with Milionaires of Love tonight
Current mood: blessed

I just got home from the 'Summertime Block Party Fundraiser', in which Thousands of One opened for the Millionaires of Love.  What a beautiful show! We will both be playing at the block party on July 5th, and so it was a great way to build the energy for what is going to be an awesome day.  We started the show with an improvisation that flowed from Safak's guitar on layers of delay, followed by a seamless entry of bass notes from Chad's keys.  Soon we were all in, creating new waves of sound and feeling the room open up to new possibilites.
It was one of those gigs that just felt right for me, starting in improvisation, and ending with a tour de force of Millionaires of Love with several guests - my self on sax, as well as Jhakeem, Mbusi and Jsan all on vocals. I love it when it all comes together and something new emerges - the Miracle of Music.
I just want to shout out a big 'give thanks' to all the beautiful people who came out to support the Block Party tonight, and to our brothers and sister, Millionaires of Love, as well as Mbusi and Jsan.
One Love!

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Recent review by David Dancy
Category: Music

"Thousands of One: Music for Everyone"

By: David Dancy, Life & Times of Utica

04/03/2008

UTICA - On Saturday March 29 The Electric Company on Varick Street was the scene of a rare musical event. No it wasn't a musical magic show. No, Barack Obama did not show up and sing. It was rare because of the music.

It had a vintage quality. A timeless mixture of melody, harmony and rhythm that transcended time, space and emotions.

Genre? Hmmmm. Sometimes it's hard to label music. Every once in a while a band comes along that just hits you in the gut.

Through their music they wield power. The power to raise or lower spirits. The power to conjure good or bad energy. The power to inspire violence and rage or to nurture love.

With five years of war looming like a dark cloud over our lives, the violence and rage seems to dominate the airwaves.

Just in the nick o' time a band like Thousands of One comes along. The six piece group out of Ithaca, N.Y. define their music as space age gospel, roots hip hop and soul funk dub. I describe it as spiritually uplifting neo soul with a sprinkle of punk and hip hop, a dab of jazz and a heaping spoonful of talent.

Think Jamiroqui with a light dab of Rage Against the Machine, exemplified through their righteous politics (peace, love, justice, racial harmony).

The group has been together six years. Two albums later they have mastered a sound that not only makes you dance but also makes you think.

Not every band is political, has a mission or takes a stance. Some groups are just about a good time. Others declare their stance.

What they write for. Why they sing.

Lead singer Jhakeem Haltom clearly stated their purpose early during their show.

"We represent love and racial harmony. I hope you enjoy."
Enjoy we did.

Performing songs off their self-titled debut album and their sophomore effort titled SoulForce, Jhakeem, accompanied by backup singer Will Sapp, belted out his melodic lyrics with an authenticity reserved for church or Broadway theatre. Eyes were transfixed, hips swayed and conversations got deep when Haltom sang.

Perhaps it was the lyrics like this sample from "I Believe" off of the first album:

"I step into infinity
these feelings of serenity
moving trough me endlessly
there's order in the tendencies
I know I was meant to be"

The heady mix of guitar, bass, relevant lyrics, bongo drums and the saxophone all add to their unique stage presence. Sax player Mark Weinand literally shows off on each song with a solo. He wields the tenor, alto, and baritone sax with equal aplomb, adding an intangible quality to the music. His band mate the Turkish guitarist, Safak Ozkan performs magic using feedback from the reverb, wah and distortion pedals. A truly signature sound to go with his signature appearance.  Modest drummer/ producer Joel Blizzard (real name) and bass player Brent Eva, playing in his socks, complete the eclectic mix of souls that make Thousands of One.

Throughout their show they periodically broke into an impromptu jam session inspired by Haltom on the congas. Haltom learned percussion from his father, an original member of classic '70s soul group Tower of Power. He obviously is not limited to the congas. His vocal mastery and command of the flute were on full display as well for all art lovers to appraise.

Owner operator of the Electric Company, Zee, offered his opinion.

"I heard these guys the first time (demo) and booked 'em. That almost never happens."

They have performed at the Electric Company twice and each time have left a memorable impression.

Sometimes their message gets lost in the harmony. People are having too good a time to worry about being a consumer automaton programmed to eat, drink and sleep without worrying about anyone or anything else. But we thank them for distracting us.

For more information on Thousands of One check out their myspace page at:

www.myspace.com/thousandsofone

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Interview with Alexis Santi of the Tompkins Weekly

The Ithaca music scene is a diverse, vibrant world that has rocked and rolled as the years have gone by.  While I was growing up, I listened to Ithaca musicians play out at the local hot spots.  I remember distinctly seeing my first Tribulations show (reformed later as John Brown's Body) at the Haunt, where Elliot Martin and Kevin Kinsella seemed to have Ithaca wrapped around their fingers.  Donna the Buffalo have been on the scene for years with their electric folk fusion, moving and shaking Tompkins county festivals.   Jennie Stearns broke hearts with her easy going soft tunes that spoke from the soul.  Johnny Dowd, the Lost Sailors, the Horseflies—and dozens of others you can still catch jamming out to a loyal Ithacan following. 

      Some of the names have changed in the 13 years since that first show I saw at the Haunt and the music has developed since then. The Sim Redmond Band is now reining champ, according to Best of Ithaca polls, with their jam band nature and beautiful lyrics that you can practice your Ithaca twist or—simply—fall in love staring into your girlfriend's eyes. 

If you were to attempt to "define" the Ithaca music scene in one word, I would stake my writing career on the word being:  "positive."  Donna the Buffalo wrote a song years ago called "Me and Depression" which is more of a jaunt into the hilarity of dealing with depression than homage to going softly into that good night.  You can bet that the tectonic plates of Ithaca will have shifted the minute Sim Redmond starts writing lyrics about cold winters and staring down the barrel of a gun.

      The latest band to climb into Ithaca's music scene that pushes a positive, inspirational message of community is none other than Thousands of One.  They have an eclectic, worldly sound that reaches into the pit of our consciousness and spins you through political messages.  Yet, they aren't simply a political band.  Yet, they aren't a jam band. To see Thousands of One live is more than just a show they are an experience.  Their energy is contagious, their music catchy.  Rather than make political messages such as Rage Against the Machine, or rant against the system, like Public Enemy, Thousands of One educates, and feeds you beautiful arrangements, harmonies and soul driven music that has a message.  With songs like "King Amplified" "Babylon" and "Soul Force" their song names seem heavy but their sound is light, catchy and easy to dance to.

      Formed by Joel Blizzard and Jakeem Haltom the band started as a fusion of passions that the two men had to create a band that would be inspired by the educational and self-empowerment of early rap music.  They developed with the help of JBB front man, Eliot Martin who produced their first self-titled LP.  They define themselves as a soul band, yet they have influences of the reggae of Bob Marley and Burning Spear, the hip-hop of Common and Talib Kawli and the Rock/Funk train of a Red Hot Chili Peppers and George Clinton.  Thousands of One falls into that "soul" genre by their own definition, but to this writer, they are simply damn good Ithaca music and have emerged taking the Ithaca music scene to new levels. 

They are articulate, poised and impassioned when you speak to them.  When I asked the two men about their message, Haltom had this to say, "Our message is simple… our message is local, what do we see in our community?  We see racism. We see the fact that people are reaching towards sustainability buy can't reach it… why because they're not seeing racism.  So we have to put the goal of sustainability aside until we deal with racism as a community, it's a local message.  That's what we're aiming at."  It was evident from speaking to them that they had spoken for hours about their social political thoughts and developed a strong bond. "Fighting racism is central to the future of Thousands of one," Blizzard told me, "It's central to history of America, and has been used as a tool to divide communities.  And that's where we're going for our community here." It was easy for Haltom to finish Blizzard's sentences as he picked up where he left off saying, "You ask where we're going… we're going where Ithaca is going, we believe in this community.  I don't believe in America. I have no faith in America anymore. Ithaca has set out a lot of ideals, I've seen it I've experienced it—where you're at Ithaca, that's where we're at."

      I caught them at Castaways two weeks ago, local fans were abundant, despite the pouring cold rain outside.  It was warm inside and clothes peeled off and the crowd was ready from the warm up.  As they took the stage Haltom dedicated the night in solidarity to Ameila Kierney fight against the ICSD. 

When you go to a Thousands of One show you have to move, it's obligatory.  You can't sit still watching them play.  At one point during the show I heard the chords of George Clinton in When I Met You and in the next song they transitioned into, Babylon, almost sounded like Coldplay, but well, funky Coldplay. As soon as the band began to play, which totals eight active members, the crowd began to bob and twist as if electricity shot through the crowd.  When the band played the song "Dig Deeper" it seemed as if the entire band moved along in unison with the crowd, which I should mention is one of my favorite tracks.   Along with "Dig Deeper" I have to say their piece, "Revolution" is truly beautiful and has Mark Wienand plays an amazing stand out saxophone.

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the "race dynasty" and "slaveship mentality" explained

They have declared that the race dynasty is over. The have made it their mission to heal this deep wound. In healing this separation, this painful cut, that was delivered to the human populous some time ago, they first said the race dynasty is over. The race dynasty is the same system that falsely creates divisions amongst people so that one group can take advantage of another group, it is the same system that subjugates women, the same system that politically maintains a permanent state of urban decay in our cities, the same system that asks us to hate ourselves and then encourages us to go buy things to "make it better", things like McDonald's and anti-depressants.

The race dynasty exists because people of all skin complexions and genders live life under the oppression of a mental condition known as the "slaveship mentality". We can look at the slaveship as a powerful metaphor. The slaveship was a place in which diseases from overcrowding claimed many lives, people lived below decks in a state of torture, women were raped - their minds had given them perhaps three choices - revolt, die or surrender to slavery. And so they prayed desperately. Many of them chose to wait, to survive by some whim of hope that when land was reached, they would be able to find some respite. Many are still waiting today.

We now turn our attention to those who steered the ship, those who pulled the sails, and made the food - all under the authority of one who perhaps called himself a "businessman". In order for human beings to create such horrible conditions for other human beings, they must have been convinced of their right to do so, convinced by one or two "businessmen" who had chosen to use skin tone as the principle theory by which to organize their business plan. They ignored the guilt pangs they might have felt by telling themselves "profit is the bottom line". But in this process – they all have lost something, they all mourn and all weep, though perhaps unseen, they all miss a certain feeling, a certain connectedness. As a result, all of the men, women and children on the slaveship, regardless of their skin color, are living in a man-made hell. And so they pray desperately. Yet they wait still, not knowing what they have lost, not knowing how to get it back and only being more and more convinced that this is the natural order of things, they perpetuate this horror for more generations to come, for another 400 years. Some are to blame, but they are only two or three people who manipulated the majority to believe they should work for them, they had believed in their privileged "white" inheritance, but in reality, they were brainwashed slaves, though not physically beaten, slaves to thier mental state, saying "its just my job" all the while bearing witness to the worst crimes in history. What becomes of a man who does not act to stop this?

Of course, today things are different, one might say. Yes. The difference is now we know that this cycle can be ended. It can be ended as soon as we acknowledge the existence of this metaphorical slaveship in today's America and world, within each one of us. It is found in the poor choices we make - consuming goods that were made by underpaid people, consuming food that destroys the body which turns us toward pharmaceuticals for a quick fix and worst of all, ignoring the fact that the false theory of race, though veiled and unspoken, is still used as the means by which corporations make money. For example, neocolonial theft of oil in Nigeria and Iraq.

The story has been told by many throughout our history. Thousands of One has retold it, through sacred sound and careful words – and after telling this story – we rejoice. We rejoice because we have freed ourselves from these shackles, freed ourselves to dance in the returning tide of joy that always comes back, if we should ask for it. We have freed ourselves!

"Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds" - Bob Marley

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Profile of a Musician: Jhakeem Haltom

Profile of a Musician: Jhakeem Haltom

by Elizabeth Bauchner

Last week at the Ithaca Festival, during the Thousands of One show on the Commons, vocalist for the group Jhakeem Haltom spoke about "the myth of race" being designed to keep us separate. "Even though ..:NAMESPACE PREFIX = ST1 />Ithaca is a great community," he said, "I still see a lot of separation."

Race relations are an important issue to Jhakeem, who decries the labels "black" and "white" as the construction of those in power to keep us separate and to make our leaders rich. "Our founding fathers had a vision of world domination," says Haltom. "And our nation needed a separation of people in order to grow wealthy."

Through his music—he writes most of the lyrics for Thousands of One; Joel Blizzard, the drummer, writes some as well—he addresses social inequities with the goal of bringing people together. "The lyrics are a vehicle for dispelling the myth of race," he says, adding that because he's biracial, he grew up with the idea that people are just people—and, in a capitalist sense, we are all enslaved. In a newer song, "Slave Ship Mentality," Jhakeem raps "Slave like the whips that they placed upon our backs/Slave like the hands forcing brothers to sell their crack/Slave like the food we eat giving us heart attacks/Slave like the system makes us sad we take Prozac."

An Ithaca native, Jhakeem, 29, left the area for high school and college. He attended an all African-American boarding school in Mississippi, where music was very competitive and influential, though not in the most positive way. The competitive nature of the school turned Jhakeem off from performing for a while. "I was light-skinned at an all African-American school and was treated like I didn't have the soul for music," Jhakeem explains. Though once he entered college he returned to his musical roots.  

Jhakeem's three biggest influences in music were church, Vitamin L, and his father, Maurice Haltom. His whole life he's attended the First Baptized Church of Jesus Christ in Ithaca. The church is part of the apostolic branch which originated during America's slavery period. The spirituals sung in church were highly influential to Jhakeem as a child—and remain so today. On stage, you can hear the traces of gospel merged with hip-hop.

"I don't push religion on anyone else," Jhakeem says. "For me, it's a guide. My concept of what God is and the images I've seen have been deconstructed so I have a more holistic view—Thousands of One is definitely part of that view."  

As a teenager, he was one of the original members of Vitamin L—a local musical group founded by Jan Nigro and comprised of Nigro and middle and high school students that is still going strong today. The band tours elementary schools around the country bringing a positive message of world peace, hope, and strong character development through upbeat songs.

By far, he says, his biggest influence is his father. "My father taught [West African] drumming to me, and music was always in our house." The elder Haltom is a professional flutist, martial arts teacher, and drummer for a West African dance class. Jhakeem also plays the flute, bringing to Thousands of One yet another genre of musical style that gives the band its unique sound.

In addition to race relations and a desire to see racism end in our community, Jhakeem's music focuses on other local issues like community development and environmental sustainability. He supports the People's Garden Project, whose goal is to create urban organic gardens. They will be hosting a Gospel Block Party August 19 at the Baptized Church. Thousands of One has also performed benefit shows for Food Not Bombs, Books Thru Bars, Ithaca Biodiesel, and Ithaca Community News.

While supporting the community with music is extremely important to Jhakeem and the rest of band, they would like to be able to sustain themselves through music. Jhakeem says they would like to buy some land together and have a community where they can record music and teach classes.

Although certainly talented enough to go on tour—they went on a California and Hawaii tour in February, and they often play various cities around the East Coast—playing in the community remains extremely satisfying to Jhakeem.

"For us, there's no dream of 'making it big' in the music industry in America," Jhakeem explains. "At least not in the traditional sense. As a band, we thought, what better way to use our music than to support community activism?"

You can catch them at both Grassroots and Musefest festivals this summer, or check the tour dates on their web site.

More info: http://www.thousandsofone.com/

8:18 AM - 1 Comments - 3 Kudos - Add Comment

West coast tour journal entry #3

4/11/2007 - California->Colorado

Now having left the California vortex, we decided it was time to write another update. What are we listening to? Fela Kuti, Talib Kweli and Madlib's new album, Paul Simon, Burning Spear, Derek Trucks Band, Bob Marley, The Meters, Jimi Hendricks, Prefuse 73. DVD's watched? P-Funk, Youssou N'Dour, Dave Mathews, The Last Waltz.

As always, Thousands of One does not just go on tour. We make pilgrimage. In this case the initiation ceremonies were commented upon in the previous entry, several hard knocks and the door opens. Where we last left off we were entering California on our way to Ocean Beach, which we were hard pressed to make on time. We did so and threw our equipment on stage in time for our friends Vegetation to start playing for their fans, who came out in large numbers for a Tuesday night. They finished a roots reggae session moving some deeply felt vibes and graciously handed the mic over to Thousands of One. We have learned to expect little from a show booked on a Tuesday night, but this particular night was a dream come true. Not only did we put on a half way decent performance for having driven 20 hours (two of us had driven 36 hours, remember: van recovery mission), but the Vegetation crew and their people were so warm and welcoming, dancing, listening, giving up big love for this growing revolution. Thanks to two sisters – Lindsay and Jen for letting us stay in your backyard and couches. Lindsay's destruction of a pallet with a cinder block to make fire wood was the big lesson of this day – use what you have to get things done.

In the morning after some food, jogging, swimming in the ocean, we headed up to LA. Traffic gave way to a soundcheck, which gave way to waiting for gig time. We watched as the opening acts played straight Hiphop to a small crowd, who left after each act finished. Our people were far and few between, though those in the house were giving super strong support (Weston) – it was one of those experiences in which we saw that the seemingly most important event of the tour ended up being the least significant. "So much for expectations" said the painted Buddha head between every song, quietly and yet with great force, staring at me from over my shoulder. At the end of the show with a bit of a snicker of trickery it said "come back next time!" huh?

The next morning we headed up to San Francisco. We had lost expectations due to the whispering Buddha head, but still knew by instinct that we would have a good time that night, which proved correct. But first!, We blew a tire on the trailer in Oakland, got off the highway, loaded all of our gear and our squeezed bodies into the van and left the trailer to fate on the roadside, in order to get to the gig on time. In this close company we divulged hilarious stories of our first encounters with the opposite sex: nervous energy over an extremely tight schedule reveals all. Of course, we made it on time and were embarrassed that these "dire" circumstances had forced us to come forward with things you might only say if perhaps it was the end of days, but oh well. At the Canvas Gallery, The Makepeace Brothers opened with beautiful new songs, reminiscent of Ithaca/Grassroots sounds and forced the crowd into a dancing frenzy. We followed up with more frenzy and grace, thankful that we could get through so many things just to play music for people.

We took a day off in San Francisco. Joel, Jhakeem and Jali made it a mission to repair the tire and get Tiffany's oil changed and then played a soccer match in Golden Gate park that left us gasping for air. The others wandered amongst Haight St. looking for good deals on vintage clothing, new music, tea. We found sleep after watching Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny, funny movie, and headed up to Humboldt County in the morning.

Big Trees. BIG TREES! Clean rivers. CLEAN RIVERS!!! And awesome people. We met up with the opening band Anslinger at their house high on a mountain over Arcata. They had a barbecue ready and we had a blast catching up with these dudes. We all headed down to the venue and began the night right with political comedy in reggae punk music from Anslinger. We love them. The crowd grew and assembled for an awesome dance party, which gave Thousands of One a chance to explore some jams and new songs. We will surely be coming back through the area soon.

The Pilgrimage. If you have been to the redwoods than you know why I call it that. We had a couple days off and drove an hour north of Arcata to the Smith River for some camping, hiking and jaw-dropping. In the morning time, before we were to leave on the current drive, this writer was standing on the shore of the river, looking up and down giant stands of primeval trees. An osprey floated down stream looking into a river so clear it was invisible, a raven followed behind him. This little patch of wilderness left to its own life by men who passed laws to protect it from themselves, spoke loud and clear, yet without words in the immediate, which were revealed in retrospect as the truest purpose we can declare in this precious life – that of being beautiful and standing up as high as possible.

Our intentions on that day were to get an early start on the road back to Colorado for a couple more shows to finish the tour. However, here we experience the vortex that is indicative of a holy place. Blissed out and milling around forever, first in the woods, later in Arcata, we found our departure time slip from 9am to 4pm. Thankfully, our schedule allowed for this as we had 36 hours to make a 24 hour drive. We are currently an hour from Steamboat Springs moving through desolate land. Beyond the occasional mumble about wanting to play some music, there is very little thinking going on amongst the seven of us.

See you next time

Buddha Bezat

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West coast tour journal entry #2

4/3/2007 - Colorado -> California

Descending into Las Vegas in our beloved 1989 Chevy tour van dubbed "Tiffany" by Jocelyn for it's characteristically '80's pink velour interior, I thought I'd take a moment to bring you up to date on what I am fondly calling our "Third Knock Tour" (I'll explain that later…).

Where we left your heroes last, they were sitting on the patio of a little café in Denver soaking up the crisp Colorado Air on a beautiful sunny day. They were feeling flush about the miracle of simply making the gig the night before, but the challenges were not yet over…

Lesson 1: last one out is responsible for knowing where the key is before locking the door. Or, if you don't learn this lesson, make sure someone in the band knows how to jimmy a door open with a credit card – miracle 2.

Lesson 2: everyone is responsible for their own gear after the gig, or designates someone who is. We were all again grateful when Jhakeem was able to get into the venue to retrieve the 2 Djembes. Miracle 3.

So, then we were off to Winter Park and right on time. The mountain pass on the way over, at 11,300 ft., was a little harrowing in the freshly falling snow. We had to push the van out when we got stuck on the icy pull-out at the top, and then we were again on our way. Every thing went smoothly when we arrived in Winter park. We loaded in to the club, set up all our gear, found a nice little hotel (the Viking Lodge), and tried to rest up for the gig. This, however, was a little tricky, as the parking lot outside was FILLED with high school band kids having a band contest ceremony. Party! I don't think they were really that familiar with songs like "She thinks my tractor's Sexy" or "Baby got Back", but they were jumping and screaming as one, and partying like it was 1999 (in the stream of booming 80's and 90's songs, that was one that I didn't actually hear). So, forget the rest – it was way too loud. We just got some food, and went back to On the Rocks. When we got there, the whole building was dark – the power had gone out! Was this another test?? What was going on here?

We found the electrician, and he said he should have the power back up around the time we were supposed to start playing, so we just went to a bar across the street and waited. We were all committed to playing, no matter what – and this was a great time to practice the power of intention. Later, Joel told me that he and Jhakeem were praying about the situation, and right as they said "amen" the lights burst back on. Miracle 4! So, armed with that news, we got in touch with the club owners and went on over. We ended up starting around 11 instead of 10, playing to just a few people, but by the end the place was packed, and we were all as giddy as those high-school students we'd left at the hotel. That was a great gig. We all felt it would be, and it was a beautiful to witness the way people eventually became one listening and musicking body.

For the time being, the challenges seem to abate. We left from Winter Park, and enjoyed the rugged mountain scape on the way to Steamboat Springs. We arrived right on time again, and loaded in. The gig was in the restaurant at the base of the ski slopes, so we got to see the skiers coming down as we played. At first, I wasn't sure what the gig would be like. Most of the people seemed to be hanging out outside on the deck where we would have played had the weather been a bit warmer. Those that did come in were beat from a day of skiing, so weren't really in the mood to dance. Getting ready for the gig, Jhakeem realized that his voice was almost totally gone. It had grown a little worse from a chest cold over the last couple of days and he felt like he wasn't going to be able to sing. So, we had a band powwow, and Dani, our wonderful 'backup' singer stepped in to take the lead. Through the gig, she and Jhakeem worked together, with Dani covering many of the vocals he usually sings. She was declared "MVP" on that gig!

This was the kind of show that took a little while to harness the energy and open to the flow, but by the end we were bumping, having a great time, as was the audience. Again, as always, we met some great people, and made some wonderful connections. A couple from Chicago said they would have us play a multicultural street festival this summer.

At the same time, playing at a resort provided a clear example of the shackles of society that we have committed to facing. It was a snapshot of an unhealed and separated America. The illusion of race rears its ugly head. Before the gig, we loaded in from the loading dock, and brought all of our equipment in through the bowels of the building, to the stage. In this place, we noticed something that you can notice in many parts of America, and indeed the world. There was a definite disparity between the numbers of darker skinned people in the kitchen, and out among the public, and indeed even waiters and waitresses in the restaurant. The shackles are so deep and hidden that many times we, as people and a society, don't even notice them. Our goal is to lift everyone up at the same time. Bring anyone who hears our message and our music to a place of unity and beauty, and therefore bring awareness to where this does not happen in the world. Jhakeem and Joel's words rang in my head – "Race is an illusion, but racism definitely exists." The other part – the kicker – is that we're all a little racist just by being raised in this society. I used to argue with that – "I'm not racist!!!!!!!!", but sometimes I look at people through the hazy glass of generalizations and stereotypes, and that is a subtle form of racism. Guilty - and now I will do my damnedest to love everyone (including myself).

So, back to the tour. After Steamboat, we drove back through the mountains to Denver, where we got a hotel. At this point, we were still driving the rental van we had picked up in Lincoln, NE, and it was time to make the trip back to retrieve our beloved pleasure princess (van). We slept for a few hours, and at 4:30 AM, Brent and I jumped in the van, and bolted across the plains, back to Lincoln, leaving the trailer and the rest of the band behind to wait for our return. I've got to tell you, that drive gets boring!!!! We arrived in Seward, NE early enough to get lunch at a nice little café, and check out the local thrift stores before going to Midwest Automotive, where the van was a couple hours away from being finished. The mechanics were genuine, and again, we were witness to the wonderful kindness of our Midwestern brothers and sisters. So a couple hours and two grand later, Brent and I were back on the road for our third, and penultimate trip across Nebraska. This time it was a little more exciting. The weather report was calling for flash floods and severe thunderstorms, and they were right. About halfway across the state, the sky began to darken, and it wasn't that late yet. Soon, a massive band of clouds moved across the highway. It was divided into 3 layers, with a tiny bit of sunlight piercing eerily between them, periodically punctuated by flashes of internal lighting. Then came the rain. And the wind. And the hail. All of the sudden we were certain there must be a tornado really close. The tumbleweeds were flying across the road, the hail was hitting us hard, and the van was being blown around the road like a sail in a hurricane. Our reactions went from "Wow, this is cool! To "Whoa, we've got to get out of here!" The light show was amazing, and being right in the middle of it was a thrill, but we were glad to get through it, and drive on back to Denver.

While Brent and I were taking a hit for the band and doing the recovery mission, Joel and Jhakeem got winded climbing Mt. Sanitas near Boulder, Dani climbed up to the red rocks outcropping, Jali searched in vain for his cousin from Senegal, and Safak was writing a proposal on Ocean Internal Waves (OIC). I was definitely sad to miss the hiking!

We hooked up the trailer at midnight, and headed west over the mountains with Jhakeem at the helm and Joel in the Navigator's Seat (that's how we always do it – one driver and one navigator who is responsible for getting us where we need to go.) So that brings us to the present. We're now near the California-Nevada state line, having traversed some of the most striking and beautiful landscapes in this country over the last 14 hours and the van with it's shiny new transmission is driving like a charm. I love it so much out here, and I get chills and waves of ecstatic joy every time I get to see and smell the desert southwest, so I am extremely grateful for these moments! In a few hours we will arrive in San Diego and play a gig with our friends, Vegetation, beginning the California wing of our tour. As I am writing this, we are waiting at the California border while the trailer is checked for fruits, vegetables, and exotic animals.

Well, I think I've written enough, but I want to say one more thing about what happens in the intervening 20 hours in between gigs. Well, maybe some of it is sleep and most of it is driving (freestyle sessions over dope beats, and spontaneous chants over guitar chops often commence during long drives), some is soccer and a lot is either deep discussion or nonsense banter. However, as you can well imagine, being cooped up with six other people nearly 24 hours a day for three weeks… It's like a seven-way marriage. It's the best way I can think of to get over your stuff and really learn to accept your brothers and sisters. In case you're wondering, yes, we do argue, but each time we come through it. Somehow, every time it feels like communication is breaking down, we just stick with it and the energy comes full circle. We end up loving each other more than before we started and being doubly committed to each other and to the mission that is Thousands of One. This is the beauty of the tour. Loving connection with each other and with those that come to hear us and share the music with us. A teacher of mine once said that if one wants to join a monastery, he (in this case) must knock three times. The first two times he comes to the door, he is ignored, and only if he has the commitment and strength of purpose to come back a third time is he admitted. This is our third tour to California, our third knock at the door to the Monastery of Music. May we bring you all in with us.

Blessings,

Mark "Obi Wan" Wienand

Legalize it.

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West coast tour journal entry #1
Category: Music

3/31/2007 - Nebraska->Colorado

Ah, the friendly people of Nebraska. We had a great time playing in Omaha, at the GoofyFoot Lodge as the first stop on the tour. Good people from the Adam Monaco Band, outta Philly, helped bring out some friends and a dance party ensued.

The next morning we headed west in our pink interior chevy conversion van, across the broad land of Nebraska. Mark opened a bag of sesame sticks that seemed to smell really strong. We all passed them around, smelled them and thought that it was weird, but commenced to eat a few. Soon the smell became an uproar as Safak yelled out "smoking!" A plume of smoke was streaming from the back of the van. We pulled over at the next stop, called a mechanic who would come soon and determine that we melted the transmission. It was old anyway.

Joel and Jhakeem noticed a Pawnee earth lodge across the street that was built by some relatives of the Pawnee for people to see roots living on the plains. There we met Dick Vaughn who taught us about a most beautiful and functional living space for an extended family. It is sunk three feet in the earth and 20 feet across, Dick lit some hay and sage on fire to show how smoke hung in the air overhead and a stream of sunlight poured through it from a hole in the center.

So, at this point we have to find a ride 30 miles to Lincoln, Dick says, "Don't waste a minute, you have a show tonight, get in my truck" and off we went to rent a new van, get the old one fixed and then we blazed across the plains to Denver, Mark setting a personal record for both speed and distance - 3 hours at 100mph, arriving with about 20 minutes to spare before soundcheck. We made it and played our hearts out for 50 minutes, the release of music was awesome after all. We were opening for the legendary Melvin Seals, John Molo, Bobby Vega, Ray White and Barry Sless. They played one of the most heart wrenching gospel versions of Dear Prudence this music lover has every laid ears on. Chill factor 8.

Denver with about 20 minutes to soundcheck. This elder Mr. Dick Vaughn was so generous it reminded us all of the old goodness that we sometimes forget still exists. We made it to Denver and had a short but really fine set, opening for the legendary Melvin Seals, John Molo, Bobby Vega and Barry Sless. They played one of the most heart wrenching gospel versions of Dear Prudence this music lover has every laid ears on. Chill factor 8.

Tonight we play up in the mountains at Winter Park and on Sunday at Steamboat Springs. We get our van back on Monday to head to San Diego. Till next time!

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Quotes from The Unknown Rebel

Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see. -Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

To watch us dance is to hear our hearts speak. ~Hopi Indian Saying

There's a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part, you can't even passively take part, and you've got to put your bodies on the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it stop! And you've got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it, that unless you're free, the machine will be prevented from working at all! -Mario Savio

Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will. -George Bernard Shaw

The chain reaction of evil--wars producing more wars -- must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation. -Martin Luther King, Jr.

In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, brave, hated, and scorned. When his cause succeeds however, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot. -Mark Twain

Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things that escape those who dream only at night. -Edgar Allan Poe

Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water my friend. -Master Bruce Lee

The day which we fear as our last is but the birthday of eternity. -Seneca

Death is for many of us the gate of hell; but we are inside on the way out, not outside on the way in. -George Bernard Shaw

The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time. -Mark Twain

Creativity comes from trust. Trust your instincts. And never hope more than you work. -Rita Mae Brown

Trust only movement. Life happens at the level of events, not of words. Trust movement. -Alfred Adler

Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life. -Red Auerbach

Without an understanding of myth or religion, without an understanding of the relationship between destruction and creation, death and rebirth, the individual suffers the mysteries of life as meaningless mayhem alone. -Marion Woodman

It is our illusions that create the world. -Didier Cauwelaert

Change is the constant, the signal for rebirth, the egg of the phoenix. -Christina Baldwin

A hallucination is a fact, not an error; what is erroneous is a judgment based upon it. -Bertrand Russell

Forget about winning and losing; forget about pride and pain. Let your opponent graze your skin and you smash into his flesh; let him smash into your flesh and you fracture his bones; let him fracture your bones and you take his life. Do not be concerned with escaping safely - lay your life before him. -Master Bruce Lee

A fool's brain digests philosophy into folly, science into superstition, and art into pedantry. Hence University education. -George Bernard Shaw

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Bono's speech at the National Prayer Breakfast
Category: Religion and Philosophy

posted on www.myspace.com/theonecampaign - Thursday, April 06, 2006

BONO'S REMARKS TO THE NATIONAL PRAYER BREAKFAST -

"Thank you.

Mr. President, First Lady, King Abdullah, Other heads of State, Members of Congress, distinguished guests

Please join me in praying that I dont say something well all regret.

That was for the FCC.

If youre wondering what Im doing here, at a prayer breakfast, well, so am I. Im certainly not here as a man of the cloth, unless that cloth is leather. Its certainly not because Im a rock star. Which leaves one possible explanation: Im here because Ive got a messianic complex.

Yes, its true. And for anyone who knows me, its hardly a revelation.

Well, Im the first to admit that theres something unnatural something unseemly about rock stars mounting the pulpit and preaching at presidents, and then disappearing to their villas in the South of France. Talk about a fish out of water. It was weird enough when Jesse Helms showed up at a U2 concert but this is really weird, isnt it?

You know, one of the things I love about this country is its separation of church and state. Although I have to say: in inviting me here, both church and state have been separated from something else completely: their mind. .

Mr. President, are you sure about this?

Its very humbling and I will try to keep my homily brief. But be warnedIm Irish.

Id like to talk about the laws of man, here in this city where those laws are written. And Id like to talk about higher laws. It would be great to assume that the one serves the other; that the laws of man serve these higher laws but of course, they dont always. And I presume that, in a sense, is why youre here.

I presume the reason for this gathering is that all of us hereMuslims, Jews, Christiansall are searching our souls for how to better serve our family, our community, our nation, our God.

I know I am. Searching, I mean. And that, I suppose, is what led me here, too.

Yes, its odd, having a rock star herebut maybe its odder for me than for you. You see, I avoided religious people most of my life. Maybe it had something to do with having a father who was Protestant and a mother who was Catholic in a country where the line between the two was, quite literally, a battle line. Where the line between church and state was well, a little blurry, and hard to see.

I remember how my mother would bring us to chapel on Sundays and my father used to wait outside. One of the things that I picked up from my father and my mother was the sense that religion often gets in the way of God.

For me, at least, it got in the way. Seeing what religious people, in the name of God, did to my native land and in this country, seeing Gods second-hand car salesmen on the cable TV channels, offering indulgences for cash in fact, all over the world, seeing the self-righteousness roll down like a mighty stream from certain corners of the religious establishment

I must confess, I changed the channel. I wanted my MTV.

Even though I was a believer.

Perhaps because I was a believer.

I was cynical not about God, but about Gods politics. (There you are, Jim.)

Then, in 1997, a couple of eccentric, septuagenarian British Christians went and ruined my shtickmy reproachfulness. They did it by describing the Millennium, the year 2000, as a Jubilee year, as an opportunity to cancel the chronic debts of the worlds poorest people. They had the audacity to renew the Lords calland were joined by Pope John Paul II, who, from an Irish half-Catholics point of view, may have had a more direct line to the Almighty.

Jubileewhy Jubilee?

What was this year of Jubilee, this year of our Lords favor?

Id always read the Scriptures, even the obscure stuff. There it was in Leviticus (25:35)

If your brother becomes poor, the Scriptures say, and cannot maintain himself you shall maintain him You shall not lend him your money at interest, not give him your food for profit.

It is such an important idea, Jubilee, that Jesus begins his ministry with this. Jesus is a young man, hes met with the rabbis, impressed everyone, people are talking. The elders say, hes a clever guy, this Jesus, but he hasnt done much yet. He hasnt spoken in public before

When he does, is first words are from Isaiah: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, he says, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. And Jesus proclaims the year of the Lords favour, the year of Jubilee. (Luke 4:18)

What he was really talking about was an era of graceand were still in it.

So fast-forward 2,000 years. That same thought, grace, was made incarnatein a movement of all kinds of people. It wasnt a bless-me club it wasnt a holy huddle. These religious guys were willing to get out in the streets, get their boots dirty, wave the placards, follow their convictions with actions making it really hard for people like me to keep their distance. It was amazing. I almost started to like these church people.

But then my cynicism got another helping hand.

It was what Colin Powell, a five-star general, called the greatest W.M.D. of them all: a tiny little virus called A.I.D.S. And the religious community, in large part, missed it. The ones that didnt miss it could only see it as divine retribution for bad behaviour. Even on children Even fastest growing group of HIV infections were married, faithful women.

Aha, there they go again! I thought to myself Judgmentalism is back!

But in truth, I was wrong again. The church was slow but the church got busy on this the leprosy of our age.

Love was on the move.

Mercy was on the move.

God was on the move.

Moving people of all kinds to work with others they had never met, never would have cared to meet Conservative church groups hanging out with spokesmen for the gay community, all singing off the same hymn sheet on AIDS Soccer moms and quarterbacks hip-hop stars and country stars This is what happens when God gets on the move: crazy stuff happens!

Popes were seen wearing sunglasses!

Jesse Helms was seen with a ghetto blaster!

Crazy stuff. Evidence of the spirit.

It was breathtaking. Literally. It stopped the world in its tracks.

When churches started demonstrating on debt, governments listenedand acted. When churches starting organising, petitioning, and eventhat most unholy of acts today, God forbid, lobbying on AIDS and global health, governments listenedand acted.

Im here today in all humility to say: you changed minds; you changed policy; you changed the world.

Look, whatever thoughts you have about God, who He is or if He exists, most will agree that if there is a God, He has a special place for the poor. In fact, the poor are where God lives.

Check Judaism. Check Islam. Check pretty much anyone.

I mean, God may well be with us in our mansions on the hill I hope so. He may well be with us as in all manner of controversial stuff maybe, maybe not But the one thing we can all agree, all faiths and ideologies, is that God is with the vulnerable and poor.

God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house God is in the silence of a mother who has infected her child with a virus that will end both their lives God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them. If you remove the yolk from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, and if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom with become like midday and the Lord will continually guide you and satisfy your desire in scorched places

Its not a coincidence that in the Scriptures, poverty is mentioned more than 2,100 times. Its not an accident. Thats a lot of air time, 2,100 mentions. [You know, the only time Christ is judgmental is on the subject of the poor.] As you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me. (Matthew 25:40). As I say, good news to the poor.

Heres some good news for the President. After 9-11 we were told America would have no time for the Worlds poor. America would be taken up with its own problems of safety. And its true these are dangerous times, but America has not drawn the blinds and double-locked the doors.

In fact, you have double aid to Africa. You have tripled funding for global health. Mr. President, your emergency plan for AIDS relief and support for the Global Fundyou and Congresshave put 700,000 people onto life-saving anti-retroviral drugs and provided 8 million bed nets to protect children from malaria.

Outstanding human achievements. Counterintuitive. Historic. Be very, very proud.

But heres the bad news. From charity to justice, the good news is yet to come. Theres is much more to do. Theres a gigantic chasm between the scale of the emergency and the scale of the response.

And finally, its not about charity after all, is it? Its about justice.

Let me repeat that: Its not about charity, its about justice.

And thats too bad.

Because youre good at charity. Americans, like the Irish, are good at it. We like to give, and we give a lot, even those who cant afford it.

But justice is a higher standard. Africa makes a fool of our idea of justice; it makes a farce of our idea of equality. It mocks our pieties, it doubts our concern, it questions our commitment.

6,500 Africans are still dying every day of a preventable, treatable disease, for lack of drugs we can buy at any drug store. This is not about charity, this is about Justice and Equality.

Because there's no way we can look at whats happening in Africa and, if we're honest, conclude that deep down, we really accept that Africans are equal to us. Anywhere else in the world, we wouldnt accept it. Look at what happened in South East Asia with the Tsunami. 150, 000 lives lost to that misnomer of all misnomers, mother nature. In Africa, 150,000 lives are lost every month. A tsunami every month. And its a completely avoidable catastrophe.

Its annoying but justice and equality are mates. Arent they? Justice always wants to hang out with equality. And equality is a real pain.

You know, think of those Jewish sheep-herders going to meet the Pharaoh, mud on their shoes, and the Pharaoh says, Equal? A preposterous idea: rich and poor are equal? And they say, Yeah, equal, thats what it says here in this book. Were all made in the image of God.

And eventually the Pharaoh says, OK, I can accept that. I can accept the Jewsbut not the blacks.

Not the women. Not the gays. Not the Irish. No way, man.

So on we go with our journey of equality.

On we go in the pursuit of justice.

We hear that call in the ONE Campaign, a growing movement of more than two million Americans left and right together united in the belief that where you live should no longer determine whether you live.

We hear that call even more powerfully today, as we mourn the loss of Coretta Scott Kingmother of a movement for equality, one that changed the world but is only just getting started. These issues are as alive as they ever were; they just change shape and cross the seas.

Preventing the poorest of the poor from selling their products while we sing the virtues of the free market thats a justice issue. Holding children to ransom for the debts of their grandparents Thats a justice issue. Withholding life-saving medicines out of deference to the Office of Patents thats a justice issue.

And while the law is what we say it is, God is not silent on the subject.

Thats why I say theres the law of the land and then there is a higher standard. Theres the law of the land, and we can hire experts to write them so they benefit us, so the laws say its OK to protect our agriculture but its not OK for African farmers to do the same, to earn a living?

As the laws of man are written, thats what they say.

God will not accept that.

Mine wont, at least. Will yours?

[pause]

I close this morning on very thin ice.

This is a dangerous idea Ive put on the table: my God vs. your God, their God vs. our God vs. no God. It is very easy, in these times, to see religion as a force for division rather than unity.

And this is a townWashingtonthat knows something of division.

But the reason I am here, and the reason I keep coming back to Washington, is because this is a town that is proving it can come together on behalf of what the Scriptures call the least of these.

This is not a Republican idea. It is not a Democratic idea. It is not even, with all due respect, an American idea. Nor it is unique to any one faith.

Do to others as you would have them do to you. (Luke 6:30) Jesus says that.

Righteousness is this: that one should give away wealth out of love for Him to the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and the beggars and for the emancipation of the captives. The Koran says that. (2.177)

Thus sayeth the Lord: Bring the homeless poor into the house, when you see the naked, cover him, then your light will break out like the dawn and your recovery will speedily spring fourth, then your Lord will be your rear guard. The jewish scripture says that. Isaiah 58 again.

That is a powerful incentive: The Lord will watch your back. Sounds like a good deal to me, right now.

A number of years ago, I met a wise man who changed my life. In countless ways, large and small, I was always seeking the Lords blessing. I was saying, you know, I have a new song, look after it I have a family, please look after them I have this crazy idea

And this wise man said: stop.

He said, stop asking God to bless what youre doing.

Get involved in what God is doingbecause its already blessed.

Well, God, as I said, is with the poor. That, I believe, is what God is doing.

And that is what Hes calling us to do.

I was amazed when I first got to this country and I learned how much some churchgoers tithe. Up to ten percent of the family budget. Well, how does that compare the federal budget, the budget for the entire American family? How much of that goes to the poorest people in the world? Less than one percent.

Mr. President, Congress, people of faith, people of America:

I want to suggest to you today that you see the flow of effective foreign assistance as tithing. Which, to be truly meaningful, will mean an additional one percent of the federal budget tithed to the poor.

What is one percent?

One percent is not merely a number on a balance sheet.

One percent is the girl in Africa who gets to go to school, thanks to you. One percent is the AIDS patient who gets her medicine, thanks to you. One percent is the African entrepreneur who can start a small family business thanks to you. One percent is not redecorating presidential palaces or money flowing down a rat hole. This one percent is digging waterholes to provide clean water.

One percent is a new partnership with Africa, not paternalism towards Africa, where increased assistance flows toward improved governance and initiatives with proven track records and away from boondoggles and white elephants of every description.

America gives less than one percent now. Were asking for an extra one percent to change the world. to transform millions of livesbut not just that and I say this to the military men now to transform the way that they see us.

One percent is national security, enlightened economic self interest, and a better safer world rolled into one. Sounds to me that in this town of deals and compromises, one percent is the best bargain around.

These goalsclean water for all; school for every child; medicine for the afflicted, an end to extreme and senseless povertythese are not just any goals; they are the Millennium Development goals, which this country supports. And they are more than that. They are the Beatitudes for a Globalised World.

Now, Im very lucky. I dont have to sit on any budget committees. And I certainly dont have to sit where you do, Mr. President. I dont have to make the tough choices.

But I can tell you this:

To give one percent more is right. Its smart. And its blessed.

There is a continentAfricabeing consumed by flames.

I truly believe that when the history books are written, our age will be remembered for three things: the war on terror, the digital revolution, and what we didor did not toto put the fire out in Africa.

History, like God, is watching what we do.

Thank you. Thank you, America, and God bless you all."

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