Show Max Bernstein at the margins n r L t. t i i oil wd V L C 1 t 1 I f D. D All photos by Jessica Gonzales Max and the Max Bernstein left Jon and Dave Watrous Blunt musical statements about the Bush administration abortion rights Sen John McCains McCain's position on Iraq the mainstream media civil liberties and such J. J Freedom du Lac T The c Washington Post Last year Max B Bernsteins Bernstein's ern steins stein's rock pop-rock band the Actual released an album joined the Warped Tour and performed with Velvet Revolver Bernstein celebrated his most notable year in the music industry by breaking up the band and stage-diving stage into the broadside business His lates t p ro poli protest songs blunt musical statements about the Bush administration abortion rights Sen John McCains McCain's position on Iraq the mainstream media civil liberties and such They're something like rock punk-rock op cds which is perfect given that Bernstein 28 is the son of one of the most famous figures in journalism Former Washington Post reporter Carl Bernstein who broke the Watergate story with Bob Woodward His mother au screenwriter author thor thor-s creen te r- r director Nora Ephron isn't exactly a footnote herself Its absolutely like writing an opinion column columna a liberal one says the younger Bernstein whose new band Max and the recently in 4 DC D.C. No longer interested in writing songs about the usual rock alt-rock themes as with the Actual's This Is the Worst Day of My Life Bernstein began working up topical more-topical material in October He started with withStanding withStanding withStanding Standing in the Driveway Holding Cardboard in the Rain a song about the death penalty Nothing particularly notable there lefty musician sings lefty protest anthem but Max and the were just getting warmed up with much more indignation to come Updating the song protest-song form for the Internet age the trio singer-guitarist singer Bernstein Dave Watrous on bass Jon on drums has written and recorded anew a anew anew new diatribe every week since posting all 43 of them themon on and the Huffington Post the widely read liberal news and opinion Web site whose contributors also include Bernsteins Bernstein's mother The songs are always free the message more important than the money Bernstein says in an interview before a concert this week at Chicago's Beat Beats s Factory 4 I dont don't think anybody gets into the activism business trying to m make ke money he says Instead d its it's about using music mUSIC as asa ua a viable form of social and anil political mobilization Imagine Frank Ri RicH h. h fronting Ted Leo Leos Leo's s group qc maybe a Matthew Y gl s a up mash-up with Husker p DU Bob Moulds Mould's old punk band whose logo Bernstein has tattooed on his left Im a political ju junkie junkier ie Bernstein says His polities politics si distilled Several clicks clicks' left of center but not exactly exactly- on tin the radical fringe Per the Max and the songs which Bernstein writes and sings Bush is brutally bad but McCain might be Worse Where It Counts meaning as commander in chief N I I And House Speaker N Nancy ncy I is a disappointment but not nearly as much as Sen Joe Lieberman leader of what Bernstein cal calls s in m song a Coalition of Turncoats His songs feature few heroes but many villains Literally When Sen Jesse Bernsteins Bernstein's Helms passed aw away response Was Va Its Awkward When B Bad d People Die I I r 6 I I |