Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Revolution Rock: Musicians Offer Protest Against Arizona's New Immigration Law

Posted By on Tue, Jul 13, 2010 at 12:17 PM

Calexicos John Convertino and Joey Burns are part of Artists for Action. Whenever there’s an artistic or cultural boycott, it’s important to back that up by showing your presence and doing something, says Burns. The intent is to go to fans inside of Arizona and inspire them to vote.
  • Calexico's John Convertino and Joey Burns are part of Artists for Action. "Whenever there’s an artistic or cultural boycott, it’s important to back that up by showing your presence and doing something," says Burns. "The intent is to go to fans inside of Arizona and inspire them to vote."

Arizona musicians have formed a new organization that hopes to provide an alternative to touring acts that are considering a boycott of Arizona over SB 1070, the controversial new immigration law that’s set to take effect at the end of the month unless blocked by the courts.

The group, Artists for Action, includes Calexico’s Joey Burns and John Convertino and the Sand Rubies’ David Slutes.

“The intent is to reach out to reach out to local, national and international artists and invite them to come here to Arizona to perform, educate and inspire audiences,” Burns says. “Now more than ever, we need everyone’s help.”

The group hopes to reach out to musicians who have joined Sound Strike, a group formed by Zack de la Rocha, lead singer of Rage Against the Machine.

More than two dozens acts have said they will join the Sound Strike boycott, including Kanye West,

Conor Oberst, Nine Inch Nails, Ry Cooder, My Morning Jacket and Steve Earle.

“You can’t look at SB 1070 in isolation,” says de la Rocha in a video on the Sound Strike website. “It’s part of an entire state’s campaign to humiliate and criminalize an entire population.”

Burns says he understands the concerns of his fellow musicians, but he hopes that some may reconsider coming to Arizona if given a chance to rally support against the law.

“We want to work together with Sound Strike,” Burns says. “Whenever there’s an artistic or cultural boycott, it’s important to back that up by showing your presence and doing something. The intent is to go to fans inside of Arizona and inspire them to vote. If people haven’t registered to vote, now is the time to do it.”

To that end, Artists for Action will be setting up voter-registration tables at shows, including a performance by the Swell Season this Saturday, July 17, at downtown’s Rialto Theatre.
Artists for Action is also planning a major concert in the Phoenix area later this summer. Slutes, who also books bands at downtown’s Hotel Congress, says that one day of this year’s HoCo Fest in September will focus on efforts against SB 1070.

“What Arizona needs now is support,” Jimmy Adkins of Phoenix-based Jimmy Eat World said in a statement supporting Artists for Action. “I have the utmost respect for musicians, artists, and small business owners who are killing themselves to make something on their own terms. I hope Artists for Action can be the bridge to help inform interested locals. And to help bring like-minded progressive voices back to Arizona.”

Artists for Action found a key ally last week: Congressman Raul Grijalva, who first called for a boycott of Arizona after SB 1070 was signed by Gov. Jan Brewer in April.

“It’s important to have a progressive presence in this fight against SB 1070,” Grijalva said at a press conference. “Artists have always been at the forefront of change. They need a platform and a venue to do that. Artists for Action provides that. Artists for across the country can come here and help us change the course of this state though voter registration, through education and through mobilization.”

Grijalva says he still supports “economic sanctions” against Arizona in response to SB 1070, but he doesn’t want a boycott to go on “any longer than necessary.”

For more info on Artists for Action, visit vivaarizona.org.

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