Transcription of In Depth Interview with Revolution Choir
Zelos: Welcome Revolution Choir and Kevin. [laughs]
[Choir Cheers Loudly]
Kevin: Hello!
Zelos: Hello! [laughs]
Kevin: It's so good to be here at KBOO. Thanks for having us.
Zelos: [laughs] Thank you for coming. So how long has Revolution Choir been around?
Kevin: You know, I think we're coming on five months.
Zelos: I'm really shocked about that.
Kevin: [laughs] Yeah.
Zelos: I feel like, I I - I think we've talked a little bit about this. I - I feel like there's gotta be several years under your belt so far.
Kevin: No, our - our singers here like they just sound amazing and they - they're just pulling it together and just
Zelos: [laughs]
Kevin: A lot of great friends of mine and they have great vocal chords.
Zelos: Awesome! You're making waves, 5 months!
Kevin: Tidal cord waves.
Zelos: Tidal cord waves. So, you're gonna sing us a song.
Kevin: Our first song we are gonna do is Overworked and Underpaid.
Zelos: Alright.
[Music Starts]
Revolution Choir starts singing
When I wake in the morning
I just lay in bed and close my eyes
Cuz my bones are so tired, are so tired
I can hardly stand
Feed my kids
Rush them off to school
Pay for after care
Pay for nanny care
Cuz I know
I'll be gone all day
I'll be gone all night
Just to make ends meet
To make ends meet
I'm overworked and underpaid
Two full time jobs on not a livable wage
I'm busting my ass
I can barely pay rent
I'm a sick day away from living in a tent
I'm overworked and underpaid
Ahhhhh Ahhhh
*Piano and guitar play in Musical Interlude*
When I wake in the morning
I just lay in bed and close my eyes
Cuz my bones are so tired, I'm so tired
I can hardly think
The cost of life
Keeps on rising up, it keeps rising up
Every single year
But my wage, oh it hasn't changed
No it hasn't changed
I'm stuck with minimum wage
To make ends meet
I'm overworked and underpaid
Two full time jobs on not a livable wage
I'm busting my ass
I can barely pay rent
I'm a sick day away from living in a tent
I'm overworked and underpaid.
Ahhhhh Ahhhhh
I'm overworked and underpaid
Ahhhhhh Ahhhh
I'm overworked and underpaid
Ahhhhh Ahhhhh Ahhhhh
*Piano plays last keys*
Zelos: That was pretty fantastic! Uh, what's the next song? That was tasty.
Kevin: We can have a congress with a 12 percent approval rating and yet over a 90 percent re election rate. And it is rigged so bad that that is jerrymandering right there. A congressman can manipulate and draw those districts so, so evil that basically it makes it impossible to ever vote him out of office. So we must - if you live in a jerrymandering district and thankfully Portland does not. But somewhere out there you are listening to this. Vote for an independent commissioning district for free, equal, and balanced voting districts. We are gonna do Jerrymandering.
{Piano starts playing]
Ohhhh Ohhhh
Ohhhh Ohhhh
You've got elected legal thievary
Manipulating district boundaries
We never wanted your policies
But you're forcing us to drink your disease
Ohhhh Ohhhh
Ohhhh Ohhhh
Generals and media
You need to come and film some failed politicians
Attacking and attacking
They only got elected because of
Jerrymandering!
Jerrymandering!
Jerrymandering!
Jerrymandering!
Jerrymandering!
Jerrymandering!
We'll let you go only if he loses
*piano plays upbeat tune*
Person 1: Hey Congressman?
Person 2: What?!!!
Person 1: Try to get elected in my district.
Person 2: Yeah, easy!
Person 1: No, I mean without jerrymandering!
Person 2: Nooooo!
Person 1: Yeah I didn't think so!
They manipulated the districts
They redrew the boundaries
He manipulated the posts?
*piano plays upbeat tune*
They're not allowing the voters to choose them.
But instead he chose the voters!
Let us repeat that!
They're not allowing the voters to choose them.
But instead he chooses the voters!
That's so shady
That's so slimy
That's discrimination
If you live in these districts
You must confront your representatives
And ask them do you think
That you can get elected by the people
Without your
Jerrymandering!
Jerrymandering!
Jerrymandering!
Jerrymandering!
Jerrymandering!
Jerrymandering!
Zelos: Wow! That was really something! All of you are so powerful! Tell our audience about the performances that you've got coming up for the...
Kevin: On July 8th at the Laurelhurst Park, the Revolution Choir will be performing at 3 pm. And we would love for you all to come visit us. And you can actually get the - the invite if you just go to Revolution Choir dot com and there's a direct facebook invite. Or you could just go to facebook dot com slash Revolution Choir and find that invite! And we would love to see you there, it's gonna be so fun! There's gonna be an opening act going on before us, Resist Sing, comes on right at 3. And we are following them. And we would definetely love to see you. And you're getting just a little taste of what we are right now. And July 8th, Laurelhurst Park. If you know where that duck pond is and that uh little dog park where it's off leash... You could just go and check us out there.
Background voice: We'll be on a leash! [Choir laughter]
Zelos: I think our audience is dying to know whether there are Revolution Choir groupies at this point. I know it's early in the game.
Kevin: That's a great question. All of you listening right now...
[Background laughter]
Kevin: You are our very first groupies!
Background voice: May you all feel blessed.
Kevin: Thank you. Thank you.
[Background laughter]
Zelos: [laughs] That's wonderful. So, do you - are you writing all the material yourself? Is that right?
Kevin: Correct.
Zelos: Do you have think tank sessions where you get together and you're like "what awful thing happened in the news this time that we need to write a song about?"
Kevin: Um, it's a little bit of both. I - I love hearing feedback from certain choir members that just uh will give something off their heart.
Zelos: Aww.
Kevin: And then I kinda come home to my garage and late at night, pull up the guitar and start writing songs and -
Zelos: I love that picture you just painted.
[Background Laughter]
Zelos: Deep into the dark of the night, after political corruption has happened, Kevin Levey composes songs of resistance.
[Background Laughter]
Kevin: That's right.
Zelos: That's wonderful. [laughs] Are there choral openings right now? Do you accept more chorusters or is it a special club? I dont know...
Kevin: We would - that's such a good question. If you are a first soprano,
[Choir erupts in laughter]
Kevin: Or if you are a deep bass
[Laughter]
Kevin: We would love for you to contact us. Kevin Levey, I'm the man, contact me.
Zelos: Ok. Well without further a due let's dive into another song.
Kevin: Our next one is Love Conquers Hate.
*Piano starts playing*
Don't you know
That Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter
Yes they do
*Verse continues with each verse overlapping the last one*
We've got your back
LGBT
LGBT
LGBT
We've got your back
Mexicans and
Latinos are lovely
Latinos are lovely
Latinos are lovely
Yes they are
Refugees
You're peaceful people
You're peaceful people
You're peaceful people
Refugees
Love Conquers Hate
Conquers Hate
Conquers Hate
It always does
Love Conquers Racism
Conquers Racism
Conquers Racism
That's all you need
That's all you need
That's all you need
All you need is love
All you need is love
All you need is love
Love is all you need
All you need is love
And affordable housing!
All you need is love
And the right to marry who you want!
All you need is love
Love love
Love is all you need
Zelos: I'm Zeloszelos Merchandt. We're wrapping up a very special In Depth featuring the Revolution Choir. They are performing July 8th at Laurelhurst Park. By the very beautiful scenic duck pond.
[Background laughter]
Zelos: Um and they have an opener who is...
Kevin: Resist Sing.
Zelos: Resist Sing. Thank you so much Kevin Levey and Revolution Choir for taking time to come in and sharing your songs of resistance with our community and our audience. Thank you!
[Choir Claps and Cheers]
Kevin: Thank you so much, thank you!
- KBOO