Because I was upstairs at the Cronkite School building this past Monday watching Sheriff Joe get blistered by the journalism profs, then sung off the stage by the Freddie Mercury impersonators, I missed all the action taking place on the ground floor. There, a peaceful revolt was in full swing, with the anti-Joe forces storming the lobby, led by the Phoenix punkgrass group the Haymarket Squares.
The Haymarket Squares attack the Cronkite School with punkgrass
Named for the infamous Haymarket Square Riot of 1886, the folksy trio recall such politically-minded performers of yore as Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. In this video, they have the crowd clapping and singing along with them for their song "Sheriff Joe," which includes some pretty cool lyrics. Check these out:
Law enforcement has become a joke around here
The biggest terrorist in town is ruling us with fear
Calls himself the toughest sheriff but we all know
He's an evil old man that Sheriff Joe...
I particularly like the part where they reference some of the victims of Joe's jails, such as Phillip Wilson, Deborah Braillard, and Jeremy Flanders.
In '96 an inmate took a tent stake to the head
In '03 the Aryans beat a man to death
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A diabetic woman needed insulin and begged
Arpaio's crew just let her die instead
Chilling words, and oh, so true, as New Times readers are well aware.
I'm looking forward to hearing the Haymarket Squares play live. Their next date is at Mardi Gras on the 11th, and they have their songs available on iTunes and elsewhere. We need more revolutionary-type music in this burg. Looks like the Haymarketers aim to provide it. More power to 'em.
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