5Qs - Stage Left

Activist singer Dave Rovics on the politics of music

Despite the recent shift to Obama, American musician David Rovics still has plenty to sing about in the post-Bush era. While the Republicans may be on the run—for now—the overtly political singer-songwriter (described by many as “the musical voice of the progressive movement in America”) is back in town this week to play for his fellow travellers. Rovics, who said he’d likely be a journalist if he ever felt the need to give up his 15-year stint as a working-class troubadour (“if I could make a living at it,” he quips), was at an airport in Toledo, Ohio, when we caught up with him, on a roundabout route to Victoria via New York City and Tennessee.

Monday Magazine: How’s the mood in the U.S. right now?
David Rovics: A lot of people in the progressive movement are waiting to see what Obama is going to do. They don’t want to make too much of a fuss, as they’re hoping they can somehow back his efforts—or at least the perception of his efforts. It seems like there hasn’t been much in the way of large-scale anti-war activism for quite some time, since 2005 or so, which is probably strategic on the part of a lot of organizers who want to support the Democratic Party effort and not do things that might undermine it.

MM: Do you get a sense from your audiences that it’s time for a change?  
DR: I certainly still have lots of people coming to the shows, there’s been no decline there—although there hasn’t been any dramatic growth either—and while most people have been affected by the economy, you don’t see that turning into wide-scale protests against capitalism in general. That may change; during the Great Depression it took a few years and we’re seeing some of that in Europe, where they’ve got really solid working-class and labour movements.

MM: Why music and not just politics?
DR: Music is a vehicle for talking about so many things. It’s unique in the impact it can have on people, where it can take them; it has an affect other forms of communication don’t have. I mean, it’s a very abbreviated form, so you can only make a certain, very concise point and allude to others through metaphor or imagery.

MM: Do you feel like you’ve seen a change or improvement in the world during your years performing?
DR: In many ways, there’s been a change for the better—especially in South America—but it’s hard to say how much that’s affecting the rest of the world, in terms of any kind of inspiration or model. But in Europe and North America, I’d say things have been changing for the worse, in terms of government.

MM: Since you’re sitting in one now, ever run into any problems at airports? 
DR: Only ones of my own making—not knowing the laws well enough around having a work permit, that kind of thing. Nothing in terms of overt government harassment or right-wing groups; I’ve had people picket my concerts a couple of times, but those are few and far between. They didn’t let me into Heathrow one time because of the “Bush is an International Terrorist” T-shirt I was wearing—and, in fact, I was prevented from getting on a plane in B.C. with that shirt too, because some bastard complained. But then I got a free plane ticket to anywhere in the country, so it turned out to be a very profitable complaint.

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David Rovics
7:30 pm Thursday, June 18
BCGEU Hall, 2994 Douglas
Tickets $13/ $15
250-743-2994
davidrovics.com