This Land Was Made for You and Me

Standing at the front of a historic populist meeting hall with a capacity crowd. Studying the silence while singing deeply personal words about transience and transcendence. Launching into a great American anthem, rallying the troops as they clap in surprising time and sing in perfect rhyme. An extended, improvised interlude about private property and public land, culminating in a cry of "this land belongs to NO ONE!" followed by a beat that feels like an eternity, before the room erupts. A little pandering, "from California, to the state of Wisconsin," and the room erupts again and thank god they're on our side, then grab those voices all at once with fists in the air for a final, hymnal "made for you and me," and just enough time to choke back a tear and mumble a humble gratitude, before being rushed off stage directly into a warm handshake by BERNIE F#?@ING SANDERS, complete with wide grin and effusive praise.

Sounds like a dream, doesn't it? Damn sure felt like one. But that is exactly how my good friend Kat Wodtke and I spent our Saturday morning, at a time when we might otherwise still be asleep, and thankfully some folks sent us the pictures and video to prove it to ourselves later (we go on around the 25 minute mark). I was (for whatever reason) invited to join Senator Sanders, and several other distinguished guests, in a rally to promote Randy Bryce's campaign for the congressional seat currently held by House Speaker Paul Ryan. While I may be generally politically agnostic, everything about this speaks to my revolutionary side; and while I may generally refrain from endorsing political candidates, I have had the pleasure of meeting Mr Bryce previously, and find myself continually shocked by his openness, compassion, and sincerity (he even personally contacted me just a few hours after the rally to thank us again for our performance).

None of this would mean anything if it wasn't also a helluva lotta fun, which it was - Kat is always a pleasure and a joy to work with (she has contributed greatly to the upcoming LAB record), and I am eternally grateful to her for stepping up, standing beside me, singing effortlessly, and always reaffirming my deep anti-authoritarian streak. Likewise, it would have been pointless if we hadn't had the temerity to use our platform in an intentional way, which we did - between Kat's couture, my rhetoric, and our song selections, we spoke our hearts and minds, and walked off that stage without a shred of shame or compromise.

Our heartfelt and humble gratitude to Randy Bryce and Bernie Sanders for allowing us to use our voices honestly, and for their incredibly kind words after - we were honored to be a part of that ripple. There was a palpable sense of hope and pride among all the staffers and supporters; and there were powerful speeches balancing understanding, inclusiveness and empathy, with firm intolerance of injustice and economic machinations. There was a belief in the air I have not felt in many years, and a buzz that is only growing stronger. This may be a moment - this may be the sign of a movement. This may be our land yet.