Music of His Heart

Through his travels, words and music, Orange County-based activist-folkie Joe Racano battles every day for something so seemingly simple--a way of life that is sensitive to all living creatures and their natural surroundings.

His biggest concern right now is that the Bolsa Chica mesa, a bluff that overlooks the Bolsa Chica wetlands in Huntington Beach, might be developed into a six-acre housing site.

Working alone, Racano--who performs with his band tonight at Gallagher’s in Huntington Beach--doesn’t appear to pose much of a threat to developers. He’s lived most of his life on the streets, literally, of New York, Florida and Berkeley. He now lives in an RV and cruises around town on his primary mode of transportation, a Schwinn beach cruiser that’s often flanked by his two dogs, Champion and Tree.

But don’t for a minute think this is one of those romanticized David-versus-Goliath stories. What motivates Racano, and ultimately gives him hope for a brighter tomorrow, is the notion that each person’s actions can make a difference.

He quickly points to the water conservation efforts resulting from the ruptured 26-mile Allen-McColloch pipeline as one example of individual responsibility having a positive impact on the community.

“The first day after the pipe broke, [South County residents] voluntarily conserved water usage by 23%,” Racano said during an interview at his favorite Huntington Beach coffeehouse.

“Why? Because we wanted to . . . because we set our mind to it. I’m proud everyone responded like champions.”

Racano recently returned from a 10-date solo tour of Northern California, mixing live radio shows with gigs--some benefits--in cities (Berkeley, San Francisco) and small towns (Garberville, Briceland, Redway.) The stopover in Garberville raised about $100 for the Friends of the Eel River, a nonprofit environmental group.

“I’ve been given the ability to make good music as a way to get the word out,” Racano said. “If you stink as an artist, no one will listen to you or what you’ve got to say. So I practice, work hard and try to get my message across as artistically as possible without beating anyone over the head. I present what I see and hear. . . . It’s up to the audience to make up their own minds about what’s right and what’s wrong.’

Racano plays a mix of folk, rock, blues, funk and soul, solo and in a trio featuring bassist Brad Cummings and drummer Ron “Pepper” Gaddis. “Wild Bird,” his new, self-released debut, ranges from deeply personal reflections about religious hypocrisy (“Forgiven”) and human suffering and loss (“Fabric of Society”) to upbeat, more lighthearted moments where surf, sun and bikinis define the local culture (“Down at Huntington Beach”).

Racano freely roams from style to style, but it’s the blues he feels closest to. Much like Kelly Joe Phelps and John Hammond Jr., the singer-songwriter-guitarist uses a weathered, husky growl born from the hard knocks he’s absorbed over the years, including the emotional fallout from the murder of his father in 1983.

“I’ve had my ups and downs in life and have played blues really from the beginning,” said Racano, who cites blues-rocker Johnny Winter as his idol. “As a gift one year, my older sister gave me Janis Joplin’s ‘Cheap Thrills’ album, and it had such a powerful effect on me. From there, I got into musicians like K.K. Martin, Ry Cooder and Bonnie Raitt.”

Racano opened for Raitt at a fund-raiser for the Bolsa Chica Land Trust in 1996. He said she approached him backstage, asking questions about his involvement in the issue and chatting about their favorite blues artists. It’s that same kind of networking that Racano seeks to foster.

Meanwhile, he continues to read, write and play his music and, hopefully, stimulate a dialogue on the pressing social and ecological concerns of the day--like the fate of the mesa.

“I wish we [the public] could buy it like we did the wetlands because the mesa supports biodiversity in this incredibly beautiful area. The raptors, blue herons, owls . . . the coyotes that keep the foxes away from the endangered species of birds in the nearby wetlands. It’s all part of one interdependent ecosystem. How can anyone destroy that?”

* Joe Racano and his band play tonight at Gallagher’s Pub & Grill, Walnut Avenue and Main Street, Huntington Beach. 9. Free. (714) 536-2422.