The “Joe Hill Road Show” 2015
In January, Wobblies and friends began to meet via conference call to organize what has now become known as “The Joe Hill Road Show”. To our delight, there seems to be unbounded enthusiasm and optimism about such a tour, with musicians both local and national poised to play and sing the songs of Joe Hill at locations across the continent. Each local sponsoring IWW Branch (or other grouping) will have relative autonomy to plan each event. Some will be larger than others, some will have more audience participation, some will inject other activities – poetry, readings, theatre, etc. However, each sponsoring group will be asked and expected to meet certain basic criteria, such as responsibility for local publicity, booking the venue, providing accommodation for the travelling musicians, etc.
To date, musicians that have committed to playing at least one show include: Anne Feeney,
Mark Ross, Bucky Halker, George Mann, J.P. Wright, Lil’ Rev, John McCutcheon, Si Kahn, Rich
Rittenhouse, John James Tourville, Brody Douglas Hunt, Tim Gorelangton, Patrick Dodd, Daryl
Cherney, Eddie Jeff Cahill, Charlie Parr, Dave Rovics, Duncan Phillips (Utah Phillips’ son), Len
Wallace, Otis Gibbs, Chance McCoy (from Old Crow Medicine Show) and Elspeth Summersgill.
There are many others who have been suggested as likely candidates. And depending on how this whole thing develops, there is the prospect to attract some “big” names (I will refrain from mentioning names here). To date, we have commitments in locations including: Chicago (where the tour is slated to kick off on May Day), Milwaukee, Madison, Oshkosh, Green Bay, Twin Cities and Fargo for the Upper Midwest “leg”. For the east coast leg, we have hopes for Albany, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C. among others. In the South, Roanoke, VA, Asheville and Charlotte, NC, New Orleans. Out west, Reno and Virginia City, NV, Sacramento, San Diego, L.A., the Bay Area, Nevada City and Weed, CA. In the Pacific Northwest, Bellingham, Seattle, Portland, Eugene, and of course Salt Lake City (where the tour is scheduled to conclude around November 19th).
And really, we are just now getting this thing started! I urge all affiliates of this great organization to step up and sponsor a show in your local area. Not only will it be a great way for local Wobblies and friends to spend an evening, but a local event brings great public relations to the local IWW, and it informs the community of our existence and our ideas. And we will certainly spread good will for the organization and sign up a few members along the way. For more information about the tour, to get involved in the national organizing or to build a local event,
contact J.P. Wright at railroadmusic333@gmail.com or Ron Kaminkow at
ronkaminkow@gmail.com And check out
