Occuponics Jam With OWS Drum Circle – 1/29/12 Washington Square Park “Occupy Town Square”
The Almighty delivered splendid weather on Sunday, January 29th, 2012, when Occupy Town Square, an OWS (Occupy Wall Street) affinity group, produced a “pop-up occupation” in Washington Square Park. It was a beautiful afternoon that succeeded in re-establishing OWS as a powerful (albiet formerly dormant) force around the world.
The Occuponics continue to write and perform “on the spot,” improvisational Occupy Wall Street music and the group did its thing at The Peoples’ Stage (AKA The People Staged) and, earlier, before the valorous Daniel had gotten the People’s Stage banners up, with the splendid drum circle featured in this video, featuring Brendan Rooster Hunt, Saeed RB, John Eustor, and other members of the famous “Pulse” percussion cooperative, which gave OWS its heartbeat in late 2011.
We salute the OWS Drum Circle (AKA “Pulse”): these are valiant soldiers of rhythm who have given so much to Occupy Wall Street and have paid a price (three drummers were arrested on Saturday at Zuccotti Park (AKA Liberty Square). We hope these artists are released from jail soon. They were playing quietly and meant no harm to anybody.
Today’s WSP (Washington Square Park) Occupy Town Square event happened without arrests and was a beautiful model for future “pop-up” occupations that combine arts, culture, teach-ins, and be-ins for the public good.
We are grateful to The OWS Drum Circle Channel for uploading and distributing this video of the revitalized Occupy Wall Street (AKA OWS) drum circle.
An unpleasant, debilitating illness beset Occupy Wall Street (OWS) in the early weeks of January, 2012. Protesters returning from Washington DC may have brought the malady north after a mass demonstration there. Because many former Zuccotti Park campers now huddle, wandering nomads, in church shelters where disease easily spreads, an outbreak of what is being called the “Occu-Flu” has presented itself as the latest obstacle to OWS. Symptoms are centered in the stomach and this aggressive occupying microbe will seek out every available haven in the body.
The Occuponics recorded this brief Get Well ditty to express all those affected by the dreaded Occu-Flu.
The Occu-Flu By The Occuponics by Stephen Carl Baldwin
DON’T LET THE OCCU-FLU CHILL YA
Don’t let the Occu-Flu go chill ya
Cause the Occu-Flu can kill ya
You know the germ don’t give a damn about me and you
So if you go down to Zuccotti
Better take care of your body
We’ve got a long long way to go before we’re through
Don’t let the Occu-Flu go chill ya
Cause the Occu-Flu can kill ya
Don’t let the Occu-Flu go chill ya
Cause the Occu-Flu can kill ya
Photo Credit: Brooklyn Media Group/Heather Chin
The Occuponics were glad to play in Brooklyn at the 83rd anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday on January 16, 2012. This event was part of Occupy Sunset Park (OSP), and involved a march up Fourth Avenue. You can read more about this event on the site of the Home Reporter and Sunset News.
The Occuponics greatly enjoyed the chance to jam with Brian Eno and Laurie Anderson at Liberty Park (AKA Zuccotti Park) during Occupy Wall Street. They are two of our heroes.
There’s a video interview with Brian and Laurie that was recorded that same day; you can view it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6-c53rM-Y0
Additionally, an audio interview with Brian and Laurie can be listened to at the site of Miss Ntertainment: http://missntertainment.com/2011/11/15/brian-eno-and-laurie-anderson-at-occupywallstreet/
Accra Shepp is a very talented photographer who’s been documenting Occupy Wall Street using an antique box camera. He recently got a shot of The Occuponics down at Zuccotti Park (AKA Liberty Square). You can check out more of his images online at the site of the Steven Kasher Gallery.
Veteran NYC street performer David Peel (often referred to as “The Godfather of Punk” because of his major influence over the development of the NY punk movement in the late 20th Century) jams with The Occuponics on September 7th, 2011, in Liberty Square (AKA Zuccotti Park). Dave started hanging with OWS early on, and was frequently seen playing his Atomic Cowbell in the drum circle. Here, Dave performs his original Occupy Wall Street song, “Wall Street Sucks.”