The Nightwatchman

Tom Morello + Steve Earle (+ Ben Harper) = Badass to the BONE!

I'm in the mood for some serious rabble-rousing. Yesterday I saw "Capitalism: A Love Story" in the morning, and then went to see Steve Earle and Tom Morello/The Nightwatchman at night. Let us just say that after a breezy and blissful Summertime, my hackles are all the way back up.

Steve and Tom had a three night stand at The Troubadour in Los Angeles, each of them sold out. I went on the last night, but it seemed that many in the house had been to all three. It was a VERY receptive audience, fired up from the start.

Tom opened the night with the title track from his debut solo album, "One Man Revolution". If there is anyone you'd want leading a revolution, it is Tom. His ability to work a crowd is unparalleled, from what I've ever seen. That song led into "Flesh Shapes The Day", with its reminder that, "SI SE PUEDE!" We really can. "The Fabled City" is the title track to Tom's second album, and this version saw him bring out a Stompbox that I haven't seen him use before. This got the crowd clapping along, until Tom said, "Ok, stop clapping. That was very rhythmic and sexy, and better than Night One, but now it's back to the serious stuff."

Tom's Aunt Isabelle died at 82 years old, in the same room she was born in. Tom traveled the world and took her with him through his stories and postcards, and now that she's gone, he plays her tribute song, "St. Isabelle" in "Exciting and exotic places ... like Doug Weston's Troubadour", and carries her with him still. His harmonica and single Irish War Drum punctuate the feeling pouring out of every word directly Heavenward. It's pretty damn touching, every time.

"What's past is past. The future is unwritten, and history as it goes forward is yours to make", was the truth Tom spoke to introduce, "House Gone Up In Flames". Seeing "Capitalism" earlier in the day, and the peoples' uprisings in that film, as well as having been alongside Tom in other uprisings ... I know this all to be absolutely for sure. All that's ever made ANYTHING happen positively in this and every country, has come from the PEOPLE saying NO. MORE. And doing something about it.

Tom got his revolutionary cues by being "the second most radical member of the Morello family", the first being his Mother, Mary, who turned 86 last week. He's not kidding. She is an absolute inspiration, and was in the house on this night to hear her son dedicate "The Garden Of Gethsemane" to her. He said, "this song is about moments of doubt, which I've never had with her." It's a gorgeous song, and the place was silent - so much so that Tom could step away from the mic to sing the last verse. The last chord faded and the joint erupted in cheers. I love to see the quiet ones get what they deserve.

But then Tom told the crowd that his day job was playing guitar in a little band called Rage Against The Machine, and busted into his acoustic version of "Guerilla Radio". "All HELL can't stop us now!" Again, fact. This song got what it deserved as well, and Tom cracked, "Thank you KROQ listeners."

We worked in the Lower 9th Ward of New Orleans last year on Tom's Justice Tour, and will be affected by it forever. Tom wrote, "Midnight In The City Of Destruction" about the irredeemable loss there, and said that,"Sometimes once something's gone, you can't get it back" (um, like the chunk of my flesh I lost getting bit by a Brown Recluse while there). It is a devastating song, just like the place it's about. They STILL need our help, everybody. Look into how you may, because it could be you needing it one day. "LA la la la la la la la" has never been sung more hauntingly.

Then, to my delight and surprise, Tom introduced "One of the most Innocent Criminals I know, my fellow traveler, Ben Harper!" Ben climbed over the seated audience members (CHAIRS in the Troubadour!) onto the stage, and he and Tom both strapped on acoustic guitars to kill us with Ben's song, "Gather 'Round The Stone". It cuts right to the bone, with its lyric, "You're too young to know that you're too young to go, there's no freedom to be found lying face up in the ground." Honestly. Tom threw out a flamenco style solo that brought some mad appreciation. Over too soon, Ben shouted a "Happy Birthday" up to Mary, and hopped back into the audience for the rest of the show. Tom ended his set with his sing-along song, "The Road I Must Travel", urging everyone to sing along the "Na na na na!" chorus "All together in solidarity" - which is exactly what it feels like to be at one of his shows. "TAKE IT EASY, BUT TAKE IT!" was Tom's parting shot ... but he'll be back.



Steve Earle. Tom said that within the first 4 hours of meeting Steve Earle, they were both tear-gassed at a protest, and he knew it would be a long and lasting friendship. I met Steve Earle last year with Tom when we were in Minnesota, Taking Back Labor Day and Raging against the RNC, and we were surrounded by Riot Police at the time, so you know the guy walks the walk. His latest album, "Townes" is a tribute to Townes Van Zandt. Steve - after taking the stage to wild claps and shouts - said, "I had a friend and teacher, his name was Townes", and launched into his first song. I don't have this album yet (on its way as of an hour ago), so I'm not super familiar with the titles yet, but it - and every song of the night - was fantastic. Equally as fantastic are Steve's stories, told in his Texas drawl, with a rebel's attitude. He told how he met his hero, Townes, when he was 17 and it was the coolest thing that ever happened. He said, "I'm 54 1/2 now, and it's still the coolest thing that ever happened." He told a story about Townes and his horse, Amigo, who Townes adored. Steve was driving through the snowy mountains of Colorado, with "headlights like ghosts coming at me, and I swear I saw Townes and Amigo riding five different times in that snowstorm", which gave him the idea, "I'm gonna make an album of Townes songs ... and this one ain't on it" ... so I don't know what it was called, but it was great, and featured the great advice, "Holding on is all you gotta do ...".



And Steve Earle has done a lot of that in his life. During his story-telling (and all of my favorite musicians are excellent story tellers ... no coincidence, I'm sure), Steve told of how he's a recovering heroin addict, had been in jail ("The first day in jail, you find the biggest guy and knock him out if you can. That way you keep your radio."), and raised a whole lot of hell, to the point where he said, "It's not a good sign when Townes shows up to give you a temperance lecture." But he's still standing, playing, and rebelling, and he began, "Pancho & Lefty" to the fans' great delight. Classic.

Steve said his other teacher, Guy Clark, told him there are two kinds of music, "The Blues and Zippity Doo Dah. This is NOT Zippity Doo Dah" and played the extra-bluesy "Brand New Companion". Sublime. As was "My Old Friend The Blues." The people got very happy when Steve played his own tune, "Someday" and for good reason. It rules. And they knew every word of it. Same with his "Goodbye". If you didn't understand the blues before this show, you did now.

Steve met his hero, Townes, when he "was the whole front row at one of my shows", and Townes kept heckling him to play, "Wabash Cannonball". Steve didn't know it, so tried to impress him with his version of TVZ's, "Mr. Mudd and Mr. Gold". It worked, and they were the best of friends the rest of Townes' life. Clearly. Steve then told a story about how he grew up in "Occupied Mexico" (Texas) and never really learned Spanish that well, but his NYC neighborhood Deli owner, Mr. Kim (A Korean man), had had to learn it to keep up with the times. Steve dedicated his next one to Mr. Kim, "City Of Immigrants" ... driving home that "ALL of us are immigrants." Remember that.

Our President was given the Nobel Peace Prize last week (Congratulations!) and Steve said that "People have been bitching about it, but the people bitching about it don't care much about Peace prizes." Word. He voted for Obama and "hasn't regretted it for one second - so far." With that he introduced his song (sung in a much more peaceful Belfast 10 days ago), "Jerusalem", by saying that "I'm gonna keep singing it 'til I die or it comes true, whatever happens first." It has probably helped the Peace process all on its own, that's for sure ... "Well maybe I'm only dreamin' and maybe I'm just a fool, But I don't remember learnin' how to hate in Sunday school." Rewind and listen again. Repeat.

Steve brought Tom (sporting some beard growth in tribute to Steve's massive one) back up to accompany him on ELECTRIC guitar on the last Townes song of the night, "Lungs", that he said, "If this song doesn't scare you to death, then you're over-medicated." I was cold sober, and terrified. Tom's spooky guitar effects (also heard on the album version) perfectly illustrated lyrics like, "Jesus was an only son, And love his only concept, Strangers cry in foreign tongues, And dirty up the doorstep, And I for one, and you for two, Ain't got the time for outside, Just keep your injured looks to you, We'll tell the world we tried." Chilling. With guys like this speaking out, we WILL tell the World we tried.

Encore time ("This has been a gas, and I wish Townes was here to enjoy it.") brought Steve classics, "Copperhead Road" and "The Mountain", which he dedicated to Daryl Hannah, who was recently arrested for protesting mountain top removal of coal (and who was sitting right next to me, as pretty as her Splash days. Cool lady). Then, in the finale of the evening, Steve brought up both Tom and Ben to play the song that SHOULD be sung at the 7th Inning Stretch, Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land". Tom always closes his own shows with this inspiration, so took the lead on instructing the crowd on when to listen, sing, JUMP! The three comrades took turns with the verses (ALL of them, not just the grade school ones), each in his own way: Ben WAILING his words, Tom guitar beating with abandon, and Steve blowing his harmonica away. EVERY single body in The Troubadour was off its feet in the air for the last chorus, celebrating the fact that this land WAS made for you and me, and knowing that "The wheel of history is in YOUR hands!", as Tom cried to end the night. Rabble ROUSED.



And it is in our hands, you know. Last year's election showed that. Worker's strikes show that. Calling your Congresspeople and getting them to vote NO on Bank bailouts showed that (not that it ultimately worked, but still ... it CAN!). Turning out en masse for protests shows that. Going to shows like these and jumping and singing in solidarity shows that. Showing that you CARE in any way shows that. We just can't let up. There remains SO much work to be done, in our own country, and around the world, that there is no choice in the matter.

Freedom is not free. You have to work for it. For Liberty and Justice for ALL.

- Carol Gronner

The Nightwatchman steals show at Newport Folk Festival

NEWPORT, R.I. - On a day when music icons Pete Seeger and Mavis Staples performed alongside indie-folk favorites The Decemberists and Fleet Foxes, it was the former guitarist for a heavy metal band that stole show on Saturday at the 50th annual Newport Folk Festival.

With a guitar adorned with the phrase "whatever it takes" and under a tent tucked behind the main stage at Fort Adams State Park, former Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello had people engaged and participating throughout his 50-minute set on the fest's Harbor Stage, one of three stages at the event. As a solo act, Morello performs under the moniker of The Nightwatchmen, an outlet for him to play acoustic protest music. And that's what he gave a standing-room-only crowd Saturday.

And he had fun doing it. At no point during his set did a smile leave Morello's face. He was clearly digging his time on stage at a legendary music festival.

Morello attempted to close his show with a rousing take on Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land," making a plea to the crowd to pay attention to the "super secret" verses that aren't performed most of the time. By the end of the song, the entire crowd was on its feet, singing along and jumping up and down. The singer/songwriter wanted to make his exit after that, but the adoring audience refused to let him leave without playing two more tunes.

Besides The Nightwatchman, the Harbor Stage saw spirited sets from folk icon Ramblin' Jack Elloit, indie rocker Ben Kweller, Staples and neo folkie Iron & Wine, the name songwriter Sam Beam performs under.

But, of course, it was the main stage that the bulk of the thousands in attendance wanted to see. And those folks caught a surprisingly dynamic and pulsating set from North Carolina folk rockers The Avett Brothers along with performances from Tiff Merritt, Billy Bragg, Gillian Welch, Fleet Foxes, The Decemberists and Pete Seeger.

The main Fort Stage's highlight came from The Decemberists, the Portland group that nailed its set by concentrating on its older material and playing very little from its recent "folk opera" "The Hazzards of Love." Both "We Both Go Down Together" and "O Valencia!" were the highlights of the 70-minute set.

Flanked by a bay full of boats, a sea of people and the warm-but-not-oppressive sunshine, the Decemberists' frontman Colin Meloy, during the middle of his set, said, "How can you not love Newport?" That was definitely the case Saturday, as a roster of talented artists came together to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic music festival in style. There were no "Dylan goes electric" moments, but the first day of the event gave the crowd plenty of moments to remember.

Justice Tour Seattle � 3/24/08

Tadgarden, the Nightwatchman, Steve Earle, Wayne Kramer, Mark Arm and Boots Riley at The Crocodile

*** taken from http://blogs.seattleweekly.com ***

"I haven't been this fucking excited about something in a long time," says Tom Morello with a huge smile on his face. "It's like I won some type of contest or something." He's saying this just as Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd of Soundgarden are playing on stage together for the first time since 1997. The honey-throated (I'm kidding) Tad Doyle of Brothers of the Sonic Cloth is about to step back up to the microphone to sing "Spoonman" and Morello slides back to play rhythm guitar. It's a rare moment for Seattle rock and everybody in the venue knows it. Just moments earlier, the floor of The Crocodile was nearly shaking from all of the screaming fans who were waiting all night for this type of surprise. But most people didn't know what the surprise was.

From the moment I walked in the venue around 9:30, the place was wall to wall packed as the Nightwatchman, led by Morello ran through a blistering set of music. Morello's got a cool as the other side of the pillow persona and he had the crowd revved up all night as the MC of sorts. After the Nightwatchman played, Morello immediately brought out legendary Americana singer Steve Earle who hit the stage with a guitar in hand and a harmonica around his neck to loud cheers.

Earle announced he'd just finished a covers album�something he's never done before �but thankfully, it's all Townes Van Zandt songs so you can't be mad at him for that. Among the highlights of Earle's set, he performed a roaring version of "Copperhead Road," then invited Morello back on stage and the two played a kick-ass extended version of "The Ghost of Tom Joad." Earle read the lyrics off of a piece of paper which was actually cool. They sounded good together (minus a little bit of feedback), and I noticed Morello's guitar had "Arm the Homeless" painted on it.

After Earle's set, Morello stayed on and mentioned he'd recently started a secret group with Boots Riley of The Coup that wasn't much of a secret anymore. Their band is called Street Sweeper and according to Boots, who I ended up chatting with after the show, this was only their second time playing together for a crowd. Boots had his usual political-minded hip-hop lyrics razor sharp last night and it was evident as they played "Fight Smash Win," the first single off their upcoming album. I wish his vocals were up louder though as it was hard to hear him. At that point, I was standing on the mezzanine drinking a porter (it was an all ages show) so I was enjoying myself regardless.

After their set finished, Mark Arm of Mudhoney came out and played as did Wayne Kramer of the MC5. The best thing about Kramer was the kick ass red pants that he was wearing. Dude finds a way to stand out no matter what. I wish I would have caught more of his set but I was back in the Via Tribunali area eating (damn good) free pizza and drinking Heineken. Kim Thayil walked through and I overheard him say, we're going on right after they play "Kick Out the Jams." My buddy Kerri Herrop and I headed straight to the stage area�brushed past Boots and his woman, stepped on Earle's shoe by accident (sorry 'bout that) and watched Wayne play one of the songs he's most famous for, with Morello, still sitting in on guitar and Mark singing vocals. Classic.

Right after that, Tadgarden hit the stage and the place went nuts. To be honest, the elephant in the room all night was�"Is Chris Cornell going to play." If you know anything about the history of that band, you know the answer is hell no, but folks couldn't help but wonder. Earlier in the evening, I asked a sort of meatwad security guy if Chris Cornell was in the building...I couldn't help but ask, right? Dude goes (with all seriousness) "Chris Cornell, uh..yeah, that's the guy on stage, right?" Terrible. Anyway, their set was awesome. They started out playing "Nothing to Say" and even though it was a little rusty in the beginning, you could tell less than a minute in that they found a groove and stuck with it. Tad lifted his shirt up a few times, jiggled his belly, and said, "That's half a Cornell right there" with attitude. Everybody loved it. Morello jumped on as they played "Spoonman" and they closed it out with "Hunted Down." It was a damn fine, but way too short set! Possibly the closest thing to a Soundgarden reunion folks are going to see for a long time.

Everybody came back on stage, except Blue Scholars, who I missed performing earlier, to sing Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land." Morello made the whole crowd sing the chorus and we gladly obliged. Afterward, I chatted with Kim Thayil and asked him what he thought of the set..."Not bad for an hour and a half of practice after not playing together for 12 years," he said laughing. "It was a lot of fun. We played yesterday for a bit but we know all that stuff by heart so we didn't need to practice much." He also laughed about not knowing what chord to play for "This Land is Your Land" but he figured it out. I asked Morello how he felt and he said it was better than he could have imagined.

As I walked out the back of The Crocodile, there was a line of people waiting in the alley with guitars, posters, t-shirts, and any memorabilia they could think of trying to get autographs. It was a night that'll be etched in my memory for years.

The Nightwatchman, Tom Morello, Sets NYC Show At Bowery Ballroom July 26

"Tom Morello has made the transition from guitar hero to folk hero. The Nightwatchman's 'One Man Revolution' is very powerful." - Michael Moore

The Nightwatchman, Tom Morello, will perform at The Bowery Ballroom July 26, in the first NYC show since the release of 'One Man Revolution' (Epic Records), a dark, urgent portrait of a world in turmoil.

One dollar from each ticket will go to benefit the Axis of Justice, a non-profit organization formed by Morello and Serj Tankian of System of a Down to bring together musicians, fans of music, and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice. Morello is offering free admission to Audiophiles, members of the Audioslave fan club, to the concert.

WHO: The Nightwatchman, Tom Morello
WHAT: Headlining solo concert
WHERE: Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey St. (between Bowery and Christie), NYC (212.533.2111)
WHEN: 8pm doors, July 26, 2007
TICKETS: $16, available through Ticketweb or Mercury Lounge box office (16+)

'One Man Revolution' is earning excellent notice for Morello:

"Tom Morello rages unplugged a la Springsteen's Nebraska." - Andy Greene, Rolling Stone

"Rich vocals and hook-filled tunes." - Clark Collis, Entertainment Weekly

"A revelation" - Dan Epstein, Guitar World Acoustic

"13 harrowing cuts" - Joe Bosso, Guitar World

"Rich baritone and minimalist but moving songs." - Jim DeRogatis, Chicago Sun-Times

Dustin Kensrue (Thrice) will open for The Nightwatchman.

The Nightwatchman, Tom Morello, Adds Newport Folk Festival, West Coast Tour Leg

LA Times Profiles The Nightwatchman: "The Guitar Is Acoustic, No Less Savage

Morello Playlist, Podcast Posted To iTunes

The Nightwatchman, Tom Morello, will join the storied Newport Folk Festival lineup with an August 4 appearance at the Harbor Stage. (Appropriately, Rolling Stone commented on the release of 'One Man Revolution' (Epic Records) that "Morello pulls a reverse Dylan-at-Newport.") He will also add a series of midwest and west coast tour dates, including a homecoming LA show July 21 at the Troubadour.

LA Times' Geoff Boucher recently encapsulated the Nightwatchman -- from relearning how to perform at open mic nights to singing in front of thousands of protestors -- with a major Sunday feature.

In other Nightwatchman news, iTunes has posted Tom Morello's playlist, which shows the diversity of his influences and current favorites, from Steve Earle to Bruce Springsteen and from the Clash to DMX. Click here for Tom's playlist.

Morello has also created a two-part Nightwatchman podcast, in which he answers fan questions and talks about the new album:

Nightwatchman Add'l Tour Leg:

July 10 Detroit, MI Shelter
July 11 Chicago, IL Schubas
July 13 Minneapolis, MN 7th St. Entry
July 15 Denver, CO Larimer Lounge
July 17 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge
July 18 Seattle, WA Crocodile CafŽ
July 20 San Francisco, CA Swedish Hall
July 21 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
August 4 Newport, RI Newport Folk Festival (Harbor Stage)

The Nightwatchman, Tom Morello, Interviewed By Michael Moore For MySpace.com Artist-On-Artist Video Featurette, Online Now

"Tom Morello has made the transition from guitar hero to folk hero. The Nightwatchman's 'One Man Revolution' is very powerful." - Michael Moore

MySpace.com is hosting exclusive video of filmmaker Michael Moore interviewing The Nightwatchman, Tom Morello as part of its Artist-On-Artist series. The interview celebrates tomorrow's release of the Nightwatchman's debut album 'One Man Revolution' (Epic Records), which was produced by Brendan O'Brien.

Check out the video here.

During the in-depth interview, Morello reveals the origins of the Nightwatchman. After writing a set of songs he believed in, he sang them for producer Rick Rubin, who told him, "go play 100 shows." So Morello would sign up for open mic nights as the Nightwatchman during off nights on an Audioslave arena tour, slowly gaining the confidence to sing his songs effectively. "Several times," he says, "I felt as intense a connection between performer and audience as the most intense Rage Against the Machine shows."

In 2004, Moore approached him to join his speaking tour. Suddenly, Morello, who had been playing for "eight people and a whirring latte machine," was in front of 12 - 15,000. Moore recalls a pivotal moment, "You just keep revealing these [new] sides. Your voice was haunting. 12,000 people in Reno were just silent; they were just mesmerized and it was that voice." Moore felt that he was "hearing something profound" from Morello on that tour. He adds, "During 'House Gone Up In Flames' or 'No One Left,' you could've heard a pin drop."

The pair delve into the songs themselves. "As an artist, when you put the antenna up, you never know what's going to come down," Morello tells Moore. For example, Morello speaks candidly about finding a noose in his garage during his childhood, an image that shows up in the song "One Man Revolution." While at Harvard, Morello and friends would debate the merits of whether one should use violence to defend oneself in that situation. The Nightwatchman's solution? He's "in the bushes with a baseball bat."

The friends first met when Moore directed the video for Rage Against the Machine's "Sleep Now In The Fire."

Hotel Cafe Reviews - 4/24/07


Hello Friends,

Well last night, 4.24.07, at the Hotel Caf� was the culmination of many years of work for The Nightwatchman. Last night as the record release party for his now released album, 'One Man Revolution'.

The alley of the Caf� was packed at show time and the line stayed until almost 11PM. Full of fans and admirers, they stayed all night to get a glimpse or a handshake from the many all stars who were inside.

The show began as it always does with The Nightwatchman himself mounting the stage and serving up a huge dose of attitude and heart. Last night was no different. Before he played, TM spoke to the crowd about physics a little bit. He spoke about actions and their subsequent re-actions. This album, he said, is a re-action to the corruption, lies, and deceit from the Bush Administration and all those in power who prey on the little man so that they can line their pockets even more.

He played 'One Man Revolution', 'House Gone Up In Flames', 'Flesh Shapes the Day', and then an incredible cover of 'Lights Out Guerilla Radio'. He dedicated his third track to all the rebel women in the audience. He was raised by one and she was in da house last night. Mary Morello got a huge applause from the crowd when TM proclaimed her 'The Nightwatchmother'!!!

Next up was such an incredible treat. When I walked into the Caf� last night and heard she was going to perform, I nearly fell over. Alanis graced the 200 of us who were lucky enough to squeeze in, with her presence last night. She opened with a new song she wrote called 'Not As Me'. This was the first time it had ever been performed. The stage of the Caf� is ripe with performances like this. It is a stage where great performers practice their new material for the few who are present. Alanis was truly amazing to see live and even more special was that it was within the context of such a special night. She closed out her set with an encore performance of 'Lights Out Guerilla Radio' and it was fucking awesome!

Next up, Jerry Quickley shared a spoken word rap to the crowd with human beat box accompaniment while the truly special Alexi Murdoch prepared to rock. Alexi is a rare artist. He commands so much respect on the stage and when he performs the audience is not only silent but also still. He uses a number of foot pedals with his acoustic guitar to amp his sound and add drum beats… the product is a truly unique sound and one that I love to hear live. Alexi is by far one of my favorite performers at the Caf�. To me, he represents the best of the young talent coming out of this magical venue.

After Alexi was Ike Riley from Liberyville, IL. He grew up in the same parts as TM and will be going on tour with him.

After Ike was Ben Harper. Ben has been gracious enough to join TM at many of his events and his presence is always so warm and welcoming. Ben's voice and guitar playing are so hypnotic and the audience last night responded with huge applause at every proper moment. After 3 songs, TM joined Ben and the played 'Get Up, Stand Up'. Ben channels Marley better than most and it is always amazing to hear him to do a cover of one of those legendary tracks.

Next up was Jill Sobule, who played a few tracks with Wayne Kramer of the MC5. Then she traded places with legend John Sinclair who did a few spoken word pieces with Wayne on guitar. John is such an important part of music history and it was amazing to see so many generations represented on one stage.

To make the night even more surreal, Alanis then got back on the stage and played 'More Than Words' with original extreme guitarist, Nuno Bettencourt. I don't even really have words to describe this one… but it was awesome.

The night was getting late but no one was leaving and there was still so much more to come for the people in attendance.

Next up was the Alice in Chains!!! William Duvall mounted first and played an Aerosmith cover and then the one and only Jerry Cantrell joined him on stage and they rocked the crowd with some incredible acoustic renditions of their tunes. Then TM joined them on stage and they played Elton John's 'Down in a Hole' with Nuno on drums!

Could this night get any more insane? Why yes it can… because then it was time for the ALL STAR JAM!!!

First up, Mr. Cantrell Sang 'Jailbreak', then TM took out his electric guitar to play with the one and only Mickey Mars from Motley Crue.

Carl Restivo, from Perry Farrell's new band 'Satellite Party' sang 'Kickstart the heart' and 'Looks that Kill'. Mickey was unreal and it was amazing to see The Nightwatchman so giddy with excitement to play the Crue songs with one of his idols. Before they played, he told the crowd a story about his time at Harvard and how often he would call the radio station to request those 2 songs. He was like a boy in a candy store last night with Mickey and it was an amazing experience for all the senses.

Then Wayne Kramer sang 'Kick Out the Jams' and finally, B-Real and Sen Dog from Cypress Hill mounted the stage and played 'Rock Superstar', 'How I could Just Kill a Man' , and 'Insane in the membrane'.

TM Played and incredible cover of Woodie Guthrie's 'This land is Your Land' and then they finished the night off with a cover of 'California'. Sen Dog was nice enough to lead a 'Fuck George Bush' chant in the middle of the song.

Most people that I spoke to after the show told me that it was the greatest show they had ever seen. I don't doubt it one bit. When do you get to see Tom Morello, Alanis, Ben Harper, Wayne Kramer, John Sinclair, Alice in Chains, Mickey Mars, and Cypress Hill in one night with only 200 people? Plus the cover charge was only 10 measly dollars!!! TM referred to it as the people's price and he is right. All the money that was raised last night and at all these Hotel Caf� shows go to help the homeless.

The Nightwatchman said goodnight to the crowd around 1230 last night. The three-hour show, which had just taken place, was sadly over and people were getting ready to leave. TM left the crowd with one last nugget of truth and that is the line that I will leave you with.

He said, "Nobody wins unless we all win"…

Rock On and Peace Out- Jason Pollock

Check out more from Jason Pollock at huffingtonpost.com/jason-pollock and myspace.com/jasonrpollock


OH. MY. PURE. GOODNESS!

April 24, 2007. If you were so incredibly blessed to be in the house at the Hotel Caf� this night … you will never, ever forget it (and be careful, because by the end of this, I'm sure some of my profound gratitude will ooze off the page and get all over you). If you weren't … well, fix yourself a drink and settle in – a long, staggering night like this deserves a long vivid rehashing about it (although bullet points of who played would be more than impressive enough), and I need to try and do it justice. AXIS OF JUSTICE!

The occasion was the release of The Nightwatchman's debut album, "One Man Revolution". Finally, People! This album is so important right NOW, I get a lump in my throat thinking about it. The Nightwatchman is thus far alone on the front line saying what NEEDS to be said, and he doesn't hold back a bit. Plus it was a parTAY, the likes of which have never been seen in one room, I promise you that.

The Nightwatchman (Commander in Chief of the evening, Tom Morello) took the stage to a THUNDEROUS ovation (apt because by the end of the night it almost rained in there it was so hot) before striking one note. The respect for him from every soul in the room was palpable, and moving. He introduced the night and the album by saying that our current administration thinks it's above the law. But it is NOT above the law of physics, and every action has an equal and opposite reaction. This night, this album, is a direct reaction to the corrupt government, it's illicit war, the big few corporations that are making mad profit from it, while people can't afford to eat in the streets of Los Angeles. This speech inspired the first of many chill-inducing moments of the night - and then he launched into the tune "One Man Revolution". Let me tell you, this room was stuffed well beyond capacity and there was not a peep heard during this song. He followed this with Oh, LORD! "House Gone Up In Flames" (the White House? Hmmm ...) and then dedicated "Flesh Shapes the Day" to all the rebel girls in the house (thank you!), foremost among them, The Nightwatchmother, beautiful Mary Morello (who Nuno Bettencourt declared, "the hottest chick in the room". True, that.) Hoo-ooo-oo! The crowd already knew the hoot part, so great to hear. Guess what he finished his set with? Going out to the people going to Coachella this weekend, and more importantly, to the people going to climb the fence at Coachella this weekend ... that's right, "Guerilla Radio"! TURN THAT SHIT UP! We could've all gone home then, satisfied. But that is not Nightwatchman's style ...

Who should take the stage next but - Alanis Morissette! Looking shiny and lovely, she was the first of many artists to get up there and thank Tom, not only for putting together this astounding evening, but for his sheer inspiration. She played new songs, and the first had never been played out before, "I As We". Her voice is as strong as ever and lifted our hearts with ease. Next was one called "Blister Sister", I think, and then, dedicating it to Tom, she played HER version of "Guerilla Radio". Totally different, almost unrecognizable until the chorus, and once again, the crowd got to yell, "TURN THAT SHIT UP!" I don't believe anyone would have minded if everyone had played their version - in fact, that idea got yelled out a bunch. SO fun. Thanks, Alanis!

Libertyville, Illinois has a whole lot to proud of ... they produced one school of rock, Rage Against The Machine and Tool, and another, The Nightwatchman and Ike Reilly. Ike played only one song, but his folky fire fit right in and the crowd showed the love. He has an album coming out called "We Belong To The Staggering Evening" - and we sure did.

Mr. Ben Harper. Do I really need to say anything more? He played three songs and no one moved, other than to scream their love at the end of each song. The first was about roses from friends that simply broke your heart. The next, about gospel, put it back together again. Then his lap guitar came out and it was all over ... I can't remember what it was about because I was in a complete joy trance. He too professed his love and admiration for Tom, and you could tell how truly honored he felt to be there (and he said so). THEN Tom and Carl Restivo and Breckin Meyer joined Ben and they played "Get Up, Stand Up"!

Cough! Sputter! Gasp! How long was I out?! That thrilling version of Marley's classic knocked me flat out cold. Ben, Ben, Ben. You're too much. And BRECKIN! My old friend, if I had known you'd be playing perfect drums for Ben Harper one day, I'd have been so much nicer to you! (fine, I take it back, you don't look that much like Willem Dafoe from "Wild At Heart". Love.)

The interlude while they sorted out who was to come next was filled by Poet, Jerry Quickley, from KPFK, slamming it down, accompanied by his beat-boxer buddy. Respect!

I feel strongly, though unsure of the exact chronology, that when Nick Drake left this world, Alexi Murdoch took his place. This gentle troubadour entranced the crowd with "All My Days" and two more that left you wanting more. He spoke about how we spend billions (with a B) on video games in this country, and perhaps it's time to re-prioritize a bit and focus more on what MATTERS. Say it, Alexi!

Next up, Tom's old friend, Jill Sobule. With WAYNE KRAMER of the MCmofo5 (!) on guitar, and a fiddler to boot, Jill spun two tales with her usual wit and grace - that also happened to rock.

{Though there was no intermission at this marathon of Rock and Roll majesty - I will understand if you need one now. Go get a snack, take a bathroom break, check messages - I'll wait}

HEY! So Wayne Kramer stayed on the stage and brought up the Poet, John Sinclair. With his Col. Sanders goatee and Counter Culture patina, Professor Sinclair schooled the kids with two poems (one about how we're entitled to our bad habits, simply put, ruled) backed up by Wayne on the guitar. This man was the manager of MC5, the leader of the White Panther Party, and the subject of John Lennon's song, "John Sinclair". He was imprisoned in 1969 for giving two joints to an undercover narc and everyone took up his cause. He was released three days after Lennon performed that song at a benefit for Sinclair. And I'm fairly certain that conviction didn't deter him from his herb. Take THAT!

Nuno Bettencourt (he gets this - !!! - every time after his name) came up and invited Alanis back to duet with him on "More Than Words". Alanis said to Nuno, "I had such a boner for you when I was a teenager". (*Alanis, dear - the line for that crush is very, very long and it starts way, way behind me ... Kapeesh?) It turned out to be much more than a duet because the ENTIRE crowd joined in, making it more of a master chorale. Me = Giddy.

Tom as M.C. said this was like a "Pinko Jerry Lewis Telethon" - right on! Axis of Justice and Food Not Bombs were again the beneficiaries of the night's cover charge (the "People's Price of $10 U.S.) that came to roughly $1 per Superstar. The Deal of the Century. Honestly, if you EVER hear about The Nightwatchman playing anywhere near you - Do not hestiate. SPRINT! He was many powerful friends ... that simply LOVE to play with him. Who wouldn't?

He next introduced the crowd to William Duvall. He has taken over the Layne Staley role in Alice In Chains. No easy feat, to be sure. He played an obscure Aerosmith song called "Seasons of Wither" - beautifully - and earned the crowd's acceptance handily. He was then joined by yep, Mr. Jerry Cantrell. They opened with a lush, gorgeous rendition of Elton John's "Curtains". SO pretty, they should record it post-haste. My ears are still ringing a bit from the reaction to the opening chords of Alice's "Down In A Hole". Whoa. Even the Layne Superlovers (I heard their conversation) in front of me had that frown with raised eyebrows look that indicates "impressed" for William. A classic. Leading to another classic, Thin Lizzy's "Jailbreak", for which they were joined by Nuno (!!!) on drums - what? That much talent is just no fair. If you see him, bow. He'll understand. Tom was on guitar and said it was one of his favorite moments in his Hotel Cafe history. I concur.

Then Wayne Kramer came back up and they proceeded to "Kick out the Jams"! I cannot find proper adjectives to describe the people in the room at this point - they stank, they were sweating, they were uncomfortable and squished - but I've never seen so many people so truly happy at the same time. But they were about to get even happier, as this had all been "just the opening acts", Tom half-joked.

Who should show up next but Mick Mars from Motley Crue! (At least I think it was him - he could have been animatronic as his facial expression didn't change one single time - I watched) He looked a little frail, but man, he sure can still shred the bejezus out of his guitar. The crowd begged for Tom to go electric for this one, so he strapped on Nuno's (!!!) guitar and went for it. Carl Restivo, the Chameleon of Rock (last week he was Sting, this week, a very convincing Vince Neil) took over vocal duties for "Kickstart My Heart" (WOW!) and "She's Got The Looks That Kill". Time travel ... we could all have very easily been in spandex pants and gigantic hair and called it the 80's. Metal.

What can you say about Cypress ("CYY-PRESS!") Cypress Hill ("CY-PRESS HILL!!") except "Yeeeeee-ah!" Sen-Dog and B Real joined the rest of the gang to throw down "Rock Superstar", "Kill A Man", and "Insane In The Membrane". Through the hazy room, it was clear that the folks had now, for absolute sure, gone insane. Insane in the brain!

Tom took back over the mike (and Breckin took back over the drums) and the Love Fest continued on. Tom was toasted with a bottle of champagne, which he drank from and then, a true man of the people, passed it around to the crowd. And introduced "This Land Is Your Land"! The song we all learned in third grade by Woody Guthrie began as a protest song - and that tradition was proudly carried on this night. The whole room sang along every word - and I got more chills. The songs lesser known verses were not taught to us as kids because, as Tom said, they didn't want us to grow up one day, be at a Nightwatchman show and decide to take BACK OUR country. Well, the word is out now - and if we can all just remember that moment (with everyone literally JUMPING in unison) and pass it on - things WILL change. Guaranteed.

The last song of the night - though no one wanted it to end - was Tupac's "California Love" with Sen Dog taking over the lead. Again, everyone sang along ... especially when the end turned into a "Fuck Bush" chant (B-word was most certainly not welcomed to this jam) which merged into "U.S.A.!! " in a proud of us, of what we CAN be, shout-out. Wayne Kramer finshed it off with a Hendrix-ian "Star Spangled Banner" riff, while Tom shouted into the mike, "THANK YOU! REMEMBER, NO ONE WINS UNLESS WE ALL WIN!" Well, we ALL won who were at this rocking, sweat-drenched, ecstatically exhausted show.

Thank YOU, Tom. Thank you for taking the leader role on your shoulders and getting out there to DEMAND a difference. Thank you for sharing your incredible talents and talented friends with us. Thank you for ALWAYS fighting for the people and against the power. It goes so far past his sweet guitar solos, dudes. Bono-Schmono. I'm contacting the good folks in my Motherland's Oslo and nominating TOM for the Nobel Peace Prize. No one out there deserves it more. Again, THANK YOU!

What can we do in return, you may wonder? Thank Tom when you see him. Buy "One Man Revolution". Learn the words. Understand the words. ACT on them. Give a fuck. Get MAD. STAY mad. TELL people about tonight. GO to a show yourself. Get involved. Volunteer. Vote. March. Remember the feeling. Spread the LOVE. And maybe, just maybe, The Nightwatchman will be able to title his sophomore album, "Millions of People Revolution".

My fist is raised in solidarity. Is yours?

- Carol Gronner

“Three chords and the truth”
Check out Stuart Derdeyn's article from the Ottawa Citizen

Tom Morello Digs Deep as the 'Nightwatchman'
From www.spinner.com

"Night" and the City
[CLICK] for Larry Getlen's article on Tom Morello's Nightwatchman, in The New York Post

Guitar World Interview
Tom Morello sheds light on the genesis of the Nightwatchman project in a recent sit down with Joe Bosso published in GW's May issue!
Pages: ONE | TWO | THREE | FOUR | FIVE

"The black Robin Hood of folk music"
The Nightwatchman [TALKS] with Dom Alessio of Brag

The Nightwatchman "in" The Drum
Check out the Lachlan Marks ARTICLE and REVIEW!

Tom Morello Talks About His 'One Man Revolution'
READ The Nightwatchman's inteview with Taylor Mason of CMJ!

Entertainment Weekly reviews the Nightwatchman!
Clark Collis weighs in for EW! CHECK IT OUT!

Tom Morello as The Nightwatchman in Guitar World Acoustic!
Click the links below to check out Tom's revealing interview from GWA's June 2007 issue.
COVER |  PAGE 1 |  PAGE 2 |  PAGE 3 |  PAGE 4 |  PAGE 5 |  PAGE 6

 !
[CLICK HERE] to read the 3 1/2 star Rolling Stone CD review, from the May 3-17 issue. Andy Greene writes, “Tom Morello rages unplugged a la Springsteen’s ‘Nebraska!’”

The Nightwatchman - Newsday Interview
Tom Morello offers insight about his mysterious Nightwatchman alter ego to Newsday's Mac Randall. [CLICK HERE]!

The Nightwatchman featured in The May 2007 issue of HARP Magazine.
Click for: COVER | Feature, PAGE 1 | Feature, PAGE 2 | Feature, PAGE 3 | REVIEW

Rolling Stone Online has run a preview of The Nightwatchman album in their 'Spring Music Preview: Fifty Must-Hear Albums'

Rolling Stone Online has also run an expanded version of the 'Spring Preview Q&A: Tom Morello, The Nightwatchman'

Hotel Cafe Reviews - 4/17/07


April 17th at the HOTEL CAF� was a rousing good time. The Nightwatchman brought his band of merry Rasputins and they delivered as usual.

First up, as always, was The Nightwatchman himself. He played, 'House Gone Up in Flames' , 'One Man Revolution' , 'Union Song', and my personal favorite, 'Flesh Shapes the Day'.

His words and passion for social change drive the spirit of all these evenings and tonight was no different. What takes place here at the Hotel Caf� is something very special… something that the whole country needs to take note of. These nights are a consistent mix of great art and fundraising for incredible organizations.

Next up were Carter Falco & Kevin the Frenchman. They were followed by Abbie Travis, who Interrupted her act to play an 'acid' interlude to get people to listen to her. There were some disrespectful folk in the back and Abbie let them have it and got their attention brilliantly. After Abbie was Shadrack & the Greedy Soul who use to play with the nightwatchman at Coffee shops at the beginning back in the day.

Finally, Extreme played! I must say it was quite surreal to hear the vocals of Gary Cherone with the shredding of Nuno in 2007, but it was awesome! To hear Nuno shred like that in such a small venue was a gift I will not soon forget. They even played 'more then words' for the crowd. What menches!

And the moment we had all been waiting for… The All Star Jam! First up The Nightwatchman played one of his tracks with the full backing of all stars… he played 'The Road I must travel'. Then Carter Falco sang 'The Devil's Right Hand', Abbie Travis sings Purple Rain, Carl Restivo sang Police song, 'So Lonely', and Gary Cheron wrapped it up with 'Walk this Way'

All in all a great night to be had. Don't be too jealous of me for getting to go to these because you too now have the opportunity. Get your butt down to the Hotel Caf� TONIGHT for the Nightwatchman's record release party… its going to be NUTZ!!!

See ya there. Peace Out- Jason Pollock

Tuesday Nights at the Hotel Cafe are like a box of chocolates ...
Aaah! After spreading the gospel at SXSW in Austin (with Slash! In a church!) and in Chicago to do a show for the Immokalee Workers, The Nightwatchman's Tuesday Nights at the Hotel Cafe are back! (OK, they were actually back last week, but I couldn't make it and have chosen to block out that pain) Hallelujah!

The Nightwatchman (Tom Morello, if you don't know that by now) said, "Tuesday nights at the Hotel Cafe are like a box of chocolates" ... you never know what you're going to get ... but you KNOW it's going to be delicious.

As ringmaster, performer and fundraiser, The Nightwatchman has his hands full, but he pulls it off every time. He started the night with selections from his upcoming album, "One Man Revolution". These songs are full of such fury, defiance, strength and freedom. You can see in his eyes as he plays that he totally means it, like a man possessed. "Union Song" is so by and for the people, it makes you want to tie on a kerchief and follow him into any tear-gassed situation, because you know it's already making a difference. My favorite line from that song goes, "I know where I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be right on that front line", and they way he spits it out, you WILL line up right next to him. These times call for nothing less. "House Gone Up In Flames", "Flesh Shapes The Day", and the title track, "One Man Revolution" rounded out his set. Now the crowd (and I do mean CROWD) were actually what was up in flames. Fired up!

Welcomed back to the Nightwatchman stage next was Carter Falco, accompanied by Kevin the Frenchman (as he is affectionately referred to) on guitar. Carter has been touring for his album, Tattoos and Scars, which was also the title of his most stirring tune of the night. Like his former bandmate in Stargunn, Shooter Jennings, Carter seems to be embracing his countrier side, to great effect. His songs make you want to raise a Colt 45 in one hand and your fist in the other. "Don't be afraid to say 'WOOO!'", as Tom said.

If indeed the night were a box of chocolates, Abby Travis might be the praline - a little nutty, really good (if you like nuts). Her short set featured her on piano, vocals and bass (she used to play bass for The Bangles) whipping up a cheeky song about acid at one point. In her white Slash hat and lingerie peeking out, she threw down the necessary estrogen for the night. She reminds of a female Freddy Mercury. Wrap your head around that one.

Shadwrack and The Greedy Souls were up next. I think their name is a misnomer ... they gave very freely of their souls! Jason Shadwrack goes back with Tom all the way to the earliest Nightwatchman gigs in coffee shops, trying out the material about to be released. His folk-spun rock had the appreciative crowd moving and shaking in a civilized manner ... which in no way could have prepared them for -

EXTREME! Yes, Nuno Bettencourt (!!!) and Gary Cherone took the stage and no one was ready for the absolute osmium (the heaviest metal known to man) they ripped apart the stage with. Holy. MOLY! I'm getting ahead of myself. Before that, they said they had to play a song requested by Tom. The funkified, but instantly recognizable opening chords of "More Than Words" began (their superhit of the early '90's) and the entire crowd was shamelessly singing along from the first word. For this girl, it was bliss. The only thing missing was Nuno's black nail polish from the video, but I was fine with that. The entire room, including Nuno and Gary, had giant grins on their faces, especially when Gary said it was the only time he'd ever forgotten the words to that song. Awesome. But THEN! The osmium began. I don't know the name of the song they played next, but Nuno said, "Pay attention, Tom stole every one of these riffs" ... and I don't think he was kidding. His guitar shredded the venue to smithereens!
{Note to Hotel Cafe staff: Can you please check your Lost and Found for me? My eyeballs popped out of my head trying to watch Nuno's fingers during this solo. They're blue. Thanks.}
YIKES! They followed that with their song "Play With Me" from Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. Again, Nuno on guitar spun the crowd practically into seizures. The Nightwatchman was on the side of the stage punching his fist in the air and beaming like every fan of his does during his solos. Maximum respect. The chorus went, "Do you wanna plaaaay with me?" Yes, Extreme. Yes, I do. Very much.

The night, as always, was a benefit for Axis of Justice and Food Not Bombs. After Extreme, Tom got on stage and said, "The $10 you paid at the door was maybe one one-millionth of a note of that Nuno solo - feel free to donate more on your way out". Amen.

The high point always for me is the grand finale all-star jam, which really should be called The Celebration. All the night's musician's smush back up on the stage and it truly goes crazy. It went like this:

The Nightwatchman's "The Road I Must Travel" - SO good (and you must check out the new video for it. It puts photos and quotes of great leaders of the past like Che and Mahatma alongside a great leader of today, Nitewatch). The chorus of Na-na-na-na's calls to mind kind of a pirate chantey feel, making the whole crowd throw back rum and their arms around each other in unity, while still getting the point. (Breckin Meyer was back on drums and I heard a girl say, "Who knew Breckin Meyer could play drums?" I did. Now you all do. Awesome, and not an easy task with all those jammers up there.)

A Carter Falco song jam. I loved it but I forget the name. Killer!

"Purple Rain". Come ON! Abby Travis doing Prince vocals (complete with finger-lickings and dance stylings) and Nuno and Kevin and Tom doing Prince guitar-lickings. An all-time favorite played by all-time favorites, it doesn't get much better.

Ah, but it does! "So Lonely" by The Police, with Carl Restivo the vocal exact doppelganger of Sting. No joke, Sting should put him on a retainer in case he ever gets laryngitis on the big tour. Freaky. Awesome. The crowd was literally JUMPING.

To finish the night and the people off, "Walk This Way" - Aerosmith. A fitting statement for us all to TRY and follow in the footsteps of what these guys are doing every Tuesday in April. It rocked so hard. We were all sweating and smiling and singing and ... PHEW!

There is so much to be mad at lately, with the ongoing nasty, horrible war, massacres at schools, no public hanging of the Presidents (regular and vice) yet, gas prices, etcetc ... but there is nothing to be mad at in this scenario. It is a release, a celebration of the good in people and music, a pure JOY! See you next Tuesday! WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

-- Carol Gronner

The Nightwatchman reviews Hotel Cafe 4/10/07
The Hotel Caf� shows are getting reDONKulous. Last nights show was another high water mark in the world of freedom rock. It was the first Tuesday of a four Tuesday stint of shows benefiting Axis of Justice and Food Not Bombs… homeless charities in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Venice and a stellar all star line-up came out to support. Yours truly, The Nightwatchman, began the night with a four song set that included "House Gone Up in Flames", "Midnight in the City of Destruction", "Flesh Shapes the Day" and "Guerrilla Radio",  which I dedicated to two friends of mine who came out to support the evening, Zack De La Rocha and Timmy C, who were enjoying glasses of red wine. Next up was Jon Foreman, the lead singer of Switchfoot, who has been a tireless supporter of the hotel caf� nights. He turned in a great set that was highlighted by a cover of a Bad Religion song. Jon had made fans in the audience and they all knew the words. Accompanying him was the enigmatic Keith, a cello player who played prominently throughout the night with his beautiful cello work. Next up was our good friend, Wayne Kramer, who did an uncompromising set of stirring ballads of war and woe, and as always, was well received. Wayne left the stage and the first unannounced special guest of the night came up. Ben Harper preformed three songs of unequalled beauty and power, accompanying himself with an acoustic guitar and then one of those exotic lap guitars that he plays with a slide. His voice was as angelic as always, and his performance was met with a thunderous applause. He played my favorite Ben Harper song, "Gather 'Round the Stone" which I had the privilege of watching from the front row. Ben then made his exit and then some old friends of mine from my Harvard days got up and played three songs. And yes, the band Extreme made a triumphant return to the Hollywood stage. I don't know if any of you have seen the show "Bands Reunited", but they made the mistake of cornering guitarist Nuno Bettencourt at a Westside lunch joint and Nuno read them the riot act and in words too strong to be shown on VH1, or any other Viacom-owned station.  Nuno and Gary Cherome and company were much more agreeable to play for the Axis of Justice benefit concert and closed the set with a thundering version of "Get the Funk Out."  The evening kept reaching greater heights as unbelievably, Alice in Chains mounted the stage and it was flat-out awesome. They preformed many Alice staples acoustically with new singer William who was doing a great job. They then were joined by Disturbed singer David Draiman for the Alice classic "Down in a Hole" and David was a wonder. He sang beautifully. It was a very touching minor key ballad that had everybody's jaw on the floor. Then I got up on stage with Alice to do one of my favorite AIC songs (that I lobbied Jerry Cantrell earlier in the day to play) the ferocious "Them Bones" which opens the Dirt album. It caused near hysteria in the room despite the fact that I didn't know all the notes. The group jamboree got into full swing with Wayne Kramer leading us all in the classic "Kick Out the Jams" with Jerry Cantrell and Nuno Bettencourt on electric guitar, on drums the star of stage and screen, Breckin Myer, the sturdy Carl Restivo on bass, Jon Foreman from Switchfoot on keyboards, and Keith somehow fitting a cello part into an MC5 song. We all jumped and rocked proudly. The night was nowhere near done and B Real took to the stage and we crushed through four Cypress Hill classics, "Rock Superstar", "Hand on the Pump", "How I Could Just Kill a Man", and finished the night with an extended hi- hop, rock-fury jam of "Insane in the Membrane", leaving both audience and performers completely exhausted and looking forward to next Tuesday night. I'll see ya there ;)
-The Nightwatchman

The Nightwatchman @ SXSW 2007!
"It was awesome." Village Voice Blog - Holy Shit: Slash, Perry Farrell, Tom Morello, Les Claypool, Wayne Kramer, Alexi Murdoch Onstage Together @ SXSW

"In the middle of this chaotic mess was Morello, who, after being just-the-guitarist for so many years, is coming into his own as a frontman. He's got a booming, espresso-rich voice, a nice way with traditional Americana, and most of all, a genial, funny, stage presence that makes a big club feel like a small living room. "Have a nice weekend," he ended the show, "But you won't top that shit!" He might have been right." Entertainment Weekly Popwatch Blog - SXSW: Nightwatchman Patrols After Hours with Celebrity Pals

"Morello went Dylan on the crowd as his political-singer alter-ego the Nightwatchman. Strumming an acoustic guitar and playing harmonica on a rack, he did half a dozen or so songs off his upcoming acoustic solo album One Man Revolution." Orlando Sentinel Online - Tom Morello and Friends

"Audioslave/Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello — stepping out as the sociopolitical solo act the Nightwatchman — had an impressive guest list for his show, including Slash and Perry Farrell. He also played an acoustic set inside a Presbyterian church, whose staff prompted him to rethink a religion-oriented speech he had planned. "That's how sectarian violence comes to an end," he said, "with a couple of nice church ladies."" LA Times - South by Southwest: To Reach The Listener

"Important SXSW Lesson, Number Two: No matter how inconsequential you think Tom Morello might be, do not - under any circumstances - skip out on a performance by his side project, the Nightwatchman, especially when said performance is billed as "featuring special guests." Sure enough, I missed out on another sure-to-be-blogged about highlight (I think I was waiting in line at the Best Wurst truck on Sixth and San Jacinto) an hours-long jam session that featured Slash, Perry Farrell, former MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer and Les Claypool plus Morello doing an harmonica-laced cover of the Rage Against the Machine burner "Guerilla Radio."" MTV.com & VH1.com - Tom Morello Jams With Slash, Bloc Party Draw a Mob As SXSW Wakes Up

MTV.com - Tom Morello's SXSW Gig Turns Into Raucous All-Star Jam With Slash, Perry Farrell

Billboard.com - Morello, Townshend Kick Out The Jams At SXSW

Daily Texan Online - Thursday Goes Hard with A Grand Finale

Check out the exciting MTV footage from SXSW!

Austin Chronicle - Spotlight: Nightwatchman

Austin Chonicle Online - Whatever It Takes

"The song's lyrics, forged in an almost Biblical allegory of revolution, commitment and revenge, may bear a certain resemblance to Johnny Cash's more defiant moments, but the delivery is pure Leonard Cohen, all sawdust and mud in the larynx." Calendar Live, Los Angeles Times - Feb 10, 2007

"People say music can't change the world," Morello says. "Well, we'll see. In my experience, it can - one song, one show, one night at a time. There can be a connection between the music and the audience that produces a tangible change in the world." "Guitar God Goes Acoustic" Associated Press - Feb 7, 2007

"The Nightwatchman is the black Robin Hood of 21st century music," the guitarist proclaimed. "This is material I am very proud of, and due to the troubled times we live in, it seemed like it was an appropriate time to get this music out. Some people might say it's kind of preaching to the converted, but frankly, the converted need a kick in the ass." "Nightwatchman, Rage Reunion Have Morello Fired Up For Political Fights" VH1 News - Feb. 6, 2007

The Nightwatchman at the Hotel Cafe February 6, 2007
My dear people ...

OH, how I wish you could all have been at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood last night!  It was another mind-blower put on by The Nightwatchman, and words will not suffice ... but I'll try to share a smidgen of the joy here with you.

You knew it was going to be epic when you pulled up.  The line (which I have NEVER seen) stretched all the way down the alley in back and curved back in on itself ... and this was a good two hours before showtime!  The best thing was no one really seemed to care, instead killing time sharing stories about music shows they loved, holding the spot while someone went on a Red Stripe run, exchanging numbers to give the heads up for future shows - yep, the good vibes were already flowing.
 
Once inside the above and beyond-whelmed for the capacity demand Hotel, the buzz of excitement was palpable.  The Nightwatchman (Tom Morello) bounded on the small stage to welcome everyone and remind them that it was another benefit for Food Not Bombs and all covers ($10.00 US - the bargain of the century!) would go to feeding our city's homeless, NOT bombs, damnit!  Above all, Tom walks the walk.  He opened the night's festivities with songs from his upcoming album (can't WAIT!) "One Man Revolution" (incredibly aptly named) and killed it.  He ended his too short set by saying "This one is for all of you who can't pony up on Ebay for Coachella" (a reference to the HIGHLY anticipated Rage Against The Machine reunion at the Coachella Festival this coming April) and launched into a solo acoustic version of "Guerilla Radio"!  Stop it.  Too good.  That might even have been enough ... but then - 

Shooter Jennings (son of Waylon) took the stage, accompanied by David Kushner of Velvet Revolver, and another guy whose name I didn't catch.  I've known Shooter since his days with the L.A. rock band Stargunn, and I have to say, it's nice to see him embrace his roots and hear the twang a bit.  He seems more comfortable than ever in his own skin, and it comes through in his songs.  He was feeling it. I miss him playing the piano, though. Great to see you again, Shooter!
Next up, Jill Sobule with her friend, Julia Sweeney (Pat from Saturday Night Live!).  Their songs/stories together were funny - as ever - and also a bit poignant.  I would like to hear them on their own bill without the anticipation for more rock looming.  My favorite is when Jill hits the rock distortion pedal, letting you know that there's more meat there than you might have initially thought.  I need to re-visit her later.

Sean from Seether took the stage next for a couple of songs - I heard someone say "Staind".  Not sure if they meant that for good or evil.  He seems like a good guy.
Queen V.  Now, to paraphrase Jessica Simpson in that one t.v. commercial, "I don't know a thing about her, but I want to".  Against all odds, in a room practically throbbing for the next act ... Tom introduced her as someone who flew 3,000 miles to play one song.  If that was the case, well, Queen V., it was well worth it.  Holy. Moly!  What a voice on this woman!  She fully let the crowd have it, shutting up those who may have driven over from their frat house instantly.  She savored the quality of absolute ROCK in her mouth and spat it out at the people, while also managing to be completely lovely.  Check her out as soon as you can.  You'll be hearing more from her, I know it.

And now ... what they'd all been waiting - and waiting - and WAITING (if you were in that line, you may still be waiting) for ... Mr. Ben Harper!  I have long been a fan, of course, but if I thought I liked him before, well, that was a faint shadow of the sheer reverence that wells up in me as I type this.  Man.  I didn't care that my boots were killing me, that it was hot as hell in there, that I was dehydrating from not wanting to leave my post to get a drink, I was instantly BLISSED out of my face.  That guy just kills me.  His voice lifts you up and far above any cares you may have had and lets you know that these moments are really all that matter.  

After some old familiars/loved ones ("Amen, Omen", etc) he ended his pure and heartfelt set with one that he introduced as "Lifeline" - both the title of the song and his upcoming album (and the one I'll only be listening to for quite a while).  The most gorgeous, lush, freakishly beautiful lap guitar intro ever led into the most stunning song I've heard in a long, long while.  If anything was really wrong with you in that moment, then it surely was a lifeline.  The MASSIVE ovation that met the end of it summed up the joy and privilege I think everyone felt to be in that room, in that instant.

But it wasn't over yet!  Tom asked all the players back up on stage for the now customary end of the show All-Star jam.  This is always my favorite part, as the clear joy of just playing, sans egos (or even much rehearsal), for the FUN of it, is exactly what you get.  My buddy Breckin Meyer (official All-Star Jam drummer) clicked his sticks together to launch the opening of U2's "Vertigo"... with Ben Harper taking over for Bono and everyone else either jamming or singing along the chorus - same as the crowd.  Awesome.  You honestly wouldn't be surprised if Bono DID show up - or even Bruce Springsteen.  

Leading to "Born In the U.S.A."  I have to admit, I haven't been that proud of my country (or rather, its government) for some time now, but in this moment, singing along with everyone in the room, I felt that old pride well up again.  The one that made you want to decorate your bike as a kid and ride in the 4th of July parade, the one that you chanted "USA!" while watching the Olympics, the one that makes you get choked up during the National Anthem before games .. because to be free, to share this song and this music with these people in these times is the whole point of our Constitution in the first place.  The REAL pursuit, no, ACHIEVEMENT, of happiness.  I know this sounds a bit gushy, but it honestly felt just like that.
To top it all off in truly INSANE fashion, Tom brought up Sen-Dog and B-Real (!) from Cypress Hill!  Now I was moving into CRAZY happy territory, guys.  SOSOSO good.  Tom said, "Unless you're Mary Morello (his lovely and inspirational Mom down front), stand the fuck up!"  No problem. The jammers opened with "Insane In The Membrane" ("insane in the BRAIN!") and the herbal aura wafted perfectly above their heads.  My face actually hurts today from all the grinning.  "Rock Superstar" was next, and oh, so appropriate for the image of all that talent stuffed onto that tiny stage.  No cowbell handy, so Ben Harper made do with shot glass clink percussion.  I love that guy.  Tell him, I don't mind.

The showstopper, literally and figuratively, was Tupac's "California Love"!  If the crowd hadn't gone wild yet (it had), it sure did now.  "In the cityyyyyyyyy, city of Compton ... keep it rockiiiiiiiin"  And we all did.  Still.  Always.  
These are the things you put in the pocket of your heart and carry with you and return to during tough ones.  Happy.  Rock.  Spread it.

I REALLY hope I get to see you at the next killer show - or that you'll tell me about your own.  

Music + Love + Compassion = The whole point.

-  Carol Gronner

The Nightwatchman at the Hotel Cafe January 30, 2007
On January 30th, 2007 The Nightwatchman once again took the Hotel Cafe by storm with a rollicking hootenanny.

As always The Nightwatchman mounted the stage first and played four of his classics, "House Gone Up in Flames," "Union Song," "Midnight in the City of Destruction," and my personal favorite, "Flesh Shapes the Day"� I mean when can you hear a songwriter tell you that Jesus was black! His words and emotions struck the crowd with a heavy blow this night and you could have heard a pin drop the audience was so silent when he performed. He got a standing ovation when he was done.

Next up was Jill Sobule... She rocked the crowd with her incredible spirit, witty lyrics, and kick ass voice.

Following her was Ike Reilly, who traveled 2000 miles to play 3 songs on the stage with The Nightwatchman. Now that is some serious commitment to party right? Ike and The Nightwatchman go way back and the crowd was regaled with tales of their past. Ike's voice was crisp and his lyrics were strong. It was great to see him perform and I'm glad he made the trip.

Next to mount were Carter Falco and his band. His electric guitarist, who rocked SO hard, had a Backstreet Boys t-shirt on. Normally I would say that was weird but for some reason I think it worked with the rag tag assemble. Carter's voice is very unique and his band compliments him well� Backstreet Boys t-shirt and all.

Next up was Andrew Ripp. Andrew was a newcomer to the Hotel and you could tell he put everything into his opening performance. This kid was working hard. He sounded great... like a mix between Ray LaMontagne and someone else I can't quite put my finger on. Nonetheless, he was excellent and I hope he returns.

Next up was the incomparable Wayne Kramer from the MC mother f#@$&ing 5!!! This dude is a legend and its always a pleasure when he can join the hootenanny.

Finally the rag tag group of super rock stars mounted the stage together. They played "Fortunate Son," "I Will Survive," "Kick Out The Jams," and "Paradise City." Shooter Jennings joined the group for "Paradise City" and rocked out with everyone. I must say it is rare to hear 10 musicians play anything at the same time, let along 10 Hotel Caf� all stars playing covers of some of the most classic songs ever. These nights will not be forgotten and I hope they continue. Can't wait for the next one!

If you'd like to hear more from me, here is my blog link... www.huffingtonpost.com/jason-pollock or come be my friend on myspace... www.myspace.com/jasonrpollock

Peace Out- Jason Pollock

The Nightwatchman at the Hotel Cafe January 16, 2007
January 16 Guest artists: Nuno Bettencourt, Kid Lightning, Shooter Jennings, Jon Foreman and Sen Dog.

Tuesday nights with The Nightwatchman at the Hotel Caf� continued on in January with the first show played on the 16th. It was another great night with Tom as well as Nuno Bettencourt, Kid Lightning, Jon Foreman, Shooter Jennings and Sen Dog.

The Nightwatchman played four songs: House Gone up In Flames, Flesh Shapes The Day, Midnight in the City of Destruction (new), and a jam with Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme), Kid Lightning and others on The Road I Must Travel. My favorite of the four was Midnight in the City of Destruction. Tom said that it was dedicated to MLK and what it might be like if he were President rather than George W. Its lyrical content is very descriptive and, as always, powerful. He sings of losing his dog which he didn't just save, but which saved him. There was also verse about a Hurricane Katrina's victim anguish who wished that the president would drown too. It had a simple but melodious chorus that stuck in my head for much of the night. The crowd was with him through his entire set and seemed to know his music well. His Tuesday night sets have caught on.

Kid Lightning came out with Chris Joyner on piano- great music and Kid is a great entertainer. He played his beautiful and emotional “I Give You Up” and then he followed that up his favorite childhood lullaby, “Straight Outta Compton”.

Shooter Jennings is a real country singer (not that pop/country stuff) who looks and sounds a little like his dad too (Waylon). The highlight came when he sang and played the piano while Tom played acoustically on 'I Am The Highway". Shooter put his own twist on this song. It really could be a country song! Of course hearing Tom play on an Audioslave song again was amazing.

Nuno Bettencourt and his band rocked four songs electrically which included an Extreme song "Cupid's Dead", Queen's "I Want to Break Free", one of his own songs (sorry, don’t know the name!) and a Police song- "So Lonely". The bass player sang this one and sounded more like Sting than Sting!

To close the show, Sen Dog from Cypress Hill came out and performed "Insane in The Membrane" and “California Love" with the all star band. The final song was "You Shook Me All Night Long" with everyone joining in. People in the crowd were jumping up and down- acting like the 15 year old kids that they still have inside them. It’s also amazing to see 10 (or so) professional musicians on an 8’ X 5’ stage. That’s about $1 per musician, for anyone counting, however none of them get a cent. It’s all for two great causes- Axis of Justice and Food Not Bombs.

- Dana Born

The Nightwatchman at the Hotel Cafe January 13, 2007
The Nightwatchman’s Tuesday night residency at the Hotel Caf� continued this January with the second show being played on January 23rd. Tom was joined by Jon Foreman, Sean Watkins from Nickel Creek, Sen-Dog, Queen V, Jerry Quickley, Chuck Ragan.

The Nightwatchman took the stage at around 9 and addressed the crowd by appropriately stating that he could not “get anyone free tickets to Coachella,” referring to the recent news regarding one of Tom’s previous bands, Rage Against The Machine, reforming for a slot at the Coachella festival.

The Nightwatchman then leaped into a blistering 4 song set, opening with the haunting “Midnight in the City of Destruction,” which was followed by the ever powerful “Union Song,” “House Gone up in Flames” which was accompanied by a manic harmonica solo, and “Let Freedom Ring.” The devoted crowed obviously held a lot of respect for Tom, and rightly so. His blend of Folk/Acoustic song styling with politically charged, passionate lyrics means that it would be difficult for anyone not to realize that what the Nightwatchman stands for is something greater and more unifying than any run of the mill performer. Tom dedicated his set as a response to George Bush’s State of the Union speech which he saw earlier, to which a rapturous applause was awarded.

Next up was an acoustic set by New York City’s Queen V, with growling, relentless vocals. Queen V certainly managed to raise the attention of the crowd with her cover of AC/DC track “Big Balls.” Quite a spectacle to see so many people in a room shouting ‘balls’ to each other with such intensity and passion!

Next up was Sean Watkins from Nickelcreek who delivered a beautiful acoustic set in which he spoke about how he ‘saw the face’ that was representative to him of the people that the music of the night was trying to help. Sean then went into the song “She Brushes Her Teeth” in which he sang about the fickleness of society and its ability to segregate and isolate us. Sean was followed by Chuck Ragan who delivered a heartfelt acoustic set that was greatly received by all, including the Nightwatchman who stated that it was ‘the Nightwatchman’s kind of music!’ Jerry Quickly then mounted the stage to deliver a relentless political onslaught of rap/poetry concerning the state of America and the large events that has shaped the country. Dedicating a song to his fallen friends lost in the horrors of 9/11, Jerry’s set was greeted with the adulation it deserved.

The Nightwatchman then prompted the crowd to go into ‘the pot smoke filled room’ and retrieve all the acts of the night in order for an in house jam to take place. The acts took to the stage to deliver a rendition of Peter Frampton’s “Show Me The Way” with Kid Lightning, Sean Watkins and Queen V singing the lead vocals. This was followed by a hard rocking Judas Priest cover of “You Got Another Thing Comin’” in which Queen V took the mic providing a vocal performance that made Rob Halford look like a pop idol reject. The end of the show saw Sen-Dog of Cypress Hill fame join Jerry Quickly for the Rage Against the Machine version of Cypress Hill track “How I Could Just Kill a Man” which, despite a bit of a sketchy start, succeeded in creating a frenzy in the crowd, the perfect way to end the night.

All proceeds from tonight’s show went towards the Food Not Bombs organization, and many of the supporting artists also donated the money raised from demo sales on the night towards the same cause. In a world that seems drowned in turmoil and hostility it is comforting to know that there are people not only trying to make a difference but proving that positive things can be achieved when we unite for the same cause.

- James Morgan

---------------------------------

On January 23rd, 2007 The Nightwatchman Hootenanny returned for its weekly show at the Hotel Cafe. The Nightwatchman led off the evening as he normally does with his music full of passion and social conscious. He is a rare artist these days... someone who actually cares enough about our world to sing about it.

After he performed he had an eclectic mix of his friends perform. They were Queen V, Jon Foreman & Sean Watkins, Chuck Ragan, and Jerry Quickly & Money Mark.

Finally the night was coming to end but one more tradition needed to take place for this Nightwatchman party to be complete.... that, of course, was the All Star Jam.

The Nightwatchman had all of his performers back onto the stage to rock the crowd with four incredible renditions of classic songs. First they played the Peter Frampton song "Show Me the Way." Then Queen V ripped apart the Judas Priest song "You've Got Another Thing Comin"... let me tell you, that girl has some serious pipes. Finally The Nightwatchman had one more trick up his sleeve. He welcomed to the stage his dear friend Sen Dog from Cypress Hill to rock the crowd with two classic hip hop songs. First he played "It's Tricky" by Run DMC and then they played "How I could just Kill a Man" by Cypress Hill. The Nightwatchman added a bit of a Rage flair to the last rendition and I must say that no one there will soon forget it.

These weekly shows at the Hotel Cafe have really become not only a staple in my life but I'm sure to many in attendance. They are such a special gathering of musicians and it is so amazing to see everyone perform in such an intimate setting. To top it all off, they raise money for two worthy organizations and everyone in attendance not only leaves satisfied with the music they have heard but also with some slivers of truth to think about as they go on their way. The Nightwatchman has created such an amazing spectacle of sounds and sights at the Hotel Cafe and if you can make it down one Tuesday night, I highly recommend it.

Peace Out- jp

P.S.- If you'd like to know more about me please check out my blog... www.huffingtonpost.com/jason-pollock... or my myspace page... www.myspace.com/jasonrpollock

The Nightwatchman at the Hotel Cafe in November!

November 28 (special guests - Perry Farrell and Nuno Bettencourt, Alexi Murdoch, and Low Stars -- featuring Jude, Jeff Russo of Tonic, Dave Gibbs of Gigolo Aunts, Chris Seefriend, and Serj Tankian)
On November 28th, 2006 the Nightwatchman played the Hotel Caf�. He brought along with him his band of misfits and miscreants to rock the caf� like it had never been rocked before. It was a night of music unlike any the maximum capacity crowd had ever witnessed. Some might call it the Nightwatchman hootenanny. The proceeds of the night went to two awesome organizations... 'Axis of Justice' and 'Food Not Bombs'.

First up was the Nightwatchman himself to rock the souls of all in attendance. He spoke of truth and justice and of what we need in this world. All that were there were touched by his words and his presence.

Then up was the incomparable Perry Farrell and his new band 'Satellite Party.' Their sound was new and unique and it was so incredible to be able to witness Perry rock so hard in such an intimate setting.

Then up was the incredible Serj Tankian. Normally one might see Serj rocking out hard core on stage with his bad 'System of A Down.' But this was a night for unique things and special performances. Serj serenaded all that were in attendance with 2 songs that he played solo on the stage with only his guitar. It was incredible to see such an amazing artist in such a raw setting.

Next to mount the stage was Alexi Murdoch. This young man is one of the best singer songwriters I have ever heard. He hails from Scotland and his voice, guitar playing, and lyrics meld together like nothing I have ever heard before. He played 3 songs and I could hear many in the crowd begging for more. The final 2 acts were Jill Sobule and the 'Low Stars'. They rocked out and helped bolster the already amazing line up.

The Nightwatchman was the MC of the evening and he added his flare of introducing each act and a bit of progressive humor throughout the show. Finally, he asked all the performers to mount the stage on last time for an all-star closing act to this already incredible night of music. Everyone I have just listed got onto the stage and played 3 more songs together. They played 'All the Young Dudes,' 'Mountain Song,' and 'Sweet Emotion'... These were renditions that will forever be engraved onto the minds of the people that were able to witness this amazing night of rock.

I for one, am so proud that I could be there to enjoy it... Peace Out- jp

If you'd like to check out more from me, check out my blog huffingtonpost.com/jason-pollock OR my myspace page...

November 21 (special guests - Alexi Murdoch, Sheila Nicholls, and Kid Lightning)
It's another Nightwatchman November Night in Hollywood's candle-lit and cozy Hotel Cafe. Tom Morello aka The Nightwatchman enters with his weapons of choice: a humble harmonica, and an acoustic guitar. His presence is magnetic; his voice is shockingly deep and full on righteous. For those who are familiar with his hard rock tunes, on the flip side you'll find that this (as Tom has coined himself) "One Man Revolution," with a simple acoustic guitar, and a harmonica, can still rock hard without being very loud. Leave it to such a profound person to command the attention of the typical, self-absorbed Hollywood crowds. It was a full house, within minutes the room was filled. I'm sure half of the people there did not know what to expect. The Nightwatchman strips himself of his typical guitar rig, pedals, effects, and killswitch, and lays down the law with the minimalist approach, still playing just as hard and just as rough. Listening to his rawness and sheer sincerity reminds me of a cold moonlit night with coyotes howling the bitter blues. His impassioned and meaningful lyrics shed light on important issues, looking to use his talent as a vehicle to spread social awareness to his listeners. I found myself feeling inspired and renewed, given hope to carry on and to "fight the good fight," whatever it takes.

Other acts during the evening included Sheila Nicholls, Spaceyli sa , the rustic sounds of Shadwrak & the Greedy Souls, and the spellbinding Alexi Murdoch.

Alexi Murdoch is someone to look out for. There's been buzz about him for a while now, and he has developed quite a following, but I see that his time is soon approaching. His sound is honest, refreshing, and completely brilliant.

As the closing act, all the night's performers gathered on stage for a few "We Are The World"-esque sing-along songs. My favorite of these was easily John Lennon's Instant Karma. It was interesting to see how all the performers would arrange themselves to fit on that tiny stage. The Hotel Cafe is a very intimate "venue."
This was quite a night of surprises, uplifting entertainment, and an evening filled with the warm and satisfying feeling of knowing all proceeds went to Food Not Bombs and The Axis of Justice. I was there volunteering for Tom Morello and The Axis of Justice, signing people up for the mailing list and gathering like-minded sup porters of progressive change, but it's performances like these that leave an impacting impression; it is something much more concrete than a book, pamphlet, or brochure. - Denise Vallejo

November 14 (special guests - Jill Sobule, Boots Riley of The Coup, Alexi Murdoch, Kid Lightning, and Shadwrak and the Greedy Souls)
The Hotel Caf� isn’t easy to find. It’s in the alleyway behind Cahuenga Blvd. When we finally found the entrance, we went in but could barely see a thing. There were a few tables, two bars and I think a few matchsticks for lighting. Not exactly what you’d expect a caf� to look like, but it also wasn’t your typical L.A. club or crowd either.

The AOJ show started with The Nightwatchman. He came out with his weapon of choice- the "whatever it takes" acoustic guitar- in hand. After a bit of tuning, he started off the show with "Flesh Shapes the Day". "Mic check... woo hooo hooo hooooo!!" It got the attention of the crowd. There were quite a few people who were there specifically for his performance, but those who weren’t seemed surprised by his powerful entrance. Many stopped the usual milling about in the bar and actually paid attention to what he was singing. Imagine that... in Hollywood!!

"The Garden of Gethsemane" was another awesome gem that commanded attention. Tom let us know that it was a song based on true events, and he wasn’t talking about Jesus and Judas. Everyone in the room was quiet- you could literally hear if someone coughed. A beautiful and disturbing song- the kind that makes people think. Another highlight was one of my personal favorites, "Maximum Firepower". One line in this song describes exactly what I think of when I hear The Nightwatchman: "I’m the triggerman and tonight I’ll prove that this machine kills fascists too!" It’s him! It’s what he does and tonight was no exception. There were a few big rounds of "Oh yeah!!" and "WOOOOO!!"s after lines like that. He seemed to be breaking down any defenses that this crowd had left.

At the end of his set, he started to play a bluesy sort of song that he said Brendan O’Brien had encouraged him to play. Now I’ve been to several Nightwatchman shows and I know that he has a lot of material that I haven’t heard, but it still sounded unlike anything that I’d heard him play before. He started in on the lyrics which were vaguely familiar...."transmission third world war third round..a decade of the weapon of sound above ground....no shelter if youre looking for shade". The lights went on in my little brain... it’s "Guerrilla Radio"! It was brilliant.... I loved it! It was everything it should be... angry, defiant, powerful and ballsy.... but different from the original.... bluesy and acoustic.

He ended his set but that wasn’t the last we’d heard from The Nightwatchman. He went on to accompany Boots Riley from the Coup on his set. The chemistry between these two performers is fantastic! Hearing them perform "5 Million Ways To Kill A CEO" and "Ride The Fence" was insanely good. I know those songs are powerful social commentaries, but they’re also good for ass shaking!

At the end of the night, all of the performers (Jill Sobule, Kid Lightning, Alexi Murdoch, Boots, Tom and more) got onstage together and did a few songs together. "Crazy’ by Gnarls Barkley was surprisingly good. I’ll have to admit that I’m not a fan of the original, but acoustically with Jill’s and Kid Lightning’s vocals and Tom’s guitar, it improved on the original tenfold. The closer, "The Road I Must travel" is a great communal, continue-with-the-fight sing-a-long - a definite stand out song that had the crowd clapping along and even singing.

This wasn’t the sort of night that you’d probably expect in Hollywood. No flashy rock show, no wannabe starlets looking too cool for you. It was a back alley club with great social/political music. Hopefully soon, some of you will get a chance to hear it in an alleyway near you. -Dana Born

Uprise Finale Concert featuring The Nightwatchman
On the cold and rainy night of October 26th, Chicago-based DePaul University witnessed the gathering of its small but tightly knit activist community, the last spectators of the ‘Uprise tour’, comprised of, among others, Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello. Towards the night’s ending, a charismatic Mary Morello exclaims: "and now I would like to introduce my son, the Nightwatchman...."

Tom Morello’s appearance was heralded as unexpected, but a sure gift to die-hard fans and political zealots, him being one of the many idolized celebrity challengers to America’s controversial government. He stood on the stage as an army of one, a force to be reckoned with as he hypnotized the audience with the ringing of a heavy acoustic guitar and subtle, mesmerizing lyrics.

His fame did not prevent him from mingling with his fans: anyone could just go up and talk to him, ask him about his career, about songs they didn’t understand and such. Not only was he responsive, but just as intrigued by the students as they were with him. This comes to show that social interaction barriers were (and should be, in our opinion) disvalued, as he simply, openly acknowledged the enablement and objective of his very presence there that night.

Tom Morello’s (free) performance was only the last of several musical acts, all of them, like the Nighwatchman, having governmental opposition at the root of their songs and purpose: from folk singer Ryan Harvey to Hip-hop performers Son of Nun and Head-Roc and Noyeek, ‘Uprise’ was definitely the
soul of the evening.

- Tanya and Alex

DePaul University, October 26, 2006
Through the Eyes of a Child

My thirteen year- old son attended his first anti-war concert today and I was extremely eager for his reaction. On the afternoon of September 11, 2001, he and his friends came home from school, 8 year- old chests pumped out with bravado, claiming they would help fight the Arab terrorists. I was alarmed at his perceptions and have since been trying to intersperse his education with another point of view. Hence, The Nightwatchman came to town and my son’s mind opened a few inches wider last night.

The concert was held in the Atrium of the student center, a small enough area to be considered intimate. Mostly students congregated, though there were a few people my age, cling-ons from the punk era milling about. There were tables of anti-war buttons, literature and a particularly succinct t-shirt: recruiters are child predators. It was as casual a scene as I could have imagined and I was happy my son was there, but wished the turnout was larger. I estimate there were about 150 -200 people tops, throughout the whole night, walking in and out.

The opening performances were interesting and smacked of a by-gone era, an era before indifference and apathy set over this country. Ryan Harvey did a set of folk songs that reinforced that theme as he sang and strummed his acoustic guitar. His best friend was blown apart in Iraq, and he has been avenging his death by spreading the anti-armed force gospel around the country. Vets who fought in Iraq also gave anti-war speeches. This could have been more effective, but their hearts were in the right place. It was especially riveting when they told of army recruiters prowling the stadium in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, drumming up business. Son of Nun took the floor, urging us to participate in his rap by chanting with him, and the tempo of the evening clearly picke d up. My son knocked fists with him twice. Head Roc War Machine was a duo of rappers and got the place dancing while they rapped about poverty and the plight of minorities.

Mary Morello then took the stage and became a hero to my son forever. "Fuck Bush," she cried out to us, and the crowd exploded and I smiled from ear to ear. Yes, yes, fuck Bush! Tom Morello, the Nightwatchman strapped on his guitar and it was clear to everyone that he needed no big stick to drive his point home. His voice and guitar were weapons enough, punctuated with his trademark crowing on the Nawlins- flavored Flesh Shapes the Day. Complacency is torn to shreds in the powerful "House Gone Up In Flames," and I searched the crowd to see if they were paying attention. They were. Union Song is a rocking and loving tribute to all working men and women who have put their asses on the line, day in and day out. My son’s eyes blazed, as his father has stood on a union picket line and he might one d ay, also. The highlight was a song that Tom apologized in advance for even trying, but assured us we would piss our pants rocking to the metal, and yes, there may have been some soggy drawers. He played a blues-heavy acoustic version of Guerilla Radio, and my son, a Rage enthusiast, was in metal heaven. More than a few of us lost our minds and some of us will never forget this special gift to us. He dedicated the glorious Let Freedom Ring to his mother, and I pray that my son understands that freedom is not for just a chosen few; that capitalism and freedom are not interchangeable.

On the ride home, my son turns to me and asks: "What does Tom Morello mean when he says that his army wears black masks and carries black flags?"

"Well," I say....and we talk and keep each other up during the hour-long ride home. -Jill Haley

October 5, 2006 - Rally
"H. Maxwell here. Oct. 5th was a day of national protest against the Bush administration and the Nightwatchman played at a rally in downtown Los Angeles in support of the event. The organization hosting the protests is called World Can't Wait. I believe they are kinda a front group for the Revolutionary Communist Party, a Maoist sect. Anyway, there were demonstrations in over 200 cities around the country according to one speaker. Tom was supposed to go on at 2pm but was about an hour late. Fortunately I had the day off so I just chilled in the square with my friends Todd and Amy, ate Subway sandwiches, and listened to the nonstop anti-Bush rants. Some speakers made good points, others just tried to get the crowd to do lame chants. Then finally Nightwatchman was introduced as "a man who needs no introduction...Tom Morello...The Nightwatcher!" Pretty funny. Anyway people were just kinda sitting around until he was introduced but then everybody got up and moved toward the makeshift stage. I estimate there were probably 400 or so people there. All ages. Anarchists, mom's, kids, hippies, students, activists. Tom started by saying: "I'm glad I got out of jail in time to play this show! But I only have time for three songs because I need to stay one step ahead of the law!" The first song was dedicated to the hotel workers in L.A. and their struggle "not just for better wages, but for a better world." So he played a good version on "Union Song." I love the harmonica in that one. Then came "House Gone Up In Flames." My friend Todd who is a musician said it sounded out of tune, but Tom was fired up and I didn't notice. Last song was "Flesh Shapes The Day" which kicked ass. I favorite bands are Tool and Mars Volta and it's weird how an acoustic song can sometimes kick ass like heavy rock. So that was it. We yelled for an encore but Tom had to split saying "I don't know any more!" We had to run too but I saw lots of parents taking pix of Tom with their kids as he was trying to escape. All in all a brief but good show. THE NIGHTWATCHMAN TELLS IT LIKE IT IS!" H. Maxwell

September 28, 2006 - Rally

The Nightwatchman plays for the thousands in attendance


The Nightwatchman shares the stage with fellow performer Ben Harper

The Nightwatchman and Ben Harper fight the power

The Nightwatchman and 400 others block traffic in century blvd.

Here come the calvary

The Nightwatchman gets arrested for refusing to move out the street. His work here is done.
On September 28th, 2006 something amazing happened in Los Angeles. Thousands flocked to the hotels of LAX airport. The Nightwatchman and about 400 people were arrested when they shut down Century Boulevard. The reasons for this protest were many. The main reason however was that the hotel workers near LAX have been on strike because of an onslaught of unfair treatment that they have endured for far too long. They get paid 20% less than hotel workers all over the city of Los Angeles. Also, almost 80% of their tips go back to the hotel and they see very little of them. Many of the hotel workers are immigrants and they are sick and tired of being treated like this.

The scene was set for the Nightwatchman to take this cause by storm and he did in full force. He played his Union Song for the thousands that were in attendance and invited his friend Ben Harper to play a song or two for the crowd as well. The spirit in the air after these performances was thick with the smell of revolution. The Nightwatchman reminded the crowd and the media that any major change in this country that has taken place has happened because of days like this when the few stand up to the powers that be in a major way. Women didn't get their right to vote because they sat on the sideline. African Americans didn't get their rights because they sat down and acted apathetic. So too, this day was the day for immigrants in Los Angeles and all over the country to cry out and ask to be treated like equals. The Nightwatchman led that charge.

He is a soul who will be there whenever the common man needs a little pick me up. He is there when workers rights are being terrorized by the powers that be. And on Sept. 28th, 2006, he was there on Century Boulevard with 400 other arrested protestors to say that they were not going to take it anymore.

Many in “the industry” do not use their currency wisely, but on this day the Nightwatchman stood strong with these protestors to show the rest of the world how you are supposed to make change… By any means necessary. - J. Pollock



PHOTOS: SEAN RICIGLIANO

The Nightwatchman Tells It Like It Is!
Last night The Nightwatchman played an Axis of Justice sponsored show to celebrate imprisoned Native American activist Leonard Peltier's birthday and to raise money for his defense team. The show was at On The Rox in Hollywood and was filled to capacity. I arrived during an amazing set by 7 or 8 women playing acoustic guitars and doing percussion with their feet on a wooden board and keeping time by strumming the jawbone of an ass! It was beautiful mexican music and they were well received. Next up Tom introduced a singer/songwriter by the name of Ike Reilley. His songs were good but the crowd was not paying much attention. When he finished a 12 year old girl came onstage and read a letter from Leonard Peltier thanking everyone for their support and encouraging us to keep up the struggle for human rights. It was very moving. She then introduced The Nightwatchman. Tom came on and made everyone move closer by saying "You may approach The Nightwatchman!" He played an inspired set opening up with a rocking version of "Flesh Shapes The Day". Everyone sang along with the "whooo! whooo!" part. Then came a brand new song which if I'm not mistaken he said was the title track for the upcoming Nightwatchman album! Exciting if true. It was called "One Man Revolution" and in one listen already sounds like his theme song. A funny line about not being on the guest list at the Playboy Mansion was balanced with "in my nightmares the streets are aflame/in my dreams it's much the same". Snap. Next came "Union Song" which is one of my favorites and riles the people up. Then Tom told a hilarious story about how he first became involved in the Leonard Peltier case in 1994 when Rage made a video for the song "Freedom". They chose that song because there were no swear words and so it would get played on MTV. But no one noticed til after the video was made that at one point Zack yells "bring that shit in!" So they devised a plan to tell the MTV censors that he was really saying "sheeteen" the Lakota Sioux word for "freedom". Funny. Anyway, "Maximum Firepower" was dedicated to "the Axis of Justice 55" who were arrested defending the South Central Farm. It was followed by a beautiful and haunting version of "The Garden of Gethsemane" where u could hear a pin drop. Then there were a lot of technical problems during "House Gone Up In Flames" which took a little away from the performance but the lyrics to this song are just chilling. There's this line about praying that they don't find us under the stairs followed by something about "the black cold pressure on the ocean floor" that is just so unnerving. The night ended with "Let Freedom Ring" and a spirited sing along of "The Road I Must Travel" where he was joined onstage by Ike Reilley. All in all a great night with great music. I always leave these Nightwatchman shows energized... and a little unnerved. THE NIGHTWATCHMAN TELLS IT LIKE IT IS! H. Maxwell

June 4, 2006: Ralph Nader joins Julia "Butterfly" Hill and Tom Morello at the embattled South Central Farm in downtown Los Angeles. They stand beneath the walnut tree Ms. Hill has occupied for 20 days to prevent developers from demolishing the 14-acre Farm. Mr. Morello performs regularly at the Farm; Ms. Hill is on the 20th day of a fast while tree-sitting.

Photo � 2006 David Fukumoto - all media use granted to publicize the South Central Farm

"On Sunday June 4th The Nightwatchman reappered at the South Central Farm to rock it once more. The tension on the farm has been growing rapidly because of the looming threat of everyone getting kicked off their land. The Nightwatchman could feel this tension growing and stormed the farm with his powerful words and attitude. Not one farmer or activist that was there wasn't touched the the actions of The Nightwatchman. He is a purveyor of all that inspires us to keep on fighting the good fight. When the activists on the South Central Farm were in need of a pick me up, The Nightwatchman was there to take the mic and speak his mind. The concert which he organized raged late into the night and as the amps flowed through the cool night air of south central the feeling of victory was on the tip of everyone's tongue. The city of Los Angeles has been warned that this farm will not be had the corporate powers that run amuck in America today. The Nightwatchman was there on Sunday to lead that charge away from corporate control and back to what is good and honest in America... Our Freedom. I for one, am damn glad I could witness it. It is things like this that will help push the pendulum of politics in our country back to where it should be. Peace Out- jp" Check out more from Jason Pollock at huffingtonpost.com/jason-pollock and myspace.com/jasonrpollock


PHOTOS: JOHNNY BUZZERIO

Nightwatchman Show Reviews

“H. Maxwell here. On May 19th The Nightwatchman played a show at The South Central Farm in Los Angeles. If you haven't been following this story check out axisofjustice.org for more info. It is really horrible what is happening. The South Central Farm is the largest urban farm in America and feeds 350 low income families. It's a beautiful oasis in the middle of a very dreary part of the city. Anyway, the city sold it out from underneath the farmers and they are going to be evicted so a billionaire developer can build warehouses on the sight. Evil. So this show was a benefit for the South Central Farm to buy supplies for the people who are going to occupy the farm and do civil disobedience when the cops come to try to throw them out. There were about 300 people in attendence and the stage was in the middle of a road that cuts between the gardens. It was quite beautiful. The opening act was wild. I guess you could call them a “rock” band, but they played some idigenous instruments as well as guitars, bass, and drums. They were wearing what looked like Aztec meets Road Warrior outfits, sounded kinda like a beat poet version of Mars Volta, and the singer was piiiiiiiissed off. The singer gave Tom props for always being down with the people and “not giving a FUCK”. Tom was up next and was doing all his own set up, very D.I.Y. He was wearing the traditional black Nightwatchman outfit and played a pretty great set. He opened up with Flesh Shapes The Day and House Gone Up In Flames and people were hanging on every word. Then Maximum Firepower, dedicated to “all the revolutionary sisters and rebel girls in the audience tonight!”, and Union Song. When he sang the spanish verse in Union Song people went nuts. The sound system was really clear which was good because the lyrics are so important and I think there were a lot of Nightwatchman 1st timers present. He then played a hyped up version of This Land Is Your Land, introducing it as a song by Woody Guthrie “who fought and sang for farmers rights his whole life”. And saying that the chorus of the song was literally true in this case “THIS land is YOUR land!” He sang some of it in spanish too which was cool. At the end he repeated over and over and over “never give up! never give in!!!” And we went wild. Then the encore was Let Freedom Ring which is a slower song but with very ominous lyrics and by this time the whole farm was silent and listening. It finished with an almost Rage-like stomp and fury and that was that. The crowd was energized for the struggle ahead. I later saw Tom being interviewed by actress Daryl Hannah who has been a supporter of The Farm. The next act was that group that I think Zack has sung with before, playing indigeneous Mexican tunes. They were real good with about 10 acoustic guitar players and people were swaying to their long rythmic jams. I left near the end of their set and I hope the South Central Farm is around for a long time to host similar great concerts. Until next time. THE NIGHTWATCHMAN TELLS IT LIKE IT IS!” H. Maxwell

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THE NIGHTWATCHMAN: REPORTS FROM THE FRONTLINES

“Hi, I'm H. Maxwell. Friend of Tom's, longtime fan of Rage, somewhat less a fan of Audioslave, and I go to most Nightwatchman shows. Tom asked me to write reports from the shows for this website and I couldn't think of a good reason why not. So here goes.

I happened to be in Washington D.C. for a friend's wedding when Tom played in nearby Virginia so I got to go to the show. Apparently Tom was given the Elenor Roosevelt human rights award the day before for his efforts for unions and workers so he scheduled a one off Axis of Justice benefit with Boots Riley and a local band. The show was at an odd venue called Java Junction or Java Jungle in nearby Virginia. Question: Will the revolution begin in a suburban strip mall? Answer: We shall see. I got there early and we were kept outside while an earnest middle aged joni mitchell type played to a pretty full house in khaki pants. When her show ended the place cleared out and the house pretty quickly got packed for The Nightwatchman show. The opening act was The U-liners, a band fronted as we would later learn by Joe Uehline [sp?] a longtime labor organizer. They played pretty much all cover songs by the likes of steve earle, billy bragg, and bruce springsteen and even though the crowd was originally restless they won us over. Next came The Nightwatchman. I think some fans didn't really know what “tom morello solo acoustic” really meant and might have been expecting flamenco shredding or something! Anyway, the set was tight. He played Until The End, Union Song, Maximum Firepower [my personal favorite] which tom dedicated to the IRA hunger strikers because it was the 25th anniversary of the death of irish martyr bobby sands, House Gone Up In Flames, Let Freedom Ring, a new one I think called Flesh Shapes The Day and finished with an old italian anti-facist sing along called Bella Ciao. Bella Ciao was played by one of the Riot-Folk guys at a show with Tom in Venice, CA I saw earlier this year so he must have liked it and everybody went nuts at the end. I may be missing a couple tunes from the set but that's pretty close. Anyway, then tom was joined by Boots Riley of the rap group The Coup. Boots did about 5 songs just backed up by tom on acoustic guitar. Boot's lyrics really shine through in that context. Smart, funny, and mad as hell. Then the U-liners joined tom and Boots and they did a version of The Nightwatchman's “The Road I Must Travel” and finished with a totally kick ass rocking version of Woody Guthrie's “This Land Is Your Land”. Boots even rapped a verse. It finished with the whole place raising the roof singing the chorus together with fists in the air. It was cool to see on the stage and in the crowd young, old, black, white, men, women all rocking together for freedom. As the last chord strummed out Tom said with a smile, “ok kids, now go smash the state!” We roared for an encore but apparently that was all the songs they knew. All in all a pretty inspiring evening all the way around. THE NIGHTWATCHMAN TELLS IT LIKE IT IS!” H. Maxwell

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THE NIGHTWATCHMAN: REPORTS FROM THE FRONTLINES

“H. Maxwell here. On May 1st, May Day, huge immigrant's rights demonstrations were held all over the country. The Nightwatchman played at the downtown LA rally for an estimated audience of 500,000. I got there early and the streets and parks were filled with people, many Mexican-Americans but all ethnicities, most wearing white shirts to express solidarity with the cause. The day was billed as “A Day Without Immigrants” and was basically a one day general strike by all immigrants or descendents of immigrants to demonstrate how important immigrants are to our country. Many people didn't go to work or school and most of them seemed to be at the rally downtown. The city basically shut down. Anyway, in one corner people were waving huge red flags, on another a mexican band was playing, and the atmosphere was festive and family friendly even though the cause was serious. I stopped by the Axis of Justice tent where they had a “Make Your Own Sign” setup and lots of kids were making cool pro-immigrant signs. The “stage” was just a flatbed truck parked in an intersection with the 3 surrounding streets packed with people. Tom was the last performer before the actual march began and people were getting riled up. He was introduced by the woman who is always with Axis of Justice events and came on with a white working man's shirt and those trademark Nightwatchman suspenders. Rage of course has a huge Mexican-american following and so many people seemed to know Tom, if not The Nightwatchman. He opened with Union Song in honor of May Day and people went wild for the harmonica solo. The P.A. system was kinda lousy though and for the first song the guitar sounded like a tuba. The second song I had never heard before but Tom said it was written for the occasion was about half in Spanish and I caught a line or two about “feeling stronger than you felt the day before”. The last song of the 3 song set was Flesh Shapes The Day and it rocked. Introducing it Tom said something like, “immigrant rights are workers rights and workers rights are human rights and today is our day to demand those rights!” People were coming over and through the barricades to begin the march as he was playing and it was feeling like the dam was about to burst as the song finished. Then the crowd of 1/2 million or more swept into the streets and we all got lost in the chants and songs and marching through LA. The march was totally peaceful and everyone seemed to be having a great time standing up for human rights. THE NIGHTWATCHMAN TELLS IT LIKE IT IS!” H. Maxwell

Nightwatchman Largo Review
"Last night the Nightwatchman rocked Largo in Los Angeles. A club famous for its one man shows, the Nightwatchman didn't let the crowd down one bit. Singing in several different languages from English, to Spanish, to Italian, the Nightwatchman fought the power for all cultures and all who were in attendance were rocked hard by his words and emotion. I for one am feeling angrier and more inspired than ever after last night, to go out into the world and try to do some good. Let's see what I can do today. Peace-jp" Check out more from Jason Pollock at huffingtonpost.com/jason-pollock and myspace.com/jasonrpollock

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