On a night that featured crowd-pleasing medleys of Rage Against the Machine classics, a cover of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Mr. Crowley,” and a surprise appearance by Rush legend Alex Lifeson for a spirited rendition of “Limelight,” it might seem odd to say one of the most powerful moments came from an old folk tune, but that’s exactly what happened during Tom Morello‘s show at the Danforth on Thursday night.
Though if one thought about it for a minute, it wouldn’t really have come as a surprise. As Morello pointed out, that old folk song – Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” – really does embody the same spirit of resistance and social justice that Morello has always stood for. After all, what are RATM songs but amped up folk songs on steroids and a six pack of Monster? Same sentiment, different guitar tone.
Noting that the political edge of Guthrie’s original has been dulled a bit over the years, with some of its original lyrics being censored or omitted, Morello played the song in full, leading the crowd through a singalong like a metalhead Pete Seeger.
Far from the sanitized version that many of us grew up singing, Morello delivered those lyrics, complete with their biting social critique, and even used the choruses from the Canadian version in a nod to the Toronto audience. It was a memorable moment that brought the crowd together and served as a reminder of the power of protest music.
And the spirit of Woody Guthrie does indeed live on in Tom Morello. That much was made clear in the song that followed: the Springsteen-eque “Pretend You Remember Me,” a brand new song written in response to the recent ICE raids in Los Angeles. Later, during “The Ghost of Tom Joad,” Morello lifted his guitar high to reveal the words “LAND BACK” boldly written on the back – another reminder that for him, performance and protest are inseparable.
The night culminated in him assembling a kind of supergroup for the final number: Morello, his bandmates, and Alex Lifeson were joined by Sum 41’s Dave Baksh and Cone McCaslin, as well as openers Snotty Nose Rez Kids, for a killer version of MC5’s “Kick Out the Jams.”
“It’s like you won a contest!” he joked as they launched into it – and really, it kind of felt like we had.
Morello’s show was more than just a concert – it was a reminder that music remains one of our most powerful tools for resistance, unity, and truth-telling. But at the same time, it was also a great show. Jams were most certainly kicked out.
