I've been going through old hard drives from our travels over the years. Here are a couple videos I made from when we were in Guatemala, Vietnam and South Africa.
 Thank you for the Loveland Castle Concert. It’s taken me a few days to come down and internalize a show like that - and I still can’t find adequate words of gratitude that express our appreciation for family, friends and community. Thank you all for coming out.
The only regret I have is that I couldn’t personally thank everybody who came in. It wasn’t until I started seeing y’all’s pictures and posts did I realize how many people I didn’t see... Friends from high school/middle school, distant cousins, friends I used to work with many moons ago and people I used to play “kick the can” with (when we were kids). Family flew in and took a greyhound in from out of town, friends flew in from Florida, parents of my childhood best friends, the kind folks in Katie’s parents life group came out... There were so many people I didn’t get to sincerely thank, let alone talk to so I hope this post can somehow express how grateful Katie and I are. Thank you to the KOGT (Knights of the Golden Trail) especially Sir Joe, Sir Fred, Sir Mike and Sir Cole. The Knights said everything went safe and smoothly (which, naturally becomes more challenging when you are at capacity for people/vehicles) so thank you all again for that. Big thanks to Shane O’Malley and everyone who came out to see him play a wonderful opening set. Thanks to Jeff Hovekamp for the drone pictures (more to come). If anyone has pictures/video please share them in the comments!! Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts! Brian, Katie and Rayah 
Fernandina Friends, live music downtown is being threatened by an old city ordinance that’s about to be changed. We (as in workers of the music/bar/restaurant industry) need your help in our struggle to keep live music alive downtown.
We’re asking all supporters of live music to meet at City Hall, this coming Tue. Mar. 16th at 5pm for the commissioners meeting. Feel free to dress up, make signs, sing songs and have fun!! Let’s celebrate and show the commissioners what live music means to this community. See you Tuesday. City Hall, y’all. 5pm 
For me personally, protest is a celebration. No doubt, it is something that I am passionate about. I have found that good music is essential. Positive Energy, good music, art and comedy are all great strategies that can compel others to join the movement/active resistance.
For me, making signs has always been something I'm passionate about. I love turning on some good music (everything from old Gospel music to Rage Against The Machine) driving around town dumpster diving for cardboard (which I usually find behind a strip mall) and spending the day making 20 - 40 signs for folks to enjoy at the protest. Protest is a celebration of our 1st Amendment Rights. Protest is sacred. Protest is one of the things that led to the establishment of the Nation we currently occupy. When Protest is positive, upbeat, clear, and non violent; it can be a very effective weapon to creating change.
 It's been over 200 days now. Winter is gone and spring is in full bloom. Cape Town is exploding with flowers right now! We drink a lot of tea in between short missions to the plant store. We hope everyone is staying safe and doing well.
Farewell from the Cape of Good Hope.  We might be locked down in South Africa, but that is not stopping us from voting.
If you haven't voted already - please make a plan today! Our country (and the world) can't afford anyone sitting this one out. #Vote
It's been five months since I last played to a live audience. South Africa just lifted a few restrictions (like being able to sit outside and eat/drink) so I thought it would be fun to try out some new material.
This is a video of the first two verses of a new song I wrote called "Power of People." Speaking of the Power of People. Live music venues were not included in the CARES ACT that Congress passed earlier this year to help mitigate the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic. There are a lot of people in the live music eco system who are hurting right now. The live music was one of the first industries to shut down and it will be one of the last industries to open up. If you care about live music it is ESSENTIAL that you contact your representatives right now to tell them that you want them to support the bipartisan RESTART Act + Save Our Stages (SOS) Bill. 90% of live music venues are at risk of shutting down permanently.  The live music industry is at risk right now. We have two more days to #SaveLiveMusic before Congress goes on recess. We need you to contact your Congressional Representatives and ask them to support the bipartisan #RESTART Act + #SaveOurStages (SOS) Act.
Please click this link to contact your Representatives now. It takes two minutes. -> www.NitoLive.org/resources/take-action/ -- Senator Marco Rubio, The Live Music industry is a delicate ecosystem that needs help right now. Please #SaveLiveMusic by supporting the Save Our Stages Act, RESTART Act, and any other provisions that will bring relief to the live music community. This is a new song I wrote this week. It still really raw but the lyrics are about my family heritage and the various
"Long Way Or The Hard Way" VERSE 1 You see my Bloodline Flows From the Delaware tribe, Lenni- Lenape, turtle clan. We signed the first official treaty with the United States. September 17th, 1778. you see, There are 500 treaties that have been broken 500 treaties that are not spoken 500 treaties that they’re still provoking. 500 treaties! I ain’t even joking. I’ve seen the Elders pray When they get Pepper sprayed But when Tatanka moves, guess who runs away? Treaties don’t come with an expiration date. So, the ink From the pen still holds some weight. To resist is to exist, and to exist is to prevail. Here On Turtle Island. The Holy Grail. Where we can jump in the water and hear the song of the whale, “The Black Hills, still ain’t for sale.” CHORUS Are we gonna go? Long way or the hard way? x3 Are we gonna go? I don't know... VERSE 2 Calling all tribes and the Redeemer of Men. How can we move forward If we ain’t right within? The Columbus statue was a big mistake. So that Columbus statue ended up discovering a lake. walked through the valley of the shadow of death, not only did a get a new life, I got a vision quest. And I’ve seen a couple things, a couple dreams deferred. But on the long walk to freedom a couple things Occur You might find some keys needing to be unlocked But Remember Child... It takes all you got. You gotta fly like an Eagle over the Puget Sound, no matter how high you get, always kiss the ground. A man can't live off bread alone, so do what it is that feeds your soul. Join The People of the Salmon on the Yurok Rez. Protecting the Klamath. from an Exxon Valdez. CHORUS VERSE 3 Another grandfather, Was a Scottish hier to the throne. But he Left the kingdom, left his family, left all he’d ever known. When he married a Native woman he adopted into tribe. But not one royal family came to be by his side. How does one who’s royal be dissatisfied? When you struggles with the struggle, maybe he realized? That you can take what you thought and Wrap it up in a box cause this world looks different between a “have” & “have not.” If we want be great we gotta acknowledge our past 'cause Truth, Grace and Mercy are Great Virtues that last. All around the world we see Women are Rising. Not Coincidence this is perfect timing. The patriarchal system being brought to it’s knees. Because a bunch of men are scared to let a woman lead. If we never ask forgiveness it won’t go away. You can’t forget and then forgive. It works the other way CHORUS --- #SongsInTheKeyOfFreedom  I took an Uber earlier today to get back to our house after returning our rental car. My driver was a nice gentleman from Malawi. His name was Meshack and he's been living in South Africa for 12 years now. We discussed many issues during the 45 min drive through the mountains that create the dramatic landscape of Cape Town.
Our conversation started with the struggle of the working class (and working poor) of South Africa and how the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lock down effected those of us who are gig workers (musicians, Uber drivers, etc). Our conversation then went into the difference in response between USA and SA and then into American foreign policy and into race. At one point, I said to Meshack, "I believe the United States needs a truth and reconciliation commission" which he immediately replied "The WORLD needs a truth and reconciliation commission." And he is absolutely right. If you are unaware of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission setup by Nelson Mandela and led by Desmond Tutu then I highly recommend doing some research on YouTube and other sources. Although the TRC was not perfect it was a monumental step in the right direction. There is no perfect way to reconcile. It is not easy. Digging up the past is not fun. But if it can be done in good faith, I believe we will see progress in our country and around the world. Western civilization has achieved it's economic superiority off broken treaties, slavery, systemic oppression and disenfranchisement of non white people. Only when we hold our mistakes and broken promises accountable (like 500 broken treaties and Jim Crow) can truly ask forgiveness. Once we have asked and received forgiveness is when the full redemptional power of Greatness can be unleashed on our Nation. The world needs a Truth and Reconciliation Commission because there is no future without forgiveness. We are witnessing a worldwide self awakening of marginalized and oppressed people. We are also witnessing the worldwide galvanization of sympathetic white folk who are joining the struggle and becoming allies of the Liberation movement. What is Liberation? Liberation is Self Determination. Liberation is accountability and an unequivocal message to the future generations that come hell or high water we shall overcome. |
AuthorBrian Archives
January 2022
Categories |
RSS Feed