The Nightwatchman's "Justice Tour"

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Chicago, Illinois
Park West

Show Review

It is difficult to say that I am now about to write about the LAST show of The Justice Tour 2008 (Spring edition, anyway). I don't know if I can say we saved the best for last, since they were all SO great ... but I can come close.

Everyone had a late one the night before due to being out celebrating Brother Wayne Kramer's birthday together, and the bunch that rolled in to the Park West club in Chicago, Illinois for sound check (after playing the massive SEIU [Service Employees International Union] May Day rally a couple of hours earlier) was looking and feeling a bit bedraggled. That lasted about two seconds, as not only does music have the power to transform nations (let's hope OURS!), it also does a fine job transforming tired bodies and minds. Miraculous, really.

I could merely write a list of who played and that would be enough to duly impress, but since this is the last one, let's make it a little more fun, shall we?

First, let's just get this out of the way: to address the now oft-asked question of, "How's your ass?" (infected near-fatal spider bite in New Orleans) ... "It's coming along quite nicely and can soon be seen in California at a beach near you", though I WAS told the wound looks like an empty eye socket. Yum.

And on with the show! To not break with tradition, this evening found the super-group once again learning new songs RIGHT before the show, complete with looking up lyrics on Google, printing them out and performing them with aplomb like two minutes later. There are no smoke and mirrors here, you are dealing with consummate professionals.

When I just said "SUPER-group" ... well, let's just let it unfold how the show did. Show time had a special feeling to it in Chicago, as it is the hometown of The Nightwatchman, and that always adds a nice dose of both nostalgia and "I'm gonna ROCK these people!" Adding to the mix that it was the last show of what Tom said the night before was "the best tour of my life" - and that is saying a TON, as you well know - well, buckle your seat belts for this one, so you don't blow out of your reading chair.

The best bonus to playing Chicago was that Mary Morello, The Nightwatchmother, lives here and had time in her busy freedom-fighting schedule to be here to make tonight's introduction of her son. She took the stage wearing her Justice Tour t-shirt, fist raised. She was rowdily welcomed by the Sold Out and PACKED house, most of whom were smashed against the stage on the floor. "Welcome to The Justice Tour! I'd like to introduce my son, The Nightwatchman!" Tom followed her to the mic, met by a deafening roar. He escorted his darling Mother to the side of the stage, came back and said, "This is the last stop of The Justice Tour 2008! It's great to be back in my hometown, Chicago! It's May Day (read all about that in the "Justice" half of our Chicago experience), so there is no other song I could start with than a 'Union Song'". WOOOOOOO!
People in Chicago love their Unions, as they should, everywhere. Fists were raised the whole song, as were voices - especially when the line comes, "Union Men and Women, Standing UP and Standing STRONG!" In the first of many shout-outs for Chicago - these guys were standing UP already, from even BEFORE the show started! (Take that, Boston sitters).

"Libertyville Represent!" was a loud shout at song's end, and Tom laughed, "Go Wildcats!" So even though May Day flags are unfurled across the world, the U.S. is the only major country that doesn't celebrate it as a day to honor LABOR and workers and human RIGHTS. The more we learn on our travels, the more this makes sense - about our GOVERNMENT, not the people/workers/fighters. So Tom wrote a song special for this occasion, called, "Wall Against The Wind" ... a world premiere for this last stop! The chorus went, "Together we will stand, a wall against the wind" ... so fitting, especially if you'd seen the mass of people marching together at the May Day rally earlier today in this Windy City. It was a perfect compliment to "Union Song" - I sense a Union endorsement is coming for The Nightwatchman if he ever DOES decide to run (take over) for President, like people yell at every stop.

The next one was dedicated "to my dear Mom, Mary Morello, a tireless fighter for justice, who also let me and my crummy high school band practice in the basement. Without her, I wouldn't be here today." (Pause for LOUDEST tuning yell yet - "This is going to be a very special night in Chicago" - good job, guys!) And he gave the spookily beautiful, "Garden Of Gethsemane" to his mother. You could hear a hair drop, allowing Tom to step away from the mic and sing just for her. Throat = lump. He ended his set with one for the longtime supporters, "Guerilla Radio". Breckin was standing next to me and said, "This is where you can tell if the crowd is into it" - and when the part came for "WHAT BETTER TIME THAN NOW?!" (loudest yet AGAIN!) - we looked at each other with a glance that said, "OOOOOOH SHIT!" Yep, Chicago was going to go OFF!

Boots Riley was up next. Yay! Boots began his supersmart spoken word piece, "Love For The Underdog" and some lady started yelling during it (probably overcome with adulation, I suspect. I feel the same way, but am able contain it to be polite, ahem.) so he had to start over. Great, more for us! This time, it was silent with the respect he deserves. That was not the case at the end of it. Boots: these folkers DID really love you! "Five Million Ways To Kill A CEO" found Tom backing up Boots on acoustic guitar, and Boots backing up everything he sang with fierce dance moves (I WILL show you some photos later, I just have to figure it out. I'm a writer, not a photo-journalist). Really, for a guy that was out real late, he shook it off like the champion he is. He introduced "Wear Clean Drawers" (still waiting for mine, Mr. Riley) and the audience laughed just at the title. Ever since Boots joined us in Asheville, no one on tour has been able to get the following out of our heads: "You be lyin' they-AH, waitin' on an ambuLANCE, and your underwAYA's, got holes and Shaat" CLAP. YOUR. HANDS! I'll need a hypnotist just to function normally back in regular society without chanting that all day. Thanks, Boots.

Even among all the mega-stars playing for us tonight, none has sold more albums than Jessi Colter, the "Queen of Outlaw Country." Also known as Shooter's Mom. Alabama's Grandma. Gorgeous Grandma (the first painted on the side of the Whiskey A Go Go)! She said, "I'm Vintage", but you wouldn't know it from looking at her. She played her big hit, "I'm Not Lisa" and accompanied herself on the keyboard, and then followed that up with, "I Ain't The One". People were digging this Southern lady, and it was nice to have another lady on board, period! Before the applause died down, Jessi said, "Is this where Shooter comes out?" It was. Shooter Jennings, son of Jessi and Waylon, came out to join his Mother on their moving duet from "The Passion Of The Christ" soundtrack, "Please Carry Me Home". Their voices blend together touchingly, and when they told us they made it up in a DAY, you were made even more strongly aware of the talent in this gene pool. Plus Shooter gave it his ALL. Wow.

Shooter took center stage for Kris Kristofferson's (XOXO!) "2003 minus 25". He had only played it once before (Asheville) and I've been there for both, and I can say that I love his version second best (I'll always love KK first best, girlteenwoman crushes die hard). "It don't hurt so bad when you're high", sang Shooter, and I agree. (Thanks, Oxycodone!) "Black Ribbons" was Shooter's next one. I love it. I've never been that big on country music (besides KK), but ever since Shooter put the O back in Country - I'm on board. It talks of black ribbons around the trees, and makes me think of the IVAW guys. This has 1 country AND patriotic (in the real sense) hit all over it. "Man down ..." begins the chorus, and all I saw in my head was Walter Reed. "Black is the only color that's real." Keep singing it, Shooter - loud and proud! Tom walked out on stage with his electric guitar (ARRWOOHEHAHEREHWOO! - that's my group crowd noise impression), Shooter put down his guitar and sat at the keyboard, and out came the opening chords of Audioslave's "I Am The Highway". Picturing Shooter's tour bus and hearing him belt it out, I'm tempted to say this song suits him even better than its originator. Tom's twangy strings upped the ante, prompting the crowd to sing along. The din in the room was almost painful at song's end. Awesome.

Wayne Kramer played the 1968 Democratic Convention right here in Chicago, where Tom said, "There were a few riots and a lot of music. Wayne AND Rage will play the upcoming Democratic and Repub(-Blech-)an Conventions this summer, and "how much rioting there will be depends on you". I know how much there DESERVES to be - it will be interesting to see how it plays out. Wayne's "Something's Broken In The Promised Land" has proven with its "Where's Lee Harvey Oswald, now that we really need him?" line roar of approval each time, that we are FED UP with this War Criminal ALL across this ONCE- Promised Land ... so we need to stay mad, and legally take care of him, once and for all. "So Long, Hank" was uber-jazzy tonight, with Wayne's friend, Mars Williams, on saxophone. It was trippy, at times sounding like a pissed-off cat was loose, at others like the ghost of Bukowski himself had unleashed a cacophony of poetry and experimental noise to teach us. Wayne, in all white with screaming Star-Spangled guitar, could do whatever he wanted and we'd be happy to watch him, on the day after his 60th birthday. He again reminded us that "Kindness is just about the best we can do."

Ike Reilly (no relation to Boots, other than their kindred souls) was the next dude from Libertyville to play for us. His first song (name?) heavily recalled Mr. Bob Dylan. Now, I'm from Minnesota, and we don't dish out that comparison recklessly, so that's really saying something. I'm not so sure it wasn't a Dylan song I just don't know, so I really mean it. There was a line that could be a buddy to Wayne's famous Lee Harvey line that said, "Who says you can't take a shot at the President? Say you're sorry and be on your way." I'm sure he just means a verbal shot, but the point was taken. Whenever you think Bush is being bashed around here, just remember he made his own filthy bed. He followed that with "Commie Drives A Nova" - which was NOT about Tom back in high school, but probably could have been. More hearty Illinois-friendly applause at this "Morello-palooza" as Ike put it.

But it was LALApalooza "that changed the face of music forever, and the man that changed it was Perry Farrell" was how Tom introduced the next legend to play. The Satellite Posse was back with us, HOORAY! Perry, Etty and Carl Restivo were back from Coachella to re-join the tour for the last stop and that made Chicago really, REALLY happy! Perry, looking tough in his sleeveless black top, said, "CHICAGO!!! We'll be saying that more later on in the summer" {see: Lalapalooza}. Perry said that on The Justice Tour, "We've done a lot of good damage, day and night". We sure have. I had done a lot of begging to hear the next one again, and my blessed ears were rewarded when Perry said, "A member of the entourage (ME!) has been asking to hear this next one, about the love between people", and they began the lush and romantic, "Love Feedback"! Etty and Perry sang to each other and to us, and hearing both their angelic voices singing, "Back and forth it goes between us" makes you both swoon and feel a bit like you're spying on their boudoir. Incredibly (and for a girl who once forcefully willed myself to feel better after having only tequila and oranges in the hot sun all day at the first Lalapalooza, because I HAD to be down front to hear Jane's Addiction, my favorite ... this was a Love Feedback like none other!), Perry said, "Thank you, Carol"! Uh, NEVER! Thank YOU, for creating a gigantic part of the soundtrack to my life!
I LOVE YOU, FARRELLS! WowWowWow!

Then the acoustic version of the Porno For Pyros song "about swimming", "Under The Tahitian Moon". Again, Perry and Etty singing this dreamy tune together was from Heaven. It got the crowd clapping along too. But the next one REALLY got them going. Perry said, "I have no faith in politics at all, but I do depend on all of you. I leave you with one from way back". And for the first time in ages, we got "Jane Says"! The crowd (very much including me) sang along every single word, which I think stoked Perry, because he gave it a new scat-like ending that made every glass in the house, led by his own, rise up in the air. "Chicago!" "Tom Morello!", shouted in the imitable Perry Farrell voice made the place go nuts. Tom came out to hug him and said, "What about this Presidential ticket? Perry can be President and I'll just arrange shows and after-parties." Judging from this tour experience ... you want to vote for that, trust me! Perry answered, "There will be lots of concerts and that's how we'll solve everything!" I really think that may just do the trick. The feeling in the house at these shows makes you believe that it may be the ONLY way. President Perry/Tom! Write that it in if you don't see it on the ballot next time.

For the last show, 100% of the Peoples' Price of $10 to get in (!) went to the SEIU. Tom mentioned that he'd heard tickets were being scalped - "BOOOOOOO!" (Criminal! Stealing from charities? SHAME!) and that next time that shit will be fixed or they'll see the backside of The Nightwatchman's hand. It was not only May Day, but also the 5 year anniversary of Bush saying, "Mission Accomplished". People, we have LOST the war. {see: my Walter Reed article - it's over and we've lost more than we'll ever get back} Now let's END IT.

In that spirit, Tom introduced his "Brother In Arms, my under the weather comrade who is STILL going to rock your shit senseless!" and with that, out walked Ben Harper! The place went absolutely ape shit! It may have been a meeting of Fan Club Presidents in there because it was a whole new level of hysteria. Ben (sporting a Chicago Bears headband) was joined by two of his Innocent Criminals, Juan Nelson on fresh bass, and Oliver Charles on mad drum beats. Ben sat down with his lap guitar and you would never, ever have known this was a guy who felt terrible earlier in the day. He gave us a long, ominous guitar intro that let us know we were in for it, then said, "this is a new one (!) called 'The Word Suicide Is Irresponsible'". It was down and dirty, Hendrixian rock. In a question that has often jumped to my mind on this tour, this song asks, "What's so hard about sympathy?" I don't want to call Ben Harper (BEN! HARPER!) a liar, but I can't really believe he was sick. He screamed his lungs out! And then gave even more. "Whipping Boy" was next ... "Well, you can need me, well, I want you to". Ben. I do need you. The whole WORLD needs you. This is where I teeter on the edge of gushy fangirl, so I'll move on to say that the pretty old domed ceiling of this hall started to shake at the end of this one, and the disco ball hanging from it was swinging dangerously due to the rumbling from the cheers. People in Chicago like them some Ben.

"Forgiving" was gorgeous, but Ben could most likely play "Chopsticks" and people would still pass out. Instead, he played like a man who sold his soul like Robert Johnson to the devil. This crowd would chip in to buy it back for him. It was wild in there. People were jumping for joy just at the jammy parts, with Juan voguing with his bass, playing off each other and the energy flowing over them. "Working your way from the ground on down" ... but not tonight. Everyone was singing and working our way on UP, you couldn't get much higher and happier from music than this. Oh, but you could! "They don't know like I know" - I'll say. If there's a flaw in Ben Harper, I have yet to see it. They had an extended jam and then brought it back home with the enthralled people dancing to every beat. Sick.

Tom came out to join Ben on "Gather 'Round The Stone". Two GIGANTORS of rock singing together, causing you to rub your eyes a bunch, open them, and STILL see Ben and Tom, not dreaming! "Hey-EY-ey!" The crowd was jazzed to join in the call and response. When they sang, "Send children off to die in vain" - I once again thought of IVAW and the guys we met at Walter Reed. And so should you. "BEN HARPER, PEOPLE!", Tom yelled at song's completion. Screams of ecstacy. "We hope you've enjoyed the opening half, now we're gonna play the rock concert!" What?! Yep. Group jam time!

The Freedom Fighter Orchestra came out to rock the last show (Breckin Meyer "Yes, it's true"- on drums all to himself again, Dave Kid Lightning Gibbs, Wayne Kramer, Carl Restivo back! - and on guitar, a young man called Tom Morello). It was time to Kick Out The Jams! And this club was more than ready. This began the first Mosh Pit of the night, front and center. It was a serious one too, Chicago doesn't kid around. It was a Tom and Birthday Boy "Chainsaw" Kramer beat down of guitars talking over each other. Yikes.

Everyone brought out their blue glow of cellphones to text Amnesty International that we want Guantanamo TORN DOWN. That done, and establishing that the only victory left in this war is the PROSECUTION of Bush and his cronies, (with Rage music blasted in their cages to torture them) we got "Fortunate Son". "It ain't me!" with Tom pointing to himself in between guitar riffs and a blistering Wayne solo. Yowza!

You cannot possibly understand how loud it got now unless you were there - that's because it was time for Jane's "Mountain Song"! Oh, man - they'd been waiting for this one their whole lives, it seemed. From the musicians to their audience, the entire place was FEELING it! It was HEAVY and hyper and urgent and Park West now has a retractable dome, because its lid was blown OFF. (Plus Breckin and Dave got to be part of Jane's Addiction for a night!). This was a real highlight, and left people wilted, but ready for more.

They got it! My new favorite jam (listen up - I can't say much - but one day soon when you hear the name, "Street Sweeper", stop what you're doing, and RUN to get this music!) is "100 Little Curses". BOOOOOOOOOts Riley back on lead vocals, Tom solo-ing fit for a shredder's greatest hits video, the "WHOA-OH-OH-OH!" chorus that everyone will still be humming in their sleep, Breckin's military-style drums - all of it adds up to MONSTER hit! "Get your fists in the air!" NO problem. Looking down from above, that is all I saw, a giant sea of fists pumping. It is almost dangerous how good this song is. YEEEEEE-AH!

Jessi Colter came back up to lead the band through Dylan's "Rainy Day Woman 12 and 35", but first she said, "Man, I want Boots to teach me that dance." You and me both, Jessi. Sigh. When they got to the "EVERYBODY MUST GET STONED" part, the crowd was louder, and they were not on microphones. I smiled to myself, because I also had just seen Sen Dog arrive from the airport, just in time for this jam. Tom threw down another solo, Perry shook the tambourine, and everybody DID get stoned, some on a natural high from the music, some in a still-natural, but more herbal, sense. Fun!

Tom told them it cost more than the $10 to get OUT. We didn't want to ship back ANY shirts (proceeds also going to SEIU), and looking at the sparse merch table afterwards, I don't think we will have to. YAY CHICAGO! YAY SEIU!

For the next party anthem, Tom told everyone to "Stand the fuck up!", but he didn't really have to - they'd never yet sat down! "Shake My Shit" is now - officially - a country-wide shit shaker! People were getting DOWN, none more so than our host, The Nightwatchman. When the leader is having that much fun, you can't help but follow. He grabbed his guitar ("I can't help myself") and Chicago too was treated to a solo with the ol' teeth, which is one of the most fun things ever to watch - especially the crowd's reaction. Bonkers! "Chicago! Consider your shit shook!"

Ben Harper (!) and Shooter came back to lead the singing of "Rockin' In A Free World" - which is something we can all aspire to, right? Ben Harper. Tom Morello. Perry Farrell. Wayne Kramer. Boots Riley. Carl Restivo. Breckin Meyer. Dave Gibbs. Yes, I'm pretty sure this is tops among coolest times this song has been played. The crowd even made up their own "Hey! Hey! Hey!" chant during it! You just FELT free! The guys all slapped fives with the people smushed down front, and Tom said, "Good GRIEF! This is a FANTASTIC time!" The house went up in flames, if I may steal from The Nightwatchman himself. Phew!

And we're not done yet! Sen Dog back with us! As I said, FRESH from the airport, saying, "I'm all fucked up, but let's do this!" He first thanked "TOM MORELLO! Give it up for PERRY FARRELL! BEN HARPER! WAYNE KRAMER!" and then pumped the room up further with "Insane In The Membrane"! This prompted a HARSH looking mosh pit down front, which Sen Dog met with a most appropriate, "I think you're fucking LOCO!" at the end. Which wasn't really the end, because it merged with "Rock Superstar" - and this time Sen Dog JOINED the Pit! Surfing above the crowd all over the floor, to the point that when he returned to the stage, it was with his pants half down! Rock Superstars is right! How many times have you seen a show like this - for charity?! The answer would be never, except for it's every time The Nightwatchman puts on a Justice Tour show! Again, the whole crowd sang along to the hook ... and it STILL wasn't as nuts as it would get for House of Pain's "Jump Around!" Of course, this was already happening, but now that they had direct instructions, Jump around HIGHER is what this bunch did! My calves hurt today, but probably not as much as the mosh pit kids' entire bodies. Sen's too - he jumped around right in there! After all, he HAD said, "This is Tom Morello's hometown! Let's get mad bezerking insane fuck you I don't care I'm wit it I'm down fucking crazy!" That about sums it up. "CHI-Town, In The House!!" Etty was up there jumping around too, getting the house moving even more ... clothes were about to come off everywhere (I don't know how Breckin managed to keep his shirt on this time?)! The entire place, including Chicago newspaper reporters, was LOVING IT! The last drum strike from B. the REAL Real, had Sen saying, "That was the REAL shit right there!" He got that right.

"Let's give it up for the Chi-town native that put it all together, Tom Morello!" To which Tom replied, "It's always good to be home!" The crowd was more than happy to have him. After a very long night of very good music, it was finally time for the last song of the night, and therefore of the tour, our customary closer, "This Land Is Your Land". After playing these shows from the actual sea to shining sea, it is clear that it really IS your land, and we've got lots and lots of wonderful people working together to re-claim OUR land, for the sake (and founding principles) of Freedom, Human Rights and JUSTICE! So tonight's last song was a celebration of that power in unity - and celebrate we did! The reinstated Woody Guthrie (who continues to draw huge applause everywhere we go) lyrics were a helpful aid to remind us that this whole show, the whole TOUR, was about confronting injustice, and knowing that what we do or fail to do determines our time here on Earth. Chicago, with its jumping celebrants, can now carry on, knowing they're a liberated territory! "Chicago, now that you're all wound up in heart and revolutionary soul, SING!", shouted The Nightwatchman. And Park West sang the LOUDEST ever, in all its long storied history of rock-hip-hop-pop-folk-country shows! Wait, this probably was the first one of that sort, but still ... they sang LOUD! As for the jumping - they'd been doing it for hours already! And then the show and the tour was over, with Tom saying, "Happy May Day! Never Give Up, and Never Give In - No One Wins Unless We All Win! Thanks To Everyone On The Justice Tour 2008!" and they were gone. Let's hope not for long. And let's hope the FEELING is not gone EVER! We NEED it - and you - to make a difference in this country. The tour motto - "Feed The Poor, Fight The Power, and ROCK THE FUCK OUT" - was more than lived up to. Now, if you can apply it to your lives, then our mission was accomplished. See you next time out!

- Carol Gronner

TOUR MAIN PAGE