Die-hard Beastie Boys fans have even been unmoved for their own reasons. One fan site, preferring music to spirituality, turns on the Dalai Lama: "For some he is considered as His Holiness the Dalai Lama, yet for others he is considered to be the reason that the Beastie Boys have not released more albums since 1992."
Yauch shrugs it off.
"I don't pay too much attention to that stuff. Somebody's always gonna say something."
These days he puts action up against cynicism. Tibetan Freedom Concerts have raised over US$830,000 for more than 100 charities and foundations that do everything from house and feed Tibetan refugees in India and Nepal to Tibetan freedom PR work in first world countries like the US and Japan. His Milarepa Foundation in 2001 successfully used petitions to block World Bank funding for a program that would move more ethnic Chinese into Tibet.
In regard to the Taipei concert, money raised will go the Rato Monastery, which was founded in Tibet in the 14th century but is still rebuilding after reestablishing in India in 1983.
But the Taipei concert also signifies something else, the Tibetan Freedom Concert's first ethnic Chinese audience. Yauch has been to Taiwan three times before, the first time to attend a wedding, the second time in 2001 with the Dalai Lama, and then a third time to check into possibilities for a concert.
"We have to get closer to the source of the problem. Playing for Tibetan Freedom in America or Japan is one thing, but here is an ethnic Chinese population and it's closer to the root of what's going on."
"Would you play China?"
"Yes, we'd love to. We've even tried to before but couldn't get permission. Now I'm not sure they'd allow us in for political reasons."
"Does playing in Taiwan mean you're lending support to Taiwanese independence?"
He diplomatically waffles a bit on this one.
"I don't really know enough about the problem to say. Taiwan has made great strides in building a peaceful, democratic society that observes human rights and religious freedoms, and I can see every reason why Taiwanese people would want to keep that."
And here, I think to myself, was this really supposed to happen? Was an interview with the Beastie Boys' MCA really supposed to turn to the question of Taiwanese independence? At least he's fairly up to date on the issue and doesn't mind talking about it. But what about the music?
So I ask. And he confirms what's obvious, that politics definitely does influence some of the music.
"I think music can also just be about fun, can also just be a distraction. And there's nothing wrong with that."
Finally, a reason to look forward to the new album. So will we hear any new songs on Sunday?
"A couple," he says.
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