LA Teens' Rock the Vote this weekend at Safari Sam's

Hey, kids! This weekend offers not just one but two chances for you to ponder the hideous financial situation you are inheriting and will no doubt be fixing 50 years down the road. Oh noes! But the good news is that both events, designed to encourage the already impressive political energy of Gen Y, Z, 2.0 or whatever they're calling themselves, should be genuinely cool.

The first is the well-known, well-publicized We the People festival in downtown L.A. The lineup is nothing to scoff at: Les Claypool, RZA, Shavo Odidjian, Tom Morello, futuristic R&B cutie Janelle Monae, Murs and lots more, but what's really stoking our '90s-loving hearts is LA Teens' Rock the Vote, a five-hour, nonpartisan extravaganza at Safari Sam's for teens only. You totally can't come in, Dad!

Presented by the Westside Jewish Community Center and the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization, who have hosted Battle of the Bands contests in the past, LA Teens Rock the Vote will feature five teen bands, kosher food, speakers from the Democratic, Republican, Green and Libertarian parties and a host of community agencies. The bands slated to perform: Slinky, Post Meridiem, Von Noble, Private Wasabi and Blackout 101.

Many of the kids who will attend can't technically vote yet, but they can volunteer. "We picked organizations based on issues that teens care about," WJCC coordinator for teen programs Rachel Hagar said. "It's about getting teens involved." City Year, Tree People, Ethix Ventures, United Way, Best Buddies, P.A.T.H., and the American Red Cross of L.A. will all be there to sign up kids for volunteer programs.

Hagar is expecting 500 teens to turn out for the event -- that's a full house at Safari Sam's. "I hear sometimes that teens are politically apathetic," Hagar said, "but that's just not true in my experience. All of the kids we've gotten in touch with are excited."

-- Margaret Wappler

LA Teens' Rock the Vote on Sunday, Sept. 28 from 11am-4pm. Ticket price: $12; food is extra. Tickets available at the door or at brownpapertickets.com

Photo of Private Wasabi courtesy of their Myspace page.

Comments

[mike bowman]

This was a great show and the music was excellent