It's estimated that 300,000 people have been killed and over 1.8 million people have been moved for fear for their lives.  This was the picture that was painted on April 29, 2006, at the Amenesty International "Make Some Noise" charity event held at the Roseland Theater in Portland, Oregon.   The event focused on raising awareness for the devastation of the Darfur region of Sudan.  Please visit some of these links to learn more about what's really happening to our neighbors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darfur_conflict

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3496731.stm

A glowing Mira Sorvino was on hand to give a heart felt and genuinely moving but graphic speech about what's happening to a largely forgotten segment of the human population.  To put it into perspective, imagine if half of the Portland population was wiped off the map.  Picture half of the state of Oregon moving to save their lives.  It's a massive number of people.

The theme of the evening was to generate enough stir to push our government to help out, so "Make Some Noise" was the goal.  Six musical talents performed, mostly acoustic sets, to support that cause.  The Fourth Street Marching Band worked the room starting from the back of the crowd and marching their way onto the stage.  They filled the room with a heavy onslaught of drums, full horn section and even a burlesque show with several dancers.  Several stilt experts danced in the front to get the crowd amped up.

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The Youth Movement Group, a high school based hip hop team, followed up with a heavy dose of enthusiasm.  There is no doubt that these kids have a promising combination of energy and talent.

Suzanne Vega performed a beautiful set of old and new.  The most memorable was her performance of  "Woman on the Tier (I'll see you through)."  Picture a silent theater with only the sound of her voice and the hand bells she kept rhythm with. It was powerful. Finishing up with "Luka" and 'Tom's Diner,"she was a hit.

Two members of Collective Soul, Ed Roland and Joel Kosche, came next with a flawless lineup of famous tunes.  The set was, as Ed called it, acoustified rock-n-roll. These guys floored the crowd with their mastery of vocals and guitar, all the while having a good time.  If you have never seen Collective Soul live, jump at the opportunity, you will not be disappointed - this is MOSS guaranteed.

The Night Watchman formally of Rage against the Machine and currently of "Audioslave" played a heavy dose of freedom, union and fighting songs.  Tom Morello was greeted with "You're my idol Tom" and "Tom, I love you" as he entered the room to remind us of the power of freedom. Morello is known for activism in human rights organizations and didn't disappoint.  The cries of affection continued throughout his entire set.

Three members of Incubus performed last.  The threesome comprised of Brandon Boyd, Ben Kenne and Mike Einziger played most of their hits, a couple new songs, and a couple "songs they wish they'd written."  The "covers" included Prince's "When Doves Cry" and an impromptu rendition of Snoop Dogg's, "Drop it Like it's Hot," got a giggle out of lead singer, Brandon.  The band chatted it up with audience members between songs, took requests and even sang 'happy birthday' to two lucky fans.  Not only did the three young musicians sound great but they were comical, and personable -- almost like we were hanging out in their living room.

In the end, the goal of raising awareness in Portland for the tragic event in Sudan was an experience that will stick with us all. MOSS would like to thank Amnesty International for putting on an extremely successful event and allowing us to be there to participate in the documentation of it.  We were touched and entertained all at the same time.  Please read more about Darfur and try to find your own way of helping.