SXSW Rocks With A Theme of War

Tom Morello, Serj Tankian, Ben Harper, Billy Bragg and others joined forces to sow some musical seeds of revolution last night at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas.



The musicians were celebrating the release of "Body of War," the new documentary about paralyzed Iraq war veteran Tomas Young, who also worked with Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder to curate the film's soundtrack.

The outspoken Morello, railing -- as is his wont -- against "an awful (presidential) administration and its awful war," -- then played a Nightwatchman set that included "Flesh Shapes the Day," Rage Against the Machine's "Guerrilla Radio," "Battle Hymns" (his contribution to the "Body of War: Songs That Inspired an Iraq Veteran" album), "House Gone Up in Flames" and a rendition of Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land" which included the often deleted final verse and found Morello trading verses with Bragg, Tankian and Mason Jennings.

Kimya Dawson closed the show with a three-song set -- including the "Juno" hit "Anyone Else But You," and some pointed political commentary of her own.