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Aug 14, 2009 By Michele Yamamoto The Fiery Furnaces

As fiery as the recent town halls over healthcare reform have been, it seems as though they’re about to get a little bit of a fiery boost. Experimental duo The Fiery Furnaces have decided to use their upcoming tour as a platform to galvanize support for healthcare reform. “Sure, we can disagree on the details,” the statement on the Furnaces’ site reads. “But Patriotic American Rock-n-Roll Fans must surely agree that our nation is in desperate need of health care reform.”

The band hopes to encourage action on all ends. “By the way, if you happen to be a member of an anti-health care reform mob, why not come down and picket one of the Pro-Health Care Rallies ‘N Rock Shows,” they posit.

Here’s their statement in full:

“Sure, we can disagree on the details. But Patriotic American Rock-n-Roll Fans must surely agree that our nation is in desperate need of health care reform.

We need it for economic reasons, certainly.

But we also need it if we are going to stay true to our values. Our values as Americans, that is. Because from our perspective, aren’t we the most value-ble people in the world? That’s got to have to do with the health of our persons, and not just the health of our pocketbooks.

Come on down and pick up some information about how you can show your support for, and talk to your neighbors about, this patriotic, eminently capitalist-friendly thing called Health Care Reform! And you know, for better or worse, it’s capitalist-friendly. And pro-Rock-n-Roll.

Talk to the band about it. Talk to somebody we put on the guest list to talk to you about it. Talk to the guy texting next to you about it. Text your friend or congressperson from the show while you ignore the band about it. In other words, regular old Summertime Fun!

We can’t sit, or stand, or drive, idly by while the most outrageous lies get told in the most offensive manner. And you know us- we love grandmothers.

Let’s make sure the world knows that all of us true grandmother-loving, pro-American, ‘young people’ haven’t given up our political involvement.

By the way, if you happen to be a member of an anti-health care reform mob, why not come down and picket one of the Pro-Health Care Rallies ‘N Rock Shows listed below? Us Patriotic Pro-Reform- which in this case just means Pro-American- Rock-n-Roll fans inside the building will raise you a toast.

To your health!”

Tour dates:

8/16 RICHMOND, VA / The National w/ White Rabbits

8/17 CARRBORO, NC / Cat’s Cradle w/ White Rabbits

8/18 CHARLOTTE, NC / Visulite Theatre w/ White Rabbits

8/19 NASHVILLE, TN / Mercy Lounge w/ White Rabbits

8/20 ATLANTA, GA / Variety Playhouse w/ White Rabbits

8/21 BIRMINGHAM, AL / Bottletree w/ White Rabbits

8/22 TAMPA, FL / The Orpheum

8/23 ORLANDO, FL / The Social w/ White Rabbits

8/25 ASHEVILLE, NC / The Grey Eagle w/ White Rabbits

8/26 CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA / Fry’s Spring Beach Club w/ White Rabbits

(www.thefieryfurnaces.com)