"I was saying Boo-urns!"

Last night we had a show at Lupo's in Providence, RI. We were to be the second of three bands, the other two bands being "reggae-influenced" rock. I grew up on and have listened to roots reggae all of my life, so I was looking forward to playing on the bill. I was especially excited to be part of the show because it was a peace rally against the war in Iraq, obviously a cause very close to our hearts. The first band had ended and it was now time for us to go on.

After about three songs, I noticed that the place was completely packed to the brim with 800+ people, and most of the people were booing us. The taunting grew so loud that we could no longer hear ourselves play and we decided that this was a waste of everybody's time, so we left the stage. I made a comment that it is a lot easier to hide in a crowd and criticize a band, than it is to be band onstage playing to people who want nothing to do with your music. It was then that I realized who I was dealing with. The crowd was made up mostly of rich, white, college frat boys who would not know REAL reggae if it kicked down the door of their frat house and slept with their slutty girlfriends. The true rasta has an open mind and an open heart, the kids who were taunting us were a joke.

The most puzzling part of the night was that for a peace rally, we were dealing with the most obnoxious Neanderthals that were ever bred. Even more disrespectful than their taunting of the read yellow set, was their complete lack of attention to Mark Kate's speech about the war, a war that is killing thousands of innocent people while these kids spend their daddy's college fund money on weed and booze while all the poor kids get shot at to protect their "freedom". I was ashamed that these people are the future of America.

I want to thank the dozen or so kids that came up to us and apologized, we love you and we thank you. It is good to know that their are still decent people in this world. I also would like to point out that out of all the kids that were so tough in the crowd...taunting us...NO ONE had the fucking balls to come up to any of us and say it to our faces. However, some cowards did send us some scathing myspace messages today. You guys are so macho.

If you are going to come to a show, be a human being. Even if you hate a band's guts, they are still up there, busting their asses to display their love for music. Get in a van, tour for about five years straight, sleep on floors and make no money, lose relationships and suffer heartache for being away from home too long, have a gun pulled on you at a show for playing too loud, get pneumonia for sleeping an hour a night for months at time, and of course, get booed by a packed club. Do all of this, and THEN you can come and criticize my band. Until then, shut the fuck up.

to everybody who supports what we do, we love you more than anything.

love,
evan of read yellow