I was listening to one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite folk-punk artists earlier today and wanted to share it with you all. I was introduced to Evan Greer‘s about five years ago through a friend, aside from countless phenomenal political discussions that I will forever cherish, Evan’s music is the greatest gift she ever imparted to me. Evan is a transgendered political activist songwriter with an anarchist bent, she is a very multifaceted individual with a lot of amazing things to say. Her music is to our generation as Bob Dylan was for the hippies; her lyrics better capture the mood of our times than any other songwriter I have come across.
Evan is part of a musical collective known as the Riot Folk Collective, a group started by folk musicians Ryan Harvey and Mark Gunnery in the 90s. While it appears that Riot Folk no longer has their own website with all the music available for donation, it is on both soundcloud and last.fm. I highly recommend checking them out if you’re into melodic punk.
While I am making this post about Fame, Evan’s entire catalog of songs is amazing. Check out I Want Something, Never Surrender, and Love Me I’m a Liberal (Phil Ochs cover) for more good tracks. If you like what you hear Evan is currently on tour around North America. I picked this song because I love the message contained in the lyrics dearly, though that is quite true of damned near everything Evan writes.
What’s the point of fame
Except to reinforce the social hierarchies we oppose
What’s the point of a name
If it just becomes something that you drop
When you feel insecure
And you’re not sure
If everybody in the room will have heard of your band before
And you’re on tour
And haven’t seen a friend in at least a couple of days
Let me count the ways that I abuse the privilege
Granted to me by this mandolin
And my white skin that bought me my first guitar
Everybody told me boy you’re bound to be a star
Oh yes you are
Boy you’re bound to be a star
And like every major threat
They somehow find a way to buy it
They co-opt what we create
While they get rich and we deny it
The TV tells us there are stars and fans
And there’s just one way to make it
Follow the label’s rules
Use the master’s tools
And when the big deal comes you take it
You’re selling hope to angry kids
Who think that you’re the only ones
Who sing about what makes them sad
Who understand the way they feel
That’s just cuz your label pays
For multi-colored tour posters
So no one ever hears about
The kids doing it for real
And I’m so tired of these anarchist celebrities
Selling $10 shrinkwrapped CDs
Full of paper made from old growth trees
And I know that we all have our hipocrisies
This isn’t about purity or punk rock points
It’s about taking back what’s left of our ideals
And trading in our egos for our dreams
And if I start to act like them
Please call me on my shit
Cuz sometimes I get jealous
I’ll be the first one to admit
I’ve been brainwashed all my life
And now I’m trying to think for myself
I think that I might need your help
Well Suited For Life 