Tag Archives: musicians

Thanks To All Musicians Who Joined GUITARMY on May 1

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I’m happy to say that the GUITARMY’s first major action this past Tuesday, May First, 2012, was a success.

GUITARMY’s seven Squad Leaders were able to deliver participating musicians safely from our point of departure (Bryant Park) to our destination (Union Square). This was a big challenge because yesterday’s march was “unpermitted,” which meant that everyone had to stay on the sidewalk and carefully heed directions issued by the NYPD, but everything went smoothly. Nobody was arrested, the music was sweet, our Guitar Medic kept people supplied with strings and picks as they broke or disintegrated, the playing was timely and tuneful, and the singing was soulful and on-key.

I can say that everybody who was a part of this felt great at the end of the day: they had mastered some classic protest songs (including Florence Reece’s iconic “Which Side Are You On”), felt more confident as players, and had experienced first hand the joy and excitement of playing music within the meaningful context of a significant protest march. It was especially important that Tom Morello was able to there supporting GUITARMY. The vast majority of musicians who’ve supported Occupy Wall Street over the winter aren’t famous and never will be, and it’s a big boost when a celebrity like Tom is there because the media pays more careful attention.

GUITARMY will be out and about again. If you’d like training as a Squad Leader, please get in touch with the group and someone will show you the ropes. You can reach GUITARMY via e-mail by sending mail to the Occupy Wall Street Music Group (music@nycga.net) and also by following them on Twitter: @owsmusicgroup. Guitarmy’s Tumbler site (which contains our set list, lyrics, chords, and other resources) is here: http://occupyguitarmy.tumblr.com/

A nice story was written on the Guitarmy’s Rehearsal Section here:
http://www.fuse.tv/2012/05/on-the-ground-with-tom-morello-occupy-wall-street-guitarmy

The following video from GlobalPost is very well produced and discusses Guitarmy within the context of the evolution of the Occupy Wall Street movement. The only real complaint is that one must endure a 30-second spot commercial before viewing the content.

Occuponics to Participate in GUITARMY Musical March, May Day, 2012

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Guitarmy, AKA “The Thousand Guitar March,” has been busily preparing for the forthcoming May Day March from Bryant Park to Union Square. There will be many guitars, and many guitar heroes, including Tom Morello, leading this peaceful, musical charge.

This past Tuesday, available Guitarmy Squad Leaders converged to come up with a suitable kickoff song. We tried to make it easy and open-ended so that beginners could play the song easily but advanced guitarists could riff and improvise above it, as well as any horn players or other accompanists that might show up. We decided on “Which Side Are You On,” by Florence Reece, based on the traditional folk song, “Lay the Lily Low.”

This rehearsal captures us trying to capture the song and make sure it can be played by as many guitarists that show up. We also added some updated lyrics (below the video). If you play guitar or can make a joyful noise please come to Guitarmy – we need musicians! There are also additional performances of “Which Side Are You On” here.

Guitarmy Squad Leaders will be out early on May 1 in Bryant Park to teach you anything you need to know about playing all the songs in the set list. We tried to keep them all to a maximum of three chords, so that everyone can play and sound good.

WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON (GUITARMY VERSION FOR MAY 1 PERFORMANCE AND MARCH)

The basic root chord of this song is drone on Em (E minor).

Beginners should strum on Em all the way through and ONLY switch to the B7 just once, toward the latter part of each verse

Advanced guitarists might want to play a D chord over the Em at a certain point.

We are the guitar army, we”re marching from this place
We march for peace and justice, to save the human race
Which side are you on? Which side are you on?
Which side are you on? Which side are you on?

Hey, hey – May Day!
Hey, hey – May Day!
Hey, hey – May Day!
Hey, hey – May Day!

We are the guitar army, our eyes are on the prize
Musicians have no chance in life unless we organize

We are the guitar army, we’re marching side by side
We’re march for those who suffer, we march for those who’ve died

Oh people, can you hear us, oh people, do you care?
You’re either with the ninety nine, or you are with the Mayor

Original version:

Come all of you good workers, good news to you I’ll tell
Of how the good old union has come in here to dwell

My daddy was a miner, he’s now in the air and sun
And I’ll stick with the union, till every battle’s won

They say in Harlan County, there are no neutrals there
You’re either in the union, or a scab for J.H. Blair

Oh workers can you stand it? Oh tell me how you can?
Will you be a crummy scab or lend us all a hand?

Don’t scab for the bosses, don’t listen to their lies
Us poor folks don’t have a chance unless we organize

Occuponics Team Up With Tax Dodgers

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MEDIA ALERT: THE OCCUPONICS WILL ACCOMPANY THE TAX DODGERS ON APRIL 17TH (FEDERAL TAX DAY) 

MEDIA RELEASE IS HERE
EVENT SCHEDULE IS HERE

The Occuponics are honored to be the house band for The Tax Dodgers. The team was in Central Park this past Saturday warming up for the big game on Tax Day. Here’s a rousing performance of “Take Me Out to the Tax Game”. Thanks, RK Chin and Jennifer Maskell, for shooting these videos. And thanks to the OWS Drum Circle for providing a steady beat!


The 99 Percent Sing in Union Square – a Video By Photographer Vivian Cherry

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Thanks to Vivian Cherry for creating this video and taking these photographs of The Occuponics, in Union Square, performing “Ain’t Going To Let Nobody Turn Us Around,” an old song from the Civil Rights era that we actively adapt for the era of the 99 Percent Spring. The band learned how powerful this song can be while marching with Pete Seeger back in October of 2011.

With Guest Dave Lippman: “All We Are Saying Is End Corporate Crime”

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The Occuponics perform with master parodist Dave Lippman at Zuccotti Park (AKA Liberty Plaza), April, 2011. The work performed is Dave’s parody of John Lennon’s classic “All We Are Saying Is Give Peace a Chance,” a song that became a bona fide anthem of the anti-war movement of the late 1960s that Dave has updated for today’s era.

OCCUPONICS WILL BE PERFORMING AT SPRING AWAKENING 2012, 1PM

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From http://springawakening2012.wordpress.com

“If you haven’t seen Occuponics yet, you should. This is music OWS style.  They sing and play the accordion and the guitar and invite all other musicians to play and everyone to sing. They have a large repertoire of Occupy Wall Street related songs, both original and traditional in folk/protest and pop style. To see them in action, please go to: www.occuponics.com

Spring Awakening 2012 is happening at 1 PM, Central Park South on the West Side of Wollman Rink. How to get there? Read this page.

From RT.com: Singing Occupella: 99% Vocalize Their Demands in San Francisco

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Nice article over at RT.com about Occupella, a Bay Area-based musical project which performs Occupy Wall Street-themed works. in a way conducive to public sing alongs. Occupella (whose site is at Occupella.org), was founded by Bonnie Lockhart, along with longtime activists Hali Hammer, Betsy Rose and Nancy Schimmel.

Occuponics Occupy Union Square/American Spring Concert: March 20, 2012

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The Occuponics jam with The OWS Sax Man at Union Square during the American Spring concert series, March 20, 2012.

Union Square became a locus of activity for Occupy Wall Street following the 6-month anniversary of OWS, which, while a joyous day, deteriorated into violence late in the evening. Many protesters came to Union Square in the following days, believing that they might be safer in a different part of Manhattan.