The Afterlife
Thirty years on, the podcast Freedom Needs a Soundtrack revisits the star-studded benefit that brought Tibet’s struggle to a mass audience
In 1996, the Tibetan Freedom Concert turned an underreported human rights struggle into a global cultural moment. The brainchild of Beastie Boys’ Adam Yauch, the San Francisco benefit featured an enviable lineup of rock and hip-hop heavies, including Rage Against the Machine, Smashing Pumpkins, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Björk, A Tribe Called Quest, Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Beck, Pavement, De La Soul, Fugees, John Lee Hooker, Yoko Ono, Cibo Matto, Biz Markie, and, of course, Beastie Boys.
Thirty years later, a new podcast is revisiting how it all came together — and what it set in motion. Launching June 15, Freedom Needs a Soundtrack is a six-part narrative series that revisits the genesis, impact, and legacy of the Tibetan Freedom Concert. Produced by Adonde Media and distributed in partnership with KALW Public Radio, the podcast blends archival recordings with new interviews featuring artists, organizers, activists, and Tibetan voices who helped shape the movement.
At its center is Erin Potts, who went from devoted music fan to activist and eventual co-founder of the Tibetan Freedom Concerts, which held additional editions in New York City and Washington, D.C., before expanding internationally in 1999.
