Emma's Revolution
The original prophets of protest music are mostly long gone or have followed Bob Dylan into the mainstream, but the spirit of tuneful activism lives on with groups like Emma’s Revolution, for whom music is not only the medium for their message but also the meaning of their lives. Pat Humphries and Sandy O come from a grassroots folk-music background, writing lyrics that maintain a classic Americana structure while tackling entirely contemporary topics such as drone warfare, environmental issues, gun control, LGBT rights, Middle Eastern conflicts, and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Currently touring behind their Revolution Now album, the duo plays the First Unitarian Universalist Church in Hillcrest on January 27, where the setlist is likely to include the album’s lead single “Sing People Sing,” a tribute to folk legend Pete Seeger, one of the duo’s early champions and mentors. Other songs whose titles signal the content and topics to expect include “Taxed Enough Already,” “Occupy the U.S.A.,” “Silent No Longer,” and their concert staple and official band mantra, “Peace Through People.”