March 6th was the 40th anniversary of the Greenwich Village Townhouse explosion, which made the existence of the Weather Underground widely known. May 4th will be the 40th anniversary of the Kent State shootings. On March 18th, SXSW presents Music and the Revolution, a special panel of speakers who took to the streets four decades ago in opposition to the Vietnam War and the US Government.

Moderator Mike Jacobs (pictured above) and Alan Canfora (pictured right) were student protesters at Kent State. Bill Ayers (pictured below right) had involvement in the SDS and Weather Underground, which led to notoriety and thrust him back into the spotlight in the 2008 election. Wayne Kramer played in the MC5, including their notorious performance at the 1968 Democratic Convention. Country Joe McDonald (pictured below left) led the "Fish Cheer" at Woodstock and remains a mainstay of the Bay Area culture and politics. In an age where music is used as a marketing tool and radical strategy and tactics are co-opted by the right wing, the speakers of Music and the Revolution gather to recall their experiences in a time when youth culture and politics stood up against entrenched power.

Music and the Revolution
Between the fantasy of Woodstock and the tragedy of Altamont, the true stories of the 1960s are being glossed over. Noted participants in the social upheaval of this era discuss their art and advocacy. The whole world is watching.
Thursday March 18th
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Room 12AB
Austin Convention Center

Photos of Panelists, top to bottom:
Mike Jacobs, Alan Canfora, Country Joe McDonald, Bill Ayers.