| This weekend, 5,814 people stood up for peace in Ithaca, attempting to set a world record for the largest human peace sign. From above, it looked like this: http://cmsimg.theithacajournal... (sorry, this photo is copyrighted, so you will have to go to the site to see it-- as you can imagine, Robinia is one tree in the peace forest, rather than photographer-- she does own a camera, but not an airplane!)
The inspiration for this uplifting event at the Ithaca Festival came from Trevor Dougherty, a local teen who has become a YouTube rock star for his viral video Stand Up for World Peace, which has been viewed 729,222 times, and won the 2007 YouTube "Most Inspirational" award. That video is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v... . You can view his promo video for Ithaca Stands Up for World Peace, here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v... , featuring Trevor himself, friends, and that most-inspiring messenger of world peace, Bishop Desmond Tutu.
Keep reading for a kinda personal (but inspiring) reflection on the long rock and roll set that followed the Ithaca Stands for Peace event, graciously and masterfully performed by long-long-long-time Ithaca musical favorites (and Rep.John Hall's original band), Orleans . "You're still the one," we are still "dancing in the moonlight," and we are still the ones we are waiting for- go make peace happen. |
| So, right after the world's largest human peace sign broke up, me and my long-time sweetie sauntered over to the nearby stage to find a good seat on the grass. Our old-friend Marnie loaned us an excellent blanket to sit on, and we parked it in front of Liz and Tony-- check out Tony's new book for an even longer view of the happenings in Robinia's vicinity. Tony was one of the first people I met when I first considered moving to Ithaca as an 18-year-old, to join something called The Ithaca Project-- seriously, I am not making this up! And, Orleans (with John Hall and the late Wells Kelly) was one of the first bands I heard in my new home. That would have been in 1972-- when we were all trying really really really hard to end a war that was a mistake.
The band sounded great, and they played almost all of the old favorites that we all remember from those nights long ago at The Salty Dog (a bar, not a sailor, but on the waterfront... it was legal for us teenagers to go, back in the day). They even made us an "Ithaca Special" CD, and as there were only 4 left when I bought mine, I think they sold out. Of course, since Rep. John Hall is pretty busy these days in Congress, there is a new lead guitarist, who, as they said from on-stage, has some pretty big shoes to fill. Dennis "Fly" Amero was remarkably able to do so. Read the history here. He was utterly masterful in a newer song that I found to be a very sublime testosterone-filled-guitar-lick satire of modern hyper-masculinity, "Mall Cop."
Well, of course, the audience was full of the old crew, who may not be keeping up on John Hall, or NY-19 over in the Hudson Valley, so, the band explained that John (who wrote many of the band's hits) was "off fighting the good fight" in Congress. Like the band, Ithacans were supportive, though, of course, we missed him, too.
There were memories everywhere; the audience danced, new and young Ithacans were filled in on the story as it evolved, both from the stage, and from we long-time fans of the band. They gave a nod to still-in-Ithaca brother-of-the-deceased-original-drummer-Wells-Kelly, Sherman Kelly, before playing that song about Ithaca that he wrote, "Dancing in the Moonlight." They told us we were "still the ones" and thanked us for helping get them started when they played "You're Still the One." And, they encored with their old-time Ithaca closing number "Tongue-tied" ("if my words can't say it, my body will"). Thanks, Orleans; thanks, John Hall; thanks Ithaca. We can. We have. We will. Again and again. Robinia and the old Ithaca Project crew won't be here forever-- nor will Orleans, Wells is already gone... but, check out what Trevor is doing for world peace, what Hall is doing for peace in Congress, and what that relatively new project, the Albany Project, is up to. "We're still having fun, and you're still the one." Get creative, "let there be music, let it shine like the sun," and make peace happen today. |
