Monday, August 1, 2011

Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine) and Tim McIlrath (Rise Against) embark on 'The Justice Tour' to benefit The Nation Institute


Tom Morello and Tim McIlrath of Rise Against have joined forces for The Justice Tour. The tour will bring them to Madison, WI, Cleveland, OH and Flint, MI this September with all profits benefiting The Nation Institute. This month, Morello released the EP, Union Town, with all profits benefiting the America Votes Labor Unity Fund via SaveWorkers.org. The release consists of pro-union songs and was inspired by Morello’s performance in Madison, WI in February of this year in protest to an anti-union bill put forward by Governor Scott Walker. Tom Morello stated, "This year’s Justice Tour aims to support independent media which is battling the mountain of disinformation and propaganda foisted on the public by right wing media barons. We will also return to the union battlegrounds of the Midwest to help steel the backbone of workers under siege." Tim McIlrath added, “Playing with Tom on the steps of the Capitol building in Madison last February was an inspiring experience. I can’t wait to join him again for such an important cause. Media has become a battleground, and we're out to even the odds.”

Tom Morello is the Grammy-winning guitarist and founding member of Rage Against the Machine whose third solo album, World Wide Rebel Songs will be released on August 30th. It is the 14th studio album of Tom Morello’s influential career. With Serj Tankian of System of a Down, Morello formed Axis of Justice, an organization whose purpose is to bring together musicians, music fans, and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice.

Tim McIlrath is the lead singer of Rise Against, a band that has recorded together for 12 years. McIlrath and Rise Against are well known for lending their voice to causes as well as their close relationship to their fans. Past songs with a bent toward social activism have included "Ready to Fall" in support of PETA, "Hero of War", written in response to the military action in Iraq and most recently “Make It Stop (September’s Children)” in connection with the It Gets Better Project. In 2011, the band released its 6th album, Endgame.

A nonprofit media center, The Nation Institute was established to extend the reach of progressive ideas and strengthen the independent press in the United States. It's dynamic range of programs include a bestselling book publishing imprint, Nation Books; an award-winning Investigative Fund, which supports groundbreaking investigative journalism; the widely read and syndicated website TomDispatch; the internship program at The Nation magazine; and Journalism Fellowships that fund up to 15 high-profile, convention challenging reporters every year. Work produced by The Nation Institute has sparked Congressional hearings, new legislation, FBI investigations and the resignation of government officials, has changed the debate and has a regular impact on the most urgent social and political issues of our day. Much more on the Institute's work can be found at www.nationinstitute.org.

The Justice Tour:

September 5th - Madison, WI The Barrymore Theatre (All Ages)
September 6th - Cleveland, OH Grog Shop (All Ages)
September 7th - Flint, MI The Machine Shop (18+)

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