“The final act I saw on the first day was my beloved Billy Bragg. I’ve been a fan of his since the late 80s and always see him when he plays Seattle. It was just Billy & an electric guitar and that was fine. Billy is more a punk folk singer. He talked about the first time he saw the Rock Against Racism concert in 1978 and how we still need to speak out against racism, xenophobia & homophobia. This brought raucous cheers from the crowd (during the three days of the fest I noticed people walking around with signs saying register to vote. I hope they got a lot of people to register) He played the pro union anthem, Which Side Are You On, gave a shout out to Woody Guthrie before singing All You Fascists Are Born to Lose. With fascism an imminent threat all over the world, I was comforted to see so many in the crowd respond with enthusiasm. I noticed a young man who looked no more than 14 leaning against the barricade who was thoroughly enjoying the show. My own kids (now in their 30s) like Billy too. Ii’s always a treat to see Billy Bragg. If he played Seattle every year I would see him. Without fail.”
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