David Michael Miller
Nov. 7 marked the 1,999th session of the Solidarity Sing Along.
Don Johnson made a brand new sign for Wednesday’s meeting of the Solidarity Sing Along. Inspired by Democrat Tony Evers’ victory over Gov. Scott Walker, the message was simple and to the point: “There is a God.”
“I can’t sing worth a damn, so I make signs,” says Johnson, a retired teacher and regular participant in the noontime political demonstration group that has been protesting Walker’s policies via song since March 2011. “I come down here every day — it’s like home.”
Wednesday’s meeting was the group’s 1,999th, and the mood in the Capitol Rotunda was joyful. Nearly 100 singers accompanied by drums — and those infamous vuvuzelas — belted out old favorites like “We Shall Overcome” and debuted some new songs written specially to celebrate Tuesday’s historic shift in Wisconsin politics.
“We’re going to try and take as many requests as we can,” Daithi Wolfe told the joyful crowd before launching into a riff on the classic labor song “Solidarity Forever,” tweaking the lyrics to honor Wisconsin’s new governor elect: “Solidarity For Evers.” Another new song, “Scotty the Renegade,” had particularly inspired lyrics: “Scotty’s been scorched by this firestorm, and just like a bratwurst, he’s fried!”
Though the organization has no official leadership, Wolfe says members came to a “collective decision” to continue the daily demonstrations until Walker leaves office in 2019 — but it’s “quite possible” they could continue after Evers takes office. After more than seven years, the group has been through a lot together — the historic Act 10 protests, the 2013 crackdown by the Capitol Police and frequent political disappointments. “There’s been a lot of despair, and this was a chance for people to be together and share joyfully,” Wolfe says. “It’s a pretty amazing thing.”
While the organization has remained a “non-group” that has refrained from supporting candidates, Johnson says many of the singers participated in get-out-the-vote efforts before Tuesday’s election or served as poll workers. When asked if the singers will apply their musical talents to a new cause, he offered an immediate suggestion: “There’s that asshole in the White House.”
