Open Thread - 02 Oct 2025 - Seeger in Barcelona!
Seeger in Barcelona!
I recently came across this story/legend/truth/I dunno about Pete Seeger. Seeger was, apparently, invited to perform in Barcelona, Spain in 1971. Spain was still under fascist rule by Francisco Franco. Seeger was told not to play any songs on a list that the fascist government devised. Most of the tunes were Seeger's most famous ones. So Seeger went on stage and just strummed his banjo, and, the whole 100,000 people audience sang all the songs! 
Pete Seeger, 25 years old or so, entertaining laborers, soldiers, federal workers, and Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of the president of the USA, in 1944. Photo from wikipedia, by Joseph A. Horne - Photograph by Joseph A. Horne. Via Library of Congress site, Public Domain, Link
Is this true? Was this a true story used in the folk music novel, called Revival, by Scott Alarik? Or is it a really nice feel good story created by Alarik? I haven't been able to find out. Does anyone know for sure?
I do know that Seeger did play in Barcelona in 1970-71, and I found this 'video' of him playing there. Basically it's pictures and writing and the music from a recording made during his performance. The video is in Spanish. At first it says that the government was not really happy about him playing in Spain, he was not allowed to play in Madrid, and his concert in Barcelona was moved and it surprised the authorities when it was so well attended. Anyway, the quality of sound is not the best, after all it was recorded in 1970! The video is long, the part which explains his trip to Spain is at the very beginning, in Spanish like the rest of the video.
Talk about a rabbit hole! Here's some more music!
I've loved this song every since I heard it when I was really, really young. I didn't understand it then, but I loved the song. Now I understand it, and I still love the song.
This is probably Seeger's last performance of this song. He was 94 or so. He died a few months later. Be warned, it might make you cry if you watch it!
Ok, I wiped the tears from my eyes, and, here's the open thread! What's up, whatcha doing? Reading? Thinking? Listening to? Remember, everything is interesting if you dive deep enough, so tell us about where you're diving!
Comments
Happy Thursday!
Lots of really grossly upsetting news recently. I'm not ignoring it, but I can't respond very well right now, gotta admit. So, how's everyone? We've finally got some rain here, not much but enough, and the grass is already getting green! It has been golden brown for months. Yay!
Let us know what's up and how you doing? What in the news is pissing you off, or making you happy, lately??
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Green grass and high tides
.
.
Good morning. Think the high tides for Seeger were early 60's.
Spoke to the wave of worker empowerment at the time.
Would be good to have that sentiment today.
If wishes were fishes ...
Glad you have green grass, thanks for the OT!
this may be a bit too high voltage for early AM but
-
BTW Happy birthday Sting. Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner (born 2 October 1951).
Zionism is a social disease
Yea, I think the high tides for Seeger were early 60's too..
Just about when I was born, hah. Probably that's why I heard his music when I was young. Parents listened to folk music radio and my grandpa was a union guy.
THAT was a good song/video. Thank you! Not sure it's too high voltage for any time, but I am, after all, a punk!, amongst a lot of other things
Hope you had a good Thursday and are having a good Friday.
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
what the hell?
.
Is nothing sacrosanct?
Global Sumud Flotilla Says Crew Detained by Israeli Forces
Apparently when the Zion regime is involved. This is illegal in all existing
international rules. On the open seas, there are certain restrictions in place.
Apparently it only concerns those not in the Zion realm. Like the genocide.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20251002/global-flotilla-of-resilience-says-13-...
Zionism is a social disease
No nothing is sacrosant...
Notice how all the countries that said they'd protect the flotilla pulled back? I wonder which big old a$$hole country told them to do that? *whispers USA*.
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
What's pissing me off, you ask
That list is 100 pages long so I'll whittle it down to the Readers Digest condensed version,
1: Everything our government is doing.
MAGA
Morons
Are
Governing
America
That is a succinct...
way to put it. I completely agree!
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Good morning Sima, et. al. Today's QUIZ: What is 91?
Thanks for the OT Sima. It was raining when I got up at 6 am, has now stopped, we probably got less than 1.2 inch overnight.
Learned of "Aztec Broccoli" today, here's the google ai blurb
and the Wiki says:
The flowering parts - the broccoli - allegedly tastes like delicate broccoli flavour with a hint of runner beans and asparagus. The leaves allegedly re more like spinach. One cooks the leaves like spinach and the heads like croccoli. Grows into a 4' bush and rapidly regrown when picked (I assume this is harvesting leaves and buds, but leaving the stem/trunk, but I don't know yet.) Terroir Seeds of Az has seed packets: SKU:V1128 Seed Count:Approx 100 seeds per pack Days to Maturity:60 days Type:Warm season Status:Heirloom, Non-Hybrid, Non-GMO seeds $3.80
Dunno what "watm season" means.
Anybody know anything about this stuff??
QUIZ Answer - Number of full years since the Night of the Long Knives
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
sounds like a good plant
.
for southern climes.
Prolly too chilly for it here. (zone 5)
You appear to be zone 9.
Zionism is a social disease
We're actually something like 10a, he zones get all crazy
in the detail level around here. I believe that a site selling the seeds says anything from 3 to 12 is ok during the warm season.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
I had not heard of that plant before...
sounds very interesting. I might try growing some next year, just for fun.
Night of the Long Knives... I sure hope we don't have one here soon.
Heh, just had to take a break to rescue a moth. Yea, I'm weird! Hope you are having a good Friday
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Re: Barcelona. Capital of Catalonia, a perpetual thorn in
the side of Spain, and particularly under Franco. The entire region has had a very interesting history worth a read. it took a long time to drag them kicking and screaming into Spain proper and then ever after they have kept rebelling and trying to break out. They also have a history of communes and such and still have their own language which is beyond a mere dialect like Castiliano.
More about the broccoli- also called Aztec Spinach - one can get seeds from Terroir Seeds -
https://store.underwoodgardens.com/Red-Aztec-Spinach_Huauzontle-Chenopod...
allegedly provides a source of leafy greens all summer long.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Hey, el!
The way the locals explained the most recent attempt to break away from Spain was taxes. I was actually there at the time that vote was held to declare independence. Barcelona is a tourism bonanza, a top destination for the world, and particularly Europeans. The taxes garnered from tourism is then taken by the rest of Spain, with little of it remaining in Catalonian coffers. They are tired of supporting Spain and getting nothing in return.
It was fun, and how I didn't get lost on those subways and trains is a miracle.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Go, Barcelona!
No wonder they welcomed Pete
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Trump certainly has his priorities during the shutdown.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5534927-federal-government-l...
Gavin Newsom has trolled Donald Trump over the news that work will continue on his presidential ballroom through the government shutdown
That pic is...
I laughed out loud, almost spewed my water all over my keyboard. Dang, that's funny!
Can't believe we got 3 more years of this numbskull.
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
I think that it is safe to say that Miller is completely
Unhinged.
Miller is insane...
in an evil way. But I guess he's happy to create more of a police state if he can be in charge.
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Good afternoon, Sima!
I didn't tear up. I got dust in one eye, somehow!
That is a great story about his trip to Barcelona
Thanks for sharing, and for the OT, chica!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Happy Friday!
Yea, I think it was just dust for me too... yea, yea
Hope you are doing well, and have a good weekend.
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so
Fun new poll from NYT/Sienna
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/10/02/polls/times-siena-poll-re...
I know everyone will disparage it, but it really is the best in the business.
There are a few not so surprising things, mostly what people approve of or not, what it is people consider the most pressing issues etc.
The big one for me is how large the class divide is. Wealthy entitled elites way pissed, working class loving it. Democrats have been doing well with college educated whites, the only demographic they are gaining in. Republicans are killing it with working class whites. The spread on some issues is up to 50 points. Democrats seem to have adopted Country Club Republicans easily, Republicans having a much harder time with the working class.
If I were a gambler I'd still bet on Ds taking back the house. Poor people don't turn out much for midterms.
Some guy with the name Jihad killed Jews in Manchester today. I wonder what people here think of that. This is some kind of most holy day in Judaism.
A day late...
...and a dollar short.
Pete has been one of my heroes since my childhood. My understanding is the Barcelona story is true.
I wrote a piece about him a couple of years ago.
Thanks for the OT about one of my favorite artists!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Being late is fine...
Me too, yesterday got busy :).
I'm glad to hear the Barcelona story is true, it makes me very happy for some reason.
I forgot about your piece on Pete. I am delving back into it now. It's GREAT. Thank you, thank you!
If you're poor now, my friend, then you'll stay poor.
These days, only the rich get given more. -- Martial book 5:81, c. AD 100 or so
Nothing ever changes -- Sima, c. AD 2020 or so