Reason Rally - March 24th, 2012

im gonna be putting my videos up this afternoon provided there are no fails.

Edited by frod79 - 03/25/2012 at 06:40

Wait they played TNA durin sound check?

Joseph wrote: The answer followed by beyond, amazing set...

This is incorrect, sir. The Answer preceded BED.

Here is my rant about the Reason Rally. Sorry it's kind of long.

My phone was being lame when I got to the Mall, and I didn't get Torbar's text until I was leaving. I was in the pit for most of the songs, or right next to the pit. Not sure how many BRpagers I'd recognize, but I thnk I'd recognize torbar at least. Anyway, I didn't find you guys :( But my brother and I had a great time. In the pit, I fell against some guy standing on the edge of it and knocked him unconscious for a minute! (The side of my skull behind my ear where it's very thick hit his forehead, so I barely felt anything). I felt really bad about that, but I stayed with him and a medic came and checked him and he was okay. I think that's my first time knocking someone out at a BR show. I have been kicked in the head pretty good by crowd surfers though.

The acoustics were surprisingly good, all things considered. I loved seeing the Washington Monument in the background. I will post some brief videos I made from my phone later (so sound quality in the video will suck, but hey... at least you'll see the pit).

Don't know why Greg never spoke... seems like he should have spoke before their set, really, if he wanted to be heard by anyone who wasn't just sticking around to see BR play anyway.  Overall, while the rain didn't help, I thought the Reason Rally was fairly successful in terms of turnout. But I don't think the organizers were very good at creating a coherent message and getting their speakers to stay on that message. I felt like some of the speakers were too vitriolic.  Also, while I love Jamie Kilstein and think his comedy is fun to listen to in certain setting, I think it was a particularly poor choice for the Reason Rally. His loud, over-the-top vulgarity just was everything I didn't want this rally to be. There's going to be TONS of fodder for people who hate atheists to put in their "greatest hits" video compilations of the Reason Rally to make us sound like crass, amoral, fanatical people who you should never let go near your children.

Oh, and given the focus on America's constitution, wouldn't it have been prudent to fly an American flag SOMEWHERE near the stage? I don't think I saw one anywhere. Big PR fail.

It's strange that the lead singer of a punk rock band whose logo is the crossbuster is more nuanced and tolerant and peaceful of an atheist speaker than many of the others at the Reason Rally. However, that said, there were a few speakers in particular who really made the event shine and it was great to hear them. Richard Dawkins was as usual his pleasant grandfatherly self. Eddie Izzard did a fantastic comedy set that made me forget I was standing in the cold rain and just laugh for a while. 

Todd Stiefel of the Stiefel Freethought Foundation, the last scheduled speaker (besides Graffin), gave a really inspiring speech. His words exemplified what I think this movement should be about. He is married to a Christian woman and pointed out that so many of our values (except for not believing in God obviously) can be shared by religious people too.  Secular society is the goal we're striving for; we're not demanding that everyone give up their religious beliefs.  We just need to make our collective decisions as a society based on ways of finding the truth that we can all agree on (science, logic, reason), and we need to ensure equal rights for everyone regardless of their race, sex, gender, or sexual preference.

Well, there's my rant. I just woke up so I probably am leaving out some things. All in all, I give the Reason Rally a B-.  Definitely has some room for improvement, but I like the concept and it was inspiring to see how many people showed up and stayed until the end in the miserable cold rain. And capping it off with a Bad Religion set? Très bien!

n1ckb0n3z wrote: when's the last time they played electric dreams? I can't wait to see the footage.

TESF tour

simian wrote:  I felt like some of the speakers were too vitriolic.  . . . However, that said, there were a few speakers in particular who really made the event shine and it was great to hear them. Richard Dawkins was as usual his pleasant grandfatherly self.

Yeah even smart public figures use poor words sometimes.

I was standing near that pit, the right side of the stage. The performance was excellent and spot on, I was also impressed that they played the Answer and Electric Dreams. I have seen them before in the midst of a tour when they are tired and not playing as well, which is a major letdown. But this time they had great energy overall and I was very happy. Except for the fact I am probably going to get pneumonia from standing in the rain for a few hours. 

simian wrote: Well, it all depends on how you interpret his idea of mocking. I've seen Dawkins actually confront religious people about their beliefs, and he's nowhere near as mean-spirited about it as his use of the terms "ridicule and mock" suggest. I think he is probably using poor words for what he's really suggesting that people do.

Agreed.

Will2099 wrote: Greg: "How many of you have seen enough professors and academics speaking today? Unfortunately you've got to stick through one more 'cause I'm afraid I fit in that bill as well." Jay: "There's a doctor in the house." Greg: "Today we're full of them, but like my son once said 'not the kind that can help anyone.'"

 
Great quote, I hope someone caught that on camera.