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A friend reached out recently to ask if I was okay because my weekly newsletters have become less weekly. I am more than okay, be assured! I am eyeball deep in a full time Masters program and loving every single minute of it. Every day I read and read and read, then go to class and talk about what I read, then sometimes I write. It’s the dreamiest dream I ever could have dreamed.
I haven’t had much to say in recent months anyway. I’d gotten sick of reading my own words and it was very hard to wade through the sludge of world news and come out feeling inspired. But inspiration is coming back to life. School, the recent US election results, and some major cultural shifts are bringing a lightness back to my soul that I welcome like a long lost friend.
And so today, finally, I want to write about the Macklemore & Friends Free Palestine Tour, because it fills me with joy. As a musician and a person with a soul, it makes me giddy to witness musicians speaking truth to power and a massive audience coming together in support of the message. In case you don’t follow pop culture, I’ll give you a little background:
Macklemore was opening for Ed Sheeran on a stadium tour, and as Ed and his team well knew, Macklemore has written songs in support of a Free Palestine and is vocal about his advocacy. During his set, Macklemore said:
“I said, Free Palestine. I want those words to be loud and clear, so the people from Gaza, all the way to the occupied West Bank, know that we have not forgotten them. And this next song was inspired by the bravery of Columbia University students who led an encampment movement that mobilized the entire world; open up hearts, myself included, so thank you to those students that risked their diplomas, that risked their tuition, that risked their scholarships, that stood up and said, no. CUAD students, Students for Justice in Palestine, and Jewish Voices for Peace. Thank you, guys.
To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters: criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide in no way is a criticism of you. My message is for peace; love for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect, and equality.
So I say Free Palestine, I say Free Lebanon, I say Free Cuba, I say Free Congo, Free Sudan, I say Free all people in America living in fear of this terrorist organization, ICE. None of us will be free until we are all free.”
In response to this statement, stadium owner Robert Kraft contacted Sheeran to tell him to kick Macklemore off the tour or his next series of shows would be cancelled. And Sheeran…promptly kicked Macklemore off his tour.
He kicked him off his tour for saying that people deserve to be free and all humans deserve dignity, respect, and equality.
It was thrilling to watch how quickly people got the hell off the sinking Sheeran ship. The rest of his openers for the tour and even his own band quit. (Here’s an article about why Ed’s pretense about being apolitical ain’t cutting it.)
And artists and the general public swarmed to Macklemore’s side. Because of the surge in support a Macklemore & Friends Free Palestine Tour came together, with all proceeds going to support Palestinian organizations. Some other artists on the tour include Hozier and Nehmasis (listen to her stunning live cover of Lorde’s song Team). (Check out this article for a breakdown of the Dublin show.)
Please indulge my little heartburst here, because I can’t help it.
There is real art being made here. There are real messages being shared, real stories being told, in defiance of the powerful, rich elite who are used to being able to shut us all down. People power is swelling like a wave, a storm surge coming for the folks whose greed and cruelty created the storm.
We are not going gently into that good night. We are winning.
The ultra-rich, powerful and corrupt will never know the joy of community, of connection, of caring for someone or something other than themselves and putting their heart and soul on the line to protect it. Their souls are impoverished and they are desperately consuming everything in sight to try to feel something close to the way it feels to love and be loved. They want what we have, and they will never get it.
There’s no amount of money, no amount of success, no accomplishment or title that will fill the void of betraying your humanity, of selling your soul. And while they run around smashing and grabbing, we will keep making connections, standing up for one another, sharing hugs and meals and music, fighting like hell and loving like there’s nothing more important.
Because there really isn’t. It’s not complicated.
xo
Shannon
Upcoming Shows
Making music with other people and sharing it in the same room as other people is one of my favourite things. I am part of two special musical collectives this winter season, and can’t wait to be in a room making music for your soon.
Yule of Auld - Nov 28 and 29
To Know the Dark - A Winter Solstice Concert
by Field Notes & Friends
Dec 18 at 6pm and 8pm
Tickets available here
(I must add that this gorgeous poster was hand-painted by Janita Wiersma. Swoon with me, please.)
The Joy Just Because playlist got a refresh with some Macklemore, Nehmasis and Hozier. Morals and good music. Sexy!