'Gonzo Music Diaries, NYC' Celebrates Rock Revolutionaries

Posted on Nov 23rd 2009 11:30AM by Cristin Maher
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Local political activists, musicians, and protesters opposed to the Bush administration joined forces for 'Gonzo Music Diaries,' a documentary about the downfall of revolutionary music and the breakdown of democracy. Circulating around the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City, filmmaker Roy Szuper, serial concert attendee Concert Joe and punk rock enthusiast Tony Petrozza set out to arrange a music festival as a form of objection towards the convention's presence. Some of New York's most iconic figures took part in this film, such as Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, musician David Peel, marijuana proponent Dana Beal and CBGB's founder Hilly Kristal.

The documentary analyzes many aspects of the state of New York City in 2004, from the dissolution of small businesses and the legalization of marijuana to the underground music scene and the demise of subversive musicians like the Ramones. John Holmstrom, the founder of Punk Magazine, comments, "A lot of musicians are playing it safe. The ambition now, by most bands, is not to piss people off or to be shocking or to create something new -- it's to create a hit record." This was the antithesis of those banded together for the protest -- no more war, lies, and Bush. So if you are one of those people who desire a change, watch the film after the jump, courtesy of our friends at SnagFilms.