Earth shakes in the gully and the skip-loader rumbles and the tires all churn
I ask them what the hell we're going to build
It's one more goddamn shopping center and I'm praying that I live just to see it burn
But I must confess I love this valley still
So I sing Tucson, Tucson
Tucson, Arizona, a city that shouldn't exist, a city in the Sonoran Desert
where we consider ourselves lucky if there's 12 inches of rain a year
Home of Davis, Montana Air Force Base, whose fighter planes and bombers remind us several times a day
that we live in a militarized empire that enforces its will on the world with weapons
Home to Raytheon, a major defense contractor that builds bombs and missiles and other instruments of death
Tucson, home to countless golf courses and retirement communities
where elders flee the snow every winter
Home of the University of Arizona, where cheerleaders and frat boys cavort in the sun
a campus repeatedly voted in the top five party schools
where students for the most part don't care about much besides money and sex
certainly not learning and certainly not politics or making the world a better place
In the midst of this, somehow, in Tucson, we have a core of hippies, freaks, punks and outcasts
We have a community of activists and those who wish for a better world
And we have an underground space, 10 blocks from campus and 5 blocks from downtown
where a tiny group of radicals are maintaining their version of the city
5 blocks from campus and 5 blocks from downtown, where a tiny group of radicals are maintaining their version of that other, better world
We're shaping the way things develop in the world
We do that whether we like it or not, so let's do it on purpose
I don't want the right to a permitted march just to hold my sign and go home
Any of the authoritarian hierarchical bullshits that we impose on each other are other people
Fuck yeah
Y'all know what I'm saying
I try to do what I can in my community
As I'm sure y'all do here, obviously, in this space
Thank you for doing that
Thank you for doing that
Dry River started out of a collective called Heat Wave here in Tucson
and that sort of fell apart for whatever reason
and some folks decided to open the Dry River Radical Resource Center
which at the time was upstairs at Scrappies
Scrappies is the first place we've seen it
I remember reading it up on the top of there
At least they have a little information center at the top
Kind of hit it
And it was in this dark little corner and there was basically a small collection of zines
and maybe a few books and some radical posters hanging on the wall
I arrived in Tucson just as Dry River was opening their first space
I think I got to town October 31st, 2005
Halloween night
And about four days later, it was the big opening night party
I was pretty impressed
So I started going to meetings
We didn't know they actually had a space until probably a couple months after they opened up on St. Mary's
November of 2005, that's when after being around for a few years organizing protests
we had changed to, we wanted to create a space that we could have events
and do our own benefits for the causes that we supported
and kind of grew from there
I think maybe when we first started out it was a little rough finding a process
and finding a process that was comfortable for everybody
I think there were a lot of people kind of in and out
So there wasn't a lot of stability at first at least in terms of people's involvement
Now that we're in this space, I really love this new space a lot
and I think a lot of love has gone into it
Now that we're in this space, I really love this new space a lot
and I think a lot of love has gone into it
I was driving around town with my friend once and she pointed out to me the old space
and said that she had attended a stitching bitch there and that it was run by anarchists
and I became very curious at that point
and then I was gone for a summer and when I came back I kind of resolved over that summer to like
find the anarchists and hang out with them
I came down here, I think it was for a show
and then I asked some people what I had to do to be like a volunteer here
and I was really interested in the idea of having a space for the community
It's kind of divided up into different areas where there's one area that's the free store
and that includes anything that's been donated by people that come to our space
and then other people can take it away
Yeah, the free store is awesome for us
I get a lot of winter coats in the summer
We also have a radical lending library full of books that we can check out for free to anybody
We also do a zine library that are free to anybody that wants to take them
A lot of good zines, pamphlets, really nice
I really like the DIY zines the most
We also do shows, we have classes as well
In the past we've had Spanish classes, self-defense classes, all kinds of classes
It's a great educational tool too
The fact that we have an info shop and a zine library and discussions
and different events that are educational in nature is really great
because if I had looked at my life maybe five years ago
I was a very different person than I am now
and so I see that in everybody
I think everybody still has things to learn and ways to grow
I teach here and I volunteer for the shows
and try to help us make our rent
I work in the library sometimes
We have a computer lab that's open to the public and we also have Wi-Fi
so people can use our computers or bring in their own laptops if they want to
but that's also provided for anybody that comes to our space
Sometimes I'm here at the free store
I band practices here twice a week
Rule! All the time rule! I'm sick of them!
It's a place where people can actually see
anarchists organizing in action in a tangible way
The decisions at Dry River are made off of a consensus process
We tailored our own in a way that everyone could have a say in the decision making
The way that we do things is that we have proposals by people that show up to the meetings
and then we have to unanimously agree or disagree on the topic of conversation
I think that our consensus process is working really well
I think we have great facilitators and I think that's the most important thing
Sometimes I see where outsiders don't understand how we do things
and that can be a little off-putting to them because it's so different
but I think as long as we keep our doors and minds open
we should be able to explain out this type of radical process
like how we can all make things work together
instead of making each other do things that we don't want to do
Anarchy is something that takes infinite forms
but I think that this particular form is pretty wonderful
We've been open for two years
and we've continued to do things based on consensus process
and we've continued to change and improve our process
and how we see that and hopefully communicate with each other
at least in a way that we can achieve goals and that sort of thing
If there are any types of concerns, then we address them individually
and work things out with every individual and each individual is concerned
So in hopes of having a space where everyone's voice is equal
and everyone's opinion matters equally
At Drive River we really want to find a place for everyone
and a way for everybody to participate in some way or another
in whatever way they're comfortable with
People can just approach the collective with an idea
like, hey, I want to do this show on this night
or I'd like to start a French class
or I'd like to do a benefit for these people
and provided that the other people that are in attendance
at our meetings agree, then usually it just works out fine
and people have their own ideas
and that's where we get creative ideas that are coming in from the community
and it's not just a group of people that are running the same thing
it's where we're getting other people coming in with their own ideas
and saying, hey, I want to do this
People are real, it's kind of hard to do the same
I think we ought to learn it
Our bands play here a lot
and we actually like to try to help show the bands
I just kind of became involved in doing shows
and just like staffing the space
This looks like some kind of events working meeting or something
Wow, so this is how it happens, huh?
We have about seven, sometimes eight shows a month
We have a lot of bands touring from around the country
and we've got a lot of local bands that play here pretty often
We provide a place for all ages shows
and that's something that is definitely lacking here in Tucson
especially now with a couple other places closing down
and not being able to do shows anymore
I also work the crowd sometimes
to make sure that the circle pit doesn't fall into the audience
You know, we don't have security goons running around
telling everybody what to do and what they can't do
which has actually been one of the really promising things
is that over time as we started having shows and up till now
people's behavior here at Dry Rivers has become so much more enjoyable
I think people are getting more of a sense
that this is a little bit more of their space
than, you know, say some other club
and along with coming here to have a good time
they at least share a little bit of their responsibility
I think when people first started coming to shows at Dry River
they thought it was just another place to go to shows
and I know that many of us that have been involved with shows
and being here have tried to be respectful of people
and we've had to put it out there a couple times
and we definitely had to talk to people one on one
and explain that your behavior affects this place
and as a result people have been getting a lot more respectful
of what goes on here
You know, every time people come here
like if they're coming here for the first time
they might think it's a little weird or whatever
but then they start looking at literature
maybe talking to the people that are there
or whatever and learning more about the space
and what it is we're trying to do and everything
and when I see those people again
a lot of times people tell me that they just think
this is one of the coolest places they've ever been
especially touring bands when they come through
a lot of times they hit and they just say
it's over and over again I hear that we've really got
something unique and wonderful happening
Wow, thank you, two signs
This sign is called private property
Get off my lawn too
Fuck off my lawn
You guys don't even have lawns here, just dirt
What are you talking about?
Get off my dirt!
One, two, three, four
Everything here at Dry Rivers by donation
People know that when they come here
it's nice that they give something to help out
touring bands or to help keep this place open
but it's not like you have to show your ticket
at the door and get your hand stamped
and show your hand when you walk back in
and people are allowed to be comfortable here
It's set up in a way that people who can give
will, well we hope they will at least
people who can't give can still enjoy a show
You don't have to like give money
but it's nice if you want to keep this space here
that we need the money but if you're totally like broke
you can still come and enjoy the music
I think having a free show really helps bring up kids
like kids stay bummed down
like go scrabbies, play five bucks
A lot of kids don't want go shows
that's one of the good things about it
there's a lot of different kind of people here
We're not going to come out here with sticks
and force people to put money in the bucket
but if the community wants to continue having our space here
then they're going to need to contribute
but at the same time we can understand
like people not having money
so there's no judgment there
but it's nice if you have the money to put it in
I'm going to do a song called We're So Happy
which is basically my personal view
of living there on a reservation
I just wanted to take a couple minutes
and tell you why we're having a benefits week
A friend of mine, Laura Nicole
he was an activist involved in cop watch
and a lot of other organizations
he was forced into taking a plea for two years
he's currently serving two years in federal prison
he's in Safford right now, a really remote part of Arizona
it's really hard for his wife and three kids to come out and visit him
and so I'm trying to show him that there's a little support out in the community
for this awesome and committed and passionate activist
Before I was involved in Dry River
I felt kind of very alienated
I was going to a very big school
and I was starting to learn a lot of concepts
I always kind of had a feeling
things were very wrong
there were a lot of things in the world that were not right
I never would have seen us being here
from our Wednesday night meetings in the park
now we have our own space
and all these different people are involved
interacting with so many different types of communities and people
and that brings happiness to me
and that's why I think I'm involved in it
because it gives me a diverse cultural experience
instead of just the monotony of daily life
I'm really glad Dry River is here
because it's given me a whole other community
and a whole other family of people to understand
and want the same things as I do
We're on tour, we just came from
we're from Southern Oregon
we just drove from the Santa Cruz, California yesterday
to stay in the power drive
but it's awesome to be here
they'll be playing for a cool cause
a perfect cost of $15
and allow hunters to kill two birds for the season
apparently each bird's life is valued at $7
I'm involved because I want to help
create those changes that we need
that we require as a community
so that we can have peace
and healing within our community
and learning from each other
how we can make those things possible
Anarchy, anarchy, anarchy is for me
Oh what fun it is to throw the state into the sea
Anarchy, anarchy, anarchy is for me
Oh what fun it is to throw the state into the sea
I moved to Tucson and I was living my life
and the world was changing around me
and I wanted to be a part of something
I wanted to be part of something
that was different than what was going on
than the war and all this security and terrorism
and all this stuff
I wanted to help create something radical
something different and give everybody
and myself included an opportunity
to express our political will
like in a lifestyle way
where we can have a physical space
we can have a social interaction
and a community's ideas
that we could all be something different
than what is already prescribed for us
They said it would be really awesome
if we could have a band
that could play at protests
like in the spirit of the Infernal Noise Brigade
or do samba in the streets
or play parties or play just on the street corner
or come to shows
we could be benefit
A while ago actually for the April 10th stuff
and the different marches that were regarding
the immigration legislation
we met at Dry River
and we decided we would have a group
get together and play for that march
and that was really exciting
because it was our first march
so everybody met here
and then we decided we would practice
by going out around the neighborhood
and just playing
and I was actually amazed
because the neighborhood around Dry River
was so receptive to us
just playing in the streets
like everyone was really curious
and they would come out of their house
and be like, what is that?
We were listening to that smoothing
of the dignity driver
tourism activity
or the economy
and that's really a serious concern
and misconception that we have in Flagstaff
as soon as we step out of Flagstaff
it's amazing people are like
they want to do what on the sacred mountain
that's crazy
I really think that it's working
on some level
and that keeps hooking me
because
hey, I'm getting interviewed
you can get interviewed next though
this is a song of resistance
a song of struggle
a song that was brought to indigenous nations
in the face of terrorism
not in the face of the terrorism that we see
the so-called terrorism we see today
but the terrorism at the hands of US government
against indigenous people
because the struggles that we are faced with
as indigenous people
have not ended
the struggles to protect our land
to protect our identity
protect our culture
and the San Francisco peace
is one example of those struggles
this is dedicated to everybody
who recognizes that this struggle is connected
to the fight
against fascism
against racism
against sexism and sexist suppression
against homophobia
against nationalism
that our struggles are rooted in the same thing
our struggles are connected
so if anybody knows this song
you're welcome to sing it with us
I really think it is important to
have spaces
where we can start
kind of deconstructing
the relationships that
mainstream society has set up
and
I'm constantly trying to do that
in little ways here
like for myself and for other people
for two years it's been working
and it's something totally different
than what usually happens
due to the way that we organize
it's so different than
the way decisions are made
in the mainstream world
that I feel like most people
have never had the opportunity to just say
oh I could do whatever I want at this place
or given an opportunity to be
in an organizing position
to put on a production of some kind
of class, a show
I don't think a lot of people
have been given the opportunity to do that
and when they have been given the opportunity
like this it's still kind of
unused to that
they're not used to the way that
we make decisions
I think that's
maybe one of the greatest things
is that when people come in here
hopefully they have that sense
that this is different
and hopefully it feels different when they walk in
what's happening like Anarchy
is something really simple
that just is happening
because we're a group of people
that come together
and work together on things
and like it's so simple like that
and it's not, you know
it's so like what we've done
is really created this like alternative space
that doesn't work like other places
you know like you don't have to pay money
to be here
there's not like really any expectation
of particular decorum or anything
beyond like you know
don't be a jackass
and don't like drink in the space or whatever
and um
so
I don't know I just
I try and just explain to people I guess
like how like what this like that's in
like all those people sitting over there
because like there are a bunch of people
that have come together
solely because like they know each other
and they're connected to our space
like there's no you know big money making thing involved
people here are really cool
about letting people come in
and have really fabulous like ideas
and you can see them like come to life
so I mean I really love this place
I know that some people are just starting to hear about it
but I want people to know that this is like
a really heartfelt thing
that so many of us are putting our lives into
and it could be this really incredible space
and it already is
and the more that people get involved with it
the better it's going to be
and the more that we can create together
Don't be scared if you want to help out
like don't think that we're a bunch of pretentious assholes
who are going to judge you for not being radical enough
or anything like that
because it's not how it is at all
we just want to like run the space
and have people be involved and stuff
it's not because I think a lot of times people like
they come and tell us they want to be involved
or like they'll tell me like oh I wish I did more
with the space or whatever
but then like I think
one of the things that prevents them from doing so
is that they're worried about like
not knowing what to do
or not being cool enough
or something like that
and so don't be afraid
I'm going to help you camera
I'm going to help you camera
I'm going to help you camera
We rule!
