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FOLKSINGER SI KAHN JOINS WITH OTHER MADISON VETERAN MUSICIANS FOR SPECIAL ARMISTICE DAY CONCERT TO BENEFIT THE PROGRESSIVE MAGAZINE SATURDAY NOV. 11, 2017 at 7pm at the BARRYMORE THEATRE, 2090 Atwood Avenue in Madison, WI. $15 at the door ($10 for veterans and unemployed). “When I was a boy…all the people of all the nations which had fought in the First World War were silent during the eleventh minute of the eleventh hour of Armistice Day, which was the eleventh day of the eleventh month. It was during that minute in nineteen hundred and eighteen, that millions upon millions of human beings stopped butchering one another…Armistice Day has become Veterans’ Day. Armistice Day was sacred. Veterans’ Day is not.” – Kurt Vonnegut, World War II veteran and author.
“Armistice Day was a hallowed anniversary because it was supposed to protect future life from future wars. Veterans Day, instead, celebrates “heroes” and encourages others to dream of playing the hero themselves, covering themselves in valor.” – Rory Fanning, Iraq War veteran and conscientious objector.
“This year with a rise of hate and fear around the world it is as urgent as ever to ring the bells of peace. We in the U.S. must press our government to end reckless rhetoric and military interventions that endanger the entire world. Instead of celebrating militarism, we want to celebrate peace and all of humanity.” -Veterans for Peace 2017 action statement.
“This year with a rise of hate and fear around the world it is as urgent as ever to ring the bells of peace. We in the U.S. must press our government to end reckless rhetoric and military interventions that endanger the entire world. Instead of celebrating militarism, we want to celebrate peace and all of humanity.” -Veterans for Peace 2017 action statement.
Legendary folk musician and community organizer Si Kahn is returning to Madison this November for a special benefit concert on Armistice Day. Kahn will perform at the Barrymore Theatre on Saturday November 11th at 7pm along with Vietnam veteran musicians Jim Walktendonk and Will Williams, together with the Madison Gospelaires and Mad City Funk band. The show, co-sponsored by the Clarence Kailin Chapter 25 of Veterans For Peace and The Progressive magazine will be a benefit for The Progressive celebrating 108 years of publishing in Madison. David Giffey, artist and former combat journalist will emcee the show. Si Kahn has been a musician and organizer for over 50 years, beginning as a volunteer with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in Arkansas during the Civil Rights movement. He has continued to live and work in the South, assisting in union struggles, working against the privatization of prisons, and most recently with “Musicians United,” a group working to protect the environment in Bristol Bay, Alaska. He has also written numerous theater works including “Joe Hill’s Last Will,” which was performed in Madison by John McCutcheon in 2015. Jim Walktendonk has lived and performed in the Madison area for decades. His songs, many influenced by his time in Vietnam and his exposure to Agent Orange defoliant, are personal and powerful. He was featured in the 1987 HBO special “Welcome Home Concert.” Will Williams and his wife Dot bring beautiful gospel harmonies to the stage. Will is a regular participant in peace and justice events in Madison, and was profiled in the 2009 documentary film “The Good Soldier.” The Clarence Kailin Chapter 25 of Veterans For Peace is named for the late Spanish Civil War vet whose life was a model for a generation of activists in a variety of movements for peace, justice, and equality. Members will be on hand to share information about their current projects. The Progressive magazine was founded by “Fighting Bob” La Follette in January 1909. It has continued since that day as a voice for peace, social justice, and the common good. The print edition of the magazine is published bi-monthly, with daily content appearing on the web at www.progressive.org. This years benefit concert is built around the theme, voiced by Veterans for Peace nationally, that November 11th should return to its roots as a day for peace – calling for an end to all wars as it did 99 years ago. Advance tickets only available on-line at www.barrymorelive.com and by phone at (608) 241-8633, with $2.00 credit card convenience charge. For more information, contact the Barrymore at 608-241-8864 or The Progressive at 608-257-4626. |
Doug Bradley, author of DROS Vietnam, has written extensively about his Vietnam, and post-Vietnam, experiences. He was drafted into the U.S. Army in March 1970 and served one year as an information specialist (journalist) at U.S. Army Republic of Vietnam (USARV) headquarters near Saigon.
Craig Werner is a widely respected music writer whose book A Change is Gonna Come: Music, Race, and the Soul of America is used in dozens of classes on popular music. He is a member of the Nominating Committee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.