My people of the week are Pearl Jam and Dennis Kucinich. Let me explain:
I was 12 years old when I attended my first concert. Lollapalooza '92 came rolling into Montage Mountain in Scranton, PA bringing together some of the most popular and influential bands of the last two decades. Among the bands that performed that day were:
Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ministry, and Ice Cube.
Over the last 15 years the Lollapalooza festival has had an interesting history. It exploded with the popularity of the grunge scene and then died in the late 90's as boy bands began to take over the air waves. Well, I'm happy to say that Lollapalooza is back and better than ever. Unfortunately the festival no longer tours the country because they must find it easier to consolidate all the bands in one place for a killer weekend. This years addition just wrapped up on Sunday night with Pearl Jam ending the weekend with a 2 hour set. I couldn't make it to the show because I am an unemployed grad student but that didn't stop me from legally downloading their whole set online.
It was awesome to see Pearl Jam bring up on stage an Iraq war veteran named Tomas Young, who was paralyzed from the waist down. Mr. Young is the subject of a new Phil Donohue documentary named Body of War. Eddie Vedder heard about the Tomas, was touched by the story, and wrote the music for the movie.
What does this have to do with Dennis Kucinich? Well, like Eddie Vedder, Dennis also wants our soldiers out of Iraq. Yesterday, MSNBC hosted another debate with the Democratic hopefuls and I believe that Dennis was once again the most honest, sincere person on the stage. Again, he reiterated the fact that if Democrats really wanted to end the war all they have to do is cut off the funding, "We need to get out of Iraq, and get out of Iraq now. I'm the only one on stage who has had the vision and the foresight to have voted against authorizing the war and voted against funding the war."
In honor of Pearl Jam's performance this weekend I will leave a youtube clip of the band in Seattle back in 1991. Who would have thought that in 2007 this basketball dribbling, long haired singer of a grunge band would know more about foreign policy than Bush and Cheney.
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That brings me back to my college days. Eddie Vedder was walking around the Lollapalooza in Orlando and stood next to me for one of those wacky "natural high" drinks.
I was a Soundgarden and Henry Rollins fan myself.
Good times.
Had no idea you went. I'd have talked to you more at family gatherings if I knew you were just a little bit hip. For a Scranton kid.
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