Paul Stein uses his accordion, melodica, claviola, voice, & original songs to support peace, justice, & the environment. Co-founder of The Occuponics, who were active throughout Occupy Wall Street, he can be heard at marches, demonstrations, rallies, & vigils all around the New York City area, often with the Filthy Rotten System band.
One of the best things about playing at protests such as Occupy Wall Street is the energy and spontaneity of people participating in the musical experience that finds its way back into the music. Here, at Liberty Square (AKA Zuccotti Park), the band jams on a simple blues progression with input from the audience. What resulted in this case was a song called “Zuccotti Park Blues.” Given that this performance happened only a short time after police raided the Zuccotti encampment, removing and/or confiscating many of the occupiers’ personal possessions, it is quite appropriate that one of the singers notes that “they even took my shoes.”
All of us in the Occuponics are grateful to video documentarian Jean E. Taylor for taking the time to interview some of the Occuponics for her video documentary on Occupy Wall Street (OWS), recorded in late 2011 at Zuccotti Park (AKA Liberty Square). In this sequence, the Occuponics’ Stephen Carl Baldwin talks about the process of making music for Occupy Wall Street.
The Occuponics jam on an original song they made up called “Hard Times” in December, 2011. This song highlights the hardship of the protesters after their campsite was evicted late on the night of November 15, 2011. “Hard Times” was the first of several original songs composed by the group which are often performed at Occupy Wall Street demonstrations in the New York City area. Usually what happens is that one group member will come up with a chord progression that everyone can play, someone will suggest a theme for the song, and others will begin composing melody and lyrics on the fly.
Veteran NYC street performer David Peel (often referred to as “The Godfather of Punk” because of his major influence over the development of the NYC-based punk music movement in the late 20th Century) jams with The Occuponics on December 7th, 2011, in Liberty Square (AKA Zuccotti Park). Dave started hanging with OWS early on, and was frequently seen playing what observers called his “Atomic Cowbell” in the drum circle. Here, Dave performs his original Occupy Wall Street song, “Wall Street Sucks” with accompaniment by at least one of the Occuponics.
The Occuponics were part of a large contingent of musicians and performers at Occupy Broadway, one of the first of many pop-up occupations that occurred in New York City during the winter of 2011-2012, after Zuccotti Park was raided. Conceived as an exercise in “creative resistance,” the event began at 6 PM on Friday, December 1st, and continued for the next 24 hours in a small plaza on Broadway a few blocks north of Times Square. Occupy Broadway was a great success, with no arrests or violence on the part of either demonstrators or the NYPD.
The Occuponics’ Stephen Carl Baldwin jams with David Peel at Liberty Square (Zuccotti Park) in November 2011. In this clip, Stephen debuts his OWS song called “Zuccotti/Tequila.” The melody of this song may be familiar to many older people, because “Tequila” was a big hit for the instrumental group “The Champs” in 1959. The lyrics added by Stephen read as follows:
We’re occupying Wall Street
We’re occupying today
We’re occupying Wall Street
We’re never going to go away
Get your freedom on
Get your freedom on
Get your freedom on… Zuccotti!
We’re occupying Wall Street
We’re out here with our friends
We’re occupying Wall Street
We’re never going to let it end
Get your freedom on
Get your freedom on
Get your freedom on… Zuccotti!
We’re occupying Wall Street
Though many have gone to jail
We’re occupying Wall Street
The movement’s too big to fail
Get your freedom on
Get your freedom on
Get your freedom on… Zuccotti!
The reception to this song among the demonstrators has generaly been highly positive, and it is often requested when The Occuponics appear at any OWS-related demonstration. It appears to be especially popular with the original residents of Zuccotti displaced by police. Nonetheless, a small but vocal cadre of OWS activists has repeatedly protested that the term “Zuccotti” should be replaced by the term “Liberty Square” in order to reflect the park’s formal rebranding at the behest of the General Assembly. When challenged on this point, the author usually attempts to reason with such people, explaining that “Liberty Square” works very badly with the rhythm of the song. On occasion, however, it is necessary to invoke protection under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution in order to continue the musical performance without further interruption.
The Occuponics perform at the Thanksgiving celebration at Zuccotti Park, November, 2011. Hundreds of very tasty meals were served by the Occupy Wall Street kitchen at this time, and the atmosphere was genuinely joyous, despite the fact that many protesters remained aggrieved, with some made newly homeless, by the police action that happened approximately one week before this time. Many singalongs were held on this day, and a spirited square dancing session happened later in the evening.
The Occuponics’ Paul Stein performs the Occupy Wall Street song at Duarte Square, November 20, 2011, a few days after Occupy Wall Street’s occupation of Zuccotti Park was closed down by government officials. This protest was held in an unsuccessful attempt to convince Trinity Church to open up a vacant lot for use by the displaced occupiers. Other musicians performing at the vigil was the Rude Mechanical Orchestra.
