BEN HARPERS BELIEF IN A BETTER WAY

Austin City Limits once again demonstrates why Austin Texas is one of America’s most musically historical cities. Boasting 130 acts on 3 stages over 3 days, …

Ben Harper, has released his double album ‘Both Sides of the Gun’ and he choose to kick it off with a free show at Amoeba Records March 21st in Hollywood, Ca. With a packed house, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals ran through material off his latest album, including ‘Black Rain’, ‘Morning Yearning’ and his politcally inspired single ‘Better Way.’ Also making an appearance at the instore was The Innocent Criminal String Section, who are also featured on ‘Both Sides of the Gun.’ Ben’s first single ‘Better Way’ is already making waves on radio and the video was directed by both Ben Harper and his wife, Laura Dern. We caught up with Ben Harper to ask him if he believes in a better way, even in the face of societies turmoils.

More dates for Ben Harper’s 2006 tour in support of ‘Both Sides of the Gun’ have been announced. Already with a solo acoustic performance at Jack Johnson’s Kokua festival in Hawaii April 19th and tours of Australia and Japan, Ben Harper has announced a North American tour with Damian Marley. The tour will kick off August 10th in Phoenix, Arizona and extend until September 14th in Knoxville, Tennessee.

“Do I believe in a better way? Absolutely. Again, if I could sit down with the right person and express, I mean, dude let’s do the math. Car payment three, insurance two, so you’re at five, fifteen for rent and you’re at two grand, right? Medical, that’s another five bills a month so you’re at twenty five hundred and that’s before you’ve eaten you’re at twenty five hundred and that’s before you’ve got your weed, right? So, you’re at twenty five hundred before your smoke and before you’ve gone to mickey d’s. What’s minimum wage six or seven bucks an hour, seven fifty? What’s seven times forty, what’s eight times forty, no what’s ten times forty? Four hundred bucks a week times four weeks and you’re talking sixteen hundred bucks gross. You’re looking at twelve hundred bucks a month and to be a vertical American we’ve already established it costs you twenty five hundred bucks that’s the decline of modern civilization unless we st