Pitchfork

Photos by Jon Behm; Above: The Pharcyde

Tuesday's impromptu Rage Against the Machine sing-along in the RNC-ridden Twin Cities went off relatively incident-free, but the same could not be said for last night's Rage gig at Target Center, nor a Monday gathering of politically-minded music makers and fans billed as Take Back Labor Day.

Presented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the concert featured performances from Mos Def, the Pharcyde, Atmosphere, Rage's Tom Morello (as the Nightwatchman), Steve Earle, and others on Saint Paul's Harriet Island. By most accounts, the event itself was an entirely peaceful affair, though writeups from Rock & Roll Daily and elsewhere suggest a riot nearly broke out after police cordoned off streets and made numerous arrests following the show. UPDATE: According to a publicist for the event, "Not one disturbance happened at the event. Apparently an incident happened at some point that day, but it was across town, having nothing to do with the concert."

The RNC wraps up today; keep your cool out there, people. Same goes for you, law enforcement.

The Pharcyde




Mos Def






Atmosphere




The Nightwatchman


Steve Earle