Reblogged from Losanjealous – Written by Lindsey
Shortly after getting involved with the Sound Strike to protest SB1070, Conor Oberst, a Nebraska native, announced he’d be putting together a street festival, Concert for Equality, to raise money for Nebraska’s ACLU chapter in order to help fight a similar law that had passed in Fremont, NE.
The line up included a reuniting Desaparecidos (who hadn’t played together since 2002), Bright Eyes, Lullaby for the Working Class (who hadn’t played a show in ~11 years), Cursive, Gillian Welch & Dave Rawlings, David Dondero, Simon Joyner, Conchance, the Envy Corps, Vago, the So-So Sailors, Flowers Forever, and Fathr^.
The concert took place in downtown Benson, Omaha, and included an outside portion which lasted until 11PM, and then an after show, which took place next door inside the Waiting Room. Along with the bands that played there were speakers in between sets and also several booths set up with literature to educate people on the matter.
Speakers came from the following organizations: the Sound Strike, Nebraska’s ACLU chapter, and [Nebraska] Appleseed. Most notably, Oberst invited a childhood friend of his, Erica Munoz, to relate an emotional personal story of hers and her family’s where she explained how her mother, after living in the US for over 20 years, tried to re enter the country legally and was then told she couldn’t apply for citizenship for another ten years and is now separated from her family.
Read more: Desaparecidos, Bright Eyes, Cursive, Lullaby for the Working Class.