Amy Goodman
@DemocracyNow·3.2M subscribers·19.4K videos
Downtown Boys: "America's Most Exciting Punk Band" Performs & Discusses Making Change Through Music
Posted
February 2, 2016
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28,979
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February 2, 2016
28,979
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7:19Now PlayingDubbed "America’s most exciting punk band" by Rolling Stone, Downtown Boys is a selfdescribed "bilingual political dance sax punk party" from Providence, Rhode Island. They are known for their electric, politically charged performances. Downtown Boys joins us to perform four songs and discuss the political message behind tracks like "Wave of History." The music video for that song takes viewers through history, from the theft of Native American land to slavery and police brutality today.
"There’s no way to really think about our current moment without contextualizing it in historical background, and in many ways that’s what can make what we’re doing a true threat, and make it an opportunity to really change what’s happening," lead singer Victoria Ruiz says.
We also speak with the band’s guitarist. Joey DeFrancesco. Before forming Downtown Boys, DeFrancesco was a hotel worker, who quit in a spectacular stunt involving a marching band. The video went viral with more than 5 million views on YouTube.
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