Alyson Camus wrote about Conor Oberst being booed at the Rage Against the Machine benefit Against The Immigration bill in Arizona.
Reader “Craig” partially commented as follows (you can read the entire quote under the post): “met him after the show and he told me that a) they knew what they were getting into b) he didn’t care, he was so happy that rage had asked them to play. His exact words, regarding RATM were, “it was fucking Rage man. of course we said yes”.
Taylor (the guitarist) also confirmed that they knew what they were getting into.
So some points to make here.
1. Yeah, we are a highly opinionated somewhat obnoxious (certainly compared to the sycophancy that goes for music writing today)
2. But we are first fans.
3. And I am a HUGE Conor Oberst fan. I dubbed I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning the best album of the 00s on this blog.
4. And except for bits and pieces of Outer South I don’t think there is ANYTHING the man has written I haven’t loved.
But
5. Know your fucking audience. What’s the point of playing in so many different bands if you can’t tailor to your audience. Conor could have brought out Desaparecidos for the occasion. They’d have gone done swell. It was, I dunno, lazy to put Mystic Valley Band through it
though
6. Mystic Valley Band can rock good -dunno what the Rage fans hated em for. What if Tom Morello had opened with his The Nightwatchman stuff. Would they have booed that?
7. But Conor is a political neophyte. The problem with political innocence is you end up being team handed in the alley behind CBGB’s by a buncha homeless men with rabies. Now, I am fine with benefits, it is boycotts I don’t like. However the place for this benefit was IN PHOENIX.
8. Plus, all politicians are scum. Picking on Dubya was ridiculous. What did Conor want to do exactly after 9-11? What were the options?? War is hell, though I, unlike Conor, have lived in a war zone so I know what I’m talking about. So what? It’s 2500 years of Western civilisation now, what would you recommend? If you have no recommendations, shut your fucking face. here is some free advice Conor that will help you in all aspects of your life: the more people gang up on you, the more likely you are right. I don’t like lynch mobs, I don’t care who they are lynching.
9. When Bam was elected I warned my friend Nev to treat him like any other President. I did. Now, everybody is disappointed and I am not. I think he is doing a fine job. The truth is never so blatant and putting the full weight of yourself behind bullshit doesn’t help any one. Hope for the best, expect the worst and remain DEEPLY SCEPTICAL.
10. So thanks Craig for the update and good on Conor and his band for going on stage knowing you were in for it.
11. Next time? Get together Desaparecidos and tour Arizona and the border towns.