Mountain View witnessed another strong statement from, Prophets of Rage, as the rap-rock supergroup walked on stage, all sporting Kaepernick #7’s, and paid their respect to the 49er quarterback before their show at Shoreline Amphitheatre last Tuesday night.
Just minutes away from their performance, audiences turned attention to Tom Morello’s 92-year old mother, who walked on stage and delivered a brief intro. Afterwards, the members came in and spotlights beamed as they fashioned their “right fists in the air” stance.
In unison, the band members then took a knee as an orchestral Star-Spangled Banner filled the premise.
Voices could be heard humming or singing along to the anthem, while some simply upheld silence, perhaps paying their own tributes toward the humble image before them.
Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers’ quarterback, has been a growing spectacle for nationwide attention. In the past weeks, the quarterback would initially sit down during the national anthem, but then transitioned to the knee position during their final pre-season game on August 26—all of which Kaepernick attested as his bold refusal to celebrate “a country that oppresses black people and people of color”.
Chuck D of Public Enemy responded to Kaepernick’s protests via twitter post:
“@Kaepernick7 statement rings right now. There’s no f—n way there should be near 3 million people in USA prisons. Today’s jocks must speak up”.
Similarly, Rage Against The Machine bassist Tim Commerford comically mentioned that the quarterback has “an open invitation to come hang out… and be a part of our show”, before conveying his approach to the matter:
“He won me over. When you go up against a huge organization like the NFL, and you just say, ‘I’m going to say what I want, I don’t care what the repercussions are’—that’s punk”.
Their Shoreline concert then officially ushered another explosive night, with audiences singing out and actively attuned to hit songs, “Take the Power Back”, “Killing in the Name of”, and “Bulls on Parade” to name a few.
But the night wasn’t simply another show—although the band did know how to put up a great one. The night at Shoreline was a bold declaration, silently broadcasting that Prophets of Rage, like Kaepernick before them, won’t stand up for oppression.
By Jods Arboleda for RAPStation.com
