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.
This video captures our spirited sing out on April 22, 2012, a rainy Earth Day in Brooklyn, when people gathered around the country (and abroad) to sing This Land Is Your Land at the same time as part of Sing Out for Earth Day (organized by Hali Hammer of Occupella). Our intrepid group from Occupy/Ocupemos Sunset Park joyously sings in Mandarin, Spanish, and English in our beautiful park. Both The Occuponics and The Filthy Rotten System (the Catholic Worker band) braved the wind and rain along with Sunset Park occupiers.
This second video is the wonderful Sing Out for Earth Day compilation that captures groups of people singing This Land Is Your Land in dozens of locations throughout the US and overseas. It was exciting and uplifting to be part of it!
This is wonderful news, because everybody associated with this project has worked very hard over the past few months to get the word out about the glories of being super-rich and irresponsible. So let’s give a big huzzah for The Tax Dodgers – the bad guys you love to hate and hate to love!
Here’s a quick clip of our wonderful team performing outside Ann Romney’s birthday party at Trump Tower on April 15th – the Dodgers’ favorite day of the year!
Occupy Guitarmy Squad leader Stephen Carl Baldwin and Paul Stein lead the 99 Mile March in “One Guitar” as they prepare to set out from Philadelphia to New York City on July 5th. The march raised awareness about the range of Occupy Wall Street issues, celebrated the 100th Anniversary of Woody Guthrie’s birth, and advocated for funding music education in the schools, which has been severely cut back in recent years. Steve and Paul took part in the beginning and end of the march and are in awe of those occupiers who marched all seven days.
The Occuponics had the pleasure of providing music for Occupy’s first National Gathering, AKA #NatGat, which happened this past week in Philadelphia.
Thanks to vidographer kgosztola for recording this free form performance of the song called “#Natgat: In the City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love.” This performance was recorded the night of July 3rd, in Franklin Square. Featuring Stephen C. Baldwin on guitar and vocal, Paul Stein on melodica, and Carlos Mandelbaum (AKA David Intrator) on saxophone.
#NATGAT (City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love)
They call it NatGat In the City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love NatGat In the City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love
Down at Franklin Square In the City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love
We’re gathering there In the City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love
You need a good spot In the Quaker Friends parking lot Down at NatGat Is in the City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love Cause every hep cat Is in the City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love Down at NatGat In the City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love
It’s a vision thing In the City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love It’s imagining In the City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love Another world’s way In the City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love And a better day In the City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love
It’s not for fat cats In the City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love But it’s where it’s at In the City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love National gathering, it’s a happening In the City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love Weird weather, all together In the City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love
Yeah, it’s NatGat In the City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love It’s where it’s at, in the City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love
City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love City of Brotherly and Sisterly Love City of Love/City of Love City of Love/City of Love
Lyrics c. 2012 Stephen C. Baldwin
The Occuponics’ Stephen C. Baldwin reports that he was honored to be interviewed by Bill Moyers & Company during the rehearsal for Tom Morello’s “Thousand Guitar March” on May 1st, 2012. Lots of diverse guitar folks – from NYC and far beyond – are in this presentation, and considerable airtime is given to Florence Reece’s “Who’s Side Are You On,” which became one anthem for that day. OWS folks take special note that Lauren DiGioia is also promently featured.
Braced by its success on May Day, Occupy Guitarmy made its way to Federal Hall this past Saturday to jam on the steps of the building where the Bill of Rights is housed, guarded by General George Washington. One-half of these steps has been designated by federal authorities as a “First Amendment Area,” and this small space, ringed by barricades, has been dubbed “the Freedom Cage” by demonstrators.
Here, the GUITARMY jams on a chant-oriented song loosely based on the Pointer Sisters’ 1972 hit, “I’ll Take You There.” The Guitarmy version simplifies the song to a C-F chord progression, accompanied by whatever lyrics are on protesters’ minds at the moment.
NOTE: THIS IS A FIELD VIDEO RECORDING AND WAS UPLOADED WITHOUT EDITING. The music begins about 25 minutes in.
The really cool part is when that gang of high-schoolers comes through and cheers. That truly made everyone’s day.
The Tax Dodgers – a satirical baseball team that The Occuponics often accompany when they stroll and sing the “Tax Dodger Song,” were on the radio recently with Danny Schecter, the News Dissector. Here they are on the radio: this show was broadcast on PRN (the Progressive Radio Network) on April 27, 2012.
The Occuponics perform “Wall Street Your Kingdom Must Come Down,” a song based on an old gospel song that was taught to the group by Painless Parker, AKA Noam Berg, back in November of 2011.
This song is regularly performed by The Occuponics because it is so aligned with the charter of the band to be “inclusive and participatory.” The song allows people listening to it to sing along with each verse and also to interactively contribute lines to it. It’s also easy to teach to other instrumentalists, because if follows a very simple Dm to A7 to Gm chord progression.
This recording of the song, captured by videographer CocoAndBrownie, includes lyrics calling out Monsanto, Fox News, Rupert Murdoch, as well as unspecified “plutocrats.” The guitarist vocalist is Stephen Carl Baldwin, accompanied by Carlos Mandelbaum on tenor saxophone.
