated the crowd to "House Gone Up In Flames", a little song you may have heard of called, "Guerilla Radio" (his own version, that as soon as the kids recognized the chorus, that was it - mayhem), and then tuned his guitar for 15 seconds of yelling maniac kids wanting more. So he dedicated his next one them, the Road Recovery superstars, for that is truly what they are. "The Road I Must Travel" was super fitting, and also served to rile those kids up for good. He was done, but only for the moment.

The next group was called "Ours". It's clear that Jeff Buckley is an influence. Now I LOVE Jeff pretty much more than anybody, but somehow failed to connect with these guys (maybe because they were kind of sullen jerks backstage, sad but true). I wasn't alone, because a big yellow balloon bouncing around got more attention than they did during their set. Don't get me wrong, they were certainly talented ... but they lost the crowd and (karma) some kids threw stuff at them, prompting the singer to be classy and say, "I saw you throw that, asshole". I'll look them up and listen to them again before I make up my mind, but I was happy for it to be the next guy's turn ...

Because it was Wayne Kramer! (Whom Tom introduced by saying, "The next guy has killed people in prison, so to the guy that threw something before, Careful!") He began with his perfect, "Something's Broken In The Promised Land". I realized two things during this number: that kids love swearing - they'll yell for it every time - and that the "Where's Lee Harvey Oswald, now that we really need him?" is now the biggest crowd yell-getter, officially coast to coast. Take a hint, George W! Then his sublime, "So Long, Hank" about Bukowski. I think it was a bit jazzy for this group of hyped up mostly youngsters, because during it, I heard shouts of "Rangers!" Hockey playoffs in New York are nothing to mess with.

Jerry Cantrell was as huge East as he was West! The shouts of "I love you, Jerry!" did not quit - ever. He played his gorgeous "Brother", sitting on stools with Tom and Dave Gibbs harmonizing acoustically. A classic moment, no question. Then, when the crowd went crazy applauding, Tom said, "But look who's coming!", and the one and only Slash took the stage! He took a stool next to Jerry, and these two rock behemoths freaked everyone out with, "Wish You Were Here". I hope it was being recorded, because it doesn't get any prettier.

The applause did not end for Jerry and Slash, it only began for Perry Farrell! He was joined by his bombshell wife, Etty, and the QB of this and most nights, Carl Restivo. They began with their new, "Here Come Trouble", which Perry said he wrote while watching this year's Superbowl Giants win - a little pandering to local sports team, but you could tell he meant and was excited about it. They followed that with the Porno For Pyros tune, "Pets". Now, that's not the newest song on the block and this crowd knew EVERY word and sang along with gusto. One kid yelled out, "I love you, DJ Peretz!", going deep with Perry. He responded, "We love you too, that's why we're here!" The feeling was more than mutual. To top that off, Perry invited Jerry and Tom up to join them for an absolute FREAK OUT version of "Mountain Song"! Every camera phone in the house was out, for good reason. It was EPIC. Tom ripped out a solo that scorched our faces off, to the point that at song's end, Perry said, "Now THAT was cooking!" He couldn't stop smiling, and said, "You have no idea what a rush it is to look over and see Tom Morello doing a solo next to you." The energy that these guys create together is just that, a complete RUSH. In fact, it was SO good that Perry made everyone one blow Tom kisses in unison - and the entire house was more than happy to oblige.

And then they went even further and hit us with "Ain't No Right". Etty prowled the stage with exactly the dose of estrogen the stage needed, and Perry retained his title of Ultimate Showman - he's just so riveting to watch, you start to feel your cheeks hurt from trying to match his smiles. LOVE him! And so does Tom - they hugged and Tom said, "Now this would be a handsome Presidential ticket". I agree, but they'd have to sort out who would be on top. I say they could take turns.

Slash, Jerry, Carl, Dave, Wayne and Breckin (the glue of the entire evening, keeping it all together with his solid drum beats) came back up for the heavy metal style, "Jailbreak" AND "Kick Out The Jams". Kicking it old and new school at the same time. And the night was still building!

Perry came back to lead Stevie Wonder's "Superstitious" - which happened to feature a Tom Morello guitar solo with the fancy fingers back and forth over the neck thing he does that is so cool, and that Perry somehow danced perfectly to, accenting every note. These two are of the same cloth, it is clear.

At the end of that funk soul brother jam, Tom said, "I'd like to welcome next to the stage: Me!" and bestowed upon us The Nightwatchman's first party jam, "Shake My Shit". Tom danced like I've never seen him go at it before, perhaps inspired by Perry on the previous bit. "All I wanna do is just shake my shit, just shake my shit tonight!" is all you heard people muttering to themselves the rest of the night. It is CATCHY.

No Justice Tour show has yet been complete without SEN DOG! He came out to a roar from the crowd, which favor he returned by saying, "Everyone say New York City, Motherfuckers! Everyone SCREAMED it for him, and he said, "Birthplace of Hip-Hop!" There's something about hometown pride that just stokes people ... and that set the stage for the frantic rock-out of our now traditional, "Insane In The Membrane/Kill A Man/Rock Superstar" super-medley. But there was NOTHING traditional about how it went down this time ... Slash, Wayne, Jerry, Perry, Tom ... tons of solos (including an amp feedback one by Tom) ... Sen Dog feeling it so hard he leaped off the stage to crowd-surf, not once, but twice! I was up above it all and to look down and see every arm raised, supporting their boy, Sen, in a group effort to party as hard as possible (even without the customary jay sparked for Sen - remember, this was a show for recovering teens, and respect was shown). The feeling in the room was so happy and positive - all because of the power of music. Life - affirmed!

"This Land Is Your Land" is customarily the last song of the night - but not tonight. It was sung loud and proud by The Nightwatchman and all of his jumping fans - even at the VIP tables! The "Alternative American Anthem" was decorated this time by the most American of traditions - a Slash guitar solo! Ol' Woody Guthrie probably could never have imagined how hard his penned long ago manifesto would rock in 2008! And the message was not lost in the glitz - this Land WAS made for you and me!

The Crazy James kids came back up to almost close the night with all the Superstars on back-up for The Ramones' "I Wanna Be Sedated". The kids gave it all they had, by now head banging and posturing like total pros ... and they can have dreams of this night dancing in their heads for the rest of their lives, and know that they DID IT. And did Road Recovery OH, so proud! Happy Anniversary ... and many more!

You'd think that would be it ... but you'd be wrong. JUST when you thought some big show closer was about to happen, another "Sneaky Superstar" showed up - Jakob Dylan! I'm not sure if this was a personal gift to me, but I'll let myself think that. He is FANtastic, and to have him show up on this crazy night was just the frosting of the evening - Jakob Dylan! Playing Sam Cooke's, "Bring It On Home To Me"! It was so dreamy I really did feel faint (but then we hadn't slept or eaten or stopped rocking since I don't remember when ...). ANOTHER Slash solo, and Tom and Perry on background vocals! WHAT?!?! And they followed that with the uncanny choice of, "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands" ... the old Sunday School classic, fired up with a Slash and Morello solo-off: Guitar Hero come to life! It was very, Very, VERY exciting. AlMOST as exciting as the last song of the night -

GNR's "Paradise City"! Obviously Slash took over on that one, and the crowd was bonkers from the first note. At the end part where it gets all fast and super-heavy, they turned up the house lights and you could see the entire place jumping up and down as one, completely going off like group fireworks. And don't forget, it's all for a GREAT cause! This night was so special, yes, for the terrifically astounding music that went down, but also for the daily victories these Road Recovery kids accomplish by staying clean, and learning that THIS much fun can be had, clean, sober and rocking all night long towards a healthy future!

* I can't even report that the night ended there, however. {Disclaimer: if this sounds at all like a crazy person wrote it, it's because one did ... it is SO late .. because ..} AFTER the show at the Nokia, the rock could not be stopped. The whole gang piled in multiple limos and headed over for a surprise gig at the "CBGB's" (which is now a John Varvatos t-shirt store, but still). When we pulled up, Joan Jett was doing a set ... so we cooled our heels out in this crowded, paparazzi, Ebay-seeker filled alley until it was time to blow some minds. Not hard to do when you roll up after midnight into a club with Slash, Tom Morello, Perry Farrell, Sen Dog, Wayne Kramer, Jerry Cantrell and The Freedom Fighter Orchestra (Breckin, Gibbs, Carl Restivo) launching the missiles of "Kick Out The Jams/Jailbreak/Mountain Song/Insane In The Membrane/Kill A Man/Jump Around" at the surprised, ecstatic, near apoplectic club goers. And each song featured blistering solos from Slash and Tom, and if you ever thought about being jaded and cool in this place, this night - that was all out the window, as people were jumping up and down with abandon. And then we were gone, like it was all a great dream. Which I hope to have now, as the dawn lights up the City That Never Sleeps (I have so much in common with you now, Big Apple!). Thank you, New York!

- Carol Gronner]]> Thu, 22 May 2008 18:24:47 GMT http://www.thenightwatchman.com
It felt like a blink and the alarm was going off, signaling time to go to our breakfast meeting. Everyone in town for the show (The Nightwatchman, Perry and Etty Farrell, Wayne Kramer, The Freedom Fighter Orchestra - Carl Restivo, Dave Gibbs, Breckin Meyer) arrived one by one, a few wearing shades, including The DAYwatchman (Tom). We went around the table introducing ourselves to the fine people from Sweet Home New Orleans and Amnesty International, the beneficiaries of this stop's show. When it got to Mr. Morello's turn, he said, "I am the lion tamer of the Justice Tour", which was perfect, as it really is a traveling circus of sorts.

Joe and James from Sweet Home New Orleans (www.sweethomeneworleans.org) told us about their organization, whose mission it is to revitalize the music and cultural community within the neighborhoods of New Orleans by helping their tradition bearers (Mardi Gras Indians, Musicians and Social/Pleasure Club Members) access resources and secure stable, affordable housing. We are now 31 months post-Katrina ... people are still living in unsafe trailers (thanks, FEMA), many are still out of state, 40% of musicians are out of work, and people are not getting their insurance or their "Road Home" funds, so can't afford to fix their houses. We saw many parallels between the war in Iraq and Katrina in New Orleans. Both need to see the government officials tried for the crimes they've committed against humanity, both situations see outsourced (by Blackwater!) profiteering by the ones who are supposed to be "helping", Patriot Act type laws enforced on people who just want to get their lives and stuff back, and when you here about all the Trillions (capital T) being spent in Iraq, and see the almost NOTHING done here in nearly three years ... it simply makes the blood boil. It is "The Big HARD" here, not The Big Easy at all.

We also heard from Monica from Amnesty International (www.amnesty.org). They are people from across the globe standing up for human rights, and they work to keep International rights standards in place. Monica stressed that the victims of Katrina should not be called "refugees" and that they are "IDP's" (Internally Displaced Persons). She passionately told us about people returning to New Orleans only to find their homes boarded up and denied entry - to their OWN HOMES. They are not even being allowed to participate in the process! Enter Amnesty International. These people have a RIGHT to return to their city, their homes, their lives. They've already been traumatized by the whole thing, why is the government making it worse for them? Oh, and by being displace, they're also being purged from the voting lists. Interesting. Shady. The social fabric of New Orleans basically disintegrated ... and our government doesn't seem to care - at all.

We met Jeffrey and Patricia Hill, a couple who were displaced after Katrina. Jeffrey is a musician and plays at the historic Preservation Hall. He told their story and it was all you could do not sob out loud listening to it. You saw flashes of anger in his eyes, but also grace and gratitude for what they do have. They evacuated with 15 family members, the adults swimming with their children held up over their heads. They spent a few days in the horrific Convention Center, an experience he said he wouldn't wish on his worst enemy. They couldn't take that any longer, so they walked until they were turned around at gun point. Yes, gun point. OUR OWN Countrymen, who had just been through the heaviest thing of their lives. It is sick.

They stayed in Mississippi for a time, then a church group brought them out to Arizona. But they wanted to be home. So Sweet Home New Orleans brought them back. They got a new apartment with SHNO's help, but were not allowed back in to their old one. It had been sealed with metal over the doors and windows, so entry to get cherished items was out of the question. The answer was just "No." They could not enter their own place to get their own things.

And then it was time to go see that place. We all boarded a bus to take us to the Lafitte Housing Project, where the Hills used to live. Row after row of brick buildings, all of them with metal boxes over the windows and doors. We met up with the guys from State Radio there, and met the Hill's little kids too. The family seems very close, and all you could think was "at least they have each other". Ugh.

We traveled on from there to our next stop, the home of Alonzo McAlpine, another New Orleans musician. On the way, we passed miles and miles of abandoned homes in the Lower 9th Ward, and all over really. Spray painted on the front of one, "Don't Demo! Work in progress!" - this is a world where you have to ask to not have your own house bulldozed out from under you. Giant fields where all you see left is cinder-blocks left over from foundations, the only thing changed since the disaster (I mean, CRIME!) is that tall weeds have grown in. We saw a chair still on a roof! Almost THREE years later! The X things you saw spray-painted on houses on the news after the storm are still there: dates, numbers of bodies found (if any), pets. It gave you the chills on a hot Southern day.

The bus was very quiet as we all stared out the windows, not really wanting to believe it. WHY aren't we still talking about this on the news? WHY aren't we all, as a country, more outraged, and DOING SOMETHING about it for them? Tom broke the silence and said what I'm sure we were all thinking, "It doesn't look like help is coming". Our guide Joe from SHNO said, "Any more government help is doubtful." Again Tom mind-read, "I wonder if it would still look like this if it was Beverly Hills?" In two words, No Way. Here, even the nice houses in Bernard Parish were all boarded up, no one home, no one coming back. People ... you need to know, it is NOT OK here. They still NEED OUR HELP!

So help is what we offered to the McAlpine family. Alonzo McAlpine is a real cool big guy with long dreads, a New Orleans music maker. His wife is the beautiful epitome of warmth, Mama Efuru. They met us as the bus pulled up, standing in front of their FEMA trailer parked in the front yard of their home. They've been living in Atlanta since the storm, and are going back and forth while trying to rebuild their house. They walked us through their house, nowhere near being habitable. A pile of rusted and moldy instruments was on the patio, a gut-wrenching sight for all the musicians present. Yet you saw nothing but smiles coming from the McAlpines. The human spirit is capable of so much good and so much bad, and they've all collided together in New Orleans.

{In that vein, I could title this piece "War and Peace" ... it will be about that long ... we've got MUCH to talk about here}

The project for the day at the McAlpine house was to clean up their backyard, and give them a place to chill outside of their tiny trailer (TINY! Mama Efuru told me she could use the bathroom and cook at the same time ... she was being totally honest, I saw for myself) and gutted out house. Everyone jumped right in, putting on work gloves and going for it. Some raked, some hoed, some pulled weeds, some swept and held open the garbage bags. Tom "Dustpan" Morello was pulling out weeds and upset a fire ant hill, and quite literally got ants in his pants! He was jumping around like he was on stage, only this time the cause was little bites, not the rock. There was some laughter at his dilemma, I'll admit. We all marveled at the HUGE caterpillars (that also bite, we were told) and lizards that came out at every weed pull, and a general paranoia set in about that. The coolest landscaping crew, probably ever, (you've never seen Perry Farrell burlier, whacking away at stuff, wiping his brow with his arm) was sweating in the hot Louisiana afternoon, and in no time flat, that backyard was as gutted as the house, only in a good way.

The work gang was rewarded with Mama Efuru's GREAT cooking (beans and rice, plus Popeye's chicken) for our lunch break, and we all talked and got to know each other a bit more. Tom invited Alonzo to come and play the show at the House of Blues the next day, and then we got a show of our own.

Mama Efuru gave a very special thank you speech ("I pray for you to be empowered, and thank you for sharing your love, and for getting us on the road back home ...") and told us about their Salongo Organization ... "Salongo" meaning, "We come together to create something beautiful out of love". We all went to the backyard to take an "after" photo, and Mama Efuru danced for us and sang "Oh Yeah Yeah!", and we would repeat all her joyful lyrics back to her in song. To have gone through so much and still have nothing but love in your heart is a true miracle of strength and positivity. BLESS the McAlpines!

We hugged our goodbyes, and headed to our next stop, Mr. Frank Morton's house. Frank is a man in his 70's, a blues band saxophonist, who now must deal with dialysis three times a week. That bitch Katrina blew a big tree down on to a shed in his backyard, and it was our job to get it out of there. Entering the backyard and seeing the big mess was a little daunting, but with the satisfaction of hard work and results at the McAlpine's in their hearts and minds, the Justice Crew got down to it.

Wayne "Chainsaw" Kramer took charge, climbing up on to the big felled tree. He revved up the chainsaw ("Uh, should we get a non-guitar player on chainsaw?" - Perry F. "You might GET a non-guitar player." - Wayne K.), and started sawing away at that thing, while the rest of the gang started clearing out all sorts of stuff from the yard. "Hey Frank, do you have a wheelbarrow?" "No, but you can use that old Volkswagon."

Tom was upgraded to "Sledgehammer" Morello with some mighty heaves against the old sheet-metal shed, while I worried about all the possible injuries that could put a damper on the show the next night. Perry and Dave "Dumpster" Gibbs actually got up and IN this giant dumpster on the street to manage all the refuse coming in from the backyard. So did many, many roaches. The State Radio guys (and their darling girlfriends) were busting their asses, and the Freedom Fighter guys matched them on every heave and haul.

Frank's face lit up when an old fishing pole came out of the rubble, "Ahh, there she is!", finding at least one of his old friends back home. I went to check out his trailer in his front yard (a "Deluxe" model, because it had a pop-out) and on the door was a FEMA sign saying it "may" be contaminated with formaldehyde. They use that to embalm dead people and they put it in the trailers to "rescue" people?! Excuse my Cajun French, but that is FUCKED! I asked Frank about that, and he said, "Oh, I can't worry about that, I need somewhere to stay". A 70-something man on dialysis in a poison trailer, that oh yeah, by the way, they're taking away from him in June. Two months from now. His house was stripped down to the studs, and I can tell you right now, that thing is not going to be ready. So where will Frank stay then? This is SO WRONG!!!! So what are we going to do about it? Well, Frank said, "Sweet Home New Orleans has really helped me out." So maybe what we can do is help them out .. donate, volunteer, go to the Justice Tour show and pay more than the ridiculously low $10, bust YOUR ass helping someone get back home, and get MAD about this CRIME (that needs to be PROSECUTED!) that is continuing to be committed against your fellow Americans. It's the very least we can do.

Bridge:

I would be remiss in not reporting about our evening after the work day. 10 minutes after returning the filthy, tired Justice folks back to the hotel, we left again to go see the New Orleans Hornets WIN Game One of their Playoff game against Dallas! Super fun, and the crowd was super into it, on their feet the whole time. Our gang had a second wind, and the hard-earned half-time cocktails were going down easy.

Our van had dropped us off, so after the Hornet victory, we were stumped as to how to get back to the hotel without our trusty tour manager Carlos' help. Ever helpful in all areas Carl Restivo solved it. He approached some girls and asked for a ride. They said "Sure, hop in". "Well, it's me and my ten friends, is that ok?" "Sure!" You hear about Southern Hospitality, but this takes the cake. We squished 13 people into this girls 4-Runner! It was not super comfortable, but it was complete laughter the whole way back. It wasn't clear that this girl knew she had ICONS sardined in (with her laundry hampers) her truck until we pulled ourselves out with shoe horns and they asked for a photo. Their niceness made our day as much as it probably made theirs - Thanks, New Orleans Girls!

From there, it was off to dinner at the FANTASTIC Jacques-Imo's for authentic New Orleans DELICIOUS dishes with the whole gang - go there for sure when visiting and volunteering to help Katrina victims - because I know you will. In one word, Mmmmm.

Then, and I knew it was coming ... as a first-time visitor to New Orleans, Tom insisted that I indulge (choke down) a "Shark Attack" - a drink famous to the French Quarter. As he put it, "it's not just a drink, it's a pageant". Yes, Sir. I won't ruin it for you, again, you can try one when you're down there volunteering.

There was a Pirate Convention in town as well. Pirates everywhere! Perry asked one guy, "Why are you a Pirate?" and he just said, "Arrrr". Perfect. Breckin was approached by a man who admired his work who would only talk in Pirate-ese. "Thank Ye". Walking down Bourbon (fittingly named, as everyone is boozed up, and it seems to be the only reason to go there. It is also one of the only areas that doesn't look like anything bad ever happened here) Street, we suddenly heard a band doing a Rage cover! We ran into the joint, and Tom went up to the side of the stage and tapped the guy's leg. He looked down, and the look on his face has brought me laughs all day since. We ran off immediately, so the guy still may be pinching himself. It was excellent. And the rest of the night was off the record ... mainly because I can't remember it. Shark Attack!]]> Thu, 22 May 2008 18:21:58 GMT http://www.thenightwatchman.com
The House of Blues seemed a fitting place for the Justice Tour to play with it's slogans of "Help Ever, Hurt Never" and "Unity In Diversity" all over the place. That kind of feeling was in the air from the beginning, with the sold-out house in the mood for some fun, with more meaning than perhaps they might find a few streets over on Bourbon.

The Sunglasses-at-Nightwatchman took the stage, shades on. (Remember, we were all still recovering a bit from the night before, so that this wound up being one of the most powerful shows ever is a true testament to the power of good music) Project Noise and Microsoft have generously helped to underwrite this tour, so that 100% of the proceeds from these shows can go to the beneficiaries - tonight, Sweet Home New Orleans and Amnesty International's turns. The crowd cheered to hear that, as they know better than anyone how much MUCH help is needed here in their own town.

The Nightwatchman opened with his touching, "St. Isabelle", that played here sounded a little different, the banging of the drum and harmonica kind of reminiscent of a New Orleans funeral. The crowd loved it, and as they were cheering, in walked Alonzo and Mama Efuru! You see, I really don't think they had any idea who was working in their yard the day before, so it was extra-great to see them come and comprehend that it was kind of a big deal. It sounded like a big deal in the room too, when Tom dedicated his next song to Danny Federici, the keyboardist for the E-Street Band, who died last week. "The Ghost Of Tom Joad" has another patina about it entirely when sung in this town, with so many ghosts and a haunting legacy, thanks to Katrina. The place was almost eerily quiet.

That changed entirely when Tom busted out his acoustic "Guerilla Radio"! The entire room shouted, with the appropriate Rage, "What better place than here, what better time than NOW?!" Indeed. So maybe volunteer here? Tom thanked everyone for not saying that he was a look-alike for Mayor Ray Nagan this time through, which cracked everyone up - and now that he mentions it ...

His last song (for now) was especially for New Orleans, "Midnight In The Garden Of Destruction". He introduced it by saying, "Katrina was not a disaster, it was a crime", which was met by loud shouts of agreement. The line, "I pray the waters will drown the President if the levees break again", was appreciated more than it could possibly be anywhere else, and the crowd showed it.

The Nightwatchman then introduced local band, Bonerama. It's not what you think (though it is sort of apt for this tour - not a lot of ladies on board). It's a GREAT band of four trombones, a sousaphone, guitar and drums. Brass Band extraordinaire! One song was called, I think, "Keep On Marching" which is proud advice for the Saints of this city. They even played Sabbath's "War Pigs", that was crazy metal, or brass, rather. They were the perfect local flavor to add to the mix for this show, and everyone loved them.

Wayne Kramer came on next, winning over a bunch of new (young - it was an all-ages show) fans with "Something's Broken In The Promised Land". Once again, the "Where's Lee Harvey Oswald, now that you really need him?" was everyone's favorite - and especially so seeing that Bush was IN TOWN! If only he'd felt like a House Of Blues photo op (as that's all he ever seems to do in this town, never mind all the VICTIMS, just lower Air Force One a little) this night - he would've gotten an earful ... and maybe been tarred and feathered by some pirates. His second song was his jazzy "So Long, Hank" tribute to Bukowski, only tonight he was joined by Mark from Bonerama to add some N'Awlins style jazz to the poem. The line, "But mostly we were drunk" got the biggest applause - because in this neighborhood, that is one of the main objectives. BIG claps.

Tom came back up to have everyone text "AI" to 5055 to show solidarity with Amnesty International's Tear It Down initiative to get rid of Guantanamo - and the blue glow of everyone doing it should have that blight on our world gone in no time. He then introduced our fantastic new friends, saying, "State Radio is about to rock your asses!" ... and that is exACTly what they did! The crowd yelled for them before they struck one note - but when they did it was "CIA" and the yells only got louder. There was a real drunk, but very nice, guy hanging on to the wall next to me. He said, "I think he's playing a gas can guitar" And I said, "Yep, he is". That perplexed him for a few seconds and then he said, "Well, it's gonna cost him $4.00 to fill that thing up".

Chad from State Radio has a charity for kids with physical and mental disabilities that do their own version of the news, "How's Your News?" (www.howsyournews.com) and a bunch of those kids were in the house. It was so happy to see them rocking out to their favorite band, and from the sound of the crowd, LOTS of peoples' favorite band!

They kept the rock building with "Camila" - love it, now own it. Their last song was "Gang Of Thieves", and Chad, Chuck and Mike were joined by Tom on this one, which you could tell fired them up, as well as us. They started it by getting the whole room to fast-clap, and it just kept getting more frenzied from there. Chad said, "What an honor to be on the Justice Tour with Tom Morello" and from the looks of it, the feeling was mutual. STATE RADIO!!!

Perry and Etty Farrell, with Carl Restivo, (The Satellite Posse) were up next. Perry said, "It's a privilege and an honor to be on the Justice Tour ... because we kick ASS!" - and that's what they proceeded to do. "Nasty Little Perv" was nastily good. Then Perry told a story about being in a boat with a hole in it, which sank, and he had to swim for four hours ... but it was "Under A Tahitian Moon", so all was ok. A totally acoustic version, it was sublime.

To top that off, the Freedom Fighter Orchestra joined them on stage, along with Tom on electric guitar - plugged IN. The crowd had been pleading for some Jane's .. and they got it. "Mountain Song"! The opening chords alone made everyone in the place scream their lungs out. I mean, they went nuts! More so when Tom freaked them out with a scorching guitar solo. At song's end, Perry went across the stage high-fiving everyone down front, yelling, "The sounds of Freedom!!", with an ecstatic smile that you can only get from that kind of jam.

Throwing a nod to bluesy New Orleans, they played a bar brawler version of The Doors' "Roadhouse Blues", with Perry as Jim. "Let it roll, Baby, Roll! All night long!" We would all be totally fine with that.

And then it was time to Kick. Out. The. JAMS! With Wayne reprising his MC5 days, and burning up the stage with Tom, trading guitar licks back and forth. Wayne was FEELING it tonight, and the smile on HIS face only got bigger. It was just that kind of night.

Tom asked a thrilled guy in front to hold the lyrics sheet, and the gang played CCR's, "Fortunate Son" ... but not before Tom acknowledged Bush's presence (shift in The Force) in town, saying that, "That is an insult. There should be barricades here to keep him out". At this point I was watching/scribbling/ filming on the side of the stage with the McAlpine's and they were both nodding and saying, "That's right!" It was a blistering performance, and "I Ain't No President's Son (Fuck him!)!" was sung as a matter of pride and relief in this case.

Perry introduced the next one, saying Tom calls him up and he's always ready to hear about songs regarding, "Fuck the oil companies, the military, definitely the War ... so I was pleasantly surprised when it was time to shake the shit!" Yes, the new party anthem, "Shake My Shit" and it was time for Tom to sing - and dance. The entire place was dancing! It was the very best time I've heard it played, with a super-animated Tom yelling, "OH! OH! OH!" and the shit shakers whooping it up. It was awesome, and Tom said, "Consider your shit shook!"

Wayne Kramer again went off with MC5's "Rama Lama". He got the crowd split in half with one side singing, "Oh Yeah!" and the other, "It's Alright", and then it all came together, as he said, "Unity is Power!" That was more than true, when Alonzo McAlpine and Mike from State Radio joined them on congas, Wayne and Tom again traded crazy guitar conversation, and the audience did their part bringing it all together with their chants. Freedom Party!

Marvin Gaye's "What's Goin' On?" with Perry on lead vocals for one verse, and Mama Efuru for another! It was so moving to see the people who had all worked together to bring about some small change for the better in a family's life the day before, now all singing and dancing and celebrating LIFE together on one stage. Etty and Mama grooved together, hips shaking, and every time the band sang, "What's Goin' On?", the fans would repeat it back ... it was so very special. Mama thanked everyone and said she'd had a feeling yesterday that these were good and amazing people, and now she knew for sure. Perry thanked her again for her cooking that we're all still drooling about.

Tom returned to the stage wearing his Hornets Playoff shirt from the night before, and the home team loved that. "Superstitious" was their next song, and it was another perfect one for a town stuffed with Voodoo shops. Bonerama came back for this one, lending it more local yet. Mama and Alonzo stayed up the rest of the time, and their thrill was tangible. Tom reminded, "$10 to get in, but what are you paying to get out?" The only problem with that was that no one WANTED to get out. Ever.

My personal favorite jam of the night was Jimmy Cliff's "The Harder They Come", with State Radio back with everyone. It was pure celebration. Everyone on stage that was singing sang with arms around each other in a big circle, the band having almost more fun dancing around than the fans. Oh, and it appeared this was NOT a dry building (duh) with drinks allowed on stage this time, and the reggae beats prompting shouts of "420!" It was the greatest thing ever, and so good that you wanted to cry again in New Orleans - but this time, tears of joy.

They closed the night with "This Land Is Your Land", and the party of it all continued. Tom directed everyone through the verses, and each time the chorus came along, people were tearing up their throats to sing as loud as they could - it was crazy in there. When the command came for "EVERYONE JUMP UP!!", it was strictly obeyed .. in fact, I think my filming of that is going to be real shaky because you could not resist joining in. Over the last chords, Tom yelled, "This city deserves to be rebuilt!", and I honestly can't tell you what he said after that, because the cheering was so loud it was lost in it.

And that is exactly what Mama Efuru was talking about when she taught us the word, "Salongo". Tonight, we DID "Come together to create something beautiful out of love" for the city of New Orleans. And we need to keep doing it until they're back where they belong. SALONGO!

- Carol Gronner]]> Thu, 22 May 2008 18:23:18 GMT http://www.thenightwatchman.com
The charity for our 4th leg of the tour was Just Economics, a grassroots organization that advocates for low-wage workers to have equitable economic conditions and increased union representation. They (and we) believe that every person has the right to good and dignified work that allows to support one's family. ALL workers deserve fair wages, safe working conditions, and the right to have a voice. Their purpose with their "Living Wage Campaign" is to get local businesses to sign on to become "Living Wage Certified": (complete with a sticker in the window) employers that pay their workers enough to meet their basic necessities, without public or private assistance. In Asheville, NC, that means $11.35 an hour. But as a Founder of the organization, Ernie Boyd, said, "That's a floor, and a shaky floor. It's a stretch to say paying a living wage is doing God's work".

We met Ernie and his colleagues at their office in Western Asheville. The Nightwatchman, The Freedom Fighter Orchestra (Breckin Meyer and Dave Gibbs on this stop), Wayne Kramer, and Boots Riley (straight from the airport) introduced themselves to the Just Economics people (including the lovely Laura Gordon, Sarah, Tyrone and Zach) and some people from Children First, another local non-profit. Mark Case was there representing the union people, as head of the local postal union. We sat around a conference table and talked about the fact that change only happens from the bottom up. Mark said that "unions only form when people want them to form", and that the number one thing people can do is keep their job. During election cycles, voters tend to get distracted by side issues (abortion, gay marriage, etc ...), when the bottom line, according to Mark, is you need to be voting to keep your job.

Tom shared that he'd been to Asheville before and he wasn't excited about it at all, and then had his best show of that tour here, so knew that he wanted to include it on the Justice tour, so here we were. We had just found out that a local bakery had heard about the tour coming and signed on to be Living Wage Certified as a result. Boots said, "I came ready to fight, and bum-rush the bakery." We didn't need to, and instead were here to congratulate them.

The Living Wage is an issue here because wages are depressed due to mills and factories closing (NAFTA), and cost of living is high. But nothing can happen until workers have had ENOUGH. Living Wage Certification is a voluntary program to sign onto, and as Sarah said, "Just the tour posters have inspired conversations that we're associated with these amazing rock stars." (I kind of think The Nightwatchman might need to start wearing a cape when we swoop into these places to do good). Everyone is living on credit, Mark said in his smooth Southern drawl, "even for one 41 cent stamp ... this thing is gonna blow." - meaning our economy.

So getting people to sign the pledge to support the local businesses that are Living Wage Certified was our primary goal, and since The West End Bakery had just been certified, that's where we headed.

People were waiting. We walked into the bakery, populated with a fairly granola (with tattoos) demographic, that seemed to make up the majority of the town, along with retirees that have moved in. It smelled good in there, and I would strongly suggest folks go there for the deliciousness AND their support of human rights. One young man standing next to me said, "That's lahk (trying to get the accent right) my favorite guitar player EVER, right THERE! And he's a regular guy, this is so weird!"

Tom took a microphone outside to announce to the citizens gathered that The West End Bakery was now Living Wage Certified, so should be the only place in town to get your baked goods, until the others join in, in a sort of "Backwards Boycott." Oh, and that he and his friends were going to put on a "Hellaciously rocking show!" (they sure did).

Then it was time to officially affix the "Living Wage Certified" sticker in the window. It was kind of small, so he said, "We're going to put some of the proceeds from tonight's show towards getting bigger stickers." We were invited to have lunch at the Bakery - Thank you to owner, Lewis Lankford. It was delicious. Go there. - and then the guys went around with clipboards getting people to sign the pledge to support LW Certified businesses, which will encourage more employers to sign up, is the hope. The people of Asheville are so polite, and would approach Tom for an autograph, ("Not until you sign the pledge" - so they did get a little toned-arming in) saying, "Excuse me, Mr. Morello" ... "You can call me Tom." They all chatted and took photos, and it felt so normal, but you could see the thrill on the faces every time. It was not hard to get all the little pledge forms filled out, trust me.

I personally think it is OFFENSIVE that there even has to be such a thing as a "Living Wage Campaign". As a Presidential candidate with a similar background to Mr. Morello (sorry, "Tom") has said, "If you work, you should not be poor." But since the corporations HAVE taken over, and we have not yet had the revolution against that (I said, yet), thank GOODNESS there are fine people out there like the ones at Just Economics who have the Peoples' backs. May it grow across the country, across the land - OUR land.

- Carol Gronner]]> Thu, 22 May 2008 18:29:53 GMT http://www.thenightwatchman.com
A line formed early for the Sold Out show, and the people waiting outside were as giddy as the ones inside rehearsing. Some slap-happiness has set in, and The Nightwatchman had to laugh during the run-through of a song because he was looking out at Breckin doing handsprings, alongside Wayne Kramer's not-bad moonwalk. A big tour bus was parked along the side of the building, and it held a new addition to the tour, Shooter Jennings! It was the ideal location for him to join us, and I heard a lot of people buzzing about seeing him AND The Nightwatchman+PLUS - all for the People's Price of Ten Greenbacks (is that Southern? I hope so.)

I had taken a stroll through town earlier and seen Tour posters in every window, and heard people talking about both the show AND the Living Wage Campaign, so I knew the place got involved. I also knew that they were ready to rock, young and old (an All-Ages show, you gotta get them early!) The place filled up quick, and soon it was time for The Nightwatchman to yell out, "Hello, Asheville, my favorite city in the South!" He had them at hello, but the "favorite" designation sealed the deal. "The Justice Tour is traveling the country taking back America, one city, one venue at a time. After tonight, you can consider this liberated territory!" WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! is all you heard.

Tom dedicated the night to Just Economics and to the working people of Asheville, as the reason for why we're here. "This here is a fighting song, an organizing song, a UNION song!" And that's exactly what he gave them, "Union Song". "Standing UP and standing STRONG!" These fine people knew the words too, and sang them loudly. Then cheered it LOUDLY. "Fuck yeah, I like me some Asheville", responded The Nightwatchman. This crowd was SUPER fired up, and you felt it all night long. He gave them, "House Gone Up In Flames", and they knew the words again. Gone are the days of the kids only wanting to see the guy from Rage. They know and respect The Nightwatchman. That's a good thing too, because for his next one, he demanded quiet for his "rich milk chocolate baritone" and said, "I don't want to have to show you the back of my Nightwatchman hand". They laughed, but didn't push their luck, and were stone silent for the stunningly beautiful, "Garden Of Gethsemane" (which we'd been requesting all tour, and our patience finally paid off). It was so quiet, in fact, that Tom could step away from the mic and sing with no amplification. It was so moving I got chills, and not for the last time this night.

After that mind-blower, Tom needed to tune his guitar so asked that for 15 seconds, instead of the usual lull, the crowd be the loudest in the history of Asheville. Whatever it was, the decibel record was beaten. It was deafening, and only got louder as the seconds passed. It's exciting just typing about it now! And for that, The Nightwatchman rewarded them with "Guerilla Radio". When he got to the "What better time than NOW?" part, the fans screamed it as loud as during the tuning. Seriously, Asheville is going to run out of lozenges tomorrow.

Shooter Jennings came up to join Tom for the World Premiere (!) of a song from The Nightwatchman's upcoming sophomore album, called "Iron Wheel". North Carolina got some cool stuff tonight, and it wasn't just their good karma - they worked for it. Shooter and Tom sing great together, and this is one you're going to want to look for as soon as it's available.

Raptivist Boots Riley hit up the stage next with "Love For The Underdog", and I believe got a whole new set of fans up in the mountains tonight. Every nail-on-the-head lyric was met with whoops of agreement. Tom came up to back Boots up with acoustic guitar on "Five Million Ways To Kill A CEO", which featured the fresh dance moves of Boots. This cat is smooth. Even after taking the red-eye from Oakland just that morning! When he treated everyone to the song he wrote for his daughter, "Wear Clean Drawers", he had the entire room jotting down notes to themselves - "Buy every Coup album". It is the best, and I cannot get it out of my head, which says a lot when you heard what we did from hereon out.

Wayne Kramer is now 4 for 4 on the Justice Tour with the line, "Where's Lee Harvey Oswald, when you really need him?" Every town so far has gone nuts when he sings that in his "Something's Broken In The Promised Land". It also features a line that says there's a government tape called, "Getting Used To Poverty", and I wondered to myself if that might be what is happening, and why people aren't getting more up in arms (Arm The Homeless! Yes, that guitar came out later.) about our jobs, our gas prices, our economy as a whole? Get USED to it? No way! Don't do it! "So Long, Hank" was great as ever, but the kids were antsy for some rock, you could tell.

Country legend Jessi Colter (A Woman! Shooter's Mom!) came on stage in a red jacket and biker cap, looking hot. It's hard to believe she's now a Grandmother! She sat down at the keyboard and said, "Tom called, Shooter was playing, and I said, 'I'm gonna make this date'." Her first song was, "Why You Been Gone So Long", and I heard Ernie from Just Economics say, "I've just gone to Heaven and back." She has that effect. After the applause died down for that one, she said that after she lost Waylon, she didn't write for a long time, and then she heard Ben Harper (!) and he made her feel like she could write again. My ears perked up even higher at that. That song, appropriately called, "Out of the Ashes, The Phoenix Rises", made everyone thrilled that someone turned her on to Ben Harper (what a compliment to Ben!). Then this first girl to be painted on The Whiskey A Go Go, she told us, played "the song that's still making her money", the country hit, "I'm Not Lisa". I wanted to go get a beer just to cry over it during this song in this honky-tonk. She thanked Tom for his passion, and the crowd for coming out for it, when really we needed to be thanking her.

Shooter did that, "Let's hear it for my Mom!", when he joined her to play their duet from "The Passion Of The Christ" soundtrack, the heart-achingly beautiful, "Please Carry Me Home". Another set of chills. Shooter said Tom had been his friend since back in his days with the band Stargunn, and that Tom was "the most sincere motherfucker in rock music." Here, Here! I swear I didn't pay Shooter off, but he did next play a Kris Kristofferson song! (KK is IT for this girl & her good friend Sweet D, too) "2003 Minus 25" was done great justice (JUSTICE!) by the the son of Kris's friend, Waylon. Up next was ANOTHER World Premiere - Shooter's new song, "Black Ribbons", a song he dedicated to the down and out. He totally went for it, and people roared at every head tossed back howl The Wolf gave. It was awesome. Shooter's band guys came off the bus to join him for a song dedicated to Tom and his guitar, "Living In The Dream", and they rocked that place. His next one was what one kid told me after was his favorite of the night, Audioslave's "I Am The Highway" with Shooter singing and Tom back on guitar! On the "Arm The Homeless" guitar. You know what that means ... a real great solo. We all LOVED it, and it showed. It was so loud that Tom said, "I don't believe a change is coming. I believe it is here in this room!" It was. It IS.

The Freedom Fighter Orchestra came up (and Breckin had the drums all to himself, with no tagging out tonight. He was the SUPER Glue, playing every kind of song, every kind of way, and all of it ROCKED), Wayne took over vocals, Kid Lightning banged on the bass, Tom was electric, and they Kicked Out The Jams! Always a crowd pleaser, tonight it was a crazy maker. But it only went more crazy from there. People do NOT like the war here, and when Tom dedicated "Fortunate Son" to the Iraq Vets Against The War in the house, the volume of shouts only increased more. "I ain't no President's Son - FUCK him" was met with ear-splitting shrieks - again.

Boots came back up to join the guys on stage and had the shout-outs, "BOOOOOTS!", which made him smile. Shooter and Jessi came up for background vocals too. One guy yelled "Put down your cameras and dance!" because there were so many camera phones being held up to capture the madness. I kept my camera UP so you can see it all later, but I was tempted to discard and dance, believe me. They laid a new jam on us that is going to be huge, I know it. "100 Little Curses" is a new Boots and Tom song, that might have been my personal favorite of the night. That could be because it featured the first Tom super-shred of the night, but also the marching band drums Breckin beat down, and the "Whoa-Oh-Oh-Oh!" chorus made you want to get out in the streets and march immediately. So that made THREE World Premieres tonight! Something crazy might be in the water in Asheville - moonshine?

{we DID sample that a bit later - out of a jar, as it should be - and all I can say about sipping on moonshine in North Carolina is first, Excellent! And then, Yikes!}

So then Shooter took over the lead vocals for a group jam of "Feel Like Makin' Love", that featured a Rage-y guitar solo from Tom, causing people to throw up fists, rock signs, horns, whatever form they could mold their hands into to signify YAY! Taking a breath to speak, Tom then said, "Sure, I'm all 'Smash The State', but I like to party too" and introduced Asheville to The Nightwatchman party anthem, "Shake My Shit" - and they shook it here too. It's so fun, you can't help but get caught up in it ... there was no one not dancing, even the sound guys. After that one, Tom reminded that the N.C. chapter of Axis Of Just-ettes would be walking around with big jars to collect donations if they felt the show might be worth more than the $10 entry/highway robbery for THIS show. The girls arms looked taxed as the money filled up. All the merch ("The t-shirts are black, so they look handsome in every season") money is for the cause too, so Just Economics just got paid!

Ms. Jessi sat back down at the keyboards for the next one, and Tom said, "I hear it was just 4/20, and I don't partake in those manners, but I have a feeling people here know what that means", and with that they launched into Bob Dylan's, "Rainy Day Woman #12 and #35". This of course features the line, "Everybody must get stoned". Asheville was completely on board with that sentiment. You didn't even need to be enhanced to freak out at the Tom guitar solo with his TEETH on this one (yes, this was a sped-up ROCK version). It was so good that when it was over, one guy just yelled out, "THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!" so ecstatically, he spoke for the whole house. Tom answered him, "If you're having half as much fun as I am, you're having a pretty fucking good time" ... which prompted more shouts and fists.

For the last song of the night ("BOOOOOOOOO!"), it was OUR anthem, "This Land Is Your Land". EVERYONE sang along, while Jessi, Shooter, and Tom took verses, and then Boots gave a free-style rap verse that brought it all a whole new freshness. People were so rowdy that Tom didn't even really need to say, "I want to see the most jumping up and down Dixie has ever seen after my last verse that will revolutionize you". Asheville, North Carolina wins HANDS DOWN for the very best jumping of the tour so far - it was like a European soccer match in there, with everyone jumping with arms up in total unison. CHILLS AGAIN! With a lump in the throat on the side! As the last chords hung in the air, every fist was up, and Tom was hoarsely yelling, "Never Give Up! NEVER GIVE IN!" over and over until the crowd was absolutely spent.

NEVER GIVE UP, NEVER GIVE IN! And that means you, Workers. Unions. Voters. Living Wage Campaigners. AMERICANS! This is how it all begins, ground up, and unified ... both for a great cause, and for the feeling that jumping for joy to music you love will give you. You just have to remember to give back.

- Carol Gronner]]> Thu, 22 May 2008 18:19:41 GMT http://www.thenightwatchman.com
The Black Cat in Washington D.C. was our host for the evening ... and it felt punk rock right from the get-go. The beneficiary of tonight's show was Iraq Veterans Against The War (IVAW), which we will learn and talk about more tomorrow, but their presence was all over this show, and the reason for it.

After sound check (rocking ... you knew the guys were going to bring it in the show), we were in the dressing room having a bite and talking about what songs The Freedom Fighter Orchestra would play (yeah, they usually learn them right before. They're that good.), when Tomas Young rolled in. He is the subject of the fantastic documentary, "Body Of War". He was paralyzed in Iraq his first week over there ... and clearly, he is an Iraq Veteran AGAINST The War. It was an honor to shake his hand, and meeting him before the show put a much deeper meaning into the whole proceeding - the guys knew it was for him and his fellow Vets, and wanted that to be felt.

After meeting and talking with the new additions to this stop, it was show time. We climbed the cement flights of stairs to the stage level and walked out into another sold out house. That was ready to be rocked out. The Nightwatchman hit the stage to loud cheers, especially from the many guys wearing IVAW shirts. My favorite one said, "Honor The Warrior, Not The War", and that about sums up the feeling and message of the entire night. Tom said, "We're going to rock the fuck out in The People's Republic of Washington, D.C." and laid "Flesh Shapes The Day" on them. The heavily male audience loved it. Tom said he'd done a radio interview earlier in the day, and had disagreed about politics with the D.J., who felt America needed to be victorious. Tom said, "Victory in this war for me would mean that Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Condi Rice would all be sharing a small cage in Guantanamo", which was met with roars of approval. Though all these war decisions are being made right here in the same town, the strong disapproval they were met with here shows how very out of touch our horrible administration is with the reality of the people. To stress that point, Tom played, "King Of Hell". Take that, Bushies!

The buddy system was adopted (if your friend is chirping next to you, you tell them to shut the fuck up) for "The Garden Of Gethsemane", which was absolutely the "spooky shit" Tom told us it would be ... and again, pure silence in the room, so that Tom could step away from the mic to sing, "Take my hand love, down we go". There was again a LOUD lull while Tom tuned his guitar for the song the yellers had earned, "Guerilla Radio". The line, "I move on D.C." got a huge shout ... and I remembered that not everyone has heard this acoustic version. We get spoiled living in the same town as The Nightwatchman, and it was a delight to see the Capital crowd be so enthused to hear it. "What better time than NOW?!" got the whole place going - I hope they mean it.

Boots Riley was the first guest star to the stage, and you never would have known that this cat woke up stuffy and suffering this morning ... he absolutely killed it. As usual. He opened with "Love For The Underdog", his spoken word song that is nothing but truth. It was super quiet for him, and I think it's because, as one line goes, "It's you in this song". He makes you get it better than you thought you did. Tom returned to back Boots up on "Five Million Ways To Kill A CEO" with his acoustic guitar. This one gets Boots moving, and that is one of my favorite things in life to see. He followed that excellent one with "Everythang", and though the crowd did not comply with "everybody put your lighters up" as the song asks, they did substitute their cell phones. Progress? Then "Wear Clean Drawers" once again made everyone want Boots as their best friend. He told me he actually has bikini underwear made up that say "Clean Drawers" on them, but forgot them. That is a shame, because they would've been snapped right up, because EVERYONE loves this song. (Boots: save a pair for me, please! Ruler.)

Ryan Harvey (www.Riotfolk.org) joined The Justice Tour at this stop, down from his native Baltimore. Ryan is so talented, and so means every word, that you feel like following him into any battle he's involved in. It makes sense that he's friends with Tom Morello. I first met him in Venice when Tom was first playing out at The Nightwatchman, and knew then that he was someone to pay attention to. His lyrics and guitar lay bare the hypocrisy in the world, and set out to right wrongs every time. He's very involved with the IVAW, and the love in the room was mutual. He dedicated his rebel song, "Search and Avoid" to the soldiers, and got us all singing along with the "Nah, no way, not me, fuck that" chorus, with Tom on back-up vocals he just learned like two seconds earlier. As if it were ever in question, it reminded that, "Soldier, you're not alone."

Ryan's voice is so distinctive that it's kind of hard to describe. Kind of a high voice, and always with an urgency to it. His next one was about civilians joining the fight, however they can, and "Holding the line". He was involved with a Port blockade in Washington, where they tried to stop the ships bringing equipment to Iraq, and the soldiers gave them peace signs. Nothing makes sense anymore in this world, does it? At least we know there are good people out there/in here, putting themselves on the line to do - and sing - what's right. Political hip hop artist, Son of Nun joined Ryan on his last song, dedicated to people coming to this country to find work and better lives. Son of Nun asked, "Where my immigrants at?" and hardly any people raised their hands. So he said, "So everyone else is either Cherokee or Sioux or something? I'm gonna ask again ... where my immigrants at?!" And this time, the entire room threw both hands up. Ryan and Son knocked it out, and ended the tune with, "NO ONE IS ILLEGAL!" All present were in loud agreement with this force of nature called Ryan Harvey. Look for him, listen to him. Learn from him.

I heard one guy say, "I just bought an MC5 album on vinyl and Wayne Kramer is here tonight!" Yes, he was. And he made no bones about letting this new generation of listeners know that "Something's Broken In The Promised Land". The bad news is, we'll have to get our fix of the line "Where's Lee Harvey Oswald, now that we really need him?" now, because it is my hope that we won't ever need him again - certainly not CHEER for him - when we get our new President this fall. Let us hope we can retire the NEED for this great song. For tonight's version of Wayne's Bukowski tribute, Omar Akil joined him on trumpet, making it sound all hep-cat, and the heads nodded along. Far out.

Joe Uehlein and his U-Liners took to the stage next, and when introducing them, Tom credited him for making him feel that the Justice Tour would be possible. Joe has a long history of songs for social justice and rebel songs, and like he said, "We're passing down the rebel spirit through the generations." He and his cool band, complete with fiddler lady played a Celtic sounding song called, I believe, "Copperhead Road". Folky and fun. Then, the question we're all asking (especially the IVAW), in their cover of Bob Dylan's "License To Kill" - "Who's going to take away their license to kill?" I think the answer needs to be US. They finished their set with "What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love and Understanding" ... always a classic, and never more appropriate than when played for this audience.

The Nightwatchman is many things, and one of them is the producer of the next band's in the works album - The Outernationals, from Brooklyn, NY. There was a guy down front who Tom said was "Straddling the line between insanely great supporter and crazy heckler" that was fired up about EVERYTHING. "I can't ever stop watching at night, you can see the challenges I face". But that was forgotten as soon as Outernationals lead singer, Miles, said, "The revolution has come to town" and they fired off, "Sir, No, Sir!" They were GREAT! Fiery guitar licks, frenzied dancing, even a trumpet! Miles is a great front-man, ala Mick Jagger, and isn't at all afraid to put himself totally out there for the rock. The band is super-tight, and you can see why Tom would get on board to put his stamp of approval on them. It was a straight up rock out. Their last jam was "Empty Lives", and they really let us have it. I want to see them more ... a lot more. "Tremendously exciting", was what The Nightwatchman thanked them with. The looks on the faces in the room relayed, verbatim, "We dig".

Have you heard of Head Roc? I hadn't, but I sure have now. Local D.C. Hip Hoppers, Head Roc and Grizzly Bear rhymed it up for us, saying, "You know why you're here, right? To protest this war!" and the audience made it clear that yes, they knew that. Loudly. (Can't they get it ... NO ONE wants this war anymore, if they ever did). They did a rap about the Washington Redskins, and how they need to "Change that name!" It's racist. The "Put Your Hands Up" plea was complied with, and happily so. They also did an anti-gun rap, that said, "Guns don't kill, people who make guns to kill people do" and dissed Charlton Heston, as they should. I got their c.d. You should too.

The very special guest of honor at the show was Tomas Young. He was lifted on to the stage in his wheelchair to the heart-felt cheers of the crowd, which contained many of his peers of Vets Against The War. He thanked Tom, and said that "all of this was great, but it doesn't mean anything if you don't go home and do something to bring about change". Which is exactly the point of this whole tour! Get informed and rock the fuck out with us, but then bottle the feeling and re-open it in your own daily life and we'll really be getting somewhere - together!

The Freedom Fighter Orchestra (Breckin Meyer, Dave Gibbs/ Kid Lightning and Wayne Kramer + Brian Baker from Bad Religion tonight) came up to join Tom in playing the song for Tomas Young that he had asked to be part of the "Body Of War" soundtrack: "Battle Hymns". Watching Tomas as Tom sang the poignant words was about as deep as it gets.

*Until tomorrow, that is, when we actually go and see some Veteran places for ourselves (stay tuned).

It was also badass. Tom brought out his electric guitar for the first time on this one, and that got about as big a roar from the mostly dudes in the audience as any all night. Once again, rock with a purpose is very powerful stuff.

Wayne "KICK OUT THE JAMS" Kramer (every time he steps on stage, guys yell that out) led the FFO for his classic, and this time it inspired a mosh/slam pit down front - I told you it was punk rock at the outset. The guitar chat between Wayne on his Star Spangled guitar and Tom's Arm The Homeless said it all. The boys were going off the charts with the testosterone influx. I'm a girl, but I totally get it - it ruled.

"Fortunate Son" was dedicated to Tomas Young, whom Tom said "has physical challenges, but gets more done every day than people who have no disabilities at all". Think about that - and perhaps ponder doing something about that, if you're willing and able. "You can wait around for this war to end, or you can stop it yourselves", Tom said. Maybe that's a good place to start. CCR's hit felt, like the whole night did, harder core. When it was time for "I ain't no President's Son - FUCK HIM" - you really hoped that the noise from the club would lift up and out and across town to land in Bush's face ... but I still don't think he would care. I'd like to see Cheney say "So?" to the Americans at this show ... the old and evil ticker couldn't finally take it, I'm sure. Drat, we should have put him on the list. Sigh.

My new favorite rock-out jam, "100 Little Curses" by Boots and Tom was next ... and I don't think I'm alone in playing favorites there. Boots was met with "BOOOOOOOts", prompting him to ask if they were Boo-ing or saying "Boots". There was no question it was said with a whole lotta love. That was also shown to Tom when he blasted the place off with his teeth guitar solo ... the air was filled with a solid wall of fists and phones. Boots' rhymes and moves are equally sick, making this the one they'll all be talking about tomorrow. Scratch that - they'll be talking about it ALL tomorrow, and for a long, long time to come.

Ryan Harvey came back up to lead Operation Ivy's "Jaded". PUNK rock! Ryan said about Operation Ivy, "they're fucking good". I'd say the same about this ode to them. Short but sweet.

"Every once in a while, The Nightwatchman likes to get DOWN." So did everyone else for "Shake My Shit". This one has been going over real big everywhere we've roamed, for good reason. Party anthems are crowd pleasers, but add to it some dosage of reality, and you get a keeper. And your shit shook.

Once again, ALL proceeds from the door and merch will go to IVAW. Once again, there was no limit on what it would cost to get out. (No, not talking about the awful war there, though I could be. I meant out of the CLUB). I have a feeling the folks ponied up for this one.

The super-nice and super-duper talented Outernational fellows came back to lead the entire gang in their "Fighting Song". This one featured a neat melodica riff that I'm still whistling now at 4 in the morning ... because it was cool like that. ALL the guys on the stage were jumping up and down with the "Di-di-di-di-di- di-DI!" chorus, and it was more anti-war fight inspiring than real fisticuffs - the camaraderie from stage to front door was thick as thieves. I want to hear it again.

The entire group of players came up for the night's finale, "This Land Is Your Land". This has been the customary last song at most of our stops, and it is always a true hellraiser. Interestingly, when Tom introduced it saying it was a Woody Guthrie song, that got a cheer as big as any of the night, and I hope good ol' Woody heard that. I think he'd be proud of the way Tom has brought back ALL the verses, and of the way it raises the roofs off of every place they've played it. Tom instructed, "I want to see everyone in the place jumping up and down, even Tomas Young" ... and you know what? Even he DID.

That's what gave all the more resonance to Tom ending the night with "Never Give Up, Never Give In!" If guys like Tomas Young - and there are many, some of whom we'll meet tomorrow, ALL of whom we need to be talking about, and providing for, and getting the hell out of Iraq - can never give up, and never give in ... then who are we to? It is our American duty to get each other's backs, just like these soldiers have always done for each other. If the guys who were there can organize and be against this war, we need to do that too, and Honor The Warrior, Not The War. Oh, and Rock The Fuck Out! PEACE!

- Carol Gronner]]> Fri, 30 May 2008 02:18:23 GMT http://www.thenightwatchman.com www.healthcare-now.org) was the Justice Tour's partner for the 6th stop on this eye-opening road show, in Boston, Massachusetts. They are a campaign supporting the movement for a single-payer, national guaranteed health care plan in the United States. It is their mission to eliminate health care injustice for ALL in the United States, by working to implement Bill HR 676, The National Health Insurance Act.

This bill means a single payer system covering every person in the U.S. for all necessary medical care, including prescription drugs, hospital, surgical, outpatient services, primary and preventive care, emergency services, dental, mental health, home health, physical therapy, rehabilitation (including substance abuse), vision care, chiropractic and long term care, AND end deductibles and co-payments. In addition, it would save billions annually by eliminating the high overhead and profits of the private health insurance industry and HMO's. So really, why wouldn't this pass? Well, like many of the areas we've been discussing on this tour ... follow the money.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Of all forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane" - but just watch Michael Moore's genius film "Sicko", and you'll see that that very injustice is RAMPANT in this country - he had so many stories he could've made that film hundreds of times over. I am personally feeling this giant problem in our country with my infected spider bite drama WHILE in Boston for this Health Care Now Rally - how's that for irony?

The United States is the ONLY advanced country in the world that does not have Universal health care! Doesn't that bug you? Does it bug you enough to do something about it? If so, listen up - Single payer means that health care providers will only have to send their claims to ONE place to get paid - the National Health Insurance Program, instead of thousands of different insurance companies. Doctors and patients will no longer have to wait: everyone contributes and everyone gets health care. So if that sounds basic and logical to you, and it should, you call your congress member and ask that they support HR 676 (I just did). Toll free, 1-866-338-1015. Do it now, I'll wait ... Hey, Thanks for doing that!

The day of our Rally in support of Healthcare - Now! dawned rainy and grey ... but at least I was at the hotel and out of the hospital. I reunited with my tour mates, happily, and Tom, The Freedom Fighter Orchestra (Kid Lightning, Breckin Meyer, Wayne Kramer), Boots Riley and State Radio piled on a bus to head over to Boston Commons for the rally. We unloaded and huddled under a gazebo in the middle of the park to do a quick sound check.

As they got all set up, we looked across the park, and saw about a hundred people marching across the park through the rain, on their way to the rally from a screening of "Sicko" up the road. Young and old, matronly and punk, they walked towards the gazebo, many of them carrying signs, only slightly wilted from the rain. "Health Care For ALL!" "Stop Corporate Greed!" "Health Care Is A Right, Not A Privilege!" "PASS HR 676!" I love people that make signs. Going that extra inch is sometimes what can make a difference, like now I know about HR 676, because I saw that sign and asked about it. And now you all know about it, and so on and so on ... so, THANK YOU, Sign Makers!

Donna Smith, from "Sicko" thanked Tom for standing with them for the fight for Universal Health Care for All, and Tom (in his new IVAW hoodie) thanked them for all their work on our behalf, and picked up his "Whatever It Takes" acoustic guitar, once again fitting for the organization and people before us on this wet day. "Flesh Shapes The Day" sounds as good in the rain as it does anywhere, and the growing crowd of people standing in the rain applauded for it whole-heartedly. It was cute to see the little old ladies in the crowd tapping their feet along. The Nightwatchman covers a broad age spectrum these days, a delight to see.

Especially for the people fresh from the screening of "Sicko", or starring in it, Tom played them next the moving, "Alone Without You" that runs over the end credits of that movie. He dedicated the song to them by first saying, "Health care in the United States is not a tragedy, it's a crime - for profit." (like much else that our current administration has done or neglected to do) - and they should be prosecuted for ALL of it. That much has become beyond clear these past few weeks ...
Verdict: GUILTY! As the song goes, "Unforgivable, but true."

We all stood freezing in the gazebo and my thoughts wandered to . o 0 O "How much DO spider bite bills cost? Why do I have to worry about that when I'm just trying to get well? What is WRONG with us in this country that we've let it get so bad for basic human rights?" And I hope we all continue to ask and ACT on these same type of questions. Geez!

Tom picked up his little drum and beat it for his recently deceased Aunt Isabelle, who he always sent postcards to from the road, because she was never healthy enough to join him on his trips. "I can't send her postcards now, but I can play her this song" and he played "St. Isabelle" for her - and us - on a rainy day in Boston Commons, that made it all the more poignant.

"BOOOOOOts" Riley came up to join Tom for his song, "Everythang", which may have won him a few elderly fans in the process, because I saw some older hips moving. He's a crowd favorite now, wherever we go.

Boston's own State Radio offered their song, "Democracy In Kind", which was perfect for what the Healthcare-Now! folks are trying to get done. How can we call ourselves a democracy anymore when we leave so many people out of so many decisions, about even their own health? Again, keep asking these questions, keep demanding the answers.

Wayne Kramer came up and said, "It's time to ...." and a lady in the crowd yelled "PASS HR 676!" which cracked everyone up. Though she was right, it was also time to "Kick Out The Jams!" This was an all acoustic version, which was interesting and seemed right for this mellower, kind of melancholy day. Breckin went out into the crowd as a clapping cheerleader, and that got them moving, and probably a lot more warmed up too.

Tom thanked everyone for "Braving the elements for health care with justice and dignity" and then told the people that at the end of "This Land Is Your Land" he wanted to see everyone "Jumping the fuck up!" He glanced around at the mixed aged audience and said, "Sorry for the language, but sometimes the fight for justice is R-rated" and pointed at an elderly woman with a cane and said, "This little old lady with a cane jumping up and down is the template!" After the last "This Land Is Made For You And Me!" ... sure enough, glancing over at that woman, she was jumping better than anyone around! That's the kind of energy these shows - even in the rain in a park - inspire. Tom struck the last chord, saying, "Nobody wins unless we all win!" That is also true for our health care system. We depend on each other, remember that and make your voices heard!

The head guy for the Boston rally (I couldn't catch him to get his name, forgive) said, "Thank you, Tom, and the Justice Too-ah" (Boston accent) and again, in another example that it all ties together, reminded that "the Iraq War takes millions of dollars away from Health Cay-ah", and we need to get the work done to end ALL of it.

The rally was over and people scattered to get warmed up over some chowdah. We all felt better than we did before the rally, because that's what happens when you know that people are working together to do good things. Health Care - NOW! I think it should be Healthcare - RIGHT NOW! It's already too late for so many people struggling with health issues, and there's really no time to waste. So please head over to: www.healthcare-now.org/takeaction to see what part you can personally help with RIGHT now. Every little bit really does help. My ass thanks you.

- Carol Gronner]]> Thu, 22 May 2008 18:14:03 GMT http://www.thenightwatchman.com
As the only woman along for the whole tour, I've lost all shyness about talking about and showing the aforementioned ass now, but probably should have answered the guys' requests to see the bite earlier and saved myself a near-death, SUPER gnarly and painful experience. But enough about my ass ... the biggest drag about the whole deal was I had to miss the Boston show. The good news is I just finished watching the whole thing on film and can tell you about it all as if I were there - almost. The energy in the room can never be fully felt unless you were there, and I hope you were.

The Nightwatchman took the stage to welcome his "Second home town" (years of living in Boston while at Harvard) of Boston to the show. The entire proceeds of the show will benefit Boston's Healthcare-Now!, who are working to get Universal health care for all of Massachusetts, and judging from the packed house at Mass General, they can really use all the help they can get. One different and kind of odd thing about this show was that the auditorium was a seated one, with the people in assigned seats. We're not at all used to that on this tour, so it felt sort of stuffy (even on tape). That couldn't last for long.

"House Gone Up In Flames" opened the night, and got the people clapping, though still seated. The next one was dedicated to the health care workers and the people from the movie "Sicko", which "Alone Without You" is featured in. What a beautiful song for such an ugly scenario (our health system), full of lament for irredeemable loss. The ballad-y tone continued with a personal favorite, "Garden of Gethsemane", which was about "moments of doubt". Again, it was so quiet The Nightwatchman was able to step away from the mic and sing "take my hand, love" with no amplification. I can now say that it IS as powerful to watch on tape as it is to hear in the room. But always aim for the latter, of course. The next was given for "Longtime friends and comrades" and he let 'em have it with "Guerilla Radio". This got people to walk down in front and stand in the space in front of the sitters. They loved the part where the harmonica mimics the guitar part on the recorded version, and it got the loudest cheers of the night, thus far. "WHAT BETTER TIME THAN NOW?!" applies to so many of our works with the organizations on tour, but seems like a no-brainer when talking about taking good care of our citizens' health. I was hooked up to an IV (another of many firsts on this tour) while this was happening live, and I was shouting it along in my head, I promise you.

"BOOOOOOTS!" I love that this is becoming customary in all of our stops to greet Mr. Boots Riley. He is superfly, tonight in his "Revolution Rock" shirt and picked out afro, effortlessly cool. "Love For The Underdog" taught some lessons in this college town ... "all your problems pile up about a mile up ..." - who can't understand this at some point? When he says "I tear this motherfucker up since I really love you", you can feel his sincerity. He hit these guys next with "5 Million Ways To Kill A CEO", backed up by Tom on acoustic guitar, and himself on slick moves. It is unanimous among our tour mates - we all want to dance like Boots, but can't even come close. He got so into it, he kicked over Tom's "Irish Catholic Jameson whiskey" sitting on the floor by the mic stand. Don't worry, there's more where it came from. Boots' little daughter can feel good knowing that her Daddy played her song tonight, "Wear Clean Drawers" - and he once again won over the whole city with his comedic truths. Forgive me if I gush, Boots brings that out in you.

A singer/songwriter up from New York was the next guest star, Jesse Malin. He played a song called "Wendy" backed up by his attractive keyboard player, Christine. It was a happy, folky little tune that might be nice in the background at a coffee house. He told a story about bumping into Yoko Ono on a New York street once, and what it must be like to lose your partner, not just in love, but in fighting for a peaceful revolution. He (and we) have lots of radical friends, but how do you resolve that with normal life and taking the kids to Toys R Us and being part of society? "Aftermath" was pretty and touching, and yeah, what DO you do to do it all? He said before his last song that going to live shows with human beings "is the church, is the community" and watching that, I felt the loss of not being there even more wistfully. "In The Modern World" was more of a rocker song, especially when bumped up with the beats of Breckin Meyer and bass of Dave Gibbs to round it out. We'll hear more from Jesse Malin, count on it.

Tom came back to introduce Wayne Kramer and said, "MC5 and Rage Against The Machine will both be playing at a couple political conventions this summer" - putting the people (and probably the riot police) on alert. Wayne played "Something's Broken In The Promised Land" and Boston too DUG the Lee Harvey Oswald line. It's a clear winner, north to south and back again. During the loud applause, Wayne said, "These are the happy songs" with a wicked (that's for Boston) grin. Then a new one, "Junkie Romance" which talked all about the rigors of heroin. Don't touch that stuff, kids. You're better than that, and p.s. ... our health care system sucks, so don't take any stupid chances. Wayne would be back, to kick out ...

While Tom attended Harvard, he had the "Headbanger's Table" at lunch. They'd get out of their ties and change into spandex and "bezippered shirts" and head down to hear awesome metal bands, among them, Extreme! Leaving us with that visual, he introduced Gary Cherone from Extreme, who now plays in a band called "Heart Smile" with his brother, Mark. They played a nice, VH-1 friendly song called, "Painter's Paint", then brought up the tempo a bit with a song that is a group of questions called "Just War Theory". His time with Van Halen rubbed off on him, as his voice brings Sammy Hagar to mind without any stretch. Then he brought up a bunch of his buddies to play The Who's "My Generation". He really has the stuttering aspect of it all down, and it amped up the place for the time being.

The collective of politically minded songwriters called Riotfolk. org once again added a member to the Justice Tour after Ryan Harvey in D.C. ... this time with local Bostonian, Evan Greer joining our gang. He greeted the crowd asking, "Wanna do a swear-along song?" He said this one was for FEMA and the shit job they did in New Orleans and taught the crowd, "Hey FEMA, FUCK YOU! Leave our town alone! Hey FEMA, FUCK YOU! We'll take care of our own!" (and I'd like to add my own FUCK YOU to the brown recluse spider of New Orleans, you little bastards!) The entire crowd screamed along the expletive, and somehow it made me feel a little better. Each one, teach one! In his next song, "connecting all our struggles, and dedicated to the Zapatistas", he played a fiery rabble-rouser called "Ya Basta!" which means, "Enough is Enough!" - a fitting term for how we feel about The Justice Tour's work cut out for us on every stop. Evan plays with both hyper-activity and sincerity, and I count myself as a new fan.

Our last stop's organization IVAW was in the house here too, and as Tom said, "the only thing George W. Bush and I have in common is neither of us have ever served in the military", so please check out this wonderful group of men and women, many of whom also need Healthcare NOW! With that, he introduced "a huge and important part of the Justice Tour, both on stage and in service", local Boston band (soon to be mega- world-wide-superstars), State Radio! They got a gigantic roar from their hometown folkers. Lead singer/great guy Chad said it was a thrill to be there to show solidarity with Healthcare Now!, and "I wish this song had something to do with healthcare, but it has to do with the CIA, but I guess they're all the same" (sad/true) and they launched into their hit, "CIA", a real rock throw-down. It's a great thing to be able to say that some of the best music out there now is played by some of the best, nicest, kindest, most well-meaning people out there too - Chad, Chuck and Mike/Mad-dog of State Radio. An often heard quote on this tour, even when they're not around, is "I love State Radio". Fact.