Dear Rock Stars,
Where have you gone? It seems your breed is dying. We need you.
Music, this "universal language," has the ability to rally a crowd the size of a small city, make a person dance, cry, fall in love or fight. It's an industry that generates billions of dollars annually, and a medium that has more influence on society than the government. While I'm not asking you to be Bono, you do have a responsibility, or at least an opportunity.
So, where to begin? Albert Einstein said: "No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it." I believe this speaks to the root of our dilemma entirely. We must realize that to save our civilization from self-destruction, it's not simply about raising money -- humans actually have to evolve. Therefore, the ultimate goal in any cause you're involved with should be to wake people up, to shift consciousness.
Through tragedy comes opportunity, and with the frequency that these cataclysmic events -- earthquakes, oil spills, floods -- are happening, the doors have been blown wide open to create those larger than life moments. I can't help but feel slightly ripped off that the best my generation has seen is "We Are The World Part Two," when even the 1963 March on Washington is only a fraction of what we're capable of today. Perhaps it is my own selfish desire to time warp back to 1969, frolic with hippie chicks on acid and talk about the revolution, but I do have a belief that the good old days are yet to happen, even in music, even in culture.
Haiti merits more than a two-hour telethon, the oil spill crosses over to a much bigger issue than a benefit concert could begin to tackle, and not to mention at some point we've got to get past only reaction-based action. If we want to see real change, we've got to change the status quo. Fortunately, the turbulence of the music industry and the rise of the Internet puts us in a place that's prime for artists to once again lead. What we need are the ones who will serve as an example, take true initiative and make headlines that people can't ignore.
So, where are you now, rock stars? You're supposed to be the ultimate badasses. You know, stickin' it to the man and what not. The walls they've trapped you in don't exist, since when did you let rules get in the way of principle?
Raise the bar. Color outside the lines. Think BIG. Leave a mark. Make history. Wake up! Hurry! We need you to lead the way.
In fact, you've said it yourself...
Below are some promising examples of artists taking initiative:
Brandon Boyd of Incubus:
Sir Richard Branson:
Thrice:
Hanson:
YACHT:
Bassnectar:
Neon Indian:
Tegan and Sara:
Jon Foreman of Switchfoot:
Mike Einziger of Incubus:
India.Arie:
Aaron Gillespie of The Almost:
Mike Hindert from The Bravery:
Adam Gardner of Guster:
More:
After Midnight Project
Against Me!
All-American Rejects
...And You Will Know Of Us By The Trail Of Dead
Alejandro Escovedo
Alela Diane
ALO
Amy Kuney
Artist vs Poet
Audio Push
Band of Skulls
Ben Sollee
Blitzen Trapper
Breathe Electric
Caitlin Crosby
The Constantines
Crystal Antlers
Dan Dyer
David Crowder
Dead Confederate
The Dodos
Ebony Bones
Emarosa
Emily Wells
Everest
Every Time I Die
Fitz And The Tantrums
Flatfoot 56
Flobots
The Greyboy Allstars
HAIM
Heartless Bastards
HelloGoodbye
Hey Monday
The Honey Brothers
In Fear And Faith
John Legend
Lake Trout
Liars
Los Amigos Invisibles
Lovedrug
The Low Anthem
Lucy Walsh
Marie Digby
Mishka
Mount Saint Helens Vietnam Band
The Mynabirds
The Northern Way
Nneka
Of Montreal
Ozomatli
Paperbird
Pretty Lights
Portugal The Man
Rachel Goodrich
Reckless Kelly
Rocco Deluca
Shadows Fall
Solid Gold
Sparks The Rescue
State Radio
Tamar Kaprelian
Those Darlins
Tift Merritt
VersaEmerge
Walter Schreifels
We Were Promised Jetpacks
White Denim
Follow Brandon Deroche on Twitter: www.twitter.com/brandonderoche
Thanks for shedding a light on the great work that many artists are doing now and the reality that so many more could jump on board and help change the world. I work at WhyHunger, www.whyhunger.org, where I oversee the Artists Against Hunger & Poverty program that works with musicians to help raise awareness and funds for groups all over the world that are working to end hunger and poverty. Our organization has a long history with musicians, having been founded by the late Harry Chapin 35 years ago. Over the years we have worked with many talented musicians who have pledged to support our cause: from Bruce Springsteen to Papa Roach to Carlos Santana to Yoko Ono and many, many more. Yes, artists can make a difference. Yes, their actions can change the world by changing the minds of others. Yes, we hope that many more of them will adopt a cause and make it a part of their daily musical lives. The artists we work with have raised more than $10 million to help people change their lives. We’re all in this together and I encourage every musician to find a cause that resonates with them and get on board!
Thank you for your appeal. The rock stars are all around you already, they're just dwarfed by the sensationalist schlock we're drowning in with 'mainstream' artists. Mainstream media doesn't care about artists' causes. They want to report who's jumping in bed with whom, and if you're not 'badass' about that, well, it just doesn't sell copy.
I'm afraid it's too late. The war is over: musical innovation lost and the media conglomerates won. And the last I heard, they already decided who to support with their money.