The Nightwatchman's "Justice Tour"

To read reports for all of the events on the Justice Tour, click here.

May 11, 2008

Justice Tour: Epilogue

The Inaugural 2008 Justice Tour is complete. We've been back for a week now, and I've had some time to reflect (and heal!) ... and it all seems like a wonderful dream - and a horrible nightmare too. In fact, I had both while on tour. Which makes a lot of sense. We saw the absolute best in people, and the absolute worst devastation (courtesy of our government). We had the most ROCKING nights EVER, with people literally jumping for joy! We saw things that gave us a deep pit of nausea and anger in our guts, that may never go away. I actually hope both feelings never go away, because they both team up together to create a reaction that gets things DONE!

When my friend and comrade, The Nightwatchman/Tom Morello, called to ask if I'd go along on this tour as the "embedded reporter", I was thrilled. I had some idea at the time of how very powerful it would be, having been to these shows before, and knowing that this time they would be combined with actual WORK for Justice. I could never have imagined, however, how very EM-powering it would all turn out to be. That is what I heard time and time again, both from the artists and the fans, that WOW - we really CAN create some change in this world ... and people out there across this land, OUR land, really DO want to participate, they really do want CHANGE!

I found it interesting when interviewing the different artists on tour (for a future DVD that will be required American viewing! As is our friend and warrior, Tomas Young's documentary, "Body Of War". Go now.), that they pretty much all said one of the work days as their highlights of the tour. Sure, there was a lot of glory and cheering for them on the stage, but it seemed that what really stuck with them was the feeling that being of service gave them. Some may wonder why you should pay attention to what various rock stars may have to say about the human condition in our (or any) country, that they should stick to playing the hits and zip it about anything else. I would retort, well ... aside from your truckers and Presidential candidates (and corporate business people, but that's a different motive entirely), musicians probably travel this land the most. They hear and see what bothers people in cities in every point on the map. If they CHOOSE to shine a light on these issues, and better yet, DO SOMETHING about it - then I think it's right to listen to them. And then JOIN THEM.

I've never seen or heard of anything like this wonderful Tour. These were SUPER stars, and I never once saw an ego - at all. When homeless are served meals by celebrities, but also spoken to in the eye and cared about after the cameras are shut off - you knew this was going to be a whole different animal. When you saw Slash and Tom Morello and Jerry Cantrell and Sen Dog playing BACK UP for a slew of troubled teenagers who couldn't believe their eyes and ears - you felt HOPE, for them and their futures. When you got Perry Farrell in a New Orleans dumpster, surrounded by sharp parts, rusty nails and assorted creepy and vicious insects, and SMILING about it - you knew this thing was special. When a family has lost EVERYTHING but each other in the CRIME of post-Katrina, and they still offer you gracious hospitality, served with a song and large smiles all day - you could believe that they will rise again, and that this horrible administration will one day fall. When you get people to locally fight for a living wage for their own - you knew that it starts from the people UP. When our soldiers stuck in Walter Reed hospital, right under the nose of the military itself, can speak out AGAINST this awful war and speak the truth that it is getting WORSE over there - you felt sick with anger and empathy, but also triumph ... that together we CAN end this thing after all. They can't have much of a war without any military left. When people stand out in the rain to speak out against our Health Care system (or what there is of one) - you tangibly felt the power in unity. When you saw a huge crowd rallying on May Day, standing up together to fight for their RIGHTS and JUSTICE in the workplace - you understood that lots of voices can get loud, and thus HEARD.

That's what I mean when I say empowerment. That is the lasting feeling from this Tour of Justice (ok, along with an infected poisonous spider bite for me and oozing E.R.-worthy poison ivy for State Radio - but those discomforts only serve to spotlight how rough it STILL is in New Orleans). I hope there will be many more tours, as we all know there is MUCH work to be done in this gigantic country. As Tom's acoustic guitar says, "Whatever It Takes". I also hope that it will be a lasting feeling for the people at the shows and the organizations that we helped. That they will get involved locally, and CARE about social justice and human rights. Wayne Kramer put it very well when he said, "We are planting mustard seeds on this tour" ... may they grow and thrive!

You don't have to wait for the next Justice Tour either, you know. You can be your own change, you can plan your own show, you can simply be INVOLVED. We as a country can't afford to sit still anymore. There is too much at stake. Literally, it's life and death.

It was a joy to learn that some of the biggest names in music in the WORLD, are also some of the biggest hearts. It was heart warming and throat-lump inducing to realize that we don't have to WAIT for anyone/thing to happen in this country, we can MAKE it happen. Every person I spoke to after the shows said it was the BEST SHOW THEY'D EVER SEEN. EVER! I know that they heard great, great music and saw their favorite shredders and legends tear apart those stages ... but I think it also had a lot to do with the feeling in those rooms. That though it rocked harder than anything ever, you were strongly aware that it was for a purpose, that the money raised at the shows was ENTIRELY going to help a local organization, and you were a part of that. That's a good feeling. Try it, you'll like it!

Each show ended with "This Land Is Your Land", sung loudly, jumped highly to, and as ONE. This land WAS made for you and me. We DID travel it from California to the New York islands, from some forests to some Gulf Stream waters, North to South. The circumstances were different in each place, but the reactions were absolutely the same ... we all realize that there are giant problems, we all know our that our corporation/ government is sinisterly corrupt, we are all upset about things ... but we all LOVE OUR COUNTRY itself. This Justice Tour celebrated that fact with a rocking Freedom PARTY every night - and tried our best to do something to change all the rest.

Change: It will take time. It will take strength. It will take passion. It will take pain. It will take love. It will take unity. But it can be done. And after what I saw, felt, laughed, cried, and ultimately REJOICED over ... I know that it WILL happen.

I'll feel gratitude forever to my friend and yours, The Nightwatchman, for giving me this opportunity to learn and rock and tell you all about it. We should all feel gratitude to him for putting this together, and for caring about us all so much (and for throwing down HELLACIOUS rock shows for a CAUSE!). After it all, I can honestly say that Poor were fed, Power was fought, and People were ROCKED THE FUCK OUT! Better than that tour motto realized ... I can also truly say that some Justice was, if not YET served, recognized.

I knew that this was the best Tour of my life (it was also the first, among many firsts on this trek). When Tom said it was the best of HIS - that's really saying something. Again, I hope there will be many more, because you could FEEL change in the air. Many songs from the tour echo in my mind still, but "Standing UP and Standing STRONG" is the lyric that sticks most. C'mon, People! Let's unite, once and for all, and return our great GREAT country to the glory it deserves. There is no time like NOW. I WILL see you out there!

- Carol Gronner

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