Thinking About the Rage Against the Machine Afterparty Makes My Eyes Itchy.

Woo-ee!

Were you down at the Capitol for the Ripple Effect concert today? It was initially pretty darn rainy and windy and cold but eventually the sun made an appearance as did, uh, yeah, Rage Against the Machine.

These dudes weren't billed, but the crowd started buzzing during Anti-Flag's set that they would be putting on an impromptu performance. After what looked like the makings of a publicity stunt to be featured in the extras of a "RAGE BATTLE OVER THE RNC!!!" live DVD, the police wouldn't let Rage take the stage, and so Zack de la Rocha came out into the crowd, instructed everyone to put their rear ends down on the ground, and then sang into a bullhorn while Tom Morello vocalized his guitar parts. Wah wah-wah wah-wah-wah-wah ba ba chicka Wah wah-wah wah-wah-wah-wah ba ba chicka. And so on. Then the crowd followed them out into the streets to march down toward the convention. Well, those of us who aren't afraid of getting tear-gassed. Have you ever been tear-gassed, man? It sucks. So when I saw the Capitol being circled by cops in riot gear I came home to, you know, write in my blog like a big fat pussy.

City Pages has an on-the-ground account of what happened next. Sounds like there's a big ol' protest going on, and alternative media are reporting that people are indeed about to get tear-gassed.

I'm going to make myself some spaghetti now. Rage totally rules! Woo-hoo!