Despite back-to-back HR’s from Jim Thome and the struggling Paul Konerko, the Chicago White Sox are trailing Kansas City, 6-3 today in the last of the 5th at Kauffman Stadium. Though Mark Buehrle’s had a rough afternoon (4.1 IP, 8 hits, 8 earned runs), it should only require a 2nd World Championship in 4 seasons for Ozzie Guillen to take his place amongst the pantheon portrayed above.
A few miles North’s of Ditka’s, your editor did his best to hang around for the duration of Ted Lilly’s gem against the punchless Pirates, but Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello — a self-described Billy Williams devotee — being introduced to the Wrigley crowd during the 7th inning stretch was more than I could bear. Let’s just say I boycotted the rest of the game on political musical grounds.
TV viewers had it even worse. Len Kaspar called Morello “one of the greatest guitarists of all time”. I realize that not everyone can be Keith Levene, but if Kaspar wants to get into chops for the sake of chops, can we please allow this woman to visit the WGN booth before the end of September?
Are you at Lollapalloza? How was the Toadies set? Did you get close to Trent Reznor? Details please!
I WANT that painting.
wow your an idiot. tom morello is one of the greatest guitarists of all time. and your against his political standings because his band fights against racism, police brutality, and war? wow man you dont know what the heck your talking about.
J –
a) if I was 11 years old and had never heard any interesting music before, RATM would be kinda exciting. For about 20 minutes.
b) I wish Mr. Morello and his bandmates nothing but continued success in wiping out racism, police brutality and war. That RATM headlined a 75,000 capacity rock festival this weekend that was heavily patrolled by Chicago Police on horseback in no way makes Mr. Morello a hypocrite. In fact, I believe the best possible way to get RATM fans to have empathy for those abused at Guantanamo Bay is make them spend a day in unsanitary conditions, forced to pay thru the nose for drinking water. Heck, NiN are playing today and that’s gotta be the musical equiv. of waterboarding.
You mean, Tom Morello appearing in the Trib-owned booth during a Trib/WGN-broadcast for the Trib-owned-Cubs — whom Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney and George Will call their favorite team and whose owner has publicly blamed Obama for the lousy economy — you mean that’s not hypocrisy enough?
My favorite RATM memory is seeing Zach at a local coffee house here in LA reading “Trotsky for Beginniners.”
Ben
And, I should add, appearing for a media corporation that has been devoutly conservative in its editorial view since the 1910s and supports Bush’s policies re the Partiot Act, Iraq, and and the economy yet finds absolutely no problem/threat in promoting the ideologically innocuous RATM?
Altho to be fair, Bob Brenly did say RATM “kicked it nicely” last night.
Ben
I have to say this for Morello. Backstage at the Riv in either late 2002 or early 2003 (whenever that Audioslave nonsense was going on), I was walking to talk to my boss, not looking where I was going, and essentially put my entire shoe square into Morello’s Achilles Tendon. Could have done some damage, but he was a swell cat, and was quite nice to me.
(This was around the same time that, living an apartment floor above the ex-drummer of Jesus Lizard, that damned Audioslave single — not the album, but the radio track — was played incessantly by the drummer on that godforsaken first floor and nearly drove me mad.)
Upon leaving the theatre a little while later, I noticed two arena-level tour buses for a band with four members in it (that had just played for about 2000 people) parked outside, and deduced that this tour was not what I would call “economically viable.”
Nice guy, though. Music sucks, but nice guy.
The “second drummer in Jesus Lizard,” I should say. Jim Kimball. GC apparently kind of dealt with at some point.
hes not a hypocrit. people also critisize his band for having sony own their label, but the point is that it gets their message out to more people. and cmon i like the cubs, but does that mean i believe in the same stuff as their owner and other fans of the team? as a kid zack de la rocha of rage against the machine was forced by his father, who suffered a nervous breakdown, was forced to fast every weekend he was with him, sit in a room with the curtains closed and the door locked, and help destroy his father’s paintings. that may not be poverty but it sure isnt an easy life. Tim Commerfold, their bass player, was abused by his father as a child, plus his mother died when he was only 20. Don’t act like they havent gone through any suffering. and yes, there are many things in our society that are screwed up and need to be fixed, and i support them for that. and by the way, i have a feeling youve never played guitar? he is the 2nd most inovative guitarist of all time behind jimi hendrix, and like the 7th best in my opinion. and to the guy who doesnt like audioslave, their pretty darn amazing, i dont care what the critics say.
“cmon i like the cubs, but does that mean i believe in the same stuff as their owner and other fans of the team?”
I dunno. Maybe, maybe not. The difference is — and I’m assuming this is Ben’s point — is that unlike you, Tom’s a public figure whose reputation is inextricably tied to his political views, if not his musical expertise. He can support whatever baseball team he wants, but filling the TribCo’s coffers even just for one day, is a political act, too.
“he is the 2nd most inovative guitarist of all time behind jimi hendrix, and like the 7th best in my opinion.”
OK, you’ve got me there. As the 3rd most innovative guitarist of all time behind Hendrix and the 13,894th best in my zip code, I can only look forward to the day Morello is inducted in the Guitar Center Walk of Fame.
no try possibly the rock and roll hall of fame.
please read this- http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/5937559/page/18
u dont need to agree with the politics, just cmon how can u not think hes a great guitarist?
and to further explain- “ When you live in a capitalistic society, the currency of the dissemination of information goes through capitalistic channels. Would Noam Chomsky object to his works being sold at Barnes & Noble? No, because that’s where people buy their books. We’re not interested in preaching to just the converted. It’s great to play abandoned squats run by anarchists, but it’s also great to be able to reach people with a revolutionary message, people from Granada Hills to Stuttgart.” -tom morello
jimmy, I am going to assume you are no older than 14 years old if you are taking Rolling Stone’s advice on who the “greatest” (what does that mean exactly?) guitarists are of all time. Though I am just a bit curious- what is Mr. Morello’s revolutionary message?
no im not saying rolling stone is correct honestly, im just saying more people share my view. i dont agree with 99% if the stuff rolling stone says. its pretty much all terrible. Rage Against the Machine works to fight against social injustice and the problems with our government.
i understand if u dont like rage, but u have to admit tom morello is great and innovative. you should try listening to audioslave. no rapping. no politics.
Jimmy –
for the record, I have no problem with Mr. Morello attending baseball games or recording for a major label. Nor do I have a problem with his personal politics. I just think RATM sucks donkey dick.
If you or any of your friends are donkeys or named Dick, I apologize in advance.
In summation, I thank you very much for your recommendation of Audioslave and do hope that despite our musical differences, we can remain bro’s in the struggle against social injustice.
aight