Raging Too Late

As all those who are fans of the Coachella Music And Arts Festival, rock music, or music festivals in general are probably aware, the members of the politically-fueled rap-metal band Rage Against The Machine are reuniting to headline the Coachella Festival bill this year. The band, throughout the previous years of its life, had carved out a niche for itself by making scathing (both in words and sound) attacks on the politicians (chiefly Ronald Reagan, Lyndon Johnson, George Bush Sr., and Bill Clinton) that they claimed to have perpetuated and exacerbated the political, economic, and social ills that had affected the U.S. and other countries throughout the 20th century.

Shouldn't it be logical then that they would have been having a field day with a president whose approval rating had reached Nixonian levels during the last six years? I guess not, as the band broke up in 2000, right when stealing an election was the only scandalous thing the Monkey Man had yet perpetrated on the American people. I suppose it is understandable that, after the attacks of September 11 left the country feeling the most patriotic it had felt since Desert Storm, the band would not want to go reunite and spew curses once again at the Flag.

However, as the not-so-reactionary policies of the Bush adminstration to 9/11 sent the nation into a conflict that just got worse and worse as time went on, as the executives of a gigantic energy dealer sucked millions dry, as Washington tried to privatize social security, "as" ad infinitum, the one band that was known for caring about what the suits were doing lay dormant. Now I concede that Rage, during its first run as a band, was filled with constant tension, as guitarist Tom Morello has stated that the band was on the verge of breaking up consistently for the last 5 years of its first run. But, for Jesus sakes'- what other golden opportunity to say, "Fuck the Prez!" without being labeled by the majority of Americans as a bunch of commie bastards are these guys gonna have? The war elicits complaints from everybody from Nancy Pelosi to Pat Buchanan and they're gonna let Green Day have all the anti-establishment glory? For shame.

So, although I am, of course, gonna enjoy hearing the guitar scratching of the "Bulls On Parade" solo ring out across the Indio Valley, I will remain frustrated at the fact that Zach and the gang didn't to get it together as quickly as they did. They still have 2 more years to rag on Bush- if they decide to make this reunion more than a one-off thing, but they nevertheless blew what would have been their best creative period by far by sitting the last 6 years out.