Tibetan Freedom Concert
Alpine Valley Theater, Alpine Valley, Wisc. (June 13, 1999)
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Beastie Boys
Alpine Valley Theater, Alpine Valley, Wisc.
June 13, 1999 |
To a large part of the 30,000+ crowd at Alpine Valley, these montages were a constant reminder that this year's musical line-up was not as overwhelmingly star-studded as the those that came before.
But the other, and more important, message being broadcast was clear: It's not about the music this time.
The primary impetus behind the festival is to spread awareness of the Tibetan predicament -- that is, the former nation has been unwillfully under Chinese occupation for the past fifty years.With that in mind, it should be looked at as a big step forward that the show expanded this year to a simultaneous event on four continents. Though the talent has been thinned out, the opportunity to spread awareness has incresed immensely, and the goal of involvement on a global scale is closer to realization.
That said, the host of musicians who did show up did a great job of performing at a top level but keeping the day's focus on preserving and promoting the Tibetan culture.
Live, Blondie and Tracy Chapman all played very enjoyable sets of their respective hit material, entertaining the diverse and accepting crowd and occasionally expressing their feelings about the cause for Tibetan Freedom and the importance of everyone's presence at the show.
Eddie Vedder's inspired solo set turned into one of the show's highlights as he brought the bassist and drummer of Seattle band C Average up on stage as apparent random selections from the crowd to play along. The "makeshift" band played an assortment of covers, including Police and Talking Heads tunes, and closed with Townes Van Zandt's "I Am A Patriot," which somehow fit the mood of the day perfectly.
The best act of the day was not the host Beastie Boys, but a very energetic Rage Against The Machine, who got the best out of the sound system before muddled vocals and turntables marred the rest of the night. The group's trademark politically charged fury, though a little bit harsh in the context of the nonviolent ideals of the Tibetan people, was still more appropriately thought-provoking than Run DMC's self-promoting set or the advert for the new Roots album that flew on an airplane banner all afternoon.
And Tom Morello's guitar playing was the day's musical highlight, as he scratched and scraped more fascinating sounds out of his axe than Mix Master Mike would later on the wheels of steel.
Even as the Beastie Boys' set was marred by a suddenly sludgy mix, MCA could still be heard up on the hill as he urged the crowd to remember the reason for this concert during the other 364 days of the year. Ad Rock announced the last song with "this song is dedicated to the Chinese government," as the crew launched into "Sabotage."
Kudos to the organizers of the event and everyone who participated, as the third annual TFC succeeded in raising global consciousness of a very real issue while rocking the house.
TROY CARPENTER | Troy Carpenter founded NATN from a Chicago apartment during the ambitious winter of 1998 with co-conspirators Ben French and Jonathan Cohen. After a five-year stint in New York, he and wife Lourdes have recently relocated to Indianapolis, where he spends days listening to music and nights in the kitchen at Elements restaurant. Musical heroes: Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Super Furry Animals. What else makes life worth living: Sushi, Phucty, runs in the park, and the Atlanta Braves.