For Immediate Release Contact: Chris Blankenhorn, (217) 487-4948, OccupySpringfieldIL@gmail.com
Press Release
Occupy Springfield Members Headline Friday Night Music at Occupy the Midwest Summit
Local Artists Tha MC and Gestalt Performing Friday Night at The Atomic Cowboy in St. Louis
(March 15, 2012, Springfield, IL)
Two local Springfield musicians and members of Occupy Springfield, IL will be headlining the first night of music at the Occupy the Midwest Summit in St. Louis. Following a night of violent assaults by the St. Louis Police Department on the peaceful Occupy the Midwest Encampment, the Summit attendees will regroup and the Summit will move forward as planned. “I think that it is important that the show go on. The Occupy Movement isn’t fueled by a wealth of money but by love, commitment, and passion. When we are confronted with state violence in an attempt to beat us into submission, we must regroup and stand strong. While before the musical portion of the Summit was primarily for entertainment and camaraderie, now it serves a great symbolic purpose of declaring we will not be silenced,” said artist Chris Blankenhorn.
Chris Blankenhorn, Gestalt, is an electronic music producer and will be performing a DJ set with political samples layered over dance music. Chris is Occupy Springfield’s present Spokesman and Teach-in Organizer, the Director of membership for local non-profit the Foundation for a United Front, a co-founder of the UIS Radical Student Union, and a community organizer for Action Now in Springfield
A lyricist for most of his life, John Keating, Tha MC, has been writing and recording hip hop since 2006. Active for social causes from a young age, JJ has been active in Occupy Springfield and was detained in December 2011 for chalking in front of US Rep. Aaron Schock’s Office. Those charges were later dropped. He is well known in hip hop circles for his precision, flow, and wild cadence.
The pair take the stage at the Atomic Cowboy in St. Louis tonight at 12:30pm.
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