Jello Biafra

Biafra (born Eric Boucher, renaming himself after a Nigerian civil war that claimed more than a million lives, mostly women and children) is a master of mixing humor with a portentous political commentary seldom found in mainstream media.



His stage show - which he calls "info-tainment" - falls somewhere between Noam Chomsky and Jon Stewart. More light-hearted than Michael Moore, far more shocking than Bill Maher. Similar politics to all of the above.



Before turning prolific political iconoclast, Biafra built his name as the frontman for the seminal punk band, The Dead Kennedys. In 1987, the band was thrust into the role of First Amendment champion when its "Frankenchrist" album (specifically the album art by H.R. Giger entitled "Penis Landscape") was challenged in court as "distribution of harmful matter to minors." This, the first case where a musical recording faced such criminal charges, resulted in a hung jury but also a dissolved Dead Kennedys.



Biafra took the change in stride, initially by appearing on talk shows such as "Oprah" to discuss free speech opposite Tipper Gore, and eventually by releasing a dozen solo spoken-word albums. Over the years, he's spoken at Kansas University, at the Opera House (now Liberty Hall), as well as at the River City Reunion in 1987 alongside Allen Ginsberg, Keith Haring, Timothy Leary and William S. Burroughs.