Rock Against Bush! … and Vote Democrat?
Celeb rockers push listeners to boot Bush out of office.
By Christina Leonard

The message: take back the White House in the 2004 election. They ignored the demonstrations, they ignored world opposition, and they ignored the people, but there is o­ne thing they can’t ignore – the votes. (Unless you are George W. Bush and have the Supreme Court wrapped around your finger. Or unless you are Diabold, the company which manufactures computer voting systems and funnels money to the GOP. Or unless you live in a state in which the anachronistic and classist electoral system renders your vote worthless).

Punkvoter.com is singing a familiar tune, urging “punks” all over the country to vote for John Kerry (you know, the multimillionaire who supports the death penalty, globalization, the Patriot Act and the war o­n Iraq). It’s a website devoted to informing anyone and everyone, but namely the youth about current political stagnation. The site includes a news section, political cartoons, press releases, links, and a voter registration drive, and the layout is killer. But after visiting the site many times, the viewer is left with a sense of ennui from the project.

The news section is less than impressive, but when they do choose to update it, they at least focus o­n topics ignored by the mainstream media. They claim their website is “News for the Punks,” but perhaps NOFX and their fellow rockers should stick to playing shows. Eric Melville, guitarist for NOFX and head ‘editor’ of the news site, chimes in every month or so urging people to “write a letter to their senator” when things just aren’t right. But the site is there for a different, and hopefully more effective cause. It is home to the opinions and voices of over 50 bands that have joined with NOFX and Jello Biafra for the Rock Against Bush tour hitting the states this year.

NOFX’s disgust with the state of the nation was kept at bay until the 2000 election debauchery and Bush’s unjustified war, with the exception of The Decline, the 18-minute criticism of a country that will never “go against tradition when we can admit defeat, live in decline.” In their newest CD, The War o­n Errorism, they’ve deemed Bush the “enemy of the planet.” I say, let the war begin.

There are divides between the people, even those who agree that Bush must go. We’ve heard it all: voting for the lesser of the two evils, the hatred of a two party system, the (in)decision by some to not vote at all, and Punkvoter is with the many who think we should put aside our differences, and unite to reach a common goal – vote democrat.

Rock Against Bush intends to stun the music-driven youth into a political fervor. NOFX is leading the anti-Bush, anti-Republican concert through the country. The site constantly reiterates the statistic that “there are more than 20 million people in this country between the ages of 18 and 29, and demographics show a 38% decrease in youth voting in the 2000 election.”
There are more than fifty bands o­n the tour, including NOFX, Against Me, Authority Zero, and Avail. o­ne notable exception to the lineup is Propaghandi, who was removed from the project for criticizing George Soros, a multimillionaire philanthropist who funds many liberal organizations. The shows are happening simultaneously, allowing different bands to play at different venues across the country. The tour starts in late April in Washington D.C., Providence, Portland, New York City, and Boston. It will also travel to New Haven, Cleveland, Louisville, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Detroit, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The entire tour lasts more than five months, and plans to have its finale o­n October 11, in Washington D.C. – an international day of action to stand against George W.
Holding the concerts simultaneously is an innovative way to get the most people involved in this project at the same time. With the same feeling and energy being produced o­n the East and West coasts, some of the bands might even be singing the same songs.

The Rock Against Bush compilation CD is in stores now, and all proceeds go to the Punkvoter project and the tour costs.

Jello Biafra took part in the infamous Rock Against Reagan tour o­n the steps of the nation’s capitol, which vigilantly opposed the ridiculous anti-drug and unilateral policies of the president. Does this jargon sound commonplace? Political rhetoric hasn’t changed much.

The Rock Against Bush coalition is well-intentioned, and will undoubtedly stand out to eyes and ears of all people attending or passing by their concerts. Many of the shows are planned to take place o­n college campuses, free of charge, but o­ne wonders how the politically driven Boston concert will actually incite awareness and zeal when they chose The Matrix in downtown Boston as their venue. With soundproof walls, and a tight security o­n such an establishment, the prospect looks bleak.

Punkvoter’s criticisms of the Bush administration are lacking substance (not that it takes much to criticize a man who “needs some time to think about it” when asked what mistakes he has made since inauguration). The information is aimed at that sixteen-year-old kid who really likes pop punk and is beginning to feel a hint of dissent in the blood.

So, kids, listen to your favorite band’s advice and go vote this year! But remember, the concerts are where its at, and o­ne thing goes without saying – playing anti-Bush rock n’ roll o­n the President’s front porch, right in front of their haughty little republican faces is smashing.

Other articles by Christina Leonard.

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