It is a new year and a new administration, but that could lead to a collective sigh of relief for only so long … because, you see, there is still so very much justice to be served. Tom Morello’s Justice Tour 2009 has been a great reminder of that fact in three cities this year so far … and if last Saturday night’s crowd at L.A.’s Henry Fonda Theater was a finger to the wind, the People are still plenty riled up for that elusive Change.

The line wound around the building, as word always gets out about these shows and their galactic line-ups, and they sell out and then some every time. Excitement for the show felt like one of those thick old-school arena rock brews of tension and fun at the same time. There was even a guy in full sailor garb, lending more confusion to what decade we could be transported to inside this lovely old theater - in a great way. You’ll see what I mean:

The room was smoke-filled and dramatic, both from effects and real as the curtain went up on The Nightwatchman Tom and his Freedom Fighter Orchestra (Carl Restivo, Eric Gardner and Jonny Polonsky, with special guest, Mr. Wayne Kramer of the mighty MC5). Setting the tone for the evening, like the retreating intro to a Star Wars film, Tom opened with a speech, that this week they “Have been putting a big dent in homelessness through rock and roll. We are here to bail out People, not Banks!”. Met with a ROAR from the crowd … maybe wars, prison torture, Katrina, etc etc can be moved on from in some folks’ minds (HOW?!), but they do not like their pocketbooks messed with. This might be a good area to start the Change - within ourselves, no? Compassion. It begins, and continues, with us.

In fact, “It begins TONIGHT!”, yelled Tom before launching into a rocking new song titled exactly that. It featured a signature Morello guitar solo that set off the night of Rock that was 100% (!) going to benefit the PATH Organization the Justice Tour befriended last year in its maiden voyage {see www.nightwatchmanmusic.com - scroll down to get the background story}. They are a key weapon in the fight (and it is a fight) to help L.A.’s at least 75,000 homeless each night. You could tell Tom and the band were all fired up to be back with the hometown crowd. Then Bam! Into the rousing familiar chords to “Whatever It Takes”, which the heavily male crowd (and artist roster too, come to think of it, ahem) highly dug. “The Lights Are On In Spidertown” and its “di-Di-DI!” chorus got everybody all Pub-like singing along, ratcheting up the rowdy a big notch. Tom whipped off a flamenco-stylie acoustic solo that got a whole bunch of raised fists and “YEAH’s!” from the fellas and girls who can whistle. Which only increased when Tom mentioned a few of the acts to come, including a mass freakout at the name “Slash”. It was O.N.

The Nightwatchman brought up Corey Taylor from Slipknot next, as someone who he said was the first person to sign up when Tom started playing acoustic and singing as the Nightwatchman, to help out at a grocery workers strike. The Nightwatchman does not forget a favor. Corey, with no mask, even took requests, in the jamboree manner that these memorable nights can and will be. Corey shared that he knew what it was like to live on the streets and you could feel some of that edge as he sang Tom Petty’s “You Got Lucky” and the Stones’ “Wild Horses”.

This movable feast has many different flavors, and that is one of the best things about it. Tom emceed his way back and said that next was the singer of “one of my favorite bands in the world” and brought on Eugene Hutz from Gogol Bordello. This gypsy punk rocker will bring the energy and did so with his “Immigrant Punk” song, and you-can’t- help-but-compare-it-to-Borat singing style. It is music that will always get the party started, and more frenzied, which it did with “Wanderlust King”. I love that title, and it perfectly embodies the feelings stirred up in you as you clap along. Happy, and FREE!

In a left turn into another universal plane, Shooter Jennings took the stage to LOUD hoots, hollers, whistles and raised beer glasses (All me, I don’t know what anyone else was up to). Tom stayed on stage this time, to back up Shooter in his version of Audioslave’s “I Am The Highway”, which in all honesty, seems more made for Shooter. His gravely howl and Tom’s electric twang on this one demand that you give up everything and get on the great tour bus of life. Immediately. You agree to this in your head and then are jolted back by Shooter relaying the story of how the previous day, as the Justice Tour goes, the artists involved with tonight’s show all went down to the PATH facility downtown and served a meal and hung out with the residents, some of whom were present tonight. That met one of the loudest ovations of the night, and my hope for humanity again soared.

Shooter and Tom (with Wayne Kramer on backup guitar, I might add) dedicated “The Ghost of Tom Joad” to those new friends from PATH, and their delivery of the Boss classic was as goose-bump inducing as the YouTube video of Tom tearing up that Anaheim stage with Bruce himself last year. The Rage-style solo with over the top guitar-neck play made those video game players present in the house salivate into their plastic cups (that I was again moved by my fellow species when I saw a big plastic cup given to the fully decked-out sailor by more than one other patron. Respect.). And Shooter again made this one his own. I overheard this as being the highlight of the night for a bunch of guys, it really was that good.

Blessed to be along on last year’s Justice Tour, I had a head-start in knowing about the new, and about to EXPLODE band, Street Sweeper. This is the way you used to feel when you heard someone epic the first time (many of whom were still about to play on this night).This is the genius duo of our Ringmaster of the evening, Mr. Morello, with Bay Area social justice truthsayer , Boots Riley. You are all about to REALLY know about them when they go along on the NIN/JA (Yes. That means Nine Inch Nails. And Jane’s Addiction. You are not hallucinating, at least as far as this tour is concerned. And Street Sweeper. If you have a job still, just take the day off of work the day after that one).

They started with the first single/riler-upper, “Fight. Smash. Win!”, Boots laying down the rhymes and inimitable dance moves, and Tom providing the guitar pyrotechnics. I would’ve liked to have heard the vocals a little better, because they’re a real highlight of any time spent being dazzled by Boots, but still - they’re all set for fans already, trust me. The one I can never get out of my head by these two is the military march demand to get the fists in the air, “100 Little Pieces”. “Whoa-oh-OH-oh!” is still what I’m humming as I brush my teeth two days later. The Streetsweeper finale of the set was MIA’s “Paper Airplanes”. Once again this was a night when I was preferring a cover version of a song, and that rarely happens for me. Tom inventing the gun shots and cash register plink was both humorous and damn inventive, per usual on the latter. He joked that the People’s Price of $15 to PATH was “$1 per hour of the show”. That may have been a slight exaggeration, but per superstar was not.

The Nightwatchman’s “First party jam”, rocked the place next with the lighter-hearted “Shake My Shit” that finds your host not only doing an eye-rubbing guitar solo - with his teeth - but also unafraid to get his dance jam on. Normally a bit starched L.A. show-goers were joining him in the shit-shaking, and there was a tangible feeling that this was where the Party was AT.

Jerry Cantrell sauntered out next to a big round of “JERRY!” yells, that were only heightened when he in turn had Slash saunter out! That dude is just Cool, and its highly appreciated, you can tell. They treated the crowd to Alice’s “Brother” - gorgeous - and then brought back Corey Taylor to join them on “Wish You Were Here”. They may not have had much chance to practice, as at first Slash seemed unsure of when to join in. Jerry summed up the Slash reverence when he said, “You’re fucking Slash, start whenever you want”. It, too - sublime. The lovely harmonies were duly captured by every arm in the joint holding up a camera phone … it was that All-Time feeling. But we were truly only about half-ish done!

THEN Lemmy Kilmister came on to let you know that Sunset Strip rock was alive and well. One metallic song and then a Chuck Berry boogie about living in the USA. And it is nights like this that make you go hell, YEAH, I live in the USA - the one that belongs to the PEOPLE. Hear that!?!

Speaking of Sunset Strip rock, Sen Dog of the mofo CYPRESS HILL was back this year to remind us that we are all “INSANE In The Membrane!” and that morphed into “Kill A Man”, which became “Rock Superstar”. By now people were just stunned into putting down their phones for a second to just jump up and down and smile at their friends that they were both at this dang show.

Corey Taylor came up to sing lead on “Play That Funky Music, White Boy” which turned into a fully funky jam between all these rock legends that had everyone dancing like it was The Apollo. Whose show was probably on t.v. by now, this sensation of a show was lasting so long … but no one wanted it to end. Especially not when Corey Taylor said, “This is the weirdest fucking life I’ve ever known”, as he brought back everyone to back up Slash and himself as they TORE UP GNR’s “It’s So Easy”. Tom said it perfectly when he bounced up and down with both fists raised at the end of that assault and said, “THAT’S exciting!” The Slash solo alone … Man.

Wayne Kramer, another alumnus of the Inaugural 2008 Justice Tour, thanked Tom in word “for his commitment to social justice. I am proud of him as a friend and as a brother in the fight”, and in deed, by saying it was “Time. To. KICK OUT THE JAMS, MOTHERFUCKER!” and the entire line-up of the night was back up there doing just that. Eugene was going bezerk screaming and dancing, but he was only reflecting the audience when they saw Tom, Wayne, Slash and Jerry with their backs up against each other in a Guitar Solo Summit. “We DONE KICKED ‘EM OUT” was perhaps a bit of an understatement - they were DESTROYED, those Jams!

The penultimate throw-down was back to Slash territory for “Paradise City”, only in this playing, the vocals were done by Sen Dog. It takes the straight up rock of the original and urbanizes it to a degree of hard that is even thrasher than the first time you heard it. People were out of their faces with that singular joy that you only get from having been witness to a Rock And Roll Moment. Tom, Tom Morello himself, was jumping up and down with a smile on his face that mirrored the bliss of the surging crowd. It was Metal.

To go from that to the traditional Justice Tour closer, Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” may sound a little schizophrenic, but in reality, it only enhances the feeling that both bring - FREEDOM. That you will FIGHT for. That it is up to US to continue to bring about change, and the whole point of Justice - that this land IS OURS. When failed Bankers are getting bonuses, while children are homeless on the streets TONIGHT in OUR CITY, there is overt and in your face work to be done. Times are hard, but we all go down if we forget our humanity. These are absolutely the MOST important times to remember it!

So if you could donate to the Axis of Just-Ettes on your way out in gratitude for this tour de The Force. Or Volunteer your time with someplace like PATH that is actually DOING SOMETHING for change, or even just “Rock The Fuck Out for this last song” in homage to the tour motto. It all makes a difference. And so we did. With Tom, Wayne, Corey, Shooter, Eugene and Boots all taking verses, including the long-censored ones for “MY People”, and the lights turned on bright “like when you’re sweeping the floors, so I can see that everyone is singing as loud as anyone has ever sung MUSIC in Hollywood, California!” - the people did as demanded. And it was again moving beyond belief. Hollywood is not known for its audience participation, nor its heart-on-its-sleeve patriotism, but you’d have thought we were at a 4th of July parade in the Bible Belt, so wound up and heartily singing and jumping were the Citizens. You kind of had to be there to believe it, but I swear you could see hearts swelling through hipster t’s (and sailor suits) with pride for what it feels like to stand up for what YOU believe in - The Rock, of course, but also Your Land.

Thanking Project Noise for again sponsoring the ultra-inspiring Justice Tour and its kaleidoscope of good people coming together to DEMAND CHANGE. To DEMAND JUSTICE, Tom then screamed himself hoarse reminding us to “NEVER GIVE UP, NEVER GIVE IN, NO ONE WINS UNLESS WE ALL WIN” in perhaps the most true statement for NOW possible. And then it was over, leaving people to walk out shaking their heads and laughing over their sweet footage for their blog … but also stopping by the Axis of Justice and PATH tables to see how they could get more involved. Seeing that, I was left with more chills at the powers of Change - as more than just a catch-phrase, but as an actual happening. Because of us doing. And because of YOU caring. And because of what can happen when we all join in that “Taking it easy, but TAKING it” BACK spirit together.

View: Photo slideshow from L.A. Weekly

Photo: Laura Musselman

“I haven’t been this fucking excited about something in a long time,” says Tom Morello with a huge smile on his face. “It’s like I won some type of contest or something.” He’s saying this just as Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd of Soundgarden are playing on stage together for the first time since 1997. The honey-throated (I’m kidding) Tad Doyle of Brothers of the Sonic Cloth is about to step back up to the microphone to sing “Spoonman” and Morello slides back to play rhythm guitar. It’s a rare moment for Seattle rock and everybody in the venue knows it. Just moments earlier, the floor of The Crocodile was nearly shaking from all of the screaming fans who were waiting all night for this type of surprise. But most people didn’t know what the surprise was.

From the moment I walked in the venue around 9:30, the place was wall to wall packed as the Nightwatchman, led by Morello ran through a blistering set of music. Morello’s got a cool as the other side of the pillow persona and he had the crowd revved up all night as the MC of sorts. After the Nightwatchman played, Morello immediately brought out legendary Americana singer Steve Earle who hit the stage with a guitar in hand and a harmonica around his neck to loud cheers.

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“The Justice Tour is almost upon us with 3 exciting west coast dates!! March 24th in Seattle at the Crocodile Café, March 26th in San Francisco at Slim’s, and March 28th in Los Angeles at Henry Fonda Theatre. I’m very much looking forward to playing with some old friends on this tour like Slash and Wayne Kramer and Steve Earl and some newer friends as well.

Corey from Slipknot has graciously donated his services to the San Francisco and LA shows and having played with him once before at a striking grocery store workers benefit concert let me just say that he is not to be missed and is a tremendous talent and good dude for flying halfway across the country to play these shows. Also KimThayil and Ben Shepherd of Soundgarden fame will be playing the Seattle show and I’m very much looking forward to collaborating with them. Also a Seattle based hip hop group called the Blue Scholars will be playing the Seattle gig as well and I understand that they are great.

Boots Riley will be performing at all the shows and it is quite likely that never before heard Street Sweeper jams will be unveiled. We are psyched about the upcoming Jane’s Addiction/Nine Inch Nails tour and these shows will give us the opportunity to air out some heavy ass Street Sweeper pimp slaps before the summer tour takes place. The motto of this tour is “Bail Out People Not Banks” and 100% of the profits from the shows will go to homeless advocacy organizations and shelters and all of the artists are invited to participate in the work that we’re going to be doing with the homeless in each of the cities.

My thanks to all the artists that are participating and thanks to all of you that are coming to the shows at the very low recession busting price of $15 bucks!! These will surely be nights to remember.

See you soon!

Nightwatchman Out!”

Tour and Ticket info here!

Photo by Tracy Ketcher

As more and more Americans are being pushed into poverty and homelessness by the unscrupulous behavior of CEOs, the Justice Tour hopes to be a part of a bailout for people, not banks. One hundred percent of the Justice Tour profits will benefit homeless advocacy and service groups, and the tour’s artists will also partake in hands-on volunteer work with these organizations. Community partners for the shows are New Horizons in Seattle, Project Open Hand in San Francisco, and PATH in Los Angeles.

“The model of the Justice Tour is simple,” said Morello. “Feed the Poor. Fight the Power. Rock the Fuck Out. I’m very excited to be doing this and jamming with my good friends on the various stops on the tour. I’m equally excited that these artists will be rolling up their sleeves to help alleviate hunger and homelessness in these hard times.” Morello also noted, “It is very important to me to keep ticket prices super cheap so that everyone can enjoy these very special concerts.”

Past Justice Tour dates have featured important social justice organizations and unforgettable performances with special guests Perry Farrell and Dave Navarro of Jane’s Addiction, Slash, Flea, Maynard James Keenan of Tool, Sen Dog of Cypress Hill, Pete Yorn, Shooter Jennings, Mike Einzinger of Incubus and many others.

JUSTICE TOUR DATES & TICKETS:

March 24th Seattle, WA  - Crocodile Café

Guests to include Steve Earle, Kim Thayil, Ben Shepherd, Mark Arm, Wayne Kramer, Boots Riley, Blue Scholars and more. Community Partner: New Horizons Ministries. Please bring socks! “Clean, dry socks are a valuable commodity on the streets of Seattle. Each time a youth enters our Drop-In Center, we have the ability to give them a new pair, thanks to your donation. We believe that when feet are dry and warm, the pain of street life begins to fade.” $15.

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March 26th San Francisco, CA Great - Slims

Guests to include: Corey Taylor, Steve Earle, Boots Riley, Wayne Kramer and more. Joe Satriani just added! Community Partner: Project Open Hand. $15.

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March 28th Los Angeles, CA -  Henry Fonda Theater

Guests to include: Slash, Corey Taylor, Shooter Jennings, Jerry Cantrell, Sen Dog, Boots Riley, Wayne Kramer and more. Community Partner: PATH (People Assisting the Homeless). $15.

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Community Partners for the Justice Tour 2009

Seattle, WA: New Horizons Ministries

New Horizons is a multi-cultural organization whose mission is to be in relationship with homeless and street-involved young people, serving and loving in the way of Jesus, equipping them to leave street life. On the street since 1978, our over-arching goal is to build relationships that foster trust, to create opportunities for our young people to discover who they were created to be, and to support their transition away from the street. All of New Horizons’ programs are available to the youth we serve regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, familial status, sexual orientation or identification, physical or mental disability.

San Francisco: Project Open Hand

Project Open Hand is meeting community nutrition needs through programs for people living with HIV/AIDS, the homebound critically ill, and seniors. Project Open Hand provides meals/groceries for people with symptomatic HIV/AIDS or breast cancer, meals for homebound/critically ill people under the age of 60 and congregate lunches for people over 60 years of age.

Los Angeles, CA: PATH

PATH is a housing program that features 98 beds of transitional housing and is also home to the award winning PATHMall, a collaborative of nearly two dozen housing and service providers who provide a comprehensive network of services all co-located under one roof. PATH was a partner in the 2008 Justice Tour as well. Justice Tour Musicians will prepare, serve and share an evening meal with PATH’s homeless clients.

“Like PATH, Tom Morello is pioneering creative solutions to raise awareness about the crisis of homelessness,” Joel John Roberts, CEO of PATH Partners said.” It’s the perfect marriage.”

Project Noise

Project Noise is honored to support The Justice Tour for the second year in a row. This year, we add video production to our partnership, dispatching shorts directly from road to internet to broaden the impact of the musicians’ hands-on activism and musical camaraderie. More video will be released post-tour.

Project Noise is founded on the conviction that music and the arts are powerful and unifying forces of change. Formed in San Francisco in 2008, Project Noise is committed to making activism, well, not be lame. We aim to maximize the impact of musicians, artists, writers, and organizations working for change by utilizing the evolving convergence of music, technology, media, humor, and internet-empowered individuals.

“Through our multi-media web content and our partnerships with Tom Morello, the participating musicians, and these organizations, Project Noise strives to inform public understanding and opinion of the tour issues, amplify the impact of the Justice Tour partner organizations, and mobilize and empower the live and internet audience to act as effective participants,” said Project Noise Producer Maureen Herman.