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An unofficial news blog for Neil Young fans from Thrasher's Wheat with concert and album updates, reviews, analysis, and other Rock & Roll ramblings. Separating the wheat from the chaff since 1996.
Inspired by their recent visit to the park last week, ‘60s rock icons David Crosby and Graham Nash will play an acoustic set at the Liberty Plaza (Zucotti Park) Tuesday afternoon for Occupy Wall Street, according to a spokesman for the protesters and a publicist for the musical duo.
While Stephen Stills is touring with Crosby, Stills and Nash — a band long-known for political activism — he wasn’t expected at the performance today.
Their gig is planned for 3 p.m. near the corner of Cedar St. and Broadway, according to an Occupy Wall Street spokesman. The publicist for the band, which played the Beacon Theater Monday night, confirmed the show, but wouldn’t divulge other details.
So what really happened at Kent State over 40 years ago?
Now, newly discovered information sheds light on the awful truth of that tragic day that left 4 dead in Ohio.
Since establishing Thrasher's Wheat, what follows is probably the most significant article we have yet to publish in over 15 years. As regular readers know, every May 4th, we mark the anniversary of the Kent State, Ohio killings with a recap of the significance of what happened on that pivotal day and attempt to help readers understand why that day is more relevant than ever.
To understand the events of May 4, 1970 at Kent State and the four dead in Ohio, is to understand much of what has happened in our history before, during and after.
In the intervening 41 years, there have been a wide range of commissions, studies, research and theories of what actually led to twenty-eight Ohio National Guardsmen shooting into a crowd of anti-war protesters at Kent State University which left four college students dead on the ground.
Photo by Kent State photojournalism studentJohn Filo
Despite many official denials, there have always been persistent theories that the National Guard was actually provoked into the shootings by a belief that they were being fired upon themselves and therefore were acting in self defense.
What follows is a brief recap for those less familiar with the The Kent State Massacre, followed by the latest developments.
The spring of 1970 was a time of significant unrest on college campuses protesting the Vietnam war and President Richard Nixon's announcement of a new American invasion of Cambodia, provoking an escalation in anti-war protests. The anti-war protest movement culminated with the Kent State Massacre which resulted in hundreds of universities, colleges, and high schools closing throughout the United States due to a student strike of four million students. The official President's Commission on Campus Unrest concluded that"the indiscriminate firing of rifles into a crowd of students and the deaths that followed were unnecessary, unwarranted, and inexcusable."
Twenty-eight Ohio National Guardsmen fired sixty-seven rounds in thirteen seconds, leaving four students dead
With #Occupy protests escalating around the world, know that the US federal government historically uses provocateurs to incite violence at protests.
Because of Kent State in 1970, the American right to peacefully assemble in safety remains at high risk.
A couple of weekends back we found CRITICAL, NEW EVIDENCE in the Kent State Massacre from May 4, 1970. The new info came from viewing a montage of videos, specifically at point 1:07.40 thru 1:08 ~ Kent State Shooting 1970 Footage
WATCH FBI informant provocateur Terry Norman (photo at top), the young man in the light colored sports jacket. Earlier that day Norman's mentor, Detective Tom Kelly from the Kent Police had attempted to have Norman's gun approved for carrying on campus during the demonstrations, but that approval never came so it's KEY that the video clearly shows Norman handing over his gun to Detective Kelly.
From forensic evidence expert Stuart Allen's analyses of the Kent State Tape in 2010, we learned that Norman shot that weapon at the May 4th demonstration as he was attacked & beat-up by students who saw his gun. (More on Terry Norman ~ Does Terry Norman Hold the Key to Kent State?.)
Watching these Kent State videos without sound, Norman's gun hand-off coupled with the post-Kent State Tape analysis, we now understand the importance of this interaction caught on video & at many other sources.
Norman's pistol 'created the sound of sniper fire.'
As Norman was held up by the students, the national guard march back & forth, awaiting the sound of sniper fire. 70 seconds after Norman shoots his pistol four times, the national guard command to shoot at unarmed students is given & Norman hightails it out of there into the arms of law enforcement & immediately hands over his gun.
From there on, the FBI thoroughly corrupted key evidence in the Kent State Massacre as the FBI continually changed their 'official' stories. At first the FBI claimed they don't have the gun, then they do while Norman's gun was cleaned, milled & re-coated by the FBI. That the gun had been fired, but the FBI couldn't tell when. Interestingly, the FBI found unmatched bullets in his gun's chambers 'to pretend' it hadn't been fired. Most damning was that J. Edgar Hoover himself 'swore' that Terry Norman wasn't working for the FBI yet soon after Hoover died, the new FBI director came clean that Norman was paid $125 by the FBI in April 1970.
Furthermore, Norman's spent bullet casings were found & catalogued in the Kent State archive yet never entered into evidence, indicating the FBI corrupted the evidence & failed to collect all evidence in every investigation of the Kent State Massacre.
Terry Norman lives at his mountain-top, off-grid outback palace in the Carolinas, enjoying protection and well-paid work for life in US Intelligence.
With #Occupy protests escalating around the world, know the US federal government historically uses provocateurs to incite violence at protests. Because of Kent State, the American right to assemble in safety remains at high risk since 1970.
Having taken a deep view into what happened at the 1970 Kent State Massacre over these last 2 years & hearing the Kent State Tape, it's clear the folks that made Kent State happen are the same folks #Occupy is protesting.
As an example, in 1970 young men were subjected to a draft lottery into the Vietnam war, without the ability to vote against or for the Vietnam war. Americans under 21 years old were drafted, shipped to SE Asia to fight for their country but they had no say.
So young folks began protesting, joining together in civil disobedience to have their voices heard as the Vietnam war escalated in the later 60's.
Kent State profoundly silenced & also massacred the 1st amendment rights of three generations of anti-war folks when four students were killed & nine more were wounded by national guard bullets on May 4, 1970 ~ A Day that Changed America. http://TruthTribunal.org/
The same folks that pulled-off Kent State also collected the evidence. Key Kent State Massacre evidence has been repeatedly not included in the numerous Kent State Massacre investigations, thus indicating collusion along with tampering of evidence.
The folks responsible for 'bringing the war home' at Kent State, were also the war machine & intelligence communities or the military-industrial complex. They continue to pull global strings as they make off with the money now more than 40 years later.
For more, see Kent State Truth Tribunal. Thanks Laurel for all of your work in your sister Allison's name.
GALLERY OPENING: Two Takes On Neil Young by Joel Bernstein & Henry Diltz
Blender Gallery is presenting the exhibition and sale of Neil Young photographs, fresh from New York City.
Music photographers Henry Diltz and Joel Bernstein will exhibit and sell limited edition prints of legendary musician Neil Young: Two Takes On Neil Young by Joel Bernstein & Henry Diltz from November 3rd and run until the 3rd of December 2011 at BLENDER GALLERY, 16 Elizabeth Street, Paddington Sydney Australia.
Having been friends with Neil Young for many years, both Henry Diltz and Joel Bernstein have captured Neil Young in his most intimate moments as an artist and performer. Both photographers are also musicians, which has given them special access and sensitivity to Neil's visual persona.
Although both rarely used flash and chose instead to work with available light, having photographed Neil Young and other subjects in an era when a naturalistic look was possible and popular, Joel’s photographs take on a more contemplative mood, and attempt to reveal something of the interior life of the subject, Henry is more interested in discovering and displaying the outward personality of each subject, often leading the viewer to be caught up in a more expressive moment.
Joel Bernstein’s many album covers are commonly listed among the most influential in rock's visual history. His first, at age 18, was Neil’s After the Gold Rush, often cited in Best Album Covers Of All Time lists. As a close friend of Neil’s since then, he has captured some of his most beautiful and intimate moments.
Henry Diltz met Neil when he was in Buffalo Springfield. Henry has visually chronicled Neil’s career over the past 40+ years.
Uncropped photo used for cover of After The Goldrush with Graham Nash in foreground Photo by Joel Bernstein
On Sunday November 13, one day following Young's birthday, six of Toronto's finest independent artists will pay tribute to Neil Young at the Piston as part of the 6th Annual Neil Young Tribute. With no shortage of material to choose from, these young musicians will serenade fans with classics and rarities from Young's extensive song catalogue, each rising to the challenge to not only do justice to this legend’s work, but to put their own spin on the songs they grew up loving.
Featured artists include:
Andrea Ramolo Sarah Burton Tiger Lil (Susan Hutcheson) Myke & the Mod Villains Alysse Rich & the Family Band Mark Martyre
Sunday November 13 DOORS @7PM $7 the Piston, 937 Bloor Street West
Of all the charities worth your consideration, The Bridge School is as worthy as any – and more worthy than many.
A non-profit organization that educates children with severe speech and physical impairments, The Bridge School has made a difference in many, many young lives over its 25-year history. Neil and Pegi Young have been there since the school’s beginnings – it was the need to find appropriate education for their son Ben and children faced with similar challenges that fueled the Youngs’ quest to help establish a school dedicated to that task. Pegi Young still sits on The Bridge School’s board of directors; and she and Neil have been the organizers behind the annual Bridge School Benefit concerts since 1986.
My point is, donating $15 to The Bridge School would not be a bad thing to do. The fact that you can do it and get a 2-CD collection of wonderful music from the last 25 years’ worth of concerts is a no-brainer, my friend. (A few bucks more will land you a 3-DVD collection, as well.)
...
The real gold nuggets here are the re-arrangements of tunes that your rock ‘n’ roll heart knows so well – and will be delighted to find new power in an acoustic setting. Mr. Springsteen leads the way out of the gate with a minor-flavored take on “Born In The U.S.A.” that could have come right off the grooves of Nebraska. Pearl Jam’s “Better Man” has always wanted to have the living shit strummed out of it over a driving bass line and aggressive drums. Nils Lofgren will flatten you with his version of the Beau Brummels’ “Cry Just A Little”. And the Who’s 9-minute-plus tear through “Won’t Get Fooled Again” never lacks for fierce Pete Townshend guitar flailings.
"Oh! Susanna" is a minstrel song by Stephen Foster (1826-1864). It was published by W. C. Peters & Co. in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1848.[1] The song was introduced by a local quintette at a concert in Andrews' Eagle Ice Cream Saloon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on September 11, 1847. (wikipedia)
And now here's where it gets a bit bizarre.
There have been a few comments about how Shocking Blue's cult 1970 hit "Venus" seems to have a similar beat and groove as "Oh Susanna".
You be the judge.
Oh those groovy '70's. sigh. They just don't make'm like they used to...
Thanks SONY, Jill, Stringman, & Powderfinger!
On September 11th, 1847, Stephen Foster's "Oh! Susannah" was
performed in public for the first time; it was sung by a local quintet
at the Eagle Ice Cream saloon in Pittsburgh, PA
And 108 years later in 1955 the Singing Dogs entered Billboard's Top 100
chart on Dec. 10th with their covered version, eventually it peaked at
#22 & spent 7 weeks on the Top 100.
It has also been covered in albums by James Taylor, Byrds, & Neil
Young with Crazy Horse.
Mr. Foster died at 37.