Wild Idaho Rising Tide (WIRT) is celebrating its March 31, eighth anniversary as a regional, climate activist collective confronting the root causes and perpetrators of climate change, through direct actions and locally organized solutions.  We invite and welcome everyone of all ages to share this milestone at two Eighth Annual Celebrations of Wild Idaho Rising Tide in Moscow and Sandpoint.  These benefit concerts offered by north Idaho poets and musicians feature potluck snacks and beverages and a background slide show of WIRT activities at both locations.  Come and enjoy our yearly festivities that raise awareness, involvement, and funds supporting our #No2ndBridge lawsuit and relentless, volunteer, WIRT activism, in solidarity with frontline communities and grassroots networks of fossil fuel resistance [1, 2].

WIRT activists, members, friends, and allies eagerly anticipate these lively musical and social gatherings.  Suggested admission donations of $5 or more at the doors to these otherwise free, public events assist the dedicated work of WIRT and allies to banish new and expanded, fossil fuel infrastructure throughout the Northwest.  Please join dirty energy resisters for a well-deserved, reinvigorating evening full of shared camaraderie, spirited conversations, exuberant dancing, good food and drink, and live music of multiple genres, played by talented, visiting, and resident songwriters and performers.

Moscow: Friday, March 29, 7 to 10 pm at The Attic, up the back stairs of 314 East Second Street

Fiddlin’ Big Al & Guests

KRFP Radio Free Moscow DJ and board member and core WIRT and Standing Rock activist, Fiddlin’ Big Al Chidester of Moscow plays ragtime, honky-tonk piano, fiddle, and guitar, singing old-timey, country blues and original, socio-political satire songs.  Al started the practice of playing traditional, phase-shifted, electric viola, adding to his multi-instrumental, experimental Americana repertoire on mandolin, banjo, dobro, and lap steel guitar.  He writes humorous, topical songs about peace, freedom, and political hypocrisy, some recorded on his 2004 album Where Were You the Night New Orleans Drowned? and Other Songs for Our Time.  Besides performing at Northwest barter fairs and hosting a long-running, jam session at the Moscow Moose Lodge, Fiddlin’ Big Al broadcasts several, weekly, KRFP, music shows, giving airplay to an eclectic mix of genre-bending music, recorded performances from regional venues, and occasional, live, studio sessions [3].

Sandpoint: Saturday, March 30, 7 to 10 pm at the Gardenia Center, 400 Church Street

Open-Mic Poetry

Everyone who would like to read or perform their creative work can sign up starting at 7 pm for a five-minute spot on the stage mic opening at 7:30 pm.

Kevin Dorin

A one-man band who performs folk, rock, and blues, Kevin hales from his hometown of Calgary, Alberta, as a soulful blues traveler influenced by the music of Ryan Adams, Feist, Jack Johnson, and Maticulous. He plays electric and acoustic guitar, harmonica, and sings covers and original songs [4].

WIRT extends our hearty thanks to the remarkable musicians, core WIRT activists, allies, and businesses who have supplied and co-coordinated the various preparation, publicity, and entertainment aspects of this upcoming opportunity for you to physically and fiscally contribute toward the climate justice movement in Idaho and the Northwest.  Through this convergence, WIRT challengers of the corporate and government sources of climate chaos hope to further attract and involve cross-cultural and youth diversity in activism.  With event donations, we also plan to cover large, litigation costs and provide meager, travel funds and on-site food and beverages for organizers and musicians sharing their admired talents.

For further event and issue information and responses to your questions, to participate as an event volunteer or sponsor, and/or to contribute toward WIRT’s eighth anniversary celebration expenses, please visit the WIRT website and facebook pages, contact us via phone, email, or facebook message, and print and post the attached, color, Eighth Annual Celebration of WIRT Moscow and Sandpoint flyers.  If you cannot attend but would like to donate toward WIRT work to halt coal and oil trains in the Idaho panhandle, tar sands mining and refining megaloads in the northern Rockies, and oil and gas extraction, production, and transportation in the Treasure Valley, please pitch in through our website “Donate to WIRT” button [5, 6] and/or our CrowdJustice funding site [4, 5].  In our ninth year, we will continue to intensely oppose threats to healthy air, water, land, and life, from Payette River-side, gas wells and earthquake-prone, waste injection wells in southwest Idaho, and proposed, railroad track and bridge expansion of coal, oil, and hazardous freight pipeline-on-wheels across Lake Pend Oreille and north Idaho.

Thanks for your ongoing support!  We hope to see you and your friends and families at these celebrations!

[1] Search Results for: “Annual Celebration”, Wild Idaho Rising Tide

[2] WIRT v. IDL/Land Board/BNSF, March 1, 2019 Wild Idaho Rising Tide

[3] Alan Chidester facebook page

[4] Kevin Dorin facebook page

[5] Donate to WIRT, Wild Idaho Rising Tide EverButton

[6] Crowdfund WIRT Litigation of Lake Railroad Bridges Permit, February 19, 2019 Wild Idaho Rising Tide