The Poor Prole’s Almanac Living Rent-Free in my Head; Music & Tenant Organizing with Ben Potrykus
In this episode, we're joined by musician and organizer Ben Potrykus to talk about building community and how music and politics interplay. Ben's a veteran in the greater Boston music scene, and spent years touring the country with a number of different bands, including the Receiving end of Sirens, Christians & Lions, Get Loose!, Sharp Teeth, Baixa, Girlfriends, Bent Shapes, Fake ID, and more.
Imposed Magazine describes Ben's place in the music scene succinctly, stating that "Over the years, he’s torpedoed two major label deals, temporarily fractured his relationship with his brother, and sabotaged a rock doc, all results of his idealism, impulsiveness, and neurosis about selling out. His devotion has made him one of the most revered songwriters in Boston, though it was never his intention to become anything, really." (read the article here, if you are curious) We chat about where he stands on these issues today, and further, how these relationships in and around music have informed the way in which he engages with his other work around tenant organizing.
If you're not familiar with tenant organizing, we discuss the benefits of this type of organizing over unionizing workplaces, and the increased presence it will likely have in a world which increasingly isolates due to work from home and more.
We also discuss various resources for tenant organizing, which are included below:
https://bostontenantsunion.org/
And of course follow @Christiansandlions on Instagram & check out their music at www.christiansandlions.com
Intro music: Christians & Lions- "The Changeling"
Transition music: Christians & Lions- "Firebelly Salamander"
Outro music: Christians & LIons- "Bird's Milk"
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