Music Concert to Benefit CA's Green Party

By Reza Gostar

Santa Monica Patch

http://santamonica.patch.com/articles/march-music-concert-to-benefit-cal...

A concert hosted by Mike Malinin of the Goo Goo Dolls and longtime Santa Monica activist, Marcy Winograd, will be held March 22 to benefit the Green Party of California’s grassroots efforts toward increased voter registration.

"Our music benefit promises to be a night of fantastic rhythms, youthful exuberance and political might,” Winograd said. “Now is the time to go Green and to celebrate what we value: peace, sustainability and social justice."

The concert is part of an expanded outreach by California’s Green Party to increase registration and maintain the party’s ballot access, said Marnie Glickman, managing director of California’s Green Party.

Glickman said there's a need for people to be given a choice of more than just two major parties.

“We are trying to provide another clear choice for Californians,” Glickman said. “The Greens in California have had great success at [local governments] and we really want to raise our level.”

Many people still don’t know that since Proposition 14 passed, Californians can vote in primary elections for any congressional or state elective candidate without concern to their political party membership, said Glickman.

“I hope it will be attended by anybody, regardless of political affiliation, who is interested in seeing a change in the current two party systems,” said Malinin, Goo Good Dolls drummer. “I can't imagine that many people are completely satisfied with everything that has been happening in and with our government. Also, it's simply going to be a great night of music.”

Musicians set to perform at the concert taking place at the V Lounge in Santa Monica include Glen Phillips (singer from the Toad the Wet Sprocket), Lili Haydn, Christ vs Warhol, Nick Luca (keyboardist for Iron and Wine), The Pleasure Field and Korel Tunador.