Music for the Working Class – Sept. 2013

The Portland IWW’s monthly Music for the Working Class returns on Wednesday, September 25 at the Red & Black Cafe!

7:00-10:00pm

Special guests: The Synthicalists, and more!

AND don’t miss a special presentation by the Portland IWW’s Food and Retail Workers United!

Every Wednesday is Worker Wednesday at the Red & Black Cafe! All union members and service industry workers get discount prices on food and drinks!

August Music for the Working Class!

It’s time once again for the Portland IWW’s monthly Music for the Working Class!

  • When: Wednesday August 31st at 7pm
  • Where: Red and Black Cafe, SE 12th & Oak
  • Bands: Kory Quinn, I Wobble Wobble, Ryan G, and David Small

No cover charge! Drink discounts for union members and service industry workers! So come on down to Music for the Working Class and enjoy an evening of songs to fan the flames of discontent!

Stand in Solidarity with survivors of assault in the Olympia City Jail!

Please join us, Thursday April 21st, 7pm sharp @ the Red and Black Cafe, 400 SE 12th Ave, for an evening of amazing, diverse music and Stand in Solidarity with survivors of assault in the Olympia City Jail!

On November 13, 2007, 39 women were arrested during a peaceful demonstration against the war in Iraq. When taken to the jail, many were forced to remove clothing to a point that exposed their breasts, even though the circumstances of their arrest did not warrant probable cause for strip search.

They were told that they would not be allowed to put their clothes back on after stripping. Neither did they receive prison wear or blankets to cover themselves and were left under the watch of male officers in the jail’s Sally port, which is unheated.

Jail policy firmly states that prisoners must be allowed to keep pants, skirts, shirts, dresses, socks and undergarments. Other articles of clothing, such as jackets, jewelry and shoes may be held by jail staff until the prisoner’s release. The city, against their own policies, destroyed the jail’s video tape of that night and maintains that they are completely innocent of any crime. Three of the women filed suit against the city.

In any other setting, holding power over people with the threat of violence while demanding that they remove their clothing is clearly seen as a sexual assault. Why would we tolerate it in this setting?

Music for the Working Class: Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent

Music for the Working Class is a monthly night of labor music and music for working people. This event is hosted by the Portland IWW Image: Paper that has been burnt around the edges that reads: I.W.W Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent(Industrial Workers of the World) on the last Wednesday of every month at the Red and Black Cafe (400 SE 12th Ave).
This month, Music for the Working Class will be January 26th, 7pm and feature artists: I Wobble Wobble, Seth Martin, and The Dapper Cadavers!

About the music

The music being played will be both old and new, featuring singalongs and aiming to build solidarity among working people. This is music that expresses class consciousness and Labor Culture, something that has faded over the years with the constant assault on workers.

About the Bands

I Wobble Wobble is made up of Daisy (vocals, guitar), Adam (banjo), and Tomas (cajon), all of whom are members of the Portland IWW Branch. I Wobble Wobble plays old labor songs and some new. An American Folk style tinged with the percussive sound of the Peruvian cajon (box drum), I Wobble Wobble is a unique band for all to enjoy.
Seth Martin is a folk musician who galvanizes crowds with nature and social-minded singalongs and ballads on banjo and guitar. Citing influences such as Utah Phillips and Pete Seeger, Seth epitomizes the sound that Music for the Working Class is looking for. He is a local Northwesterner and strong supporter of the radical labor community.
The Dapper Cadavers, labeling themselves as ‘an assembly of flotsam,’ are a fabulous example of Portland Old Time music. Also referred to as CrustFolk, the band often includes banjo, guitar, fiddle, washtub bass and accordian. The Dapper Cadavers have an array of songs they play including many of their own tunes, as well as several old labor songs.

About the Space

The Red and Black Cafe is a collectively run and worker-owned cafe located at the corner of Southeast 12th Ave and Oak St. The Red and Black is also an IWW shop, meaning all workers are members of the Industrial Workers of the World.

Contact

Please contact Noah with the Portland IWW about performing at future Music for the Working Class nights, or with any questions and comments: portland.iww [at] gmail [dot] com (Attn: Noah)
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