Marie's Crisis stands on the site where American Founding Father and French revolutionary, Thomas Paine, died in 1809.  Thomas Paine inspired the American Revolution with his 1776 pamphlet, Common Sense, and is widely believed to have written (or at least directly inspired) large parts of the Declaration of Independence.  The democratic and impromptu nature of the singalong at Marie's, the Village's strong association with political activism and the performer's passionate pursuit of free expression begs the question, 'does the spirit of Thomas Paine still reside at Marie's Crisis?'

"People sing "Songs of Angry Men" at Marie's, and they may not know they are meaning it, but they kind of have to mean it."  - Mark Buchan