Customer Reviews

On the Lower Frequencies

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

With respect, I think the previous reviewer, Wayne Buzzard, misses the point.

This is a history of people who are not supposed to have political power--Latinos in the Mission, street punks, prostitutes, the homeless, drug users, youth refugees from other parts of the country--but who refuse to remain powerless. The subculture of zines, illegal shows, squatting, grassroots activism, and graffiti art is a testament to what is possible when people improvise in the pursuit of interests that will never find legitimacy in mainstream society.

"Entirely ineffective at enacting actual change"? Measured how? From what perspective? And for whom? It's true that reformist activists may not find much that's useful in this book. But it seems to me Erick Lyle cares more about the means of survival, inspiration, and alternatives available to people in his communities, than he does about reassuring society at large that its capacity for liberal tolerance and benevolence is A-Okay!

One of the book's strengths is that Erick Lyle seldom idealizes--he is heartbreakingly honest about the triumphs and failures he sees. This book is vitally important for that reason alone. It doesn't rely on fake hope or warm fuzzies. Far from simplistic moral lessons or propaganda, his stories are complex and informed, not to mention funny and often incredibly bizarre. They're about real struggles to stake out a place in the city against the fascist sweeps politely called "gentrification."

"On The Lower Frequencies" is full of interesting anecdotes that paint a vibrant picture of San Francisco's radical culture. The reader is exposed to a fascinating world of guerilla punk concerts, crooked politicians, decrepit donut shops, street people, illegal art spaces, and grassroots activism. The book is both colorful and engaging. Yet far from being hollow entertainment, Lyle's diary from within the walls of modern urban counterpower also serves as a cautionary tale about unfocused idealism.

Lyle is clearly quite passionate about his various political beliefs, yet after all the protesting, drum-banging, and wall-spraying he and his cohorts engage in, one can't help but notice that their protests are almost entirely ineffective at enacting actual change. Lyle and his crew are evidence that mere passion and ideological opposition are not sufficient to change the structure of the world we live in.

Nevertheless, the reader is more than happy to ride around with Lyle and friends for a 260 page slice of blue collar San Francisco radicalism during the George W. Bush years.

3 1/2 stars.