The Mermaid Parade
Coney Island, Brooklyn
At Brooklyn’s celebrated and infamous Mermaid Parade, the RMO had the honor of leading the parade along with the Permanently Unelected Mayor of Coney Island, Dick Zigun. For two days prior to the event, NPR ran segments on rotation mentioning the band and playing a short clip of our signature song, Baraat. We also came through with our biggest entourage ever (25+ performers), including guests from the Infernal Noise Brigade (Seattle), Environmental Encroachment (Chicago) and Gaijin-a-go-go (Brooklyn). At the end of the parade route, the RMO refused to be stopped and marched right into the ocean. Knee-deep in the waves, we played nearly a full set for the surprised beach-goers, who refused to let us stop. See our crazy photos and gay-sailor uniforms (including our Mermaid, Liz, on piccolo) here.
www.coneyisland.com/mermaid.shtml
Freewheels Bicycle Defense Fund benefit party
Glass House Gallery, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
FreeWheels threw this theme party in celebration of the “joys” of incarceration and to raise a little bit of money to see that it (incarceration, that is) stops happening to bicyclists in New York City.
The evening also featured Team Spider, Freedom Phil (that’s our own Trombone Phil), DJ Barlow, DJ Hef.
Trans Day of Action for Social and Economic Justice
March from Jackson Square to Union Square and rally
In order to start out NY’s Pride Weekend right and celebrate gender diversity, the RMO supported this large unpermitted march. Transgendered people are one of the most marginalized and discriminated-against groups, even amongst mainstream queers. The march was initiated by TransJustice, a project of The Audre Lorde Project, The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two-Spirit, and Trans People of Color Center for Community Organizing, focusing on the NYC area.
Cocktail Fundraiser for the Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls
The Girls’ Room, LES
This was a fundraiser to support the Rock Camp for Girls, a project of our saxophonist Maria. The Camp is meant to empower young girls, not only to learn instruments and play rock n’ roll, but to build confidence and to feel powerful in their own lives.
Lobby Day for GMO Food Labeling
Albany, NY
A small contingent of Rude Mos traveled to the state capital in support of legislation that would require proper labeling of all genetically modified (GMO) food sold in New York.
Norman Siegel Benefit
Pearl Street space
For our third show of the day (quite drunk by this time), we were again supporting the candidacy for public advocate of civil rights attorney Norman Siegel. Co-sponsored by Greene Dragon and the great Japanese-by-way-of-Brooklyn go-go band, Gaijin-A-Go-Go.
www.norman2005.com
www.greenedragon.org
www.gaijin55.com
Open the Cages
DUMBA Arts Collective
A benefit for political prisoners in the US. Guests included former Black Panthers and the singer Casey Neil. At this party we premiered our new cover of Le Tigre’s Deceptacon, and the kids went crazy. This may have been our hottest show ever, as temperatures soared above 100 with some extreme humidity in the space.
OUTRAGE Anti-Trash Picnic
St. Francis Church Yard, East Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Williamsburg/Greenpoint OUTRAGE is a coalition of over two dozen community groups, who take to the streets to combat the trash situation in North Brooklyn. Currently, Williamsburg and Greenpoint has 40% of the City’s waste transfer stations, causing extra pollution, odor, and thousands of heavy dump trucks to barrel through the neighborhood on a daily basis. Most of the trash is from Manhattan, where there are currently no transfer stations.
(this would have been our fourth show in one day… did we actually play this???)
