In my brief yet fulfilling time as music editor at The Mass Media, I have had the opportunity to see some amazing musicians. From Johnny Winter, ZZ Top, U2, the Pretenders, Joe Satriani, Boys like Girls, and Jeff Beck, just to name a few. As the music editor, I also have had the chance to read some inspiring and creative writing from the students of UMass and I hope they will continue in their journalistic endeavors. I have read an abundance of articles with little room for mine but before I sign off as the music editor of the coolest college paper around, I wanted to give a brief synopsis of three acts that you might want to check out. In addition to being great musicians, they also have a great passion for causes that they believe in and that totally rocks too.

Gov’t Mule

One band that is definitely worth mentioning is Gov’t Mule, headlined by one of the greatest guitar players of our time, Mr. Warren Haynes. Haynes whose main gig is the Allman Brothers band who are still as popular as they were in 1970’s, this is clear because they sold-out the Orpheum three nights in a row. The “Mule” doesn’t always sell out venues like the “Brothers” but have enough fans to keep going for a long time to come.

Haynes show covered a wide spectrum of music ranging from blues and rock that reflected Haynes’ musical particulars. Opening with the mystical and sultry Maggot Brain shows Hayne’s incredible versatility as a musician. His beautiful and heartfelt Need Your Love so Bad proves that the blues is a timeless musical art form, a base line for most musicians that will never dissipate no matter how much music evolves. The crossover in his later set showed his admiration for artists that have been considered musical legends; Johnny Cash and Folsom Prison Blues, Hey Joe, popularized by legendary guitarist like Jimi Hendrix, Lennon’s Working Class Hero and Tom Waits Ol’ 55.

Warren has been involved with various charities like helping Vietnam Vets, AIDS victims, and the homeless. Now, he has focused his efforts on Habitat for Humanity. “We eventually stumbled onto Habitat for Humanity and just stayed with it ’cause it was nice to see where the money was going. These days when we raise X amount of dollars you turn around and see that become X amount of houses, and that’s a beautiful thing.” Please visit Habitat for Humanity at wwww.habitat.org The Alarm

The last time I saw the Alarm was when they opened for U2 at the Worcester Centrum. They were energized exciting and full of promise. Unfortunately, like many bands in the eighties it was short-lived. It’s been years since they played here but when I found out that the Alarm was touring again I had to check it out. Would it be a disaster or success?

Since 1981, this Welsh band has still been rocking. At the Direct Action tour at Showcase Live in Foxboro lead singer, Mike Peters, is working as hard as ever looking cool and very youthful as he savors every minute on stage. Though performing some unfamiliar tunes, Peters knew well enough to keep the crowd connected with older hits like the powerful and addicting Sixty-Eight Guns and the revolutionary Marching On. These songs kept the crowd pumped, made them feel young again, and remembering the first time they ever saw the band. Can you say The Channel?

But the new cause for Peters is heartfelt. As a cancer survivor, Peters has organized the largest cancer awareness organization in Rock and Roll History, Love hope and Strength. Through his efforts, he has joined forces with other musicians in an attempt to unify the world in helping to end a disease that will affect one in three people. You can contact them by visiting www.lovehopestrength.org.

Chrissie Hynde and JP and the Fairground Boys

Hailed as fronting one of the most popular bands of the eighties, The Pretenders, Chrissie Hynde put that temporarily behind her and put on an amazing show at Showcase Live, with her new band, JP and the Fairground boys. They have been criticized but they seem unaffected. The criticism seems to have made them stronger. She is wise to change and seems to understand the logistics of her music. She never fails to make a connection to her fans that always support her in any project she attempts. And Chrissie’s cause? PETA-The protection and ethical treatment of animals has been her focus for many years. As a devout vegetarian and animal activist, she has condemned everyone from the Gap to McDonalds and makes us all aware of her sincere devotion to this cause.You can visit PETA at wwww.peta.org