Photo: Lizard Lounge
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Cambridge’s Lizard Lounge concert will be where music meets protests for local musicians Wednesday night.
Which Side?: A Protest Music Teach-Out will feature commentary by local author and journalist James Sullivan whose book, “Which Side Are You On?: 20th Century American History in 100 Protest Songs,” sparked the event.
Sullivan, who is set to host the nearly two hour-long concert, said singers will take the stage with a classic protest song and an original, asking listeners to consider music’s role in advocacy, resistance and change.
Sullivan sat down with WBZ NewsRadio’s Drew Moholland to give more insight into how his book inspired the event.
“It's just an opportunity for Boston's amazing music scene to come together and express what they want to say about the current social climate,” Sullivan said.
Some performers in the lineup include Dave Herlihy from 80’s band O Positive, as well as other local singers such as Kemp Harris and David Santos.
“It turned out that just about every singer that I asked right off the bat said, ‘you know, I just wrote a protest song on my own too,’” Sullivan said.
He said he was not surprised by the traction this event gained. Still, Sullivan said it can be more challenging for protest songs to gain popularity against mainstream music.
“But, that's true for all pop music,” Sullivan said. “There's all kinds of stuff bubbling under, and a lot of it is in the spirit of protest these days.”
Admission is pay-what-you-want, and all proceeds going to the musicians and other direct expenses, according to the event’s website.
Any remaining profits will also be donated to a non-profit fighting for intellectual freedom in the nation’s courts, according to organizers.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Drew Moholland (@DrewWBZ) reports.