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Original Announcement:
Proceeds of October 16th show to Coldsnap Legal Collective and Food Not Bombs
October 2nd, 2008, Twin Cities, MN—Twin Cities bands Junkyard Empire and Pocket of Resistance will be playing the first benefit concert for the those arrested during the 2008 Republican National Convention, held in St. Paul, MN, from September 1st-4th.
The benefit concert, starting at 7:00pm on Thursday October 16th, 2008, will be held at the Black Dog Coffee and Wine Bar, at 4th and Broadway, St. in Lowertown, St. Paul. Showtime at 7:30 sharp, open to all ages and those without money. There will be no door cover and donation buckets will be passed around during the concert.
The number of those arrested during RNC week in St. Paul–818–was more than 8 times the number of those arrested in Denver during the Democratic National Convention that took place in Denver the previous week. Arrestees in St. Paul included journalists, street medics, legal observers, protest organizers, bystanders, and victims of the several mass arrests that became normalized during the week.
Benefit concert organizer and Pocket of Resistance singer Nigel Parry said, “As well as independent journalists, street medics and other protest service providers, many of the arrestees were out of town protesters who are having to return for court dates.
“Coldsnap is helping them navigate the court system, and Food Not Bombs is going to be assisting the poorest during their stay in the Twin Cities. We’re doing the show to help both of these groups and to highlight the clearly problematic police tactics of mass arrests and targeting of the media.”
ABOUT THE BANDS
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Both Junkyard Empire and Pocket of Resistance have shared the stage with the likes of Boots Riley and the Coup, Eyedea, Ill Chemistry, the New Congress, and Los Nativos. During the RNC in St. Paul, Junkyard Empire played the Sept 4th “No Peace For the Warmakers” show at the State Capitol, and Pocket of Resistance played the the Block Party in Lowertown.
“Rise of the Wretched,” Junkyard Empire’s first EP and second studio recording, is a powerful mix of some of the most revolutionary political hip-hop and jazz to come out of the Twin Cities.
Fresh off the stage from their now infamous RNC performace for 2,000 protesters during which police dragged away some of the audience, Junkyard Empire is poised to hit the national and internaztional scene to support the global revolutionary movement. Political Affairs Magazine calls them “the Jazz version of Rage Against the Machine.” Junkyard Empire’s CD release party will be held the week before in the Nomad World Pub on Minneapolis’ West Bank, on October 11th.
Local hip hop artist Carnage describes Junkyard Empire as “politically charged and musically relevent.”
“Junkyard Empire insists upon delivering equal amounts of both Hip-Hop and Jazz executed by a 5 piece band. The messages they represent are strong: take control of your own destiny and question what the government tells you; make moving music and have fun doing it! Do not miss an opportunity to observe these cats!”
Pocket of Resistance is the new band of Scottish singer-songwriter Nigel Parry, who has lived in the Twin Cities for a decade.
Although it’s not unusual for singer-songwriters to travel around the world, Nigel Parry has lived in some pretty strange and scattered parts of the world. Nigel lived from 1994 to 1998 in the Palestinian West Bank, and the intensity and beauty of the music that these places have squeezed out of this unsigned musician is rare.
Haunting tunes, multi-layered lyrics, and boiling emotion are just part of this Scottish singer-songwriter’s presentation. Based in the United States, Nigel released his debut “This Side Of Paradise” album in February 2001.
“…a disc whose recommendation is its deftly managed intensity” — New Internationalist magazine, August 2001
“Deeply moving songs… With quiet intensity, Parry gives voice to this ‘invisible people’ living under siege.” — Lydia Howell, KFAI Radio, 90.3/106.7FM, Twin Cities, MN.
In the period after the RNC, Parry launched the RNC ‘08 Report website, “a citizen’s archive of media reports, government documents, and other resources relating to the 2008 RNC.”
The source material posted on this website will ultimately used to compile a truly independent, publicly available, citizen’s report on what happened during the 2008 RNC.
ALSO FEATURING
The evening will feature an arrestee and court update from Coldsnap Legal Collective, whose post-Convention activities include networking with local and national activist groups and communities to ensure arrestees know their rights, responsibilities and options within the court system.
In addition there will be a special video message from The Stimulator, host of the show “It’s the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine…”, from the cutting-edge independent media group Submedia.tv!
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Junkyard Empire: http://myspace.com/junkyardempire
Pocket of Resistance: http://pocketofresistance.net
Coldsnap Legal Collective: http://coldsnaplegal.org
Food Not Bombs: http://myspace.com/minneapolisfnb
RNC 08 Report: http://rnc08report.org
Black Dog Cafe: http://blackdogstpaul.com
