The Flames of Discontent: Press/Reviews

"This is no time for complacency---this is time for The Flames of Discontent!"

"Punk-folking around, the Flames of Discontent bring Wobblyism into our time and rock the IWW standards. John Pietaro is a Joe Hill for the new century."

The Flames of Discontent light up a big candle of empowerment and support for working people everywhere while incinerating the greedy, ruthless villains who seek to exploit others...all that and they play one knock-out version of 'Bread and Roses'.

"The Flames of Discontent are among the most awsome rabble-rowswers of our day, responsibly playing their music where it's needed most"

CD REVIEW: ROLL MAGAZINE, January 2008

CD Review, ‘Quick Pick’:

THE FLAMES OF DISCONTENT, “Revenge of the Atom Spies” (Hidden Agenda Records)

If you’re looking for passion and commitment from an artist in the service of a decidedly leftist/populist social message, here’s Beacon musician, activist and organizer John Pietaro. With his band The Flames of Discontent (with bassist/vocalist/wife Laurie Towers and percussionist Rafael Figueroa), Pietaro (on guitar and banjo) starts with Joe Hill (“Stung Right”) and Merle Travis’ “Sixteen Tons” before segueing into his own updated Seeger-styled “September’s Divide”, and a defiant letter from author Lillian Hellman to the House Un-American Committee, setting an ardent tone for the CD. The stripped-down duo/trio sound like they’re rehearsing in the union hall, and Pietaro means every word he sings.

"John Pietaro, Laurie Towers and company have recreated the mood of the 1950s Witchhunt...and just in time for the latest waves of intended repression. While a large swath of liberal opinion, a half century or so ago, joined the Cold War crusade, eager to grab a share of the swag that would be handed out to cooperative intellectuals and artists, a larger number of dedicated artistic activists held to their positions and took the blows, determined not to give the McCarthyites the satisfaction of wiping out dissent entirely. Pietaro and Towers recall the fight-back that looked ahead to the revival of social movements during the 1960s. Likewise now, with musical verve and lively lyrics, the Flames of Discontent call us to the colors of the future...in the hopes that they will be Red" -

THE INDUSTRIAL WORKER
Official Newspaper of the Industrial Workers of the World
-November 2007-

CD Review:
‘REVENGE OF THE ATOM SPIES’ NUKES WAR ON TERROR
Flames of Discontent, ‘Revenge of the Atom Spies’, Hidden Agenda Records/BMI, 2007

IWW John Pietaro and Laurie Towers are back as the Flames of Discontent with the new CD Revenge of the Atom Spies.
Wobblies are well-familiar with Pietaro and Towers as they recorded their first CD, I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night…A Century of IWW Songs for the IWW centenary and perform in and around New York’s Hudson Valley and New York City.
This second 14-track disc of the Flames links the American theme of the Red Scare from the fifties to today’s new cold war, the so-called war on terror, which has criminalized dissent domestically and globally.
The music is an eclectic mix of melancholy, irony, humor and rebellion. The slow tempo and tragic mood of September’s Divide and Contrasts clashes against the Elvis-inspired opening song, the frenetic title track, and acoustic Ballad of the Big Wind. . Thrown in for good measure is the ska punk narrative of Who’s To Blame?, two spoken word tracks, the boppy Song of the Translucent Liberal, jazzy Walls, and the simply beautiful electric banjo and bass of Injustice. Then there are the classic IWW songs Stung Right and Joe Hill, and the Spanish Civil War song Viva La Quince Brigade.
With such an array of musical styles, the Red Scare theme of the lyrics holds the CD together.
The atom spies who are getting their “revenge” are presumably the American communists Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, executed on June 19, 1953, after being convicted of passing nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union. There is doubt to this day that they transmitted secrets that actually helped the Russians build a nuclear bomb and that they received a fair trial. The Rosenbergs were the only people tried and executed by the US for espionage during the Cold War. They were buried in Pinelawn, New York.
Their trial fanned the flames of anti-communist hysteria, providing Senator McCarthy with the wave of fear he and his Committee of Un-American Activities used to persecute hundreds of activists, artists and others through public hearings, blacklisting and blackmailing.
The spoken word tracks by actor and activist Paul Robeson ands the principled Lillian Hellman help provide the historical context of the CD.
“I am being tried for fighting for my people. My father was a slave and my people died fighting for this country…No fascist-minded people will drive me from it. Is that clear?”, Robeson told the Committee in 1956.
American playwright Lillian Hellman told the Committee in 1954: “To hurt innocent people whom I knew many years ago on order to save myself is, to me, inhuman, indecent and dishonorable. I cannot and will not cut my conscience to fit this year’s fashions”. Hollywood put her on its blacklist for years for her statement.
Robeson’s and Hellman’s words still ring true today in the need to directly confront the encroaching surveillance of the state and to hold ourselves to a moral standard that is higher than what is laughably called public morals today.
(continued over)

Pietaro and Towers use a combination of wit and rhetoric to tie the blunders of the past to the blundering idiots in power today.
In Who’s To Blame?, the Flames try to identify who leaked to the media that Valerie Plame, the wife of White House critic Joseph Wilson, was a CIA agent. After listing all of Bush’s cronies as suspects, Pietaro sings: “It’s so hard to choose. This insidious bunch has control of the news”. In other words, it doesn’t matter who leaked the information because the issue is that Washington already controls journalists dependent on it for news content.
Democrats and so-called progressives are not spared either. “When did you drop your ideals of fighting the good fight?” asks the Song of the Translucent Liberal, which skewers the liberals who insist that reforming the system—and voting for war and domestic oppression to retain credibility—is going to do anything more than co-opt the activist. “The greatest fall is from within, work the system with a grin”, mocks the lyrics. Walls decries not only the physical walls, such as the one on the Mexico-US border and the one being used to expropriate land from Palestinians in Israel, but the psychological barriers to resistance. “Walls of steel, walls of fire, walls that crush your heart’s desire. Walls of silence, walls of illusion, walls of blindness, walls of elusion”, croons guest vocalist Rafael Figueroa on this cut.
This theme of willful ignorance and complicity is echoed in the sorrowful Contrasts: “Dissent is shunned, thoughts a crime”.
“People learn to tolerate what you feed them”, declares the title track, Revenge of the Atom Spies. “Is American pride just so fragile that government lies must be so agile? They deny what they don’t know; close our minds and just say No”.
But Flames of Discontent does more than bemoan the tragedies of today and yesterday, they call for action.
“With endless corporate wars, they’ve overspent our trust. They’re closing all the doors, dissent is a must”, calls Pietaro in Injustice. The Ballad of the Big Winds calls for nothing short of revolution: “The big wind blew away New Orleans, took lives and homes and reality. Nothing was done by the fortunate son. Storm this right-wing regime”.
The Flames of Discontent are hard at work, promoting this new CD, playing the Dissident Folk & Arts Festival in Beacon NY in October, and having dates set in the New York cities of Kingston, High Falls, Poughkeepsie and Woodstock in November. Joining Pietaro and Towers will be new drummer Angelo Moscarello to the give the group’s live performance more of a rock edge.
To find out more about the Flames, visit their website www.flamesofdiscontent.org

WHISPERIN & HOLLERIN (UK)
'Revenge of the Atom Spies'

- Label: 'Hidden Agenda Records'
- Genre: 'Folk' - Release Date: '2007'


Our Rating: 8 stars (out of a possible 10).

Given the rise in power of the right since the beginning of this decade, there's nothing like a leftist power duo to fan the Flames of Discontent (http://www.flamesofdiscontent.org). Sure enough, here they are, vocalist/guitarist John Pietaro and bassist Laurie Towers, hailing from the broken heart of 9/11, New York. However, those expecting Billy Bragg-ish socialist acoustic alternative will receive something refreshingly different.

From the film noir-styled Cold War album cover and its B-movie title, "Revenge of the Atom Spies," the Flames of Discontent aren't afraid of having a little fun poking at the uber-serious conservative crowd, especially those who are so afraid of the written word that they want to hold congressional hearings to limit the freedom of speech. The levity displayed in the CD packaging reveal a group that is confident in itself, keenly aware that their incandescent lyrics will sting a Republican Party ear or two yet unafraid of the absurdity of being punished for striking an opposing position.

But go beyond the blue-collar messages in their songs and you will find a band that wants to produce solid rock and roll as well. In this case, the Flames of Discontent have a pretty obvious obsession with the late '50s and early '60s. On "Stung Right," Pietaro sounds uncannily like vintage Elvis Presley (not Costello, which is probably what you were expecting to read), especially with the track's robust rockabilly beat. "Sixteen Tons" explores jazzy textures while "September's Divide" and "Ballad of the Big Wind" feature the nicely strummed folk rock that you thought you'd only be hearing from this couple.

The most engaging cut is the title track with guitar riffs sharp enough to cut the U.S. deficit with.
-author: Adam Harrington

DAILY FREEMAN, April 13, 2007


"THE FLAMES OF DISCONTENT BRING BACK PROTEST SONGS"
Artist: The Flames of Discontent
Album: "Revenge of the Atom Spies' (Hidden Agenda Records)

Hudson Valley heroes The Flames of Discontent, John Pietaro and Laurie Towers, have brought back the good, the bad and the ugly of the 1950s.

The good is the retro music and delivery, the bad is the Cold War references in many of the tunes and the ugly is the chilling reminder of McCarthyism.

Songs such as "Who's To Blame?" (about the government leak about ex-CIA agent Valerie Plame), "Ballad of the Big Wind" (concerning government inactions after Hurricane Katrian) and "September's Divide" (about the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks) reference current events, while "Song of the Tranlucent Liberal" (which stylistically brings to mind Trini Lopez) is about the weakness of many of those during the Red Scare and harks back to the 1950s.

Other 1950s tunes come alive as well, "Joe Hill", "Stung Right" and warhorse "Sixteen Tons" are strong, but maybe themost moving is a reading of Lillian Hellman's statement to the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1954. Most of the songs have a campy retro, Elvis vibe, while some ("Contrasts") recall Jacque Brel.

Times have changed, but maybe not as much as one would hope. With government again breathing down the necks of those who might have a different opinion (and calling them "unpatriotic") the underlying, unsaid message here is that though in the 1950s and 60s, musicians would often risk their careers with politically-charged material, these days--in the face of invasive government--no high profile artists (save Neil Young) have stepped up to the plate to protest.

Translucent liberals? Maybe.

Single-handedly bringing back protest songs, activists The Flames of Discontent have put their money where their mouthis, so take your money and get this CD.
For more information visit www.flamesofdiscontent.org

SHOTGUN REVIEWS:
'REVENGE OF THE ATOM SPIES' by The Flames of Discontent

-Reviewed by Kyrby Raine-

Armed with shades, trench coats, and left-wing sentiments, the Flames of Discontent (http://www.flamesofdiscontent.org) would’ve been asking for trouble just a little over 30 years ago. Other than the anti-Bush diatribes, there haven’t been too many politically inflammatory rock artists lately; the idea of using rock and roll as a form of social protest seemed to have died out in the late ’80s with only artists such as Billy Bragg and Midnight Oil regularly singing about important issues. When Nirvana hit, everybody just wanted to expose the wounds they had inside instead of the injustice and corruption around them.

Given the weight of their messages, though, you’d think the Flames of Discontent would’ve printed the lyrics to their songs on their CD. That honestly is the only tragic flaw on Revenge of the Atom Spies, a caustic, unapologetically liberal album which finds the duo engaging in various Cold War styles - rockabilly, folk, punk, and Beatnik jazz.

The slamming title track has the invigorating energy of the Violent Femmes while “Who’s to Blame?” echoes Joy Division’s sinister bass lines and Bauhaus’ Gothic delivery. However, the band never plays in the same sandbox, finding different ways of getting their political barbs across through various genre-shifting.

CD REVIEWS:

The Flames of Discontent: "Revenge of the Atom Spies"
Lou Reed meets Elvis Presley in black-and-white Cold War melodrama.
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[7.16.07]
Despite the secret-agent disguises and B-movie packaging (the album title sounds like a 10-cent serial at the bijou), the Flames of Discontent aren't kidding. The group is quite serious about their liberal views, whether it's attacking the Bush government's poor response to Hurricane Katrina ("Ballad of the Big Wind") or paying homage to the late labor activist Joe Hill by covering a folk standard written about him ("Joe Hill").

However, left-wing propaganda records can be as boring and pretentious as right-wing ones if the group is musically inept. Thankfully, the Flames of Discontent (the duo of John Pietaro and Laurie Towers) are as fired up by rock & roll as they are by their politics. Revenge of the Atom Spies is an odd collection of rockabilly, folk, underground rock, jazz, and spoken word. In other words, it's the kind of record you'd expect from a beatnik combo in the early '60s.

At times, Pietaro recalls Lou Reed with his dry, deadpan voice, but there are moments, such as on the rockabilly number "Stung Right," wherein he will remind you of Elvis Presley in his rebellious, leather-jacket days. Of course, Presley was never political; his impact on the world was social, nothing to do with government policies and such. The title track is the most punky of all the songs on the CD, charging forward with spiked riffs and an urgent rhythm.

Usually protest albums are unplugged, letting the lyrics take center stage. The Flames of Discontent stick to that tradition on "September's Divide," "Ballad of the Big Wind," and, of course, "Joe Hill." However, they aren't shackled by it, and that makes all the difference.

www.flamesofdiscontent.org

The Flames newest CD, "Revenge of the Atom Spies", truly captures the 1950s mood --the mood of both the Left's protest and the sonic ambiance of that decade's socially aware Folk groups and Beat movement. Lyrically, "Revenge" addresses the problems we face a half-century later. - Andy Tokash, host- 'Folk Rock and Roots, WVKR-FM (Poughkeepsie NY)

"Revenge of the Atom Spies includes new renditions of a Joe Hill song and the classic labor song about him, but it's far more than a collection of folk songs. It's a sizzling blend of edgy, cogent lyrics and passionate percussion driven music. Drawing from folk, rock, rhythm and blues and spoken word, the CD's original songs demand liberation for all people with no one left behind. Want to believe there are people around who understand why there's so much misery in the world and who really want to change it? Give a listen to The Flames of Discontent!
Carry it on!"
-Ray Korona, topical singer-songwriter/activist(www.raykorona.com)

"Chronogram Magazine", CD REVIEW: John Pietaro & The Flames of Discontent--
"I Dreamed I Heard Joe Hill Last Night...A Century of IWW Song". Rhode Island Labor History Society, 2005


With a voice that sounds like the lovechild of Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, singer John Pietaro leads his Flames of Discontent through Industrial Workers of the World standards and prose pieces on their new CD, "I Dreamed I Heard Joe Hill Last Night...A Century of IWW Song". A union organizer by day, Pietaro is a noted multi-instrumentalist who has performed with such geniuses as Pete Seeger and Alan Ginsberg as a tireless advocate for the dignity of working men and women (a portion of this CD's proceeds go to the IWW).

With one Pietaro-penned exception, the newest song was written in 1917, but therre's no dusty antiquity in either lyrical substance (workers' battles with big business) or musical style (powerful 50s-based rock and roll with a touch of folk, country and punk). Anchored by the transfixing melodic basslines of Laurie Towers, Pietaro's rallying cries are heightened by a band cooking with the heartfelt passion of making kick-ass music for the masses. Between such rousing anthems as "Workingfolk Unite", "Rebel Girl" and "Bread and Roses", there are three dramatic readings from IWW archives depicting workers' and activists' struggles.
Atimely, noble work fighting the good fight and rocking what's right.

POUGHKEEPSIE JOURNAL, MAY 2, 2008

MAY DAY JAM HOPES TO ENLIGHTEN AND ENTERTAIN
A musical duo from Beacon Saturday will host a May Day celebration in New Paltz that tackles health care, labor and immigration issues.
The May Day Jam will feature music by Flames of Discontent of Beacon and feature performances by the Readnex Poetry Squad, a quartet of young poets that has toured internationally and opened for the band Rage Against the Machine, and musician Zenote Sompantle, who specializes in acoustic Mexican revolution songs.
The May Day Jam is also set to feature speakers who will discuss organized labor, the rights of immigrants, the rights of women, student activism, peace, reform of the health-care industry and other social justice issues.
"I think it's really important that people do not forget the legacy of May Day," said John Pietaro of Beacon, a member of Flames of Discontent, professional labor organizer and organizer of this event. "May Day is an American workers' holiday."
Fighting for a cause
The origins of May Day - a May 1 holiday around the world in honor of workers - can be traced to a three-day strike in Chicago in 1886. Workers there took to the streets to demand an eight-hour workday. Rioting, deaths and the emboldening of unions followed.
May Day is observed internationally as an official holiday, but not in the United States. The link between the labor movement and music is strong. Fishkill resident and folk singer Pete Seeger has spoken often around the Hudson Valley about performing with Woody Guthrie for striking workers on picket lines and at labor rallies.
"The music not only gives me inspiration ... ," Pietaro said, "... the music makes it emotional."
One of the speakers scheduled to appear is another person who linked up music with social issues.
Yvonne Sewall-Ruskin of Ulster County is the widow of Mickey Ruskin, creator of the legendary restaurant, bar and nightclub, Max's Kansas City, in Manhattan. Sewall-Ruskin in 1996 founded the Max's Kansas City Project, which provides "emergency funding and resources to financially distressed individuals in the creative and performing arts for housing, medical and legal aid," according to www.maxskansascity.org.
"I think of the labor movement," Pietaro said, "as part of the bigger struggle for social justice in general."
"May Day Jam: A Concert for Labor, Social Change & Healthcare Reform" is set for 8 p.m. Saturday at the Muddy Cup Coffeehouse, 58 Main St., New Paltz.
A $5 donation is encouraged. Call 845-255-5803 or visit www.muddycup.com and www.flamesofdiscontent.org.
John W. Barry is the music writer for the Poughkeepsie Journal. Write him c/o Poughkeepsie Journal, P.O. Box 1231, Poughkeepsie, NY 12602, call 845-437-4822, or e-mail jobarry@poughkeepsiejournal.com.

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ALMANAC WEEKLY, October 4, 2007

“Fanning the Flames: Dissident Folk Festival Revisits Howland Cultural Center in Beacon Next Saturday”
by Bob Margolis

In the “Boy, we need this more than ever” file, please find the second running Dissident Folk Festival, under the organizing of John Pietaro and the Howland Cultural Center. Now called the Dissident Folk & Arts Festival 2007, the event returns to Beacon’s Howland Center on October 13.
Pietaro is one who has mastered the art of speaking clearly about just what he is up to and why: “The Festival has a primary goal, and that is to showcase protest arts in this climate of continued governmental oppression. While we in the US cling to a Bill of Rights, the Bush Administration has systematically sought to outlaw dissent, even as this Imperial Presidency has granted itself unprecedented power. So it’s time for the cultural workers to speak”. A full-time organizer, Pietaro also fronts the Flames of discontent—the rare socially relevant group that not only speaks truth to power, but does so without ignoring melody, craft or humor.
Pietaro is dead-on when he addresses the need not to be monochromatic when presenting music with a message. “We need to break down the barriers around what some may say is the sacred space of ‘folk music’ and ‘folk festivals’. For me there’s nothing more boring than an entire festival of only of only singer/songwriters brandishing a lone voice and an acoustic guitar; there needs to be a musical mix, from acoustic folk-oriented sounds to snarling punk-folk to world music to Berlin cabaret songs to jazz and more—plus spoken word artists. And we’ll even have a small exhibit of protest photography by the brilliant pairing of John Economos and Maxine Smith (‘Econosmith’) surrounding our stage…There’s nothing more intolerable than a series of homogenous performers, especially if the event is packaged such as ours. That picture is anathema to anything ‘dissident’. I knew from the start that that the concept of the protest singer as a white guy with an acoustic guitar must be pulled inside-out in my Festival. Sure, we’ve got a few white guys with acoustic guitars; but I insisted on having a broader array of faces, cultures, ages and accents up there, too. Its necessary, otherwise we are just engaging in the same exclusionary practice the right-wing has turned into a way of life. In this regard, this event—the only such protest music festival in this country—also expresses a level of dissent from the common ‘folk’ imagery, both culturally and musically”.
Kudos for programming in a number of specific themed events: a tribute to Bertolt Brecht, a workshop on Woody Guthrie and a presentation on New Orleans today are all on the bill, which includes music and spoken word, culminating in the sounds of violinist Gwen Laster.
Any activist worth his or her stripes must know the historical context of their movements. Mr. Discontent is no exception. “Throughout history, popular movements and uprisings have depended upon the voices and visions of musicians, writers, painters, poets, actors and dancers to fan the flames of discontent (so to speak), and festivals or pageants such as ours are nothing new. So last year I held the inaugural Festival, which was a full weekend. My only compromise for this year is to make it a single day…There’s no lack of drive or conviction; in fact, its only that much stronger with each news report of more outlandish Bush actions. This man appears to be trying to not only humiliate this nation in the eyes of the world but, ironically, causing more global hatred of the United States and seemingly giving birth to new legions of terrorists. So we will gather our forces and offer a realization of our freedom of speech, our right to organize and our right to dissent”.
Go get ‘em!. The event runs from 1PM to 11Pm at the Howland Cultural Center at 477 main Street in Beacon. For info call (845) 831-4988or visit www.howlandculturalcenter.org. Tickets are $10. ; all proceeds will be donated to the Howland Center’s geothermal heating system project. This isa Faniekl Pearl Music Day event.

THE POUGHKEEPSIE JOURNAL
Friday, April 27, 2007

Celebrations Merge to Aid Domestic Violence Victims

Organizers of a concert set for Saturday in Kingston hope to underscore the connection
between immigrants and the labor movement while raising money for victims of domestic
abuse. "Solidarity: A May Day/Cinco De Mayo Benefit Concert" will feature
labor songs, hip-hop, an anti-war choir, spoken word and more. This concert is scheduled
to run from 6 to 11 p.m. and will be held at Backstage Studio Productions on Wall
Street. Scheduled to perform are The Flames of Discontent, Bev Grant & the Dissident
Daughters, Readnex Poetry Squad, Voices for Peace, Zenote Sompantle, Bob Lusk, Ken
& Julie, Bruce Markow and Sana Shabazz.
"Through the music, through some discussion, through some poetry, we hope to
pull together the idea of the spirit of rebellion, the spirit of human strength,
the story of the strength and power of the average working person," said John
Pietaro of Beacon, an event organizer and member of The Flames of Discontent. "We're
hoping to pull this together while also raising funds for an amazing organization."
That "amazing organization," according to Pietaro, a labor representative
for state workers, is The Latina Victims of Domestic Violence Outreach Committee,
which is based in Poughkeepsie. Female victims of domestic abuse who may be in the
U.S. illegally are one of "the most vulnerable" groups of people, he said.
The origins of May Day - a May 1 holiday around the world in honor of workers -
can be traced to a three-day strike in Chicago in 1886. Workers there took to the
streets to demand an eight-hour work day. Rioting, deaths and the emboldening of
unions followed. May Day is observed internationally as an official holiday, but
not in the United States. Cinco de Mayo - May 5 in English - is a Mexican holiday
that commemorates an 1862 battle in which the Mexican army defeated French forces.
Pietaro said both holidays can be viewed in one context, as immigrants for centuries
have journeyed to the United States seeking good jobs.

SUBJECT OF NATIONWIDE DEBATE
Issues surrounding illegal immigrants and the jobs they seek and hold in the United
States are currently being debated at length by President Bush and Congress. Also,
Pietaro noted, on May 1, 2006, immigrants nationwide marched to protest proposed
immigration laws and call attention to the roles immigrants play in the American
workforce.
In addition to the activism, there will be entertainment, including songs from the
new CD by The Flames of Discontent, "Revenge of the Atom Spies." The Flames
will incorporate spoken word into their performance, with a cut from their new CD
that features a reading of the letter that blacklisted writer Lillian Hellman read
to the House Un-American Activities Committee.

Admission is $8. Call 845-338-8700 or visit www.flamesofdiscontent.org or www.bspinfo.net.
Backstage Studio Productions is at 323 Wall St., Kingston.

-John W. Barry is the music writer for the Poughkeepsie Journal,
a Gannet newspaper. www.poughkeepsiejournal.com

THE POUGHKEEPSIE JOURNAL
Friday, October 13, 2006
"Festival Celebrates Social Protest, Music"

By JOHN BARRY


The one-two punch of music and social protest, its impact on society and relevance today will be probed this weekend at a two-day event set for the Howland Cultural Center in Beacon.

John Pietaro of Beacon, a musician and labor organizer for a union representing state workers, has organized The Dissident Folk Festival, which is set to feature protest songs and poetry and speakers.

Pietaro, whose own band, The Flames of Discontent, will perform Saturday, hopes to spotlight the role regular folks can play in demanding action from political leaders of all parties on a wide range of issues. Pietaro said action can range from stopping the Iraq war to cleaning up the environment.

"I'm not against all politicians and I don't think this is against the concept of a political party," Pietaro said. "There needs to be a resurgence in people's sense of mission on worker's rights, the rights of the environment, the rights of immigrants."

Pietaro has lined up several speakers who could leave a powerful impact.

GUTHRIE'S SONGS INVOLVED

Anna Canoni, the granddaughter of folk music and protest icon Woody Guthrie, is scheduled to speak Saturday night. A film about Guthrie will also be shown and a "Woody Round Robin" featuring Guthrie songs performed live will be held.

"Woody is the prototypical protest singer," Pietaro said. "Woody Guthrie spent his entire life going out and working with unions, working with farm workers, working with poor families. His entire career was based on doing that. This guy was so selfless. If he had $2, he would give away $1.90. Woody had to be a part of this event."

Another presence that will loom large over the Dissident Folk Festival is that of the late athlete and actor Paul Robeson, a world-renowned singer, Broadway actor and international activist called to testify before the House of Representatives Un-American Activities Committee in 1956. Robeson, honored in 2004 with a U.S. Postal Service stamp, was blacklisted by the entertainment industry.

ROBESON WORKS

On Sunday, Henry Foner, president of the Paul Robeson Foundation, is scheduled to speak. Following Foner, vocalist Kenneth Anderson will perform songs made famous by Robeson.

Also scheduled are Arianna DeJesus, a 16-year-old poet from Wappingers Falls; Zenote Sompantle, who will perform Mexican revolutionary songs; and author Malachy McCourt, the Green Party candidate for New York governor. These three will appear Sunday.

"I want this to be folk music in the broadest sense," Pietaro said. "It's the people's music. I don't care what people you are."

The Dissident Folk Festival is set for Saturday, 2-11 p.m., and Sunday, noon-6:30 p.m., at the Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main St., Beacon. Tickets will be available at the door and cost $10; $8 for senior citizens or students. A two-day pass costs $15; $13 for senior citizens and students.
_____________
John W. Barry is the music writer for the Poughkeepsie Journal.

CHRONOGRAM Magazine, October 2006:
'Folk Flame Burns in Beacon'
by Rebecca Wild Nelson | photo by Econosmith


Take your concept of the traditional folk festival and twist it even further to the left. The burgeoning art scene in Beacon will be the backdrop for the first-ever Dissident Folk Festival on October 14 and 15 at the Howland Cultural Center. But don't expect to see only a bunch of white men playing acoustic guitars. The festival is an attempt to redefine folk music by featuring younger musicians like anarcho-feminist punk-folker Holly Goanarchy and New York anti-folk pioneer Lach while still paying appropriate homage to radical greats Woody Guthrie and Paul Robeson.

"Nobody at this festival is concerned about being 'too radical,'" said John Pietaro, the festival's organizer and singer-banjoist of the Flames of Discontent, one of the acts set to appear. He sees the event as an attempt to wake folk music of complacency and back into the radical roots of Guthrie and Robeson. Speakers, musicians, and activists—ranging in age from the 16-year-old political poet Arianna Dejesus to the tellingly named Pittsburgh Raging Grannies protest-performance group—will sing and speak out about labor rights, social justice, the upcoming congressional elections, and about leaving those taboos against radicalism behind.

The Hudson Valley continues to form its identity as a worthy hotbed for the radicalist folk movement. Beacon is also home to Pete Seeger, who assisted in selecting musicians for the festival. In 1946, members of the KKK and the American Legion incited a riot in nearby Peekskill, preventing a scheduled concert by Paul Robeson. Robeson promised to return to the valley, declaring, "My people and I won't be frightened by crosses burning in Peekskill or anywhere else." (The concert was rescheduled, and more rioting followed.)

The event is open to all ages, because, as Pietaro says, "Usually, most of the audience [at folk festivals] is over 60. But we're breaking that down."

The Dissident Folk Festival will take place at the Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main Street, Beacon, on Saturday, October 14, from 2 to11pm and on Sunday, October 15, from 12 to 6:30pm. (845) 831-4988; www.howlandculturalcenter.org.

« back to listings

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Saturday 10/14 through Sunday 10/15
Howland Cultural Center
477 Main Street
Beacon, NY
(845) 831-4988
www.howlandculturalcenter.org

SOUTHERN DUTCHESS FOCUS, October 7, 2006.

"With Lyrics, Music Activist Aims To Usher in Change: 2-Day Concert is set in Beacon" - Jessica Beasimer

If you like some politics with your music, you're in luck. With mid-term elections looming and polls indicating many are not satisfied with the status quo, the possibility of political change is in the air, and activists are seizing the moment.
One iin particular, is also throwing in an eclectic mix of musical entertainment.

Local activist and labor organizer John Pietaro is holding an event he hopes will inspire progressives to action. The Dissident Folk Festival is scheduled for October 14 and 15 at the Howland Cultural Center in Beacon.

"Featuring a diverse grouping of protest-oriented singers, instrumentalist, and poets, interspersed with progressive speakers, this event will act as a bridge between activist philosophy an dperformance," Pietaro said...

"The general population has been demonstrating an increased agitation in the past few years; the average American is fed up with this terrible, illegal war as well as the rising disparity between the rich and the rest of us", he said. "Our event is appealing to a wide variety of people--old and young, black, white and brown, men and women, as well as progressives of every stripe. This event was organized this way by design".

The event is also being billed as a Daniel Pearl Music Day, named for the slain journalist, who was also a musician. Following his brutal beheading by terrorists, his family and friends put together a foundation to keep his name and musical ideas alive.

"They (the foundation) have requested that music events that are tied to peace and justice be considered as a Daniel Pearl Music Day", Pietaro said. His event was approved by the foundation.

While Pietaro expects the event to sell out both days, he also expects many of those attending, "will already be progressive in thought--and probably in action, too. Those folks will geta wonderful replenishing during the uphill climb toward Election Day. We hope to inspire these people to not only get out and vote in November, but to have a renewed strength and inspiration".

Additionally, he said, the is a chance the concert will attract some who are fans of various types of folk-oriented music and not necessarily politically involved.
"We hope to use thisevent to reinvigorate them to see the inner core of the people's music", Pietaro said.
"Folk music is a wide-spread concept--it probably means different things to different people", he said. "But all in all, it is the music of the folk". Celebrating the people of many nations and many movements is pertinent to this event."

The musical acts are too varied to list. Speakers include Anna Canoni of the Woody Guthrie Archive, Henry Foner of the Paul Robeson Foundation, Jen Fuentes of the Hudson Valley Area Labor Federation, Fred nagel of Dutchess Peace, and County Legislator Joel Tyner, D-Rhinebeck.

"I would urge those interested in coming to this event to please arrive early", he said. "No tickets will be sold ahead of time--only at the door, so we recommend that folks come early."

ALMANAC WEEKLY (arts/entertainment supplement to Woodstock Times), Sept 3, 2006

'Labor's Day of Respite: Woodstock Fringe Festival Presents Songs of Solidarity by Flames of Discontent at Byrdcliffe Theatre' - Bob Margolis

The backyard barbecue won't seem the same this year, as it didn't last time around either. The whining about this traditional end-of-summer doesn't seem quite right when to our south our fellow Americans are still homeless, sweltering, their lives disrupted in countless ways--and for heaven knows how long.

We have never known a time like this before. We have never had to cope with a natural disaster like this before --surely not in or lifetimes. When were our fellow Americans ever referred to as "refugees" before? And yet, that is what tens of thousands are - and likely will be for even more months to come.

Somewhere in the 100-plus years since Labor Day became an official US holiday, the meaning behind the observance became obscured. Labor Day festivities were once largely reserved for labor rallies, speeches by union organizers and opportunities for politicians to court the vote of the average workingman. Today, however, Labor Day is less about "labor" than it is about not laboring. We enjoy the day picnicking, boating and a whole host of other leisure activities, celebrating the bittersweet close to the summer season...

Labor Day's heart will be celebrated through its songs and poetry in Woodstock's historic Byrdcliffe Theatre as part of the 2006 Woodstock Fringe Festival of Theatre & Song. The Flames of Discontent's Labor Day Concert will occur on Sunday, September 3 at 8PM. Don't miss these folks. They truly put the spirit of radical labor into music and art.

What a cool idea they have, which is to take classic work and labor songs--basically movement struggles--and put them through their own filters. This is not another tired act of recreating songs from the distant and not-so-distant past, which sadly seems to be the rage these days. Imagine a tune born out of the Triange Shirtwaist fire tewaked by John Pietaro's vocals, electrified 5-string banjo and percussion, Laurie Towers' electric bass guitars, and Rafael Figueroa's congas and percussion. Their set on September 3 will exclusively consist of songs and spoken word pieces of the workers' movement. The Labor Day Concert will be the Flames' second event for the Fringe Festival this season. The concert takes place at the Byrdcliffe Theatre in Woodstock.
-Bob Margolis, 8/31/06

'Pulse' Magazine feature article, Dec 2005:
FAN THE FLAMES: CLASSIC PROTEST SONGS ARE ON THE PLAYLIST FOR THE FLAMES OF DISCONTENT CONCERT IN BEACON ON SATURDAY.

For John Pietaro and his wife Laurie Towers, their band The Flames of Discontent is not ONLY about creating damn good music--although they certainly do rock the 5-string banjo and the electric bass. An impassioned activist and a certified labor organizer working full-time in the labor movement, Pietaro considers the message behind the lyrics just as important as the sound in his artistic vision.
"I think its fair to say that I'm the more radical of the two of us", said Pietaro, chuckling.
The longtime performing duo, under a new name, specializes in reconstructing classic protest songsfrom the early 1900s, as wellas penning some original tunes and spoken word pieces. Infusing rockabilly, punk and other forms of world music into a standard folk sound, the flames of discontent take listeners back to a time when radicalism through song fought to bring change to a nation in peril.
"The full tradition and legacy of the protest song is as old as dissent itself", said Pietaro on the subject of his most profound influence. "These songs were largely written during a time when oppression and urgency were much greater, and we can still get a great deal out of these classics today".
Coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the Industrial Workers of the World, the Flames of Discontent released its first album, "I Dreamed I Heard Joe Hill Last Night...A Century of IWW Song" in September. The CD got its name from Hill, who, along with Phil Ochs, Pete Seeger and Paul Robeson stand among Pietaro's strongest influences.
"(Joe Hill remains Labor's greatest martyr", he explained. "He wrote some of the IWW's most acerbic songs and was deemed so dangerous by the powers that be that he was eventually framed for murder and put to death".
The idea to produce this collection of popular and lesser-known Wobbly songs was conceived by Pietaro, in collaboration with prominent writer and historian Paul Buhle and guitarist Cliff Murphy.
Recorded in a remarkable 36 hours with a studio band one weekend in Providence, RI, this stirring album offers a commentary on IWW history and sparks an examination of present day labor conditions. Except for a piece written by Pietaro and Towers, the other songs were written in the early 20th century.
In addition to Pietaro and Towers' talents, the instrumental line-up includes fiddles, trombone, saxophone, guitars, drums and three spoken word artists.
"One thing that makes the people of the IWW so outstanding is that they used music in their organizing constantly", explained Pietaro. "Many of the original organizers were actually singers and songwriters, and they wanted to keep spirits up and make everyone think".
In fact, the name of Pietaro's group was inspired by an old collection of Wobbly songs entitled "Songs to Fan the Flames of Discontent". Once he and Towers began playing for the IWWs 100th anniversary, they agreed to adopt the expression as their official band name.
When the two are not performing or songwriting, Pietaro and Towers, who recently relocated to the Hudson Valley, keep themselves extremely busy. Other than his work with the Flames, Pietaro has organized, hosted and performed in several events including "The Arts Still Say NO To War", the month-long Workers Memorial Day-May Day Festival, and several concert fundraisers for striking workers and for the NYC Central Labor Council's 9/11 Relief Fund.
Pietaro continues his affiliation with the IWW, and presently works as an organizer for a public workers union. He has written and published articles on arts-activism in addition to being the subject of interviews on WBAI-FM (New York City).
Towers spends her time running an independent alternative healthcare practice in midtown Manhattan, and acting as a mentor for girls at risk. She is also a volunteer speaker at various programs for women who are abused by their spouses.
Laurie is really involved in the concept of women establishing a level of emancipation in their lives", said Pietaro, fondly.
Both have been active in the anti-war movement and consider themselves avid defenders of wildlife and the environment.
"Between the two of us, we try to do our part and hope that others may catch on and pick up some of the slack", said Pietaro.
The duo recently held a live discussion and performed the songs, "I Aint marchin' Anymore" and "There But For Fortune" on WDST's 'Woodstock Roundtable' morning show.
Be sure to catch the Flames of Discontent on Saturday December 17 at the chThonic Clash Coffeehouse. located at 418 Main Street in Beacon. The show begins at 8PM and features protest, labor and social change songs, as well as original compositions and spoken word pieces.
-December 15-21 2005 issue

POUGHKEEPSIE JOURNAL 4/20/08:
"Rosendale Hosts Benefit for Utah Phillips:
Folk music fans to hold benefit for ailing singer"
BY JOHN W. BARRY • POUGHKEEPSIE JOURNAL • APRIL 20, 2008


Movie buffs have Indiana Jones. And folk music enthusiasts, political activists and supporters of organized labor have Utah Phillips.

Those interested in politics, folk music and labor issues are likely to show up in force today for a benefit concert aimed at helping Phillips, who is ill.
Scheduled to perform are Pete Seeger, Dar Williams, the Flames of Discontent, Redwood Moose, Sarah Underhill with the High Meadow Larks, Jude Roberts and Lily McCabe, and Norm Wennet.
This concert was organized by Underhill, Mark Morganstern, co-owner of the Rosendale Cafe, Moose Dmoch of Redwood Moose and John Pietaro of the Flames of Discontent.
Morganstern had originally planned to host the event at his restaurant. But an overwhelming response - Morganstern received inquiring phone calls from as far away as South Carolina - prompted a move to the Rosendale Recreation Center on Route 32.

"I would rather not turn anyone away," Morganstern said.

Phillips' son, Duncan, said the family is "overwhelmed" by the response. Benefit concerts have been staged across the country.
"I really appreciate the people out there doing this," Duncan Phillips said of the greater Rosendale community, which Utah Phillips has visited in past years. "It's kind of overwhelming."

Phillips, 73, is a Grammy nominee, longtime political activist, folk singer and supporter of organized labor. He is an old friend of Seeger's and has performed at the annual Clearwater fest, which is run by the Poughkeepsie-based environmental organization Seeger founded to help clean up the Hudson River.
Phillips has also released two CDs with alternative folk-rocker Ani DiFranco, "The Past Didn't Go Anywhere" and "Fellow Workers."

Phillips is also a longtime member of the International Workers of the World, or IWW, a labor union; and he helped launch the Traveling Musicians Union.
Phillips has toured around the country as a performer for decades but recently had to quit the road because of a respiratory condition and heart irregularities. He is also experiencing other medical issues, according to Duncan Phillips.

"Utah is my role model," said Dmoch, Rosendale resident, member of Redwood Moose and also a member of the IWW. "He's a character. He's a preacher. He tells stories."
And, Dmoch added, "… he's a good man who needs help."

John Pietaro of Beacon also combines his activism in labor issues with his love of music.

Pietaro, a professional labor organizer and member of the Flames of Discontent, is also a member of the IWW.
"Utah Phillips, for anybody who is socially conscious," Pietaro said, "represents the freest end of the labor movement …"

"Upstate Writers Strike Support Rally Draws a Big Crowd"


At least 100 union members turned out to support striking screenwriters at a rally held in the historic Bardavon 1869 Opera House in Poughkeepsie on Friday.

The crowd included more than 50 Hudson Valley-based members of teachers’ union NYSUT as well as union sheet metal workers, commuter railway workers, communications technicians, stagehands, musicians, Actors Equity members and local Writers Guild members.

Bardavon director Chris Silva welcomed the group warmly, stressing the theater’s long history of supporting writers, from Mark Twain to Bob Dylan.

Musicians’ union member and labor organizer John Pietaro kicked off the rally with a Pete Seeger-ish banjo and rousing chorus of "Solidarity Forever."

Hudson Valley Area Labor Fed. AFL-CIO organizer Jen Fuentes addressed the assembled crowd, saying, "The issues at stake and the stand the writers are making are important, because in the labor movement, we are never afraid of a David and Goliath battle ... We will stand behind them 100 percent."

Philadelphia screenwriter Ron Nyswaner presented the strike issues succinctly and with humor, noting "the guy who manufactures the plastic box for the DVD earns more per copy than the guy whose head the movie came out of."

The entire crowd moved onto the street outside the theatre, holding up signs, greeting patrons as they entered for a sold-out screening of "The Blues Brothers," and handing out Writers Guild informational flyers. Spirits were high in spite of temperatures in the low teens, and as audience members streamed into the theatre, several cars slowed down to honk in a show of support.

WOODSTOCK MUSIC STORE OWNER REMEMBERED
By John W. Barry
Poughkeepsie Journal


A light snow fell on Rock City Road in Woodstock, just a short walk from the village green where the band Rusted Root gave a free concert in August 2002, on a day off from dates with Carlos Santana.


Over at Levon Helm's barn Sunday night, the former drummer for The Band, Grammy nominee and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member was taking a night off after holding one of his Ramble house concerts the night before. But as he rested up for a sold-out New Year's Eve Ramble, many of the musicians who play in his band were giving a concert of their own.


One of the most famous little towns anywhere, Woodstock owes a lot of its notoriety to the 1969 Woodstock Music and Art Fair. For many, the name Woodstock conjures images of Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. Bob Dylan, who did not perform at Woodstock the concert, lived for many years in Woodstock the town.


Woodstock may have secured its place in history for the coming centuries, but this past Sunday night did not belong to Jimi or Janis or Bob. For more than four hours at the Colony Cafe, friends and musicians remembered with fondness the guy who ran the Woodstock Music Shop at 18 Rock City Road.


Died Dec. 26

Ron Osenenko, 58, co-owner of the music shop, died suddenly the day after Christmas. He was a former South Florida resident who worked in marketing for 25 years.


At the Colony Cafe Sunday, songs were sung, hugs were shared and laughter lingered.


"The loss of him leaves an emptiness in this community and in my heart, which will never be filled," singer-songwriter Tom Pacheco said from the stage.


Inside the Colony Cafe, two doors down from the music store, dozens of Christmas lights had been strung and a warm fire blazed. The mood was somber, but the memories were happy.


Osenenko was a man credited with inspiring a sense of community, serving musicians well and offering solid service.


"It's hard to describe the Woodstock Music Shop without sounding clichéd - unique, personal, different,


intimate, special ... all of that," said keyboard player Pete Levin, who has performed with Annie Lennox, Paul Simon and Gil Evans. "But the best part was walking in and getting a big smile and hello from Ron Osenenko from behind the counter. A good-natured gentleman and profoundly generous, Ron was wonderfully supportive of local musicians and the Woodstock music scene."


In between songs Sunday night, some of the songwriters who make up the backbone of this Catskill Mountain town spoke of Osenenko in terms of guitar picks and microphone stands, the little things that mean so much to musicians, who live for their craft.


There were also memories of a friend, someone with whom you could share a pleasant conversation, someone who was much more than just a local merchant.


"Ron was a gentle soul and he just always made you feel good," said Charles Lyonhart of Woodstock. "Ron was a special person."


Of Osenenko's business flair, Lyonhart said, "It wasn't a rush job."


Backed by guitar and bass Sunday night, Lyonhart played a spirited set of songs. Also hitting their musical mark Sunday night was The Flames of Discontent, a Beacon-based duo. Guitarist and vocalist John Pietaro had high praise for Osenenko, who sold CDs by The Flames of Discontent, advertised their shows and let them stage a protest music workshop in the store over the summer.


"Ron Osenenko was a shop-keep that seemed out of place in our plastic, sound bite-driven era," Pietaro said. "But then, Woodstock is often like that. Ron harkened back to a time when a merchant was really a member of the family and a music store a haven for musicians and aspiring musicians alike. When The Flames of Discontent first made the pilgrimage to Woodstock, we knew we needed to go into that store, which seemed like it should always have been there. That warm gentleman behind the counter greeted us - and all who ventured inside - like an old friend. So we kept going back."


Richard Prans of Woodstock, who also performed, said, "I felt good when I was talking to him."


"I'll miss him," Prans continued. "I'll miss him."


Vocalist Amy Helm, a member of the band Ollabelle, whose father is Levon Helm, spoke warmly of Osenenko at Saturday's Ramble. Helm and her husband, horn player Jay Collins, subsequently sent an e-mail to the Journal, detailing their thoughts on Osenenko.


"We remember Ron for his gentle soul and his kindness," the couple said. "He was a shining example of generosity and service to his community. He will be warmly remembered for helping every musician who crossed his path."


During a conversation Wednesday, Ron's brother, Woodstock Music Shop co-owner Derek Osenenko, said his brother "poured heart and grit into this shop." Ron Osenenko ran the shop.


"He was really honored to work with so many fine musicians up here," Derek Osenenko said, "and he really approached his work sort of as a duty to help support musicians in this area as best he could."



Reach John W. Barry at jobarry@poughkeepsiejournal.com or 845-437-4822.

ROLL MAGAZINE, Highlights:
Sa 10/13: Dissident Folk and Arts Fest, Howland Cultural Center, Beacon—

The brainchild of songwriter and social activist John Pietaro, the Second Annual Dissident Folk and Arts Fest promises to be a full scale hullabaloo. Designated a “Daniel Pearl Music Day” event, musicians, poets, and speakers abound, with workshops on Woody Guthrie and New Orleans Today, as well as a special tribute to Bertolt Brecht. Music by Zenote Sompantle, The Flames of Discontent, and the Gwen Laster Ensemble, among others, and guest speaker Beacon city councilwoman Eleanor Thompson. All proceeds goto Howland’s geo-thermal project. 477 Main St., Beacon, www. flamesofdiscontent.org, 845.831.4988, 1-11PM.

THE POUGHKEEPSIE JOURNAL

"Unionists call for workers' rights in the valley"
By Alice Hunt


Workers of Dutchess County, unite!

That was the message of the 12th annual Dutchess County Labor Day Rally held in front of the Poughkeepsie Post Office on Mansion Street Monday afternoon.

The hourlong event was attended by a mix of Democrat county legislators, Democrat county legislative candidates, union leaders and union members.

The group of about 40 held signs reading "Can you afford to get $ick?" "Fair contract for LOOP bus drivers" and "Living wage laws save taxpayers' money."

The goal of the annual rally is to acknowledge and honor those who have fought for workers' rights in the past and to advocate for workers' rights in the present, said County Legislator Joel Tyner, D-Clinton, who hosted the rally.

The dozen speakers at the rally, who ranged from union workers to politicians, stressed the importance of a fair contract for the Dutchess County LOOP bus workers, whose contract extension is about to expire; demanded a fair wages law for the county and supported the concept of a project-labor agreement requirement for Dutchess County projects costing more than $3 million.

Wendell Davis, a union member with Teamsters Local 445, the union representing Dutchess County LOOP and Dial-a-Ride workers, was one of the speakers.

"A day's pay for a day's work - that's all we're asking," he told the group.

Singing for solidarity

The rally also featured songs, including a pro-union anthem called "Solidarity Forever" performed by folk singers Pat Lamanna, Chris Ruhe and John Pietaro.

It's important for unions to support each other, Davis said.

"It just shows that we're fighting for the same causes," he said. "It serves to give hope to other unions. They'll see if the Teamsters can do it, so can they."

Mike Salvia, executive vice president of Communications Workers of America Local 1120, a union representing a variety of workers, agreed.

"That's the core of our strength," he said of labor union cooperation. "That's the core of our ability to stand up against injustice."

WOODSTOCK TIMES, August 9, 2007

“The Flames of Discontent CD Party”

Novo Protest ensemble The Flames of Discontent will celebrate their latest CD at a release party Saturday August 11, 8:30 PM, at Joshua’s Java Lounge, 51 Tinker Street, Woodstock. The Flames officially released “Revenge of the Atom Spies”, a stinging political disc, in March of this year. Since that date they have been busy performing all over the Hudson Valley.

“Revenge of the Atom Spies” has received powerful review in the Daily Freeman (“Flames of Discontent single-handedly bring back protest songs”) and a variety of internet zines including the UK-based “Whisperin & Hollerin” (“Riffs enough to cut through the US deficit”). Radio airplay has come via WDST-FM, WKZE-FM, WJFF-FM, WBAI-FM and underground, college and indie radio stations across the country. Two of its selections have also been chosen to be a part of Neil Young’s ‘Living With War Today’ website, achieving first-column status.

WOODSTOCK TIMES, July 19, 2007:

“ A Woody Guthrie Birthday Hoot"

The seminal protest singer, Woody Guthrie, will be feted Sunday July 22, 6 – 9PM, at the Colony Café. This July marks the folk legend’s 95th birth anniversary, and 2007 is also the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Woody’s untimely death. The event will feature the novo protest ensemble The Flames of Discontent (John Pietaro, vocals/electric banjo; Laurie Towers, lead electric bass/vocals; Rafael Figueroa, percussion, vocals) with guest artists Hope machine (Fred Gillen Jr., vocals/guitar and Steve Kirkman, vocals, guitar). John Pietaro is the organizer of this party and will serve as M.C. He will also offer an opening address which will give historic and political context to the program. In between Hope Machine’s set and the Flames’, the avant garde duet of Mancini & Martin (Gus Mancini, alto saxophone; Patricia Martin, spoken word) will offer a brief set of Guthrie prose and poetry.
Admission is $6. For more information call (845) 679-5342.

POUGHKEEPSIE JOURNAL March 10, 2007:

"Band Hosts CD Release Party in Beacon"

The Flames of Discontent will hold a CD release party tonight in Beacon to celebrate the completion of its new CD "Revenge of the Atom Spies".
This CD is a collection of 14 social justice songs--originals and covers--that cover a wide territory, including the Spanish Civil War, Industrial Workers of the World and Tennessee Ernie Ford.
The CD release performance is set for 8 tonight at Chthonic Clash Coffeehouse, 453 main Street, Beacon. Admission is $5.
The Beacon-based Flames of Discontent are John Pietaro on vocals, electric and acoustic 5-string banjos, spoken word and percussion; and Laurie Towers on electric bas guitar and background vocals; with Rafael Figueroa on percussion and vocals.

THE WOODSTOCK TIMES, December 14, 2006:
"Remembering Phil"

The Flames of Discontent (John Pietaro, Laurie Towers, Rafael Figueroa) will present 'A Phil Ochs Birthday Tribute: I Ain't Marchin' Anymore - 2006' at 8:30 PM Saturday, December 16, Upstairs at Joshua's on Tinker Street (admission $6.).
Ochs, who was a victim of suicide in 1976, would have been 66 years old on December 19 and the event will celebrate his music and activism in an evening of song and discussion.
The band will present a set of its unique arrangements of Ochs material, ranging from his early works sch as "One More Parade" and "No Christmas in Kentucky", to songs from his middle and later period including "There But for Fortune", "My Kingdom for a Car" and "I Kill Therefore I Am". They will also be joined by Mancini & Martin for one selection--an original work composed of Mancini's saxophone melody and improvisations and Patti martin's poetry based on Ochs' writings.
Other acts on the bill include a friend of Ochs, Woodstock musician/artist/activist Roland Echo Birds, and another Woodstock resident, young singer-songwriter Journey Blue Heaven.

"FLAMES OF DISCONTENT HEAT UP RONDOUT VENUE TONIGHT"
Politically minded folk duo the Flames of Discontent performs at Mezzanine Bookstore Cafe & Wine Bar, 79 Broadway, Kingston tonight at 8:30.

Comprised of John Pietaro (lead vocals, acoustic and electric 5-string banjos, percussion) and Laurie Towers (fretless and fretted electric bass guitars), the duo's music boasts strains of pop, rockabilly, jazz, punk and world music. On the heels of their first CD, "I Dreamed I Heard Joe Hill Last Night: A Century of IWW Songs", the Flames have been regularly performing their brand of radical song throughout the Hudson Valley and New York City.

Tickets are $5.
For more information call (845) 339-6925 or visit www.mezzanine.us

Poughkeepsie Journal: "END WORK WEEK ON AN ARTSY NOTE IN POUGHKEEPSIE"
Visual art and crafts, gourmet food and live music, dance and poetry will be used to entice those who work in Poughkeepsie to spend their Friday happy hour in the city instead of heading home as soon as the workday ends. "Friday On Main", a partnership between Main Street building owners and businesses and the local arts community, starts at Barret Clay Works and Art Studios on the 400 block and proceeds all the way down to the Hudson River waterfront.

"The premise is to help rediscover Poughkeepsie", said co-coordinator John Essick. The public is invited to stroll up and down Main Street or take a free trolley to sample the art, entertainment, and food offerings during Friday's cultural open house

...Performers include The Flames of Discontent, a duo that reconstructs classic songs of protest, labor and social change into works that incorporate various sounds into the folk/protest style, with touches of rockabilly, punk, world and roots music...

Friday On main is presented by ArtHop, the Poughkeepsie Area Chamber of Commerce, City Artist Partnership and the City of Poughkeepsie.

Woodstock Times/Ulster Publishing's SUMMER IN THE VALLEY 2006: The Summer Stage -

"Woodstock Fringe's 2006 Festival of Theatre and Song takes over the Byrdcliffe Theatre August 3 with productions running through Labor Day. Now in its third season, this company continues to delight, gathering audeince and artists.

The season is bookended, August 5 and September 3, by the Flames of Discontent and Mancini & Martin. The Flames of Discontent are a team of two who breathe new fire into the protest songs of Guthrie, Seeger, Ochs, Cunningham, Chaplin, T-Bone Slim, Brecht, Weill, Eisler and others. They also perform original music, spoken word pieces and free improvisations..."
-June, 2006