“Music can inspire, entertain and agitate–and we intend to do all three on this tour,” taunts Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello, while talking to The Fix on the eve of announcing his unique 7-city “Justice Tour”. Morello’s solo project and onstage alter ego, The Nightwatchman, will be the core performer on a distinctive tour that combines a day of local activism with a night of star-studded rock. Underscoring Morello’s belief in the power of local, grassroots action, the tour bills local bands in each city alongside names like Perry Farrell, Slash and Ben Harper.
Morello will be inviting a changing line-up to share the stage with him and bring awareness to a specific issue at each stop. Current confirmed guests (expect more surprises–both announced and unannounced) include: Slash, Ben Harper, Perry Farrell, Maynard James Keenan of Tool and Puscifer, MC5 founder Wayne Kramer, Boots Riley of The Coup, Mike Einzinger of Incubus, Sen Dog of Cypress Hill, Davey Havok of AFI, and State Radio.
Morello adds that the motto of The Justice Tour is “Feed the poor, fight the power, and rock the fuck out,” an extension of his longtime intermingling of music and politics. Despite an avid commitment to music as a teenager (Morello’s high school band was The Electric Sheep, with Adam Jones of Tool on bass), Morello went on to Harvard, graduating with honors with a degree in Political Science. His duality in rock and activism is also reflected in his various achievements in both fields, such as inclusion in Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Guitar Players” and being the 2006 recipient of the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award.
Justice Tour participant and Morello pal Perry Farrell, leader of Jane’s Addiction and Porno for Pyros and founder of the Lollapalooza Festival, shared some thoughts with The Fix about combining music and activism. “Activism has changed so dramatically in America. There is more of a level playing field today that allows the individual to be more important in the service of charity and aid. We can mobilize ourselves quicker and easier today to fix problems–and become our own media hub to make our point.”
Also joining forces with Morello as tour partners are Amnesty International, whose focus on the tour will be support for tearing down Gitmo, Axis of Justice, Morello’s social justice organization devoted to bridging fans of music with local activism, and Project Noise, an organization partnering with musicians and non-profits to maximize their impact through music, media and technology. Also involved is Erin Potts, who along with Adam Yauch of The Beastie Boys, brought us the Tibetan Freedom Concerts.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets are $10 for all shows except the April 17 Road Recovery benefit in New York. Proceeds from each show benefit the local social justice partner.
April 15: Los Angeles: Issue: Homelessness: Tickets on sale now at TicketMaster outlets, at ticketmaster.com, and at the Troubadour box office. Proceeds benefit Axis of Justice and People Assisting the Homeless (PATH).
April 17: New York: Issue: Road Recovery benefit: Tickets for this previously announced benefit are $60, $100, and $250 and are on sale now at TicketMaster outlets and at ticketmaster.com. Proceeds benefit Road Recovery.
April 20: New Orleans: Issue: Safe, secure and affordable housing: Tickets on sale now at TicketMaster outlets, at ticketmaster.com, at the House of Blues box office and hob.com. Proceeds benefit Sweet Home New Orleans and Amnesty International.
April 22: Asheville, NC: Issue: A living wage: Tickets on sale now at www.thegreyeagle.com, or 800-594-TIXX, and at the Grey Eagle box office after 5 PM on a day with another event scheduled, at Harvest Records and at Orbit DVD. Proceeds benefit Just Economics.
April 24: Washington, DC: Issue: Iraq Veterans Against the War: Tickets on sale now at TicketMaster outlets, at ticketmaster.com, and at the Black Cat box office between 8 PM and midnight. Proceeds benefit Iraq Veterans Against the War.
April 28: Boston: Issue: Affordable healthcare: Ticket sales TBA. Proceeds benefit HealthCare-Now.
May 1: Chicago: Issue: Labor organizing: Tickets on sale now at TicketMaster outlets, at ticketmaster.com, and at the Park West box office. Proceeds benefit Service Employees Int’l Union.