Something different - an inspired evening - politics at the Haden/Bley Concert!

[NRaleighLiberal]

My wife and I felt priviledged to attend a wonderful concert tonight at Duke University in Durham NC - Charlie Haden's group the Liberation Music Orchestra, which featured Carla Bley (!!!!! one of my music heroes !!!!!). They are playing in Minneapolis tomorrow night - DUers out there, be sure to go!

The concert was called "Not in Our Name". From the program -
"Not in our name" stands as a musical manifesto for the disaffection many people in America and all over the world feel about the manner in which the present administration is conducting its affairs both at home and in the global arena."

They focused on American music - "America the Beautiful", "Amazing Grace", "Lift Every Voice and Sing", "We Shall Overcome", Barber's Adagio, Pat Metheny's "This is Not America" and Dvorak's "Going Home". They all had bittersweet twists - the songs all had a sharp, hard, sad edge which reflects all of our displeasure with the past 8 years. It was thrilling, touching, inspiring, heartbreaking, and memorable.

Charlie Haden made long monologues about what a mess we are in - at one point saying "Bush and Cheney are laughing at us as they steal us blind". At the end, during a long instrumental break of "We Shall Overcome", the band kept shouting out "Obama! Obama!"

I can just imagine that it was not a 100% Dem audience, being the affluent Duke U. But I was proud of the band, of Haden, of being a Dem, of Obama.

Then I came home and caught most of the debate replay and became even prouder - since Obama clearly kicked McCain's ass (no matter what some of these pundits are saying afterward!)

[thunder rising]

1. Excuse me, but did you not notice there was another even tonight? And, if you did not find it

important enough to either attend or watch .. you might want to STFU about it?

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. You are an utter asshole. We purchased tickets months ago to see

true icons of American music. The debates went on just fine without my wife and i watching it. Or are you one of those people who can't hold more than one thought in your head at the same time (kind of like McCain?). My aim was to bring something different into the mix and let people know that there are lots of ways to fight this fight.

You must be a fairly miserable person.