Here’s hoping there will be a stronger turnout at the polls come Nov. 2nd than there was for ReDefeatBush.com’s Unplug Bush benefit show (see photos on page 28). The entertainment was on point, but beyond a few hardcore fans and zealous anti-Bushers, the musicians performed to too many empty seats. A smaller Troubadour-sized venue would have made this event the energetic force it deserved to be.

The show opened with the George W. Bush Singers, a choir singing songs based on Bush’s often mispronounced and misused words, which proved to be better comic relief than the stand-up comic who performed between sets. Following the GWB Singers were acoustic sets from Brandon Jordan of Kill Radio, Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde, Michelle Shocked, Mellowdrone and headliners the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Every single performance delivered, with jazz, blues, folk and rock music represented among the different performances giving fans an eclectric mix of sounds. A special treat was the little dance groove provided by Mellowdrone that radiated from the stage.

The glue for the evening among the musicians and fans was a commitment to oust President Bush from office. BRMC made for the perfect conclusion, harking back to the Neil Young and Bob Dylan-Vietnam protesting days. The artists were ready to lead an uprising, but the protesters were unfortunately scarce.