The "Balance the Bucks" Concert Protested Against Same Issues As Occupy Baltimore

Before there was the and Occupy Wall Street movement, there was the Balance the Bucks protest concert in Washington, D. C., on Sunday, September 6, 2009, at the Sylvan Amphitheater, on the National Mall. 

It was, as the Huffington Post described, a "sing-out" that focused "on issues such as economic justice, redistribution of wealth, salary disparity, bailouts, foreclosures and the general impact of rampant greed".

The event was organized by Portland, OR, blues musician Delmark Goldfarb (brother of Arbutus Patch editor, Bruce Goldfarb).  Delmark told the Huffington Post that the event would hopefully "...punch a hole in the cloud of money influence which soothes and smothers the Capitol".

Performers sang mostly original songs of protest.  I was included in the lineup. 

While the event did not garner much publicity and the number of protesters was limited to mostly the musicians and some passers-by who stopped to listen to a song or two, I remember it as a beautiful day of creative non-violent protest against the very things Occupy Baltimore and other similar movements are trying to achieve - namely, to "save the world from social inequality and economic injustice" (quoted from the Occupy Baltimore Facebook page).

I played three songs at the "Balance the Bucks" concert, including "Mary Went to War" and "Money's No Good".

There is a video of my "Balance the Bucks" performance of "Mary Went to War" attached to this blog.  You can download a free copy of the studio version of the song at:

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_songInfo.cfm?bandID=478119&songID=4406168

I have never done a studio version of "Money's No Good".  Why?  I don't know.  The studio is right in my basement.  But here is a copy of a live performance of the song:

http://soundclick.com/share.cfm?id=5993028

The lyrics are:

"Money's No Good"

Bought myself a new Cadillac
But the repo man says he wants it back
Guess I missed a payment or two
Easy terms too good to be true

Sure like my life but the money's no good
Sure like my life but the money's no good
Sure like my life but the money's no good
The money's no good, the money's no good

My sweet little baby was feeling bad
Took her to the doctor's seeing what she had
The doctor said, "Well, she ain't got long.
"Cause without insurance, I'm sending her home."

Sure like my life but the money's no good (etc.)

You all know
How the story goes

Went to my boss to see about my raise
He said your lucky you even get paid
Better learn to work for free
Or I'll send that job right overseas

Sure like my life but the money's no good