All workers in playgrounds and places of amusement and recreation. All professional entertainers.
Submitted on Thu, 12/04/2008 - 8:45pm
Disclaimer - The opinions of the author do not necessarily match those of the IWW. This article is reposted in accordance to Fair Use guidelines.
Submitted on Mon, 05/26/2008 - 1:23pm
By David Rovics - May 25th, 2008
I wouldn't want to elevate anybody to inappropriately high heights, but for me, Utah Phillips was a legend.
I
first became familiar with the Utah Phillips phenomenon in the late
80's, when I was in my early twenties, working part-time as a prep cook
at Morningtown in Seattle. I had recently read Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States,
and had been particularly enthralled by the early 20th Century section,
the stories of the Industrial Workers of the World. So it was with
great interest that I first discovered a greasy cassette there in the
kitchen by the stereo, Utah Phillips Sings the Songs and Tells the Stories of the Industrial Workers of the World.
As
a young radical, I had heard lots about the 1960's. There were (and
are) plenty of veterans of the struggles of the 60's alive and well
today. But the wildly tumultuous era of the first two decades of the
20th century is now (and pretty well was then) a thing entirely of
history, with no one living anymore to tell the stories. And while long
after the 60's there will be millions of hours of audio and video
recorded for posterity, of the massive turn-of-the-century movement of
the industrial working class there will be virtually none of that.
Submitted on Wed, 03/26/2008 - 2:43pm
By David Rovics - Originally published at Counterpunch
Last weekend I sang at an antiwar protest
in downtown Portland, Oregon, on the fifth anniversary of the
ongoing slaughter in Iraq. In both its good and bad aspects,
the event downtown was not unusual. Hard-working, unpaid activists
from various organizations and networks put in long hours organizing,
doing publicity, and sitting through lots of contentious meetings
in the weeks and months leading up to the event. On the day of
the event, different groups set up tents to network with the
public and talk about matters of life and death. There was a
stage with talented musicians of various musical genres performing
throughout the day, and a rally with speakers in the afternoon,
followed by a march. Attendance was pathetically low. In large
part I'm sure this was due to the general sense of discouragement
most people in the US seem to feel about our ability to effect
change under the Bush regime. It was raining especially hard
by west coast standards, and that also didn't help.
Submitted on Fri, 12/28/2007 - 9:47pm
Contact: George Mann
email: [email protected]
phone:
212-923-6372
Submitted on Thu, 12/06/2007 - 1:12pm
DETAILS:
UTAH PHILLIPS BENEFIT
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 6PM
EAGLE'S CLUB - 2507 E. 25th St.
PERFORMERS: Charlie Parr and Bernie King; Pop Wagner & Friends; Gabe Barnett; Mary Dushane; Paul Metsa; Bill Hinckley & Judy Larson; Papa John Kolstad; Maureen McElderry; Peter Lang; Dakota Dave Hull; Phil Heywood.
ADMISSION $10
Utah Phillips, the “Golden Voice of the American Southwest,” and one of America’s longest-performing and most beloved folk singers, has had to end his 40-year career as a traveling musician, due to serious heart problems.
As a result, he is without the means to support himself. The Industrial Workers of the World, which Utah is both a member and a important supporter of, is holding a benefit to help Utah continue to live a decent life, and to help defray his overwhelming medical bills.
Utah is an American military veteran, rail-riding hobo, co-founder of the Joe Hill house, pacifist, former candidate for U.S. Senate (Utah), and former host of National Public Radio (NPR) program Loafer’s Glory: The Hobo Jungle of the Mind.
A major influence on American Folk Music, as well as on the culture of the modern American labor movement, he taught and inspired contemporary folk icons like Rosalie Sorrels, Kate Wolf, and Ani DiFranco, and his music has been covered by countless musicians.
Utah has many Minnesota connections that make it particularly appropriate for this benefit to be held here: he used to play in the hobo jungles at Pig’s Eye Landing, and in the Finnish Socialist Communes that played such an important role in the Minnesotan North.
This is our humble attempt to help out someone who desperately needs our help, and to pay him back a little for his countless contributions to our lives and world. I sincerely hope all can come and help support Utah in his current difficulties.
