BronxBedListener (on the BBB): "...Robert's words were the highpoint
of the evening for me. Someone should post them here, as he did an
exquisite job of connecting the dots, an auto-biographical tour,
from Phil Ochs to Bob Fass to the history of the three Coups of
WBAI, etc., all the while borrowing from Phil's lyrics. A typical
brilliant exposition of Robert's!..."
He had a sort of a script. Not exactly on the back of an envelope
(like the Gettysburg Address), but having a ringside seat I could
see him working it out with a pencil and a couple of odd-sized
little pieces of paper, just moments before he went on air.
Mitch: "...and of course the biggest thank yous to Jon Almeleh and
Bill Wells for their exhausting and VOLUNTEER efforts in doing the
production end, trucking and testing and setting up and running all
the equipment..."
As for Jon and the other techies, it was scary seeing them pulling
the parts together from opposite ends of the room. For some reason,
Jon's laptop and other stuff had to be at the back of the room
(maybe that was where the phone jack was), and throughout Bob's
mellow delivery, Jon was sending him urgent hand-signal messages
(past standing members of the audience), supplemented occasionally
by phone calls to another techie sitting in Bob's corner (sorry! I
didn't get his name; was that Bill Wells?). He and Jon also ran back
and forth between the two instrument installations for hands-on
emergency work. I don't suppose very much of this was audible to
those listening snug in their beds.
Yes, it was exciting to be there. It was rewarding.
It was inspiring. All the way through, from the evocations of Phil
Ochs' time and spirit to the reincarnations in the still-flowing
fountains of youth with guitars (and ukeleles, and tambourines on
upturned buckets, etc., etc.).
What Bob brings is a sense of CONTINUITY in our tradition of
"Creativity and Concern". [Activism with a heart and with a sense
of humor] We don't have to be Afrocentric to "Honor the Ancestors"
nor do we have to be Hip-Hop to open the airways to youth and
nurture their development: these cultural essentials belong to all
of us. This Misson-centric aspect of Bob's work is regularly heard
on air, and we saw it live that night.
Some people were there who came only because they read the News
piece and honored Phil Ochs. I suppose it can be called outreach of
the wrong kind (in the narrow view of Vajra, Cerene, et al.)--going
home, I shared a cab with such a person, a male white podiatrist
from the Upper East Side.
There's another angle which I think should be emphasized: Bob took
great care to emphasize the name and location of the community
center, in a way that suggested a partnership of purpose and spirit
with WBAI. People have wished for a new WBAI location which would
provide meeting space for "The Community" (interestingly, Zool was
in the live audience). Mitch's enterprise provides a model for
bringing WBAI into _many_ communities.
This can encourage WBAI and community interaction--mutual promotion,
collaborative projects, avenues for youth from many communities to
explore roles in broadcast media, broad-based meaningful MEMBERSHIP
that goes beyond a $25 donation.
[HMmmm... Volunteers from community groups helping out in remote-
broadcast work earning Membership thereby? A MEANINGFUL
membership.]
[n.b. this could perhaps be combined with an idea I floated a year
or so ago. Perhaps I'll "reprint" it.]
What was it, Battle of Agincourt? Where it was said those who were
not there would regret not being there the rest of their lives?
Wonderful as this "Historic Live-Audience On-Location Un-Nameable
Radio Broadcast" was, it will become greater in legend. People may
clamor to be admitted to an encore production, in some larger (and
more tech-friendly) location.
Yes, even at that Un-Godly Un-Nameable hour. Especially if the
trains & buses are running.
--Frank
==========================================================
--- In NewPacifica@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, mitchelcohen@xxxx wrote:
>
> As the person who came up with the idea for this Phil Ochs / Bob
Fass live audience broadcast at midnight and followed through with
making many of the arrangements for it, I thought the the show was
spectacular, Bob and the performers were terrific, Sixth Street
Community Center was extremely acommodating and jammed to the
rafters to the end at 3:30 a.m. (thank you Howard Brandstein!!!),
the free food was yummy and the wine and glug plentiful (thanks to
Alex Steinberg for the wine and transportation and Phil J. from
CISPES for the great glug!), and to Patty Heffley for bartending,
helping with the equipment, and providing delicious piles of French
pastries, Cathryn Swan who coordinated the performers, Linda Z. for
providing all sorts of odds'n ends, Frank Lefever for bringing food
and literature, Roger Manning for his expertise, and Romolo Sanchez
for his suggestions and good vibes ...
>
> and of course the biggest thank yous to Jon Almeleh and Bill Wells
for their exhausting and VOLUNTEER efforts in doing the production
end, trucking and testing and setting up and running all the
equipment .... and to Bob and Linni Fass, Bill Propp, and Mayer
Vishner, for anecdotes, and everything ....
>
> and to Shawn Rhodes who came in at the last minute to help take
the feed, and also to the Greens -- a whole bunch o' them
(especially Roy Felshin, Rob Gilheany, Gary Davidson, Pat Logan, and
videographers Richard Hirsh and Carl Lawerence -- yes Virginia,
there will be a video!) -- for helping out in all sorts of ways, to
intern at 6th Street Center Citlalic Jeffers -- and to producers
Robert Knight, John McDonough & Ibrahim Gonzalez, and the ghost of
Abbie Hoffman for stopping by.
>
> Also, thanx to the artists who did some very interesting and
beautiful interpretations of Phil Ochs songs:
>
> Linda Draper ("Flower Lady")
> Peter Dizozza ("The War Is Over")
> Joel Landy ("Is There Anybody Here?")
> Kirk Kelly ("I'm Gonna Say It Now" -- dedicated to NYU Strike)
> Debe Dalton ("There But For Fortune")
> Abby Lappem ("What's That I Hear?")
> The Wowz ("Tape from California")
> Ben Parrish ("Cops of the World")
> Mitchel Cohen & Al Podber ("When I'm Gone")
> Al Podber ("Power & the Glory" and "William Worthy")
> Jeffrey Lewis
>
> And ... to Phil Ochs, "In such times of uglyness, the true protest
is Beauty" .... 65 years old (had he lived), wow!
>
> Beautiful, beautiful night. Thank you all!
>
> Mitchel Cohen
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