Former Dead Kennedys vocalist and longtime political activist Jello Biafra will speak at the Union Ballroom tonight at 6:30 p.m.
Biafra was born Erin Reed Boucher in Boulder, Col., in 1958. He discovered punk rock in his late teens and moved to San Francisco at 19, where he formed the Dead Kennedys and created the record label Alternative Tentacles.
His name is a combination of the popular snack food and the name of a short-lived country in Africa. The Republic of Biafra seceded from Nigeria in 1967 and endured brutal wars and famine in its three-year existence.
Reportedly, Biafra picked the name because he “likes the way the two images collide in people’s minds.”
The Dead Kennedys played its first show in 1978 and released its first single, “California Uber Alles,” in 1979. Next came the single “Holiday and Cambodia” and the band’s first album, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables.
The band quickly gained a national following, and Biafra ran for mayor of San Francisco in 1979, finishing fourth out of 10 candidates with 3.5 percent of the votes.
The band’s third full-length album, Frankenchrist, brought controversy because of its graphic poster insert, which depicted sexual acts. The band was charged with “distributing harmful materials to minors,” but ultimately won its case.
Frankenchrist prompted Biafra to speak out against censorship and the Parents Music Resource Center, the group formed by Tipper Gore and others to create music ratings and the “Parental Advisory” labels.
After the Dead Kennedys broke up in 1986, Biafra continued to champion free speech and speak out for other political causes.
He has since recorded eight spoken-word albums, including his most recent, In the Grip of Official Treason, released Oct. 24, and frequently tours with other political activists.
Tonight Biafra will likely speak on many of the issues discussed on In the Grip of Official Treason, such as the current administration’s domestic and international policies-namely the war in Iraq, tax cuts for the wealthy and decreases in financial aid for students.