COLUMBIA, Md. — With Washington, D.C., just beyond the horizon, Bruce Springsteen and a roster of influential musicians delivered a pointed message from the stage: “Let them hear you in Washington,” Springsteen told the crowd.
Springsteen headlined the inaugural “Power to the People” protest festival Saturday at Maryland’s Merriweather Post Pavilion, performing a set packed with political songs. Organized by Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, the event was designed to promote peace, justice, solidarity, music, community involvement and voter participation.
A share of proceeds from every ticket sold will go to VoteRiders and HeadCount, two organizations focused on voting access and civic engagement.
Throughout the day, performers used the stage to criticize recent actions by the U.S. government and urge fans to become more active in their communities.
Springsteen began with “Streets of Minneapolis,” a song written in response to the deaths of Renée Good and Alex Pretti, who were killed by federal immigration agents.
“The power and solidarity of the people of Minneapolis, of Minnesota, is an inspiration to the entire country,” he said to the sold-out audience. “Their strength and their commitment told us that this is still America, and this will not stand. They gave us hope. They showed us courage.”
Folk legend Joan Baez then joined Springsteen for Bob Dylan’s “Chimes of Freedom.” Later, Springsteen, Morello, Dave Matthews and Nathaniel Rateliff teamed up on Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son.”
The political statements extended beyond the stage. Festivalgoers wore shirts bearing messages including “Immigrants Make America Great,” “No Kings,” “No one is illegal on stolen land” and “Bring on the Matriarchy.”
Attendees could also visit Freedom Village, an on-site civic engagement area featuring nonprofit groups such as the ACLU, Farm Aid, the National Domestic Workers Alliance and Oxfam.
How ‘Power to the People’ came to be
The “Power to the People” festival was announced in May, around the time several artists said they would not participate in “The Great American State Fair,” a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary that had been linked to President Donald Trump.
The new festival offered a clear alternative: a one-day, two-stage event led by veteran rock bands and featuring performances from Dropkick Murphys, Jack Black, Serj Tankian, Killer Mike and the Linda Lindas, among others.
Its timing was deliberate as well, coming one month before the midterm elections.
“I think the timing is a reminder that showing up matters. I’m not here to tell anyone what to think or how to vote,” performer Taylor Momsen told The Associated Press. “I hope people leave feeling connected, inspired to care about the people around them, and reminded that we all have a part to play in our communities. If the festival can create that feeling, I think that’s a win.”
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The fest brought music with a message
The festival’s political tone was apparent from the start. Grandson, one of the day’s first performers, delivered a song featuring the refrain “My president’s a felon” before launching into Bob Dylan’s Cold War-era protest anthem “Masters of War.”
During a later livestream, the broadcast cut away as Grandson introduced actors portraying Jeffrey Epstein and Trump. The pair appeared onstage together, connected by a leash.
Other performers returned to the festival’s core themes, directing fans toward the organizations in Freedom Village and emphasizing the need to vote in the approaching midterm elections.
“Vote locally in thirty days,” Killer Mike told the audience during his set. “And hold the (expletive) you vote for accountable — on school boards, county commissions … and when you do, don’t have an ounce of fear or trepidation because this republic is ran by you.”
‘Power to the People’ was full of surprise performances, too
Shortly after 3 p.m., the comedian Jack Black appeared on stage as “Jack Sabbath,” performing Black Sabbath covers while backed by a band of children — including the sons of Morello and Anthrax’s Scott Ian — in what read like both a real-life “School of Rock” set and a touching tribute to the late, great Ozzy Osbourne. In fact, Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler joined them on stage for “War Pigs.”
In Morello’s early evening set, he was joined by System of a Down’s Serj Tankian for a duet of Audioslave’s “Like a Stone” in honor of the late frontman Chris Cornell. It was the start of a trend: After Tankian came Chuck D, Run DMC, Flavor Flav for various covers; Morello and Foo Fighters’ frontman Dave Grohl also tackled Kiss’ “Rock and Roll All Nite.”
Baez, Rateliff and Matthews joined forces for Woody Guthrie’s protest song “Deportees,” before launching into Baez’s “(Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody) Turn Me Around.”
As they exited, Stephen Stills took the stage to perform Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth.”
The festival, which Baez labeled a “magnificent antidote,” concluded with all the day’s performers singing Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” — with all its original verses — as well as John Lennon’s “Power to the People.”
“This festival means that peace, love, and justice do not have to remain nouns. They can become verbs — things that we can all contribute to — when we come together and rock out in the name of anti-fascist, radical equality,” a young fan named Evangeline Topete, who wore a shirt that read “Destroy American Fascism,” told The Associated Press. “Rock ‘n’ roll can save us. And so can giving the power where it belongs: to the people!”
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