Episode 4: After two years of near misses, Erin, Adam, and a young team of organizers finally bring the first Tibetan Freedom Concert to life, with one of the most talked-about lineups of the 1990s and a bold new model for turning music into action.

Note: This episode includes discussion of torture, plus a cuss word or two.

IN THIS EPISODE

• After years of failed attempts, Erin, Adam Yauch, the Milarepa Fund, Tibetan organizers, and volunteers bring the first Tibetan Freedom Concert to life.
• A tiny San Francisco office becomes the nerve center for one of the biggest benefit concerts of the 1990s.
• Adam announces the concert in D.C. — and suddenly it has to become real.
• Golden Gate Park fills with prayer flags, stupas, Tibetan musicians, monks, nuns, and 50,000 people a day.
• Beastie Boys, Rage Against the Machine, Björk, Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Sonic Youth, Beck, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Yoko Ono, and more come together for Tibet.
• Deyden Tethong remembers seeing Tibetan culture and 1990s music culture come together in a new way.
• Palden Gyatso speaks after escaping Tibet with the torture devices used against him.
• The next day, Erin, Adam, and others take the energy to a protest at the Chinese Consulate.
• The first Tibetan Freedom Concert becomes the biggest U.S. benefit concert since Live Aid — and proves this was only the beginning.

VOICES IN THIS EPISODE

In order of appearance:

• Erin Potts — co-founder of the Tibetan Freedom Concerts and the Milarepa Fund, expert on music and activism, and executive producer of Freedom Needs a Soundtrack.
• Adam Yauch — co-founder of the Tibetan Freedom Concerts and Milarepa Fund, member of the Beastie Boys, heard through archival audio.
• Serena Altschul — Journalist and longtime MTV News correspondent, heard through archival audio.
• Kurt Loder — Journalist, author, and longtime MTV News anchor who helped define music news coverage in the 1990s, heard through archival audio.
• Rebecca Rankin — Music journalist and television host/correspondent associated with MuchMusic, heard through archival audio.
• Björk — Artist who performed at the Tibetan Freedom Concerts, heard through archival audio.
• Yoko Ono — Artist, musician, peace activist, and longtime cultural figure known for her avant-garde work and activism, heard through archival audio.
• Tom Morello — Guitarist with Rage Against the Machine, who performed at the Tibetan Freedom Concerts, and activist.
• Deyden Tethong — Tibetan activist, producer, and executive producer of Freedom Needs a Soundtrack.
• John Norris — Music journalist and longtime MTV News correspondent, heard through archival audio.
• Palden Gyatso — Buddhist monk who escaped imprisonment in China and spoke at the concert.
• Dave Grohl — Singer and guitarist with Foo Fighters, who performed at the Tibetan Freedom Concerts, heard through archival concert audio.
• Biz Markie — Hip-hop artist who performed at the Tibetan Freedom Concerts, heard through archival concert audio.

LEARN MORE

https://www.freedomneedsasoundtrack.com/

https://www.youtube.com/@freedomneedsasoundtrack

https://www.facebook.com/FreedomNeedsASoundtrack

https://www.instagram.com/freedomneedsasoundtrack

This series is a Rangzen production, produced by Adonde Media and distributed in partnership with KALW Public Media in San Francisco.