Mr. Smalls Presents
Social Justice Disco
2020: Envision A Brighter Future
Friday, February 28
Doors: 6:00pm / Show: 7:00pm
Mr. Smalls Theatre
Millvale, PA
Tickets: $10 - $15
Tickets on sale now!
This event is all ages
Join Liz Berlin, Phat Man Dee, and their incredible cast of musicians and performing artists, for an evening of powerful music around the theme “Envisioning a Brighter Future”, showcasing songs such as “I Will Survive” (Gloria Gaynor), “Your Racist Friend” (They Might Be Giants), “Have You Been to Jail For Justice” (Anne Feeney), “I Can’t Breathe” (Peace Poets) and “All You Fascists Are Bound To Lose” (Woody Guthrie, Billy Bragg). Original songs include “#BigBrotherIsTrending,” “Jim Crow is Alive and Well,” “Mni Wiconi/ Water is Sacred,” and “Black Lives Matter/ Stayin’ Alive,”(a parody of the Bee Gees song) and more!
In this new decade, as our nation is sending thousands of more young men and women to the middle east, as we bear horrified witness to human made fires burning in Australia, California, and the Amazon, as we experience anti semitic and racist acts of violence on a local and an international scale, as Indigenous people are ignored and their land devastated by cracker plants, oil spills, and pipelines, as we see how corporate America abuses it’s workers, we find ourselves feeling very helpless and confused.
We must rise up, and remember what the old songs teach us, and that the pen is mightier than the sword. We must speak out and lift our voices in song, as we have been taught to do by our spiritual leaders, and by those brave seekers of justice who did before us. We must use our words and sing the songs so we may inspire each other to continue to fight the good fight. We must not allow bigotry, hatred, and violence to scare us into silence.
Liz Berlin is a founding member of triple-platinum selling Pittsburgh band Rusted Root, and owner-operator of Mr. Smalls Theater, Recording Studio and Creative.Life.Support. Phat Man Dee was voted Best Jazz Performer in Pittsburgh City Paper 2016 Readers’ Poll. Social Justice Disco musicians include Steeltown Horns, Reggie Watkins, Rick Matt, and J.D. Chaisson, other musicians include Patrick Norman, Howard Alexander, Mark F. Strickland, Miguel Sague III, Megan Williams, and Dennis Garner. Special Guests include HollyHood, Pastor Deryck Tines, The Lemington Gospel Choir, Christina Springer, Leslie Ezra Smith, Big Jus, Christine Andrews, Sundae Service and many more!
Please join these two Pittsburgh power divas for an evening of inspirational Social Justice Disco music at Mr Smalls Theatre. The revolution may not be televised but it will have a solid groove!
