Chicago’s Enduring Tradition of Protest Music Echoes in a Fractured era
Chicago’s vibrant music scene has long served as a powerful platform for social and political commentary, and a new wave of artists is continuing that legacy in response to contemporary challenges. From Michael McDermott’s pointed lyrics to the genre-bending resistance of rage against the Machine, musicians across the city are embracing their roles as chroniclers of a turbulent time.
Local singer-songwriter Michael McDermott didn’t initially intend to write songs specifically addressing the current political climate. “I write about the politics of the heart and the soul more than I talk about the politics of politics,” he explained. “But I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t write these observational songs.” Driven by a sense of civic duty – and, as he put it, an inability to remain silent – McDermott released “The Future,” a track with an upbeat tempo that belies it’s stark message: “All they wanna do is keep you distracted / At least until martial law is enacted / And Jefferson would roll over in his grave / If he saw how these people behave.” A music video accompanying the song features footage of prominent political figures,including President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem,leaving little doubt about the targets of his critique.
McDermott rose to prominence in the 1990s Chicago music scene, famously naming his debut album after his home address, “620 W. Surf.” Now residing in Orland Park with his family, all of whom are musicians, he continues to tour and connect with audiences. He recently experienced surprising enthusiasm for “The Future” even in traditionally conservative areas. “I would get standing ovations singing the song – in Alabama!” he recalled. “When the chorus says, ‘Here we don’t bow to any kings / And certainly not a clown from Queens,’ people went crazy.” This positive reception prompted an early release ahead of the nationwide No Kings protests on Oct.18 and secured him a performance slot at The Hideout for Indivisible Chicago’s monthly community gathering. The song’s reach has also expanded internationally, with increased streams in Australia and France, according to his Spotify data.
The roots of this tradition run deep within Chicago’s musical history, especially at the Old Town School of Folk Music. Founded in 1957,the school has been a breeding ground for protest music for nearly seven decades. “The idea of American folk music as a genre – folk music with a capital F – comes out of the labor struggles and anti-fascism movements of the ’40s,” explained John Huber,the school’s director of education. Founders Win Stracke, Studs Terkel, and big Bill Broonzy championed a “musical democracy,” ensuring accessibility for all regardless of background.
One of the school’s earliest and most celebrated students was John Prine, often hailed as the “Mark Twain of songwriting.” Prine, a native of Maywood, Illinois, honed his craft at the Old Town School in the 1
Founding member Tom Morello, a Libertyville, Illinois native, recently composed the music for “Revolution(s),” a Goodman Theater production about a soldier returning home to a South Side occupied by societal issues.Morello, speaking in Chicago, was unequivocal: “The world is not going to change itself. That is up to you, especially in desperate times like this.” He continued, “In this moment, every act of art is an act of resistance. In a time where they’re criminalizing skin color, where they’re criminalizing speech, where they’re criminalizing art … standing up in yoru place, in your time – and what you do as a songwriter, as a playwright, as a carpenter, as a student, as a whatever – that is the duty set before us.”
McDermott echoes this sentiment, invoking the words of Nina Simone: “The obligation of the artist is to reflect their time.” He concludes, “That’s all we’re really doing.”
