On Labor Day, a sold out crowd of around twenty thousand people passed by all the protesters and riot police in downtown St. Paul and descended on to Harriet Island for the SEIU "Take Back Labor Day" celebration.
What was worth all the logistical work? For starters, it was a beautiful day to spend at an outdoor show. Oh, also there was an amazing line-up that included Billy Bragg, Steve Earle, Mos Def, Atmosphere, Pharcyde and Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello.
While the massive audience threw their hands up for Atmosphere, Metromix got to briefly chat with Tom Morello in his trailer about being in town for the RNC, his acoustic set at the rally (including a rendition of "This Land Is Your Land" with the Iraq Vetarans Against the War), his upcoming electric show with Rage at the Target Center, his new album with The Nightwatchment and what shows he's going to this week.
You're no stranger to supporting the SEIU labor union...
No, I've supported them for many years. I think the first time was a janitor strike in LA like 12, 13, 14 years ago, something like that. So when they called you up, it was no problem. Just on this last Justice tour, we did a big SEIU event in Chicago, and I've been a supporter of them for a long time.
So you didn't see the insanely awesome line up first, before committing to play the show?
No, I was happy to come. Although I was very pleased with the line up; Steve Earle and I are fellow travelers on the economic justice trail.
There's obviously a lot that's different between your set today and the rock that built up your reputation.
Yeah, on the "Justice" tour, it was just so much fun to play. It was great to play the acoustic songs, then strap on the electric guitar and play. It was really free to be outside the normal structure of the solo in this song is 8 bars—I can play whatever I want, I can take my time and play.
What kind of shows are you doing to support the Nightwatchmen album?
There's going to be a tour—there's some sporadic shows between now and then, there's a tour that starts the last week of October, and it's going to be different than the last Nightwatchmen tour because it's going to be Half acoustic, half electric, I was inspired on the last Justice tour, where there was a combination of acoustic and electric, you know on the record, too, the "Fabled City" record, that's "Tom Morello and the Nightwatchmen" because I felt more comfortable kind of loosening the reigns, the first time around I didn't want people to mistake what I was doing for like a Joe Satriani-like record.
But the tour is definitely going to incorporate the haunting acoustic jams but I'm also going to shred my ass off, too.
Even with the differing politics, we hope you enjoy some of the fun in the Twin Cities.
I will, I will. I'm here very rarely in the summer. It's nice, you couldn't have asked for better today.
Are you sticking around town?
Well, we've got a Rage Show on Wednesday. We leave on Thursday. And there's that Anti-Flag show tomorrow...
That's going to be a great show, too.
Yeah, tomorrow I think I'm going to go to the show. I recommend it. I understand there might be excitement up there.
You can catch Tom Morello playing with his old outfit Rage Against the Machine at the Target Center on Wednesday, September 3rd.
