Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett, former Dead Kennedys singer Jello Biafra and rockers Creeper Lagoon are among the San Francisco artists scheduled to join forces November 5 to protest the city's rising rents and inhospitable climate for artists. Hammett is scheduled to give a speech, and Biafra and Creeper Lagoon will perform, along with former American Music Club frontman Mark Eitzel, Latin jazz percussionist John Santos, veteran gospel group the Blind Boys of Alabama and garage-rockers Zen Guerilla, according to organizers.
"We've had 12 dance studios close, 20 nightclubs, five rehearsal studios for musicians — it's been devastating," said Ian Brennan, the concert's promoter. The free event, dubbed Take Back San Francisco, will also include a "Million Band March," with musicians marching from the city's Mission neighborhood to City Hall.
The concert, which will also include surprise performances, will be broadcast live on Berkeley's KPFA-FM radio. A spokesperson for Metallica at Elektra Records said Friday (Oct. 27) that Hammett is expected to participate in the march, but that his plans to speak at the event are still tentative. |
