Sean Penn and Dennis Kucinich showed up at a WJCU fund-raiser at the Beachland on Saturday. (Photo courtesy of Bill Peters/WJCU).
Actor Sean Penn bailed on
Sunday's fund-raising event for Congressman Dennis Kucinich at the I-X Center, citing a schedule conflict. But the actor didn't totally leave his fellow anti-war activist in the lurch: Penn, Kucinich, and the congressman's posse put in a surprise appearance at Collinwood's Beachland Ballroom the night before. ...
The club was hosting a benefit for John Carroll Universtiy radio statio WJCU 88.7 FM. Kucinich saw a mention of the show in a local paper and thought he'd check it out -- and take Penn with him. The two men, along with an entourage of about a dozen, appeared with no advance warning at about 10:15. They paid full admission, although don't be surprised if it shows up as an expense in Kucinich's campaign-finance reports, in between some falafel and a new carrying case for his ego.
Penn and Kucinich took the stage at 10:30, just before headliner Ringworm, a Cleveland-based group with international cult following.
"I came out to support WJCU and college radio," Kucinich told the concert's promoter-host, Bill Peters, just before speaking. "College radio is a great asset for this town."
Greeted by a cheering crowd, the duo spoke briefly to the crowd of a few hundred surprised metalheads, then introduced the band, who launched into "The Sickness" from 2001's Birth Is Pain LP. Kucinich handled most of the band's introduction. although Penn's the one with tenuous punk cred, after narraring the 2001 skateboarding documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys. Also, Penn's breakthrough role as
California stoner-surfer Jeff Spicoli has made him a perennial favorite with long-hair types.
While no YouTube video is available yet, the concert will be broadcast free on YeboTV.com on Saturday, March 1. The show will run continuously from 7 a.m. to midnight. --
D.X. Ferris
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