This is a Protest Song
On May 27, 2016, my wife and I drove from Detroit to Columbus to see Frank Turner perform. He played in Michigan the night before, but we decided to take a road trip instead. If you had a chance to read my article about Frank Turner, you know these music road trips are common for us. At that show at the Newport Music Hall, I experienced the genius that is The Homeless Gospel Choir for the first time.
Despite now being a full band, The Homeless Gospel Choir was essentially a Derek Zanetti solo project in those days. Armed with just an acoustic guitar, Zanetti immediately had the entire crowd eating from the palm of his hand. He won me over initially with his humor and stage banter. Like how he would introduce each song by saying “This is a Protest Song.” I was hooked. Lyrically, his songs are sincere, unfiltered, and welcoming. But on a deeper level, they touched upon topics like mental health, politics, and religion.
That night, hearing reassuring affirmations, calls to action, and protests, I knew I was listening to one of the most important voices in modern punk.
Since then, I’ve seen Zanetti many times as a solo artist as well as the full band. I’ve seen him as support, and as a headliner. I’ve traveled to the East Coast, and have crossed the border to catch his live shows. To be completely honest, I lost track of how many times I’ve seen him since that night. However, each time I’m at a Homeless Gospel Choir show, I feel like I’m with my people. It just feels right.
Their first full-length album as a complete band came out right as the pandemic was rearing its ugly head, so that amazing album, which I lovingly deemed the best album of 2020, hasn’t been through a tour cycle yet. To tide us over until the time that we can all get together as one and listen to punk rock together, A-F Records has released the aptly named, This is a Protest Song.
Recorded while on tour with Frank Turner in what I’m assuming is 2018 (given the Donald Trump as president references), This is a Protest Song does an amazing job of capturing the magic that is The Homeless Gospel Choir. Even though This is a Protest Song was mixed and mastered by Chris #2 of Anti-Flag, the actual recording was done straight from Zanetti’s phone. It really doesn’t get more DIY than that!
It sounds like a high-quality concert bootleg tape fans would pass along and trade with each other.
Listening to it made me feel all the emotions. First, the joy of digging into my memories and reminiscing on the times I’ve seen The Homeless Gospel Choir. The sadness in how it’s been nearly two years since I saw them live. Finally, I felt the hope of things getting better and being reunited with my punk rock family.
This is a Protest Song consists of all of Derek’s most popular solo songs. So to fans, it’s like visiting with an old friend. It’s a perfect time capsule of that time in his career. For the uninitiated, it’s a great introduction to your new favorite punk rock artist. This Land is Your Landfill helped me through the darkest days of the pandemic. Now, this surprise live release is helping me get through that last hurdle until live shows are a regular thing again.