All New Yorkers know they wouldn’t even put their pinky toe into the Hudson River. Perceived as a waste pool and trash-infested dump, the Hudson River has a dirty reputation that needs to be cleaned. New Yorkers recognize that this is a problem that needs to be fixed, but who will answer to this call for help? Look no more, as the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater aims to not only clean the Hudson River, but also educate the current and future generation. To support this cause, the New York City Friends of Clearwater held a fundraiser concert in honor of Pete Seeger, the founder of Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, on April 29. Rocking tunes that spoke the message of environmental activism, singers, musicians, activists, and environmentally conscious citizens gathered to raise money for Clearwater.
Before the night began at 6:30 pm, there was already a line around the block. Once entered, it was first come, first served when it came to seating. People tried to sit near the front, but toward the back pillars, it seem to be the perfect spot as it held a wide view of the stage.
Sitting in one of these back rows is Linda Lagomarsino. “I was raised in Beacon, so I know Pete Seeger since I was a kid,” she said as she waited for the show to start. Lagomarsino always been a supporter for the environment, working for six years at Solar1-an organization that uses education to help empower the community to create a more sustainable urban environment. The crowd at this concert were mainly on the older side, so Lagomarsino couldn’t help, but wonder if the young people don’t know who Pete Seeger is, or they aren’t as proactive anymore.
Lagomarsino wasn’t the only one sitting in the back row as Jane Kendall joined. Kendall is active in fighting for the environment as she is part of an group called, ResistAim. ResistAim is aiming to stop the Spectra Energy’s Algonquin Pipeline Expansion, a gas pipeline that is 100 feet from a nuclear plant. Clearwater is very important to Kendall, as many of her fellow ResistAim members were here tonight, “I am here for solidarty.”
The night finally began when Pete Seeger’s grandson, Kitama Cahill-Jackson, told the story of how his grandfather founded Clearwater. It was around the mid-60s when his grandfather created this organization. He had a house that overlooked the Hudson River and couldn’t help notice that the river was extremely smelly and polluted. Seeger couldn’t stand for this, which was why he felt that this needed to be changed, hence the birth of Clearwater. Through their work, they were able to educate 500,000 children and change the Hudson River to what it is today.
As Cahill-Jackson ended his speech, the first act is ready to go: Bev Grant. Bev Grant is a cultural worker whose songs are often centered on environmental issues, women’s rights, etc. Strumming her guitar, she starts the night off with “Get the Frack Out of Here”, a song about fracking. With lyrics like “Watch those facets catch on fire, the gasman said that it is not his fault,” and “There is nothing natural about your natural gas, you can kiss my natural ass,” it is safe to say that Grant isn’t the biggest fan of fracking.
With a number like that, it is hard to top, but Bev Grant got two more songs up her sleeve that equally compares. With her song, “I’m a sewing machine”, it focused on sweatshops and the women who work there. Compared to the first song, this one is slower, as it spoke of the the extreme conditions of the workers.
She followed up this song with “American Dream”, a song about the American Dream and its contradictions. She swayed back and forth as she got the crowd to sing along with her. “American Dream” could be heard through the hall, as Grant finished her last note. With that, she took a bow with a roaring applause.
Next up is the Peace Poets. Also the MCs for the rest of the night, the Peace Poets are a collective of artists that uses poetry, spoken word, and storytelling to advocate and voice issues that they face in the urban environment.
“When I say we want, you say ‘Justice’, we want”, “Justice!” the crowd shouted back. The Peace Poets grabbed the crowd’s attention with their ears and hearts by speaking to not be bystander, but to take action. “We have to show respect to the elders who shaped us, we have to lead the direction to the youths who will replace us,” stated one of the Peace Poets that seems to carry the mission of the Clearwater and the concert that day.
“I say ‘Peace’ to the poets who propagate peace!” is what stayed with the crowd who have become Peace Poets in their own right as the set ends.
One of the Peace Poets introduced the next act, Bethany & Rufus, a cello and voice duo that focuses on folk music. Before they started, Bethany had an announcement. With a shaky voice, she emotionally stated that they achieved a huge victory in stopping the NED pipeline. The crowd seems to erupt in a roar, clapping for this achievement.
She hoped that in the future, there will be a ban on fracking. To achieve this goal, she told the audience that they should pray as everything has a spirit, and they are waiting for our prays. She expressed her gratitude for the water, as the water helped her grant her prays with her next song, “Iemanja”. “Iemanja” is a Brazilian goddess that is the queen of salty water. Some of the lyrics express this as it is translated as,
“Queen of the Water,
Mermaid of the Sea.”
This theme of thanking the water continued on to her next song, as she told the crowd to pray everyday to the water. She advised to take a glass of water and stand behind it. By praying to the water, all the intentions goes inside of it, which is why when it is drank, all of the intentions goes inside the body, making the process beautiful. With this, she sang “White Horse”- a song about having faith in the horse to carry you.
As Bethany & Rufus bow and leave, a short video, “Clearwater: Float The Boat”, is played. In the video, testimonials from children about their experience on the Clearwater showed the importance it has on the Hudson River, and how the future generation can continue its mission.
Not to be outdone by the previous performers, Bernice Silver came onto the stage. Born in 1913, Silver doesn’t let her age show as she sang to the crowd the impact of Pete Seeger, and the importance of keeping our environment clean. Silver was a crowd pleaser as the crowd went nuts, screaming her name, after her song finished.
Next up is The Ebony Hillbillies. They are one of the last black string bands in America, while also being the only string band based in NYC. After hearing their performances, it is a wonder why there aren’t more. They started off their set with an instrumental performance to give a preview to what’s more to come later tonight.
They don’t only know how to play instruments, they can sing too! The lead singer sang an anthem that spoke of her love for fat men-no, not “fat” in weight, but “fat” in the pockets. The ladies in the audience were definitely agreeing with her, as the basket she was walking with was getting full with donations.
They ended their night with another instrumental piece, but this song got the audience to their feet. The Ebony Hillbillies got down from the stage, and encouraged the crowd to dance along with them. From the aisles, people could be seen getting up with their friends and families, dancing the night away.
With all these performances, the concert sadly came to an end. From songs about fracking to spoken word about taking action, this night had various types of music, but everyone came for one mission: to support the Clearwater. Judging the audience, it is safe to say with this amount of support, the Clearwater will continue its mission of cleaning the Hudson River for years to come.